Chapter 127: A Deal Under Pressure

Zhenjiang Security Zone, Tiancheng Merchant Guild Branch.

Under sparse moonlight, the luxurious private room on the fourth floor of the Merchant Guild was still brightly lit deep into the night.

“Father! I promised Brother Ye Lin I’d get him the Spiritual Energy Fruit—you can’t let me go back on my word!”

With both hands on the table, Wang Zheng, visibly agitated, glared at the calm Middle-Aged Man before him.

That was his father—and also the vice-chairman of the Tiancheng Merchant Guild, Wang Tian.

Clenching his fists, Wang Zheng fumed with impatience, his face etched with a pleading look, hoping his father would relent.

Just four hours earlier, he had risked everything to seize the Spiritual Energy Fruits reserved by the Sixth Group Army, intending to hand them over directly to Yenir, but never expected that Wang Tian had somehow caught wind and sent someone to stop him.

“Sit down!”

“Look at you—what do you think you’re saying?”

“You dared to tamper with supplies reserved by the Military! Do you have any idea what consequences await us if this blows up? The Sixth Legion is our biggest client—if they get even a little dissatisfied, do you know how huge our losses would be?”

“Don’t you know which is worth more: a clueless Third-Stage fighter or the Military?”

With a gloomy expression, Wang Tian set down his teacup and scolded the defiant Wang Zheng.

He hadn’t expected Wang Zheng to be so bold as to go behind his back and scheme for the sake of an outsider!

Refusing to sit, Wang Zheng glared at his father and shouted:

“Father! Brother Ye Lin isn’t some clueless Third-Stage fighter!”

“He saved my life! He even clinched a prototype for us! Even on its own, I don’t think his worth pales in comparison to the Military!”

“Besides, it’s not like we’re giving it away—we’re just doing him a favor!”

“The Military Department is buying up supplies everywhere. If we’re the only ones left out, they won’t even bother investigating—as long as we…”

Before Wang Zheng could finish, Wang Tian suppressed his frustration and interrupted him:

“Enough. Whether it saved your life or not is another matter. Since he took our Credit Points, he’s obligated to ensure your safety.”

“I admit, clinching that prototype—and even his abilities—proves invaluable to us. Under different circumstances, I could understand giving him a free batch.”

“But… not now!”

“These fruits are earmarked for the Sixth Group Army’s chosen Spark—and this Spark candidate happens to be the youngest son of the group commander, Zhao Meng! We simply can’t afford to offend them!”

Wang Tian sighed, looking at Wang Zheng’s stubborn expression and thinking his son was far too young.

“I never said we wouldn’t let him handle matters for Brother Ye Lin. Just wait a few months—in time, giving him a free batch will be fine. That way, we won’t offend the Military, and it repays a favor to you. I bet if we did give him a free batch, Brother Ye Lin would be all smiles!”

“Father! Ye Lin said he needs three days…”

Frowning, Wang Tian waved his hand to cut off whatever Wang Zheng had left to say, scoffing:

“Enough! What would a kid like you understand?!”

“A Third-Stage fighter like him, wanting these fruits is no big deal—they’re just for the lowly. To put it bluntly, he’s probably planning for us to collect them now so he can later sell them at a premium! Otherwise, tell me, what does he need them for?”

“Wang Zheng, you’re too young!”

“That’s that—do as I say! Don’t worry about breaking a promise; I’ve dealt with plenty like this before. We can always make it up to him later. These Awakeners will act as if nothing happened and keep serving your needs.”

“In this world, no one can resist money! And you think you can build bonds with people? Forget it!”

“Wang Zheng, we’re merchants! A good merchant always weighs pros and cons to maximize profit!”

Mouth agape, Wang Zheng looked bitterly at his father, his heart choked with frustration.

Even though his father’s words made sense, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Yenir shouldn’t be treated this way.

Weighing pros and cons… maximizing profit.

In Wang Tian’s eyes, Yenir’s value paled in comparison to the Military—or rather, the damage from upsetting Yenir was nothing compared to provoking the Military.

But is it really that simple? What if Father misjudged?

……….

“Chen Yong, can you muster up some on your end?”

In the late-night corridor, Wang Zheng, lost in thought, drew on a cigarette as flickering sparks danced in the darkness.

Unable to source the fruits from the Merchant Guild, he had no choice but to try asking others.

Yet the situation remained the same—several acquaintances he contacted were in the same bind. With such a large pool of candidates, there’s no shortage of ‘geniuses’ being selected. Nowadays, various factions and Military Regions know that the higher the rank, the greater the power upon emergence. In fierce competition, nearly every prospect is pushed to its limits. Whether they actually use the talent or not hardly matters.

For the vast reserves accumulated over the years by these factions, they could easily absorb such losses.

“No…”

“Our Military Region even supplied two Sparks, both Grade A. The inventory was completely claimed, and they’re now out gathering more.”

On the other end of a private chat, Chen Yong sighed helplessly.

He had assumed that procuring mid-grade Spiritual Energy Fruits for Yenir would be straightforward, but never expected it to be impossible at this juncture.

To be honest, he had no idea how to explain this to Yenir.

“I understand.”

Wearing a forced smile, after ending the private chat, Wang Zheng let out a long sigh and, after hesitation, chose to send a message to Yenir.

Staring at Yenir’s anonymous ID, he felt an unexpected pang of guilt.

“Lord Ye Lin, I’m truly sorry… I…”

……..

In the Tianfeng Security Zone, Yenir, who had woken at five in the morning, immediately noticed the message from Wang Zheng.

Seeing that despite their best efforts only four pieces had been found, his heart sank.

Yet, he had somewhat expected this outcome.

“So you’re saying a batch has been withheld? That the Merchant Guild simply won’t release it?”

After reading Wang Zheng’s lengthy self-reproach and explanation, Yenir soon regained his composure, his fingers drumming incessantly on the table.

Fortunately, he had already prepared a backup plan when he anticipated this result.

“Yes, Brother Ye Lin.”

“If all else fails, I’ll hire someone to seize the batch—it might take a day or two. What do you think…?”

On his private chat, Wang Zheng sent the message almost through gritted teeth.

But in the very next moment, a new message from Yenir lit up the conversation:

“No need.”

“But I want to meet with your father. You all come directly to the Tianfeng Security Zone. Also, please inform Chen Yong to bring along his father or any senior members.”

After sending the message, Yenir shook his head slightly, feeling a deep sense of helplessness.

He really didn’t want to do this.

Summoning the fathers of both Wang Zheng and Chen Yong—the ones with real authority—had one sole purpose: to let these old foxes witness firsthand his potential and talent! He was determined to show them that his true rank wasn’t Third-Stage but actually Second-Stage!

All that talk about Spark sequences and untouchable senior geniuses…

To Yenir, they were nothing but trash!

There was no other explanation—Wang Zheng’s father must have withheld the batch simply because he felt his worth was too low, or that it wasn’t worth provoking the Military.

If that was the case, then he had no choice but to demonstrate his true value.