"Hooked" on Novels, Preparing for the Meeting

Liu Xing's small breeding base was hardly home to just those four pet beasts.

He also showed Lin Yuan the research areas, group breeding areas, and rearing areas.

They housed quite a few Ordinary-quality pet beasts, and even animals that had yet to reach any rank.

Liu Xing explained why, too. He had hardly been sitting idle since graduating after the College Entrance Exam.

Even if Beast Tamer high school students had two months off before university, that did not mean they could spend both months doing nothing but playing.

Different university majors had different entrance requirements.

Those pursuing combat had to battle and explore over the summer. Those studying support and healing had to intern at pet beast hospitals or help handle casualties caught in battles between wild pet beasts.

As for students pursuing the Beast Breeder track, besides interning at a Breeding Center, it was best to write a short paper in advance.

Liu Xing's current research topic was "The Effects of Music on Different Types of Pet Beasts: An Experimental Analysis Based on the Kodal Index."

Seeing that it was nearly time, Liu Xing stopped holding forth. "Anyway, your talent and abilities suit the Beast Breeder track too. Speaking from experience, if you can write a paper that gets into a national journal while you're still in high school, it'll earn you a lot of points."

"Teacher Chen Xuanbai is good at that. Make sure you ask him about it."

"And when it comes to writing papers, I'm definitely more experienced than you. If you've got any questions, you can ask me too."

When it came to writing papers, Liu Xing might not actually measure up to him—after all, Lin Yuan had published quite a few papers in international journals in his previous life.

He had studied how papers were structured in this Beast Tamer world. They placed more emphasis on experimental data and pet beast behavior analysis, but their rules for prose and formatting lacked a truly unified standard.

"Got it, Senior Liu Xing," Lin Yuan said with a smile.

Hearing Lin Yuan call him "Senior" made Liu Xing feel uneasy all over.

Surely this kid hasn't secretly written a pile of papers already?

Impossible. Absolutely impossible!

"Mm. School starts for you in a couple of days, and you've got your business to look after. But I reckon money will gradually get less tight for you. If you need help hiring staff or anything, just tell me!"

"Remember to balance work and rest, too. Listen to music now and then, admire some flowers. These past few years, there've been more and more tragic cases of high school Beast Tamers staying up for days studying and training their pet beasts. You strike me as someone who pushes himself hard in private. Know your limits."

At this, Liu Xing put on the air of a seasoned veteran. "Watching a few short dramas now and then is fine too, as long as you don't tell anyone."

Lin Yuan scratched his head. Why did watching a short drama sound like sneaking around to commit a crime? "Mm. I usually read novels to relax."

That startled Liu Xing. "Good grief! I thought getting hooked on short dramas was sinking low enough, but you've gotten hooked on novels? You know how easy it is to read those day and night. Where do Beast Tamers find that kind of time?"

Lin Yuan did not know what to say.

In this world, it was considered "shameful" for Beast Tamer students to spend time on entertainment.

"The lives pet beasts lead in some novels are fascinating. They give me ideas too," Lin Yuan said. "We put too much weight on the words 'Beast Tamer.' We treat high-quality pet beasts as treasures and low-quality ones as tools, and sometimes we miss out on a wealth of spirit because of it."

"At the end of the day, we're human. We ought to stay close to everyday life and keep our feet on the ground."

Those two remarks surprised Liu Xing even more.

That was not something teachers taught at school.

But coming from Lin Yuan, it made some sense.

"Have you read any novels about Illusion Dream Butterflies?" Liu Xing asked, his thoughts suddenly taking a turn.

"No... Search for them yourself." Lin Yuan was at a loss with him. No matter what topic they discussed, Liu Xing could steer it toward fate and then back to Zizi.

"Mm-hmm..." Liu Xing looked thoughtful. "I'll take you to the banquet hall first. Message me when the meeting's over. You've got to eat here before you leave."

Five minutes later, Lin Yuan arrived at the banquet hall.

Liu Xing turned back toward his small breeding base.

On the way, he wrestled with himself for three minutes, then downloaded the red app Lin Yuan had recommended. Without hesitation, he searched its titles for the five characters meaning "purple Illusion Dream Butterfly."

A novel titled "Illusion Dream Butterfly: Rebirth Through Discovering Beauty" soon appeared before him.

"Well, Lin Yuan will probably be busy for over an hour. I'll just read a little. Maybe it really will give me some ideas."

Inside the banquet hall.

The Liu Family's business expert, whom Liu Xing had arranged to help, had just arrived as well. Carrying a briefcase and dressed in a suit, he looked refined and scholarly.

"Hello. I'm Huo Yu, deputy director of the Liu Family's business department. Young Master Liu said a very good friend of his wanted to consult me about some business matters today. I've already reviewed the basic information you provided." Huo Yu extended a hand.

Lin Yuan shook it and smiled. "I'm Lin Yuan. Sorry for the trouble today, Brother Huo."

"Please, sit."

At the conference table, Huo Yu took out a folder stuffed with a thick stack of papers. Clearly, he had prepared thoroughly.

But instead of opening it, he said to Lin Yuan, "Young Master Lin, just call me Huo Yu. I've done an in-depth analysis of your Spirit Dew and a range of indicators, including the main business structure of the Yellow Crane Tower Shop you plan to work with."

"Would you like to hear my report first, or tell me what you're thinking so I can analyze it with your views in mind?" As he spoke, he opened his laptop.

