The Owner of the Blue-Eyed Chamber of Commerce

"Have you found any trace of Water Chestnut Island Ice Beauty Yexiya?" Zijin asked.

"Nothing was found at the site of your battle," Charles shook his head, "But there are reports that she was seen in the northern Naga Clan territory, and the Federation is continuing its investigation."

"They didn't die even after all that!" Su Ming exclaimed in amazement.

"After all, he's a Saint Rank expert," Zijin said. "The vitality of orcs is annoying."

"The orc forces don't have many strong individuals; Ice Beauty Yexiya is the only Saint Rank openly," Charles said, placing the half-eaten sesame seed cake he was holding aside. "After being severely injured by you, even if she recovers, she'll be half-crippled."

Su Ming looked at the nautical chart. The journey back to Water Chestnut Island from the Naga Clan territory wasn't short. Considering the speed advantage of the White Triangle, they did have ample time to search the surrounding islands.

"In addition, the Star Rain fleet has headed to Water Chestnut Island North Port to interrogate the Orc Kingdom by force, and the remaining high-end Orc combat forces have been tied down," Charles continued.

The Bai Lou brought over a new sesame seed cake, which Charles set aside next to the other half.

"Except for a very few who might hinder you."

"So now is indeed a good opportunity to find this base," Su Ming said.

"Regarding the reward, the Alliance is willing to pay 80,000 gold coins, and hopes that if you have the opportunity, you will destroy the base directly," Charles continued. "An additional 30,000 can be paid for this."

"Destroy?" Zijin asked.

"Yes," Charles replied, "I personally think this is the best way to eliminate the threat completely. As long as we can successfully destroy the zombie base, even if we don't find the remaining three little sea monsters, the maritime trade crisis will naturally be resolved in two months." As he spoke, he handed over another piece of paper.

"This is the settlement statement for the first phase of the mission. Please take a look."

The paper listed the rewards for the first phase of the sea monster quest: a base fee of 50,000 gold coins, a reward of 20,000 gold coins for killing the first giant octopus, 90,000 gold coins for each of the subsequent two giant octopuses and one giant whale, a dispute settlement fee of 10,000 gold coins, and 20,000 gold coins for analyzing the lost household information.

Total of 190,000 gold coins.

Discovering the mastermind behind it all Water Chestnut Island Ice Beauty Yexiya, will earn an additional reward of 110,000 gold coins, along with a combat subsidy. A portion of this reward will go to Beianqi, who also participated in the battle; the specific amount will be negotiated by Su Ming and his group.

The entry of the Five Fangs into the water was not part of a mission assigned by the Federation, and the ship was responsible for its own losses. However, considering the bravery of the crew and their contributions, the Federation assumed responsibility for the compensation and benefits of the deceased crew members.

After deducting the materials Zijin requested during subsequent resupply and the 50,000 gold coins already paid, the final settlement amount for the mission is 18.

Ten thousand gold coins.

The ransom for the captain of the Netherworld, which had been overlooked before, was now dutifully paid up.

Judging from the organization of the list, the Federation is extremely trustworthy in keeping the contract, with a high level of integrity, and even honestly calculated the late payment fee of about 5,000 gold coins.

Within the firing range of the Mk71 cannon, indeed lies the realm of truth and civilization!

"Sea Monster Number 4 was completely exhausted and hardened to death during our battle," Zijin told Charles.

"This should be counted as a victory."

Charles glanced discreetly at the gatekeeper. "We can decide whether to pay 10,000 gold coins."

"Please pay 30,000 as per the contract," Zijin said firmly. "You will bear all the consequences of breaching the contract."

Charles argued for a few moments, then reluctantly increased the payment to $216,000.

Zijin and Su Ming didn't want to waste time on overly detailed matters, and seeing that there were no problems, Zijin signed her agreement.

Charles handed over the third document of the day, "Regarding the investigation of the zombie base, we've prepared an agreement. Please take a look; if there are no objections, we can sign it."

Su Ming glanced through the document, which outlined the objectives of the investigation, the rights and obligations of both the Federation and the White Triangle, and the rules for cooperation.

