Chapter 104
At that time, the "First Hospital Rules" had just been created and was only a small, ignorant, and formless consciousness that could not yet fully and accurately express its meaning.
As if knowing that Xie Xubai was the strongest among the group, the consciousness snuggled up to him affectionately, constantly muttering words like "brewery," "food factory," and "want," like a hungry cub begging for food.
Having witnessed its future devastating and stubborn nature, Xie Xubai couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
When rules emerge from a piece of land, it signifies that the land has developed consciousness. The longer these rules exist, the clearer and more independent the land's consciousness becomes. The more prosperous and flourishing the land becomes, the stronger the power of its rules grows.
Xie Xubai's expression suddenly changed, and he established a mental link with it: "We can fulfill your request, but you need to agree to one condition."
The consciousness paused, not quite understanding his words: ?
"We helped you, so you should help us in the future. It's mutual assistance." Xie Xubai's eyes held a hint of a smile. "It's okay if you don't understand. Just in case, we need to establish a contract."
Since Xie Xubai communicated with it using his mental power throughout, the others couldn't hear their conversation. Seeing Xie Xubai with his back to them, staring silently at the empty warehouse, they assumed he was worried about the large amount of supplies being consumed.
That day, Xie Xubai began investigating Hongxing Winery and H City Food Factory.
The other instances were generated naturally after being corrupted and mutated, but these few companies are unique in that they are investors who have moved in, which shows the difference between them.
Xie Xubai did not let his guard down just because he had set a trap for the Fu family, nor did he rashly try to test the waters just because he had previously established a temporary cooperative relationship with the Jiang Group by taking advantage of the future.
He decided to start with Hung Hing Winery.
...
The street leading to the addresses of these companies was shrouded in a cold, white fog; nothing could be seen more than five meters away.
The day after the system notification sounded, the white fog dissipated without anyone noticing, revealing a quiet and empty street. Not a single living person could be seen in broad daylight, and even the monsters that used to rage and run rampant had vanished without a trace.
Despite the blazing sun overhead, there was no heat at all; instead, the cold made one shiver all over.
In this indescribable silence, a large brewery stands in the center of H City, with its interior consisting of neatly arranged container-like buildings.
The white sign with red lettering for "Hongxing Winery" stands prominently at the factory's entrance and exit. Upon closer inspection, the red lettering appears to be flowing, emitting a pungent smell of blood.
Xie Xubai stood in a secluded spot and saw dozens of figures moving mechanically and numbly like puppets at the factory gate. He immediately abandoned the idea of visiting through the main gate.
He sneaked in and found several section administrators, learning that the brewery would officially move in in about five days, at which time the owner would appear.
The boss appears warm and generous on the surface, but in reality he is extremely snobbish, ruthless, and cruel.
Xie Xubai fell into deep thought, then took another stroll around the brewery, gathering snippets of conversation from the workers, and gained a general understanding of the boss's temperament.
Before leaving, to avoid alerting the enemy, he used his mental powers to suggest that he erase the memories of the administrators and himself.
Unbeknownst to him, Xie Xubai became increasingly adept at controlling his mental power, and could successfully hint at anything below Grade A in less than three attempts.
Upon returning, he didn't waste a second. He found Pei Yuheng to discuss preparations for attracting investment from the brewery and arranged for people to start working on it personally.
Thanks to Xie Xubai's mastery of mental skills, he can immediately understand the emotional changes of the person he is talking to, thus probing their bottom line and likes and dislikes. Whether it's getting information out of them or building relationships, it's all done with ease.
Five days passed quickly.
Two days earlier, Xie Xubai had called to offer his pledge of loyalty and, after receiving a definite response, he and Pei Yuheng arrived at the brewery on time to meet the boss.
The underworld is chaotic and disordered, yet it operates with a bizarre and distorted logic.
For example, a winery owner believes that "when the profits are right, everyone is a brother," and his words and actions reflect the true nature of a businessman: he will not do anything without profit.
The survivor base gave birth to [rules], which, in the eyes of the brewery owner, made it superior to buildings in other areas. Therefore, he was willing to condescend to give Xie Xubai and Xie Xubai the opportunity to negotiate.
However, if the negotiation results are unsatisfactory, or if Xie Xubai and the others offend him in any way, the boss's green eyes will openly reveal his desire to tear flesh apart.
Pei Yuheng was somewhat nervous, his muscles tense. Xie Xubi, however, remained expressionless and dropped a bombshell.
"We can provide your factory with long-term and stable sales channels."
The distillery owner looked Xie Xubai up and down.
Xie Xubai's words hit the nail on the head and struck a chord with him.
But he remained unconcerned, as he did not sense any strange energy fluctuations from the two young men.
Either they are too weak, as weak as humans, or these two are too strong, so strong that I cannot fathom the depth of their strength.
The brewery owner leaned towards the former – if these two were really that capable, would they need to ask him for investment and sponsorship? If they wanted something, they could just take it or threaten others to "voluntarily" hand it over, which would be so much easier.
Therefore, he was not interested in Xie Xubai's so-called channels, and from the bottom of his heart, he thought that the other party was ignorant and arrogant. He raised his chin with contempt: "Fine! Just tell me how many bottles you want over there."
Keep in mind that a brewery can produce tens of thousands of tons of alcohol every year, so saying "a few bottles" is clearly an insult.
Xie Xubai smiled, as if he didn't understand the deeper meaning: "A few bottles are too few. Don't tell me you don't care about such a small profit. We wouldn't have made a special trip for you. Why don't you be bold and add some more?"
Seeing Xie Xubai's calm and composed demeanor, the distillery owner was somewhat surprised: "Fifty bottles."
Xie Xubai succinctly replied: "Few."
"One hundred bottles?"
“It’s still not enough.” Xie Xubai paused, then suggested, seemingly considerately, “I understand that your factory is new here and the raw material supply chain is not yet stable... How about we come back in a while?”
The implication is: Since you can't deliver the goods, let's call off this deal.
This statement instantly elevated Xie Xubai and his team's standing—they were there for an equal exchange, not simply to beg for investment. If the brewery didn't show some sincerity, they would simply replace them.
The brewery owner narrowed his eyes.
Xie Xubai had a good grasp of his mindset: he couldn't stand being provoked. In particular, anyone who tried to provoke him seemed incredibly weak to him.
As mentioned earlier, the underworld is chaotic and disorderly, devoid of etiquette and morality.
Provoked by Xie Xubai's words, the distillery owner let out a strange, sharp laugh, his eyes flashing with bloodshot red: "Ha, what kind of trash are you, daring to—"
He hadn't finished speaking.
Just as Xie Xubai was about to use his mental power, the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose suddenly extended backward, and he pinched the back of Xie Xubai's neck in an ambiguous manner, precisely releasing his pressure towards the brewery owner who was about to make trouble.
The oppressive aura was like a hundred-meter-high tsunami crashing down on him, and the boss's face turned deathly pale in an instant, his smile seemingly frozen on his face.
With a thud.
His legs went weak and he slumped back onto the sofa, staring at Xie Xubai with disbelief and suspicion, as if he were looking at some monstrous monster. It took him a long time to finally find his voice, which was trembling as he asked, "You, how could you be […]?!"
Author's Note:
It's a bit short; I'll try to squeeze out another chapter tonight.
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