God of Illusions

“Absolutely impossible! Fifty percent is too high! The headquarters will not agree to it. To host a bet, we will need the funding from the headquarters. And when applying for funding, we won’t be able to avoid the auditing process of the headquarters. They will never agree to a fifty-fifty share.” Zhuang Ming had an intense reaction toward the proposal.

“Funding application? If that is actually necessary, I would have left with the four trillion instead of sitting here talking to you.” Bai Xiaofei sneered and exposed Zhuang Ming’s lie.

The Babel Merchant House branches would normally operate independently. When a branch encountered a large sum of money, they would do what the Starnet Academy branch had done this time: either make a large profit for themselves or pay out of their own pocket for the losses to avoid trouble from the headquarters. However, the betting receipts of Babel Merchant House could be redeemed at all branches. That was also why Zhuang Ming and co were so afraid that Bai Xiaofei would go straight to the headquarters with the receipt.

“No matter what, fifty-fifty share is too high!” Zhuang Ming clenched his teeth and stood his ground even though he was currently in dire straits.

“Well, it is what it is. Fifty-fifty is my bottom line. If you can’t accept that, we won’t be able to work together.”

What Zhuang Ming feared most had arrived! Bai Xiaofei was grabbing tightly on his weakness! Lounging there leisurely, Bai Xiaofei passed some Crystal’s Longings to his companions before he started eating one himself. As for Zhuang Ming, he sank into a long contemplation. Ultimately, he conceded.

“Ok! Fifty-fifty it is! But if additional funding is required during our course of business, you have to help pay for it!” Zhuang Ming compromised after the initial senseless struggle.

“Deal!” Bai Xiaofei completely ignored the request that he had to pay if there was a lack of funds. The possibility of that happening was too low.

There was a saying that out of ten bets, nine were losing bets. But that only applied to gamblers, not the gambling dens. Instead, it was the other way around for the gambling dens.

“I will give you a detailed plan in the future. But before that, I have a few additional conditions. If you can agree to them, I will nullify seventy billion you still owe me.”

Zhuang Ming’s eyes went wide. “Seventy billion?”

“Why? You can’t be thinking that I will give up on the seventy billion just because we are going to work together, right? Do I look like the kind of person who would do something like that?” Bai Xiaofei said and sneered while looking at Zhuang Ming as if he was looking at a fool.

“Fine. Say it!” Zhuang Ming said through clenched teeth. From his expression, it was as if he wanted to swallow Bai Xiaofei whole.

“Relax. Deputy President Zhuang, my conditions are very reasonable. In fact, they are nothing difficult for you,” Bai Xiaofei said leisurely, but Zhuang Ming did not believe a single word.

Do you think I’m stupid?

“Firstly, I’m addicted to these Crystal’s Longings. If I guessed right, you guys will receive a certain amount of them each month, right? I am not greedy. For my remaining time in the academy, just supply me with fifty of them each month.”

Everyone was stunned. Nobody had expected that this would be Bai Xiaofei’s first request.

“Fifty? Do you think this is some cabbage that you can get as many as you want? We are only allocated thirty-five each month!” Zhuang Ming yelled at the top of his lungs, but right after those words left his mouth, he felt that something was off.

Damn it! I was tricked!

“Oh? Thirty-five? Sure, I don’t mind,” Bai Xiaofei said with a victorious and sly smile on his face. The only reason he had requested that many was to anger Zhuang Ming to the point he would reveal the actual number himself.

Bai Xiaofei had never expected that Zhuang Ming would actually fall for it so easily. From this, the importance of maintaining calm could be clearly seen.

“Ok! Anything else?” It was too late for regret, so Zhuang Ming accepted his fate. At present, he was no different than a fish on the chopping board. In his present state, even staying on the chopping board was considered lucky as something even worse could happen – being cooked in a pot. And on this chopping board, Bai Xiaofei had complete control on how he wanted to cut this “fish”.

“Of course. That is far from enough,” Bai Xiaofei declared, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, causing Zhuang Ming to start cursing him inwardly again. “The second condition is even simpler. I am very interested in the items from the vestige. If possible, I hope that you will let me know the moment you get hold of any new vestige items. I will offer a fair price for them.” 

Zhuang Ming did not reject this condition. After all, it wasn’t anything difficult, and it was not like Bai Xiaofei had any way of knowing if he decided to hide the vestige items he found. As for the so-called “fair price” Bai Xiaofei offered, Zhuang Ming pretended he didn’t hear it. As if Bai Xiaofei would ever offer anyone a fair price!

“Anything else?” Zhuang Ming howled, a trace of helplessness in his voice.

“Relax, Deputy President Zhuang. It is not good for people your age to get too agitated.” Bai Xiaofei smiled, saying something Zhuang Ming was glad to hear for the first time: “I have one last condition.”

It’s finally over! If I had known he was like this, I would have rather quit my job than deal with him!

“Say it!” Zhuang Ming said harshly and braced himself for the coming storm.

“Do you know Di Jiang?” Bai Xiaofei asked, his tone abruptly turning cold. Everyone present blanked out, Hu Xian’er included. She knew Bai Xiaofei was asking this due to the incident earlier, but she had no idea what he was planning to do.

“Fist of the Beast’s faculty head. If I don’t even know that, I can leave the academy right this moment,” Zhuang Ming said, his tone unfriendly. After all that had happened, he truly couldn’t stay friendly with Bai Xiaofei anymore.

“I need information on him. The more shocking the information, the better. It is even better if you can find some deep secret of his,” Bai Xiaofei said, his eyes glinting with a light only men would understand as a grin formed on his face.

“If that is what you want, I do have some information on him. But the Babel Merchant House is still a merchant house where trust is important. We can’t simply leak the information of our customers,” Zhuang Ming said, but he was in fact hinting something at Bai Xiaofei. Naturally, Bai Xiaofei understood what he was getting at. He was merely asking for an excuse to leak the information.

“Since we are already partners, I am no longer an outsider, right? Moreover, I will hide it well. No one will know the information came from you.” Bai Xiaofei easily gave him an excuse.

“True, you’re right. But I need to first arrange the information I have. Give me a few minutes,” Zhuang Ming said as a smile unique to businessmen formed on his face again. It would seem like his bottom line had already reached rock bottom. Or to be precise, from the moment he had entered this room, he no longer had a bottom line. Or to be even more precise, since the day he started trying to rise in ranks from the lowest rank of this merchant house, he no longer had a bottom line. 

Bottom lines were something only those with honor would have, but in this world, many people had already sold their honor.