316: Chapter 317: Double the Money, Buy the Moon and Shock the Globe

Zhang Wei felt his head buzzing.

Buying the moon?

This metaphor was just... so damn accurate.

He looked at the "Nuwa" list in his hand, then at Lin Qi's eyes, which were as calm as still water. Suddenly, an indescribable surge of heroic passion rushed from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head!

That's right!

What is there to be afraid of!

Who is my Brother Qi?

He is a True God who can wrestle with immortals and play the Federal Military fleet like monkeys!

Since he said the Federation would grant maximum authority, they definitely will!

Since he entrusted this task to me, it means he trusts me, Zhang Wei!

And who am I, Zhang Wei?

The young master of Huichun Hall, an Alchemist who has awakened the talent 'Money Can Communicate with Gods'!

Hasn't my biggest dream in life been to spend money?! To spend money in places others wouldn't even dream of?!

In the past, spending money was for enjoyment and Face.

Now, it's to do things for my Brother Qi! It's for the sake of 'survival'!

Is the meaning even the same?

My perspective has instantly broadened!

"I can do it!"

Zhang Wei slapped his trembling chest hard, his fat rippling like a wave, letting out a loud 'thud'!

"Forget the moon! Brother Qi! Just say the word and I'll find a way to lease the sun for you!"

It was as if he had been injected with adrenaline; his eyes shone, and his previous tension and fear were swept away, replaced by an extreme excitement and sense of mission.

"Isn't it just spending money? That's what I'm best at!"

"I'll go make contact right now! Global channels! Black markets and white markets! As long as it exists in this world, I guarantee I'll dig three feet into the ground to get it for you!"

After speaking, he pulled out an encrypted communicator with gold trim that looked ridiculously expensive. His fingers tapped on it so fast they left afterimages as he muttered to himself.

"Hello? Is this Shopkeeper Sun of 'Wanbao Pavilion'? I'm Zhang Wei. Yes, the one from Huichun Hall. Cut the crap and listen to me. I have a huge order; can you handle it?... What? See the manifest first? Fine, I'll send it to you. I'm warning you, if you have a weak heart, don't look, and if you do look, don't breathe a word of it, or you know the consequences... Right, a deposit? A deposit isn't an issue! I'll transfer ten billion Federation Credits to you first to get started, and we'll talk about the rest once the goods are ready!"

"Hello? Is this Black Shark from 'Deep Sea Salvage'? Don't worry about who I am. Want to pull off a big job?... Go to the Guixu Sea Eye and salvage three hundred tons of Guixu Stones for me. Yes, you heard right, tons. Money? As long as you can pull them up, name your price! Equipment? I'll provide you with the blueprints for the Federal Military's latest 'Jiaolong-class' deep-sea submersible; build it yourself! Channels? I'll give you a specially approved navigation permit from the Federal Military Department. Is that enough?"

"Hello? Is this the 'Hand of the Void'? I'm looking for your boss, 'Thousand Faces'. Tell him to get his ass out here and answer the phone!... Tell him the client is Lin Qi. Yes, that Lin Qi. I'm sending the list of things he wants; tell him to handle it. If he doesn't do it well, I'm afraid he won't have the chance to do anything else ever again."

...

One call after another went out.

Zhang Wei had entered a state of frenzied work.

He alternated between threats, inducements, throwing money around, and using Lin Qi's name.

The fat man who usually looked a bit simple-minded and only knew how to follow Lin Qi around shouting '666' was, at this moment, showing the true strength of a possessor of the 'Money Can Communicate with Gods' talent.

He was like a general strategizing in a tent, but instead of thousands of troops, he held a terrifying financial power capable of shaking the world's underground economy, and something even more terrifying than wealth... Lin Qi's authorization.

Instructor Su Qing watched silently from the side. For the first time, she realized that this fat man didn't seem to be just a useless sidekick.

At least, when it came to 'squandering money', he was an absolute professional.

Lin Qi was also very satisfied.

This was exactly what he liked about Zhang Wei.

Loyalty, a quick mind, and strong execution.

Most importantly, he could perfectly understand and execute Lin Qi's intentions.

What he needed was a logistical manager who didn't ask 'why' but only 'how to do it'.

