71: Chapter 71 The Lin Family Turmoil

He turned around and issued an order to leave: "Vice President Li, please see yourself out. After today, I will have nothing more to do with the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce. I will go speak with the Lin Family; I imagine that as one of the largest suppliers of Spirit Medicine in the Prefecture City, the Lin Family would be quite interested in the Medicinal Pills in my possession."

The Lin Family!

Those two words caused the hearts of Vice President Li and Zhao Shan to tremble violently.

Vice President Li's expression changed instantly.

Compared to the Lin Family, the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce wasn't even fit to carry their shoes.

If the other party truly established a connection with the Lin Family, then this immense fortune would truly have nothing to do with them anymore.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, wait!" Vice President Li stood up abruptly, the arrogance gone from his face, replaced by an expression of urgency. "It was Li who was abrupt! I hope Fellow Daoist can be magnanimous and not lower yourself to my level!"

He bowed deeply to Su Chengyuan, lowering his posture to the extreme.

"Li acted recklessly only out of responsibility to the Chamber of Commerce, with absolutely no intent to offend! I beg Fellow Daoist to give us another chance!"

Su Chengyuan looked at him without speaking.

Zhao Shan hurried forward and said with a bitter smile, "Brother Wang, Vice President Li was also thinking of the Chamber of Commerce and meant no ill will. You are a person of great character..."

Su Chengyuan waved his hand and sat back down.

"Cooperation is about sincerity. I didn't see your sincerity; I only saw testing and suspicion." His voice turned three degrees colder. "The Alchemist behind me has an eccentric temper and dislikes schemes and intrigues the most. He gave me full authority to handle matters, but if he knew the partner I found had this kind of attitude, I'm afraid even I would be punished."

Hearing this, Vice President Li broke into a cold sweat.

How could he dare to be suspicious now? He was only terrified that this business deal would fly away.

"It is Li's fault! When I return, I will certainly perform a formal apology!" Gritting his teeth, he took a jade box from his Storage Pouch and offered it with both hands. "This is a small token of my personal regard, consider it an apology to Fellow Daoist. Please, Fellow Daoist, you must accept it!"

Su Chengyuan opened it to see a 'Mind-Concentrating Flower' of about five hundred years. It was a second-tier spiritual herb and was considered quite precious.

He closed the jade box but did not take it.

"Since we are to talk, then show the proper attitude. I don't have time to play these games of false pretenses with you," Su Chengyuan said. "If your President wants to meet the Alchemist behind me, fine. The time and place will be decided by us. Furthermore, during the negotiations, I do not want any unpleasantness."

These words were already very clear.

"Understood, understood!" Vice President Li nodded repeatedly. "I will return immediately to report to the President and will surely give Fellow Daoist a satisfactory answer!"

Having finished, he didn't dare stay any longer and took his leave in a disheveled state.

Watching Vice President Li's panicked departure, Zhao Shan felt a complex mix of emotions.

He cupped his hands toward Su Chengyuan and sighed, "Brother Wang, I've made a fool of myself before you. Vice President Li, he..."

"He acts according to his position; it's understandable," Su Chengyuan said calmly. "However, there is only one chance. I hope your President can be a bit smarter than him."

Zhao Shan nodded heavily, thanked him again, and hurried out after the other.

...

Inside the residence of Golden Core Elder Lin Xiaotian, Lin Xiaotian.

The atmosphere in the room was quite solemn.

Golden Core Elder Lin Xiaotian, an Early Golden Core Cultivator with a majestic countenance, sat in the main seat, impatiently flipping through the Spirit Medicine accounts in his hand.

As the Elder in charge of the Family's Spirit Medicine affairs, these trivial numbers frustrated him daily.

Just then, a servant hurried in to report: "Reporting to the Second Elder, the manager of the West City Hundred Herbs Hall, Lin Feng, requests an audience outside."

"Lin Feng?" Golden Core Elder Lin Xiaotian paused for a moment before remembering this was his son.

He waved his hand. "Let him in."

