78: Chapter 78 The Nation is Your Backer

The morning light pierced through the smoke of battle.

The first ray of sunshine fell upon the scarred western defense line.

It was over.

The suffocating roars of the beasts finally receded, replaced by the groans of the wounded and the wild laughter of survivors who had escaped death.

"We won, I'm still alive!"

"Damn, that blind box was too explosive just now!"

The soldiers supported each other; some slumped in pools of blood, others wept openly at the rising sun.

Lin Fan sat slumped on a deformed ammunition box, completely unconcerned with his image.

The side effects of the Legion Aura washed over him like a tide.

His entire body ached, and he lacked even the strength to lift a finger.

But he wasn't sleeping; he was calculating his gains.

This wave, he had made a fortune; his system space was packed with various returned resources.

"Thud!"

A dull thud.

A blood-soaked figure landed heavily in front of Lin Fan, kicking up a cloud of dust.

It was Jianghai Lord Li Zhen.

His dark-gold battle armor was shattered, and there was a deep, bone-visible claw mark on his chest, yet his Peak Grandmaster aura grew even sharper.

Li Zhen ignored his injuries.

The first thing he did upon landing was stare intently at Lin Fan.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze.

Fatty Zhang Hao shivered in fear, subconsciously wanting to shield Lin Fan, but Lin Fan gently pushed him aside.

"Jianghai Lord, thank you for your patronage. The Lord-level assist fee, remember to settle it later."

Lin Fan grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

Li Zhen was taken aback.

Then, this Jianghai Lord of Jianghai, known for his iron-blooded demeanor, actually burst into laughter, looking up at the sky.

"Good, I'll settle it, I definitely will!"

Li Zhen strode forward, his large hand, stained with dragon blood, clapped heavily on Lin Fan's shoulder.

"Lin Fan, I, Li Zhen, owe you a favor for what happened today. The three million citizens of Jianghai Jianghai owe you a debt of gratitude."

His tone was solemn.

Even with a slight tremor.

Only he, as the commander, knew how critical the situation had been just now.

Without Lin Fan's diverse blind boxes, and without that heaven-defying group aura, the western defense line would have long been breached.

"Battle statistics are out."

Li Zhen lowered his voice, projecting a newly arrived battle report in front of Lin Fan. "Thanks to your blind box support, especially that aura, our army's casualty rate in today's battle decreased by a full thirty percent compared to previous beast tides."

Thirty percent.

What kind of concept was that?

It meant thousands of families wouldn't have to hang white lanterns.

It meant thousands of soldiers could return home alive to embrace their wives and children.

"This was an unimaginable miracle in the past."

Li Zhen looked at Lin Fan, his gaze burning. "I will directly report this military achievement to the Central Military Department. Lin Fan, you're going to be famous."

Lin Fan raised an eyebrow.

Famous?

Being famous is good; being famous means more leeks... no, more customers.

A commotion came from afar.

A group of students responsible for logistics and medical care rushed over.

Running at the front was Chu Yaoyao.

The girl's face was smudged with ash, and her once exquisite tactical suit was covered in mud, but this did not hide the stars in her eyes.

"Shrewd Merchant!"

Chu Yaoyao rushed over, circling Lin Fan three times as if looking at some rare animal.

"So cool! That punch of yours just now was so cool! And that aura, wow, how did you do it? You can even directly confront a quasi-Lord-level Illusionary Beast?"

She chattered on, her face full of adoration. "I've decided, from now on I'm Myriad Treasures Pavilion's number one loyal fan! If anyone dares to badmouth you, I'll be the first to roast them!"

In a high-martial world where the strong are revered, the young girl's admiration for power was fully displayed at this moment.

Lin Fan's previous shrewdness and greed now appeared to her as 'eccentricities of a master.'

Su Qingxue walked behind.

She held a recovery potion in her hand and silently handed it to Lin Fan.

She didn't speak.

But in her cold eyes, there were now strange ripples.

She looked at the exhausted young man before her.

Recalling the first time she saw him at the night market.

Back then, he was just a peddler haggling over a few hundred yuan.

And now, he alone defended a Jianghai.

Lin Fan, how many more mysteries do you hide?

