353: Chapter 354 The Landscape Opens Up! We Only Rent, Don't Sell Law-Based Creatures

Early the next morning.

Lin Qi was woken by a knock at the door.

"Brother Qi! Brother Qi, are you awake?"

It was Zhang Wei’s voice.

Lin Qi rolled over and glanced at the window—it wasn't fully light yet.

"What time is it?"

"Five forty."

"What do you think a normal person should be doing at five forty?"

"Sleeping. But I’m not a normal person, I'm your logistics manager. Brother Qi, it’s important."

Lin Qi rubbed his face and sat up.

"Come in."

Zhang Wei pushed the door open, carrying a plate of steaming buns and a bowl of porridge. He placed breakfast on the small table beside the bed, then pulled up a chair opposite him and took out his terminal.

"Eat first."

Lin Qi picked up a bun and took a bite. It was meat-filled and tasted good.

"Who made it?"

"I made them. Woke up at four in the morning to knead the dough and roll the wrappers, made thirty of them. Sister Su ate four, that big guy Shi Gu ate twelve, Silence ate two, and the rest are in the kitchen. That pile of mud doesn't eat, I tried pouring some porridge on it, and it swallowed the bowl."

"The bowl?"

"Yes, it swallowed the bowl and the porridge together. I'm wondering if I should buy some cheap bowls specifically to feed it..."

Lin Qi didn't take up the topic: "What's the important matter?"

Zhang Wei's expression suddenly turned serious. He opened the terminal's holographic projection, which displayed a dense table.

"Brother Qi, I organized D-3 Region's asset list last night. Take a look at this."

Lin Qi ate his bun while scanning the table.

The table was divided into several major categories—Infrastructure, Energy Reserves, Personnel Configuration, Spoils of War Recovery, and Consumables Inventory. Each item was marked with detailed numbers and valuations.

"When did you put this together, you brat?"

"Couldn't sleep last night. Since Sister Su confiscated the Spirit Spring and there's nothing to drink anyway, I spent a few hours sorting out the accounts." Zhang Wei pointed to a line in the table, "Look at this—D-3 Region's current geomantic essence output, converted to Federal black market prices based on daily natural Permeability, has a daily value of about 4.7 million."

"4.7 million?" Lin Qi stopped chewing his bun.

"Exactly. And that's just the amount that naturally seeps out. If we increase the output power of the geomantic network by twenty percent—note that I mean without affecting the Formation's operation—the daily value could Breakthrough six million."

"You want to sell essence air?"

"Not selling air, but selling 'essence breathing experience'." Zhang Wei's eyes lit up, "Brother Qi, think about it, what won't those rich people in the Federation do for Cultivation? Buying Spirit Springs, buying essence potions, buying Formation-assisted meditation rooms—they spend tons of money. But the essence concentration of those things is trash compared to D-3 Region."

"We just need to cordon off a small area on the periphery of D-3 Region, set up a 'High-End essence Sanatorium', and charge by the hour. No need to open the core area, just build a few houses near the barrier. One hour for ten thousand, no bargaining—"

"Stop."

Lin Qi put down his bun.

"You brought up a similar plan last time, what did I say?"

Zhang Wei's mouth drooped: "You said... prioritize building the home, commercial development comes later."

"Right."

"But Brother Qi—"

"But what? Do you know what D-3 Region lacks most right now? Not money. It's safety." Lin Qi wiped his hands, "Abyssal Fang hasn't been found yet, the Church of Calamity still has two High Priests and two faith channels, and the Federation's attitude isn't one hundred percent reliable. At a time like this, you want me to open up for business, letting a bunch of rich people with unknown backgrounds enter and exit D-3 Region?"

Zhang Wei fell silent.

It wasn't that he hadn't considered safety, but his merchant's instinct made it hard to control his impulse when he saw a gold mine.

"Alright." Zhang Wei sighed, "Then let's keep the commercial development in mind for now. Once the situation stabilizes, I'll calculate this account again."

"Just remember it." Lin Qi took a sip of porridge, "This asset list you organized is useful, though. Expand the consumables inventory part and show me."

Zhang Wei flipped through the projection.

