The Transaction

Inside the dojo. At this moment, Zheng Yunhui was utterly dumbfounded. It had really erupted. He checked the research materials Su Yu had given him once more and compared them against the ingredients, the process, and the entire procedure Su Yu had just used. Everything matched completely! It was actually this stuff! That was precisely what was written in the documents. He had been bewildered when reading through them earlier, but naturally, he had assumed it was all fake and hadn't thought too much about it. Yet now... Zheng Yunhui looked between the documents and the steps Su Yu had just performed again and again, until finally... he was completely stunned! He suspected—no, he was almost certain—that Su Yu had brought out authentic research data! As for getting knocked flying by Su Yu... that was a minor detail; he couldn't be bothered with it now. "Su Yu..." Scrambling to his feet, Zheng Yunhui stared at Su Yu with a dazed expression. Beneath the shock, deep doubt lingered. Was he seriously going to sell this? If this was sold, hell would break loose! With such a massive commotion stirred up, selling genuine data—did you not want to survive in this place anymore? Su Yu wore an indifferent expression. "I've handed you the goods. See for yourself! Compare them and tell me what's wrong. Of course, mine was just a crude, rudimentary demonstration. In reality, the research center has specialized equipment to assist, which yields a much higher success rate and makes inspections far simpler without all the trouble I had to go through. "I can't provide any of that equipment to you, so you'll have to figure that out on your own!" Zheng Yunhui opened his mouth, hesitating. Su Yu stood up, gathered the remaining ingredients, and smiled. "These belong to me now so they don't go to waste. No objections, right?" "None..." Zheng Yunhui shook his head. Take whatever you want. His mind was completely muddled right now. What should he do? "Then I'm taking my leave... Keep it confidential!" Su Yu said sternly, "Zheng Yunhui, I lost this stuff to you in a wager, but the moment I step out this door, I will never admit to it. You have no proof I gave it to you! If you dare leak anything... I'll claim you stole the data from our research center! "Even if Teacher suspects me, he won't have any evidence. When the time comes, don't say I didn't warn you!" Zheng Yunhui said speechlessly, "How could I possibly steal it!" "Heh, that's hard to say. Worst comes to worst... if I get exposed, I'll just say I was a pawn planted by your Zheng family all along. If I'm driven out and your Zheng family refuses to support me, I'll broadcast everywhere that you burn bridges and that the Zheng family is thoroughly shameless!" Zheng Yunhui was at a loss for words. *Damn it, this bastard.* He couldn't be bothered to argue back, his thoughts still spiraling: was this data real or fake? Even he was confused now. He could swear that the blood essence Su Yu used had been bought on the spot. How could Su Yu possibly erupt with the Ironwing Bird's innate skill otherwise? Had Su Yu opened those apertures himself beforehand? Impossible! Those apertures had clearly been forced open temporarily; anyone with a sharp eye could tell. What a headache! Zheng Yunhui really had a splitting headache. If the data was real and he sold it... it would bring endless trouble, especially since so many people knew about it now. If you had told me earlier that it was real, I would have quietly sold it to a single buyer in secret! Who knew how many pairs of eyes were watching right now? "I'm heading out!" Su Yu didn't say another word. His injuries weren't healed yet; although he had absorbed several drops of blood essence, his condition was still quite severe, and he needed to go back and recuperate. Zheng Yunhui watched him leave, momentarily unsure of what to say. ... Third floor. The moment Su Yu walked out the door, Zhou Pingsheng snapped, "Go, quickly, secure that data!" At this moment, Liu Hong was also questioning his life choices, feeling a twinge of regret. Had he known it was real, he wouldn't have stirred up such a spectacle outside—he would have kept it all for himself! Securing something like this in hand was worth far more than a mere tens of thousands of merit points. Yet now, it was too late. As Liu Hong hurried out, he wondered why it could possibly be real. Were Bai Feng and Chen Yong complete idiots? How could they let Su Yu get his hands on this kind of material! He had only been in the research center for a little over a month; those two fools trusted people far too easily! Bai Feng hadn't seemed that foolish, even if he wasn't a good person. Liu Hong harbored three parts doubt and seven parts belief. He still didn't dare trust it completely, but unlike before, he could no longer outright deny the data's authenticity. *Whatever... even if I lose out on the grand prize, earning several tens of thousands of merit points is fine too!