That Boy's Backing Is No Simple Matter

"Why?" The old man grinned. "Of course because I want to live!!"

Xi Ye nodded at that, then said to him, "This lord is willing to accept the terms you proposed. Are you willing to accept this employment?"

Huh?

It was really that easy?

The headhunter who had followed them over was stunned, finding it unbelievable. They hadn't even haggled over the price or anything.

The old man naturally nodded enthusiastically. The two of them happily signed the agreement under the headhunter's witness. Even after Xi Ye and the Old Mecha Master logged off, the headhunter responsible for the contract still felt that everything had gone far too smoothly.

His colleague, who was helping him put his things away, saw his expression and chuckled. "What's wrong? You just closed a huge deal, so why do you look like that?"

"I don't quite understand..." The young headhunter awkwardly scratched his head and smiled. "Why did that lord ask such a question, then immediately sign the contract after hearing that answer? This deal feels like it came together for no reason..."

The colleague beside him, who was clearly a veteran, shook his head with a smile. "For salespeople like us, no deal ever comes together for no reason. Today's deal looked smooth because our match was good enough. Take a careful look at that lord's profile. As a new lord, he can produce a billion in collateral, and his transaction volume has already nearly passed five billion in just a few days. What does that prove? It proves that this lord is not only wealthy, but also willing to throw money into early-stage construction. Only a lord like that would be most likely to choose that old mech master!"

"Then why did you ask about Hextech?" the newcomer asked curiously.

The older colleague rolled his eyes at him. "This is where your professional studies are lacking. Let me ask you: what advantage do Hextech prosthetics have over other mechanical prosthetics?"

The newcomer froze and carefully answered, "Low infection rates? High value retention? Seamless neural connections?"

"Better mechanical products can all manage those things. Then why are their prices less than one-tenth of Hextech's?"

The newcomer answered instinctively, "That's naturally because of its evolutionary ability... Ah..." He froze as he said this, seemingly realizing something.

Seeing this, the older colleague smiled. "You got it, right? It's the evolutionary ability. Once an ordinary mechanical arm is installed, the nerves in that area can no longer continue training, and they remain fixed for the rest of one's life. Worse products can even infect the nerves with metal toxins, causing them to deteriorate. But Hextech is different. Its highly realistic humanoid technology allows people who install Hextech to continue training and improving themselves!"

"He... He's already in that condition, and he still wants to advance further?" The newcomer was immediately incredulous.

"That is the reason that lord ultimately decided to hire him!" The old man's expression turned serious. "No one likes an employee who has given up on the future and simply waits around to die. That old man only has a lifespan of a hundred years, yet he still wants to keep moving forward and take another shot. Perhaps, in your eyes, the opportunity is next to nonexistent, but that spirit—the desire to pursue evolution and live longer—is precisely why that lord ultimately decided to hire him!"

After pausing, he continued, "That is also why I deliberately had you bring up the other party's Hextech requirements. As headhunters, understanding the psychological needs of both lords and job seekers is a basic skill. It is also the greatest leverage for successfully closing a deal. The fact that you cared about why the deal succeeded instead of merely thinking about your commission makes me very pleased. Keep working hard, newcomer. You will become an excellent headhunter."

The newcomer's expression brightened. He bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you for your guidance, senior!"

"By the way, raise this lord's potential rating to B and provide him with better talent channels. This person is not only lucky; his judgment and performance also fit the characteristics of an excellent lord. As long as nothing unexpected happens, he should become a long-term client. You will continue following his situation."

"Yes, senior!"

"What... is going on?" After logging off, Xi Ye, who had just been praised by the headhunter, stared in bewilderment at the stacks of plates on the table and Da Bao's embarrassed, bashful smile beside them.

An ominous feeling immediately rose in Xi Ye's heart.

"Hello, sir. Your total comes to 408,671 God Coins. Will you be paying by card or cash? If you're paying online, our establishment only accepts Federation Cloud Payment. We do not accept Ant Financial or Tencent Super-Message!"

"Four... Four hundred thousand?" The price nearly made Xi Ye bite his tongue.

"Yes!" The server smiled broadly. "Your Panda Man ordered all of our establishment's premium dishes. The ingredients were sourced from high-grade star systems, including meat from Level 5 Star beasts and rare fruits and vegetables from Level 4 Stars. Both the origins and quality of our ingredients have been officially appraised by the Federation. The corresponding ingredients also follow Federation market prices, and all prices are clearly marked on the menu. We absolutely aren't cheating you!"

Xi Ye was momentarily speechless. The server's explanation was so professional and airtight that he could not find anything to refute. He then glared viciously at Da Bao. "You really dared to order all this, huh!"

"It really was... too delicious..." Da Bao smiled sheepishly. "I only meant to order one plate to try it, but I couldn't stop once I started. I'm sorry, Lord. You can deduct the money from my wages later, right?"