This time it's written in great detail, more than double the length. It has to be said, these businessmen are truly shrewd; no wonder they've been able to build such a large business.

After some haggling, the price was raised to 130,000 gold coins, and the two signed the contract immediately.

"The Federation thanks you both for your great help!" Charles then pulled out another letter. "This is entrusted to me by the Temple of Light; it must be opened by Scholar Li himself."

The envelope is made of the finest magical materials and is covered with intricate runes that cannot be deciphered. It will self-destruct immediately if opened by someone other than the person who opened it.

"He's really willing to spend that much!" Zijin exclaimed.

She opened the envelope and pulled out a card. Su Ming leaned over to glance at it; it only had one line written on it, "The Gospel items are useless to you. Three hundred thousand gold coins. You decide the method of transaction!"

In just one second, the words on the card disappeared, leaving Zijin with only a blank card in her hand.

"Scholar Li, the Church of the God of Light requests that you write your reply on a card, put it in an envelope, and seal it as is," Charles said. "I will forward it to you."

A mocking smile played on Zijin's lips. She put the envelope and letter away, tucking them into a book on the table. This letter was clearly no ordinary item; it could be broken down into decent magical materials. Why return it?

"What letter did you just say?" She smiled and looked at Charles.

Charles rose calmly, bowed respectfully, and said, "My business is done; please excuse me."

He then packed his briefcase and left.

Su Ming watched with great interest as Charles walked out of the cabin and, with his guards, returned to the Little Trench Coat without looking back.

"This guy was too pretentious today," Su Ming said.

"Not surprising, he made it clear that the guards weren't one of his own." Zijin yawned.

It seems quite a lot has happened within the Federation this time; Charles himself appears to be under surveillance and investigation. However, Su Ming and Zijin are not concerned about such matters.

"Does Charles really need to act like this?" Su Ming was very dissatisfied. "Is he deliberately implying that we have a problem—what kind of guessing game is this?"

Zijin thought for a moment, "Actually, it's quite easy to answer. His statement, 'Even if we don't find the remaining three little sea monsters,' is a reminder that once we find the zombie breeding base, we'll immediately settle scores and eliminate any remaining threats."

Su Ming originally thought that the Temple of Light would only turn against him after the sea monster incident was completely resolved, but it seems they are much more impatient than he imagined.

This also shows that the Council of Cardinals of Light is extremely confident about this joint dragon attack. How exactly did they solve the problem of the dragons settling on the ocean? Su Ming pondered.

"Why is that guy suddenly eating a pancake for no reason?" Zijin suddenly asked. "This guy is so picky. The first time he came, he wouldn't eat it even when we offered him such fragrant instant noodles."

"That's not instant noodles," Su Ming corrected, "It's just leftover instant noodle crumbs, and you burned them."

"Cooking human food is such a hassle." Zijin loosened her hair, smoothed the strands, and began to recall Charles's actions. "He took a bite of the first one, asked for the second, but then deliberately pushed it aside—I understand, he was reminding us that there might be a problem with the supplies. This one works, but next one won't!"

The next supply resupply is scheduled after the Storm Sea is surveyed, but the enemy has already begun making plans.

"It could be poison, a hidden bomb, or some other weird scheme." Zijin's eyes flashed with a fierce light. "Too lazy to guess."

We'll just blow up the supply ships too!

"--I always feel like I'm too innocent, out of place in this world." Su Ming sighed. "By the way, we need to thoroughly check this supply shipment too."

"I would have done it even if you hadn't said anything," Zijin said, standing up. "So we need to hurry, finish this quickly, and then get away, disappearing from their sight as soon as possible."

"I still don't quite understand," Su Ming said. "Charles doesn't seem to be under any restrictions; he could easily pass on this information by simply slipping a note along with it."

"It's just a way to avoid liability—leaving no room for complaint or leverage, everything is just our own speculation," Zijin replied. "But this guy is good enough; he did remind us."

She yawned as she spoke.

"Why are you even more sleepy than me?" Su Ming asked curiously.