* Liu Hong sighed internally. He would just have to inflate the reimbursement expenses. Earning whatever he could was good enough. If it was real, at least there wouldn't be much trouble down the road. If it was fake, he would have to find a way to absolve himself of blame. ... The moment Liu Hong stepped out of the room, the middle-aged man from the Xia family and Xia Huyou emerged from the opposite room. The two sides crossed paths. They exchanged glances. Inside the room, Zhou Pingsheng suddenly chuckled. "Brother Xia, it has been quite some time since we last met. Why not join me for a cup of tea?" The middle-aged man frowned slightly before quickly putting on a smile. "Huyou, go attend to business. I will chat with Vice Director Zhou!" Xia Huyou nodded without a word and followed Liu Hong downstairs. ... At the same time. Outside the dojo. Several more figures arrived, clad in cloaks that enveloped their entire bodies. Their faces were concealed, their auras indistinct, and fluctuations of willpower cloaked their presence. They did not appear to be from the same group. Encountering one another at the entrance, they traded glances in silence before heading upstairs one after another. Next door. Inside the restaurant. Jia Mingzhen stared at them for a moment, his brow furrowing. "I can't tell who they are. Should we intervene? This is inside the academy, after all!" A group of people concealing their whereabouts inside the academy grounds naturally called for vigilance. The female elder shook her head. "No need. Wait until they come out, then follow them! See who they are and whether they have other connections. Intervening now will only alert the snake in the grass." "Then the research data..." Another elder frowned. "That kid Su Yu is truly audacious! If this data leaks, it will cause immense trouble!" Jia Mingzhen said flatly, "If the Xia family takes it, or if the Single Divine Character Faction takes it, there is nothing we can do either! They are spending money to purchase it, and they are buying from a private research institution. On what grounds could we intervene? If it were a hostile faction, we would have cause to deal with them, but neither the Xia family nor the Single Divine Character Faction is easy to touch." The elders fell silent. This was indeed difficult to handle. Jia Mingzhen soon chuckled. "No matter. The one suffering the loss is the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. If Su Yu did it, that's their own fault for failing to see his true character! I don't pity Hong Tan; I just find it a pity for Su Yu!" At these words, everyone fell quiet. It truly was a pity! For a monstrous prodigy like him to betray the Multiple Divine Characters Faction out of sheer greed—who would dare take him in the future? Even if the Multiple Divine Characters Faction didn't pursue charges, he was essentially ruined. The atmosphere grew somber. Seeing a prodigy ruin himself left an unpleasant taste in the elders' mouths. They had originally hoped it was fake, but now... the feeling was indescribable. After a long pause, Jia Mingzhen regained his composure and laughed. "Watch the show. Let's continue watching the show!" The others spoke no further. Suddenly, someone recalled something and muttered faintly, "Time to eat the table!" "..." Jia Mingzhen acted as if he hadn't heard a thing. What a joke—who was going to eat a table! *Did I ever say that?