S-Class Contract?

Manager Zhou wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and ventured a guess:

"General Manager Fu, Li Qingshan mentioned before that he had no plans to sign with a company. Maybe he really doesn't intend to sign?"

"Impossible." Fu Wen dismissed it without a second thought.

"On the path of martial arts, without sufficient resources to back you up, you can't get anywhere—especially someone of Li Qingshan's background."

"Unless he's an idiot, or..."

Fu Wen's face gradually darkened as his fingers began tapping on the desk.

"Someone's cutting in on our Yinghai deal!"

"General Manager Fu, that's impossible." Manager Zhou's expression tensed as he quickly said:

"I've done as you instructed, keeping last night's news as vague as possible. Aside from the first batch of local companies that got the message, there's no way it spread far."

"Those small local outfits don't even know the contract tier. They couldn't possibly offer better terms than us."

"Don't rush to explain. I haven't decided to clear your seat yet."

Fu Wen let out a derisive snort, lifting his eyelids slightly.

"Whether someone's cutting in or not, we'll find out by testing it, won't we?"

Manager Zhou just relaxed, then blinked blankly.

"How do we test it?"

Fu Wen waved his hand decisively and said firmly:

"Send the C-tier contract directly to Li Qingshan. Even if someone's cutting in, they can't offer higher than a C-tier contract!"

Manager Zhou immediately bowed his head and complied. After sending the contract, he flattered:

"General Manager Fu is brilliant. A C-tier contract will surely make Li Qingshan change his mind. Once he comes to Yinghai, we can offer him a B-tier contract for the next level up..."

"B-tier?" Fu Wen cut him off with a sneer, glancing at Manager Zhou.

"Who said I was going to raise it to B-tier?"

"This... according to the original plan..." Manager Zhou stammered.

He had assumed Fu Wen would still follow the original plan. Even with the contract bumped up a tier, the deal would still be worthwhile.

But clearly, he'd guessed wrong.

"If I sign Li Qingshan with a B-tier contract, what difference is there between me and those mediocrities out there?"

"Signing isn't just about sincerity—it's about seizing the 'momentum'!"

Fu Wen slammed the table hard, staring at Manager Zhou.

"Contact Li Qingshan right now. I want to talk to him personally!"

"R-right... right..."

Manager Zhou didn't dare delay. He quickly found Li Qingshan in his contacts and dialed.

A light screen expanded, and Li Qingshan's figure appeared on it.

"Manager Zhou, there's no need to discuss the contract anymore. I really have no intention of signing."

Li Qingshan frowned slightly, a note of impatience creeping into his voice.

After all, this was already the third time he'd turned down Yinghai.

As he spoke, Li Qingshan walked over to the wall and picked up the long blade he'd tossed aside earlier.

The blade slid back into its sheath.

Manager Zhou's face was awkward, and he could only force a dry laugh.

"Qingshan, don't be hasty. That last contract was poorly thought out on our part. I've sent you a new C-tier contract—every benefit has been more than doubled."

Li Qingshan's frown deepened. He was about to refuse again.

On the other side of the screen, the Bald Middle-Aged Man's face was shoved aside.

A long-haired young man appeared in the upper half of the screen. Due to the angle, he seemed to be looking down from on high.

"Li Qingshan, right? I'm Fu Wen, General Manager of Yinghai. A C-tier contract isn't something just anyone can sign—especially getting one from me, Fu Wen. That's no easy feat..."

Fu Wen's gaze was arrogant, looking down his nose, his words dripping with condescension like charity.

"Psycho!"

Those three words dropped, and Li Qingshan's figure vanished. The call ended.

Fu Wen's confident expression froze on his face, and for a long moment, he couldn't react.

Manager Zhou's forehead beaded with sweat as he quietly reminded him.

"General Manager Fu?"

"How dare he! How dare he!"

Fu Wen snapped back to reality, slamming his palm against the table with a thunderous bang.

Manager Zhou trembled in fright, stumbling backward.

