Su Qingjiu looked at Ruo Zhi and smiled gently, "These five swords were left by our master. They have always been kept in the treasury of Changming Mountain and are considered one of our sect's most prized possessions. After much discussion with my sisters, we felt these five swords would be more useful in your hands than in ours. After all, Changming Mountain is in the south, and we rarely have opportunities to slay demons. But you are stationed at the Snow Region Heavenly Pond, where you could encounter high-level demons at any time. These swords can be used to refine the missing five Demon Soul Swords, couldn't they?"
"Ah?"
Ruo Zhi was overjoyed. These five swords radiated a potent aura, imbued with the ancient essence of their time. They were undoubtedly immortal swords from antiquity, treasures beyond mere fortune. Previously, the embryo of her ten Demon Soul Swords were merely celestial artifacts, nothing extraordinary. Now, if she could refine these five immortal swords into Demon Soul Swords, her foundation as a twelfth-realm cultivator would surely advance.
"What are you still waiting for?"
Lin Zhao crossed his arms and smiled, "Ruo Zhi, why don't you thank Xiao Jiu'er quickly?"
"Mm!"
Ruo Zhi nodded with a smile, "Then... thank you, Xiao Jiu'er!"
"No need to be so polite."
Su Qingjiu smiled, "I'm here for a few days before returning. During this time, please refine these five immortal swords and that thirteenth-realm demon core of Xu Changyou as quickly as possible. Since I'm here, I'll guard you to ensure nothing goes wrong!"
"Mm, thanks!"
Thus, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion within the villa atop the mountain. Ruo Zhi began the process of refining the five Demon Soul Swords, aiming to restore her peak combat strength.
...
In the afternoon, Lin Zhao made a trip to White Emperor City to check on the equipment he had previously consigned to the White Emperor City auction house. After the battle in the Ancient Dragon Marsh, Lin Zhao had looted over 240 celestial artifacts and more than 680 terrestrial artifacts. All these items had been listed in the auction house, and most had already been sold. Only some mediocre items with uninspired stats remained. The proceeds were substantial, totaling 120 million universal coins.
He frowned, withdrew the money from the auction house, and deposited it into his account. Then, he proceeded to convert the unbound gold zishui coins. He had 348 gold zishui coins in his inventory, all of which were exchanged for universal coins. Thus, Lin Zhao's account saw a total deposit of 460 million universal coins that day. Standing before the gold vault in the main city, he pondered how to spend this sum. It was enough to equip Crimson Moon Transport with three more Cloud Shadow-class transport ships. It wasn't a large amount, but it wasn't insignificant either, leaving him fluctuating between ambition and worry.
"What's wrong?"
A familiar voice came from beside him.
Lin Zhao turned and saw Leng Yan, clad in exquisite battle armor with long, slender legs, standing nearby. He immediately smiled, "A'Yan, what are you doing here too? What a coincidence."
"Indeed, a coincidence. You're back in White Emperor City."
Leng Yan smiled, "I come to this auction house every day to browse for equipment and see if I can snag any bargains. It's one of my pastimes. And you? You look troubled, is something bothering you?"
"It's not really a bother."
Lin Zhao turned and walked out of the auction house with Leng Yan, saying as they walked, "It's about Crimson Moon Transport. Huo Dao told me that our transport fleet is too small. We've missed out on several major contracts due to insufficient carrying capacity. Also, Crimson Moon Transport's firepower isn't quite sufficient. Only the Cloud Shadow-class ships are equipped with a few 76mm electromagnetic railguns. According to Huo Dao, they're fine against petty thieves, but against stronger mercenary groups, it's a different story."
"Mm, you should indeed be concerned about this."
Leng Yan kicked at the ginkgo leaves on the streets of White Emperor City, frowning. "The world is chaotic now. Although every aerial route is nominally protected by local authorities, in reality, it's just a few small, multi-purpose fighter jets. They can handle petty thieves, but not mercenary legions. Those mercenary groups usually have masterminds behind them, and it's not uncommon for them to intercept important supplies on trade routes for private transactions. Last year alone, there were hundreds of mercenary hijacking incidents on the routes in the China region. We must be cautious."
"The main problem is a lack of funds."
Lin Zhao frowned. "We lack heavy long-range firepower. Otherwise, even if we encountered mercenary legions, we could deter them."