* The others rolled their eyes. They had known all along that this fellow would renege on his bet! ... Second floor. Zheng Yunhui packed up his belongings and was preparing to leave when he saw Liu Hong enter. He wasn't surprised. However, upon spotting Xia Huyou, his brow furrowed slightly. "Brother Yunhui!" Xia Huyou was all smiles as usual. "No need to be on guard. Our Xia family is the premier clan of the Great Xia Prefecture! If Brother Yunhui wants to do business, come to me!" "Xia Huyou, what are you getting involved for!" Zheng Yunhui snapped irritably, "You bastard have been up to no good since childhood, just like your granduncle..." Xia Huyou chuckled. "Brother Yunhui, why so biased against me? Besides, my granduncle is a good man—everyone knows that!" "Ahem!" Liu Hong coughed lightly and cut straight to the point: "Yunhui, we already agreed earlier, and I even paid a deposit! I've brought both the money and the goods. As the strongest of the Zheng family's current generation, keeping your word is the least you can do, isn't it?" Xia Huyou interrupted directly, "Business is business; everything follows the contract! How much deposit was paid? What's the penalty for breach of contract? My Xia family will cover it all! We won't let Brother Yunhui lose a single cent!" Liu Hong glanced at Xia Huyou and asked suddenly, "Xia Huyou, do you call the shots at the Xia Trading Company?" Xia Huyou laughed. "Not quite, but for a small transaction like this, I can still make the call!" *A small transaction!* Liu Hong pondered those words and recalled Zheng Yunhui mentioning his granduncle... Granduncle... The Xia family was vast, with many members. Liu Hong wasn't particularly familiar with their family tree. He knew Xia Huyou was from the Xia family, but his exact status remained unclear. At this moment, suspicion deepened in his mind. Granduncle... ranked second among the siblings... Xia family, Marquis Xia? From Xia Chan's generation! Marquis Xia's grandnephew? How many nephews did Marquis Xia have? Quite a few. The most famous was naturally Xia Longwu, his direct nephew, while distant nephews were a dime a dozen! *Could he be the Prefecture Head's son?* The thought crossed Liu Hong's mind. *No way!* He knew the Prefecture Head had a son, but he had never seen him. Xia Longwu operated at a level far beyond his reach. Even if someone in the academy knew, it would be those in the Shanhai Realm or veteran Lingyun cultivators. A fellow who had enrolled less than ten years ago didn't have the standing to contact that circle. Suppressing his suspicions, Liu Hong didn't inquire further. Turning to Zheng Yunhui, he said, "Doing business is about negotiating contracts! But Yunhui, you are not a businessman; you are destined to become an expert. If a powerful expert is indecisive, wavering, and overturns agreements at the drop of a hat... it will strike a blow to your own conviction! "Moreover, if you hand it to the Xia family, they will mass-produce and publicize it... When that happens, Elder Hong will certainly find out! Giving it to us is different. We will research it quietly, not for profit, giving you a buffer period..." Xia Huyou beamed. "Listen to that! As if your quiet research won't be discovered? Besides, Su Yu brought this stuff out—what does it have to do with Yunhui? Naturally, earning as much as possible is the way to go. Brother Yunhui, whatever Teaching Assistant Liu offers, we will add ten thousand merit points!" Rich and arrogant! I won't even ask how much you negotiated! I'll just add ten thousand! Liu Hong was rendered speechless. The Xia family possessed boundless wealth; when it came to raw coin, the Single Divine Character Faction naturally couldn't compete. Just as the words fell, Liu Hong's brow furrowed! More people arrived outside the door. Several mysterious figures shrouded from head to toe appeared. One of them rasped hoarsely, "We want the data as well! Name a price; let's compete fairly, highest bidder wins!" At this, Liu Hong said coldly, "Who are you people? Hiding your heads and showing your tails! Dressing like this inside the academy—do you think I won't alert the Academy Guards immediately?" A mysterious figure in black robes replied in a low tone, "Liu Hong, don't forget, this isn't an auction; it's a black market deal! As for our identity... so long as we aren't from the All-Races Sect, what business is it of yours who we are?" Another was much more direct, speaking up: "I am from Jiutian Academy. We want the goods! As for who I am specifically, there's no need to mention!" Liu Hong's expression darkened. He looked at Zheng Yunhui and said in a low voice, "Selling to the wrong person means massive trouble. I warned you about this earlier!" Zheng Yunhui looked left and right, completely speechless. "I didn't notify this many people, did I? I wanted a secret deal, yet a whole crowd of you