Secret Alliance

He stared at Wang Shouzhe for a long moment before saying, "Brother, are you teasing me? Or setting another trap for me to fall into? I'm already in this state... what possible chance do I have to redeem myself?"

"The cause of the insect plague, the principle behind why the Pest-Exterminating Powder is gradually losing its effectiveness, and the direction for research into a new formula..." Wang Shouzhe said with a calm expression, "If all this isn't enough for you to make a comeback, Brother Qian, then I have misjudged your capabilities."

"Is this true?" Manager Qian stood up abruptly, a powerful aura at the peak of the ninth layer of the Qi Refining Realm erupting from him. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he said, "If this merit is real, Brother Shouzhe, then you are a true brother to me, Qian Xue'an."

What a powerful aura!

Even Wang Shouzhe was slightly surprised. This Manager Qian was usually so unassuming, yet his cultivation was actually this high. He was truly worthy of being from the Longzuo Prefecture's prominent Qian Clan; even a minor manager at a branch office possessed such strength.

From this small glimpse, one could see the whole picture: the Qian Clan of Longzuo was truly formidable.

"Does Manager Qian intend to use this great merit to secure a chance to break through to the Spirit Platform Realm?" Wang Shouzhe narrowed his eyes slightly. He knew the man wasn't just showing off his aura for no reason; he was demonstrating his value and potential to Wang Shouzhe.

"Brother understands me." After his "display of strength," Qian Xue'an immediately returned to his harmless, Maitreya-Buddha-like appearance. "Let me be frank with you, Brother. I am the illegitimate son of a direct bloodline within the Qian Clan. You can imagine my status and treatment in the family; the bitterness I've endured to reach where I am today is beyond words. Without a special merit, the chance of securing family support to attempt the Spirit Platform Realm is far too slim. If you help me, Brother, no matter the outcome, I, Qian Xue'an, will be eternally grateful."

"Does Brother Qian know why I didn't contribute this merit to the Purple Mansion Academy myself?" Wang Shouzhe smiled, as if testing Qian Xue'an's wisdom.

"The matter of the Pest-Exterminating Powder is of great significance, and your Ping'an Wang Clan is too weak." Qian Xue'an also smiled. "Even if you contributed your research to the Academy, with the high-and-mighty attitude of those people, they wouldn't necessarily feel any gratitude toward your Wang Clan. But we, the Qian Clan of Longzuo, are different. With this data, we have the qualifications to negotiate with the Academy. Even if we only gain an extra ten percent of the profits from the new powder in the future, that is a massive sum! Therefore, you chose to give this merit to me, Brother. This is what you called... that term you used earlier..."

"Maximizing benefits," Wang Shouzhe said, sipping his tea.

"Exactly, that's the term." Qian Xue'an said solemnly, "But there is a prerequisite: I must be grateful and repay your kindness, Brother Shouzhe. We can sign a secret covenant regarding this. If I ever violate it, you are free to make it public and ruin my reputation. You know that our Qian Clan values credibility above all else; once a person's reputation is destroyed, you know what the outcome will be."

This Manager Qian was indeed a friend who understood the stakes.

Wang Shouzhe felt a sense of relief. In this day and age, the only thing worse than casting pearls before swine is pouring your heart into supporting someone, only to find they are an ingrate.

From his previous interactions with Qian Xue'an, he had already realized that this was a man who acted with caution and possessed a delicate mind. Otherwise, how could an illegitimate son of a direct bloodline have reached this point?

"Brother Qian, if we sign a secret covenant, we will be in the same boat," Wang Shouzhe asked one last time. "Have you thought this through?"

Qian Xue'an pondered for a moment. "If it were any other ally, I would naturally need to deliberate further." He paused, then looked at Wang Shouzhe with a serious, solemn expression. "But signing a secret covenant with you, Brother Shouzhe, is exactly what I have been hoping for. You are meticulous yet bold, and your ability to turn the tides at will commands my utmost respect. I firmly believe that being in the same boat as you is the greatest fortune of my life."

Although the words were a bit exaggerated, Wang Shouzhe could feel his sincerity. He immediately made up his mind and began drafting the secret covenant.

Adhering to the philosophy of addressing the worst-case scenarios first, Wang Shouzhe drafted the terms to be meticulous and without obvious loopholes, clearly outlining the responsibilities and obligations of both parties.