Zhang Wei was the most suitable candidate.

"Alright, that's enough for now."

Lin Qi patted the shoulder of Zhang Wei, who was almost reaching a state of 'man-machine unity'.

"The items on the list don't need to be acquired all at once. Your current task is to use your channels to spread the news that 'I am going to build a temple' in the fastest and most exaggerated way possible."

"Huh?" Zhang Wei was stunned, unable to follow Lin Qi's train of thought. "Brother Qi, aren't we building a fortress? Why say it's a temple? And... and spread the news with such fanfare?"

This didn't fit Brother Qi's usual low-profile style at all.

"What do you know?" Lin Qi glanced at him. "A fortress is built for oneself; it's the substance. A temple is built for others; it's the Face."

"I want everyone to know that I, Lin Qi, am building a temple here that no one dares to mess with."

"I want those 'new neighbors' to weigh their own worth before they even step through the door, to see if they are qualified to come here and offer incense."

"As for those rats hiding in the shadows, I want them to see how thick my granary walls are. Want to come and steal a bite? First see if your teeth are hard enough."

Zhang Wei listened, dazed, and it took quite a while for it to sink in.

Brilliant!

Truly brilliant!

Brother Qi is playing an open scheme!

He is using an extremely arrogant method to announce his presence to the whole world!

At the same time, it is an unprecedented 'strategic intimidation'!

By flaunting wealth in this manner, he reveals just the tip of the iceberg, forcing all potential enemies into deep self-doubt before they even consider making a move.

They will think: how much power does someone who can produce such a manifest have behind them? How terrifying is his actual strength?

This fear of the unknown is more lethal than any blade or gun.

"I understand! Brother Qi!" Zhang Wei suddenly realized, excitedly slapping his thigh. "You're performing an 'armed demonstration'! I get it! I guarantee I'll hype up this 'temple' until it's known by everyone! I'll make sure our construction manifest stays on the Federal News headlines for a whole month!"

"Good, go then." Lin Qi waved his hand. "Remember, money is not an issue. The more you spend and the more exaggerated it is, the safer our fortress will be."

"Understood!"

Having received his orders, Zhang Wei rushed off to continue making calls, full of energy.

Only then did Lin Qi turn his gaze back to Instructor Su Qing.

Instructor Su Qing understood immediately and respectfully presented the 'Pangu' Formation diagram.

"How much did you understand?" Lin Qi asked.

"...Less than five percent." Instructor Su Qing lowered her head in shame. "I can only feel that it is very... grand, very exquisite, as if... as if it is describing the skeleton of a world."

"You saw correctly." Lin Qi nodded. "This diagram doesn't depict a Formation, but Law."

He extended a finger and tapped lightly on a point at the very center of the paper.

"Here is the 'fulcrum'. I want to use this to leverage the underlying Laws of the entire D-3 Region."

He then traced a main line.

"Here is the 'Dragon Vein'. I want to gather all the earth Qi and source energy of this area right here for my use."

He circled several key nodes.

"Here is the 'breath'. I want the entire fortress to be like a living thing, capable of self-repair, self-purification, and self-growth."

With every sentence Lin Qi spoke, Instructor Su Qing's eyes grew brighter.

Although she was still somewhat confused, she could feel that Lin Qi was showing her a magnificent and grand new world she had never encountered before.

A world... created by his own hands.

"Your task is heavy." Lin Qi looked at her. "The foundation is the root of the fortress. If the root is unstable, everything above is just a castle in the air."

"I need you to use your Shadow Power to 'feel' this land."

"Feel the 'emotions' of every inch of soil, and find those 'Acupoints' marked on the diagram."

"This process is also a form of cultivation for you. When you can completely construct the structure of this foundation in my mind with your eyes closed, without looking at the diagram, your Realm will naturally stabilize."

"I understand." Instructor Su Qing nodded heavily.

She knew Lin Qi was guiding her and giving her a massive Opportunity.

"Go then."

Lin Qi said finally.

"Clean up that 'trash'."

"Tonight, I want to see a brand-new, clean D-3."

"Yes!"

Instructor Su Qing took her orders and turned toward the few 'Leftovers' lying on the ground.

In an instant, her gaze became incredibly cold.