78: Chapter 78 Exorbitant Shipping Costs, But Life is More Precious!

The Greedy Ghost's reply was simple and direct, carrying a hint of irrepressible greed and urgency:

"An SS-rank resource point... Ancient Battlefield Skeleton Canyon... interesting. Your information is worth quite a bit."

"Cooperation is fine. I want seventy percent of the canyon's revenue rights, plus an upfront exploration fee of five hundred million nether talismans."

"Or, you can sell me the full coordinates and preliminary exploration data for a buyout price of... eight hundred million nether talismans."

Eight hundred million!

Lin Chen looked at the number, and his heart skipped a beat! This was only two hundred million short of his goal of one billion! This Greedy Ghost was indeed filthy rich!

But he didn't let the huge sum go to his head. Seventy percent revenue rights plus five hundred million? Or a direct buyout for eight hundred million? Either choice meant he would lose most of his control over this SS-rank resource point. The ancient remains and potential mineral veins inside were definitely worth far more than eight hundred million! They might even be related to a higher level of power.

It couldn't be a buyout.

But cooperation... it was like negotiating with a tiger for its skin. Moreover, what he urgently needed was cash, not future dividends.

Lin Chen thought quickly, his eyes flickering. He needed to find a balance where he could get enough for the information fee while retaining certain rights to the resource point.

He replied, "Seventy percent revenue rights is impossible. And the price for a buyout of the coordinates and data is too low."

"One price, one billion nether talismans. I'll give you Exclusive exploration rights and Priority cooperation development rights for a term of... fifty years. Within those fifty years, if you develop it, I must hold a thirty percent Stake. After fifty years, the rights automatically revert to me."

He proposed a condition that was almost fantastical. One billion nether talismans was nearly equivalent to a direct buyout, yet he was only offering fifty years of exclusive exploration and priority development rights, while still retaining a thirty percent Stake!

This condition was harsh to the extreme.

The other end of the communication fell silent. Clearly, the Greedy Ghost was also shocked by Lin Chen's outrageous offer, or rather, infuriated.

After a full minute, a reply came through, carrying suppressed anger:

"Kid, are you messing with me? One billion nether talismans just for fifty years of exploration rights? And I still have to give you thirty percent? Do I look like a sucker to you?"

Lin Chen could almost see the other party jumping in anger. Unhurriedly, he took a small segment of the real-time data stream that recorded the rapid absorption and conversion of Nether energy at the edge of the canyon—earning one hundred thousand nether talismans in ten minutes—and sent it over.

He added a postscript: "This is just the energy dissipating from the edges. The mineral vein is deep inside. Evaluate the value yourself. One billion to buy a chance that might let you leap to a higher social stratum—it's not a loss."

He was gambling. Gambling on the Greedy Ghost's greed, gambling that its desire for higher-level resources and power far exceeded its attachment to nether talismans!

Another suffocating silence followed.

This time, the silence lasted even longer.

Lin Chen could even feel an invisible will, spanning across unknown planes and spaces, seemingly staring intently at the energy data stream he had sent, performing frantic analysis and deduction.

Inside the Fortress command room, it was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. Su Qingyu and Zhang Hao both held their breath, watching Lin Chen nervously. They knew this might be their last chance.

Finally...

The Greedy Ghost's reply arrived. It was just a short line of text, but it seemed to carry the sound of gritted teeth:

"Eight hundred and fifty million! A buyout of fifty years of exclusive exploration and priority development rights! You get a twenty percent Stake! This is my bottom line!"

Eight hundred and fifty million! A twenty percent Stake!

Only one hundred and fifty million short of one billion! And he had retained a twenty percent Stake!

Lin Chen's heart settled. He knew the other party was tempted and had made a concession. He couldn't push too hard, or the deal might fall through.

"Deal," he replied decisively.

[Transaction confirmed.]

