Chapter 960
Chapter 960 - 946
1,445 words
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8 min read
"I, you see, just love making friends."
With his career advancing, the nights at An Nan Manor were always ablaze with lights.
"Thank you all for your support, it is my personal honor....."
The atmosphere in the venue was unbelievably frenetic, after all, everyone knew Mr. An Nan never engaged in empty talk—if he was happy, he would.....
".....The little gifts for everyone have been arranged, but today is not just about gathering for a good time. Come, let me introduce these new friends; they will be joining my industry. Today is indeed a good day...."
To the right of "Mr. An Nan", were some "hairless monkeys" trying hard to squeeze out a smile along with other members of the Exotic Races from the Refugee Camp.
In a city where an important ethnic group makes up over ninety-nine percent of the population, there’s always some suspicion and unease towards outsiders.
But now, since Mr. An Nan himself was introducing the "new friends", everyone gave face and scattered applause began to sound.
"This is Mr. Zhong, factory director of my new factory; he is a very good person, loyal and kind....."
"This is Damu, the chief financial officer of the new factory..."
Mr. An Nan was on stage, cheerfully introducing the Supervisors and high-level managers of his new factory, all of whom managed smiles that were quite stiff.
It wasn’t that they were unhappy about the banquet or the opportunity to become factory managers.
What bothered them was the fact that someone from the Blood Feast had become the factory director, and their sworn enemy had taken on finance and personnel... God knows if the factory would just explode the next day.
But they dared not let the factory have an accident; this was an opportunity Mr. An Nan had hard-won by persuading other shareholders and partners.
In recent days, the two main factions of the Refugee Camp had been very honestly burning the midnight oil.
And so, Mr. An Nan had fulfilled his promise, giving them the chance to integrate into society and ascend to its upper echelons.
As members of the Exotic Races, they only had this one chance... Even Mr. An Nan couldn’t afford to show much compassion to losers; this opportunity was already the result of him using his own status as a guarantee.
If they failed, what was lost wouldn’t just be trust, but also the face of Mr. An Nan....
"We are grateful for Mr. An Nan’s trust; we will certainly perform our duties well..."
He should also be thanking us.
Lu Ping’an on stage had to work hard to maintain a composed face and not break out laughing.
Huh, I’m the boss, why should I hold back?
"Pfft...hahaha, well said, very well said, work hard and let’s get rich together."
The hearty laughter of Mr. An Nan interrupted the speech.
But when he laughed, everyone naturally followed suit, even if they didn’t know why they were laughing... Anyway, the laughter contributed genuinely to the lively atmosphere.
The speaker could only force out a somewhat uncomfortable smile and continue their address.
Lu Ping’an watched the scene before him and the rapidly rising "Coin Growth Bar," smiling contentedly.
He wasn’t in a hurry... He hadn’t taken the stage yet, so there was no need for haste. The ones who should be anxious were the insiders.
Now was the time to test and verify his own abilities; such valuable "crops" awaited cultivation and Harvest, and their joys and sorrows had nothing to do with him.
He paid special attention to that Big Fish.
".....Zhao Yan’s second Gold Coin is a bit of a challenge."
Lu Ping’an didn’t rush to incite others to assassinate Zhao Yan; he even suppressed their anxious emotions and restlessness...
"I’m cashing in big every day, why the rush?"
This is the key.
Members of the Blood Feast, people from the Refugee Camp, local Extraordinaries, and even those hunters from Earth, were all sinking deeper and deeper.
Unbeknownst to them, Lu Ping’an had already seized control of the city and its people.
This seemed to be because of the "no fighting" premise, but the rapid extension of his tentacles into every Domain of the City was also because a God-level ability had found the most suitable environment for growth.
In this "Order’s Extraordinary World," Lu Ping’an’s "trading trait" achieved its ultimate growth. He cherished the moment before him, and the toys before him...
"....If I wish, I can make them fight to the death at any moment...."
Lu Ping’an played with the gold coins in his hand, smiling thoughtfully.
Two Gold Coins seemed only able to "purchase an item" or "perform a task that doesn’t affect my own safety," yet they were enough to plunge the current adversaries into a mortal combat.
If it weren’t for Zhao Yan’s arrival, Lu Ping’an could have completely closed the net.
Watching Zhao Yan drinking not far away, Lu Ping’an also hesitated.
Right now, he could mobilize all the forces at his disposal and have a head-on confrontation with Zhao Yan... The outcome was uncertain, but he himself was sure to suffer little loss.
But should he fail, there would be no second chance, and Zhao Yan would certainly choose to leave.
"...Just a little kindness could progress the bar, but after a certain point, it won’t budge. People are just too guarded."
Most attempts at persuasion were failing with Zhao Yan.
And anyone who got too close would trigger his hostility and defenses.
But still, he came.....
"Mr. An Nan, I wonder if you liked the gift I gave you earlier?"
"Haha, interesting, really interesting. That piece of armor contains all sorts of strange powers, very valuable. But what makes me happier is that it’s a gift from such a Strongman like you...."
Being flattered and gifted by an opposing boss, Lu Ping’an found it quite peculiar.
However, what Lu Ping’an wanted even more was to open his heart... It sounded strange, but the man was impervious to reason, and generating the second gold coin was too difficult.
Zhao Yan hesitated as he looked at Lu Ping’an... and what was behind him.
The massive "Security Puppet," emitting a strange glow, was patrolling back and forth.
It was one of the previous acquisitions by Lu Ping’an, and the local police department’s "family heirloom," endowed with terrifying power over the years... and now, under the allure of money, it had been restored by professionals.
Common sense would dictate that such "military equipment" should have been returned to the police or even the military, but since it fell into the hands of Mr. An Nan, it was naturally overlooked.
"Rule-level..... no, at least a Quasi-rule level ’Judge’...."
What kept Zhao Yan humble and cautious, of course, wasn’t just friendliness and money... God knows how many heists they had pulled off before, how many wealthy merchants had been targeted.
Mr. An Nan had connections so broad that retired security officers were serving as his guards, and various implied superweapons were also part of the security guarantee.
"...It’s a pity."
Zhao Yan wasn’t regretting that he couldn’t do something to Mr. An Nan... If he wanted to continue to thrive in this world, he couldn’t afford to become mortal enemies with a local dignitary like Mr. An Nan.
What he regretted was that his "kind," one by one, had hidden within An Nan’s territory, rendering him unable to act.
"...Damn, my state is getting worse and worse..."
The previous Blood Food had not fully calmed the agitation within him; to become a complete Rule-level, he needed more "nutrition."
And this damned city made committing crimes nothing short of suicidal.
"....Forgive my bluntness, Mr. Zhao Yan, but your mental state seems somewhat unstable. Have you just completed an Advancement, leading to an imbalance of Soul and Body....."
And the Birdman opposite him actually saw through his ruse at a glance.
Zhao Yan was taken aback, staring intently; it was just an ordinary member of the Feather Tribe.
Could this be one of the high-level Extraordinary of this world? Or some special identity hidden Big Boss?
And the other party, smiling, asked a question that seemed incomprehensible.
"....Perhaps, I can offer you a bit of assistance. Do you know about the ’Mother Goddess’? She is the mother of all spirits, the origin of everything....."
This familiar flavor, Zhao Yan understood in an instant.
A cultist? A fellow practitioner!
— End of Chapter 960 —