**Chapter 33: Negotiation [5K]**
Important negotiations with the followers of the X God? Wouldn’t that provide crucial intelligence?
Goodness, is this the power of a traitor?
On the bus, looking at the constantly changing cityscape outside the window, Luxianbei curled his lip and seriously advised Dorethea through Zhipianxian, “Silly child, if I let you attend the negotiation, you should just go. There’s no need to be so flustered.”
“But you said—”
“This is a different time from before. What I told you earlier was just one of many possibilities. Now let me tell you another possibility!”
Dorethea hesitated for a moment and said seriously, “Teacher, please speak.”
“Listen carefully, you have only recently joined the Solar Eclipse Society and haven’t gained their complete trust yet. If at this time you refuse the task they assign you—[Hmm, yes, you can think of this negotiation invitation as a special task].”
“Oh! I get it, Teacher!” Dorethea interjected, “This is what you told me before: in the early stages of joining an organization, when assigned a task by superiors to gain their trust, try not to refuse. If the task is too dangerous, do your best to slack off, right?”
“That’s right!” Luxianbei praised. “Moreover, in such circumstances, to ensure your own safety while attending the negotiation, besides maintaining silence and not attracting others’ attention, you should also capture as much important information from their conversation as possible.”
“Those important pieces of information are likely to be someone’s leverage. As long as you seize their leverage, you can threaten and entice them when necessary, manipulating them to act according to your wishes!”
“Dorethea, don’t underestimate the Solar Eclipse Society. In such a large organization, if you rely solely on your own efforts, you will d*e a tragic d*ath. You need to find a way to develop your own power.”
This was sincere advice.
In Luxianbei’s view, although Dorethea was favored by the second-in-command of the Solar Eclipse Society—Phoenix, who could guarantee that Phoenix would always look favorably upon her?
Even if he did, she would most likely end up in a situation similar to Lan Yi’s, living in the shadow of Phoenix and being restricted everywhere. How could my calamity student always be a pawn for others?
If she has to be a pawn, she must become the king!
Cough, cough, accidentally getting a bit melodramatic. Luxianbei awkwardly scratched his cheek.
Dorethea fell silent for a moment before continuing, “I understand, Teacher, but I’m still worried that I won’t be able to hear what they’re saying. What if those are the important pieces of information?”
Upon hearing this, for a moment, Luxianbei really wanted to tell Dorethea to bring Zhipianxian to the negotiation site so she could listen to the conversation.
However, she thought again that after all, this was an important negotiation among mid-level members of the Solar Eclipse Society, and it should be impossible for Dorethea to bring such a suspicious spirit energy item inside, thus dispelling the thought.
I must definitely ask Meng Meng to develop some ultra-micro Zhipianxian for *use later! Luxianbei thought fiercely.
“How about this? I’ll take notes first and tell you later, and you can help me analyze which pieces of information could potentially be used as leverage against them?” Luxianbei said.
Everyone saw it, I did not maliciously deceive my student into doing dangerous things for intelligence! This was her own initiative!
To be honest, the confidentiality work of the Solar Eclipse Society in Shancheng really isn’t very effective.
“That’s not good, is it? That’s internal business of the Solar Eclipse Society. If you tell me, it’s equivalent to leaking secrets. If they find out, you’ll be in danger.”
“It’s fine, Teacher, I trust you!” Dorethea said without hesitation. “After I tell you, you just need to not tell anyone else, right? If only the two of us know, it doesn’t count as leaking secrets!”
Dorethea trusted her teacher immensely; how could a strong person who could unconditionally help a downcast half-urban legend girl have bad intentions?
“Luxianbei pretended to hesitate for a few seconds, sighed, and said, “Sigh, I really can’t do anything with you! Then it’s settled, you follow them to the negotiation. I’ll find you later, and we’ll have a detailed chat when we meet.”
“In addition, if something goes wrong, you must immediately destroy Zhipianxian no matter where I am. I will rush there to save you at the first moment.”
