Chapter 639: This is a High-Stakes Gamble, Friend.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 639: This is a High-Stakes Gamble, Friend.
Day broke.
A new day dawned upon Ninglan New City. At that moment, the dream creatures that had loomed on the horizon vanished from the city's outskirts, and the cordoned-off areas were finally reopened to the public this morning.
Those who had been too excited to sleep were still recounting the miracle that had occurred the night before.
And it truly was a miracle.
It wasn't just the curious commoners who had spent a restless night; many members of the various interest-driven clubs stationed in Ninglan New City hadn't slept a wink either.
Yesterday’s "negotiation" was less a negotiation and more a direct proclamation. The other party possessed zero negotiation tactics; she was all raw output. She didn't seem to understand the weight of her words, nor did she care how vital these interests were to their very lifelines.
The only bottom line they could manage to probe was that Teaching Assistant Yang Yuehan did indeed want to make a killing from this. Their only means of resistance was to hold fast to the price they had already offered—to essentially say that if she didn't agree, they could all just rot together. They had to make her understand that this truly was their limit.
Even though there were no reporters or recordings of the session, the entire process of the negotiation leaked out regardless.
The details... were enough to make their scalps tingle with dread!
The opponent was an amateur who relied on "brute force over finesse." She didn't understand the rules of capital operations; she had simply charged in with a metaphorical brick and started mugging everyone. The awkward part was that no one dared to lift a finger against her.
Their only recourse was a "mutually assured destruction" where no one profited, and then, seeing the money already in her hand, she had essentially said: Fine, let’s leave it at that for now~
It was enough to make them weep without tears!
* * *
As for me, I was currently in quite a good mood.
After completing my daily meditation, I enjoyed a pleasant breakfast, acting as if I didn't have a care in the world regarding yesterday's events.
However... I really had squeezed quite a lot of benefits out of Ninglan New City. While it looked like I had cut them to the bone, most of those were "one-time" payments. The only thing that truly made them uncomfortable was accepting the Plant Network system. That condition wasn't a one-off; it would take deep root in every corner of Ninglan New City and influence their future development.
Ninglan New City would eventually recover. In a sense, Ninglan Qiuyue was practically my inside agent. She could see the "assist" I was giving her, and she helped me fight for interests in return. She didn't feel the slightest bit of heartache over "giving away" these benefits, because they were all perks that would have eventually ended up in someone else's pocket anyway. Using them as a reward and an investment in me—why would she feel bad about that?
Plus, I had "killed a chicken to warn the monkeys" yesterday. The fellow who was the first to talk back to me had met a miserable end. He was taken down immediately after the meeting, and to this day, no one dared to protect him.
I heard there’s going to be a public trial in the next couple of days. He’ll likely become the scapegoat; they might even pin some unresolved accounting discrepancies on him, but no one will care.
After finishing breakfast, I wasn't in a hurry to leave Ninglan New City immediately.
I knew things weren't over yet.
Rather than leaving and waiting for them to track me down one by one, it was better to settle everything right here at the start.
After all, seeing the problems of Ninglan New City resolved so easily, many people wouldn't be able to sit still.
However, I didn't expect the first person to find me would be... Millian.
"We meet again, Sister Xiao Han." Millian appeared before me once more, wearing her signature smile. Both her tone and expression carried a clear sense of fawning.
"We certainly do. What brings you to me this time?" After Millian found me, she located a nearby cafe and invited me into a private room.
"I’m terribly sorry to disturb you again." Millian apologized first, then handed something over. It was a stack of parchment, all of it covered in the writing of Witch Contracts.
"I’ve come today primarily on behalf of the Jack-of-all-trades Club to seek cooperation regarding the dream dispersal at the resource points..."
Millian kept her speech as concise as possible, making her purpose clear. She had already grasped one of my traits: I "hated trouble."
In truth, she wasn't the one originally assigned to discuss this cooperation. However, she had used some minor schemes to take over the task. After all, the Expansion Realm was currently short-staffed, and she was one of the few people who had actually interacted with Teaching Assistant Xiao Han. Even for a thankless job like this, she had to use some maneuvers to secure it.
