"Hehe, this trip wasn't a complete waste. These things all have grades, so I can make a small profit by reselling them."

Just as Cai Qing was about to reach for a finely crafted spear, Lao Bai firmly grasped it with his iron hands. Cai Qing winced in pain, a surge of anger rising within him, but he wore a fawning smile on his face as he turned to look at Lao Bai.

"Oh dear, look at me, my professional habit is kicking in. Brother Chen, would you like to go first?"

Old Bai ignored Cai Qing, simply gripping his wrists tightly and restraining him. Cai Qing realized something was wrong, looking at Old Bai with a panicked expression and a hint of anger in his voice.

"Brother Chen, what are you doing? This is not the place to talk. There's no rush to divide the spoils."

Zhang Shi had been watching from the sidelines for a long time before finally making his move. He kicked Cai Qing in the shin, causing the man to howl in pain. Zhang Shi then held Lao Duan across his neck, threatening him to take off his wristwatch.

Cai Qing recognized Zhang Shi and looked panicked. Only now did he realize that he had been fooled by Lao Bai.

“Master Zhang Shi, I was blind and disturbed your rest. Please just ignore me and spare my life. I promise I will never come near your territory again.”

Zhang Shi searched Cai Qing's system backpack but found nothing of value. He then checked Cai Qing's chat history but found no valuable clues. He lost interest in Cai Qing and turned to Lao Bai in a cold voice.

"Let's find a place to take care of this."

Upon hearing Zhang Shi's words, Cai Qing's heart sank. He immediately knelt on the ground, weeping and pleading with Zhang Shi.

"Boss Zhang Shi, please spare my life! If you can let me live, I'm willing to be your slave to repay you."

Zhang Shi's eyes were cold as he casually asked.

"Even my cattle and horses have some value. What value do you have?"

Upon hearing that Zhang Shi had softened his stance, Cai Qing immediately revealed all of his family's wealth.

“Boss Zhang Shi, I have a way to establish a master-servant contract with someone, so that the servant cannot have any thoughts that are detrimental to the master. I subdued those underlings through this contract. If you need it, I am willing to teach you the Contract Law and let you be my master. I will help you keep an eye on those covetous forces at sea and act as your undercover agent.”

Zhang Shi's heart stirred; he hadn't expected that a casual remark would actually extract some value from Cai Qing.

Zhang Shi narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Cai Qing kneeling on the ground, seemingly assessing the truthfulness of his words and the practical significance of this "value." After a moment, he slowly spoke, a hint of amusement in his voice: "Master-servant contract? That sounds interesting. But why should I believe you, and is your contract truly that binding?"

Seeing that Zhang Shi seemed interested, Cai Qing felt a glimmer of hope and immediately kowtowed repeatedly: "Big Brother Zhang Shi, I can demonstrate it for you on the spot! As long as you give me a chance, I am willing to immediately find a subordinate to demonstrate it in front of you, so that you can witness the power of the contract with your own eyes."

Old Bai stood aside, watching the scene expressionlessly, but inwardly he was wary of Cai Qing's cunning. He whispered to Zhang Shi, "Lord, this man is cunning. This power of contract is mysterious and unpredictable. If he goes back on his word or does something malicious in the future, it may cause you trouble."

Zhang Shi smiled slightly, seemingly confident: "It's alright, I know what I'm doing. Cai Qing, I'll give you this chance. But remember, you only get one chance. If I find out you have any inappropriate thoughts, you'll bear the consequences."

Cai Qing felt as if he had been granted a pardon and nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, I will definitely be loyal and never betray you!"

After speaking, the two began to sign the contract. The contract was actually a ring on Cai Qing's finger. As his emotions changed, the ring flashed a dazzling red light, turning the dimly lit study blood red.

Zhang Shi watched Cai Qing cautiously, gripping Lao Duan tightly in his hand. If Cai Qing made the slightest move, Zhang Shi would not hesitate to behead him.

A moment later, Cai Qing raised his head and timidly extended one palm to look at Zhang Shi.

"Master, please extend one hand."

Zhang Shi and Lao Bai exchanged a glance, then Zhang Shi placed his hand over.

The moment Zhang Shi came into contact with Cai Qing, he felt that his consciousness was connected with Cai Qing's, and all of Cai Qing's thoughts were naturally known to him.

"There's nothing fishy going on."

After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Shi confidently expanded his consciousness and, guided by a mysterious force, began to sign a contract with Cai Qing.

As the contract was signed, Zhang Shi felt a strange force establishing a connection between him and Cai Qing, as if an invisible bond was tightly binding them together. He could clearly sense Cai Qing's presence, and Cai Qing seemed to completely submit to him, without the slightest intention to resist or harbor any malicious thoughts.

Zhang Shi realized that the effect of this contract was somewhat similar to the connection between him and Pipi, except that they could not communicate telepathically.

Cai Qing sensibly handed the ring in his hand to Zhang Shi, his eyes showing a hint of reluctance, but even more so fear.

“Very well, Cai Qing, you are now mine.” Zhang Shi said coldly, toying with the ring, his eyes revealing an unquestionable authority.

Cai Qing knelt on the ground, head bowed, his tone filled with reverence: "Yes, Master, I will serve you faithfully."

"Don't call me master, it feels a bit awkward. Either call me lord, or just call me by my name."

Old Bai stood aside, silently observing everything. Although he still had doubts about Cai Qing's loyalty, he calmly accepted Zhang Shi's decision.

"My lord, now that the contract has been signed, what should we do with Cai Qing next?"

Zhang Shi pondered for a moment, then said to Cai Qing, "You go back first. Contact me immediately if there's any trouble with those people at sea. However, if you show any signs of betrayal, I will terminate the contract immediately and take your life!"

After saying that, Zhang Shi gave Cai Qing's watch to him.

Upon hearing this, Cai Qing felt a surge of nervousness, but he knew this was his only chance, and he could only do his best to demonstrate his loyalty and value.

"Yes, my lord, I will do my utmost to complete the mission and live up to your expectations," Cai Qing quickly replied.

Zhang Shi nodded, then added Cai Qing as a friend and learned some information about the situation at sea from him. Soon after, he took advantage of the night to send him back the way he came.

The underlings waiting below the cliff were almost soaked by the seawater. When they finally saw Cai Qing return, they immediately asked him about the situation with concern.

With a serious expression, Cai Qing casually jumped from the middle of the cliff into the water, not intending to say anything more to his underlings, and simply swam towards the fishing boat.

The underlings looked at each other, not understanding what Cai Qing meant, and could only follow him.