The fervor Lin Mo had felt about rushing to the front lines quickly cooled when he thought of the dangers he might face there. He was confident, but he wasn't stupid.
It was a real battlefield, where blades had no eyes and monsters showed no mercy. His [Tough Skin] could hold up against Beast Soldier Rank monsters, but if he ran into a Beast General Rank monster—or got mobbed—he probably wouldn't stand a chance.
(Inner thoughts): "No way. Staying alive comes first! To do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools! I need to get myself some badass gear!"
So, with Wang Keke leading the way, Lin Mo arrived at the Top-Tier Equipment Customization Center, located within the Wang Family and open to the upper echelons of the Base City. Looking at the dazzling array of weapons and armor made from all kinds of monster materials on the display screen, their colors shimmering like flowing light, Lin Mo's eyes practically turned into star coins.
His requirements were clear: a high-grade Battle General set tailored perfectly to his tiger-shaped body, offering powerful protection without compromising his agility! The materials had to be lightweight and durable, and preferably enhance the movement of his wings and the power of his [Lightning Strike].
A team of professional smiths spent a full two hours measuring Lin Mo, recording the range of motion of every joint, the span of his wings, and even the sharpness of his claws. Finally, they presented him with a design and a price quote.
The set in the design certainly looked imposing: streamlined dark-gold armor covered his vital areas, with special flexible metal joints connecting the plates. Thin as cicada wings but exceptionally durable alloy blades lined the edges of his wings, and retractable claw sheaths had been designed for his tiger claws. The whole set retained a tiger's fierce majesty while boasting a sleek, futuristic look.
But when Lin Mo's gaze landed on the total at the bottom, he felt his heart stop.
1.58 billion Huaxia Currency!
(Inner thoughts): "W-what?! 1.5 billion?! And another eighty million on top?! All that 'selling myself'—all those exhausting performances and humiliating moments—to scrape together over a billion... And now it's all about to vanish in one shot?!"
He jerked his head up and fixed a suspicious stare on the Wang Family steward standing beside him, as well as the amiably smiling master smith.
(Inner thoughts): "What kind of rip-off is this?! You old geezers plotting together to rob me blind? You knew I'd just made some money, so you decided to fleece me for everything I had? This has to be that old schemer of a patriarch pulling the strings!"
Seeing the fire in Lin Mo's eyes, Wang Keke hurried to explain, "Mimi, this price... It's expensive, but they really aren't ripping us off."
"Look, they used the core material from the backplate of a high-grade Golden-Eyed Iron-Armed Ape, mixed with a flexible layer made from the shed skin of an Intermediate Beast General Black-Crowned King Snake. The materials alone account for most of the cost. And since this is fully custom-made, a master craftsman will have to put a lot of time and care into it, so the labor costs are high too..."
The master smith stroked his beard and added, "Your Majesty, Tiger King, your body is unusual, and crafting the joints and wings is exceptionally complicated. We also have to balance defense with speed. This price is already a Friendship Price, discounted by ten percent out of consideration for the Wang Family. If we were making armor of the same materials for a human Battle General, it would cost even more. Their bodies are smaller, so they need more intricate internal mechanisms and fine components."
To prove his point, the steward pulled up several quotes for custom equipment made for human Battle Generals. The prices, routinely in the two-to-three-billion range, made Lin Mo's head spin.
(Inner thoughts): "Yikes... Humans pay even more? Compared to that, I guess... I'm getting a bit of a bargain? I'm bigger and need more material, yet this still costs less than theirs? Why do I suddenly feel a little better?"
But feeling better wouldn't change the fact that he still had to pay. Lin Mo looked at the money in his account—the fruits of all his hard work "selling his charm"—and felt his heart bleed. Clinging to one last hope, he poked Wang Keke with a claw, made a money-counting gesture, then pointed toward the Wang Family's main residence, his eyes full of expectation.
(Inner thoughts): "Reimbursement! Keke, ask them if the family can cover this! I'm doing this to bring honor to the Wang Family and fight on the front lines!"
Wang Keke immediately understood and spread her hands helplessly. "Mimi, the family does have an equipment subsidy policy, but it usually only reimburses ten percent of the total cost."
Ten percent?! 158 million?
(Inner thoughts): "I just blew over a billion, and you're giving me a little over a hundred million back?! You think I'm begging on the street?! No way! Absolutely not! This hurts worse than having a chunk of me cut off! I'm going to that old schemer of a patriarch! The family has to reimburse at least fifty percent! Otherwise, whoever wants to go to the front lines can go. I'm staying on strike!"
