TGA Chapter 85

Inside the small cabin, Tan Muxing’s expression was subtle as he asked skeptically, “Uncle Jin’s asking price is really bold. Would anyone actually pay a billion?”

“They can negotiate, right? We’re leaving some room for bargaining.” Chu Qianli stole a glance outside. “Who doesn’t know how to talk big? Whether the stone is truly valuable depends on whether they’re willing to spend money.”

Chu Qianli teased, “I can also say that I excel in morality, intelligence, physical ability, aesthetics, and labor. Talking is easy. The key is how much someone is willing to give. It’s just like when some people say, ‘I’ll take care of you.’ Feeding you leftovers and scraps is also ‘taking care,’ and serving you delicacies is too. Who would take such words seriously?”

“It all depends on what’s actually put on the table—you can’t trust the false advertising of a menu!”

Chu Qianli specialized in fate prediction, which, in a way, meant she understood deception well. She never believed in empty words. People only reveal their true selves when their interests are threatened; in peaceful times, everything they say is just meaningless chatter.

This was similar to Jin Xiaoyuan constantly flattering Tan Muxing without success, yet remaining resolute when facing someone richer and more powerful. That meant this deal would be far more rewarding than past ones. Adding flowers to brocade is meaningless—it creates no karma. But giving help in a time of need does.

Tan Muxing heard Chu Qianli’s analogy and looked at her thoughtfully.

Chu Qianli was seriously observing the situation outside and didn’t notice his gaze.

Tan Muxing pressed his lips together, his eyes shifting to the side as he murmured, “Then… what kind of food do you like?”

Chu Qianli was startled and turned back. “What?”

Tan Muxing’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly lowered his gaze. “…Nothing.”

He was just suddenly curious about what dishes she would want on the table.

In the main reception hall, Jin Xiaoyuan made an outrageous demand, directly setting the price at one billion, causing a tense standoff.

Shizhuo Qu’s associates hurriedly whispered to him in alarm, “Mr. Shi, this is absolutely unacceptable. If we agree, we’ll be ridiculed by everyone…”

“I know.” Shizhuo Qu pondered briefly before countering, “Mr. Jin, this price is indeed unreasonable. How about five hundred million?”

Jin Xiaoyuan said gruffly, “You think this is a vegetable market where you can haggle? I said a billion, and a billion it is.”

“Eight hundred million.”

“Stop your whining. If you talk any more, I won’t sell it at all!”

Jin Xiaoyuan crossed his arms with a rude and unreasonable attitude, completely unlike a corporate negotiation expert.

This was precisely the type of opponent Shizhuo Qu found most difficult to deal with. Jin Xiaoyuan was blatantly extorting him, and since he rarely ventured outside G City, he had no fear of Mondson’s retaliation. To put it bluntly, if Shizhuo Qu and his team didn’t buy the stone today, Jin Xiaoyuan wouldn’t let them leave easily.

Shizhuo Qu’s face darkened as he weighed the importance of keeping the New Era project confidential against the billion-dollar price tag. Eventually, he made his decision and told his associates, “No one must speak of today’s events. I’ll call the boss now.”

“…Understood.”

Shizhuo Qu could request a billion-dollar budget from Lin to secure the sample stone, but only if the initial bid of seventy million remained undisclosed. He would have to erase any traces of the previous negotiations when he returned.

“Mr. Jin, please wait. I’ll coordinate with the group.”

“You better hurry up. If you drag this out, I might change my mind again.”

Shizhuo Qu ignored Jin Xiaoyuan’s veiled threats. He glanced at the time on his phone, then messaged Lin to confirm his availability before moving to a corner of the reception hall to make the call. Though he couldn’t leave the room, he still distanced himself from the others.

Jin Xiaoyuan scoffed, “Acting all secretive.” He couldn’t hear the conversation clearly, only catching bits and pieces. “Oh? Sounds like it’s in a foreign language.”

The call connected, and Lin’s cheerful voice came through. “Zhuo Qu, what’s up? I’m in the middle of discussing something interesting with Abner.”

Shizhuo Qu quickly noted that his boss was in a good mood and hurriedly said, “It’s like this—we’ve secured the sample stone, but I need to trouble you to authorize a budget increase.”

“You already found it? That was fast. Send it over.”

“Understood, I’ll request the authorization now.”

After submitting the request, Shizhuo Qu anxiously awaited a response, his heart pounding.

