23: Chapter 23: Using the Ling family's money to dig up the Ling family's ancestral graves! A double-dealing scheme, an unexpected surprise!

Ling Feng pushes a plate of salted peanuts to Shen Ji.

"Sit."

You pull up a chair and sit down, glancing at the Spirit Bee Brew on the table.

Three Mid-Grade Spirit Stones per pot.

Two pots on the table.

Last time, when reconciling accounts at the branch grocery store, Ling Feng couldn't even afford to buy another bowl of herbal tea.

Now he's willing to treat to Spirit Bee Brew.

Five months—this man's turnaround is faster than expected.

"Young Master Ling is acting generous." You pick up a peanut and toss it into your mouth.

Ling Feng pours you a bowl of wine himself.

"Thanks to you. With five spirit stones as capital, the monthly turnover is now thirty-seven."

Thirty-seven.

Shen Ji crunches on a peanut shell.

Three branch stores, mainly dealing in Tier 2 spirit herbs and low-grade pill materials, targeting rogue cultivators.

This turnover figure shows that Ling Feng not only reclaimed the old channels of the Ling Family branch, but also swallowed the customer base of two stores under Ling Xiao.

Ambitious, capable, and not yet arrogant.

A useful blade.

Ling Feng lifts his wine bowl and gestures at you.

"Without your shipment, I wouldn't have been able to support even the first branch store."

"You're too kind." You clink your bowl against his.

The Spirit Bee Brew goes down the throat.

Spicy with a hint of sweetness, spiritual energy flows down the esophagus straight into the dantian.

Ling Feng sets down his wine bowl and turns the open ledger towards you.

"Regarding what we discussed last time, let's finalize the plan today."

Shen Ji picks up the ledger.

The handwriting is neat.

It lists three cooperation plans, with profit splits and risk assessments.

Plan 1: Continue supplying secretly, Ling Feng pays cost price plus 10%.

Plan 2: Invest in the branch store anonymously, 20% equity, supply price remains the same, dividends based on shares.

Plan 3: Establish a joint business, use Ling Feng's name externally, Shen Ji controls supply and pricing internally, 50-50 profit split.

Shen Ji presses his fingertips on the third option.

50-50, quite a big appetite.

The first is conservative.

The second is testing the waters.

The third is what Ling Feng really wants.

But 50-50 means revealing the supply trump card to the other party.

A slight warmth under the tongue, the "Glib Tongue" trait quietly activates.

You close the ledger and tap your knuckles on the cover.

"The third option is good, but 50-50 isn't appropriate."

Ling Feng doesn't move, waiting for your follow-up.

"The supply channel is my lifeline. Exposing it all in a joint business is like sticking my neck under your blade."

"Then what do you think is appropriate?"

"60-40. I take 60, you take 40. Supply and pricing go to me, storefronts and manpower go to you."

Ling Feng's hand holding the wine pauses in mid-air.

"60-40 is too ruthless. I provide the people, the storefronts, and the connections, and I get 40%?"

"Your connections are those of the Ling Family branch."

You stare into his eyes. "To put it bluntly, if the Ling Family's internal strife blows up one day, your connections will rot in the pot overnight."

Ling Feng's hand freezes.

"50-50. Supply rights belong to you, pricing rights are discussed together. We both take a step back."

Shen Ji picks up a peanut and peels it slowly.

60-40 was just an exorbitant opening demand to pressure the other's psychological defense.

Ling Feng's bottom line is 50-50.

If he really insists on 60-40, the deal will likely revert to the 20% equity of the second option.

Too slow; it won't have the effect of setting fire to Ling Xiao's backyard.

Giving up 10% of the profit in exchange for an absolute safety barrier is a good trade.

"50-50 is fine." You toss the peanut kernel into your mouth.

"But add one condition."

"If internal changes in the Ling Family affect the shops, all losses of the joint business must be covered by you personally."

"Under no circumstances should my supply sources or funds be involved."

Ling Feng is stunned.

After a long while, he laughs in exasperation.

"Are you a Pixiu? Only eating and not pooping."

"It's business." You lift your wine bowl.

Ling Feng shakes his head and takes a jade slip out of his sleeve.

"Fine. The terms were already carved; it was just missing this one. Add it, and let's go by blood-oath contract."

The two of them go over the terms word by word over the Spirit Bee Brew.

Shen Ji's eyes flash with spiritual light, "Business Opportunity Sniffing" scans every number.

No hidden traps.

Both sides force out a drop of essence blood.

Red light flashes, the contract is formed.

Ling Feng puts away the jade slip and pours you another bowl of wine.

"Happy cooperation."

"Happy cooperation."

The porcelain bowls clink.

Simulation accelerated.

—

[Age 30, December.]

[The joint business is running. Ling Feng stands at the front desk, you stay in the back.]

[First month turnover: 53 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, net profit 19.]

[Age 31, January 15th.]

[Ling Xiao gets his deal intercepted while competing in the black market, his capital chain is in a crisis.]

In the woodshed, Shen Ji leans against the mud-brick wall and spits out the grass root in his mouth.

It's here.

With Ling Xiao suffering a setback, he will inevitably siphon blood from everywhere to fill the hole.

[Late night, artificial cave.]

[Ling Xiao is standing, clutching his folding fan tightly, his knuckles white.]

["Shen Ji, how much is left in the shop's accounts?"]

