Chapter 101: Obeying the Words

Elder Xue said, “Could we be given some time to consider this matter?”

“Of course.”

“Then, could you release Brother Duyun first? He’s just a bit hot-tempered, with no ill intentions.”

“No problem.” Qian Ye put away the Eastern Peak. The red-faced elder, however, couldn’t stand up. It was only after Xue Wu and another elder came to his aid that he struggled to his feet and managed to return to his seat, barely able to catch his breath.

In that brief moment of resistance, the red-faced elder had already expended most of his origin power. The pressure from the Eastern Peak was overwhelming, and he had no choice but to burn through his origin power to support himself. With even a slight faltering, his knees would have given in, resulting in severe injuries. Therefore, in just three seconds, he was completely drained.

However, while they were supposed to deliberate, including Xue Wu, everyone remained silent, at a loss for words. The items Qian Ye had brought were simply too astonishing. Everyone present was well-traveled and knowledgeable, and it didn’t take much thought to realize the countless uses of such an alloy. The more they thought about it, the more their hearts filled with dread.

With such a formula and a mature processing technique, Nanyuan Heavy Industries could easily strangle the foundation of Guanlan City’s industry. From any angle, Guanlan City had no chance of competing with Darkflame. It was clear that in the future, wherever Darkflame set foot, there would be no room for Guanlan City. The families of Guanlan City would only be left with the hard and thankless tasks that Darkflame refused to do.

This was the true source of their fear. In the past, Qian Ye’s battles and killings only destroyed the branches of these families, but Song Zining’s actions were aimed at the roots.

The worst part was that Guanlan City was not far from Nanyuan, with no major forces to serve as a buffer. If Darkflame lured them with wealth and power, how many families in Guanlan City could resist? The only ones who might put up a fight to the end would be the Xue family. The Xue family was still nominally the top family in Guanlan City, and it was this very title that had brought them to their downfall.

It was Xue Wu who made the first decision, nodding slowly at Elder Xue. After looking around and seeing everyone either helpless or indifferent, even the red-faced elder remaining silent, Elder Xue sighed deeply.

Elder Xue bowed to Qian Ye, saying, “Lord Qian Ye, since the tide is against us, our families will not be so foolish as to oppose it. But please, Lord Qian Ye, clarify what exactly it is that you want from us.”

Qian Ye nodded, “If everyone is willing to cooperate, that would be best. Otherwise, I’ll have to visit the heads of the city’s various merchant houses, which would add another layer of trouble.”

Everyone exchanged glances, inwardly relieved that they hadn’t torn off the facade. If Darkflame’s partners became the various merchant houses, Guanlan City would likely witness the decline of old families and the rise of new ones.

Qian Ye placed another briefcase on the table and opened it, saying, “The details of the cooperation are inside.”

Inside the briefcase were several parts, similar in shape to those they had seen before, but rougher in appearance, clearly intermediate products. Seeing these, everyone began to speculate. In the center of the case was a part with an extremely complex and unknown function, which they had not seen before.

Qian Ye pointed to the parts, “These are semi-finished products, needing only a few final steps. What you need to do is to establish the corresponding workshops according to our requirements. The mid-to-late stage processing of these parts will take place there.”

The elders were both pleased and worried. It was clear that the demand for these parts was almost endless, and they could be sold back to the Empire or even the Evernight without issue, ensuring a steady flow of income. However, such a lucrative business was unlikely to be easy to get into.

Indeed, Qian Ye smiled and said, “For the newly established workshops, Darkflame will hold 60% of the equity.”

A commotion broke out in the room, but Xue Wu said, “Our Xue family agrees.”

Elder Xue was taken aback, but after some thought, he did not object. The other elders quickly understood that they had no real choice. If they missed this opportunity, they would be out of the game in Guanlan City.

Qian Ye then pointed to the central, highly complex part, “I’m sure everyone is familiar with the manufacturing process of this part, which requires the use of origin power by powerful individuals. We hope to receive a stable supply from all of you, which is the foundation of our cooperation.”

This left everyone except the Xue family with a bitter smile. The production of such parts required a significant amount of origin power. If Darkflame required a large quantity, most of the families’ strong individuals would have no time for anything else, being occupied with the labor-intensive work. This would effectively confine the strong individuals to Guanlan City, making it difficult for them to influence the surrounding situation. Smaller families with limited strong individuals would be particularly affected. On the other hand, large families like the Xue family, with many strong individuals, could still manage and live better.

So Xue Wu immediately said, “We can agree to this, but since it involves the use of strong individuals, we hope Lord Qian Ye can provide a reasonable price and a quantity we can handle.”