A moment later, Lin’s calm voice came back, carrying a hint of surprise. “Zhuo Qu, I didn’t expect you to request such a high amount this time. That’s not like you.”

Shizhuo Qu felt uneasy but maintained a composed demeanor as he explained, “We encountered some complications. The person holding the sample stone has considerable influence in G City. I will send you a report on them shortly.”

“But most people wouldn’t even recognize the value of this stone,” Lin pointed out doubtfully. He paused for a moment before continuing, “Fine. I’ll trust your judgment—but don’t let this happen again.”

Shizhuo Qu let out a silent sigh of relief. With Lin’s approval secured, he ended the call and turned back to Jin Xiaoyuan.

“Mr. Jin, we’ll proceed as you requested.” Now that Shizhuo Qu had handled his boss, his expression relaxed, and he appeared much more composed.

Chu Qianli, hearing Shizhuo Qu agree to the deal, was surprised. “They really bought it? Then it must be quite valuable!”

Jin Xiaoyuan seemed to share the same thought. His eyes darted around as he prepared to push for more. He raised a finger and said, “Wait, I changed my mind. Now I want—”

Shizhuo Qu interrupted coolly, “Mr. Jin, one must know when to stop. Frankly, the only reason we’re willing to pay a billion is due to the project’s confidentiality. Otherwise, no one would buy it at this price.”

Jin Xiaoyuan sneered. “Aren’t you a person?”

“…” Shizhuo Qu fell silent for a few seconds. He seemed tired of reasoning with a swindler, so instead, he simply pulled out his phone and showed Jin Xiaoyuan a photo. “Here are some other sample stones from the project.”

He only let Jin Xiaoyuan take a quick glance before swiftly putting his phone away, but it was enough to reveal multiple stone samples of different shapes and sizes.

Jin Xiaoyuan hurriedly said, “Hey, why’d you take it away so fast? I didn’t even get a good look!”

“I think you’ve seen enough to understand—this isn’t the only one.”

The implication was clear: don’t push your luck. This wasn’t a rare resource.

Jin Xiaoyuan had been planning to increase the price again, but upon seeing other samples, he hesitated. He was no longer sure if he should sell Item 1134.

“It doesn’t seem like he was lying. If we don’t take this money, it’d be a waste. Let them take over at a high price.” Chu Qianli’s fingers moved slightly as she traced two strokes in the air, thinking aloud, “Anyway, the compass contains Red Crystal. If necessary, we can appraise that. Ten billion should be enough to hire the best expert to open and repair it.”

From Shi Zhuoqu’s attitude, she inferred two things: First, they were conducting a research project on Red Crystal, which was crucial to Mondeson. Second, they had a certain reserve of Red Crystal, which, unlike gemstones, seemed to have other uses.

Tan Muxing nodded. “Then I’ll send a message to Uncle Jin.”

Jin Xiaoyuan caught a glimpse of the message out of the corner of his eye. He had finally reached an agreement with Shi Zhuoqu—the two parties agreed to complete the sample stone transaction for ten billion!

After confirming the contract, Shi Zhuoqu suddenly remembered something and said, “Mr. Jin, the item labeled 1134 was stolen from within our group. Since you’re familiar with Director Zhang from this auction house, you should be able to find out the seller’s identity…”

Jin Xiaoyuan scoffed, “Hey, how would I know about your auction business? You people are the best at finding loopholes. Just because you say it was stolen doesn’t mean it was. What if it was an inside job? If something is missing, report it to the police. Don’t come asking us!”

Shi Zhuoqu: “?” The local big shot is advising me to go to the police?

Jin Xiaoyuan wasn’t stupid. Rosia Auction House had received the sample stone consignment through other channels—there was no way he would leak commercial secrets to a competitor. Besides, it was an old friend’s business, and some things were better left unspoken.

Shi Zhuoqu hadn’t expected Jin Xiaoyuan to be so arrogant even after taking the money. But thinking about it, the seller had likely commissioned the sale anonymously, so their identity wouldn’t be easily exposed. He didn’t press the matter further.

After finalizing the contract details, Jin Xiaoyuan finally let Shi Zhuoqu and his team leave.

As soon as they were gone, Chu Qianli dashed out of the small room, overjoyed. She marveled, “Being a middleman and making a profit off the price difference is so fast! If we don’t count all those messy taxes, we basically made ten billion in a single day!?”