When Qian Xue'an finished reading the covenant, he was stunned—not because the terms were complex or harsh, but because they were so simple and equitable. In his mind, his future—whether it ended in a miserable failure or a meteoric rise—was entirely in Wang Shouzhe's hands.

Even if the conditions had been harsh, he would have found it normal; he had already mentally prepared himself for that.

"Brother Shouzhe, this covenant..." Qian Xue'an frowned slightly. "Do you need to add more restrictive clauses for me?"

"Brother Qian, I am looking for an ally, not a subordinate," Wang Shouzhe said, sipping his tea leisurely. "Since we are allies, we should naturally uphold the principles of fairness, justice, mutual respect, and looking out for one another. If one day you feel that our covenant has lost its meaning, you may refer to the final clause: pay your ally ten thousand Qian Gold, and the covenant will be void."

Qian Xue'an took a deep breath. After signing and pressing his thumbprint on both copies of the contract, he bowed deeply. "The breadth of your heart, Brother Shouzhe, is the greatest I have ever seen in my life. I swear, as long as you do not betray me, I will not betray you. Otherwise, may I be struck by lightning and die."

"You speak too heavily, Brother. From now on, we are brothers; we share in each other's glory and each other's losses." Wang Shouzhe was very satisfied with this result. After putting away the contract, he handed the prepared documents to Qian Xue'an. "As for how to proceed from here, I believe you know better than I do."

Qian Xue'an focused on the documents, his expression becoming increasingly animated as he read. "Incredible, simply incredible, yet perfectly logical. Brother Shouzhe, this data is extremely precious; it can prevent the problem of the new Pest-Exterminating Powder losing its effectiveness in the future."

This data was written by Wang Shouzhe himself, using the simplest language possible to explain how the Honey Insects developed drug resistance and how the ancient formula needed to be adjusted to kill them.

As for how to adjust it or conduct the experiments, Wang Shouzhe offered no suggestions; he would let the Academy figure that out for themselves.

Furthermore, Wang Shouzhe had no intention of developing a new powder himself; the interests involved were far too vast. It would be equivalent to levying a "pest tax" on every acre of fertile land in the entire Longzuo Prefecture, and the astronomical profits involved would be enough to crush the Wang Clan.

"Good, good, good. With this great merit," Qian Xue'an's eyes shone with brilliance, "if I still can't make this work, then I've lived these thirty-eight years in vain."

He carefully put away the contract and said to Wang Shouzhe with a smile, "Brother Shouzhe, I must admit, if not for this great merit, I would have truly hated you to death. Your move was absolutely ruthless. But now, heh, I can only say that you did a beautiful job."

"I am merely going with the flow," Wang Shouzhe smiled. "How much is your shopkeeper planning to pay to buy back the contract?"

"Originally, the shopkeeper's bottom line was double the price of the contract. Of course, it would be best if he could make you retreat in the face of difficulty and settle for a thousand Qian Gold," Qian Xue'an's eyes narrowed. "However, this insect plague is coming on very fiercely. The various clans estimate that without effective measures, production will drop by sixty to seventy percent, which is equivalent to a loss of about ten large copper coins per acre. If they can use a double dose of the powder to save the crops in time, the loss would be at most one or two large copper coins."

"So, according to you, the psychological bottom line for the clans' investment in the powder per acre is about six large copper coins?" Wang Shouzhe had already calculated this and laughed. "Then if the Qian Clan Trading Firm buys back the contract at double the price, they won't just break even—they'll make a profit?"

"Wrong," Qian Xue'an smiled, eyes squinting. "The psychological bottom line for those clans is at least twelve large copper coins per acre, perhaps even more. And they will have to beg us to sell it to them, because our current stock of the powder is far from enough to save all the clans."

"If the loss is greater than the investment, they might as well not invest and just let the grain production drop," Wang Shouzhe frowned, slightly confused.

"Brother, you should know that the Great Qian laws prohibit manipulating grain prices during good or bad harvests. On the surface, this is an excellent policy for the people," Qian Xue'an sneered and shook his head. "But in reality, during a disaster, it does more harm than good. Merchants are not motivated by anything other than profit. If grain prices don't rise, how many merchants would be willing to transport grain to Longzuo from so far away?"

"Therefore, a grain shortage in Longzuo is already a foregone conclusion. Most clans have old grain reserves to cope with the disaster, but a significant portion of the commoners will find it difficult to buy grain even if they have the money. Take our Changning Guard region, for example: the total population is over five hundred thousand, but the total amount of fertile land is only one hundred and fifty thousand acres."