Laurie froze. This was the second time Zhong Shenxiu had called him an old man. The first time was at Old Danny’s house, when he’d gone to invite Elena to be a "special guest." At that time, Zhong Shenxiu had left him with the impression that this kid was quite willful.

"He’s the special guest invited by your academy, isn’t he?" Zhong Shenxiu glanced at Gandalf, then continued questioning Laurie, "I imagine someone invited as a special guest by your academy must have quite a background!?"

This was step one: Probing!

"It is the honor of our academy that Mr. Gandalf could come!" Laurie replied with a smile, clearly trying to curry favor with Gandalf.

However, what he said was true. Gandalf was quite famous in this area, not someone any academy could simply invite.

Not only did Gandalf, as a Grand Magus, rarely visit small towns like this, but he also had endless affairs that consumed most of his time.

Gandalf's presence was definitely giving their academy a great deal of prestige!

At this moment, Zhong Shenxiu smiled, as if this answer was exactly what he had anticipated.

"This special guest your academy invited wants to buy these items from me, yet he hasn't brought enough money—in fact, he has none at all. Your academy won't just stand by and do nothing about this, will it? That wouldn't look good for your academy's reputation!" Zhong Shenxiu said, all while adopting an expression of regret.

This was step two: A gentle tap!

The underlying meaning was crystal clear: Hurry up and pay for Gandalf!

This stunned Laurie. He hadn't expected such pointed words to come from such a young child as Zhong Shenxiu, leaving him with absolutely no room to argue!

But Zhong Shenxiu wasn't finished speaking; this was only the beginning!

"You just heard it, this item is related to 'War.'" Zhong Shenxiu gestured with the round disc in his hand. "You are a smart man, I think you understand the principle that 'opportunity knocks but once'!"

This was step three: Setting the stage!

Laurie looked at the disc in Zhong Shenxiu's hand, then at the bewildered Gandalf, unsure of how to respond.

"I have been to your academy and know you are very wealthy—you wouldn't care about this little bit of 'petty cash'!" Seeing Laurie still playing dumb, Zhong Shenxiu shifted his tone. "Your silence can only mean one thing: you don't trust Gandalf and are afraid he won't pay up!"

This was step four: A show of dominance!

"Th-that is not it!" Laurie exclaimed in shock, quickly defending himself while glancing at Gandalf.

This accusation was too severe. He certainly didn't want his academy to earn a reputation for being 'stingy'! His silence earlier was simply because he hadn't recovered from this sudden sequence of events!

Gandalf was not provoked into anger by Zhong Shenxiu’s words. However, his expression was somewhat strange—a mix of astonishment and, more predominantly, sympathy, as if advising Laurie: Just compromise quickly! You cannot win against him! I’ve been through this before.

"If that’s not it, then what is it?" Zhong Shenxiu smirked wickedly, projecting an air of having already controlled the situation.

Laurie was increasingly realizing how formidable this young boy was. He finally understood what Elena had told him that day.

Back then, Elena had spoken to him with a serious and heartfelt expression: If you encounter this boy again in the future, it’s best to stay far away and never get entangled with him.

He had dismissed it as a joke at the time, not taking it seriously. But now, it seemed, this was no baseless rumor. Elena must have suffered losses dealing with this boy for her to have said those things!

"Oh, I see, you’re afraid Gandalf will cheat you out of your money? If that’s the case, why did you invite him in the first place? I say everyone should just go home!" Zhong Shenxiu added, feigning righteous indignation on Gandalf’s behalf, which caused Gandalf, watching from the side, to sweat profusely!

As the saying goes: If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext!

This was step five: Adding insult to injury!

"H-how much... how much?"

Laurie couldn't take it anymore. If he let Zhong Shenxiu continue, who knew what other accusations might surface! If Gandalf actually fled, what would he do? And the academy’s reputation would suffer!

Zhong Shenxiu smiled, a genuine smile this time, smacking his lips as he spoke: "Gandalf just quoted the prices for these few magical items. As for this disc..." Zhong Shenxiu stopped mid-sentence, making both Laurie and Gandalf's hearts tighten!

"How much?" This time, both of them asked in unison.

"Since we are all acquainted, I won't ask for too much. For this disc, just give me four hundred thousand Diamond Coins!" Zhong Shenxiu immediately adopted an expression implying, "I don't usually offer this price to just anyone."

Clang! Laurie stumbled, bumping right into the counter.

"H-how much?" Laurie thought he must have misheard!