["Reporting to the Second Young Master, the net profit for the twelfth lunar month was 42, and the order for after the New Year has just been placed —"]

["Cut the crap!" Ling Xiao interrupts sharply, "Three months of profit, settle everything tonight."]

Three months, over 120 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

Forced withdrawal in advance; the hole is even bigger than expected.

Shen Ji immediately puts on a bitter face and rubs his hands repeatedly.

["Second Young Master, a big order was just placed after the New Year, cash is really tight..."]

[Ling Xiao slaps his palm with his folding fan.]

["I don't care! Deliver the spirit stones to the back mountain within three days. If you can't, don't bother opening the shop anymore!"]

The "Glib Tongue" trait quietly exerts its power.

[You bow repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes, I will definitely find a way. It's just that a batch of top-grade spirit herbs has just arrived and hasn't been put into storage yet. Would you like to have them calculated together?"]

[Ling Xiao's face is full of irritation: "I don't want the spirit herbs, I only want the spirit stones! Get out!"]

[You back out of the cave with your head bowed.]

Crossing the threshold.

Shen Ji straightens his back and brushes the dust off his sleeves.

He doesn't want spirit herbs, only spirit stones.

That batch of top-grade spirit herbs has naturally changed owners.

Three days later.

[You deliver 110 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones to the back mountain. It is 30% less than the actual profit.]

Ling Xiao takes the spirit stones and leaves without even looking at them.

The 30% of top-grade spirit herbs withheld has a market value of at least 40 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

Shen Ji turns around and puts half of it into the joint business.

The accounts show it as "inventory loss."

The other half is kept for seclusion.

—

[Age 31, February.]

Birthday.

System annual lottery.

The light screen pops up, the wheel spins rapidly.

Twenty-plus years of continuous white traits have long worn down his expectations.

Getting a blue would be a blessing.

[Click.]

The pointer stops.

[Ding! Congratulations on drawing the white trait — "Iron Head Technique"!]

[Iron Head Technique (White): Slightly increases head hardness, reduces pain by 15% when the head is struck by blunt weapons.]

Shen Ji stares at the light screen.

It will hurt less when someone tries to blow my head off.

Fine.

At least it's more useful than "Elegant Temperament".

—

[Age 31, mid-February.]

[You take the top-grade spirit herbs and go into seclusion in the abandoned mine cave.]

["Qi Refinement Technique" runs to the limit.]

The medicinal power of the top-grade spirit herbs is extremely fierce. The moment it pours into the meridians, the swelling pain rushes straight to the top of the head.

[A strong tearing sensation comes from the collateral meridians.]

[You hold your breath tightly, forcing the violent spiritual energy into the dantian!]

[A muffled sound comes from the dantian.]

[The Qi Refining Stage 4 barrier, shattered!]

[Liquid spiritual energy surges, the feeling of fullness fills the limbs and bones.]

[Qi Refining Stage 5!]

Shen Ji opens his eyes suddenly, sweat soaking his long robe.

The rubble at the top of the mine cave is shaken down by the overflowing spiritual pressure.

Qi Refining Stage 5, spiritual energy liquefied.

In the circle of rogue cultivators in Cloud State City, he can already walk sideways.

Just as he was about to restrain his spiritual energy —

[Ding!]

A crisp prompt sound explodes in his mind.

[Host has reached Qi Refining Stage 5, successfully unlocked the fifth trait equipment slot!]

[Current maximum number of equipable traits: 5]

Shen Ji leaps up.

The fifth trait slot!

This means he can simultaneously equip "Wealth Returns After Being Spent", "Business Opportunity Sniffing", "Glib Tongue", "Spirit Affinity".

And then cram "Half-Step Spirit Root" in!

Wealth gathering, negotiation, cultivation, all three lines running in parallel.

This breakthrough is worth more than a three-stage cultivation increase.

Thirty-one years old.

With Ling Feng's joint business, Ling Xiao's underground funds, and a brand-new trait slot in his hands.

The threads of this big game of chess are finally connected.

The text on the light screen continues to scroll.

[Age 31, March. An urgent report comes from the Nan Town branch.]

[The newly hired accountant, Hu Wansan, was caught red-handed by a clerk for cooking the books.]

Shen Ji frowns.

Hu Wansan was someone he picked out specifically.

He's good with an abacus and tight-lipped; how could he be stupid enough to get caught cooking the books?

[You rush to Nan Town overnight.]

[Hu Wansan is tied up in the backyard, with three ledgers stacked next to him.]

[You open the first one. Normal turnover, not a single error.]

[Open the second one.]

Shen Ji's fingers stop as he flips the page.

This isn't fake accounting at all.

This is a set of extremely precise Yin-Yang double accounting.

The bright account is for the outside, perfectly hitting the tax-exemption line of the City Lord's Mansion.

The dark account is for the inside, clearly recording the true destination of every copper coin.

Combining the two books, they managed to wash nearly 20% of heavy taxes into legal profit.

Shen Ji slowly raises his eyes and looks at Hu Wansan, who is trembling like chaff on the ground.

The "Business Opportunity Sniffing" trait shines blindingly.

[Hu Wansan kowtows heavily, his voice trembling: "Boss Shen, I wasn't cooking the books to line my own pockets, I was trying to..."]

[You raise your hand to interrupt him.]

[You push the dark ledger back in front of him.]

["Your monthly salary will increase by 30%."]

["From now on, you are in charge of this shop in Nan Town."]