458: Chapter 458 Want to get in? Sure, but first pay a 100,000 entrance fee!

Su Chen's sudden smile instantly silenced the entire crowd.

Everyone was stunned.

Death is at his doorstep, so how can this guy still smile? Has he been scared silly?

The leading Demon Race Prodigy looked at Su Chen's playful smile, and his heart skipped a beat as an ominous premonition rose within him.

But he still stuck his neck out and roared with feigned bravado, "Kid! What are you laughing at?!"

"Kid! What are you laughing at?!"

"I'll give you one last chance! Are you opening the door or not?!"

The smile on Su Chen's face deepened upon hearing this.

He slowly sat up straight from his "Golden Soft Armor Throne," and then, under everyone's suspicious and bewildered gazes, he lightly clapped his hands.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

The crisp sound of applause was particularly piercing in the deathly silent square.

"Well said."

Su Chen looked at the bewildered Demon Race Prodigy with an expression of "sincere" praise.

"Your argument is well-reasoned and convincing."

"To be honest, I was almost persuaded by you all."

This move completely threw everyone off.

What exactly was this guy trying to do?

Did he finally see reason and was preparing to yield?

However, Su Chen's next words almost made their eyes fly out of their sockets.

"But..."

Su Chen's tone shifted, and his smile was instantly replaced by a merchant's shrewdness.

"If you want me to open the door, that's fine."

He extended a long, pale finger and shook it lightly.

"But just as you said, with great power comes great responsibility."

"This ability of mine to open the door didn't just blow in with the wind."

"I'm putting in both money and effort to help you open this door to financial freedom. What does that count as?"

Su Chen paused, his gaze sweeping across the crowd as he slowly uttered two words.

"Venture capital."

"Venture capital?"

A string of question marks slowly floated above the heads of all the Prodigies.

What kind of outrageous terminology was this?

Seeing their intense thirst for knowledge, Su Chen nodded with satisfaction and began his "business roadshow."

"That's right, venture capital."

"I am investing my 'wealth luck' to help you open this door."

"As the beneficiaries, shouldn't you pay a small price in return?"

As Su Chen spoke, his smile became increasingly "kind."

"How about this."

"I won't ask for much from you."

"Anyone who wants to go in must first pay a hundred thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stone 'entrance fee.'"

"This request isn't too much, right?"

"..."

The world went silent.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

Everyone was stuck in place as if a binding spell had been cast on them.

Their eyes were wide and round, and the expressions on their faces were colorful to the extreme.

Their brains completely crashed in that instant.

They seriously doubted if something was wrong with their ears.

Did they hear him wrong?

Or was this kid named Su crazy?!

An entrance fee?!

And a damn hundred thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones?!

Brother, this isn't opening a door; this is a straight-up robbery!

It took a full ten seconds for the group of Prodigies to recover from their extreme shock, and the entire square instantly exploded!

"Holy shit! Did I hear that right?! He actually dares to charge us money?!"

"A hundred thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones?! How does he have the nerve!"

"I've seen shameless people, but never anyone this shameless! We're clearly the ones coercing him, so how did it turn into him doing business?!"

"Is this guy's face made of city wall corners? It's way too thick!"

Amidst the angry and disbelieving curses, the leading Demon Race Prodigy was trembling so hard with rage that he almost exploded on the spot!

He pointed at the still-calm Su Chen and let out a heart-wrenching roar:

"Kid! Are you fucking playing with us?!"

"Do you believe that I'll right now..."

Before he could finish, he was lazily interrupted by Su Chen.

"If you don't want to pay, that's fine too."

Su Chen glanced at him with a look that was like looking at a troublesome pauper.

"Then you all can just keep staring at this broken door."

"I'm not in a hurry anyway."

"Xiao Hei, let's go."

As he spoke, he actually patted the head of the Dragon Lizard King beneath him again.

The Dragon Lizard King cooperatively snorted and began to walk away.

Seeing this, everyone panicked!

They could curse Su Chen for being shameless and greedy.

But they absolutely could not let him actually leave!

Because, just as Gu He said, Su Chen was the only "key" for them to enter the Myriad Treasures Heavenly Palace!

"Wait... wait!"

Seeing that Su Chen was really leaving, Gu He was the first one who couldn't sit still!

He hurriedly stepped forward again to block the path, his face squeezed into a smile that looked worse than crying.

"Fellow Daoist Su! Let's talk this over! Let's talk this over!"

"A hundred thousand... a hundred thousand it is!"

"I'll pay!"

Gu He gritted his teeth and took a Storage Pouch out of his Storage Ring, handing it over with a look of extreme pain.

With the first person taking the lead, the rest of the people, despite being filled with resentment and anger, were tempted by the legendary supreme Opportunity and intimidated by the watchful eyes of Su Chen's group of "thugs."

They ultimately chose to compromise.

"Damn it! You're ruthless! I'll pay!"

"I'll pay too! I'll just consider it paying to avoid disaster!"

"Once I'm in the Heavenly Palace, I'll definitely make sure to earn back double my losses!"

Amidst a chorus of resentful curses, the group of Prodigies who had been so aggressive earlier were now like defeated roosters, dejectedly lining up to cough up the money.

Seeing this, Qian Duoduo's small eyes instantly lit up!

He dashed to the front of the line with a professional, fawning smile, and produced an abacus from somewhere to begin his "collection work."

"Line up! Line up! One by one! No cutting in line!"

"Spirit Stones or Beast Cores? You in the animal skin! Yes, you! If you don't have enough Spirit Stones, use Beast Cores to make up the difference! We don't want any junk below the Emperor Grade!"

Qian Duoduo's voice was full of a profiteer's worldliness.

The entire scene became incredibly bizarre and utterly ridiculous.