"Four hundred thousand Diamond Coins." Zhong Shenxiu’s tone was completely flat, presenting a deep shock to Laurie. He then added, "I’m not making a profit on this. The wholesale cost alone is four hundred and fifty thousand Diamond Coins. I’m purely taking a loss to drum up business!"

Clang! Gandalf staggered, also hitting the counter.

What did he mean, "wholesale cost is four hundred and fifty thousand Diamond Coins"? As for the items taken from him, he knew for a fact they were zero investment!

"Isn't that a bit too expensive?" Laurie’s lips twitched.

Such a large expenditure—he, the Vice Principal, couldn't decide on it alone!

"This is already very cheap. You can ask around for four weeks, and you absolutely won't find a price like mine!" Zhong Shenxiu asserted confidently.

Nokiye, who had been silent nearby, watched dumbfounded, thinking: This kid is too incredible, practically a sales genius! If we hired talent like this to work here, our sales performance would surely soar!

Angelia stood foolishly to the side, not uttering a single word during the negotiation between Zhong Shenxiu and her academy's principal.

"I can’t decide on such a large sum alone. How about this: you accompany me back to our academy first, and I’ll discuss it with Principal Grodge!" Laurie said after some thought.

Although it was troublesome, it was acceptable. After some consideration, Zhong Shenxiu nodded in agreement.

Nokiye, having been standing in the sun for a long time, finally couldn't resist asking Zhong Shenxiu as the group prepared to leave, "Are you interested in working at our shop? We desperately need talent like you right now!"

He then listed all the benefits and welfare available, determined to keep this talent, Zhong Shenxiu! Although that world didn't have the 'Five Insurances and One Fund,' it did offer holidays, commissions, bonuses, and other perks!

But he had clearly miscalculated. Asking Zhong Shenxiu to work here was sheer delusion, the height of absurdity!

Zhong Shenxiu looked at him as if he were an idiot, thinking: Did a donkey kick you? Do I look like someone who wants a job?

Upon arriving at the "Buzadi Magic and Martial Arts Academy," Zhong Shenxiu was ushered into a conference room to wait. Laurie and Gandalf entered the Principal’s office, presumably to discuss fundraising.

Bored, Zhong Shenxiu began examining the layout of the conference room.

It appeared to be a small meeting room; though the decor was luxurious, the area wasn't large, and there were only about twenty animal hide upholstered chairs.

While observing, Zhong Shenxiu suddenly noticed a cross-section map of the "Buzadi Magic and Martial Arts Academy" hanging on the wall behind him.

Driven by curiosity, Zhong Shenxiu walked over. Although he had briefly explored the academy earlier, it was so vast that he had only visited a few areas.

As he looked, Zhong Shenxiu asked Angelia about the names and functions of the locations marked on the map. With his memory, it took him only a short moment to grasp the academy's general outline.

Just as Zhong Shenxiu was about to look away from the map, one location caught his attention!

"Girl, what is this place? Why isn't it marked?"

Angelia glanced over, then replied, "That area is now a wasteland. Several buildings were erected there over time, but they all collapsed within six months. There were plans to turn it into a training ground, but construction was indefinitely postponed."

"Buildings collapse for no reason?" Zhong Shenxiu’s expression turned quite surprised.

Angelia nodded, then added, "We initially suspected shoddy workmanship by the construction crew, but even after changing crews several times and assigning extra supervisors, it still collapsed exactly when it was supposed to. The real reason has never been found!"

Such a strange occurrence? Zhong Shenxiu fell into contemplation.

If it wasn't due to substandard construction, then the cause must lie with the land itself.

Just as Zhong Shenxiu was racking his brain to figure it out, a sudden spark of insight flashed across his mind!

Wait, could it be—

Zhong Shenxiu seemed to have realized something, and his entire body became instantly agitated. An unusual light shone in his deep eyes.

His expression suggested that the location held a major secret. What could it be?

"Girl, take me to that piece of land right now!" Zhong Shenxiu said impatiently.

Angelia looked bewildered. Hadn't he been told to wait here?

Seeming to anticipate Angelia’s hesitation, Zhong Shenxiu quickly turned to Robin nearby. "Robin, you wait here. If those two return, have them wait here first. I’ll be right back!"

Robin didn't ask further questions, only nodding slightly.

Robin knew that her master must have discovered something extraordinary again, just like when he found the 'Spiritual Milk'—he had the same expression then.

Zhong Shenxiu didn't wait for Angelia to respond; he strode out of the conference room first. He truly couldn't wait any longer.