The solid wood desk couldn't bear the strain and snapped in two down the middle.

Fu Wen took a deep breath, finally suppressing the agitation in his heart.

"No, Li Qingshan is just a poor student—where does he get the nerve to act so arrogant?"

Fu Wen jerked his head up, glaring at Manager Zhou, who had retreated to the corner.

"Get over here! Pull up the recording of that call!"

Li Qingshan definitely had other trump cards, and Fu Wen had to find them.

"Coming, coming!"

Manager Zhou scurried forward and quickly pulled up the recorded call footage.

The light screen lit up, and Li Qingshan's figure reappeared.

"Manager Zhou..."

Fu Wen studied Li Qingshan's expression closely, his brow gradually furrowing.

He had to admit one thing—he had guessed wrong earlier. Judging by Li Qingshan's demeanor, there was no room left for negotiation, as if he truly had no intention of signing.

"Where does Li Qingshan get that confidence?"

Just as Fu Wen was lost in thought, a flash of blade light, and the long sword returned to its sheath.

Fu Wen jolted, his eyes snapping wide.

"Stop!"

Manager Zhou flinched and quickly hit pause.

"General Manager Fu, what's wrong? Is there something special about that blade?"

Fu Wen ignored Manager Zhou entirely, his face nearly pressed against the screen, his gaze locked onto the black longsword.

"Is that really a Thunder Pattern Blade? How does Li Qingshan have a Thunder Pattern Blade?"

Fu Wen muttered to himself, his expression dazed.

Manager Zhou, intrigued by his demeanor, couldn't help asking again, "General Manager Fu, is that blade very expensive?"

"Expensive? It's far more than expensive!"

Fu Wen snapped back to reality, his eyes still filled with disbelief.

"The Thunder Pattern Blade has a price but no market—you couldn't buy one even with a hundred million Star Coins!"

"Ah!" Manager Zhou's jaw dropped, his mind reeling.

In just one month, the poor student who used to work part-time in Yinghai to make ends meet was now using a combat blade worth a hundred million Star Coins?

This world was way too surreal!

"General Manager Fu, do you think some big consortium has already snatched up Li Qingshan?"

Manager Zhou shook off his daze and voiced the only guess he could think of.

"Big consortium?"

Fu Wen repeated those three words over and over in his mind.

His rational side made him agree with that view—after all, the Thunder Pattern Blade wasn't something the civilian market in Luoying could supply.

But deep down, he instinctively refused to accept it.

A Thunder Pattern Blade wasn't something an A-Class Contract could offer. At the very least, Li Qingshan had signed an S-Class Contract.

An S-Class Contract wasn't something just anyone could produce.

Even his father, as the regional head of Wuyi Province in Yinghai, could only submit an application and wait for headquarters to send an inspection team.

More importantly, being an S-Class Contract target was itself a status symbol.

An S-Class Contract meant a meteoric rise—no one would rashly offend such a person.

Just moments ago, he was a nobody Fu Wen could push around, and now he had suddenly transformed into someone even his father would have to treat with courtesy?

At that thought, Fu Wen's heart churned with mixed emotions.

"General Manager Fu? General Manager Fu? What do we do now?"

Fu Wen snapped out of it and waved his hand. "Contact Li Qingshan again!"

"Ah?" Manager Zhou's lips trembled, and he hesitated to move.

He might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he wasn't stupid either.

Now that Li Qingshan's status was clearly no longer ordinary, how could he dare to offend him to the death?

"Don't worry!"

Fu Wen saw what Manager Zhou was thinking, took a deep breath, and suppressed all kinds of emotions inside.

"This time, I'm apologizing to him. My attitude before was indeed a bit rash."

"Apologize?" Manager Zhou was shocked.

In the three days since taking office, Fu Wen had always been condescending and imperious, and now he was voluntarily lowering his head?

Still, this was a good thing after all. Manager Zhou quickly dialed Li Qingshan's number.

Both pairs of eyes stared intently at the Communicator.

After a short series of beeps, the screen went dark.

He had been blocked...

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