Those Zhipianxian contain her fingertip bl**d. If Zhipianxian is destroyed, within a certain range, she can pinpoint the exact location of the destroyed Zhipianxian, thus ensuring Dorethea’s basic safety.
Once Dorethea’s side cut off contact, Luxianbei put down Zhipianxian and noticed a nearby woman with a vegetable basket staring at her with a somewhat sympathetic and strange gaze.
Such a pretty girl, how did her mind become abnormal. Talking non-stop to a paper doll.
Luxianbei glanced at Zhipianxian in hand, then back at the woman, silently sighed, and stared intently at Zhipianxian, darkly murmuring, “Baby, that lady seems to like you a lot. Do you want to be friends with her?”
“What? Do you like her that much? I might get jealous!”
At this point, she paused, stiffly turned to the woman next to her, brushed her hair with her fingers, and said expressionlessly, “Ma’am, Baby says she wants to visit your home tonight. Would you welcome us?”
While saying this, she gently stroked Zhipianxian’s round, chubby little head and slowly held Zhipianxian up between her and the woman.
That stiff movement, exquisite features, combined with an eerie tone, made the woman feel as if she were speaking to a doll rather than a person.
She immediately jolted out of her seat, using agility honed from square dancing to leap off the bus, seizing the moment when it stopped.
Watching the woman’s retreating figure, Luxianbei expressionlessly shrugged, folding Zhipianxian away.
Once Zhipianxian was packed away, Dorethea took a few deep breaths, adjusting her emotions to the most stable state before leaving the restroom and returning to the dining hall.
As she sat down at the dining table, she just picked up the spoon and took a few bites of the slightly cool fried rice when Zhang Yu handed her a glass of orange juice.
“Drink this, okay? Just as a little filler, and then we’ll head out.” While speaking, Zhang Yu lightly tapped his left index finger twice on the watch on his right wrist, “It’s getting late; those guys on the other side should have arrived.”
Dorethea frowned, looking at the two full plates of food and then at the orange juice, clearly showing her displeasure on her face. She found Zhang Yu really annoying.
Noticing Dorethea’s unusual expression, Zhang Yu asked, “What? Not full?”
Of course! How could just two or three bites of fried rice be enough? Dorethea rolled her eyes but didn’t speak.
“Haha, if you’re not full, Miss Hathor, please bear with it a little.” Zhang Yu laughed, “After the negotiation, we’ll go to the best restaurant in Shancheng, my treat, and you can enjoy it to your heart’s content.”
Enjoy to my heart’s content? Dorethea slightly frowned, reluctantly shifting her gaze from the plate, and nodded at Zhang Yu. Actually, this guy still has a few good points?
Though, he’s not even a fraction as good as Teacher.
On the other side, about five kilometers away, the owner of the Longmen Tea House closed the door.
The Longmen Tea House is built by the river, and upon entering through the main door, one can see a semi-open courtyard-style main hall, offering a view of the beautiful Minshui River. The environment is elegant, and it has always enjoyed brisk business, but the entire tea house had been taken over, and the owner had to hang up the sign of “Closed” early as more customers were about to arrive.
Inside the tea house, ancient-styled pavilions surrounded the green bamboo.
Several men dressed in black stood solemnly around the pavilion.
Inside the pavilion, a silver-haired elder gently stirred the floating tea dregs in his tea bowl with the lid, took a sip, and immediately broke into a violent cough.
Seeing this, a tall, slender man behind the elder promptly handed him a handkerchief.
The elder took the handkerchief and wiped his mouth, then casually crumpled it into a ball, tossing it aside, and turned to the man behind him, “Sheng’er, why hasn’t Zhang Yu arrived yet?”
The slender man bent down respectfully and replied, “I just sent someone to urge him; they said they’re on the way and will be here soon.”
“Humph, useless!” The elder snorted coldly, “Since he’s latched onto the president’s thigh, he thinks he’s capable now, becoming increasingly disrespectful. He doesn’t think about who helped their family rise at the beginning; he doesn’t know gratitude at all.”