barged in—how is this still secret? If you draw Elder Hong or the Principal here, will you compensate my losses?" He was thoroughly exasperated! Why had so many people shown up! Liu Hong said nothing. The large turnout was partly his doing. He couldn't admit that, however, or Zhou Pingsheng would kill him if he found out. Zheng Yunhui glanced at the figures and stated plainly, "Those who won't reveal their identities can forget it. I won't sell! Nor do I dare! I'm not stupid—if something happens, will you take responsibility? I'd rather sell for less. Gentlemen, you may leave!" With that, he turned to Liu Hong and Xia Huyou. "Let's change locations to talk..." The moment he finished speaking, the aura of one of the shrouded figures shifted slightly. Zheng Yunhui's heart leaped. Before he could speak, a calm voice sounded from outside the door: "You should leave. This is not a transaction you can interfere in!" The middle-aged man from the Xia family! The figure whose aura had stirred kept their face concealed, showing no visible reaction, but their aura was instantly retracted. The Xia middle-aged man smiled faintly. "I am not from the Civilization Academy; I am merely a businessman, so I have no desire to investigate your identities. However... if you don't leave now, you will draw the academy's experts here!" The person claiming to be from Jiutian Academy replied calmly, "Xia Xinyi, I have nothing to fear from you! I came to make a transaction, not to cause trouble. If you try to shut me out, none of us will be making any deal! "If it draws people here, so be it. If we can't have it, nobody gets it!" The middle-aged man frowned. "Why must you act like this? Right now, the Wen Tan Research Center has locked down the technology, keeping it out of everyone's hands! If the Xia family obtains it, we will develop it vigorously, and you will all be able to purchase innate blood essence in the future. Given your abilities... you will eventually be able to deduce and reverse-engineer it! "If Hong Tan continues to keep it under lock and key, none of us can even dream of touching it unless they complete their final results! "Only if we obtain it now will there be a chance to share it with all of you. My Xia Trading Company prioritizes profit above all. As long as your background is legitimate and you aren't affiliated with the All-Races Sect or other races, there will be no issue. Spending a bit of capital to share the technology shouldn't be difficult, should it?" Xia Xinyi said earnestly, "Between letting Hong Tan keep it locked down and having us obtain it to share, which gives everyone a better chance?" "..." The figures fell silent. Xia Xinyi added, "Of course, the All-Races Sect is an entirely different matter! There aren't... any of their members among you, are there?" Xia Xinyi's aura shifted completely! "If there are... you might not be walking out of here!" Naturally, no visible change showed on the shrouded figures. The person from Jiutian Academy chuckled softly. "Even if there were, nobody would admit it; we naturally have legitimate identities. There's no need to intimidate us! If you want us to back off, that's fine—give us that earlier ingredient list. In addition, you must have recorded footage of Su Yu's production process; give us a copy of that!" Xia Xinyi frowned. "You didn't record it yourselves?" "Under the noses of experts like you, managing a peek was already lucky enough; how could we record it?" The person stated flatly, "If you won't even agree to this, then we'll blow the whole thing wide open!" Xia Xinyi remained silent for a moment, then without further words, tossed out several temporary jade talismans. The figures caught them, inspected them briefly, and promptly withdrew! They knew that with both the Xia family and the Single Divine Character Faction present, their chances of securing the data were slim. However, with this footage, they might be able to deduce the method themselves. ... Once they were gone, Xia Xinyi turned his gaze to Zheng Yunhui. Zheng Yunhui gave a dry laugh. "Uncle Xinyi..." "You certainly have guts, daring to gamble even your family's god and demon blood essence!" Zheng Yunhui chuckled awkwardly and didn't reply. *If I didn't have guts, would you people have rushed here now?