The real world.
"???"
All the pedestrians on the street froze.
They had only seen Ma Hongjun suddenly drop to his knees, wet himself, and start babbling nonsense.
"Wh-what happened to him?"
"No idea. He just suddenly went crazy."
"He even wet himself. Disgusting."
"Tsk tsk, is this what Soul Masters are like?"
Whispers of discussion rose around Ma Hongjun's behavior.
Er Ni looked at Lin Qing in confusion.
"Xiao Qing, what's wrong with him?"
"Maybe he was already mentally ill. Don't mind him."
Lin Qing smiled and shrugged.
Lowering the carriage curtain, he instructed the driver, "Go around him."
"Yes."
With a crack of the whip, the carriage bypassed Ma Hongjun, who was sprawled on the ground, and continued onward.
Inside the carriage.
Er Ni asked softly, "Xiao Qing, was that you just now?"
"Mm."
Lin Qing nodded.
"I gave him a small lesson. Who told him to look at you like that?"
That sleazy thing dared to set his sights on Er Ni. He was asking for death.
Hearing that it was because of her, Er Ni blushed, sweetness filling her heart.
"Thank you..."
"Don't be silly."
Lin Qing rubbed her hair.
"If anyone bullies you in the future, just tell me. I'll definitely help you teach them a lesson."
"Mm!"
Er Ni nodded vigorously, her eyes curving into crescents.
After bringing Er Ni back to the small courtyard he rented and getting her settled.
He began considering his next plans.
Opening a shop was certain. He needed more money to collect Whale Rubber.
The question was what line of business to enter, where to get the startup capital, and how to open up the market. All of it required careful planning.
Just as he was thinking.
"Buzz!"
The familiar trembling sensation appeared without warning.
Lin Qing abruptly looked up.
At some point, another black Ash Urn had appeared on the table in the living room.
[ Ding! You have received the relics of 'Lin Qing, the Ruthless Merchant'! ] [ Would you like to listen to the final words immediately? ]
"Another relic?"
Lin Qing's eyes lit up as he quickly walked to the table.
"Listen to the final words."
[ Ding! Playing final words! ]
Light and shadow unfolded before his eyes.
[My name is Lin Qing.]
The narrator's voice was gentle and polished, carrying the shrewdness unique to a merchant.
[I was reborn and transmigrated to Douluo Continent... into an ordinary merchant family.]
In the scene, a baby lay in an exquisite cradle.
Fine rosewood furniture, silk curtains, and servants standing respectfully at attention surrounded him.
The family was clearly quite wealthy.
[At the age of six, I awakened the martial soul "Heavenly Eye," with level-eight Innate Soul Power.]
The testing crystal burst forth with dazzling light.
His parents were so excited that they embraced each other.
"A genius! Our family has produced a genius!"
"Send him to Spirit Hall! Send him to the best Soul Master Academy! He'll definitely become a powerful Soul Master and bring glory to our ancestors!"
But the young Lin Qing shook his head.
[Influenced by my family from childhood, I had little interest in becoming a Soul Master. Instead, I wanted to do business and become a merchant.]
Inside the study.
Seven-year-old Lin Qing lay sprawled over his desk, staring brightly at the account books.
The dense rows of numbers seemed to possess life in his eyes.
"Father, I want to learn how to do business."
"What?!"
His father was stunned.
"You... you have the talent to become a Soul Master! Why do business?"
"But I think making money is more interesting than fighting."
Little Lin Qing raised his head, his gaze clear and resolute.
[So, I chose to abandon the path of a Soul Master and become a merchant!]
There was a trace of pride in the narrator's voice.
"???"
The real Lin Qing twitched the corner of his mouth.
"This guy's way of thinking is a little strange..."
In a world like Douluo Continent, where strength reigned supreme, he gave up becoming a Soul Master to go into business?
That choice...
"Really was unusual."
That was all he could say.
He continued watching.
[I started from the bottom.]
The scenes flashed by quickly.