“Ha, who doesn’t say that?” Zhang Sheng laughed in agreement.
He had never liked his cousin. That guy often used to hang around with unsavory characters and was good for nothing. If it hadn’t been for luck in latching onto the president’s thigh, he wouldn’t even have the qualifications to sit across from his father. But he was just a lucky fool!
Since the Solar Eclipse Society was established, how many presidents have changed? And the Elders’ Council? Never changed! It’s obvious who is better; Zhang Yu can’t be a fool, right?
The countless years of foundations accumulated by the elders are not something a temporary president could compare to.
“Uncle, what you said is wrong. Back then, whether it was you or my father, you both relied on Third Uncle’s connections to join the Solar Eclipse Society, didn’t you?”
“Of course! Even if Third Uncle were here, I still wouldn’t thank him. If it weren’t for him, our family wouldn’t have been left in ruins. Zhang Sheng, would you thank him?”
“I remember you were the first test subject for the portable spirit patterns, weren’t you? Such a pity, your talent wasn’t enough, and you failed. Otherwise, you should have merged with Third Uncle by now, right?”
A slightly mocking voice came through, and following the sound, a familiar figure entered—Zhang Yu. Besides his loyal followers, a somewhat unfamiliar girl followed behind him.
Ignoring Zhang Yu’s sneering remarks, Zhang Sheng marched toward him and blocked their way outside the pavilion, then focused his gaze on Dorethea, “Wait a minute! Today is such an important occasion, and you actually brought an outsider?”
“Outsider?” Zhang Yu glanced at Dorethea and casually pushed Zhang Sheng aside, unperturbed. “You…” Zhang Sheng, pushed aside, furrowed his brows in anger and was about to step forward to stop him when the elder in the pavilion spoke.
“Sheng’er, let her in!” the elder said, “A distinguished pupil of Adelaide, she qualifies to observe.”
She’s not a distinguished pupil of Adelaide; she’s the overly conspicuous Dorethea, who silently criticized and secretly observed the elder sitting in the pavilion.
The elder had a head full of silver hair, a face covered with many dark spots and wrinkles, with slightly upturned eyes and prominent brow bones, giving off a sinister feeling. Dressed in a patient gown, he didn’t seem to exude any hint of frailty.
Is this Zhang Shuisheng whom Phoenix warned me to be cautious of?
How did he become like this?
The data clearly stated he was only fifty-five years old, but he looks at least eighty now, Dorethea thought.
While she was pondering, Zhang Yu directly walked into the pavilion, took a seat opposite Zhang Shuisheng, glanced at the tea, and said with disdain, “Knowing I would come, you didn’t even prepare a little wine?”
Zhang Shuisheng’s gaze lingered on Zhang Yu for a few seconds before impatiently saying, “Fine, if you don’t want to drink, then don’t. I already told you my intent in inviting you here beforehand; let’s get straight to the point.”
“Those three paintings by Tan Qiuming were taken by you, right?”
“Indeed.” Zhang Yu grabbed a handful of almonds from the fruit plate and popped them into his mouth.
“Eh!” Zhang Shuisheng looked at Zhang Yu’s nonchalant demeanor and sighed, “Xiao Yu, you made a big mistake, do you know that? Those are what the Elders’ Council wants, but you…”
“Quickly hand them over? You’re my family. Even if you made a mistake, you’re still my family. If you hand them over now, I can still help you bury this rebellious act. It will be too late if you wait any longer.”
This is what Teacher said about being wary of the enemy playing the family card, right?
This old man is unreasonable; he doesn’t give anything in return but wants something from others. Just as Teacher said, not all relatives are good relatives.
Dorethea was listening attentively from the side, nodding in thought, and turned her head to look at Zhang Yu, wanting to see how he would respond. After hearing Zhang Shuisheng’s words, Zhang Yu suddenly stood up, walked behind Zhang Shuisheng, gently placed a hand on his shoulder, glanced at the black-clothed men who were surrounding them but restricted in movement by his loyal followers, curled his lips, and patted Zhang Shuisheng’s shoulder.
