Arknights: The Life Inside-Chapter 77 - 83

The man in the hat stared at Yoren for a long time. From Yoren's eyes, he didn't see even a hint of mockery. Finally, he stretched out his hand and gently took the banana.

"Thanks. Can I get one for my brother?"

"Sure thing."

This guy really didn't see himself as an outsider.

Sometimes, human relationships are strange. A single sentence can mean different things depending on who hears it, and when combined with facial expressions and environment, those differences can become even more pronounced.

But just like animals don't need words to communicate, sometimes a single gesture, an action, or even just a look can close the distance between people.

Without a doubt, Yoren had done it—with nothing more than a banana. Maybe, just maybe, Brother Hat, who had encountered all sorts of people, finally saw that Yoren had no ill intentions, that he was just a carefree and honest guy.

To be honest, four hours wasn't long, but it wasn't short either. And it was suffocating because no one spoke, everyone just sat there in silence, holding it all in.

In an attempt to break the tension, Yoren and Brother Hat started chatting casually while eating their bananas.

Through their conversation, Yoren learned that the two brothers weren't from Columbia. For reasons of their own, they needed to sneak into Victoria's Bra City.

The older brother, who had weak legs, was named Prue, and the younger one was named Puda. Yoren introduced himself as well.

While spinning the banana peel in his hands, Yoren asked casually,

"Lao Pu, why are you sneaking into Victoria? What were you doing here before?"

"Oh, I must've done something illegal, but it's hard to talk about these things. I figure you're in the same boat."

"Right."

Everyone in this room had something to hide. But bringing it up too easily was just bad manners, like it would be for him to suddenly reveal that the little girl beside him was an escaped test subject from Rhine Lab.

Still, curiosity gnawed at him.

"Lao Pu, what was your job before?"

Prue squinted as if thinking for a moment, then shrugged indifferently.

"We used to work in ore processing back home."

"Ore processing?"

"Yeah, sorting, purifying, and refining minerals. Basically, metallurgy."

"Where's home?"

"We're from Rem Billiton."

Of course, Yoren knew the name. Before he left Rhine Lab, he had considered going there with Tortoise because it was the homeland of the Carters.

But in the end, he couldn't ignore the crisis in Victoria that the Sankta had foreseen—he couldn't ignore Aina's home. So, he chose Victoria instead.

"Lao Pu, so you're from Rem Billiton."

"Yeah, but my brother and I left a long time ago. We've been working in Columbia for years now."

"You know metallurgy, so were you running a factory there?" freewēbnoveℓ.com

"Something like that."

Judging from their clothes, the Pru brothers were trying to keep a low profile. But Yoren could still smell the stench of money on them—especially Prue's polished leather shoes and the watch on his wrist, which was practically blinding.

Taking a lollipop from Ifrit's hand, Yoren popped it into his mouth and continued.

"Lao Pu, I don't mean anything by this. I'm just curious—why would a factory owner be on the run? Of course, you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Prue leaned in slightly and lowered his voice.

"Brother Yoren, I won't beat around the bush. If you're asking about this, it means your hands aren't exactly clean either."

"We're not exactly innocent."

Prue exchanged a glance with Puda before turning back to Yoren and whispering,

"Well, meeting here is a kind of fate. Whatever we've done before, we're both on the run now. I like making friends. Since we're all heading to Victoria, who knows? Maybe we'll cross paths again."

With that, Prue reached under his coat and made a strange gesture with his hand.

His index finger curled slightly, forming a half-clenched fist—almost like the number nine.

Yoren frowned. What was that supposed to mean?

At that moment, ACE leaned in and whispered in his ear.

"It's a code. They're in the Originium business. My guess? They process Originium illegally."

With that hint, Yoren immediately understood.

Rem Billiton was famous for two things—rabbits and rich mineral deposits. It was also one of the regions with the closest trade ties to Kjerag.

The Pru brothers had expertise in ore purification and deep processing. If they wanted to make a fortune, the best way was to get involved in the Originium trade.

