Localized Necrosis

"We're not trying to renege on the debt! Absolutely not! How could you even think that?" In the reception room on Luo Island, a merchant drenched in sweat hurriedly bowed his head to explain to Coast's representative. "It's just that the turnover of large sums of capital is currently facing certain restrictions. Transfers simply can't move that fast for the moment..." "Is that so?" The young Coast representative looked as if he had just seen the light. "That's right!" The guild manager nodded frantically. "We're business partners of so many years! We could stiff anyone, but we would never stiff the Seven Cities!" "That may be true, but after dragging it out this long, you ought to give us a definitive answer, wouldn't you say?" the host sighed. "Gossip is running rampant out there right now. To someone out of the loop, they'd think we were on the verge of bankruptcy." "Headquarters is conducting extremely tight audits right now. Besides, wholesale distribution and retail both require buyers. When the funds will actually clear, I honestly have no idea." Wiping his sweat, the manager offered a solemn guarantee: "The moment I return, I'll file a report to expedite it immediately! I certainly won't waste your precious time!" "Very well, then we'll trouble you with that." The Coast host remained equally courteous, pressing no further. The atmosphere between the two gradually smoothed over, any lingering unpleasantness melting away. After a bit of small talk, the guild representative tactfully stood up to take his leave. The Coast host shook his hand and saw him out. With warm smiles, the two walked toward the main entrance, maintaining an intimate, almost brotherly business cordiality. Until a sudden silence fell. The Coast staff member's footsteps abruptly halted. Straightening his back, the warm smile vanished, his expression turning instantly grave. Raising his chin, he saluted the approaching crowd. Beside him, the bewildered guild manager froze. Following the host's gaze, he saw someone completely unexpected. That face... Subconsciously, he held his breath, freezing in place. "M-Mr. Ji..." "Who is this?" Ji Jue, walking in from the entrance, glanced over. The host at his side immediately answered, "This is Mr. Loran, business manager of the Stone Leaf Group." Understanding dawned on Ji Jue. "The one defaulting on his debts?" "It's all a misunderstanding!" Before Loran could even react, the host beside him answered at once. "He just assured us that he will definitely not delay our payment cycle." "Is that so?" Ji Jue nodded in realization, then suddenly smiled, looking directly at him. "Can you really keep from delaying it?" Loran's pale face twitched. He tried desperately to maintain a fawning smile, but his lips refused to cooperate. "Then do your best." Ji Jue gave his shoulder a parting pat and continued forward. "Y-Yes... Yes, sir." Loran nodded mechanically, not even knowing what he was saying, nor did he hear any reply. There was only the sound of the crowd brushing past him, their dense footsteps fading into the distance. "This way, Manager Loran." The host smiled once more, gesturing outward. "Your car is already waiting." *** "You can pretty much treat everything he said as hot air." When the "host" returned, he knocked directly on the door of Ji Jue's office and delivered a calm report. "He's just a poor wretch pushed out to be a sacrificial lamb. Deep down, he probably knows it, too. His promises sounded resolute, but he had zero confidence to back them up. He looked completely in control and swore up and down, but mentally, he was basically prepared to throw away his life just to shut you up." "Good work, A-Chang." Ji Jue waved him over and handed him a cup of tea. "Just doing my duty." Yan Chang sat bolt upright, though his motion when taking the tea was natural and relaxed. "Do you need me to tail him for a bit longer? That Manager Loran's mental threshold has likely reached its limit. If we give him an opening, he might prove useful." "Since he's an insignificant pawn, there's no need to torment him further. Still, his knack for spinning lies isn't bad. I'll have someone keep an eye on him later," Ji Jue said, waving his hand. "Old Gou has been calling to rush you. I'll send you back to Mid-Continent shortly. The operations over there still rely on you. With so much on your plate, look after your health. Also, never mind the rest, but you are responsible for turning in your brother's homework on schedule... A proper Embers, running around all day with that herd of White Stags, forgetting his actual job." "I will supervise him strictly." Yan Chang wore a smile, brimming with anticipation. "Goddamned Wild Gathering... Why can't they give anyone a moment of peace?" Ji Jue sat down, sighing irritably, entirely forgetting how tender and harmonious their collusions had been back when they were thick as thieves. Attributing it strictly to the Wild Gathering wasn't entirely accurate. More precisely, it was the Stone Leaf Archipelago, Mistveil Reef, and Iron Hook District—three subsidiaries or roundabout shell entities under the Wild Gathering branches. In the western Endless Sea, they practically represented the Wild Gathering itself. In this region, no bulk commodity trade could bypass these hubs. Driven by the demands