50: Chapter 50 Three Conditions

"Five hundred."

Lin Fan held up five fingers, his voice echoing clearly in the empty side hall.

"Every month, the Myriad Treasures Pavilion will provide five hundred special military-supply blind boxes to the City Defense Army. In addition to regular supplies, there will be weapons and healing potions."

He paused for a second, his gaze sweeping across Li Zhen's expressionless face as he threw out his final bargaining chip.

"Supply at cost price. I'll only charge for materials, not a single cent for labor."

Li Zhen's fingers stopped tapping.

This was an offer that couldn't be refused.

As the lord of a Jianghai, Li Zhen knew the consumption at the front lines all too well; weapons could help soldiers last a bit longer in a beast tide, and healing potions could pull the seriously injured back from the gates of hell.

The market prices for these two items had always remained high, and they were often unavailable regardless of price.

If Lin Fan truly could provide five hundred units at cost price...

That meant the City Defense Army's monthly casualty rate would drop by at least twenty percent.

This was a political achievement.

And even more so, it was a solid boost to military morale.

"Cost price?"

Li Zhen leaned back in his grandmaster chair, looking at Lin Fan with a scrutinizing gaze. "You're a businessman. Businessmen pursue profit and don't wake up early unless there's gain. Tell me, what do you want to get from me in exchange?"

He didn't believe anyone would perform charity.

Especially not a little fox who had just crippled his opponent on the arena stage and conveniently held a live-streamed sales event.

"Talking to smart people really saves effort."

"Three conditions."

Lin Fan extended his first finger. "First, I want an officially issued 'Special Operating License.' The business of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion is unique, and I don't want people from Industry and Commerce, Tax, or the Health Bureau coming to check my water meter every day. I want official endorsement, or even... immunity."

Li Zhen glanced at him, his brow twitching slightly. This kid wanted a 'death-exempt gold medallion.'

"Reasonable." Li Zhen nodded. "As long as you don't sell contraband or collude with the enemy, the Jianghai Lord's Manor will ensure your business runs without worry."

"Second."

Lin Fan extended his second finger, his tone turning somewhat ruthless. "I heard that those shops belonging to the Wang family in the Jianghai center were just seized by the Jianghai Lord's Manor due to suspected illegal operations?"

Li Zhen's eyes narrowed.

His information was quite well-informed.

Wang Teng had publicly used forbidden drugs on the arena stage and even showed signs of abyssal transformation, which was a grave crime that touched the bottom line of humanity.

Although that old fox Wang Tianba pushed all the blame onto accidental ingestion, the Jianghai Lord's Manor still took the opportunity to strike, seizing several of the Wang family's properties in the core commercial district as punishment.

"You've set your sights on them?" Li Zhen asked.

"The location is good, and the feng shui is excellent." Lin Fan didn't hide the greed in his eyes. "As the champion of this Martial Arts Grand Competition, I want to apply for the right of first refusal. As for the price... let's go with the starting bid for seized assets, seventy percent off."

Seventy percent off.

This was practically daylight robbery.

And he was snatching meat right from the Wang family. If word got out, Wang Tianba would probably have a brain hemorrhage on the spot from anger.

But this was exactly what Li Zhen wanted to see.

Driving the tiger to swallow the wolf.

Using Lin Fan as a sharp knife to ruthlessly carve out the Wang family's flesh.

"Granted." Li Zhen waved his hand. "Those shops will be transferred to your name tomorrow."

"Splendid."

Lin Fan extended his third finger. His originally casual posture straightened slightly as he leaned forward, his gaze becoming exceptionally sharp.

"Third. I want the priority purchasing rights for the corpses of high-level exotic beasts hunted by the City Defense Army."

"The Myriad Treasures Pavilion will be responsible for recycling all waste materials. This money will be directly offset against the cost of the military-supply blind boxes. In other words, the Jianghai Lord's Manor doesn't need to pay a single cent in cash; they only need to give those beast materials to me to exchange for five hundred life-saving blind boxes."

That was Lin Fan's true objective.

To build a closed loop.

