Er Yangna, somewhat perplexed by her father's excitement, couldn't help but ask, "What is it, Father?"
"Yes, right now!" Old Danny was practically vibrating with impatience.
He couldn't help but be thrilled because something momentous had occurred in their city, 'Gulu City.' Donald had somehow procured a batch of supreme-grade equipment, the sheer performance of which was breathtaking.
Donald had since abandoned his antique business, switching to selling this equipment instead!
Although the asking price for this gear was significantly higher than standard equipment, its unparalleled performance meant that it was still snapped up by countless buyers.
Eventually, Donald was forced to sell his equipment via auction because the rush of eager purchasers was overwhelming; leaders from numerous academies alone had shown up in droves.
In just a few days, Donald's wealth had far surpassed Old Danny's, which naturally fueled his envy.
He had tried to inquire where Donald sourced that equipment, but Donald kept his lips tightly sealed, absolutely refusing to divulge anything!
Watching Donald rake in mountains of Drill Coins, and comparing that to the fortune he had painstakingly built over decades, left Old Danny feeling deeply unbalanced. This was especially true whenever Donald flaunted his wealth right in front of him just to spite him, leaving Old Danny sullen and unsettled every single day!
Old Danny was a businessman too. Though he didn't know the acquisition cost of Donald's merchandise, he could sense that this was an immensely profitable venture—a business of ten thousand profits for every one invested!
Thus, his ambition stirred. He decided he also wanted to try his hand at flipping this equipment, but he was handicapped by his ignorance of the source.
However, he didn't give up. He secretly investigated the matter. In the end, while he still failed to uncover the exact location, he managed to find out where Donald had gone!
All of this followed Donald’s return from the 'City of Dreamy Dusk'!
Operating under the philosophy of better safe than sorry, Old Danny hurried here in a frenzy. Initially, he didn't expect to pinpoint the exact source, hoping only to glean some useful tidbits. He never imagined his own daughter actually knew where the supply originated!
Elina had no choice. In the end, she reluctantly led her father toward the 'Dark Merchant Guild.'
The day they arrived was ill-timed; they happened to catch the 'Dark Merchant Guild' running a major promotion, and the exterior was packed with people. Getting inside would require a lengthy wait!
Old Danny grew increasingly agitated the longer they waited, practically itching to rush inside!
"Lina, does everyone have to queue like this?" Old Danny constantly craned his neck forward to peer ahead. Yet, the line seemed to show no sign of shortening.
"I don't think so. Members can go straight in!" Elina recalled.
"Members? Where does one sign up for membership?" Old Danny desperately wished to avoid the queue.
However, Elina’s reply only frustrated him further: "Inside the Guild; you have to queue to get in before you can sign up!"
Blast it, still had to queue!
Just then, a youthful voice spoke up beside the two of them: "Do you two want to get in?"
Old Danny and Elina started in surprise, as the voice sounded strangely familiar. Turning to look, there they were—Zhong Shenxiu and Robin, standing right next to them!
Because of the surrounding noise and the fact that Zhong Shenxiu and Robin were quite unassuming, the pair hadn't noticed them, nor did they know how long Zhong Shenxiu had been standing beside them!
Elina didn't think much of it, but her father couldn't remain so composed!
"Young friend, is that you?" Old Danny’s eyes widened, feeling a strange sense of meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land!
Zhong Shenxiu merely smiled without answering, adopting a very mature demeanor.
"Young friend, are you also here to shop?" After a moment of stunned silence, Old Danny finally managed to compose himself.
"Do you want to get in quickly?" Zhong Shenxiu countered the question instead, a strange smile playing on his lips.
"Yes, of course I do!" Old Danny was currently vexed by this very issue. "Young friend, do you have a way?"
Since purchasing an 'Ancient Relic' from Zhong Shenxiu, Old Danny no longer regarded him as merely a child.
"If you want to get in, then follow me!" Zhong Shenxiu dropped the line and proceeded to walk toward the front of the queue with Robin.
Old Danny paused, puzzled by Zhong Shenxiu's intention, but after glancing at the long line ahead, he ultimately chose to follow.
Elina had been pondering if Zhong Shenxiu was trying to cut the line—rules here were notoriously strict, and getting caught could lead to utter humiliation! Seeing her father follow suddenly made her anxious about him getting into trouble, so she hurried after them!
"Young friend, where are we going?" Old Danny asked, feeling rather uneasy.
"Into the building, naturally!" Zhong Shenxiu replied without looking back.
"Just walk straight in?" Old Danny’s eyes widened; he almost wondered if he’d misheard!
It turned out his guess was entirely correct. Zhong Shenxiu walked in almost without pausing, moving as if he were storming the place!
