Many bodyguards surrounded Alan. They took away his gun and made him sit on a couch.

— You will be able to talk with the mayor in a few seconds.

— Sure, we'll wait here. — Etia answered.

The group of armed men left the room. When the couple was alone again, they heaved a sigh of relief.

— I think it's going pretty well. They know about our situation but still, let us through. — Alan would be kicked out of the city if they minded his crime. He connected the dots and realized that there was room for negotiation.

— I hope they won't throw us into a mine or something. — Etia cracked a joke, but Alan knew she was very stressed.

They waited a few minutes, but the man still didn't come.

— Did they forget about us? — Etia asked Alan. She did not know much about politics.

— Look at him pretending not to care. — Alan saw through the mayor's game. This method was frequently used on Earth to assert dominance. — He will come in some time.

— Ok.

Alan and Etia waited and waited. Even after half an hour, no one came.

— Well, let's look for someone. — Alan stood up and opened the door. Just to find out it was locked. — Hmm, that won't be a problem.

He reached out toward the door and pulled forcefully. It fell and revealed a person.

— I guess you got impatient. — The man wore a white suit. He had a fairly average face and an inconspicuous look.

— Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak. — Alan quoted Sun Tzu. He had a whole encyclopedia downloaded in place of his prefrontal lobe. — Looking at the badge in your pocket, you should have a high position.

— You are right. My name is Jaon Ux, and I'm the ruler of this town.

— Was this some kind of test? — Etia connected the dots and realized they were being checked for something.

— I was trying to understand your characters. It is the basis of cooperation.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

— So, how can we work together? — Alan knew that this was his chance to move to this city.

— Let's discuss this in my office.

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Alan and Etia sat on a couch. Jaon handed them a bottle of water and a few cookies.

— Let's get straight to the point, then. We want to live in your city, and you want something from us. What is it? — Alan didn't want to listen to a politician's bull excrement.

— I won't beat around the bush. We want to conquer Zhar, and your tech will help us.

— How do you know that I didn't already give it away?

— I assessed that you wouldn't allow yourself to get cheated. The world would have burned if they had taken your help and betrayed you.

— You're not wrong. Then how are you so sure I know anything? — Alan didn't stop interrogating Jaon.

— You made a fewteen shots in three seconds, and they all hit. This hints at your brain are much more potent than a zharian one.

— Ok. I guess the deal is set. — Alan extended his hand toward Jaon.

He looked for a few seconds and shook Alan's hand.

— For the future, you shouldn't do that with a man. — Etia said in English.

— Sorry. — Alan answered.

— Oh, and if possible, I would like you to teach us your language. It would be helpful on the future battlefield.

— I rather keep it private. I can teach you old Polan, though. — It was Alan's mother language and the only other tongue he knew. Dictionaries were large, and his hard drive had limited space.

— That's good enough.

— So, when do I start, and will I get paid? — Alan wanted to get Etia a home as fast as possible.

— How about now and yes?

— Let's get going.

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On his way to a lab, Alan saw many unnatural people. One had two eyes in a socket. Another didn't have an arm. There was even a person with seven fingers on each arm.

Alan slowly understood why zharians evolved in the wrong direction. Because of their strong racial identity, they excluded everything that looked even a bit different, which diminished the chance to evolve.

“That still doesn't explain why these mutations are so severe” He was unsure of the reason, but knew that it wasn't random.

— What do you want to start with? — Alan asked Jaon.

— First, I'd like you to review our basic science. If we don't work on the same foundation, it will be hard to make progress. — Mayor Ux answered. He had already prearranged the schedule for their cooperation.

— Lead the way, then. — Alan followed behind Jaon. He wasn't scared of going into the deeper parts of the lab, because Etia was temporarily staying in the “White House” of this city-state. Alan was getting excited about seeing a clean Etia in new clothes.

They walked through many areas. Some researched medicine, others technology, and a little weaponry.

Before long, Alan saw a giant door.

— This is my second office. I want you to write down as much as you know, so I chose a more comfortable place.

Jaon started walking again. They walked for a few minutes and arrived before an elevator.

— Do you know where it goes to? — Jaon made a bit of a quiz. Alan knew because he could map every area he walked through.

— Of course. We're currently under your house.