The reason she did this was, naturally, because she saw a path for herself.
She had, of course, watched the recording of the negotiation involving Teaching Assistant Xiao Han yesterday. What others saw didn't matter—whether they saw a heavy-handed approach or a tyrannical attitude, she didn't care.
What she saw was Teaching Assistant Xiao Han’s lack of interpersonal negotiation skills, combined with her known distaste for hassle.
Through logical deduction: could she become the person the Teaching Assistant needed?
The answer was yes.
But she had to fight for it herself. She had to take a gamble. That was why she was the first to find me.
Her efficiency was staggering. It had only been half a night, after all. She hadn't slept at all, but it was all worth it.
So now, she needed to demonstrate two things to prove her worth.
First was her ruthlessness. Principally, she was a member of the Jack-of-all-trades Club and should protect their interests. However, given the current environment and the information asymmetry the club had regarding Yang Yuehan, she had a lot of room to maneuver. If she had to be ruthless, she would even cut down her own side.
Second was her ability. She could become the person who did the bickering in Sister Xiao Han's stead, representing her stance and using her own methods to secure the maximum possible benefits—even those beyond the reasonable range.
Admittedly, doing this might... no, it definitely would result in the Jack-of-all-trades Club coming after her. But as long as she was fast enough and could demonstrate her value to the point that Xiao Han took an interest in her, she could be protected. She would become the true bridge between the club and Xiao Han.
After all, the Jack-of-all-trades Club in the Expansion Realm still needed to rely on this Teaching Assistant. Even if they tried to settle old scores, she wasn't afraid; she knew the club's operating principles all too well.
"More troublesome stuff..." I sighed softly, then took the thick stack of parchment.
It was a complete set of Witch Contracts, including a master contract, supplementary contracts, addendums, and so on.
I flipped through them briefly but couldn't spot any issues. I wasn't exactly an expert at reading contracts, and this one was no exception.
"Please rest assured, Sister Xiao Han. This contract represents the maximum benefits I could secure for you..."
"Whether it's the maximum or whether it's truly your bottom line isn't something you can guarantee just by saying so." I interrupted her. Although I could hear the sincerity in her voice, I preferred to know the facts.
"I have my own ways of knowing these things." I lightly flicked the contract, and the Ley Line Identification Art immediately extracted the information data.
In an instant, the information anchored to this contract expanded like a web.
Countless streams of data unfolded, presenting every detail with meticulous clarity.
Watching this scene, Millian’s pupils contracted. Her breath hitched for a moment, and her body even began to tremble slightly...
And I, after processing the information, discovered a side of things that made me raise an eyebrow.
"You really have some nerve... Aren't you afraid the Jack-of-all-trades Club will come for you?" After understanding everything, I specifically pulled out a segment of information—the internal logic behind everything Millian was currently doing. "This really is a high-stakes gamble, isn't it? Aren't you afraid I'll just ignore you and then report you to the club? If I did... you'd be beyond redemption, wouldn't you?"
I pulled that block of information and displayed it before her. It even contained the images of the moment she made her decision.
She swore that in all her life up to this point, she had never felt more suffocated than she did right now!
It was as if everyone stood before me with no privacy whatsoever... but this development was even more effective than if she had spent hours explaining herself!
At the very least, she had demonstrated the prerequisite of "being trustworthy."
"I am afraid... but in life, one must always take a chance. Sister Xiao Han, I believe you need me. I can handle those troubles for you. I won't let a single word of those people's annoying bickering reach your ears to pollute them..." Millian continued to plead her case.
"Interesting..." I gave a simple evaluation, then carefully checked her other circumstances, using her as an anchor to expand the channels for information retrieval.
During this process, I saw a familiar name again: the "Xiao Han Fan Club." This fan club still existed, and its scale was quite large.
Without me realizing it, they had grown significantly. The club even spanned across different grades; there were quite a few people even in the higher years... it truly surprised me.
"Does this mean... you agree?" Millian asked with pleasant surprise.
"I haven't. You must at least show me your value first. Let the people who are coming to find me today be your test. You must demonstrate a value more useful than the Ley Line Identification Art to convince me."
