Chapter 105: Reliance

September 25th.

At Fengming Valley, under the guidance of Steward Huo, Fan Bei met with the delegation from the Star Chamber of Commerce in a cleared-out large conference room to discuss the merger.

The opposing team consisted of seven people, led by a young man in his twenties. He had refined features, though a hint of arrogance in his brow made him look somewhat like Lin Zhongshi.

"This is Manager Lin Qing, the cousin of President Lin. He has just arrived from the north and currently serves as the business manager for the Star Chamber of Commerce," Steward Huo introduced to Fan Bei.

Lin Qing was the first to step forward, taking the initiative to shake Fan Bei's hand with a slight smile. "Mr. Fan, your willingness to merge with our Star Chamber of Commerce is certainly a wise choice in this world fraught with crises."

After the handshake, both sides took their seats as hosts and guests on the conference room sofas.

"Hello, Manager Lin. May I ask what terms your side is offering?" Fan Bei asked, getting straight to the point.

"Mr. Fan is indeed a straightforward man. This is the contract we used to acquire Copper Fortress last time," Lin Qing said, circling the issue. He signaled his assistant to hand a contract to Fan Bei, then continued, "We will use this contract as a reference to provide you with an absolutely reasonable acquisition price."

"Acquisition?" Fan Bei caught the underlying meaning in his words. He set the contract aside without opening it.

He knew exactly what the contract contained; he had watched the entire process of Lang Sheng selling his fortress to live in seclusion, and he understood it better than anyone.

"Steward Huo, is this the task you helped me with? I specifically requested an equity stake—to join as a shareholder—but it seems that is not the case now." He turned to look at Steward Huo, his tone heavy.

At this moment, he deeply suspected that there might be a loophole in the steward system, leading to collusion between the other party and his own staff to betray his interests.

Steward Huo, a middle-aged woman, broke out in a cold sweat. She had never expected that the President would send such a person to negotiate, nor that they would propose a direct buyout.

"This... Mr. Lin, the merger proposal we initially put forward was for the settlement to join as a shareholder," she said hurriedly.

"Haha," Lin Qing shook his head with a smile, leaning back against the sofa. "I have never heard of a business deal where one side makes an offer and the other must fully accept it. In fact, providing you with an acquisition offer based on the Copper Fortress model is already quite fair. You must realize they were a large fortress with nearly twenty thousand people and perfect operational conditions."

"As for your side, forgive me for being blunt, but aside from nominal ownership of a few thousand square kilometers of land, you are nothing more than a small shelter..."

Lin Qing shook his head repeatedly as he finished speaking.

"But the context of Copper Fortress’s sale was that their fortress master had suffered a rebellion and lost all credibility, leaving him no choice but to sell. That situation cannot be compared to our Fengming Valley. How can their terms be applied to us?" Steward Huo argued, standing her ground. She had to remain firm and uphold her professional ethics to secure benefits for her master.

Otherwise, Fan Bei would likely dismiss her on the spot.

Fan Bei remained silent, watching the two sides.

"Heh, your current predicament is not much different from the master of Copper Fortress, is it? If you hadn't encountered an unstoppable evil hegemon, and if our President hadn't killed that epic-level evil spirit, why would you even entertain the idea of merging with us?" Lin Qing said without reservation.

"I want to speak with President Lin directly!" Steward Huo said indignantly. She realized she might have been counterproductive; instead of earning credit, she was now risking her own standing.

"As you wish. I have only presented the most appropriate terms. Given your current assets, you do not yet qualify to hold shares in our Star Chamber of Commerce," Lin Qing said coldly.

Steward Huo apologized to Fan Bei, who nodded, and then she left the conference room.

The room fell into silence.

Fan Bei stared at Lin Qing for a while, then suddenly spoke: "In private chats with Steward Huo, I heard her say that employees joining the Star Chamber of Commerce must swear personal allegiance to President Lin. One of the tenets is not to bully others or use power to oppress the weak, but to conduct oneself with integrity. It seems, Manager Lin, that you have omitted this step?"

Lin Qing’s eyes turned cold. "I am President Lin's family, and the Star Chamber of Commerce is my home. I am devoted to the interests of the Chamber, so naturally, I do not need this extra step of swearing allegiance."

"As I thought." Fan Bei said no more. He had already realized that this Lin Qing was actually sent by the major financial conglomerate behind Lin Zhongqing to manage the accounts...

"You!" Lin Qing stood up from the sofa, then sat back down, saying disdainfully, "Actually, your steward's efforts are superfluous. President Lin would agree with my approach, because I am acting entirely in the interest of the Chamber."

Fan Bei shook his head. "I wouldn't be so sure."

As he spoke, he secretly opened the steward system interface.

"It seems Mr. Fan thinks he understands our President better than I do. I truly don't know where your confidence comes from. You must know that our President is an existence capable of crushing hegemon-level evil spirits. Even the big boss of the Silver Chamber of Commerce has to give way when he sees her now," Lin Qing said smugly. "It is better to be wise. Look at Lang Sheng from Copper Fortress; he was very wise. Now he has sold his fortress and lives in an ordinary apartment, practicing in peace every day."

"Are you saying I should go and keep him company?" Fan Bei was not angry; rather, he found it somewhat amusing.

"This choice is actually what best suits Mr. Fan's needs. But people are always like this—until the blade falls on their own necks, they always harbor wishful thinking," Lin Qing shook his head mockingly.

Just then, a sound came from outside the conference room.

"It couldn't be this fast, could it?" Lin Qing signaled his assistant to open the door, acting as if this shelter were his own home.

Fan Bei did not stop him; he wanted to see the look on this guy's face in a moment.

The door opened, and it was not Steward Huo who entered, but Lin Zhongshi.

"Oh, isn't this my brother who went out to make it on his own?" Lin Qing stood up. "It’s been years. You look well."

"Lin Qing, what are you doing here?" Lin Zhongshi asked coldly, his expression stern.

"I am the business manager of the Star Chamber of Commerce, here to negotiate an acquisition. By the way, your 'Stubborn Stone' Chamber of Commerce should find a new location. There is no foot traffic here; wouldn't you just be losing money?" He suggested with a look of feigned concern.

"That's none of your business. I have my own plans," Lin Zhongshi rejected him.

"Hmm, Brother Shi has always been independent since we were young," Lin Qing nodded. "However, I heard that Brother Shi is also planning to join our Chamber soon. I wonder if you will still be able to stick to your 'own plans' then?"

"You!" Lin Zhongshi gritted his teeth.

"Brother Lin, come and sit. Let’s not damage the harmony of the family; after all, blood is thicker than water," Fan Bei said with a smile.

Seeing this, Lin Qing was surprised. He truly could not understand how the Valley Master could still smile in the face of his overwhelming pressure.

Did the other party think he still had some leverage at this moment?

The Silver Chamber of Commerce, or some backer behind him?

His cousin had personally hunted down and killed an evil hegemon. If the other party’s backer were truly strong, they wouldn't have been hiding in this valley all this time.