of various parties, the Wild Gathering acted as a platform and broker, guaranteeing transactions for everyone while handling any petty nuisances whenever a party tried to skirt the rules. The merchant associations and enterprises currently withholding funds from the Seven Cities were almost all intertwined with these three entities to varying degrees. Now that the Blightwind had passed, the Endless Sea had entered a period of explosive growth. Like beasts finally emerging from their winter dens, everyone was ravenous. Countless islands lay battered and devastated in the wake of the rampaging calamity beasts... Rebuilding, revitalization, eating their fill, resting, or even putting rivals to permanent rest—every corner of the region was in a frantic rush. Shortages everywhere, demand everywhere—it was prime time to make a fortune. Yet of all times, the Wild Gathering chose now to throw a wrench into the works. Several large batches of orders showed no sign of clearing payment. Even if the defaulted sums were not staggering, it set an atrocious precedent. In fact, it served as an example for others to follow. In the eyes of many, it could even be interpreted as a signal broadcast by the Wild Gathering: *Starting today, I'm no longer paying Coast. Do as you please.* Ji Jue's expression grew solemn. What the hell were these bastards playing at? "Undoubtedly, this is a probing move, Your Excellency." A deferential voice chimed in from the side, pulling Ji Jue out of his thoughts. He turned to look and spotted a translucent silhouette, pausing in surprise. "Huh?" Ji Jue looked closer, genuinely astonished. "How are you still here?" "..." Minkler's dead father, Bustamante, began to shiver, not daring to utter a word. *Judging by Mr. Ji's tone, this doesn't sound good!* *Is he telling me to hurry up and die on my own?* Ji Jue looked him up and down, clicking his tongue in wonder. Well, didn't they say the potential of life was limitless? This old dog was remarkably hard to kill! Lightning strikes couldn't finish him off. Even when Supreme Virtue and the Great Sin descended, he could still cower in some dark corner to survive the Fall. Even after his House God lost control and blew up, he had managed to persist through a backup he had left behind beforehand. He merely looked far more ethereal than before, flickering in and out of view in a pitiful state, but at the very least, he had scraped by. "Did you provide the sacrifice?" Ji Jue looked at Minkler. "Considering this old thing might still be of some use to you, I sustained him with a bit of my own blood," Minkler explained. "This time, he took the initiative wanting to prove his worth. If you don't like it..." "Your business is yours to handle. I won't interfere." Ji Jue nodded, then turned his gaze back to the fawning Bustamante. "Come on then, explain. What's the deal here?" "Regarding this matter, you may have developed a misunderstanding," Bustamante replied deferentially. "To you, this appears to be the Wild Gathering throwing a wrench in the gears. However, in... *cough, cough, erm*..." The more he spoke, the more hesitant he became, constantly watching Ji Jue's expression. Yet from beginning to end, Ji Jue remained deadpan, his impatience steadily mounting. "Spit it out and stop beating around the bush, or I can help you bite a lighter myself!" "Yes, yes!" Bustamante's phantom flickered violently. Gathering his courage, he wiped imaginary sweat and ventured, "What I mean is, perhaps, maybe, possibly... in the eyes of outsiders... you've stepped, well... slightly over the line?" "Me?" Ji Jue froze, pointing at himself in disbelief. "Over the line? When?" For a moment, Bustamante fell silent. He didn't know how to answer. The real answer was: from the moment Ji Jue took control of the entire Seven Cities. After Coast seized control of the Seven Cities Alliance, they instituted radical transformations that altered the region beyond recognition under Ji Jue's direction. While establishing an omnipresent monopoly and grip, he had directly uprooted what was once one of the Wild Gathering's largest markets on the Endless Sea! Smuggling, organ trafficking, illicit narcotics... The former western Endless Sea's largest market, its widest channels, and the countless illegal pipelines leading into the Federation had all been severed by Ji Jue. Without the Seven Cities serving as a source of goods, a market, and a distribution broker, countless people had suffered catastrophic losses. That was the livelihood of millions of scumbags across the Thousand Islands! Ji Jue had connected his own arteries from Xinquan to the Mid-Continent, but in the process, he had broken the legs of who knew how many people in the Wild Gathering—the kind of break that could never be set! Worse still, he had stationed those two attack dogs, Jin Mao and Ling Shuo, right at the threshold. They kept constant watch, carrying out relentless crackdowns, monitoring and suppressing any signs of resurgence both openly and covertly. It looked for all the world as if he intended to gorge himself while leaving everyone else to starve to death. On top of that, whenever various factions sent envoys seeking a face-to-face talk with Ji Jue, he couldn't even be bothered to grant them an audience. In the eyes of everyone else, this man named Ji