After soaking in the hot springs under the World Tree, Shiller returned to the sanatorium just as night fell. New York's night is a cool shade of blues but full of alluring charm. The fatigue urged Shiller to sleep, yet he was still prepared to arrange the schedule for the next day first.
After typing a few lines on the computer and sending messages to the people he was going to meet, Shiller went to sleep. The next morning at dawn, he was awakened by loud screams. A beam of bright light came through the not fully closed curtain. Shiller reached out to cover his eyes.
He slowly walked to the window, squinting as he looked down, and then he saw a raccoon jumping around in the garden, followed by a group of patients in hospital gowns chasing after him.
"Damn, I'm not a raccoon! I mean I am a raccoon, but not the kind that digs through trash cans! Don't touch me with your dirty hands! Don't pull my tail! Get away!!!"
Although he shouted like this, he just jumped around, avoiding capture. Finally, he jumped up to the largest tree in the yard with a double jump. Then a team walked in, and Star Lord helplessly stood under the tree and shouted, "Come down, Rocket, we're here for business."
"These humans treat me like a pet! They've messed up my fur. You go talk to them, I'll just stay here."
"Rocket! Rocket!" Shiller's voice came from behind. Rocket Raccoon turned to look, and saw Shiller sticking his head out of a window, so he hurriedly controlled his jet pack and flew to the balcony of Shiller's window.
"Oh my, Doctor, where did you find so many... so many... adventurers?!"
Shiller yanked Rocket Raccoon inside and then said, "It's hard for you to think of that word. But they are not surprised to see a talking raccoon because they are all mentally ill patients. Anything they see would talk, including the flowers and grass in the yard and the hot dogs they ate this morning."
Rocket helplessly shook his head, crossed his arms with his small hands, and said, "Okay. I heard you got a big job?"
At this moment, Star Lord also arrived. He knocked on the door and walked in. Gamora was supposed to follow, but because Drax and Groot were too big to fit in, she had to wait outside.
"The interstellar council is moving to the Milky Way."
"What?!"
"What???"
A few exclamations sounded simultaneously, Shiller waved his hand to gesture them to calm down and then said, "Currently it's internal news, but it will be made public soon. The reasons are complex, and explaining them wouldn't make you understand. In short, we need people to go to Crux and check the situation. Have you been there?"
Rocket Raccoon and Star Lord exchanged a glance. Star Lord shook his head and said, "No. We don't often go there. It used to belong to Centaurus, right? I mean, Centauri Star."
Shiller knew the Centauri Star mentioned by Star Lord is a constellation within the Milky Way, not far from the Solar System, about 18,000 light-years away, but it's not the Centaurus where Yondu is located. That Centaurus is called Centaurus Supercluster, about one hundred and fifty million light-years from the Milky Way, and is considered a prosperous area.
As for why the two names overlap, it's actually because they used Earth's translation. In Universal Language, the names of these two star systems are completely different, and their levels are different too.
The Centauri Star mentioned by Star Lord is on the same level as the Solar System, while the Centaurus Supercluster where Yondu is located is two levels higher in dimension than the Milky Way. From small to large, it would be: Solar System-Milky Way-Local Group-Virgo Supercluster, while Centaurus Supercluster and Virgo Supercluster are on the same level, both belonging to the Laniakea Supercluster. Of course, Laniakea is not considered the center, but relatively, Centaurus and Pisces are more bustling than Virgo.
Because Star Lord said it in English, these two names are the same, so occasionally they will get mixed up. Even The Sanctum receives phone calls, sometimes they can't figure it out, so he must emphasize it specially.
"Yes, it was originally part of Centaurus, but now it has become independent." Shiller said, "Not many people generally go there, and we don't often go either. Now, if we make a big show of force to explore, or directly send troops over, it might scare away whoever is trying to stir trouble. It's better for you to quietly go and take a look. If there's really someone wandering there, come back and tell me."
"Of course, no problem. But since catching whoever is causing trouble means we may have to watch for a few days. Don't mind if we're slower."
"Don't worry, travel expenses and expenses will be fully reimbursed, plus I'll give you thirty thousand Universal Coins as a reward, how about that?"
"Thirty thousand?! My goodness, have you struck it rich lately?!" Rocket almost jumped up.
"I won't hide it from you. Those electronic lives don't actually want to move here, especially since it's in the Nine Major Kingdoms, under Asgard's eyes. Once the construction starts, there is no turning back. So this is their last chance to cause trouble."
"You mean our opponent might be the Three Great Empires?"
"If they're not stupid, they shouldn't make too much noise. If you have to run away, they wouldn't dare pursue you. But even so, there are certain dangers. You know I always set fair and reasonable prices. You're just a small team of a few people, with only one small spaceship. Doing this job is indeed a bit risky, so I'm willing to offer a high price."