Zijin rolled her eyes at him. "You slept so comfortably. I was dragged by Beianqi to read the documentation for the anti-roll gyroscope and assemble it with her until four in the morning before I finally got to sleep!"

You really spoil her.

****

After Charles left, another ship Mimosa, arrived. This time it was from a large fleet, and the trader brought settlements including escort fees and proceeds from the spoils auction, totaling around 270,000 gold coins.

After calculating, the majority of the revenue still came from auctioning off pirate ships captured during battles. Escort missions only accounted for a small portion, and the remaining 55% was deducted from the loss of the cargo ship that boarded the ship.

The speed at which wealth is accumulated through robbery and plunder is undeniable.

Both transactions used gold coins that had been melted down into magic crystals, which translates to approximately 1 gram per unit weight. Therefore, the total of over 400,000 gold coins, when piled up on the White Triangle, amounted to about the volume of two chests.

"You dare to come here on the Blue-Eyed Chamber of Commerce's ship?" Zijin said calmly, noticing the markings on the ship.

Previously, at a meeting of the Federation, the Blue-Eyed Chamber of Commerce proposed that everyone make things difficult for Su Ming and his group. In response, Zijin rudely dismantled the supply ship that they had brought to deliver supplies and burned it as firewood as a warning.

"Chestnut Crow Scholar, if smashing the ship makes you feel better, please do so!" The captain of the Mimosa immediately bowed and said, "What happened before was all the fault of our merchant guild!"

The scholar, quick to understand the situation, was in a good mood and didn't make a fuss, even giving the sailors a large sum of copper coins as a reward.

However, after the ship was sent away, Su Ming discovered that the two large boxes containing gold coins in the workshop were gone.

"You put it away so quickly?" Su Ming said, "I wanted to shamelessly take one more look."

Upon seeing the stacks of gold bricks, Su Ming wondered if his aesthetic sense had been downgraded: why did he think that something with such a tacky and unartistic design was the most beautiful thing in the world?

"They've been sent away," Zijin replied, already sitting at the table, having opened a pile of books and notes.

"Send them away?"

"Like I said, money is useless to us," Zijin replied. "It belongs in the market and trading houses."

It enters the circulation process and is exchanged for resources.

Su Ming didn't quite understand. But as he looked back at the Mimosa that had already sailed away, he realized something, "Wait, that's the ship!"

"There's a hidden compartment in the lower deck of the Mimosa; I had two skeletons stuff them in there."

"No, let me teach you." Su Ming raised his hand, many thoughts swirling in Su Ming mind. "The Blue-Eyed Chamber of Commerce— " he pointed at the girl, "Is yours!"

"Not entirely. Michaele Booker, the president of the Blue-Eyed Chamber of Commerce, was my apprentice seventy years ago," Zijin replied. "He had limited talent, so he dropped out of school to go into business after twenty years. I provided him with tremendous support at the time. I hold 70% of the guild's shares through secret ownership."

Very well, from the questioning to the smashing of the ship, everything has been staged! The price of just a small boat has left no room for doubt that the Blue-Eyed Chamber of Commerce belongs to Zijin!

The girl in front of me, Chestnut Crow Scholar, truly lives up to her reputation as someone standing at the top of this world!

Su Ming was a little annoyed by this high-level game.

"You should have told me sooner!" he said, his tone full of resentment.

I thought you would enjoy this kind of riddle.

Su Ming glanced at the scholar but said nothing more.

Zijin put down her book and looked at Su Ming. "You're angry."

Su Ming took a deep breath and composed himself.

"Because decision-making is exhausting. I'm constantly dealing with all sorts of things, a whole host of situations to resolve—so you shouldn't hide such an important matter from me." He told the scholar frankly, "I've already expressed what I wanted to say. Now, I'm fine, just give me some time to process this."

Most of the time, Su Ming would maintain his rationality and keep his emotions on the outside. But too many things had happened in quick succession recently, and even with his personality, he couldn't always calmly cope with wave after wave of pressure.

However, for office workers, EMO is nothing new, and adjusting oneself is a daily routine.

Instead of wasting his time, he picked up a whip, made a meter-long spinning top out of bones, and ran to the deck to whip it.