I picked up a pen and signed my name on the contract. Under the witness of the power of contracts, the Witch Contract transformed into a binding force—one copy for me, one for her.
I had checked this contract with the Ley Line Identification Art; there were no issues, so I was willing to accept this cooperation.
Of course, the main thing was that they hadn't realized I could simply bring the dreams back again. I was just too lazy to use such methods to extort them. That tactic was merely a heavy punch reserved for if they tried to play dirty!
So, this contract wasn't just beneficial to me; it contained loopholes that only I could exploit. Why wouldn't I sign it?
"Now, you can act as my proxy and begin your performance with those people. I will come to collect your results this evening. If I am not satisfied, I won't sign any of the other contracts, and you will bear the full weight of the consequences. Do you dare to accept such a price?"
"I do!" Millian gritted her teeth and said firmly.
This time, it truly had become a high-stakes gamble.
"Then I look forward to your good news." Seeing her so decisive, I didn't mind giving her a chance.
As expected, once your own strength is great enough, people will naturally come to be at your beck and call. Just like those other Teaching Assistants, there was no need to get one's own hands dirty to get things done.
"Um..."
"Is there something else?" I asked, seeing her hesitating to speak.
"That... Sister Xiao Han, could you please provide some form of proof? Something to prove I am qualified to represent you in communications with them. Anything that can serve as proof—even a representative item of yours, or a contract." Millian said hurriedly.
"Is that so? I suppose..." I nodded, thinking it wasn't a problem. However, as for contracts... it was better to sign as few of those as possible. So, I pulled out a box.
"This is the weapon I usually use for reading or combat. It’s a custom weapon made for me by Mentor Natalie. Its name is 'The Persuader · Book in the Box.' I hope that by carrying it, you can help 'persuade' your opponents."
I pushed the book box across the table. Without saying anything more, I stood up and left.
After all, I had originally expected to face a whole day of trouble. Now that the trouble had been transferred, I felt light as a feather.
I had to admit, this girl named Millian was a truly interesting character. As for whether she was trustworthy... or whether she was betraying the Jack-of-all-trades Club... or whether she would eventually betray me... none of that mattered.
For now, her value to me was that she indeed saved me a lot of hassle.
* * *
Shortly after I left, Millian followed suit. My movements in Ninglan New City were very conspicuous. To them, I was an unstable element, so they naturally needed to know my exact location at all times—otherwise, I might accidentally pull off something massive.
Very quickly, another figure spotted me from a distance.
"Teaching Assistant Xiao Han—hey? Who are you? Get out of my way."
"I am currently Teaching Assistant Xiao Han’s proxy. If you have anything you need to communicate with Sister Xiao Han, you can speak with me."
"You?" The girl frowned as she looked at the girl blocking her path, then remembered. "You look familiar. You’re that Millian from the Jack-of-all-trades Club, right? What are you playing at?"
"I’m not joking. I have full authority to handle Sister Xiao Han’s affairs. If you don't believe me, you can go find her yourself—though, do you really think she’ll pay any attention to you?" As Millian spoke, she displayed the book in her hand. "You should be familiar with this book, shouldn't you? If you don't recognize it, I’ll assume you aren't even qualified to discuss the matters at hand with me."
"This! You—you’re for real!" The girl naturally recognized the book. It was far too famous—the book that had thrashed the renowned Teaching Assistant Liliana, and twice at that!
It was hard not to recognize it. Besides, in the Witch Academy, the only person who would use a book to bash people was that unpredictable Teaching Assistant Xiao Han, right?
"I wouldn't have the guts to use Sister Xiao Han’s name to play a joke on you. So... please, let’s negotiate. Let’s see if the contract you’ve prepared shows enough sincerity."
Looking at Millian’s smug face, the other girl felt like she was going to choke on her own frustration!
This was already a thankless job. She had pressure from the club behind her and had to face the difficult-to-approach Xiao Han—it was double the stress.
She had originally hoped that since the other party didn't understand this kind of negotiation, she could play the pity card or cry poor to muddle through and satisfy her club.
But now, she had to face someone from the Jack-of-all-trades Club...
Those people were the most difficult to deal with!