"Just call me Lin Yuan." In two lifetimes, this was the first time anyone had addressed Lin Yuan as "Young Master Lin." It felt strange...

"I'd like to explain my main understanding of the situation and my goals first." With that, Lin Yuan took a document envelope from his backpack.

Inside were neatly organized printouts, with handwritten notes and tabs of different colors visible on the pages.

That surprised Huo Yu a little.

He knew Lin Yuan was only a second-year high school student, though running a pet food shop by himself for two years had given him some business experience.

But age and experience still mattered, so Huo Yu had prepared a comprehensive overview and recommendations.

Lin Yuan, however, had clearly done his homework.

That immediately piqued Huo Yu's interest. As deputy director of the Liu Family's business department, he would not have come if not for Liu Xing.

For business advice like this, he felt a real exchange of ideas was what struck the brightest sparks.

He closed his laptop again and listened quietly.

Lin Yuan turned to the last page of his notes and read out the summary he had prepared:

"First, Spirit Dew is only a Transcendent-grade product. The Yellow Crane Tower Shop sells a wide range of goods, and it dominates the market in high-end luxury products, including clothing and bags made from high-quality beast materials. That means my product won't affect its core product lines."

"Yet Huang Tao seems to attach great importance to it. I can't identify the exact reason yet. I have one guess, but I'd like to hear your analysis and advice."

"Second, whatever deal structure the Yellow Crane Tower Shop proposes, the raw Spirit Dew can still only be sold through my Yuanming Pet Food Shop."

"They can use it as an ingredient to make different products, but they must state that the ingredient comes from my shop."

"I've already brought this up with Liu Xing, so I believe he mentioned it briefly to you."

"What concerns me now is that most businesses seek exclusive purchase rights when forming partnerships. My bottom line may conflict with Huang Tao's. If so, the talks could end with me drawing water in a bamboo basket and getting nothing."

"I'd like your advice on that. I agreed to meet because I want a deal and I want to profit. Nobody wants to waste time."

"Finally, the Yuanming Pet Food Shop's business structure needs upgrading. Right now, its product lineup is especially thin."

"In this partnership with the Yellow Crane Tower Shop, the money I receive isn't my top priority. I'd also like access to some of their products to expand my shop's range."

"But I'm not sure what form that exchange should take or what proportions would be appropriate."

Huo Yu nodded as he listened.

Those three concise points had saved a full half hour from the report he had planned. He now knew what Lin Yuan wanted, how much he understood, and where his bottom lines lay.

After a moment's thought, he said, "I'll take your questions one at a time. Consider this advice for reference."

"First, from what I've gathered, the Yellow Crane Tower Shop has placed great importance on all healing-related products for the past five years, regardless of grade. Some say they're collecting ingredients and products to develop their own 'miracle cure' and expand into medical products."

"Others say they may have discovered a new evolution path and need materials with those functions."

"In any case, they acquire a great deal, but almost none of it goes back on the market. They use it all internally."

"That leads to your second question. I think the Yellow Crane Tower Shop probably won't want exclusive purchase rights. What they're more likely after is a stable supply from you."

"So you needn't worry too much about conflicting bottom lines for now."

"The more important question, actually, is how much we can sell it for."

"Based on how badly they need it and the quantity they want, I think the price could fall between sixty thousand and one hundred thousand Alliance Coins per ten drops. The specifics will depend on tomorrow's negotiations."

"Third, you want to round out your food shop's structure and gain access to supply chains. To some extent, that also depends on Spirit Dew's final price."

"But to a greater extent, it depends on whether they see you as worth investing in and partnering with—in other words, whether Spirit Dew is the limit of what your pet food shop can offer."

After hearing the first point, Lin Yuan had more or less confirmed his earlier suspicion—

This might really have something to do with Huang Tao's Fortune Dog.

Huo Yu's straightforward answers gave Lin Yuan new ways to think about the matter.

The two went back and forth, discussing possible situations they might face tomorrow and analyzing how to respond.

The discussion lasted nearly an hour, but it flowed as smoothly as drifting clouds and running water. Huo Yu repeatedly marveled at Lin Yuan's quick reactions and business instincts.

If Young Master Liu had not said Lin Yuan was such a close friend, Huo Yu would have asked whether he was interested in interning in their department.

Lin Yuan gained a great deal too. Having a professional help organize his thinking, train his responses on the spot, and offer concrete plans was far more efficient than puzzling everything out alone.

During their discussion, Lin Yuan also told Huo Yu what he had discovered and deduced about the Fortune Dog.

Once again, Huo Yu marveled at Lin Yuan's unusual perspective. From his professional standpoint, he focused on market data, cash flow, and trend indicators. It would never have occurred to him to search a gossip forum for relevant information.

Huo Yu thanked him with a smile, saying Lin Yuan's approach had given him a fresh insight.

The entire discussion was enjoyable.

Lin Yuan felt more certain than ever.

He had rehearsed the meeting in advance and prepared for a range of possible situations.

But Lin Yuan had a feeling—if that Fortune Dog appeared tomorrow, everything would become much simpler...

After thanking Huo Yu again and saying goodbye, Lin Yuan opened his phone and messaged Liu Xing:

"I'm done here."

Liu Xing usually replied at once, but this time a full three minutes passed before his response arrived.

"Lin Yuan, brother, you've ruined me. I'm hooked on novels..."