* Beside them, Liu Hong felt helpless. It seemed his plan to make a fortune was hitting a wall! After a moment's thought, Liu Hong smiled. "Yunhui, could I speak with you privately for a moment?" Zheng Yunhui thought it over and nodded. The two walked to a corner. Liu Hong glanced back at Xia Xinyi and Xia Huyou, then transmitted his voice directly: "Drop the act. This is a setup orchestrated by you and Su Yu! Did you really plan to fleece the Xia family? Aren't you afraid of them settling the score with you later?" Zheng Yunhui's heart skipped a beat! Though his face remained unchanged, his pulse quickened noticeably. Appearing entirely certain, Liu Hong transmitted again, "Is Su Yu trying to swindle me, or is he trying to swindle the Single Divine Character Faction?" "Teaching Assistant Liu..." Unable to transmit his voice, Zheng Yunhui had no choice but to speak aloud: "You're joking..." "I'm not joking!" Liu Hong observed his every move closely, listening to his heartbeat and sensing the rhythm of his breathing, before transmitting once more: "You two have plenty of nerve, and your acting was quite decent—you even fooled Zhou Pingsheng and Xia Xinyi! "However... you can't fool me! "Deliberately letting me overhear your conversation earlier was probably where the scheme began..." Fixing his gaze on Zheng Yunhui and taking in every micro-expression, Liu Hong pressed on: "But... did you know that I have actually witnessed the real process of producing innate blood essence?" "What..." Zheng Yunhui instinctively flinched. Internally, Liu Hong breathed a sigh of relief. *Damn it!* *Holy crap!* *It really is fake!* *You two are something else!* He had merely been testing the waters. To be honest, he had believed it eighty percent before, but he still wanted to test it. In the end, this kid Zheng Yunhui was still too green! "Don't believe me? I've dealt with Bai Feng for so many years; did you think I've never seen how innate blood essence is produced? Do you take me for an idiot? Trying to fleece the Xia family is courting death! As for fleecing me... I'm dead broke, what good does swindling me do?" "Right now, the only person you can sell this to is Zhou Pingsheng! I will quote eighty thousand merit points. If you agree, I'll give you forty thousand!" "You..." Zheng Yunhui's eyes widened! *Holy shit!* *You actually want to take a cut too!* *No, not just a cut—a massive fortune!* "Without my cooperation, who could you sell it to? Believe me, I could expose you right now!" Liu Hong said ruthlessly, "Forty thousand points is no small sum! I'm taking on immense risk here as well; afterward, I'll have to shirk the blame! One wrong step and my entire future is ruined!" By now, he was completely certain it was fake! Yet fake was even better! If it were real, it would be troublesome—with the Xia family present, he wouldn't stand a chance of securing it. "Don't be too greedy. What use do two kids have for so many merit points?" Liu Hong continued, "I will do everything I can to stall for you, letting them conduct research. If they fail, I'll claim they haven't researched enough, that it takes time and numerous trials, buying you time! That way, the day you get exposed will be pushed back much further! "That is the benefit I bring to the table!" Liu Hong transmitted, "Otherwise, even if you complete the deal with Zhou Pingsheng and he believes you, I will immediately report to Elder Zheng or even Principal Zhou. Once suspicion is aroused, they'll figure it out in no time! "Sure, they might not be able to lay a hand on you directly, but... do you think it's hard for the Single Divine Character Faction to suppress you?" "..." Zheng Yunhui cursed inwardly! *Damn it!* *This bastard is thoroughly black-hearted!* Earlier, he had only asked for twenty thousand, yet this guy opened his mouth and demanded eighty thousand. Insane. Ignoring his reaction, Liu Hong pressed, "If you agree, we cooperate! If you don't... you might as well pack up and go home; there's no way you're walking away with this many merit points!" "You..." Zheng Yunhui's face darkened. Damn it all! Wasn't their original goal to swindle Liu Hong? How did it end up feeling like they were working for Liu Hong instead! It felt awful! Winning the fight today hadn't felt satisfying, and right now felt even worse! Even though Liu Hong promised him forty thousand—more than his initial quote—he still felt deeply aggrieved. Liu Hong coaxed patiently, "Yunhui, think about it. If we work together, we're grasshoppers tied to the same string! In the future, I can grant you certain conveniences. Naturally, I mean you, not Su Yu. You can tell him it only sold for twenty thousand, or even ten thousand. Would he really go verify it? "He's just a poor kid; tossing him a few hundred merit points might be enough to satisfy him..." Zheng Yunhui rolled his eyes. *Do you take Su Yu for a complete idiot?