Chapter 35: What It Means to Be a City of Chaos

[Appraisal: Gaul Slater, Tier 1 Transcendent, a ‘Conservationist’ member who loves courting death.
Transcendent Trait: [Danger Warning].
Formerly involved in the Great Lakes ruins expedition in Michigan; after surviving, became one of the targets hunted by the ‘Carnival Convoy’.]

Regarding the Rose Hotel, Su Wen knew immediately it wasn't a respectable establishment. But Gaul’s implication was simply that he was broke and just offering some empty flattery. Su Wen admired the shamelessness of these people. Not wanting to waste time and deciding to push the main storyline forward, he said calmly:
“I hear there’s a Freezing Bar nearby. Buy me a whiskey, and I won’t need any other payment.”
“Are you sure? I suspect the owner of that place sells bootleg liquor.”
...
Su Wen now understood why the system had suggested the identity of a bartender or barback for him.
(Difficulty: Low)
It certainly made sense.

Gaul looked at the two corpses being washed by the torrential rain. In the end, he chose to lead him through the downpour to a small bar illuminated by deep blue light strips, labeled [Freezing Bar].

Inside the Freezing Bar, there were very few patrons. A silver-haired, middle-aged white man was wiping down the counter.
[Appraisal: Fern Onions, Tier 2 Transcendent, White Hound. Transcendent Trait: [Hunt]. Former security chief for the Lyse-Angton Corporation in Detroit, who chose to leave after witnessing certain events.]

“Hey, Fern, give me and my new friend two whiskeys. The most authentic English whiskey you’ve got.”
Upon seeing this guy, Fern Onions said in a gravelly voice:
“Gaul, in Michigan, you can only buy American whiskey.”
“If you account for the legislation passed by George Washington in the 18th century, some distillers in Pennsylvania produced Monongahela whiskey using imported English techniques. The two actually share the same historical origin,” Su Wen interjected.
He needed to gain the White Hound’s trust through his bartender persona, and the topic of spirits was likely the best entry point.
“Gaul, the friend you brought this time is a bit different from the others.”
Onions looked up, a prominent scar etched across his chiseled face:
“How much money did you bring this time?”
“Ten—no, five dollars.”

Twenty seconds later, with the dim lights reflecting off the water ripples on the bar top, Su Wen received a glass of watered-down, low-quality whiskey.
[You have earned the achievement: Equivalent Exchange]
[Achievement Description: Buying fake liquor with five dollars; the taste is likely as intoxicating as the cheap price.]

...
He finally understood why Gaul said the Freezing Bar sold fake liquor.
The next moment, just as Su Wen was preparing to finish the drink, offer a professional critique, and segue into his self-recommendation as a bartender, a card flew in from outside the window of the Freezing Bar and embedded itself perfectly into the black-brown solid wood of the bar counter.

[Appraisal: A letter from a stranger]
Fern Onions opened the envelope. His eyes gradually turned cold:
“Those bastards. Gaul, how many people can the Conservationists mobilize right now?”
“Including me, three. The rest of the members have all gone to Hawaii for vacation.” Gaul Slater shrugged, “You know how it is—summer, beaches, surfing—these things are always unavoidable. Plus, because of that bill proposed by the Duke of Bavaria, Transcendents have started slacking off and taking leave.”
“I’m hiring you to come with me to the Fals Casino.”
“How much are you paying?”
“One thousand dollars.”
“Two thousand. That’s my bottom line.”
“Fifteen hundred.”
“Fine, deal.”

Having completed Gaul’s hiring, the silver-haired middle-aged owner, Fern, looked at Su Wen. Before he could ask, Su Wen calmly provided his answer:
“Ten thousand dollars, plus a glass of genuine Pennsylvania whiskey.”
Gaul glanced at ‘Mr. Rhine,’ who remained expressionless while sipping the low-quality fake liquor, and added with immense admiration:
“His strength is greater than mine. If it weren't for Mr. Rhine, I’d probably be lying on the side of the road by now.”
White Hound Fern gave Su Wen a deep look, then nodded hoarsely:
“I hope you can bring me surprises beyond the plan.”

[Due to Gaul’s flattery, White Hound has expectations for your strength. ‘Freezing Bar’ faction favorability +30]
[Current player buff: Tequila Sunrise]
[Buff effect: Your attack power +10]
[You have experienced the event: The Beginning of Wrath]
[Obtained one chance to draw a temporary ability card for this game session]

Su Wen remembered he hadn't used the draw chance he got earlier. He drew twice:
Skill Card: [Disguise Level 1 (Energy cost 23%): Disguise yourself as another person when not under attack]
Skill Card: [Confuser Level 2 (Energy cost 43%): Make someone temporarily believe your lie]

At this moment, looking at the skill descriptions, Su Wen, who had been searching for a simple way to clear the game, suddenly had some ideas.
“Compared to active skills, it seems the favorability buffs from different factions in Detroit might be more useful.”
He thought of a bold idea. After pondering for a while, he smiled and said:
“If this line of thinking is viable, then this game might become very simple.”

In the scene, the three had already arrived in disguise at the entrance of the Fals Casino. Compared to the sparsely populated Freezing Bar, this was likely the concentrated essence of Detroit’s nightlife.
Fern walked to the front desk, slammed his hand heavily on the counter, and said to the staff:
“Tell Old York to come see me, or this place will be in ruins in ten minutes.”
“Sir, to see Mr. York, you need an appointment. Do you have an appointment letter?” the receptionist asked.

While Fern drew the attention of most of the guards, Su Wen walked over to a senior security staff member who appeared to be a manager. He pulled a playing card engraved with a laughing clown from his pocket.
Then, as the playing card dissolved into a wisp of blue smoke, his voice took on a mental suggestion that invited trust:
“People from Lyse-Angton want your boss’s life. See that silver-haired man in front? He is a defector from the Lyse-Angton security department and my companion. He is currently risking his life to deliver information to you. Are you sure you don’t want to notify York?”

Amidst the half-truths, Su Wen felt the prompt from the screen:
[Because you took the initiative to state your intent and the Clown Card [Confuser] took effect, ‘Fals Casino’ faction favorability +15]
[Current player buff: Seventeen-Sided Die]
[Buff effect: Damage you deal will be determined by a die roll during settlement, and multiplied based on the result (Greater than 9 is a positive multiplier, less than 9 is a negative multiplier)]
[You have experienced the event: The One Who Forges Secrets]
[Obtained one chance to draw a temporary ability card for this game session]

The ability was interesting. But seeing the above prompt, Su Wen got the answer he cared about most:
‘Faction favorability is not restricted; it can even be fabricated.’
It seemed that muddying the waters and stirring up the silt was the true way to operate behind the scenes of the City of Chaos.
He thought he had probably found the strategy for the rest of the game.