Chapter Ninety-Six: The Right Path

In Phoenix-Song Valley, a certain conference room.

Fan Bei, Lin Zhongshi, and Butler Huo were seated together, along with Lin Xiaohong and Lin Xiaolv.

“The Starry Merchant Guild has already given me a preliminary estimate. To settle this matter completely, it will take a mercenary contract worth one hundred million standard silver coins, or an equivalent amount of spirit cores; the latter comes with a five percent discount,” Butler Huo said gravely.

“One hundred million?” Lin Zhongshi sprang to his feet at once. “She might as well go rob someone!”

“That would be easier than robbing,” Lin Xiaohong said coolly.

“Brother Stone, don’t be upset,” Lin Xiaolv said quickly, still holding Big White in her arms. “We’ll work hard and earn the money together.”

Fan Bei looked over in surprise, wondering when on earth the girl and the dog had become so close.

Lin Zhongshi was only venting in the heat of the moment. In truth, he knew the price was not outrageous, and in fact rather cheap, but he simply could not come up with it, nor could he possibly ask Fan Bei to pay for him.

“Forget it. I might as well sell myself to them. If I can generate ten million in value for them each year, ten years should about do it. If I break through to the gold tier, maybe I can pay it off even sooner,” he said gloomily.

“The annual revenue of our Hardstone Merchant Guild can reach between two million and five million, and that is only on the assumption that the region keeps developing steadily. If you want to generate ten million, the risks become much greater,” Lin Xiaohong analyzed calmly.

Fan Bei nodded. “There’s no need to push yourself this hard. The value of the land I have here is still considerable, and if it is managed well, the annual output can still be brought into play...”

“No, Mr. Fan, I will shoulder this myself. I already feel terrible about having dragged you into this in the first place. If I were to make you pay as well, I would have no face left to live in the world,” Lin Zhongshi said firmly.

Fan Bei shook his head and said nothing more. He had long since understood the other man’s temperament; he would not accept that suggestion.

Besides, he had already advised him twice to reconcile with his sister. If they could share the system’s abilities, then what was one hundred million worth?

But temperament shapes fate. With a stubborn nature like his, Lin Zhongshi did gain tenacity, but he also lost flexibility. It seemed unlikely he would ever bow his head to his sister.

Unless he suffered some severe setback, reality was not like television dramas. Once a knot was tied in the heart, estrangement often lasted until death. Human beings are lazy by nature; if one side refused to cooperate, matters only grew worse and worse.

And given Lin Zhongqing’s temperament, if he would not lower his head, she would not lower hers either. She was the sort who responded to gentleness, not force.

At this point in the discussion, there was in truth nothing left to discuss. Lin Zhongshi insisted on bearing all the debt himself, and as personal debt at that, refusing to let the guild pay a single coin.

He had already decided to go to the Starry Merchant Guild right away and work there, taking the hardest jobs and suffering the greatest hardships...

Everyone tried to talk him out of it, but nothing worked, so they could only watch him leave alone.

Lin Xiaolv said worriedly, “Brother Stone is definitely going to suffer a lot from now on. I want to go with him and take care of him.”

“Forget it. Don’t follow him. If you do, he’ll only feel worse. Men are like that—just for the sake of some pointless pride, they would rather give up the best option,” Lin Xiaohong said, furious that he would not see reason.

Big White and Fan Bei exchanged a glance, both looking like they had been caught in the crossfire for no reason.

...

Copper Fortress, within the dome, in the hanging office.

This was the new headquarters of the Starry Merchant Guild.

Two people sat facing each other before the sofa.

“If you want to complete this contract on your own, that is possible,” Lin Zhongqing said in an official tone. “However, you have only just recovered to the silver tier at most, and for a commission contract you can only receive up to twenty percent. The compensation you earn would not even cover the interest. On one hundred million, at ten percent interest, you would owe ten million a year.”

Lin Zhongshi clenched his jaw. “I’ll risk everything.”

