146: Chapter 146 Shocking Yang Xu

"My name is Lin Tian."

He spoke in a calm tone, attempting to ease the tension in the atmosphere.

"Lord Yang Xu, right? No need to be nervous. There's no offense taken; I just saw that you were my closest neighbor, and the scenery here..."

"Well, this river is quite nice, so I came over to 'visit' my neighbor and get to know the area."

"Visit a neighbor? Get to know the area?"

Yang Xu grew even more suspicious. Who would bring four thousand Epic-tier troops just to 'visit' a neighbor?

With this kind of posture, people would believe it even if he said he was here to exterminate the entire household!

But he didn't dare say it out loud. He could only force a smile, his mind racing as he pondered the true intentions of this big shot named 'Lin Tian'.

Lin Tian... Lin Tian?

Why did that name sound so familiar?

Yang Xu frowned, racking his brain to remember.

Suddenly, the heated argument and wager that had caused a stir in the Regional Chat Channel yesterday flashed through his mind like lightning!

[Legendary Black Dragon Lord - Long Ao]: "That guy named Lin Tian, wash your neck and wait! I'll wipe you out tomorrow!"

Right! It was Lin Tian!

The very 'Lin Tian' who had been publicly called out by the Legendary Black Dragon Lord and threatened with extermination!

Yang Xu snapped his head up to look at Lin Tian, his eyes filled with disbelief. His voice even cracked slightly from the shock:

"You... You are... the one the Black Dragon Lord mentioned in the group yesterday... Lin Tian?"

He stared intently at Lin Tian's face, trying to find traces of fear or forced bravado, but there were none—only a sense of calm, and perhaps even a bit of... helplessness?

"Yes, that's me."

Lin Tian shrugged, his tone carrying a hint of wry amusement.

"As for that Long Ao, he did come by this morning. However, he didn't manage to wipe me out. Instead, I beat him within an inch of his life. Right now..."

"He's probably licking his wounds in some godforsaken corner. He ran off pretty fast."

Boom!

Yang Xu felt as if another bolt of thunder had exploded in his mind, leaving his ears ringing!

Long Ao... the arrogant and overbearing Long Ao who possessed a hundred Legendary Black Dragons... had been beaten half to death?

And he had even fled?

Beaten back by the man in front of him... Lin Tian, who had brought four thousand Epic troops?

He opened his mouth but found he couldn't make a sound, only heavy breathing.

The way he looked at Lin Tian had shifted from initial shock and respect to a near-worshipful awe and incomprehensible horror!

To be able to drive away a Legendary Black Dragon Lord, just how terrifyingly strong must this Lord Lin Tian be!

He had originally thought the other party just had high-quality troops, but now he realized this was a peerless powerhouse who could pummel even a Legendary Lord!

Then he thought back to a few days ago, when he had been fighting someone in the regional trade channel over an 'Excellent-grade Arrow Tower Blueprint'.

They had argued incessantly, and the other party had made threats to 'settle things' in person and send troops to attack him.

That opponent seemed to be a Lord with Low-tier Epic 'Blaze Tigers'. Because of that, he had been living in fear for two days, unable to sleep well.

Now, looking at the big shot Lin Tian before him, who could casually pull out four thousand Epic troops and treat a Legendary Lord like a grandson...

His own previous troubles, compared to this man's, were like children fighting over candy.

A thought began to grow wildly in his heart like weeds, instantly occupying his every thought.

"Perhaps... today's 'visit' isn't necessarily a bad thing for me. Instead, it might be... a massive turning point?"

He looked at Lin Tian's calm face, which held a trace of a playful smile, and his heart began to throb violently.

Yang Xu's mind was in utter turmoil.

He looked at the 'Big Shot Lin Tian' who could drive away Legendary Black Dragons, then looked back at his own two hundred Horned Lions, whose manes were standing on end from tension.

Then he looked at the other's four thousand Epic-tier troops, who looked as if they had stepped out of a myth...

The contrast was simply too agonizing.

"My heart is pounding... This small, broken place of mine is so close to him; it's practically a piece of meat at his doorstep. He brought so many troops today for a 'visit'—who would believe that?"

Yang Xu's mind worked at high speed, and cold sweat almost began to pour.

"If I refuse, or if he finds me unpleasant, wiping me out would probably be as easy as lifting a finger... Looking at this display, does he even need a reason?"

Rather than living in constant fear, not knowing which day this big shot might 'visit' him into the afterlife, why not... be proactive?

The reason Yang Xu had been able to make it as a corporate executive in his original world was his ability to assess a situation and his courage to place a bet.

After transmigrating, relying on these skills and his decent Horned Lion troops, he had managed to make some acquaintances and save up a bit of wealth.

But over the past few days, especially after making an enemy and being threatened by the Epic Blaze Tiger Lord, he had come to understand something.

Those 'friends' who usually called him brother were useless when it mattered; every single one of them hid faster than anyone else.

He was truly fed up with struggling to survive every day under the threat of monsters and potential enemies with just this meager estate.

This wasn't the life he wanted.

A thought became clearer and clearer: cling to a powerful thigh! Cling to the thickest one possible!

He took a deep breath, suppressing his racing heart.

Putting on an expression of utmost sincerity and humility, he bowed deeply to Lin Tian, his tone carrying a desperate resolve:

"Big Shot Lin! I, Yang Xu, have admired you for a long time! Do you think... I could be your subordinate?"

He paused and quickly pitched his own value:

"To be honest, I was in management before I transmigrated! Territory internal affairs, resource allocation, personnel management, development planning... I'm familiar with all of it!"

"As long as you trust me and we sign a contract, I guarantee I'll keep your territory organized and efficient, saving you time and effort so you can focus on expanding your borders!"

This statement caused Lin Tian to raise an eyebrow.

Finding a professional to manage the territory?

This suggestion... was somewhat interesting.

He had spread his operations so wide now—an army of a hundred thousand, inner and outer cities, refugees, agriculture, construction, logistics...

Just listening to reports and making decisions every day was enough to give him a headache.

If there were a reliable 'professional manager' to handle these trivial matters and provide him with a concise daily 'Territory Operations Briefing' while he only handled the major direction, it would indeed make things much easier.

But... sign a contract?

Lin Tian always maintained a degree of wariness toward such things.

Contract clauses, loopholes, potential binding power... it was too complicated, and he didn't like the feeling of being tied down by legalities.

A playful smile appeared on his face as he looked at Yang Xu and said slowly:

"Oh? Want to be my subordinate? Not a bad idea. However... where is the sincerity?"

Before his voice even faded, and without any explicit gesture, the four thousand Golden Armored Spearmans and Earth Spirit Guards standing solemnly around them seemed to receive an invisible command.

Almost simultaneously, they made an extremely subtle adjustment to their stances.