The fortress gate swung open, and the wind of the Hive City's eternal night rushed in.
Yuri Razumov greedily drew in a lungful of the foul air.
"So this is what freedom smells like? Not that great, heh."
He complained, but when Yuri glanced back at the gate slowly closing behind him, he still spat hard on the ground. "Damn it, I'm never going back to that hellhole as long as I live!"
Fu Haoran handed him a can, a brand Yuri had never seen before.
"This is what you'll be selling from now on. Give it a try."
"It's just a can. I've eaten all kinds of delicacies in my day!" Yuri took it and deftly pulled it open.
He picked up a large chunk of meat with one finger and shoved it into his mouth, swallowing it almost without chewing.
Then he licked his finger clean and wiped his mouth.
"Nothing special. The meat's a little bland, not chewy enough, and there isn't much of it."
Though Yuri complained, he polished off the can in no time.
"Five hundred Throne Coins a week, or the equivalent in canned food." Yuri looked up, his voice regaining the arrogance with which he'd once ruled the underworld. "If that doesn't work, send me back right now."
"Sure." Fu Haoran nodded. "I need you to sell a hundred tons of canned food in a week."
"Only a hundred tons?" Yuri's voice rose in disbelief. "Are you looking down on me? I used to be the underworld's finance minister. The goods I handled..."
"Oh? Sorry, I underestimated you. How about a thousand tons?" Fu Haoran asked sincerely. There wasn't a hint of mockery on his face; instead, he looked utterly innocent, as if wondering whether he'd said something wrong.
Yuri didn't know what to make of that.
Wait, can this kid not tell I'm bragging?
Yuri opened his mouth, then fell silent, feeling as if he'd just dug his own hole.
A thousand tons?! Does this kid think he's selling Corpse Starch?!
This canned food is made from pure meat, with no additives. It's a thousand times better than Corpse Starch. The Mid-Hive commoners will fight over it, and the Upper Hive nobles will be clamoring for it too. In a Hive World, it's as good as hard currency.
The problem is, I've been locked up for over a decade. The old crew are either dead or have turned on me, most of my connections are gone, and the nobles have already carved up the black-market channels. A thousand tons isn't going to be easy to move.
Wait! How much stock can he even have? Planet St-Se IV is half an Industrial World, without a decent patch of greenery anywhere. It's completely unsuitable for farming.
I figure he'll run out of stock in three months at most. By then, I'll have pocketed enough money to make a clean getaway.
But before I run, I'll set a high price for the canned food and make a little extra for the road. The more, the better.
Oh, right. I have to get the goods first and pay later!
That way, the goods stay in my hands, and I decide the price and when to pay him back.
Once I've sold everything, I'll disappear with the money. There's no way some backwater governor can catch me!
The more Yuri thought about it, the bolder he felt. He even stood up straighter.
He put on a stern face. "Fine. A thousand tons it is. But I'm Yuri Razumov, and my reputation speaks for itself. I won't accept shoddy goods passed off as quality."
"If you try to fob off inferior goods on me, you'll ruin my name, and I won't take it lying down."
"And I get the goods first, then pay you later. If you agree, I'm in!"
Fu Haoran nodded. "Fine. I have plenty of goods. You just sell them, and I'll supply as much as you can move."
"Heh, nice act." Yuri scoffed inwardly, then said boldly, "Fine! Whatever you have, I'll sell!"
Fu Haoran said no more. He pulled up a Data Pad and handed it over. "What do you think of the Hive City's current situation?"
Yuri glanced down at it, and his confidence faltered.
He read further and nearly threw the Data Pad to the ground.
"When I went in, this planet was one of the top five industrial Hive Cities in the sector. How did it get this bad in just over a decade?"
Fu Haoran nodded, looking helpless. "That's why we need to move the goods quickly. It's the only way we'll get a little breathing room."
Yuri stared at the last line—"Currency Credit: Collapsed"—and fell silent for three seconds.
