Chapter 157: The Shrewd Merchant!
After saying that, Xu Zhi decisively stood up and walked out of the room, leaving the conference chamber for the Federation officials to deliberate in private.
Lin Zizhen, showing good sense, didn’t stay behind either and followed right after her.
His action made several of the high-ranking officials glance at him for a moment. The people in this room were all shrewd veterans—naturally, they understood what such a gesture implied.
“Looks like Lin Zizhen’s growing rebellious.”
“Hmph. So what if he is? With that girl protecting him, what can you do to him?”
“This is treason against the Federation!”
“Not necessarily. He could also serve as a bridge between the Federation and Cloud City.”
“That depends on which side he chooses.”
After a few brief exchanges about Lin Zizhen, they quickly shifted to the real matter at hand—the ownership of Cloud City.
*
Ten minutes later, Xu Zhi returned to the conference room.
“So? Have you made a decision?”
Everyone turned toward the leading elder. The old man looked at Xu Zhi and nodded slightly.
“We can agree,” he said, “but… the conditions still need to be discussed.”
“For instance,” he added, “you made those wooden tokens for a reason, didn’t you, Miss Xu?”
These old foxes really wouldn’t miss a single chance to bargain.
Xu Zhi nodded. “Of course. I can let people enter and exit Cloud City freely—but the number of passes is limited. I thought about it, and this way is more convenient.”
“And how many passes exactly does Miss Xu have available?”
Xu Zhi glanced around the table. “A thousand. One thousand every half month.”
That was roughly the amount of power she could spare—and she still needed to keep some for herself.
“And how does Miss Xu plan to distribute those thousand passes?”
“If we agree to your request,” another official asked, “what benefits will the Federation receive?”
Xu Zhi blinked, puzzled, and fell silent for a moment before replying with genuine confusion, “Benefits? What benefits?”
Now it was the Federation officials’ turn to be dumbfounded.
“I never agreed to give you any special benefits,” Xu Zhi said earnestly. “Don’t try to trick me.”
A bunch of sly old foxes—trying to swindle an innocent little girl like her!
“What? Miss Xu, are you saying that even if we agree to your request, you’re not giving us any advantages at all?”
“What advantages?” Xu Zhi asked, looking perplexed. “You’re agreeing because it’s compensation owed to me. Isn’t that normal? Don’t think you can haggle over it.”
The room fell silent again.
Seeing that this line of persuasion wouldn’t work, the Federation negotiators quickly changed tactics.
“Since we’re agreeing to Cloud City’s transfer to Miss Xu, that shows our goodwill,” one of them said smoothly. “So regarding the entry passes—does Miss Xu have any particular terms in mind?”
It was a hint: they wanted her to give them a discount.
They knew full well that Xu Zhi wouldn’t give them away for free, but perhaps she’d at least offer a more reasonable price.
“One pass,” Xu Zhi said crisply, “costs ten high-grade attribute cores.”
“…That expensive?!”
Yes. That expensive.
Xu Zhi didn’t even flinch. She admitted to herself it was a little steep—but that didn’t stop her from sticking to it anyway.
“Isn’t that a bit too costly?”
Xu Zhi blinked. “Maybe a little. You can always buy fewer. I’ll just sell the rest to whoever else is interested.”
Her tone carried the faintest note of threat—and a touch of shamelessness that came from having a monopoly.
The atmosphere, which had just started to ease thanks to the Federation’s earlier concession, tensed right back up.
“And who exactly does Miss Xu plan to sell them to?” one of them asked sharply.
That was not what the Federation wanted to hear.
Xu Zhi replied casually, “No idea. I’ll see who’s willing to pay when the time comes.”
She really meant it. If the Federation didn’t want them, she’d just sell at high prices to others. Someone was bound to want access.
“Seems like the Federation isn’t that interested in buying, then?” Xu Zhi said, feigning hesitation.
The officials quickly backpedaled.
“No, no, of course we want them! Ten cores per pass, was it? Can we complete the transaction today?”
“…You want to buy all of them?” Xu Zhi asked.
At that, the Federation officials’ hearts sank. They knew they were about to get fleeced again.
One of them ground his teeth in silence, seething at how detestable Xu Zhi’s merchant face was—but there was nothing they could do.
“What exactly do you mean, Miss Xu?” someone finally asked wearily.
Xu Zhi didn’t make them guess. “A buyout fee.”
As soon as the three words left her mouth, everyone’s faces fell.
Of course.
A profiteer!
The elder gave a bitter, genuine smile. “Miss Xu, please show some mercy. The Federation’s core reserves are truly running low.”
(Though most of that is because of you!)
He didn’t say that part aloud.
*
In the end, after nearly two hours of negotiations, they reached an agreement.
Naturally, Xu Zhi didn’t make a single concession—why should she, when she held all the cards and monopolized the situation?
The Federation would announce in three days that Cloud City officially belonged to Xu Zhi, broadcasting the news across the entire Federation to ensure everyone knew about the change.
In return, Xu Zhi would provide a new batch of entry passes every half month and collect the payment in attribute cores.
She would not interfere at all with how the Federation distributed its quota.
The high buyout fee would last one year. After that, if the Federation wished to renew its exclusive purchase rights, it would have to pay another full year’s buyout fee.
In short—Xu Zhi had just pulled off an enormous money grab.
By the end of the meeting, the old officials’ eyes looked a little glazed over, clearly drained by the sheer size of the expenditure.
“So, that’s a pleasant conclusion to today’s meeting?” Xu Zhi asked cheerfully.
The officials could only manage wry smiles.
“Yes… Miss Xu, please do as you wish from here on. We’ll have the cores delivered to the perimeter of Cloud City within three days. Please bring the passes then.”
Xu Zhi nodded. “Alright.”
She could understand—it would take time to gather that many cores.
*
After finishing negotiations with the Federation and confirming that Lin Zizhen truly wanted to become her subordinate, Xu Zhi readily agreed.
Once he packed his things, she brought him back to Cloud City.
“From now on,” Xu Zhi instructed as they walked toward the city center, “you’ll handle all dealings with the Federation. If there’s something you can’t decide, ask Zhong Lingfan. If even he can’t decide, then come to me.”
Lin Zizhen nodded. He didn’t know who Zhong Lingfan was, but since Xu Zhi mentioned the name, it was probably someone important in Cloud City—someone he’d soon meet.
After handing Lin Zizhen off to Zhong Lingfan, Xu Zhi returned to her own quarters.
It was time to focus entirely on strengthening herself—to reach the next stage as soon as possible.
Ideally, she would gain the ability to move freely in the Midnight Realm, making it easier to explore its hidden secrets.
