19: I agree!

Lin Yu watched Zhao Tianyang, who was kneeling on the ground, without a word.

This young man in front of him was completely different from the bullies he remembered from school. The despair and pain on his face couldn't be faked.

A high school student driven to a dead end.

Old Ghost watched with relish from behind the counter; he loved this kind of drama. The struggle of the weak, the indifference of the strong, the judgment of money. This was the black market, this was reality.

"Please... I really only have this much..." Zhao Tianyang's voice was already hoarse. He pushed the black card forward, his forehead hitting the cold floor with a dull thud.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

He kowtowed again and again, tears and snot streaming down his face.

In the entire Old Ghost Hall, only the dull thuds of his kowtows and his suppressed sobs remained.

Even Old Ghost couldn't bear to watch. Was this kid truly foolish or just pretending? Who would fall for this in the black market? The hearts here were harder than stone.

As expected, the mysterious buyer in the crow cloak still stood in place, motionless, like an emotionless statue.

Zhao Tianyang kowtowed more than ten times, his forehead already red and swollen, seeping blood. He looked up and saw Lin Yu still looking the same; his last shred of hope seemed to be sucked away.

He suddenly roared as if he had gone mad.

"Not enough? Is the money not enough?!"

"I! I'll even mortgage myself to you!"

Zhao Tianyang grabbed onto his last straw, shouting incoherently, "I'll give you my life too! They can do this in the black market! Slave Imprint! As long as you give me the Life Serum and let me live, I'll be your dog from now on! If I live, I'll earn money for you! I can definitely earn five hundred thousand! More! One million! Two million!"

He had no time left, and no other options.

The Awakening Ceremony was the day after tomorrow; he couldn't wait.

Slave Imprint was one of the darkest contracts in the black market. One party would engrave an imprint on the other's soul, and from then on, life and death would be controlled by the master. The price of such a contract was very cheap.

For a high school student like Zhao Tianyang, who hadn't awakened yet and whose future was full of uncertainties, one imprint might not even be worth a hundred thousand.

Old Ghost finally walked out from behind the counter. He shook his head, a sigh escaping from under his bird-beak mask.

"Young man, you overestimate your own value."

He walked over to Zhao Tianyang and looked down at him.

"Right now, you're just an ordinary high school student with injuries, illnesses, and toxins throughout your body. Let alone five hundred thousand, your life isn't even worth a hundred thousand now."

"What's more, you've used a lot of drugs, and even one Life Serum might not save you..."

Old Ghost's words were like a cold knife, piercing Zhao Tianyang's heart.

"If you had already awakened and your potential was decent, then perhaps we could talk. But now..." Old Ghost spread his hands, "It's more cost-effective for this customer to buy a few powerful potions than to buy your life."

Zhao Tianyang froze completely, the color draining from his face instantly, leaving only a deathly pallor.

All his chips were on the table.

And the other party remained unmoved.

Despair, like a tide, completely engulfed him.

Old Ghost was also ready to drive him out; the show was over, and he didn't want to delay his business.

The atmosphere of the entire shop was extremely oppressive.

Lin Yu still stood, his body under the cloak completely still.

To Zhao Tianyang and Old Ghost, he was either coldly weighing his options or silently refusing.

But in reality, Lin Yu's consciousness was enduring an unprecedented storm.

As Zhao Tianyang kowtowed, Lin Yu had already made a decision.

He was not a good person, but he was not a demon either. A dying high school student, a potential stock, a loyal subordinate.

This deal was worthwhile.

Because... his cost was... zero!

Zero cost, zero risk!

But the prerequisite was that he himself also needed to have Life Serum to use.

When Zhao Tianyang shouted that he would mortgage himself, Lin Yu had already quietly taken out the silver briefcase from his storage ring.

He didn't open it but directly activated his skill.

Card Transformation!

Target: Life Serum Standard Edition!

An unimaginably huge resistance came from the briefcase. This was completely different from his previous experience of making stone cards and food cards.

Life Serum, as a military-grade advanced alchemy product, had an extremely complex internal structure and contained far more energy than ordinary items.

The difficulty of regularizing it was hundreds, even thousands, of times that of a pebble!

Lin Yu felt as if his brain had been violently struck by a heavy hammer, and his 45 points of mental energy poured out like a flood from an open dam.

His vision blurred, his legs went soft, and he almost couldn't stand, nearly collapsing on the spot.

No!

He had to hold on!

He gritted his teeth, pouring all his mental energy into it.

One second, two seconds, three seconds... time seemed to stretch infinitely.

Finally, just as his mental energy was about to run out, the briefcase in his hand suddenly lightened.

Card Transformation successful!

Item Card: Life Serum Standard Edition

A card flowing with blue light appeared in his hand, then was instantly put back into his ring.

It's done!

Lin Yu's body swayed. Under the cloak, his face was ashen, and cold sweat soaked his inner lining.

But he didn't stop.

Almost at the moment of successful Card Transformation, he used his core ability.

He didn't need to use the Ghost Card and Multiplication Card cycle, because he only needed one.

First, use one Life Serum Standard Edition card to obtain the physical Life Serum.

Then... Ghost Card!

Use it!

Buzz—

Mental energy was drawn away again, but compared to the previous consumption, it was nothing.

A brand new Life Serum Standard Edition card formed in his storage space.

Now, he had two Life Serums.

The entire process happened in a flash.

From the outside, Lin Yu merely stood still, silent for more than ten seconds.

Zhao Tianyang was completely despairing, slumped on the ground.

Old Ghost also lost his patience, preparing to speak and send him away.

Just then, Lin Yu finally moved.

He looked up, his gaze from under the cloak falling on Zhao Tianyang.

"Five hundred thousand, and the conditions you mentioned."

Lin Yu's voice was calm, breaking the dead silence in the shop.

"I agree."

Instantly, the air solidified.

Zhao Tianyang suddenly looked up, his tear- and blood-stained face filled with disbelief.

What did he hear?

Agreed?

Old Ghost was also stunned, his mouth agape under the bird-beak mask.

This person... was he crazy?

Spending a million, or rather, eight hundred thousand, to buy one Life Serum was already being a huge sucker. Now, he was going to resell it for five hundred thousand?

What kind of operation was this? Philanthropy?

When did such a living Bodhisattva appear in the black market?

"You... what did you say?" Zhao Tianyang's voice trembled; he couldn't believe his ears.

Lin Yu didn't repeat himself.

He took out the silver briefcase that he had put into his ring and placed it on the counter.

With a "click," the box opened.

The Life Serum, emitting a golden glow, lay quietly inside.

Lin Yu looked at Zhao Tianyang.

"The item is here. The money, and the contract, let's do it now."