It only made him more determined to run.
Pah. This Messy Situation is beyond saving, even if the Emperor himself showed up. If I don't make a quick score and get out, I must be out of my mind.
I'll play along, sell the canned food, and make enough money. Once they let their guard down, I'll vanish.
No one can stop me this time. Even if they find out, they won't catch me.
Yuri finalized his plan, then cleared his throat. "All right, I've got the picture. You don't need to worry about a thing. Just keep the goods coming and leave the rest to me."
[Successfully recruited legendary finance officer: Yuri Razumov]
[Loyalty: -99 (Status: Ready to run off with the money at any moment)]
Fu Haoran looked at the system notification, the corner of his mouth twitching. He muttered, "My new finance minister sure feels a strong sense of belonging."
"Looks like I'll have to head back to the 2K World and set up an auditing system, just in case a certain minister with negative loyalty runs off with the canned-food money."
Yuri had no idea that Fu Haoran had nipped his escape plan in the bud before it had even sprouted. He was still happily calculating how to make a killing.
[Unlocked Lord Development Tech Tree]
Fu Haoran opened the panel. Four options appeared before him: [Forge General] [Solar Lord] [Rogue Trader Dynasty] [Warlord].
Fu Haoran went straight to the fourth option.
[Five Hundred Worlds Warlord (Space Marine Path)]
[Objective 1: Take control of 13 Hive Worlds; unlock Space Marine augmentation permissions; possess at least 1 Forge World and 1 complete naval fleet (including at least 1 Battle Barge as its flagship)]
[Objective 2: Crush 3 heretical factions and bring 1 Machine Cult branch under your control]
[Ultimate Reward: Adeptus Custodes-grade genetic augmentation; base attributes that surpass those of ordinary Space Marines; high resistance to the Warp]
Fu Haoran closed the system notification that only he could see, feeling somewhat helpless.
The future was bright, but his wallet was empty.
That was his reality right now.
"We'll have to take it one step at a time. The most important thing right now is getting Yuri to sell the canned food and turn it into urgently needed supplies. We need to get this Hive City's Messy Situation under control first."
"But having a finance minister who might run off at any moment is a real headache."
"Wait, I remember the deal is goods first, payment later. If I never run out of goods, does that mean he'll never be able to hold on to the money?"
The governor who'd spotted this loophole came up with an evil plan to squeeze his own finance minister.
And so, for the next few days, Fu Haoran returned to the 2K World and officially began his buying spree.
In Kansas, Eagle Nation, a chicken farm owner looked at the check, then at his rickety equipment and listless, sickly chickens. He couldn't help asking again, "Mr. Fu, you really want all this...?"
"Yes." Fu Haoran answered without the slightest hesitation. "The equipment, the chickens, and your shed. Bundle them all together and name your price."
The owner quoted double the price, and Fu Haoran signed the check on the spot.
Watching Fu Haoran walk away, the owner muttered to his business partner, "That Asian guy is either an idiot or a lunatic."
"Who cares? The money's real."
And this was only the beginning.
In Australia, trucks loaded with kangaroo and rabbit carcasses lined up in a long queue. There were so many that an official clutched Fu Haoran's hand, overcome with emotion. "Mr. Fu, you're too generous! Trust us, we'll supply you steadily from now on!"
At a European port, mountains of crayfish and oysters were packed up and shipped to the same destination. A customs officer stamped the paperwork and shook his head. "That Asian guy's tastes are baffling."
Scenes like these played out all over the world.
People soon discovered that whenever they had crops they couldn't sell or waste materials nobody wanted, someone would come to buy them—and offer a very fair price!
Of course, every seller secretly laughed behind his back: "A fool with money to burn. He'll be bankrupt before long~"
Meanwhile, warehouses everywhere filled with raw materials awaiting processing. The canning lines ran around the clock, and inventories kept swelling like a rolling snowball.
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