A moment later, Lin Feng walked quickly into the room and bowed respectfully to Golden Core Elder Lin Xiaotian in the main seat and his several older brothers standing nearby.

"Your son Lin Feng pays respects to Father and to my Elder brothers."

"Hmph, instead of staying in that broken shop of yours, what are you doing running here?" A young man standing beside Golden Core Elder Lin Xiaotian, who looked somewhat like Lin Feng but had an arrogant expression, sneered.

He was Lin Feng's third brother, Lin Yu, an Early Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator with outstanding talent, deeply loved by Golden Core Elder Lin Xiaotian.

Lin Feng ignored the mockery and spoke to Golden Core Elder Lin Xiaotian with an excited expression: "Father, your son has come today because there is a major business deal to report to you!"

"Oh? A major business deal?" Lin Yu chuckled strangely, prompting several other brothers nearby to snicker along with him. "That Hundred Herbs Hall of yours doesn't even sell a few thousand Spirit Stones' worth in a year. What major business could there be? Did it suddenly change just because you arrived? Could it be you found a hundred-year-old condensing qi grass and thought it was a ten-thousand-year Spirit Medicine?"

"Third Brother!" Lin Feng's face flushed red as he clenched his fists. "This matter is of no small importance. I ask Father to decide!"

Golden Core Elder Lin Xiaotian looked at this son of his, a flicker of curiosity flashing in his eyes: "Let's hear it."

"Your son recently became acquainted with a Senior!" Lin Feng suppressed his excitement, his voice trembling slightly. "He... he is seeking the main ingredients for refining foundation establishment pills!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the room first fell silent.

Then, Lin Yu burst out laughing: "Hahaha! Lin Feng, have you cultivated your brain into mush? Someone looking for Spirit Medicine for foundation establishment pills—how is that a major business deal? People in the Prefecture City need them every day. Does one or two stalks count as a business deal?"

"Exactly, Ninth Brother, this counts as business?" Another Elder brother shook his head and laughed. "It's just a few Spirit Medicines. Just report it and go to the Spirit Medicine Garden to draw them. Our Family isn't lacking in such things."

There are many Alchemists who can refine foundation establishment pills, but most of what they produce are Low Grade or Medium Grade goods, which don't fetch a good price on the market.

For you to disturb Father over such a trivial matter, isn't it making a mountain out of a molehill?"

"I think he's just gone mad trying to get Father's attention."

Faced with his brothers' ridicule, Lin Feng trembled with rage, but he forced himself to calm down and said loudly: "That Senior is by no means an ordinary person! He himself is a true Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and one who just made a Breakthrough in an extremely short amount of time!"

I once owed him for saving my life. A few days ago, he personally told me that as long as I can provide a stable, reliable, and large-scale channel for Spirit Medicine, the subsequent cooperation will be limitless!"

He took a deep breath and threw down his massive gamble based on observation and trust.

"Father, think about it!" Lin Feng's voice rose with excitement, filled with the sense of a desperate gamble. "What that Senior wants isn't one or two stalks, but large quantities of main ingredients for refining second-rank pills like clear spirit pills, bone forging pills, and even foundation establishment pills!"

He paused to let the people present digest this information, then continued: "Of these three Medicinal Pills, which one isn't extremely difficult to refine among second-rank pills?"

To dare to seek these main ingredients in such large batches, there must be a highly skilled second-rank Alchemist behind him, or perhaps even a third-rank existence! It might even be more than one person!"

Our Lin Family is in the Spirit Medicine business. If we can establish a long-term, stable cooperative relationship with such a powerful Alchemy force, it will be a massive business opportunity that will bring us rolling wealth!"

This reasoned and evidence-based deduction caused the originally noisy room to fall silent instantly.

Even Golden Core Elder Lin Xiaotian on the main seat couldn't help but sit up straight, his eyes flashing with the light of contemplation.

He wasn't attracted by the Medicinal Pills, but moved by the prospect of "establishing a long-term, stable cooperative relationship with a powerful Alchemy force."