The thought of all the "humiliation" and "blood, sweat, and tears" he'd endured over the past few months going to waste sent Lin Mo's tiger temper through the roof. He growled, grabbed the hem of Wang Keke's clothes in his teeth, and dragged her toward the patriarch's study, making it clear he wasn't leaving without an answer.
Inside the study, Wang Qingtian seemed to have anticipated their arrival. He was leisurely sipping tea.
An intense—and shameless—business negotiation began.
Wang Keke acted as translator. "Dad, Mimi says he needs this equipment to serve the family better, protect me, kill more monsters on the front lines, and contribute to humanity! The family should support him wholeheartedly, both for public and private reasons! He's asking for fifty percent reimbursement!"
Beside her, Lin Mo lifted his head proudly and scraped his claws against the floor with a harsh krrk-krrk, emphasizing his "value" and "determination."
Wang Qingtian unhurriedly set down his teacup. "Oh? Serving the family is only right. The ten-percent reimbursement limit is family policy, and we can't just make exceptions. Besides, hasn't he earned quite a lot from his share? Young people should learn to invest in themselves."
(Inner thoughts, translated): "Nice try. You think you can squeeze money out of the family? You think I don't know what you're up to?"
The moment Lin Mo heard that, he grew even angrier. He rose onto his hind legs and waved both forepaws in the air, miming being patted, being petted on the head, and even getting into a bath. Then he pointed angrily at himself and his account balance before collapsing dramatically as if heartbroken.
Wang Keke struggled not to laugh as she translated. "Mimi says he worked so hard to earn that money! He sacrificed his tiger dignity and pride for it! Now he's putting every last cent into the noble cause of fighting monsters. If the family only covers ten percent, it'll break a hero's heart! He'll be devastated and lose all motivation. He might not even be able to walk, let alone go to the front lines."
Wang Qingtian's mouth twitched as he watched the enormous Winged Tiger start rolling around and throwing a tantrum on the floor. He looked rather troubled. After a moment's thought, he said, "Fifteen percent. Given Mimi's special contributions and the importance of this mission, we can raise it to fifteen percent."
Lin Mo stopped rolling. He shook his head vigorously, held out a paw to show off his thick pads, then folded two toes away to leave three raised.
(Inner thoughts): "Thirty! Thirty percent, minimum! Take it or leave it!"
Wang Keke said, "Mimi says thirty percent is his bottom line!"
Wang Qingtian frowned. "Twenty percent. Not a cent more. The family has its own difficulties; we have to allocate our resources responsibly."
Lin Mo started banging his head against a nearby padded pillar, making dull thud-thud sounds, as if to say, "There's no hope for my life as a tiger. I might as well bash my brains out."
Wang Keke hurriedly stopped him. "Dad! Look at him! Twenty-five percent! Just give him twenty-five percent! Otherwise, he might really get depressed!"
Watching the father-and-tiger double act, Wang Qingtian finally let out a "helpless" sigh and rubbed his temples. "All right, all right. Twenty-five percent it is! You've worn me down! I'll pay it out of my personal funds as a special reward. But Mimi, when you get to the front lines, you'd better do a good job. Don't let this equipment or the family down!"
"Roar!" Lin Mo immediately stopped all his "self-harm," perked up, and let out a full-throated tiger's roar. He held his tail high and rubbed against Wang Keke, looking pleased with himself.
(Inner thoughts): "Haha! Deal! I talked them up from ten percent to twenty-five! That's over two hundred million in extra reimbursement! I really am a negotiation genius! It still cost me a fortune, but at least I've gotten a little back! Feels good!"
Satisfied, like a general returning victorious from battle, Lin Mo held his head high and strutted out of the study with Wang Keke, ready to sign the equipment customization agreement.
Once the study door had closed, the "helpless" look vanished from Wang Qingtian's face, replaced by a hint of satisfaction at his successful scheme. He leisurely picked up his teacup again and took a pleased sip.
(Inner thoughts): "Heh, you little punk. You thought you could outsmart me? The family council had already approved paying the full cost of the set. We'd budgeted a whole 1.6 billion! Now he's volunteered to pay most of it himself, and the family only has to cough up less than 400 million... That's a huge saving! Perfect!"
He could practically see Lin Mo tearing through the enemy on the front lines in that top-tier set of "self-funded" equipment, making a name for himself and the Wang Family.
"This deal was worth it!" Wang Qingtian laughed like a sly old fox who'd just stolen a chicken.
Meanwhile, Lin Mo, still smug about having "secured" twenty-five percent reimbursement, had no idea the "old schemer" of a patriarch had played him like a fiddle. He was happily thinking that once he got to the front lines, he'd eat plenty of Beast General Rank monsters and earn back his investment with interest!
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