ryethenovel Chapter 21 Reverse Manipulation
Chapter 21 Reverse Manipulation
As Luo Jiuchuan left, Chen Yang, Jiang He, Su Fan, and Wang Jianguo naturally formed a small group.
"Speaking of which, Uncle Wang, I didn't expect you to be so bold as to be the first to agree to buy this gourd for 20,000 emotion crystals," Chen Yang teased, playing with his emotion-absorbing gourd.
"Hehe, what courage! It's just a situation like that. There's no need for us to negotiate with that guy. He gets to decide what to do. A wise person knows when to yield!" Wang Jianguo said with a simple and honest smile.
This surprised Su Fan slightly. In fact, Su Fan did intend to force a trade, making them work to help him sort out his emotional baggage.
However, the appearance of Tokugawa Koji slightly disrupted the plan. If anyone disagreed with the deal this time, Su Fan intended to completely cut off their chance to enter the Mountain and Sea Realm.
I originally thought Chen Yang would be the first to agree, after all, this guy always shouts that he is the protagonist, and he must be eager for change and superhuman power.
In theory, emotional crystals can indeed enhance mental strength. The Emotion-Absorbing Gourd is a rare item that can continuously produce emotional crystals.
Su Fan believed his pricing was reasonable, but he never expected that this time the traction would attract a foreigner.
Then, an emergency patch was made, and Fang Xiang's appearance barely stabilized the situation. Firstly, it distinguished Su Fan, Jiang He, Chen Yang, Wang Jianguo from ordinary people entering the Mountain and Sea Realm, thus strengthening team cohesion.
Secondly, this action can also be seen as a demonstration of strength to Jiang He, Chen Yang, and Wang Jianguo. After all, the constraints that the Contract Pen brings or makes people feel are real, but showing strength can also make them think twice before breaching the contract.
"Speaking of which, could Luo Jiuchuan really be from a different world than us? After all, he previously recommended places like brothels, opera houses, and battlefields to go where emotions are high. Could Luo Jiuchuan come from some fictional ancient world, fantasy, or martial arts world?" Chen Yang asked curiously.
"It might really be true! After all, the Mountain and Sea Realm is a bit eerie, and that guy Luo Jiuchuan is inhumanly strong. If he were in our world, who knows what kind of trouble he would cause," Wang Jianguo said.
"But if we assume he really isn't from our world, then why can he communicate with us normally? We don't have any language barriers, do we? And the script he used to make the contract is one we recognize, and his appearance isn't that different from ours. If he came from another world, his language, script, and customs should be different from ours!" Jiang He asked with some doubt.
He glanced at Su Fan, who remained silent, and asked, "Su Fan, what do you think?"
Having been called out, Su Fan had no choice but to speak up. He couldn't very well say that Luo Jiuchuan was his alias, or that he was the one playing the role.
If he really said that, he would probably be alienated by this small group.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "It's hard to say, but in our world, that cool hair color would probably make him the center of attention wherever he goes. And with the auspicious seven-colored cloud as his mount and the ability to control the celestial bodies, he would probably be known throughout the world by now."
Chen Yang said, "What's there to doubt? According to them, there are great opportunities on this island in the Mountain and Sea Realm. And that guy comes from the thirty-sixth island, so it's not surprising that he has some tricks up his sleeve. There's no problem with normal communication with us. As for the fact that their appearances are not much different, that must be because humans were created by the Goddess Nuwa and have innate Dao bodies. Even if he were some kind of demon or monster, he would have to transform into a human in order to pursue the Great Dao."
Furthermore, many mythical beasts from the Mountain and Sea Realm are recorded in ancient texts. What does this mean? It means that ancient tales of gods and ghosts might not have been mere fantasy. Perhaps our ancestors visited the Mountain and Sea Realm and used it as a model to write the Classic of Mountains and Seas.
Chen Yang has fallen into protagonist syndrome, completely entering fantasy mode, rationalizing his understanding from a peculiar perspective. He's now helping Su Fan complete his backstory.
Jiang He kept her distance from Chen Yang, as if afraid of being infected.
Seeing that his friends didn't react to his guess, Chen Yang spoke up somewhat discontentedly: "Why aren't you guys saying anything! Don't you think what I said makes a lot of sense? Didn't Luo Jiuchuan say that each floating island has its own opportunities, but entering higher-level islands requires emotional crystals? Now that we have the Emotional Gourd, we can go to the next floating island after accumulating some emotional crystals."
"Alright, stop dreaming! We're both currently burdened with a debt of 20,000 emotional crystals. I suggest you think about how to pay it off first!" Su Fan said at the right moment.
"That's right. We need to pay back the money for 90% of the emotional crystals we harvested from the Emotional Gourd, and who knows how many emotional crystals are needed to enter the higher-level floating island?" Wang Jianguo said.
Chen Yang wasn't discouraged and changed the subject, "Speaking of which, this Soul-Sucking Gourd comes with a price. First, it needs to be nourished with blood every now and then, and second, it grants us golden eyes. Golden eyes are incredibly cool! And coincidentally, I also have the inheritance of Ya Zi, who is also part of the dragon race. Will my blood contain the Sorrow of Blood?"