With Shiller saying this, Star Lord and Rocket both hesitated. Rocket said hesitantly, "You're right, we're a small team of a few people, although we're called the Guardians of the Galaxy, we don't know much about the Milky Way's situation. If it's really those people from the Three Great Empires, they might be tough to deal with."
Originally, Star Lord was a bit cowardly, but he remembered what Yondu said, "This cosmos has been under the control of the Three Great Empires long enough. If the political center can be moved to the Milky Way, maybe there's a chance for a change."
"We can go, but we need equipment, and it's best if you can provide some powerful help."
Rocket tugged at him, meaning: If they could provide powerful help, would they need to find us?
"How about two grams of Vibranium for you?"
Both took a sharp breath. Recently, Vibranium has been skyrocketing like crazy, a few days ago it was over 30,000, today it's already up to 50,000. Although it might not be that expensive on Earth, once they get it, they can flip it, selling it for seventy or eighty thousand is no problem. This is a huge windfall.
"We can also provide you with equipment. But you know the development level of the human race is just like that, the weapons they make might not be as good as what you can buy on the black market. At most, we can provide you with two of Captain America's discarded shields, but you must return them intact, and you're not allowed to dig out the Vibranium inside…"
Star Lord and Rocket both gritted their teeth. Star Lord swung his fist and said, "Get us two Wakanda laser spears, and we'll do it."
"No problem, I'll go talk to Black Panther. Anything else you need?"
"We want a suspension ring," Rocket said.
Star Lord was about to stop him when Shiller nodded and said, "Okay, we've recently developed a disposable teleportation portal ring, the portal is fixed to open on the Moon and can only be used once. But the advantage is even non-Magic users can activate it. We can give you one to try."
"That's fine now." Both were satisfied. They said, "Just wait, if those robots dare to come, we'll definitely beat them to a pulp!"
After sending off the Guardians of the Galaxy, Shiller welcomed another guest—High Lord.
"Long time no see." Shiller stepped forward to shake hands with him, but High Lord just rolled his eyes.
"Don't tell me, you're going to start another cosmic war again." High Lord gritted his teeth as he spoke, "This is my only hobby in life, and I'm not forcing you humans to gamble. Do you really have to go to such lengths?!"
"Calm down, High Lord. I'm here to talk about casino matters. You know, the interstellar council is moving to the Milky Way."
"What?!"
"You know humans became councilmen, our information isn't wrong. Before long, this place will be thriving, and you know those officials love to play a few rounds at the casino during their vacations. Besides, I heard you have experience in building a chain of entertainment venues, I think that's a good idea. We should discuss."
High Lord's eyes shifted; he could tell Shiller wasn't lying. His casino's business hadn't been good lately, with the cosmos becoming increasingly tense, naturally affecting everyone's mood to play. Recently, many officials and wealthy people have rarely visited, and other ordinary guests aren't bringing much profit, while a lot of money has to be spent on promotions. The casino's sponsor was very displeased.
"Open a branch in the Milky Way. We can allocate you a planet in Centaurus; the natural conditions might not be great, but you're building a casino, and you don't need so many green plants. But I can arrange for you to be next to Venus, and the foot traffic won't be bad."
"It might be okay." High Lord acted reluctantly and said, "But I don't want those drunkards from Asgard coming to mess things up."
"Rest assured, not only will they not come to mess things up, but they'll also provide security for you."
"What???"
"Asgard hasn't been waging war recently, and those from the God Clan are idle anyway. Let them guard your place. With the God Clan as your guarantee, who dares to cause trouble on your turf?"
"Oh my god," High Lord said, "letting the God Clan be bouncers at my casino, isn't that a bit... I'm saying, it's not that many people cause disturbances anyway. Plus, you know in business, causing fatalities isn't good."
"They'll definitely be trained beforehand, and they're from the God Clan, not madmen. They were so ferocious before because of war, and in battle, there's no room for mercy. But if they're just watching the door, they won't be heavy-handed. Killing doesn't need force, does it?"
High Lord had to admit, he was tempted. Imagine, two Aesir Gods stationed at the door—if you're a tiger you'll lie down, if you're a dragon you'll coil up. Not only will no one dare to cause trouble, but the status of the casino instantly rises. That's the God Clan! For centuries, the God Clan has battled countless civilizations to their knees!
Don't think the Shi'ar Empire also belongs to the God Clan, but their combat power isn't great. If it weren't for the dual gods' unique fusion nature, they wouldn't have today's foundation. In the cosmos, talking about the God Clan refers specifically to the Aesir, which shows their reputation.
Even if they don't bear substantial security work, just standing there as decoration looks impressive.
"No problem." High Lord readily agreed and said, "I can offer you 12% of the cut, which is quite high. The previous place I only gave 8%."
"15%, or no deal. Besides, you don't have to pay the God Clan salaries; we'll cover all their expenses. Besides doormen, there will be patrols regularly to ensure safety, this price isn't high."
"Alright, deal."