“Uncle, are you confused? Let me remind you, when we joined the Solar Eclipse Society, we all took an oath before the Black Sun Holy Seal. From now on, we are without family, without country, without self, only the Black Sun exists.”
“Setting the oath aside, I am here today representing Mr. Adelaide, not as your family. If you want those three paintings, at least provide a condition that Mr. Adelaide would find satisfactory.”
Seeing Zhang Yu’s response, Dorethea frowned slightly.
Zhang Yu’s behavior was somewhat unexpected to her. In her perception, Zhang Yu was somewhat annoying but relatively refined. However, now both his expression and speech had a rogue-like flavor.
And it seemed exaggerated, almost as if it was deliberately performed.
But why is he acting? No, I must ask Teacher about this later, Dorethea thought.
“Zhang Shuisheng fell silent for a moment and said, “If you hand over those three paintings, I can give you three thousand units of Primordial Spirit.”
“Is that it? Too little, right?”
Zhang Shuisheng stared at Zhang Yu in silence for a few seconds, darkening his face, “I can also assign part of my business for you to handle, as long as you hand over the paintings!”
“Still too little.” Zhang Yu shook his head.
“Zhang Shuisheng gritted his teeth, suppressing his anger and said, “We can withdraw from Shancheng, but we have to wait until the collaboration with that person is over.”
“Hell! Are those three paintings really that valuable? You’re offering such conditions?” Zhang Yu suddenly exclaimed, his expression troubled, “What should we do then?”
Mr. Adelaide previously learned that you planned to collaborate with the X God and feared it might lead to disasters like the previous president’s cooperation with Yunshen Machine Lu Ming. He notified me to destroy those three paintings in advance, so I’m sorry, I burned them last night!”
“You must know that recently the president’s health has been poor. If something goes wrong, he probably won’t have the energy to imprison the offspring of the X God like he did with Yunshen Machine.”
“You…” Zhang Shuisheng wanted to say something but seemed to realize something. A smile appeared on his face, “If you insist on not handing them over, I can only use some extraordinary means.”
“What extraordinary means? Storm into my shop to seize the company seal, or poison me, or find someone to beat me up?” Zhang Yu scoffed, “Although I indeed already destroyed those three paintings, if you truly do something, feel free to come at me. I will take it all if…”
“If your body can still hold up.”
“”
Three paintings, Yunshen Machine Lu Ming, Limei Gate, offspring of the X God, the president’s declining health. Dorethea listened quietly from the side, secretly memorizing the content of their conversation.
But speaking of the so-called important negotiation, it feels rather similar to the shameless, eerie arguments of the Dream Come True Entertainment City!
Poisoning and seizing the company seal? I thought it would be more profound and mysterious!
As Teacher said, many things in this world can often be resolved most effectively in the simplest and most brutal way, Dorethea mused.
“Next stop, Shancheng Central Hospital Station. Passengers getting off, please be ready.”
The announcement on the bus rang out, and Luxianbei withdrew his gaze from the window, tidied his clothes, and nimbly got off the bus, spotting the entrance to Shancheng Central Hospital from afar.
It was just past ten in the morning, one of the busiest times for patients, and in front of the central hospital, people came and went. At first glance, he found that blonde girl among the crowd.
“Here we are; what should we do next? Steal a corpse from the morgue? Go to the lab to grab important samples? Or—”
Hearing the voice behind her, Jiang Li turned around, glared at Luxianbei, and rolled her eyes, “Stop! Can’t you think of anything serious?”
“We are only here to visit the sick today and won’t engage in any illegal activities.”
“Visit? Who?” Luxianbei tilted his head.
“Some…” Jiang Li hesitated for a moment and said, “Tumor patients.”
“Tumor patients? Luxianbei was even more confused.
“Yeah.” Jiang Li nodded, pulling out two volunteer work IDs from a charity organization and handing one to Luxianbei, “The specific situation is a bit complicated; shall we talk as we walk?”
“Good.” Luxianbei nodded.