"Wages?" Xi Ye stared at him blankly. "Who told you that you had wages?"

"Lord... I'm a free man, not a slave. I can report you for this!" Da Bao hurriedly protested.

How has this weirdo managed to survive until now?

Ow, my head...

"This lord looks unfamiliar. I don't think I've seen you around before. You must be a newly appointed lord, right?" Just as Xi Ye was rendered speechless, the owner suddenly bent over and asked with a beaming smile.

Xi Ye froze, then looked over. Only after taking a careful look did he notice that although the owner appeared chubby, he had two fleshy whiskers resembling those of a fish. Only then did Xi Ye realize that the proprietor was actually a member of the demon race.

Moreover, he belonged to the Tamu clan, which was close to the Abyss. The clan's reputation was not very good. In their eyes, it seemed that anything could be turned into food—even intelligent life!

At this thought, Xi Ye looked at the residue on the plates and suddenly felt an uncomfortable wave of nausea.

When the shopkeeper saw Xi Ye looking at the plates, he immediately explained with a smile, "Rest assured, sir. We are a legitimate restaurant. Since we're allowed to operate on Proxima, we would never use any crooked methods."

Xi Ye remained silent. Your entire species is crooked.

"Respected lord..." The shopkeeper did not mind Xi Ye's coldness and continued smiling. "How about discussing a business deal? As a gesture of sincerity, I'll waive this meal's bill!"

"Not interested... Bring me the card reader!" Xi Ye replied bluntly. Doing business with goblins would at most cost him some money, but doing business with demons could often cost him his life!

"Don't reject me so quickly..." The shopkeeper still narrowed his eyes with a smile, looking amiable. But unlike before, his originally unremarkable presence suddenly changed. An utterly terrifying pressure caused the surrounding space to freeze. Xi Ye even felt that he could not breathe normally for that second!

"We only want to cultivate some fresh ingredients. If you, Lord, are willing to set aside a breeding farm for us in your newly established territory and provide us with a fixed supply of ingredients each year, we will give you a generous return of two billion God Coins annually as long as the supply remains stable. We will also cover all the costs of the initial construction. What do you think?"

A level-fifteen demon—Tamu!

And he had immediately proposed a huge deal worth two billion a year!

Beneath Xi Ye's helmet, his violet eyes flickered. As expected, this isn't a legitimate little restaurant!

His grandfather, Longjue, was also only a level-fifteen life-form, yet he was already the pillar of a Great Clan and an interstellar commander under a Great Lord. Someone of that level had come to run a restaurant? It clearly meant that there was a major problem!

As for what they called "ingredients," Xi Ye was one hundred percent certain that they wanted him to raise some prohibited creatures!

Although accepting would perhaps bring him enormous short-term profits, he would inevitably become dependent on them in the future. If the Federation discovered it, he would truly be finished!

His development was going very well, and he possessed a group of natives with extraordinary potential. How could he possibly take this road of no return?

At this thought, Xi Ye sneered. He faced the other party without the slightest fear and said coldly, "What? If this lord refuses to do business with you, does that mean I won't be able to walk out of this door today?"

A murderous glint flashed through the shopkeeper's narrowed eyes. But in the end, he did not dare brazenly kill a Celestial God Lord on such territory. After several seconds of confrontation, he withdrew his aura and smiled. "You exaggerate, my lord!"

"Hmph!" Xi Ye snorted coldly, giving him no chance at all, and said directly, "Then let's settle the bill!"

The shopkeeper's smile stiffened, but he ultimately said nothing. He signaled to one of his subordinates behind him. The man nodded and hurriedly brought over a card reader.

After Xi Ye and Da Bao left, the shopkeeper stared ominously at their backs, his eyes flickering as he wondered what to do.

"Boss, why are you so fixated on this newcomer? That kid clearly isn't on the same path as us, is he?" a subordinate asked curiously.

"Never judge anything by appearances!" The shopkeeper sneered. "I smelled it... That kid carries the scent of the void. He's bold enough to do business with the void, so he certainly won't mind doing business with us either. Go investigate. Find out where this kid came from!"

"Got it!" The subordinate had just answered when a faint voice suddenly drifted over. "What are you trying to investigate?"

The shopkeeper instantly jolted. Someone had come this close, yet a demon with one foot already in the dragon rank had not sensed them at all. What kind of person was this?

He hurriedly turned around, only to see an extraordinarily beautiful face and a heart-soothing floral fragrance...

"Flower Spirit?" The shopkeeper swallowed, his expression becoming somewhat vacant.

If it had been an assassin or a Shadow Walker, that would have been understandable. But for a Flower Spirit to accomplish this, it could only mean that there was an absolute dimensional gap between them!

"Senior... it's a misunderstanding..."

We really kicked an iron plate this time. That boy's backing is no simple matter...