* Liu Hong smiled and said no more. After calculating the gains in his head, he breathed a sigh of relief. Excellent! The next moment, Liu Hong spoke aloud: "I need to step out for a moment to consult with someone; I cannot make the final call on this!" ... A short while later, Liu Hong went upstairs. Zhou Pingsheng frowned. "What did you talk about? What did Zheng Yunhui say?" Liu Hong said with exasperation, "That bastard! Seeing the Xia family present, he opened his lion's maw and demanded an extortionate hike! Eighty thousand merit points, not a single point less! Senior Brother, I think we should drop it. This data... might not even be real! I'm a bit worried—it came far too easily!" He added, "I asked him why he wouldn't let me bid against the Xia family. That bastard told me it was an instruction from his grandfather. Senior Brother, what does that mean?" "His grandfather..." Zhou Pingsheng paused, then pondered deeply before snorting. "An obvious scheme! He wants us and the Multiple Divine Characters Faction to fight even more fiercely! Over the years, the Civilization Academy has drained a massive amount of resources from the War Academy, and he has always been at odds with Principal Wan. Now that he's found an opportunity, he naturally can't wait for us to tear each other apart!" "..." Liu Hong nodded with an expression of deep admiration. *You deduced that all on your own; I didn't say a thing.* "No wonder he wouldn't let you compete with Xia Xinyi; so that's why!" Zhou Pingsheng said coldly, "What an appetite! Eighty thousand points... Those brutes from the Zheng family actually used their brains this time. Not only do they reap massive benefits, but they also fuel internal strife in the Civilization Academy... Yet they overestimate the Multiple Divine Characters Faction! The only one worth fearing is Hong Tan!" "Hong Tan cannot hold up the sky alone; the Multiple Divine Characters Faction exists in name only!" "Now that we have obtained their most crucial research breakthrough, they don't even have a shred of hope left for a comeback!" Liu Hong said hurriedly, "Does Senior Brother mean we should accept? But... but watching Su Yu's production process earlier, didn't it look far too crude?" "That is normal!" Zhou Pingsheng didn't care much. "Research is filled with accidental factors; many breakthroughs are born of pure coincidence! Take the birth of Civilization Masters—it was entirely accidental. In ancient times, the very first Civilization Master comprehended a divine character simply by reading an ordinary book. If that happened today, would you believe it?" Liu Hong nodded, yet still appeared uneasy. "It's too much. Eighty thousand points—if something goes wrong, we won't be able to bear such a loss. Senior Brother, should we consult Elder Zheng and the Dean first?" "Teacher is in secluded cultivation, and Senior Brother Zheng already stated that as long as it's genuine, we must obtain it at all costs!" Zhou Pingsheng said in a low voice, "Eighty thousand points... is still within our acceptable range! Go, tell Zheng Yunhui we accept! Complete the transaction right now to avoid any twists and turns. If we wait, he might swap the documents. Right now, with me watching him, he won't have time to make a switch!" He was also worried that once Zheng Yunhui left this place, he would swap out the research data. At that point, it would become impossible to verify authenticity. Right now, there was only this single copy, and Zheng Yunhui had no time to tamper with it! "Senior Brother..." "Cut the chatter!" Zhou Pingsheng snapped impatiently, "I know what you're worried about! But everything has taken place right under our eyes! Liu Hong, stop wasting time! If the academy higher-ups discover this, we will be in deep trouble! You aren't the one paying, so are you trying to prove you have better foresight than me?" "I wouldn't dare!" Liu Hong said hurriedly, "Senior Brother, I didn't mean that at all. I just felt it was too expensive and thought I might try bargaining..." "No need, the Xia family is right there!" Zhou Pingsheng said