Ten-year-old Lin Qing set up a stall in the marketplace, selling small handwoven trinkets.
"Auntie, this grasshopper is only three copper soul coins. Look how finely it's woven!"
"Uncle, buy one for your child to play with. It's cheap!"
He was all smiles, his mouth as sweet as honey.
Late at night, beneath an oil lamp, he carefully recorded every expense and income.
How much he earned, how much things cost, and how much profit he made were all written clearly in the ledger.
[That was how I slowly accumulated capital through small-scale trade and earned my first pot of gold for starting a business.]
[Three years later, my stall had become a small general store.]
Lin Qing stood behind the counter, skillfully haggling with customers.
"This batch of cloth was expensive to buy. I really can't lower the price any further."
"You're a regular customer, so how about this? I'll give you two handkerchiefs as well."
[Two more years later, the general store expanded into a medium-sized shop. I began hiring assistants and became the shopkeeper myself.]
[Five more years later, I established a small merchant association.]
In the meeting room, Lin Qing sat at the head of the table, with more than a dozen managers below him.
"The profits of our three branches increased by thirty percent compared to last year. Very good."
He nodded with a smile.
"But it's not enough."
"Next year, we'll expand our business into the three neighboring cities."
[And I did it. My shops and merchant association gradually became well-known, but I was only an ordinary person. I needed security, so I began a sponsorship program.]
[I sponsored orphans and sent them to Soul Master Academy.]
Outside a humble orphanage.
Lin Qing handed a heavy bag of Gold Soul Coins to the old director.
"Use this money to buy the children more winter clothes and bedding."
"And..."
He looked toward the children in the courtyard, who were staring at him eagerly.
"If any of them awaken Soul Power, let me know. I'll cover their tuition and living expenses."
"Thank you... Thank you, Mr. Lin!"
The old director was so moved that tears streamed down his face.
[My good reputation gradually spread as well.]
On the streets and in the alleys, people discussed him fervently.
"Did you hear? Boss Lin donated money to build another school!"
"He truly is a good man..."
"My nephew only got into Nuoding Soul Master Academy because of his sponsorship!"
"..."
[Several decades later, my merchant association became a commercial empire with a presence in every city across the continent.]
[This commercial empire was able to remain so stable precisely because the countless Soul Masters I had once sponsored chose to support it after they became successful.]
A magnificent seven-story headquarters stood in the busiest district of Heaven Dou Imperial City.
In the top-floor office, the white-haired Lin Qing sat behind a broad rosewood desk, his gaze still sharp and shrewd.
"President, this is this year's financial report."
The secretary respectfully handed over a thick file.
Lin Qing accepted it and carefully flipped through it page by page.
After a long while, he nodded in satisfaction.
"Net profit rose by eighteen percent. Not bad. Inform the shopkeepers at every branch that the year-end dividends will be increased by ten percent."
"Yes!"
[And soon, I reached the end of my life.]
On the soft hospital bed, the old man slowly closed his eyes, a peaceful smile on his lips.
At his bedside, his descendants sobbed quietly.
There were also countless mourners who had come from all across the continent, from ordinary people to Title Douluo.
They were all people whose lives he had sponsored or changed.
[After my death, I left my descendants enough money to live on and donated the rest of my estate.]
In a solemn hall, his will was publicly announced.
"Mr. Lin Qing divided all his assets into three portions."
"The first portion will be used to establish the Qinglin Charity Foundation, providing long-term support to impoverished Soul Master students."
"The second portion will be used to build three hundred schools and three hundred clinics across the continent."
"The third portion..."
Everyone paused, their voices somewhat choked.
"Will be donated to the thirty-seven orphanages he sponsored during his lifetime."
"..."
After watching these final words, the real Lin Qing remained silent for a long time.
Complex emotions surged within him.
"He seemed like a ruthless merchant... but in truth, he spent his entire life using his money to help others."
He rose from nothing and built a commercial empire.
He became wealthy enough to rival a nation, yet gave away all his fortune.
That kind of life...
"Was truly remarkable."
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