Jin Xiaoyuan, who had been high and mighty in front of Shi Zhuoqu, was now just as eager. He rubbed his hands together and mused, “Sigh, this business really is lucrative. Maybe after selling this batch, I should find a way to snatch it back and sell it again…”

Jin Xiaoyuan was indeed wealthy, but he had never experienced making money this quickly. Naturally, he wanted to repeatedly fleece Shi Zhuoqu and Mondeson.

Tan Muxing whispered a comment, “Uncle Jin, your idea is very un-socialist. Besides, they’ll definitely have bodyguards next time.”

Shi Zhuoqu had been particularly unlucky today—getting blocked at the elevator with no backup while Jin Xiaoyuan had the advantage of being on home turf. It would be much harder to find a similar opportunity in the future.

Chu Qianli smacked Jin Xiaoyuan on the back and grinned. “No matter what, Uncle Jin, you did a great job!”

Jin Xiaoyuan, amused, replied, “Well said, well said. I’m used to burning money. Suddenly making a quick fortune like this is pretty interesting.”

Tan Muxing stood amidst this den of snakes and rats, silently listening to the bandits’ conversation.

Meanwhile, beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sea stretched out magnificently. Inside the spacious room, illuminated with warm lighting, two men sat across from each other at a small table.

On the table lay various peculiar crystals and tools. A Red Crystal pendulum rested on a velvet cloth, shimmering brilliantly, with an array of open blueprints spread beside it.

After setting down his phone, Lin’s expression turned cold. He raised an eyebrow in displeasure. “I didn’t expect Zhuoqu to hide things from me as well.”

Lin had no objections to the price for recovering the sample stone. However, being naturally suspicious, he was extremely irritated at sensing his subordinate’s concealment of certain details.

Across the table, a middle-aged man with golden hair and the refined air of a scholar responded calmly, “Lin, humans are complex beings. Dismissing someone over a single incident is too hasty.

“The person you’re talking about may not have hidden things out of disloyalty. It could simply be self-preservation.”

Lin’s expression darkened. “Aberna, hiding things is still disloyalty.”

Aberna shook his head. “That’s how people in power think.”

Lin became even more annoyed. He had indeed been working with Aberna to discuss the New Era Project, but the man always had a way of making veiled jabs. He wasn’t exactly obedient—then again, researchers in the field of mysticism tended to be rather rebellious.

Aberna was purely interested in acquiring ancient mystic knowledge, whereas Lin wanted tangible profits from the New Era Project. Sometimes, they got along well, but they often had differing viewpoints.

Aberna picked up the Red Crystal pendulum from the table and suggested, “People’s perceptions of others are always subjective and limited. Sometimes, we need external forces to see things clearly. Since you’re feeling uneasy right now, why don’t we take a look at what’s happening over there?”

“How?”

“Pendulums can externalize subconscious information. They’re a useful divination tool. By asking simple questions, we can get answers.” The Red Crystal pendulum began to sway in the air, gradually rotating clockwise.

Lin was skeptical. He didn’t understand divination but waited silently for the results.

After interpreting the information, Aberna hesitated for a few seconds, then said in surprise, “It seems the situation over there is dire. They encountered a formidable psychic or astrologer—completely outmatched.”

Lin was stunned. “What do you mean? Someone as powerful as you?”

Aberna’s expression flickered. He looked intrigued and admitted honestly, “…They seem to be even stronger than me.”

Aberna was the most skilled mystic researcher Lin had encountered. If an even stronger individual had appeared, the New Epoch Project might see a breakthrough.

Lin’s eyes gleamed. He immediately sat up straight and eagerly asked, “Can you determine this person’s exact location? Or any defining characteristics?”

“That won’t be easy. There’s too little information, so the description will be vague.” Aberna explained, “I can try, but it might not be accurate.”

Lin insisted, “Even a general occupational trait would help. As long as we get a lead, we’ll have a direction to investigate.”

After thinking for a long time, Aberna seemed troubled. “It’s not coming out clearly this time. Their profession is hard to define.”

“Why?”

“Because there aren’t any distinct professional traits—just that they frequently seize wealth from others. Normally, that would indicate a bandit.” Aberna looked puzzled. “But this person doesn’t seem to go to jail. It appears to be perfectly legal. I have no idea what kind of profession allows that.”

 

I am just a novice translator and Chinese is not my native language. I try my best to translate the chapters as accurate as possible.
If there are any mistakes then kindly comment and remind me. Your support means a lot.