“Naturally.”

With the two most important conditions settled, the rest of the discussion proceeded smoothly. Qian Ye took out a prepared plan and placed it in front of everyone. Even Elder Xue gasped when he saw the plan. It required each family to build twenty workshops, ten in Guanlan City and ten in Nanyuan. This was a massive investment, using up nearly a decade’s worth of savings. Seeing this plan, everyone realized the extent of Darkflame’s ambitions.

Qian Ye spoke in a milder tone, “From the moment the workshops are built, we will be one family. This plan is just a part of the overall layout. Soon, you will see that the sky over the East Sea will belong to us.”

As for how the twenty workshops would be divided among the families, that was an internal matter, and Qian Ye did not interfere. He stood up, ready to leave. Xue Wu followed him, whispering, “Lord Qian Ye, be careful in the city.”

Qian Ye patted his shoulder, saying, “It’s not me who should be careful.”

Leaving the teahouse alone, Qian Ye wandered through the city, casually taking in the sights. As he walked, he came to a quiet alley. On the wall at the entrance, a blood-red X was painted, stark and eye-catching. Looking into the alley, he could see a few menacing, fierce men sitting in groups, some fiddling with daggers.

The alley was clearly not a good place, but Qian Ye was unperturbed and strolled in. Just as he entered, a short knife suddenly appeared, flying past his throat and embedding itself in the wall beside him.

Qian Ye stopped, saying indifferently, “If I were you, I wouldn’t play such a pointless game.”

A tall woman stepped out from the other side of the wall, sneering, “You almost died by my hand, yet you dare to speak so boldly!”

Despite her display, Qian Ye ignored her, saying, “If you think it was me who almost died, then think that way. I don’t have time to argue with you.”

The woman’s eyes seemed to spark with fire, and after a moment, she gritted her teeth, “If it weren’t for your decent offer, my knife wouldn’t have missed.”

“Do you still want to go through with this deal? If not, I’ll leave.”

The woman pointed into the alley, saying, “Follow me. Let’s see if you have the guts.”

Qian Ye didn’t say much and followed her deeper into the alley. Along the way, many menacing figures showed off their tattoos, muscles, or glared at Qian Ye, trying to intimidate him. However, having experienced bloody battles and the floating land, Qian Ye was not impressed. He didn’t even look at them, just following the woman.

The woman glanced at Qian Ye, saying, “I didn’t expect you to have some courage. My name is Black Lily. Remember it, or I won’t be happy. I rarely tell people my name.”

Black Lily was tall and curvaceous, dressed in a black outfit that barely contained her figure. She moved like a panther, silent and explosive, ready to strike at any moment. For men with a strong desire to conquer, she was the perfect target.

However, Qian Ye paid no attention to her provocative body, neither intentionally looking nor avoiding, his gaze passing over her form as if it were stone and wood.

Black Lily clenched her teeth, walking more seductively, her chest and hips swaying with each step. Her black outfit clung to her curves, making it seem as though she wore nothing at all.

But this had no effect on Qian Ye. He followed her silently, deep into the alley, and into a small courtyard.

When the courtyard door closed behind Qian Ye, two shadowy figures appeared at the alley’s entrance—Li Kuanglan and Ji Tianqing. Ji Tianqing was in the light armor of a mercenary, while Li Kuanglan was in the wide-sleeved robes of a martial artist.

“That slut is really annoying, don’t you think?” Ji Tianqing’s eyes were fixed on Li Kuanglan.

“People like her are everywhere. There’s no point in killing them. Why bother?” Li Kuanglan replied calmly.

Ji Tianqing’s eyes darted, saying, “What if she sleeps with Qian Ye? She’s capable of that. Look at how she was shaking her ass.”

Li Kuanglan’s expression remained unchanged, “If you don’t like her, just kill her. Why waste your breath on me?”

Ji Tianqing stretched lazily, “Why should I do the work? She wants to sleep with your man, not mine.”

Li Kuanglan snorted, “Not yours? Then why are you here?”

“What are you doing here?” Ji Tianqing retorted.

Li Kuanglan stood with his hands behind his back, composed, “I am here to protect Qian Ye and ensure the safety of the two items, as requested by Song Qi. Is that so strange?”

Ji Tianqing, unwilling to show weakness, said, “I’m his deputy, so I’m here by right.”

She paused, then looked Li Kuanglan up and down, tutting, “When did you start listening to Song Qi so much? Is it because it involves him that you’re so obedient? Something’s wrong here!”