“I never doubted that you would,” Lin Zhongqing said, shaking her head. “What I doubt is your ability to repay it. You don’t even have a guarantor. If you die halfway through, who am I supposed to collect from?”

He had nothing to say. Some things could not be borne by one person alone.

At last he said dispiritedly, “Then tell me what I’m supposed to do.”

“Use your Hardstone Merchant Guild as collateral, and have the twenty-odd people there all sign contracts with me. If you do that, I’ll accept this contract,” Lin Zhongqing said leisurely.

“That’s impossible!” Lin Zhongshi objected at once.

“What are you still being so obstinate for?” Lin Zhongqing suddenly stood up and said sharply, “Besides me, who else can you rely on? Are you planning to take your people and throw yourselves in with the Silver Merchant Guild? Into that bottomless abyss? Don’t you fear that you’ll be worked to death and your people turned into puppets?”

“You’re always like this. What do you think your stubbornness can accomplish? Do you think the real world is your fantasy world, where one person’s persistence and desperate effort can change everything? Which rising power in history ever rejected all outside aid? Liu Bang, Zhu Yuanzhang... give me one successful example!”

“That’s still better than throwing yourself in with those incomprehensible mysterious beings!” Lin Zhongshi said through a stiff neck, his face flushed red. “You know perfectly well that allying yourself with them means falling into a bottomless abyss. So why are you simply trading one abyssal entrance for another?”

“You!” Lin Zhongqing flew into a rage. She rose and struck out at him.

Lin Zhongshi did not dodge, though he could easily have done so.

But the slap only stirred a gust of wind, stopping less than three centimeters from his cheek before slowly withdrawing.

So she really does care about me after all. She couldn’t bear to hit me.

He felt a little moved. Yet as soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. How could he not understand that in this world, if one did not cling to those unknown and mysterious powers, there was simply no way to survive?

What she was doing was for the family, for the people under her, not merely for her own sake.

Still, after being entangled with that evil and brutal existence, he had come to realize that taking refuge with such beings was like drinking poison to quench one’s thirst.

Lin Zhongqing sat back down and said nothing.

“Unity, why did you stop me? I’ve long wanted to give that brat a good slap. He struts around every day like he’s the only savior in the world and everyone else is just a supporting cast. And he even dared to slander you,” she said resentfully in her mind.

Indeed, that was the irreconcilable root of the siblings’ conflict: they both wanted to be the lead.

“Striking people is improper conduct, and beneath your dignity,” Eastern Unity said. In essence, it was a system and had no real emotions, nor would it lose composure over an argument. “Besides, he does not understand my nature. I am not like those external mysterious beings. I was born in accordance with destiny to help humanity return to the proper path. One cannot blame him for this. To accomplish great things, one must advance while bearing misunderstanding. All pioneers are like this.”

“Brother Dongfang, you really are too great,” Lin Zhongqing said, her eyes sparkling.

“There is no need to say that. I am merely fulfilling my duty,” Eastern Unity replied lightly, its bearing distinctly superior.

Lin Zhongqing calmed herself, then said to Lin Zhongshi, “In any case, things are not as you imagine. I won’t be as foolish as you. I know my limits, and I will never be deceived. That is precisely why I will withdraw from the Silver Merchant Guild in time. As for the other abyss you mentioned, that is not an abyss. It is paradise.”

“Paradise...” Lin Zhongshi’s face was full of disbelief, but he did not press back too hard. After all, he had already grown guilty at heart.

“Believe it or not, facts are facts,” Lin Zhongqing said without allowing contradiction. Then she took out a book and tossed it to him.

“Go back and cultivate this instead. The one in our family can only take you as far as the gold tier, but this one can lead you all the way into the mythic realm. Once you break through to the gold tier, a contract worth one hundred million should be done in less than three years,” she said through clenched teeth.

Lin Zhongshi caught the book, and a title fell into his eyes: “Supreme Meditation Art.”

“Thank you, Sister.”

He did not refuse it. Instead, he bowed deeply.

“Go on, then. Just looking at you annoys me,” Lin Zhongqing said with obvious disgust.