"Oh dear! If my eyes turn gold again when I get back, my coworkers will definitely gossip about me behind my back," Wang Jianguo exclaimed, as if suddenly realizing something.
"Uncle Wang, you can buy some colored contact lenses. It won't be noticeable from the outside. But you'd better learn how to use them!" Jiang He suggested.
"Sister Jiang, why hide it? We are beings destined by heaven, which makes us stand out from ordinary people. I can't even imagine how arrogant I'll be when my eyes turn golden!" Chen Yang obviously didn't care about others gossiping about his golden pupils. He might even discriminate against others after becoming a golden-eyed man.
"Didn't we all agree to keep it a secret for now, and it was you who suggested it? Why have you changed your mind now?" Jiang He asked Chen Yang.
"Times have changed, Sister Jiang. What was the situation back then? We had just entered the Mountain and Sea Realm and knew nothing. Now? We have not only obtained the inheritance of divine beasts, but also magical treasures. Don't stick to the old ways; keep up with the times. We at least have the protection of destiny, so why should we be so cautious?" Chen Yang said, as if to say that they should change their mindset.
Su Fan couldn't help but joke, "Aren't you afraid of being locked in a lab and dissected like a guinea pig if you're so flamboyant?"
Chen Yang, seemingly unconcerned, said, "What's there to be afraid of? Why should I be afraid? Not only am I incredibly strong now, easily handling three to five ordinary people. And even if they entered the lab, they'd probably just ask for some bodily fluids, blood samples, hair, and such. I don't believe anyone would be foolish enough to experiment on my irreversible progress with such precious specimens. They might even pay me to cooperate with their research! Besides, with the Emotion-Absorbing Gourd, we've essentially embarked on the path to immortality! In the future, we'll undoubtedly be the kind of powerful figures who can wipe out entire worlds with a flick of their fingers!"
Besides, who dares to touch me, who dares to hurt me! Perhaps my strength isn't enough, but didn't we sign a contract with Luo Jiuchuan? He certainly won't stand by and watch us fail to help him earn Emotion Crystals. If we really encounter any unreliable danger, Luo Jiuchuan might just cross a world to save me. Maybe this Emotion-Absorbing Gourd has some hidden tricks that can monitor our every move.
Damn it! Chen Yang's chuunibyou is back to its worst! And damn it, I just wanted you guys to be my stable employees, but you're using me as a backdrop, planning to use my name to your advantage, huh?
"The reason I readily agreed to the deal is threefold. First, we're at their mercy; we have no choice in dealing with Luo Jiuchuan. Second, the mental exhaustion I feel every time I leave the Mountain and Sea Realm is unbearable, even affecting my work on the construction site. With the Emotion-Gathering Gourd, I can condense emotional crystals to counteract three days of mental fatigue. Third, even if we can't repay the debt, we're definitely of value to Luo Jiuchuan. Otherwise, it wouldn't matter who he trades with; as long as we're valuable, the worst that can happen is we'll be working for free," Wang Jianguo chimed in.
Good heavens! Su Fan on Zhihu, good heavens! I originally wanted to manipulate you guys and make you work for me. But what's going on here? Chen Yang and Wang Jianguo are clearly using Luo Jiuchuan as a backdrop.
Turning the tables and manipulating the creditors, huh? This idea is absolutely brilliant; it's something Su Fan never expected.
Su Fan stared in disbelief and said, "Uncle Wang, you don't actually intend to pay for the goods at all, do you? We signed a contract, you should be able to feel the binding force of that contract. If you really mess things up, those breach of contract clauses might actually be enforced. Who knows..."
Su Fan felt it was necessary to bring Wang Jianguo back to the right track, but before Su Fan could finish speaking, Wang Jianguo interrupted him.
"Xiao Su! I never intended to default on the debt, but as you know, I'm just an ordinary worker. I can't just stop working to collect emotional crystals! I have a family to support, and I can only help collect them in my spare time. According to the contract, I didn't intentionally default on the debt. It's just an unforeseen circumstance. After all, I have a family, and I'm not rich enough to squander. I can just keep working for Luo Jiuchuan for free." Wang Jianguo said, his tone somewhat heavy.
Su Fan felt like he had overlooked something. Wang Jianguo was just an ordinary worker; it was impossible for him to quit his job and collect emotional crystals every day.
Adults have responsibilities. Sometimes, earning money or even just living is not for themselves, but for their families.
The reason Su Fan lives such a carefree life every day is entirely because the [Unexpected Wealth Compass] helped him achieve financial freedom and gain freedom.
But Wang Jianguo is not Su Fan, and he's different from everyone else. Even Chen Yang's yearning and passion for the extraordinary might lead him to neglect his studies to collect emotional crystals. Jiang He, on the other hand, clearly comes from a well-off family.
Although emotional crystals can be used as a universal currency in the Mountain and Sea Realm, they have no practical use in improving the real situation, so Wang Jianguo's choice can be said to be expected and reasonable.
Su Fan then began to consider whether to kick Wang Jianguo out of his pool of potential workers, since it was impossible to disregard one's livelihood just to collect emotional crystals.