In other words, these two had spent their years in Columbia working in the illegal Originium smuggling industry. Specifically, they were in the business of privately refining Originium clusters—an indispensable part of the underground supply chain.

As for why they were on the run, Yoren could guess: the authorities must have busted their operation.

Prue then asked, testing the waters,

"Brother, you seem awfully calm. You've definitely seen some things. So tell me, what line of work are you in?"

What line of work? That was a tricky question. If he said he was just a clueless newbie walking on the sidewalk, that would be embarrassing.

No one here knew him, so he might as well act cool.

Yoren smirked mysteriously and whispered,

"Some things are best left unknown. But since you shared a secret, I can't leave you hanging. So, I'll give you a hint."

With that, Yoren clenched his fists, then bent his fingers into two bizarre shapes, grimacing as he held them up.

The Pru brothers turned pale.

What the hell was this supposed to be?

Yoren gritted his teeth, holding his fingers in the awkward position.

"Get it? Hurry up, my fingers are cramping."

Prue had a blank look on his face.

"I—I don't get it. Maybe we're not well-informed. Brother, what's this code supposed to mean?"

His younger brother, Puda, suddenly raised his hand.

"Wait, I think I got it!"

"Speak."

Puda squinted and pointed at Yoren's left hand.

"Look at the curve of his fingers—it kind of forms the letter S."

Then he pointed at the right hand.

"And this one—it looks like the letter B. Left hand S, right hand B."

"SB?"

"Seems like it."

Yoren quickly withdrew his aching fingers and corrected him loudly.

"Damn it, not SB—it's BS!"

The Pru brothers froze for a second before their expressions changed completely.

Prue grabbed Puda's hand and whispered nervously,

"Oh, hell—it's Blacksteel International! I told you, didn't I? The guy with the beard moves like a pro. His aura—definitely battle-hardened. Now it all makes sense. BS—Blacksteel International!"

After hearing Yoren's explanation, the Platts brothers looked at him differently. They didn't even stop to question why Black Steel International would use such a ridiculous gesture as a signal. They simply felt they had met a true boss.

Pulu, the elder brother, remained silent, his expression unreadable. But his younger brother, Puda, practically lit up with excitement, shoving his brother aside and leaning in close to Yoren.

"Brother Yoren, are you from Black Steel International?"

"Shh, keep your voice down."

Puda immediately hushed his tone but pressed on eagerly. "You are, right?"

Yoren offered a small, knowing smile but didn't confirm outright.

Puda looked around conspiratorially before whispering, "Brother, if you don't mind me asking, what's Black Steel's mission this time? Are you infiltrating some underground organization in Victoria? Escorting an important package? Or..."—his voice dropped to an even lower whisper—"taking out a target on this ship?"

"Don't ask about things you shouldn't know."

"Oh."

Damn, it felt good to be admired like this! Yoren couldn't deny that Black Steel's reputation was legendary. To be looked up to in such a way was a new kind of thrill.

Of course, he was completely bluffing. In reality, he had no connection to Black Steel International—aside from the fact that they'd just left a bar owned by one of its bosses. If there was any real tie, it was that Brother ACE met Black Steel's entry requirements but ultimately turned them down.

But that hardly mattered now. No one here was going to expose him. In this kind of situation, your words were as good as truth. Who would dare challenge someone claiming to be from Black Steel?

Unfortunately, his moment of glory was short-lived.

"I don't think you're from Black Steel," a voice suddenly piped up from the other side of the room.

"Huh?" Yoren turned his head to find the speaker—a short, pudgy young man sitting across from him.

Yoren narrowed his eyes. "What did you just say?"

"I said you don't seem like a Black Steel operative. I think you're just bluffing."

Yoren immediately stood up, pointing at the kid with righteous indignation. "Watch your mouth. You say I'm lying? Got any proof?"

The little fat man didn't back down. "I heard that every Black Steel member carries an Originium gun. Do you have one?"

"Who says I don't?"

"Then show it."

Yoren scoffed. "Are you an idiot? We're trying to sneak across the border. Would I really strap an Originium gun to my waist and wait for the authorities to catch me?"