Zijin sat at the table and pondered for a while. She felt that she might need to take some extra lessons in emotional intelligence. She picked up her pen to continue writing, but found that she couldn't concentrate, and the manuscript she wrote was a mess.

A glint of light shone from the scholar's fingertips as he erased the newly written text from the notebook, restoring the paper to its pristine white. At the same time, a question arose in his mind: what was the problem on his end?

Zijin wanted to ask Beianqi for advice, but she knew Bei Anqi was definitely in the lower deck at the moment. However, the scholar didn't waste her time on internal debate either; she put down her books and went to the deck as well.

****

The supply ship had already sailed far away, and none of the other ships dared to approach. The sea around the White Triangle was crystal clear. On the deck, whips cracked back and forth, and the huge solid spinning top was whipped by Su Ming, changing position and posture at will.

Before Zijin noticed, Su Ming had already used his whip quite well.

She pondered that this phase of his training should be considered a final step.

As Zijin approached, Su Ming instinctively lashed out at the scholar with his whip, creating distance and casting a shield on himself.

"No fighting now." Zijin gripped the whip, making no other move.

This was strange, Su Ming wondered. "Did I affect your mood? I told you I'm fine."

"There's something I'd like to discuss." The scholar tossed aside her whip. "In my experience, backstabbing and scheming have always been the norm. Even with my longtime apprentice, Michelle Booker, I don't completely trust him." She walked to the railing at the edge of the stern deck, gazing at the sea. "Besides the interdependence of interests in the Blue-Eyed Chamber of Commerce's affairs, the reason he dares not betray me is that I hold too much dirt on him. Once exposed, he'll be brought down from his high position in no time, devoured by those around him."

"So?" Su Ming raised his hand, and the whip folded into a W shape and returned. He fastened the rope, hung it around his waist, and walked to the railing. In front of them was the beautiful V-shaped trail of the White Triangle, spreading towards the distant horizon.

A white seagull swooped down and plunged into the waves. Then it grabbed a fish that had been stunned by the propeller, broke out of the water, and flapped its wings, leaving behind a spray of glistening water droplets.

"I hope you can understand. In my past experiences, I've never met anyone like you." Zijin looked at the bird and said bluntly, "What I want to say is that although I sometimes find you soft-hearted, your moral standards are far higher than those of the world I live in."

"This isn't exactly a good thing," Su Ming replied. "It's just a difference caused by different upbringing. Morality won't help this sheltered baby like me survive even one more second in this world."

"No, actually it's quite good," Zijin said. "You don't understand how much you've benefited from it—your mental strength has improved rapidly during this period without encountering any obstacles, precisely because you are extremely resilient in your self-awareness."

"Self-awareness? Confusion?" Su Ming heard words he didn't understand again.

"It can be understood as a code of conduct, or as a belief. The stronger one's spiritual power, the easier it is to lose one's way of thinking."

Su Ming focused his mind, "The consequences will be severe?"

"Of course. In our world, almost all power is determined by the will of the mind. Once one loses control, one becomes addicted, at best stagnating in cultivation, at worst never having to cultivate at all." Zijin's tone relaxed a bit. "I use the practice of the doctrines of the Light to solidify my consciousness and break through my own level, in order to meet the needs of improving my spiritual power."

Wielding a giant weapon tests one's physical weight, and wielding complex and vast spiritual power also tests one's mental world.

Whether one can sway power or be swayed by it is not a choice for High Rank combatants, but a fatal question that will come at a huge cost if they make a mistake. If they cannot do this, they are better off staying in the lower ranks.

"Su Ming, among the Atheists, none have ever reached your level," Zijin continued. "You will definitely go further than me in the future."

"I really like being praised by you, although I can't quite appreciate it yet," Su Ming said.

"You still have some time to grow before you can truly master these skills," Zijin explained. "You'll understand them deeply then."

The two were silent for a moment, looking at the sea and sky. Zijin continued, "In this world, the only people I can face without scheming are three family members."

In the sea breeze, the girl's tone was exceptionally earnest, "So please give me time, let me learn how to get along with you."