Use the official corpses to make blind boxes, then sell the blind boxes back to the officials, earning a hundredfold return in profit while simultaneously tying the Jianghai Lord's Manor to his own war chariot.

This was a perfect case of getting something for nothing.

Li Zhen fell silent.

He calculated rapidly in his mind.

In this deal, the Jianghai Lord's Manor would definitely profit without any loss.

The only risk was Lin Fan himself.

Uncontrollable.

Too smart, too greedy, and growing too fast.

In chaotic times, this would be the sprout of a formidable hegemon.

"Deal."

Li Zhen slammed the table, the sound like stone cracking.

He stood up, and the terrifying pressure belonging to a Grandmaster Level Expert was released without reservation, instantly enveloping the entire side hall.

Lin Fan felt his breath hitch; it was as if two great mountains were pressing down on his shoulders, and his entire skeleton was letting out a groan of being overburdened.

This was a show of strength.

And also a warning.

Li Zhen walked up to Lin Fan and looked down at the youth from above. In those murky old eyes, there was now a heart-palpitating aura of slaughter.

"Lin Fan, remember my words today."

Li Zhen's voice was low, yet it struck Lin Fan's heart like a heavy hammer.

"As long as you are harmless to Jianghai, as long as your blind boxes can kill the alien races and save the human race, I, Li Zhen, will be your greatest backer. The Wang family won't be able to touch you, and not even the gods above will be able to touch you."

His tone shifted.

"But if I discover you have ulterior motives, or if your blind boxes become a scourge..."

Li Zhen extended a hand and slowly clenched it into a fist in front of Lin Fan.

The air was compressed until it exploded with a crisp pop.

"I can build you up, and I can also crush you at any time. No matter what secrets you have behind you, they are all a joke in the face of absolute power."

The pressure dissipated.

Lin Fan felt the cold sweat on his back instantly drench his clothes.

But the smile on his face grew even more brilliant.

He stood up, adjusted his somewhat messy collar, and gave Li Zhen a slight bow.

"Rest assured, Jianghai Lord."

"I'm a person with little courage; I only want to make money, not lose my life."

...

Ten minutes later.

The main gate of the Jianghai Lord's Manor.

A black Hongqi sedan with the license plate "Jiang A·00001" slowly drove out.

This was the Jianghai Lord's private car.

Normally, only high-ranking officials from the province or big shots from the war zone were qualified to ride in this car.

But today, sitting in the back seat was a high school student wearing a school uniform.

"Mr. Lin, where to?"

The person driving was none other than the captain of the Third Battalion of the City Guard, Iron Pillar Zhao.

This Martial Master level expert, who was usually awe-inspiring, was now holding the steering wheel and looking at the youth in the back seat through the rearview mirror with an extremely complex expression.

Just now, the Jianghai Lord had personally ordered him to use the private car to send Lin Fan back.

This was publicly supporting Lin Fan.

It was also sending a signal to all the forces in the Jianghai: I am protecting this kid.

"To the Pedestrian Street."

Lin Fan leaned back against the leather seat and comfortably crossed his legs. "To the entrance of the former Wang Clan Trading House."

Iron Pillar Zhao's eye corner twitched.

Talk about rubbing salt in the wound.

He had just snatched their shops and already wanted to go on a site inspection?

"Fine."

Iron Pillar Zhao didn't ask more; he stepped on the gas, and the car smoothly slid onto the main road.

It was currently the evening rush hour.

The most prosperous Pedestrian Street in Jianghai City was bustling with crowds.

The large storefronts that originally belonged to the Wang Clan Trading House were now covered with white seals.

But at the entrance of the storefronts, a group of shady characters had gathered.

They were a bunch of thugs from the west side of the Jianghai who usually relied on the Wang family for a living.

With the Wang family's shops sealed, they were like flies smelling blood, occupying the area under the guise of guarding it, but actually wanting to take advantage of the crisis to see if they could loot anything or cause trouble for whoever took over.

"Have you heard? These shops seem to be going up for auction."

A bald man with a fleshy face squatted on a stone lion, a cigarette in his mouth. "We'll just stay here. Whoever dares to take over, we'll show them the rules. Are the Wang family's things something any random cat or dog can touch?"