Following closely behind, Elina could hear herself murmuring something about whether he was going to argue with the staff inside!
To her surprise, the staff members, upon seeing Zhong Shenxiu and Robin, showed no sign of obstruction; instead, they bowed in greeting!
What was going on?
Even the worldly Old Danny was utterly bewildered. He hadn't expected them to actually walk in so brazenly!
As the two of them tried to guess what connection Zhong Shenxiu had with this 'Dark Merchant Guild,' they found themselves already inside the main exhibition hall.
"This... this is..." Old Danny was too excited to speak, having completely forgotten his previous question!
A wave of shock, excitement, and exhilaration instantly submerged Old Danny. The sheer impact of the merchandise here was something the few items Donald possessed could never match!
Glancing around, every shelf was laden with supreme-grade equipment and potions—a visual assault that Old Danny, as a first-time visitor, couldn't possibly resist!
In that moment, he almost forgot who he was; all he saw were the goods!
Just as Old Danny was about to charge forward and begin a spree of purchasing, Zhong Shenxiu's voice rang out again.
"Hey, old man, care to strike a deal with me?"
Zhong Shenxiu's voice seemed imbued with some kind of magic, jolting Old Danny out of his daze.
"What deal?" Old Danny's expression was a mix of sheer excitement and elation!
"Follow me!" Zhong Shenxiu didn't elaborate but led the pair toward a side door in the hall.
Elina’s confusion deepened. She distinctly saw a sign on that side door clearly stating, "Staff Only Beyond This Point," yet Zhong Shenxiu was swaggering through with them. Not only did the passing staff fail to stop them, but they all stepped aside respectfully!
Strange. Utterly strange!
Perhaps distracted, Elina only realized where they had stopped once they had arrived in an extremely luxurious conference room!
"What's happening?" This time, even Old Danny began to sound confused, his prior excitement somewhat diminished!
Zhong Shenxiu gestured for them to sit and then cut straight to the chase with a statement that nearly made them both freeze in shock!
"Are you interested in joining my 'Dark Merchant Guild'?" Zhong Shenxiu's eyes shone with brilliant intensity.
"What?" Old Danny and Elina practically leaped to their feet simultaneously, staring at Zhong Shenxiu with looks of sheer terror.
What had he just said? Did this mean the 'Dark Merchant Guild' belonged to him?
Heavens, this—how could this be possible?
The atmosphere in the conference room instantly became bizarre; apart from the sound of quickened breathing, no other noise could be heard.
After a long pause, Old Danny was the first to react: "Young friend, what did you just say? I didn't hear clearly, could you possibly say..."
"I asked if you are interested in joining my 'Dark Merchant Guild'!" Zhong Shenxiu repeated himself.
"This... this..." Old Danny still couldn't process the fact.
Setting aside the merchandise, the sheer scale of the Dark Merchant Guild's structure alone was worth hundreds of millions of Drill Coins, and the goods inside were valued at an astronomical sum today. For such an unbelievably powerful guild to belong to the child standing before him, Zhong Shenxiu—how could he accept it?
He remembered clearly discussing a trade with Zhong Shenxiu just months ago; at that time, Zhong Shenxiu shouldn't have had much money. How could he now be the owner of the 'Dark Merchant Guild'?
The disparity between then and now was simply too vast!
"Is this guild really yours?" Elina, unable to hold back, asked.
She knew that outside, there were endless rumors about the true backer of the 'Dark Merchant Guild,' and several prominent families had even offered hefty rewards for information leading to his identity. For such a mysterious and powerful figure to be the young Zhong Shenxiu, who also taught at their academy—Elina simply couldn't reconcile it!
If anyone else possessed Zhong Shenxiu's level of wealth, let alone teaching, they could easily fund and establish their own academy!
"Do you think I don't look like it?" Zhong Shenxiu retorted with a question.
Elina quickly shook her head. Regardless of whether Zhong Shenxiu owned the Guild, one thing was certain: he had a massive connection to it, otherwise he couldn't have brought her and her father into such a restricted area so effortlessly!
"I... I am willing to join this Guild. Are there any special requirements?" Old Danny asked, his voice trembling slightly.
From the moment he saw the goods displayed in the exhibition hall, he had been deeply captivated by this Guild!
More importantly, he understood that this enterprise could offer him limitless prospects. To align himself with such a powerful force would be a blessing earned over lifetimes!
Hearing Old Danny's assent, Zhong Shenxiu smiled. He had found a capable helper for the Guild.
Moreover, the task he intended to assign to Old Danny was unique and crucial to the future development of the 'Dark Merchant Guild'!
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