was practically devoid of human decency. Hoarding all the food for yourself was one thing, but what kind of monster smashed the entire cooking pot? Were they supposed to survive or not? "Various parties are bound to harbor discontent regarding your measures." As a detached bystander, Bustamante could understand the ideological rift between Ji Jue and the people of the Thousand Islands. "Strictly speaking, this matter isn't actually that grave. If I had to guess, their only goal in using this method is to compel you to step forward and talk in person." Even if Ji Jue clung fiercely to his own plate, what harm was there in turning a blind eye and leaving everyone an avenue of survival? Cooperation yielded mutual benefit. In fact, if Ji Jue were willing to yield an inch, they could turn around and invest money and resources into the Seven Cities, maintaining this grandest transit hub connecting the Thousand Islands to the Federation. When that happened, all business could resume as usual, growing even more lucrative. It was entirely foreseeable that the addicts who had been suffocated and starved of cash over these past few months would welcome their saviors with open arms, obediently coughing up their meager funds in exchange for a fleeting hit of chemical bliss. With the Wild Gathering's assistance, distributors and dealers everywhere would naturally spare no effort to push Coast's products, aiding Coast's expansion... A pipeline to rake in profits while lying down would be reestablished. A union of giants, offering boundless advantages! Yet the only problem was... "Where is the advantage?" Ji Jue asked coldly. Glancing at Bustamante, he challenged, "If I want to make money, do I need them to do me a favor?" Bustamante didn't dare utter a sound, submissively hanging his head. "The Seven Cities belong to me." Ji Jue sneered indifferently. "Since when did my property become their treasure bowl?" Talk? Talk my ass. This matter was settled. There was nothing to discuss, not a chance in hell. Keep dreaming! *** Three days later, Coast Industry once again issued a formal demand through official channels to the merchant associations delaying their remaining balances. Following yet another round of utterly insincere prevarication, Coast handed down its final warning. From home appliances to automobiles, to power generators and drones... Every single commodity handled by the relevant merchant associations had its internal product serial keys revoked. While goods already sold on the market continued to operate normally, every single unit stockpiled in their warehouses instantly turned into scrap metal! Now, the shoe was on the other foot. The associations saddled with warehouses full of useless junk were the ones panicking. Only this time, it was Coast doing the prevaricating and brushing off. Amidst this cold, agonizing tug-of-war, someone suddenly showed up at the Wild Gathering's branch in the Iron Hook District, brandishing proof of identity. Claiming to be the sole surviving bloodline and rightful heir of the family that once ruled Ma Island, the claimant asserted ownership over Ma Island. They condemned Ji Jue's contemptible actions in annexing the Seven Cities, usurping other people's patrimony, and stirring widespread public resentment, demanding that Ji Jue return Ma Island immediately and cease his transgressions. With a leader stepping forward, the surviving remnants and collateral branches of other defunct houses began to kick up a fuss as well, sparking a massive scandal across the Endless Sea and drawing an immense amount of attention. To this, the Seven Cities offered no response whatsoever. What kind of garbage was this? If I so much as glance at trash like you, I lose! Amidst this sudden spectacle and amusement, all parties expressed intense concern, offering every form of assistance short of actual, tangible help, while urging both sides to resolve the issue swiftly. Yet in truth, everyone knew full well that these clowns were merely expendable pawns pushed forward to muddy the waters; they held no leverage. Could anyone be blind to what the Thousand Islands were truly like? Never mind seizing territory—wiping out an entire bloodline over petty squabbles was standard operating procedure out here. As the de facto master of the Seven Cities, the fact that Ji Jue had allowed these irrelevant insects to live this long was universally considered an act of supreme mercy. One could say he brought this upon himself. See? Show a little mercy, and look what happens. The real crux of the matter was that under the theatrical agitation of these jumping clowns, the various branches of the Wild Gathering finally possessed a pretext to cause trouble. And from an exquisitely vicious angle. Citing the sovereignty dispute over the Seven Cities, the revenue and outstanding payments owed for the calamity beast remains consigned by various Seven Cities families to the Wild Gathering during the Blightwind had now been placed under administrative review. Since the operating entity had changed, should such a massive sum of money still be disbursed? After burning the midnight oil flipping through every version of contract law from the Federation, the Empire, and the Thousand Islands, no one could reach a definitive conclusion. Oh dear, what an agonizing dilemma!