254: Whoever can do it, call them over.

Yan Xing and the shadow hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to tell the whole truth.

"Are you kidding me?"

Given Lin Yu's current attitude, he was clearly backing these pharmaceutical companies.

If they didn't explain things clearly, never mind taking over, whether they could walk out of this door alive today was a question.

Yan Xing took a deep breath, organized his thoughts, and began to explain in the most concise and clear way possible.

"Mr. Lin, it's like this."

"Not long ago, a special organization within our Abyss Domain, the 'Military Department,' developed a brand-new training method."

"The Military Department?" Lin Yu repeated.

"Yes, the Military Department," the shadow quickly added. "Their members are all descendants of the military personnel who pioneered the Abyss Domain long ago. They have a tough style and place extreme importance on foundations."

Yan Xing nodded and continued: "That method hasn't been fully made public yet; its internal codename is 'Military Training Method'."

"With that method, those Professionals who have decent character panels but suffer from a lack of resources or slow development, ultimately ending up mediocre, can regain powerful combat capabilities!"

"Yes, Mr. Lin." Yan Xing's speed of speech quickened, carrying a hint of excitement. "Even without killing monsters or participating in battles, attribute values can still skyrocket!"

"It's just like... just like the Qi Refinement and Immortal Cultivation from ancient legends!"

Qi Refinement and Immortal Cultivation?

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow.

This was getting interesting.

The core of the Professionals system is to obtain experience and energy from the world's rules through combat, completing missions, and so on, thereby leveling up and strengthening oneself.

Now, a method to bypass the combat phase had actually appeared?

This wasn't just a simple technological innovation; it was a subversion of the underlying logic of the entire Professionals system!

Old Shi, Wang Teng, and the others were completely stunned.

Their brains simply couldn't process such a massive amount of information.

Increasing attributes without fighting?

What kind of concept was that?

This meant that the foundation of the entire Professionals social pyramid, which they were familiar with and which was centered on combat and resources, would be thoroughly shaken!

"However, its essence is still exploiting a loophole in the rules of the Professionals system," Yan Xing added, fearing that Lin Yu might think they were bragging.

"Under those circumstances, the number of Professionals in our Abyss Domain will see explosive growth—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it could increase tenfold or even a hundredfold compared to now!"

"This is a... terrifying market, the size of which we ourselves cannot even estimate."

The shadow, standing to the side, added the most crucial point in his broken syllables.

"Furthermore, according to the intelligence we received, this 'Military Training Method' will not be kept secret forever. Those lunatics in the Military Department intend to release it to the public in the near future!"

"By then, even on Blue Star, there will be a large number of Professionals who have the chance to shed their status as ordinary people!"

"This is a... brand-new era!"

The voice fell.

The entire reception room was deathly silent.

Old Shi, Wang Teng, and the other three felt their bodies go cold, a chill shooting straight from the soles of their feet to their scalps.

They finally understood.

They finally understood why the Abyss Domain had suddenly taken such a great interest in their "low-end" pharmaceutical companies.

A brand-new era!

An era where everyone could "cultivate"!

Under the tide of such an era, potions used to increase basic attributes would no longer be the exclusive domain of a few Professionals.

They would become daily necessities, just like water and bread!

The market for them would be unimaginably massive!

And they, these companies that fancied themselves giants in Blue Star's pharmaceutical industry, were nothing but a joke in the face of such massive market demand with their pathetic production capacity!

"The Abyss Domain... has never really valued technology in this area," Yan Xing's face was filled with helplessness and regret. "We prefer to push into those high-end, cutting-edge fields. Most factions look down on this kind of technical market aimed at beginners."

"This has led to... us currently having no sufficient technical reserves or production lines to cope with the impending market explosion."

"So..." the shadow took over, that mass of shadow bowing deeply toward Lin Yu.

"Coming directly to take over Blue Star's enterprises is the most convenient and fastest method for us."

"Mr. Lin, we really aren't here to rob you; we are here to... seek cooperation!"

Lin Yu chuckled, finally turning his gaze back to Yan Xing and the shadow.

"Not a bad idea."

"But how do you know that after you take over, the production output will definitely increase?"

The two looked at each other, both reading an indescribable bitterness in each other's consciousness fluctuations.

Yan Xing steeled himself, squeezing out a smile even uglier than crying on his iron-plate-like face.

"Mr... Mr. Lin, this... we..."

He stammered, unable to finish a complete sentence for a long time.

Yan Xing shuddered, his last shred of wishful thinking completely shattered.

He gave up struggling, his whole body slumping down, his voice filled with the weariness and bitterness of a working stiff.

"Mr. Lin, we... cannot guarantee it."

"No one can guarantee it."

"Our task was just to be responsible for 'negotiating' these companies down."

"As long as it's done, the higher-ups will naturally send specialized people to take over management."

The shadow stood by, adding desperately in his broken syllables.

"By then... even if the output is still not enough, that will be the management department's problem."

"It won't have anything to do with us."

"..."

The reception room fell into a dead silence.

Old Shi, Wang Teng, and the other three were so shocked their eyes were about to pop out.

So... after all this time...

These two terrifying powerhouses who could destroy the world were just two middle-management cadres looking to pass the buck?

This truth felt even more absurd to them than the Abyss Domain wanting to invade Blue Star!

Lin Yu was also speechless for a moment.

After all the fuss, they were just two miserable wage slaves who ran to Blue Star to carry out a forced acquisition just so they wouldn't have to take the blame for year-end evaluations.

What kind of situation was this?

He shook his head with some amusement.

"So, letting you take over the pharmaceutical companies is impossible."

This sentence pronounced the final death sentence.

Yan Xing and the shadow's bodies stiffened simultaneously.

It was over.

On one side, failing the mission meant getting skinned by the boss upon returning.

On the other side was the walking natural disaster before them who could kill them in one move.

This was a damn no-win situation!

Yan Xing's brain raced, sweat pouring down his face; he was truly about to cry.

Wasn't this forcing them onto a dead end!

Watching the two of them look so hopeless, Lin Yu actually found it somewhat interesting.

He reached out and picked up the storage ring that had been placed on the coffee table just a moment ago.

"However, I'm not an unreasonable person, and I won't make things difficult for you."

Hearing this, a spark of hope instantly reignited in Yan Xing and the shadow's eyes!

There was a turning point!

Lin Yu toyed with that plain-looking ring, his posture very casual.

He flicked his finger.

The ring traced an almost imperceptible arc through the air and landed precisely in Yan Xing's hand.

Yan Xing caught it instinctively; it felt cold to the touch and had an ordinary texture.

He looked down and his heart immediately sank halfway.

Just such a... plain-looking little ring?

Was this... trying to dismiss a beggar?

The shadow also leaned in; upon seeing the ring, the whole "person" dimmed a bit.

It seemed this lord was just toying with them.

Lin Yu leaned back on the sofa, watching them leisurely.

"Just take this thing back and tell your boss."

"Whoever has the ability to increase production to match the amount inside this..."

He paused, seemingly considering his wording.

"Hmm... one year? No, one year is too hard on you."

"Ten years, then."

"Forget it, fifty years will do."

Lin Yu rubbed his chin, and finally, as if having made a great decision, said magnanimously.

"One hundred years!"

"Within one hundred years, whoever can achieve this production output, let them come and try to take over."

One hundred years?

Yan Xing and the shadow looked at the tiny ring in their palms, their faces already twisted into bitter melons.

The capacity of one storage ring, to be completed in one hundred years?

If this wasn't an insult, what was?