Number Five nodded slightly: "That's right, thank you for remembering me."

Wu Hao nodded, a cigar between his fingers, and said casually, "Are you on a mission this time? Or..."

"Haha, Commander Wu, you understand too, there are some things..."

Number Five laughed it off. Before he came, Luo Chen had told him some basic questions and answers, mainly to make it easier for him to deal with the situation.

"Ah, sorry, I forgot. There are some rules that can't be forgotten." Wu Hao laughed and then said, "Last time I came, your Commander Li was quite a generous person. No wonder he was able to grow a mercenary group into a large one."

Luo Chen sneered inwardly. This guy was really arrogant. He hadn't even said a few words before he was already trying to make exorbitant demands.

What nonsense about being generous! It's clearly saying that if you want to stay here and rest, you have to pay a fee, and judging from Wu Hao's tone, the price doesn't seem to be small.

[What the hell is this if not robbery? They're all businessmen, after all. But then again, they're just here to make this much money anyway.]

"Well, this time, we thought that Commander Wu and our commander are old acquaintances, so we decided to rest here for the night. It's a win-win situation for us to cooperate in the long run." Number Five was not intimidated at all. However, he was in a mercenary group and had received his old friend's true teachings, so he naturally wouldn't give way.

Sometimes, you have to be firm and not soft.

"How many of you are there? I still have two or three villas here that we can use. You know, once we get past this point, there won't be any more rest stops. At that point, there won't be any way to make a living. You should understand that, right?" Wu Hao leaned back on the sofa, appearing quite natural.

Number Five, however, had lost his composure and seemed unsure how to handle the situation.

"You old fox, even after all this, you're still thinking about money? Fuck you."

At this moment, Luo Chen spoke up, without wasting words, and said directly: "Commander Wu, let's not beat around the bush. You name a price, and we'll see if it's suitable. We all work in the business world, and we understand that we need to make money. But in any case, business is about mutual consent and long-term sustainability."

"You agree, right, Commander Wu?"

Number Five glanced at Luo Chen but said nothing.

A glint flashed in Wu Hao's eyes, as if he hadn't expected this Easterner to speak.

"Hahahaha." Wu Hao laughed heartily, "I didn't expect the Iron Wolf Mercenary Group to be so full of talent. It seems I'm getting old and my eyesight isn't what it used to be."

Luo Chen felt helpless about Wu Hao's behavior.

This kind of person is the most disgusting. If you talk to them nicely, they will always beat around the bush.

It's just a matter of a few words, but you insist on making a huge fuss about it.

If it weren't for the fact that the convoy needed supplies and that Mu Shiyu and the others also needed a good day's rest, Luo Chen would have really wanted to leave right now.

"Alright, you all know the price, right? How much per person? Plus the supplies you need, I know your Commander Li well, so I'll just go with the market price, how about that?"

Wu Hao seemed to have not finished speaking, and continued, "You all know that doing business is not easy. Everyone needs to eat. You've noticed as you've come in that my group of brothers..."

Luo Chen thought to himself, "Old dog, I'd better wipe you out as soon as possible."

Fortunately, Luo Chen came with Number Five himself. Otherwise, Commander Wu would have known that Number Five was a newcomer and wouldn't know how to deal with people.

Just like what he said to Number Five earlier, he was undoubtedly thinking of taking this opportunity to extort money.

Number Five glanced at Luo Chen, and seeing Luo Chen's gesture, he said, "No problem, but once inside, I hope Commander Wu will guarantee our safety."

"No problem, we're in this business, we know the rules. Since you're paying, we'll do what's required. But you should understand, once you leave this place, we're not responsible anymore."

"Of course, in that case, it's a pleasure to cooperate."

Luo Chen stood up and reached out his hand, and Wu Hao seemed to realize that Luo Chen was the real person in charge.

"Brother Xiao, Old Wu wasn't like this last time. He not only paid us, he even paid us out of pocket." Number Five hurriedly said to Luo Chen as soon as they stepped outside.

Luo Chen shook his head slightly and smiled, "Fifth brother, do you know why?"

Number Five shook his head in bewilderment, clearly unable to comprehend why someone could change so drastically.

Luo Chen explained, "Not to mention everyone, the reason why Wu Hao has managed this place so well and no one has caused trouble so far is primarily because this is a unique location. Even if someone suffers a loss, it's not too serious, so many mercenaries have simply moved on."

“The last time you came, you were with the regimental commander. Wu Hao is the kind of person who is opportunistic. Would he dare to speak to the regimental commander like that? If he angers the regimental commander, given his temper, he might just bring the whole regiment over here and blow this place up.”

"Secondly, you weren't assertive enough. Look how long you talked to him, even mentioning the commander's kindness. It's not wrong to use the commander's reputation, but for someone who lives on the edge, he won't be afraid as long as the person isn't around. So, he just rambled on about this and that."

"So, to survive in this chaotic world, you have to remember one thing: be tough. No matter who you're talking to, be tough and make them understand one thing: you're not someone to be bullied, and if they want to mess with you, they'll have to pay a price."

Luo Chen patted Number Five on the shoulder and comforted him, "It's okay. Learn from this in the future. I'm not telling you to become an arrogant and domineering person, but to be fearless in the face of anything. Wu Hao is the kind of person who responds to gentleness but not to force. We are the Iron Wolf Mercenary Group. We may not be much in Hope Town, but to Wu Hao, we are his father."

"However, we also have a mission to complete this time, so there's no need to get so hung up on him. We just need to prioritize."

Number Five looked at Luo Chen and said, "Brother Xiao, you are really amazing. You know everything. I want to learn from you from now on."

Luo Chen smiled gently.

These are all lessons learned through my own blood and sweat; otherwise, how could I survive in the world of books?

Those people are all shrewd; if you're not careful, they could destroy you.

"Get out of here, everyone. Park the car outside and take turns guarding it," Luo Chen shouted to the crowd as he returned outside.

Inside the villa, after Luo Chen and the others left, a person re-entered the hall.

"how?"

Wu Hao had changed his arrogant demeanor towards Luo Chen and the others, and now he was all smiles and flattery.

"Sir, everything has been done as you instructed. Once they are all inside, we can capture them all at once. These people are all valuable items and will surely fetch a high price."

"This time, the fish we catch will definitely taste delicious."