The consumables inventory data wasn't looking good—Federal military rations had about two months' worth left; Spirit Spring reserves were only six-tenths after Zhang Wei's heavy consumption; potions were almost non-existent; and daily necessities were severely lacking.

"Two months of rations." Lin Qi looked at the numbers, "What about the supplies the Federation promised to replenish regularly?"

"I contacted Chen Shu yesterday, and he said the military has approved the first batch of supplies, expected to arrive in three days. It includes military rations, basic potions, alloy raw materials, and some daily necessities."

"How much alloy raw material?"

"Five tons."

Lin Qi shook his head: "Not enough. I need to make a second batch of Law Creatures, which requires at least twenty tons of Federal alloy plus high-purity Law residue. How much Law residue do we have on hand now?"

Zhang Wei flipped through the list: "Law residue recovered after the death of the Church of Calamity's followers, a total of thirty-seven portions. The quality varies, the best can reach Third-Turn level, the worst isn't even First-Turn."

"Thirty-seven portions." Lin Qi calculated in his mind, "Enough to make about six Law Creatures. Plus the existing twelve, that's a total of eighteen."

"Is that enough?"

"Enough for daily patrols. But if a real fight breaks out—far from enough."

Lin Qi put down his bowl and stood up, walking to the window.

Outside the window, the dark golden ground glowed softly in the morning light. In the distance, two Law Creatures were patrolling in an alternating pattern, their metal feet making uniform sounds on the ground.

"Zhang Wei, your idea of commercial development isn't impossible. But the direction is wrong."

Zhang Wei immediately perked up: "Brother Qi, you have another idea?"

"Selling essence air to the outside world is too conspicuous and easily exposes D-3 Region's true nature. But there's one thing we can sell—"

He turned around.

"Law Creatures."

Zhang Wei blinked.

"You mean—mass-producing those tin-can guards and selling them to the Federation?"

"Not selling. Renting." Lin Qi said, "What's the Federation's biggest headache right now? More and more mutated beasts in the Rift Zone, and insufficient defensive power in various cities. Their professional casualty rate is higher year by year, and the growth rate of new recruits can't keep up with the consumption rate."

"But Law Creatures are different. No training needed, no salaries, no rest, no families left behind to collect pensions if they fall in battle. A Second Transition Peak combat force can replace at least an entire squad in urban defense battles."

Zhang Wei's eyes were practically glowing.

"Rent! Brother Qi, you're absolutely right! Selling them outright only earns money once, but renting them out is continuous income! Moreover, Law Creatures rely on essence for endurance, and their endurance is limited away from D-3 Region's geomantic network. If the Federation wants to use them, they'll have to come to us regularly for recharging—isn't this a bundled consumption?"

"You're even shrewder than I am." Lin Qi said.

"No, no, no, Brother Qi, you have the strategic vision, I'm just implementing your idea." Zhang Wei was already furiously typing on his terminal, "Let me calculate the cost first—how much alloy, how much Law residue, manufacturing man-hours for one Law Creature—Brother Qi, how long does it take you to make one by hand?"

"With the current process, about two hours per unit."

"Two hours!" Zhang Wei gasped, "Then you can make a maximum of twelve units a day? No, you also need to rest—eight units? Six units?"

"Don't arrange my production capacity for me." Lin Qi interrupted him, "Manufacturing Law Creatures isn't assembly line work. Each Law circuit needs to be personally calculated and burned by me, which is very energy-consuming. I can make a maximum of three units a day, and I have to ensure quality."

"Three units is fine too! That's ninety units a month! At the rental price per unit—"

"Alright, you write up the proposal first, then show it to Chen Shu. As for the price, let the Federation offer a reasonable quote; if it's too low, we won't accept."

"Understood!" Zhang Wei patted his chest, "Brother Qi, don't worry, leave the pricing to me. I guarantee the Federation will bleed willingly."

He rushed out in a flurry.

Lin Qi watched his retreating figure and shook his head.

This Fat wasn't much use on the battlefield, but in logistics and business—he was indeed a talent. And he had one biggest advantage: loyalty.

Not the kind of loyalty tied to profit, but a pure, ingrained loyalty to follow Lin Qi.

Such people were rare.

Lin Qi tidied the dishes and chopsticks, preparing to go to Area A to check on the three imprisoned Outer Deacons.