"Tch. Sounds like an excuse to me. I still think you're bragging."

A quick glance around the room confirmed Yoren's suspicion—several others were looking at him with the same doubt. They didn't say anything, but their skeptical expressions said it all.

His face burned with embarrassment. He couldn't let this go.

"Kid, if you say that again, I swear I'll slap your face."

Who would've thought the little fat man had a temper too? He stood up and shot back, "Look at you! Just because I called you out, now you're mad? That only proves I'm right! Tell you what—if you're really from Black Steel, I'll do a handstand and eat shit right now!"

Yoren's eyes twitched. He jabbed a finger at the guy. "You said it!"

"I said it! Prove it!"

Yoren shoved his hands into his coat. "Alright, you asked for it. Let me pull out my Black Steel business card."

The Platts brothers panicked. Thinking Yoren was about to draw a gun, Puda immediately grabbed his arm, while Pulu, despite his weaker legs, tried to hold him back by the waist.

"Brother Yoren, let it go! It's not worth it! If a fight breaks out, we all suffer."

Even ACE, who had been silent this whole time, shot Yoren a warning glare, signaling him to let it slide.

Taking the out, Yoren slowly withdrew his hands, exhaling through his nose. "Hmph. For my brother's sake, I'll let you off this time."

"Tch. Big talk," the little fat man muttered, though he didn't push further.

Still fuming, Yoren leaned against the wall, sulking. Puda chuckled and nudged him.

"Brother Yoren, don't be mad. Look, I get it, but you have to admit—your vibe is a little different from someone like Brother ACE. If you told me he was from Black Steel, I'd believe it instantly. But you... eh... I still believe you, of course."

Yoren shot him a glare. "You still believe me?"

"Yeah, I believe you."

"Then why are you laughing?"

"I'm not laughing."

"You've been smirking this whole time!"

Snowsant, who had been watching quietly, finally poked Yoren's arm and handed him an apple. "Yoren, don't be mad. Here, eat this."

Yoren sighed, taking a big bite. He turned to the Platts brothers and, in an almost sagely tone, said, "Forget it. Some things don't need to be explained. One day, you'll see for yourselves what true strength looks like."

Puda smirked. "Brother Yoren, no offense, but no matter how strong you are, can you really compare to Brother ACE?"

Yoren turned to glance at ACE standing behind him. Then, he let his gaze drift to his wrist, where a small device displayed his personal stats:

[Somatic cell and Originium fusion rate: 12%] [Blood Originium crystal density: 0.48u/L] [Individual power level: 112] [Critical period: 3] [Next cycle countdown: 21 days]

Yoren exhaled slowly. His power level fluctuated like a rollercoaster—it was nearly impossible to measure against others.

"Hey, it's not about who's stronger. There are things you just can't put into words."

Puda nodded sagely. "I think I get it."

Yoren eyed him warily. "You get it?"

"Yeah, I can't put it into words, but basically... you're still not that strong."

"Get lost."

Before Yoren could argue more, he suddenly felt a sharp kick from behind. He turned to see Ifrit glaring at him, her face scrunched up in irritation.

"Can you shut up for five minutes? You're so loud!"

Yoren rubbed his sore back, defeated. "Fine, fine. I'll shut up."

With that, the room fell into silence. Everyone kept their voices low, especially after Puda sneezed too loudly and woke Ifrit again—earning a furious lecture and a generous spray of saliva in the face. After that, no one dared make a peep.

Four hours later, a crew member opened the door.

"We've reached the high seas."

The tension eased immediately. The passengers were assigned proper rooms—stowaways or not, they had paid more than enough to be treated decently.

Yoren carried a sleeping Ifrit while Snowsant clung to his sleeve, half-asleep herself. Finally, they reached their room and collapsed onto the beds.

For the first time in days, Yoren let out a deep breath and shut his eyes. They had successfully left Columbia within the promised three days.

Now, they had six more days at sea before reaching Victoria. Along the way, they would pass many regions—including the mysterious waters of Agor.