Su Qingxue's martial heart, for the first time, experienced a drastic fluctuation because of a male peer.

"Alright, let's save the reminiscing for later."

Li Zhen waved his hand, interrupting their greetings.

He glanced around, then a gentle spiritual energy enveloped Lin Fan, isolating them from outside sounds.

A private conversation.

Lin Fan's heart skipped a beat.

It's coming.

The official showdown.

He had always had concerns.

His system was too buggy, and the blind box was too unreasonable.

If this were a brainless web novel, the authorities or major powers would already be seizing him for dissection or forcing him to reveal his secrets.

Lin Fan's fingers tightened slightly, ready to exchange for his life-saving trump cards in the system at any moment.

"Little brother Lin, don't be nervous."

Li Zhen seemed to see through Lin Fan's tension, pulled out a special cigarette from his pocket, put it in Lin Fan's mouth, and personally lit it for him.

"The nation takes your situation very seriously."

The first sentence made Lin Fan narrow his eyes.

"From now on, your backer is the nation."

Li Zhen took a puff of his cigarette, his gaze deep as he looked at the distant, shattered Jianghai wall.

"I know what you're worried about. Afraid of being targeted for your treasure? Afraid of being dissected?"

"Read fewer of those brain-dead web novels."

"Do you know why I had to suppress you in the Jianghai Lord's Mansion before? It wasn't because I coveted your fortuitous encounter; the most important thing was that I wasn't clear about your stance."

"Humanity cannot afford any internal strife. It has now been confirmed that you are someone who cares about humanity and the nation!"

Li Zhen scoffed, his tone carrying the confidence of a powerful nation.

"Since the High Martial Era, the Blue Star has undergone mutations, and countless races eye us covetously. Humanity was weak; if not for a few great figures from Huaguo who rose from obscurity and led humanity to contend against myriad races, we would have long been extinct."

He turned his head, looking directly into Lin Fan's eyes.

"Do you think those supreme Martial Gods don't have their own great fortuitous encounters? Who doesn't have some unspeakable secret?"

Lin Fan was stunned.

These words directly overturned his preconceived notions of this world.

At the same time, he blushed slightly, "Am I that noble? I just wanted to earn some returned resources."

"In Huaguo, as long as your heart is with humanity, as long as you are not anti-human. The stronger you are, the more heaven-defying your fortuitous encounters, the happier the nation will be."

"I was wary of you before because I feared you might endanger humanity. In Huaguo, as long as you are united with the nation and humanity, the nation will also give you the greatest support."

Li Zhen patted Lin Fan's shoulder, the force heavy.

"The nation supports the strong with all its might. The strong lead the weak, because only the strong can protect humanity."

"Hiding your strength? That's what fools do."

"In this era, the more valuable you prove to be, the safer you are. The more resources the nation allocates to you. Anyone who dares to touch you is touching a national strategic asset, which is treason!"

Li Zhen pointed to the sky above.

"Don't hide anything. Your talent, your blind boxes, use them all you want."

"If the sky falls, the nation will hold it up for you."

"It's just a mere fortuitous encounter; the nation isn't so petty as to snatch something from a young man."

Lin Fan fell silent.

The tobacco taste in his mouth was somewhat spicy, but it completely relaxed his previously tense nerves.

Perspective.

This was the perspective of a great nation.

This wasn't a dark forest; this was humanity's defense line, fighting a bloody battle for survival.

It seems I was indeed overthinking things before.

Lin Fan exhaled a smoke ring, and the fake smile of a Shrewd Merchant on his face finally cracked, revealing the sharpness of a young man.

"Jianghai Lord, since the nation is so supportive..."

Lin Fan rubbed his fingers, "Can the recovery of this battle's spoils be given a higher price? After all, I also shed blood for the nation."

Li Zhen was taken aback.

Then he laughed, scolding, "You little brat, you're obsessed with money! Don't worry, you won't get short-changed!"

The sunlight completely covered the earth.

Lin Fan sat on the ammunition box, looking at the fluttering Huaguo national flag in the distance.

His biggest worry was gone.

Since the nation was willing to be his strong backing.

Then he, Lin Fan, would not be polite.