"A digital anomaly? Does that mean my three major talent categories are unbalanced, with zero in agriculture and mining, but a perfect score in combat?"
Lin Xu understood Xiao Xing's general purpose; he had indeed come because of Xiao Xing's talent.
"Young Master Xiao, you're too kind. As the textbooks say, talent isn't the only thing that determines the future; hard work is. Someone as insignificant as me is still far from becoming a truly outstanding island lord."
Lin Xu did not respond directly to Xiao Xing, but only made polite remarks, waiting for Xiao Xing to reveal his purpose.
If this were a normal day, Xiao Xing would have continued to exchange a few polite words with Lin Xu to maintain the initiative in the conversation and make Lin Xu lower his stance and take the initiative to ask about his purpose.
But at this moment, Xiao Xing felt uncomfortable staying in this "hellish, shabby room" for even a moment longer. He couldn't care less about maintaining the initiative in the conversation with Lin Xu and directly stated his purpose:
"What Lin Da Caizi said makes a lot of sense. If an island lord wants to develop, in addition to talent, he also needs a lot of resources and his own efforts. So have you ever considered making a contract with our Xiao family, whereby we will provide you with supernatural fruits to develop your talents?"
"A power-generating fruit?"
Lin Xu was taken aback.
Superpower Fruits are rare treasures.
If it weren't for the fact that even commoner island lords have a chance to cultivate supernatural fruits, this strategic resource would definitely be monopolized by nobles. Any commoner who wanted to obtain it would have to pay a harsh price, otherwise they would have absolutely no way to get one.
Even though it's possible for ordinary island owners to cultivate superpowered fruits now, superpowered fruits are still very rare on the market, and they are snapped up as soon as they appear.
Only old noble families with deep roots and rich heritage would have enough reserves of supernatural fruits.
"Young Master Xiao is willing to provide me with a superpowered fruit? That's an extremely rare resource?"
Lin Xu didn't rush to express his opinion, but instead tentatively inquired.
Xiao Xing noticed Lin Xu's interest and a subtle smile appeared on his lips.
He believed he had already caught the attention of this commoner orphan.
Sure enough, even geniuses are still just commoners. As long as they reveal a little bit of their resources, it can make the eyes of these people at the bottom of society light up.
The practice of those in power monopolizing resources was indeed correct. Only in this way could they continue to control and exploit the lower classes, making them afraid to resist and instead dedicate their lives to their side.
Xiao Xing recalled the aristocratic education he had received from his family, and his smile grew even more amiable as he nodded slightly.
"That's right, we plan to provide Lin, the talented student, with a batch of special ability fruits, including many different kinds. The first type of special ability fruit is a Life Fruit. With your outstanding grades, you should understand the function of life abilities, right?"
"The Fruit of Life!"
Lin Xu was surprised.
The Xiao family really went all out.
He had fully experienced the effects of life-related superpowers. Having this superpower meant a significant increase in the number of superpowers he could control in the future, which could greatly enhance a person's potential.
If Lin Xu hadn't already possessed the peach fruit, he might already be tempted by Xiao Xing's proposal.
After all, the Xiao family has so much to offer.
For an ordinary person with no connections, these resources are things that one might not be able to obtain even after a lifetime of hard work.
Unfortunately, Xiao Xing appeared a little too late.
Lin Xu's expression was subtle.
He didn't think that the fruits of life Xiao Xing provided could compare to the peaches on his island.
If he keeps eating the peaches on the island, he should be able to awaken an infinite number of superpowers, and his vitality will continue to increase without any limit.
But the fruit provided to him by the Xiao family certainly wouldn't have this effect.
The highest-grade fruit they offer, the one that the legendary nobleman with 13 superpowers ate, can awaken up to 7 or 8 more superpowers.
Although for the average person, this fruit is already a top-grade treasure.
Unfortunately, once this item reached Lin Xu, it was just so-so. Apart from a little value for collection and research, it had no other significance.
When Xiao Xing mentioned providing more types of supernatural fruits, Lin Xu guessed they would all be similar fruits, far inferior to those cultivated on his own island.
Moreover, the Xiao family isn't a charity. Perhaps the first life fruit is an early investment and they'll give it to him in advance, but if Lin Xu doesn't serve the Xiao family and create greater value for the subsequent superpower fruits, he won't be able to obtain them.
Lin Xu had been studying the various habits and routines of the nobility, so he was able to guess some of the Xiao family's methods.
At this moment, Xiao Xing was waiting for Lin Xu's excited expression. In his opinion, a commoner with some talent would definitely respond enthusiastically and actively upon hearing such conditions, and would definitely take the initiative to ask many questions. In this way, the initiative in this conversation would be completely in his hands.
However, Lin Xu's reaction was unexpected. The commoner's expression was surprisingly calm, even showing a hint of subtle indifference.
What's going on? Are the Fruits of Life really that worthless these days?
Xiao Xing had originally intended to wait patiently for a while, but he really didn't like staying in this dilapidated house any longer. Seeing that Lin Xu remained silent, he couldn't help but continue speaking:
"Superpower Fruits are truly precious resources! Moreover, besides the funding of Superpower Fruits, the Xiao family is also preparing to provide Lin, the great talent, with a nominal knight title. This way, Lin can be considered to have made his way into the noble circle. If Lin becomes even stronger in the future, this nominal title may become a real knight title. At that time, Lin can also become a true nobleman!"
Having said that, Xiao Xing was full of confidence, barely suppressing his arrogant expression, and just waited for Lin Xu's response.
Lin Xu's eyes flickered.
The Xiao family, on the surface, were quite generous.
The so-called nominal knighthood, similar to the badge the white bluebird gave him, is the lowest-ranking noble title.
However, the title that Bai Qingniao managed to create was a genuine knightly title. If it weren't for the Bai family's approval, Lin Xu could have become a knight directly.
That's equivalent to a true noble family.
But the title of "nominal knight" is a bit complicated.
Because this is merely a nominal title; one remains essentially a commoner. Only by becoming a full knight can one truly be considered a noble and enter the circle of nobility.
A knight in name only has the title; he can only slightly suppress ordinary commoners. Against nobles, he is still far inferior, and there is still a class difference, as if they are two different species.
Most importantly, the practice of nominee knights is a tactic often used by nobles to win over talented commoners. Due to its abuse, there are many such nominees; often, for every official knighthood, there are hundreds of nominees.
These hundred people are all vying for the same spot. Even if you become the most meritorious and strongest among them, you may not actually become a full-fledged knight. Most likely, you'll remain a figurehead until the end.
Therefore, this system is more like a pie-in-the-sky trick used by nobles to fool commoners. Those who actually take the nominal knights seriously are just novices who don't understand the methods of the nobility.
At this moment, Xiao Xing stopped speaking and instead showed a subtle smile, quietly waiting for Lin Xu to speak.
In his view, the conditions he offered were extremely valuable.
Although these things were nothing to his family, they were incredibly generous to an orphan with no connections.
Any commoner offered such a deal, even a peerless genius, would be tempted and would eagerly offer everything.
Therefore, Xiao Xing was confident that Lin Xu would definitely agree to his conditions.
That way he could leave this dilapidated house and go to his own garden to breathe the fresh air that real humans should breathe.
Lin Xu noticed Xiao Xing's expression and realized that Xiao Xing didn't want to stay in the room at all.
He was somewhat speechless, but still very curious: what did the Xiao family want from him after offering such "generous" terms?
Does he want to sign a contract of servitude?
These people should have known long ago that he would never sign a contract of servitude.
Moreover, according to the principles of nobility, it would be very difficult for someone with a single talent score of 200 to sign a contract of servitude.
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