"That's right, they should see whose territory this is."

A lackey beside him agreed. "Brother Baldy, if that Lin Fan dares to come..."

"That little brat selling blind boxes?"

Baldy sneered and flicked his cigarette butt away. "If he dares to show up, I'll beat his face into a blind box! Does he really think he's above the law just because he won a championship? Without power or influence, killing him is as easy as crushing an ant."

Before his voice could fade.

The entire street suddenly fell silent.

An eerie silence.

The originally noisy crowd seemed to have their necks squeezed by an invisible giant hand, and they parted to both sides, leaving a wide passage.

Baldy was stunned for a moment and followed everyone's gaze.

He saw a black sedan slowly driving into the Pedestrian Street, finally stopping at the entrance of the seized shops.

The bright little red flag on the hood looked exceptionally piercing under the neon lights.

License plate: Jiang A·00001.

*Clatter.*

The second cigarette Baldy had just lit fell onto his crotch, making him shiver from the heat, but he didn't even care to brush it off.

That was... the Jianghai Lord's car.

Why would the Jianghai Lord come to a place like this?

Could he be here to inspect the seizure work?

Baldy's legs turned to jelly from fear; he quickly rolled off the stone lion and stood at attention with his lackeys, not even daring to breathe loudly.

The car door opened.

The first to step out was a burly officer in a military uniform with two bars and one star on his shoulders.

Iron Pillar Zhao.

Baldy naturally recognized this "Iron-Faced Yama" whose fierce reputation preceded him. He had once personally seen Iron Pillar Zhao cripple a troublemaking junior martial artist with a single punch.

After getting out of the car, Iron Pillar Zhao didn't pay any attention to the surrounding crowd.

Instead, he walked quickly to the rear door.

He bent over.

He pulled open the door.

He even thoughtfully placed his hand on the door frame to prevent the person inside from bumping their head.

This scene made Baldy's eyes nearly pop out of his head.

To have a proud Martial Master like Iron Pillar Zhao act as a driver and so respectfully open the door... could the person in the car be a big shot from the province?

Under the gaze of everyone.

A foot wearing cheap sneakers stepped out.

Closely following.

Was a pair of faded school uniform pants.

Lin Fan climbed out of the car and stood under the streetlamp, stretching widely.

"Ah, riding in a private car is really comfortable, much better than my tricycle."

Lin Fan rubbed his shoulders and looked at the dumbfounded crowd with a smile.

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

Baldy's mouth hung wide open, his jaw almost dislocated.

Lin Fan?

How could it be Lin Fan?!

The vendor he had just threatened to beat into a blind box had actually arrived in the Jianghai Lord's private car, escorted by the captain of the City Guard himself?

What kind of script is this?

Lin Fan didn't seem to notice Baldy and his group.

He turned around and looked at Iron Pillar Zhao, his voice not loud, but enough for everyone around to hear clearly.

"Thanks, Captain Zhao. Thank the Jianghai Lord for the tea on my behalf; the taste was quite good. When the Myriad Treasures Pavilion opens, I'll invite him to come and cut the ribbon."

Iron Pillar Zhao nodded expressionlessly.

"You're too kind, Mr. Lin. The Jianghai Lord said that if there's any trouble in the future, just call me directly. In Jianghai, no one can touch a partner of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion."

After saying that.

Iron Pillar Zhao's cold gaze swept over Baldy's group like a searchlight.

With just one look.

Baldy felt as if he were being watched by a bloodthirsty exotic beast, and the blood in his entire body seemed to freeze.

"Scram."

Iron Pillar Zhao spat out a single word.

"Yes, yes, yes, leaving right now, leaving right now!"

Baldy felt as if he had been granted a massive pardon; he scrambled away with his lackeys into the crowd, wishing his parents had given him two more legs.

Lin Fan watched the retreating figures as they fled in panic; indeed, he intended to borrow the banner of the Jianghai Lord's Manor.

In this world where the strong prey on the weak, prestige was sometimes more useful than fists.