103: chips on the gambling table

Hanhai Trade Headquarters, Secret Communication Room.

13:00 Greenwich Mean Time.

Not a second off.

A silence that could freeze the air hung over the room. Chen Feng sat alone in the center, with only a pitch-black screen floating in the void before him. His straight back was like a javelin, piercing the surrounding darkness.

Su Li stood in the shadows behind and to his side, her fingertips sliding silently across another small light screen, monitoring every stream of data. Reno, like a silent statue, stood with arms crossed, hands loosely gripping the weapon at his waist, guarding the only alloy door with vigilance.

No conversation, only breathing.

The moment the second hand skipped past 13:00, a deep blue vortex quietly emerged in the center of the pitch-black screen, rotating silently as if to suck in one's soul.

Following that, the holographic projection wearing a bird-beak mask and a black cloak condensed into form once again.

"Being late is a waste of each other's lives." Raven's raspy voice sounded as if it carried rust, filled with a playful texture. "It seems you understand this principle."

Chen Feng's body showed no unnecessary movement, his voice as calm as a pool of deep water: "Time is a limited resource; I never waste it."

"Very good." Raven seemed to nod, though no expression could be seen on his mask-hidden face. "I have felt the 'sincerity' you paid. Now, it is time to talk about the 'sin-cer-ity' I want."

He gave Chen Feng no chance for pleasantries and cut straight to the point.

"On the planet beneath your feet, that mineral vein you have marked as 'High-Energy Radiation Anomaly'."

Raven's words echoed through the silent room via the speakers, every word like a precise scalpel cutting into Chen Feng's core assets.

"I want it."

"Exclusive mining rights, for one hundred years."

Chen Feng's pupils didn't change at all, but Reno's muscles tensed instantly.

In the earpiece, Su Li's voice was calm to the point of being cold, yet it carried a hint of urgency: "Boss, this is blatant extortion. The other party's judgment of the mineral vein's value is extremely precise, perhaps even exceeding our own understanding. A hundred years of exclusive mining rights is equivalent to cutting off one of our most important strategic resources for the future; it will completely disrupt our development layout."

Reno clenched his fists, his knuckles making a slight "crackling" sound. He hated this invisible oppression, this enemy that could not be fought with guns and cannons.

Chen Feng ignored the voice in his earpiece; he didn't even immediately refuse Raven's unreasonable demand. He leaned forward slightly, as if trying to see through that cold mask to the other's true face.

"Mr. Raven," he spoke slowly, throwing out a question that surprised everyone. "I am curious, why would an intelligence broker have such a strong interest in a physical mineral vein? This seems... outside your scope of business."

"Heh."

Raven let out an ambiguous chuckle, as if he had heard a naive question.

"Every coin has an invisible other side." His voice carried a hint of profound meaning. "The flow of intelligence requires a price—sometimes information, sometimes... physical entities. Don't forget, my business is breaking barriers."

He didn't answer directly, but like a slippery viper, he pushed the question back while hinting that the value of this mineral vein might far exceed Chen Feng's imagination.

Chen Feng was silent for a moment, then a nearly invisible arc curled at the corner of his mouth.

"In that case, it seems we need to reach a new consensus on the value of this 'coin'."

He raised his hand and gave a light wave.

A value assessment report with the highest encryption level, prepared overnight by Su Li, was projected onto the public channel without hesitation. The core of the report was not mineral reserves or elemental composition, but a constantly changing, magnificent yet dangerous energy ripple diagram.

"According to the preliminary analysis by Hanhai Trade's technical department, the essence of this 'high-energy radiation' is a unique energy ripple." Chen Feng's voice was like that of a calm auctioneer introducing a rare treasure.

"In the alchemy systems of certain high-dimensional civilizations, it is regarded as a top-tier 'Law Resonance Material,' an indispensable stabilizer for high-level Conceptual Transmutation."

He paused, looked at Raven's projection, and said word by word, "I think this is what you truly want."

On the virtual screen, Raven's body, composed of light and shadow, showed an extremely subtle ripple for a moment, as if the signal had been interfered with.

Though it was only for an instant, it did not escape Chen Feng's eyes.

"A very interesting discovery." Raven's voice returned to calm, but that condescending sense of playfulness seemed to have faded slightly. "This elevates your sincerity from 'worth talking about' to 'sufficient'."

He admitted it.

Chen Feng knew the moment for a counterattack had arrived.

"Since the sincerity is sufficient, let's talk about the real deal."

His voice became firm.

"The exclusive mining rights, I can give them to you."

"But not for a hundred years. Twenty years."

"In exchange, I need your 'Special Passage Permit' for the Tartarus Free Port, and the most detailed preliminary intelligence on 'Mental Shackles'."

Chen Feng looked at the other party calmly, slamming all his chips heavily onto the gambling table.

"These are my terms. Accept, or refuse."