[The "Agreement Regarding the Transfer of Exploration and Development Rights for the 'Ancient Battlefield Skeleton Canyon' Resource Point" has been generated. Please confirm the terms.]

[Once the agreement takes effect, the nether talismans will be automatically transferred.]

Lin Chen quickly scanned the system-generated virtual agreement, which was filled with complex Nether script and legal force. After confirming the core terms were correct, he signed it with his Soul imprint.

The next moment—

[Ding! nether talismans +850,000,000!]

The system notification sounded like heavenly music!

Lin Chen's nether talisman balance instantly surged from forty million to eight hundred and ninety million!

An indescribable surge of massive energy seemed to pour into his soul and the system out of thin air, causing his overall aura to faintly rise!

"It... it worked?!" Zhang Hao asked stutteringly, looking at the subtle changes on Lin Chen's face and the nether talisman fluctuations that had instantly thickened in the air.

Su Qingyu also let out a long sigh of relief, her taut nerves finally relaxing a bit.

Lin Chen nodded. He didn't immerse himself in the joy of sudden wealth; his gaze remained as cold as ice.

Eight hundred and ninety million, plus the remaining forty million from before, totaled nine hundred and thirty million!

Only the final seventy million short of the one-billion goal!

For him now, this seventy million was no longer an insurmountable chasm!

He immediately contacted the Greedy Ghost again.

"Information fee, one billion. I have nine hundred and thirty million now. I'm short seventy million," Lin Chen said directly. "I'll use thirty percent of the Fortress's 'Netherworld Express' revenue rights for the next three years as collateral to borrow seventy million. You set the interest."

Now holding nearly nine hundred million, he was full of confidence, even borrowing money with righteous conviction.

The Greedy Ghost seemed a bit dazed by this move, only replying after a long while: "...Fine. Interest is fifty percent per year. Repay it within three years, or the collateral becomes mine."

Usury! This was absolute usury!

But Lin Chen didn't hesitate at all.

"Deal!"

Another loan agreement was generated and signed.

[Ding! nether talismans +70,000,000!]

The nether talisman balance instantly broke the one-billion mark, reaching a staggering 1,000,000,000!

One billion! A full one billion nether talismans!

At this moment, even with Lin Chen's temperament, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement!

"Contact the Greedy Ghost immediately and purchase the complete information on the 'Lord of the Ultimate End'!" Lin Chen didn't delay for a second, issuing the command to the system.

[Command received. Paying 1,000,000,000 nether talismans to the Greedy Ghost to purchase the specified information.]

[Payment successful!]

[Information transmitting...]

One billion nether talismans evaporated instantly. The account that had just been filled became empty once more, and he even carried a seventy-million-nether talisman high-interest loan.

But Lin Chen didn't care at all. His entire mind was focused on that ultimate information worth one billion, which was continuously flooding into his brain!

Countless complex, obscure streams of information containing terrifying truths washed over his consciousness like a river bursting its banks:

The true origin of the Lord of the Ultimate End... the core secret behind the shattering of the Ancient Netherworld... the precise locking methods and Real-time tracking techniques for the three Power cores... the minimum energy threshold and optimal timing required to destroy the three cores simultaneously... it even included some fragmented information about the intricate connections between the Nether Shadow Council and the Lord of the Ultimate End...

These one billion nether talismans were well spent!

Lin Chen closed his eyes, absorbing and digesting this incredibly precious information with all his might. His brain was like an overclocked processor, with countless pieces of information being organized, analyzed, and summarized...

When he opened his eyes again, all the confusion and uncertainty in them had vanished, replaced only by a rock-solid determination and a clarity that saw through everything.

He looked at Su Qingyu and Zhang Hao, his voice steady and powerful, carrying a confidence that suggested he was in full control of the situation:

"Pass down the order!"

"The final preparations for battle begin now!"

"Three days from now, at dawn, will be the time for our fight to the death with the Lord of the Ultimate End!"