9 Billion!

After returning to the Base City, Lin Fan first went back to his villa, took a thorough shower, and changed clothes. Only then did he hail a cab to the HR Alliance Building.

He wore a pair of oversized sunglasses on the bridge of his nose and casual clothes, but on his back was a bulging pack nearly two meters tall, completely out of proportion to his build.

He was even pulling a huge suitcase with his right hand, stuffed full of monster materials.

"Make way, make way."

Lin Fan walked at an unhurried pace. The heavy pack swayed with each step, making a dull thumping sound.

Several well-dressed elites passing nearby instinctively frowned and stepped aside, their eyes showing a hint of disdain.

But when they saw the pack on Lin Fan's back and the suitcase he was pulling, the contempt in their eyes instantly turned to suspicion.

Could that... be monster materials?

Just then, a pretty attendant in uniform hurried over.

She had a keen eye and immediately saw that Lin Fan was no ordinary man.

Even though he dressed plainly, the cold, fierce aura that seemed to emanate from his very bones was something only a martial artist who had truly seen blood and killed could possess.

"Sir, how may I help you?"

The attendant's voice was sweet and respectful, and she wore a flawless professional smile.

"I'm looking for Manager Wang."

"Of course. This way, please."

The attendant didn't dare delay. She immediately reported it quietly through her earpiece, then stepped aside and gestured for him to follow, leading Lin Fan toward the private elevator.

On the 32nd floor, in one of the VIP acquisition rooms.

The moment Manager Wang saw Lin Fan walk through the door, his face lit up with a fawning smile even more obsequious than if he'd seen his own father.

"Oh! You're here! Please, have a seat!"

Lin Fan ignored him and walked straight to the huge alloy table, setting down his pack.

Thud!

The bulging pack slammed onto the table with a heavy impact, making the teacups on it jump.

Manager Wang's gaze lingered on the pack. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his smile grew even more eager.

Just then, two senior appraisers and an assistant came in, pushing a sophisticated testing device.

"Same as usual."

Manager Wang rubbed his hands together and said with a beaming smile:

"You put the goods out, and I'll make you an offer on the spot. You can trust the HR Alliance's reputation. We'll never shortchange you."

Lin Fan nodded. He unzipped the pack, pulled out the first item he planned to sell, and casually tossed it onto the weighing platform.

It was a dozen or so segments of bone, each a meter thick and ten centimeters long, pitch-black all over.

"Gasp..."

The two appraisers sucked in a breath and exchanged a glance before immediately taking their instruments and starting to scan the bones.

But Lin Fan's hands didn't stop.

Rustle.

He spread out an entire silvery-white hide as if laying out a bedsheet.

The fur was cool and lustrous. Each strand was as tough as a steel needle yet as smooth as silk, gleaming with a liquid-silver sheen.

Most importantly, the hide was remarkably intact. Its edges were cleanly cut, without a single ragged tear.

Manager Wang's smile, which he'd barely managed to maintain, froze for an instant. Then his eyes suddenly lit up.

He could no longer stay seated. He hurried around the table and went to the weighing platform.

He wanted to reach out and touch it, but seemed afraid of getting it dirty. All he could do was rake his greedy gaze across it inch by inch.

"This is... a work of art."

"The Black Rock Giant Ape's main spinal bones... the Silver Moon Dire Wolf's intact hide..."

Manager Wang's voice dropped, trembling slightly.

These two were both exceptionally troublesome Elementary Lords!

The Silver Moon Dire Wolf in particular was as fast as lightning and extremely difficult to hunt, let alone preserve with its hide so intact.

What level of strength and swordsmanship would it take to pull that off?

"Mr. Lin, your technique is truly... clean."

The praise came straight from the heart.

Pulling this off took more than strength. It required the kind of precise control you'd expect from a surgeon.

Lin Fan didn't look at him. His expression remained unchanged.

He kept pulling things out.

Clink, clank.

High-level commander-grade claws, fangs, scales, tendons, joints...

One bloodstained material after another came out as if he were dumping trash.

Then he opened the suitcase and poured out another pile of materials, quickly filling the appraisal platform to the brim.

Finally.

Lin Fan reached into the innermost compartment of the pack, took out several sealed black bags of materials, and casually tossed them onto the corner of the table.

When Manager Wang saw what was inside, his pupils suddenly contracted.

They were... several combat uniforms, clearly marked with bullet holes and bloodstains.

But at the HR Alliance, you didn't ask what you shouldn't, and you didn't learn what you shouldn't know.

Manager Wang's smile didn't change in the slightest. If anything, it grew even brighter.

He merely raised a hand, and the appraisers immediately stepped forward to take samples, weigh the goods, and scan them.

For a while, the only sounds in the room were the device's beeps and the frenzied tapping of a calculator.

Manager Wang stood to the side, sweat beading on his forehead. Yet the more he saw, the more alert and excited he became.

"Good stuff... It's all damn good stuff."

Ten minutes later, the inventory and calculations were complete.

Manager Wang straightened his collar and turned the electronic screen toward Lin Fan. Even his speech became especially respectful.

"Mr. Lin, the quote is ready."

"The materials from the two Elementary Lords are in perfect condition and will be priced at the highest rate, for a total of 5.8 billion Huaxia Currency."

"The other commander-grade materials come to 1 billion."

"Additionally..."

Manager Wang pointed to the pile of equipment he'd "picked up along the way," his eyes full of meaning:

"These miscellaneous items come to 1.2 billion at current market prices."

At that, he took a deep breath and announced the total.

"Altogether, 9 billion Huaxia Currency."

After saying this, he looked at Lin Fan cautiously, his smile as fawning as could be.

"Would you like the money in cash this time, or would you rather exchange it for metal like before?"

Lin Fan shook his head.

"No money. Exchange everything for metal."

"This time I need alloy materials of Series 5 or higher. Series 6 would be even better. I'll take as much as you have, until all 9 billion is spent."

"Have it delivered to my place as usual. You know the address."

Manager Wang froze for a moment, then beamed with delight.

"Great! No problem!"

Manager Wang thumped his chest so hard it seemed to shake the room.

"Don't worry, Mr. Lin. I'll mobilize our stock right away! I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

That evening, at Bright Moon Residential Quarter.

Several heavy armored transport vehicles bearing the HR Alliance insignia slowly pulled up in front of Lin Fan's villa.

Hiss.

The pressure valves released, and the heavy rear doors of the cargo compartments slowly swung open.

Inside were neatly stacked alloy ingots, each gleaming with a cold, eerie light.

Nine billion bought an astonishing amount. Even the expensive Series 5 and Series 6 alloys were piled high inside the cargo compartments.

Looking at this "feed," Lin Fan's lips curled into a satisfied smile.

"This should be enough for a proper meal, right?"

After verifying their identities, HR Alliance staff carried the alloy ingots into the villa's Martial Arts Hall.

It took a full hour to move them all. Only then were the last of the metal ingots carried inside.

After seeing off the HR Alliance staff, Lin Fan pressed the button on the wall.

Rumble.

The heavy alloy doors slowly closed, completely sealing off the Martial Arts Hall from the outside world.

"Dinner time."