Yang Zhen went straight back to the grove and said to Wang Meiling, who was still in shock and doubt, "I promise you..."
Wang Meiling's face lit up with joy, and she was about to speak when Yang Zhen's leisurely voice came again, "What are the benefits?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Meiling's expression froze for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure, looking at Yang Zhen with a half-smile, and said with a glint in her eyes, "What do you want?"
Yang Zhen gave Wang Meiling a deep look, thinking to himself that this woman was a master of bargaining and he had to be careful. Otherwise, he might not only fail to get any benefits but also be sold out by her and then happily act as her mascot.
Yang Zhen took a deep breath, smiled slightly, and asked without any hesitation, "What benefits has Miss Wang offered me?"
Wang Meiling's voice grew even sweeter as she approached Yang Zhen Yang Zhen, staring intently into her eyes and saying, "What do you want? Just ask, and I'll agree to anything!"
As she said this, Wang Meiling extended a finger and tapped Yang Zhen's forehead, looking at Yang Zhen with a half-smile.
Yang Zhen swallowed hard and said, "Ten million crystals, two Ten Thousand Flowers Banquet, three Transformation Fruit, four shops in the most prosperous area of Ten Thousand Flowers Island, and you, Miss... all the information you have about Sea Dragon Pool and the Great Emperor of the Eastern Wilderness!"
Wang Meiling was stunned, staring at Yang Zhen in disbelief. After a long while, she burst into laughter, put her hand on Yang Zhen Yang Zhen's shoulder to steady herself, glanced at him, and said, "Little guy, you seem to have too big an appetite!"
Yang Zhen pursed his lips and said, "I only have two big parts on my body, and one of them is my stomach."
"What about the other one?" Wang Meiling asked instinctively, then immediately regretted it. Yang Zhen, that bastard.
"Little one, do you know how much danger your sister risked to come see you? You're in a very dangerous situation right now. One wrong move and you could drag your sister down with you. You've offended the Flower Mountain Blessed Land, and who knows, you might need your sister's help in the future. How about we talk about the terms?"
Yang Zhen chuckled and said nonchalantly, "Do you think I would be afraid of retaliation from Flower Mountain Blessed Land if I dared to kill Lu Baichi?"
Wang Meiling was stunned. She glared at Yang Zhen and said with a mix of annoyance and helplessness, "I'll agree to all your other conditions, but ten million crystals and three Transformation Fruit are out of the question. Also, what do you need so many shops for, all alone?"
Yang Zhen pursed his lips and said, "Who said I can't have a shop just because I'm alone? Can't I just give it away?"
At this point, Yang Zhen chuckled and said, "Putting everything else aside, given the Wang Household's status on Ten Thousand Flowers Island, five shops aren't worth much. You should be able to agree to that. Also, you need to guarantee the safety of these five shops for the next five years."
Wang Meiling nodded and said, "Okay!"
"That's great!" Yang Zhen took a deep breath and continued, "Ten million crystals are just a drop in the ocean for you. You think you can't even spare a few crystals to make this Sage of Saunter risk his life for you?"
Wang Meiling glanced at Yang Zhen and said quietly, "Don't sound so aggrieved."
Yang Zhen clapped his hands and said, "I'll take that as a yes. There are still two more Ten Thousand Flowers Banquet to go. I've already treated you to one, so what's a couple more? Besides, you can eat with me. You don't get many chances to eat with this Sage of Saunter. Maybe if this Sage of Saunter enjoys the meal, he'll grant you some extra little requests."
For example?
For example... we can discuss that later.
Wang Meiling giggled, gave Yang Zhen a reproachful yet shy glare, and asked, "Have you always been this indecent?"
"Women love bad boys, you don't understand!" Yang Zhen continued with a profound expression, "And let's talk about the Transformation Fruit. Your Wang Household has an entire Transformation Tree. Don't tell me you can't produce a few fruits; it'll make me sad. When I'm sad, I want to sleep, and when I sleep, I'm especially prone to making mistakes!"
Wang Meiling stared at Yang Zhen in disbelief, feeling utterly helpless, like a little girl, speechless.
What kind of twisted logic is this? Yet Yang Zhen pronounces it with such seriousness, as if it were the grand principles of life.
"Okay, I'll try my best to help you!" Wang Meiling looked at Yang Zhen with a wry smile, then suddenly widened her eyes and glared at Yang Zhen with a resentful expression before bursting into laughter again.
"It's a shame you're not in business!"
Wang Meiling gave Yang Zhen a flirtatious glance, took a deep breath, and looked at Yang Zhen with a half-smile.
Yang Zhen was taken aback, and said blankly, "Why do I feel like I've been taken advantage of? I asked for too little?"
Wang Meiling giggled, nudged Yang Zhen, and said, "Don't pretend to be innocent after getting a good deal. With these conditions, I'm bound to get a scolding when I get back. Can you bear to see that?"
Heartless!
Yang Zhen almost blurted it out, but she swallowed it back and looked at Wang Meiling with a hum.
It was simply a matter of mutual benefit; he didn't think these conditions would put Wang Meiling in a difficult position.
Okay, maybe it's a little difficult, but so what? Mascots aren't free, are they?
The Shameless Cat, who had come back from the side, saw Wang Meiling put her hand on Yang Zhen's shoulder and grinned from ear to ear. He stared wide-eyed, completely dumbfounded.
"Holy crap, this kid may not have any other skills, but his flirting skills are off the charts. Tsk tsk, this woman is something else, she's practically crawling all over that Shameless Yang with that smile."
The longer he spent with Yang Zhen, the more witty and eloquent the "Shameless Cat" became, and every time he opened his mouth, it was a joke.
Watching Wang Meiling's graceful departure, Yang Zhen clicked his tongue and chuckled, "This young lady is still too naive. With this kind of business, she'll probably bankrupt the Wang Household in no time."
The voice of the Shameless Cat came:
"Damn it, you're so dishonest! You left me stranded in the middle of nowhere while you came here flirting with girls. How could I possibly know someone like you who forgets his friends for the sake of women?"
Yang Zhen glanced at the Shameless Cat and said, "If I don't leave you there, how will this Sage of Saunter come to ask for benefits?"
Upon hearing this, the Shameless Cat immediately became excited, forgetting even the grudge he had suffered at Yang Zhen's hands. He looked at Yang Zhen expectantly and asked, "Oh, kid, tell me quickly, what benefits did you want?"
"Ten million crystal stones, two Ten Thousand Flowers Banquet, three Transformation Fruit, four shops..."
The Shameless Cat looked at Yang Zhen with a bewildered expression, then at the direction Wang Meiling had left in, and said blankly, "Holy crap, you bit so hard, and that woman was smiling like a flower. Kid, tell me honestly, did you sell your lust?"
"Damn!" Yang Zhen kicked him, "That's called being born with extraordinary talent, beauties just fall for him!"
"Pah! You think I'd believe that?"
"Kid, you really plan to go with them?"
"Otherwise what?" Yang Zhen curled his lip and said, "Everyone else has gone to Sea Dragon Pool, even Old Gu went, but this woman hasn't gone yet. Do you really think they're just trying their luck?"
The Shameless Cat was stunned for a moment, then excitedly asked, "You mean... that woman knows information that others don't?"
"Hmph, do you really think this Sage of Saunter relies on luck? Without a bit of intelligence, what good is luck?"