with irritation, "Now is not the time to fret over petty gains! You're always calculating too much, with such shallow vision, viewing everything through your narrow lens. Keep the big picture in mind!" Liu Hong looked humbled and deep in thought, then straightened his posture. "Thank you for the guidance, Senior Brother. Perhaps I truly have shortcomings in this regard. When I return, I will properly examine and reflect upon myself. Senior Brother, then... should I go complete the trade?" "Go!" Zhou Pingsheng tossed him a merit card. "Use this. Transfer it to your card first, then transfer it to him!" "Understood!" Liu Hong headed downstairs with a thoroughly submissive demeanor. *I warned you!* *You insisted on buying it yourself and even accused me of having shallow vision; I had no choice.* *As for being scammed... what does that have to do with me?* *I'm not the one in charge!* *At worst, I'll take a slight punishment and have my resources trimmed. What does that matter? It would take me years to scrape together forty thousand merit points.* ... Second floor. Xia Xinyi frowned as he looked at Zheng Yunhui. "Yunhui, will you really not reconsider?" Zheng Yunhui offered a fawning smile. "Uncle, I still have to survive in the academy, and right now... I'm practically part of the Single Divine Character Faction. The Xia family is powerful, but in the Divine Character College, the Xia family doesn't call the shots!" "You..." Xia Xinyi sighed helplessly. Turning toward Liu Hong with irritation, he said coldly, "Liu Hong, leaving this in your hands is a complete waste!" Liu Hong feigned innocence. "I am merely in the Tengkong Realm; I have no ability to change or decide anything." *None of this has anything to do with me!* The next moment, Xia Xinyi snorted softly, turned, and departed. Xia Huyou glanced at Zheng Yunhui, then at Liu Hong, scratching his head. Remembering Su Yu's earlier words... He felt somewhat uncertain. Was this thing real or fake? Liu Hong wasted no time. First, he tossed over a large bottle. "Here are 6,000 drops of yuanqi liquid. Combined with the deposit, that counts as twenty thousand merit points!" With that, he transferred twenty thousand merit points to him and lied through his teeth: "Here is the remaining sixty thousand merit points!" "..." Zheng Yunhui cursed wildly in his head! At this moment, he almost wanted to roar at the top of his lungs: *Damn your ancestors, you only gave me twenty thousand merit points!* He knew people were watching. Yet none of them could see the numbers displayed on the merit card. Paying him no mind, Liu Hong continued, "The sum is too large, so I'll transfer it to you in six installments..." As he spoke, another merit card suddenly appeared in his hand. Angling away from the watching eyes, he transferred forty thousand merit points into this card. Just after finishing the transfer, he added, "Let me split it across two cards for you, so the amount isn't so huge that it attracts the academy's attention..." This time, he pulled out yet another card! Zheng Yunhui was speechless. "Can I even use this card?" "Of course, it's unregistered! An older merit card issued by the academy years ago. These cards are quite valuable themselves; they aren't manufactured anymore and are held mostly by elders..." While rambling, he went through a series of fake operations before casually tossing the second card to Zheng Yunhui. Empty! Not a single point on it! It was solely to guard against the higher-ups inspecting his transfer records later, preventing them from noticing that he lacked a sixty-thousand-point transfer log. Holding the empty card, Zheng Yunhui's face turned pitch-black! *Damn it, pulling shady tricks right in front of my face—you really are a piece of work!* Liu Hong paid him no heed whatsoever. Securing the jade talisman, he did not leave either, simply saying, "You can go now!" He intended to hand over the jade talisman to his senior brother right under Zhou Pingsheng's watchful eyes! That way, nobody could accuse him of swapping the talisman; he wasn't going to shoulder that blame. Grinding his teeth, Zheng Yunhui felt not the slightest joy at earning forty thousand merit points—only fury, grievance, and sheer indignation! Liu Hong wasn't human! Su Yu wasn't human either! None of these smiling bastards were decent people. He couldn't shake the feeling that earning this money had been utterly humiliating!