"I see..."
Leng Yan pursed her red lips and smiled, "Let me think of a way. Perhaps I can provide some funds. I might even consider investing in your Crimson Moon Transport."
"Ah?"
Lin Zhao was taken aback. "Isn't that inappropriate... If people found out, they'd probably laugh at me for living off a woman."
Leng Yan's pretty face blushed. "What do you mean 'living off a woman'? This is a legitimate investment and financing. I'll be receiving dividends from Crimson Moon Transport in the future. I simply see great potential in Crimson Moon Transport."
...
In the afternoon, in Ning City, at the heart of the Xu Group Corporation.
In the chairman's office, a middle-aged man was signing contracts page by page. He wore glasses and exuded an air of refinement.
Xu Chun, the current chairman of the Xu Group and Xu Yan's father.
"Chairman Xu."
The secretary beside him smiled, "Chairman Lin of Chenglai Technology has an appointment for dinner with you this evening. Shall I confirm it? If we secure this deal with Chenglai Technology, the profits will be considerable."
"Alright, please respond to him."
"Yes."
Just then, the mobile phone on the side table rang. The holographic image displayed on the phone showed Xu Yan, dressed in a simple white dress. Xu Chun had saved her contact as "Little Ancestor."
"Oh?"
Xu Chun picked up the phone and smiled, "Aren't you in the game leveling up? Calling your old man at this hour. What's up?"
"Dad."
Xu Yan smiled, "I'm coming home for dinner tonight. Come back early. I've asked the housekeeper to buy a black-bone chicken, and I'll stew some chicken soup to nourish you. Your white hair seems to have increased recently."
"Tsk tsk..."
Xu Chun laughed, "If you didn't annoy me so much, perhaps my white hair would grow slower."
"In any case, we're eating together tonight. Come back early."
"Oh, okay!"
Xu Chun hung up the phone and looked at his secretary, who was also looking at him.
"What are you looking at?"
Xu Chun smiled, "Quickly cancel Chairman Lin's dinner reservation. Tell him I have something important to do. Nothing is more important than coming home to have dinner with my daughter."
"Yes, yes, yes."
The secretary chuckled.
...
In the evening, in a villa in Ning City.
Xu Yan transformed into a well-behaved daughter, shedding the commanding aura of the Leader of the Victorious Alliance. She smoothed her skirt, ladled a full bowl of black-bone chicken soup for her father, and then served various other delicacies. She then propped her chin on her hands, her luminous eyes fixed on her father as he drank the soup, a rather ingratiating smile on her face.
"Oh dear..."
Xu Chun took the first sip and found the soup a bit too hot. He grinned, "Daughter, what is it, exactly? Just tell me. You smiling at me like this makes me feel uneasy!"
"Oh."
Xu Yan got up and sat up straight. "Dad, this month, besides the group's usual investment in Victory, I'd like to request another billion yuan from you. It's urgent, preferably within a few days."
"Ah?!"
Xu Chun almost spat out his soup. "A billion? That much? You can't possibly spend that much on dresses!"
Xu Yan pouted. "It's not for buying things. I want to invest in a company, so I need a billion yuan."
"Lin Zhao's Crimson Moon Transport?" Xu Chun asked.
"???"
Xu Yan slammed the table, her beautiful eyes flashing with anger. "Xu Chun! You promised you wouldn't investigate him!"
"I didn't! You're framing me..."
Xu Chun scratched his head. "I just searched online. I didn't send anyone to investigate him specifically. Everyone doing business in the Yangtze River Delta knows that Lin Zhao founded Crimson Moon Transport... I wouldn't break my promise to you, would I? I truly didn't investigate, and I wouldn't dare to..."
"Alright."
Xu Yan sat down and smiled, "You weren't scared, were you?"
"Not really, not really..."
Xu Chun patted his chest. "Coming home for dinner feels like a banquet of deception, it's quite unpleasant. Speaking of which, Xiao Yan, your father is a reasonable person. As long as you like Lin Zhao, even if he were a penniless beggar, I'd support you, as long as he treats you well. Whether you want to start a business or do anything else, it's fine. I'll provide the money. However... let's agree on this first: it's fine if money is spent, but you need to be careful with your feelings. Your father isn't afraid of you being cheated out of money, but he's afraid of you being cheated out of your heart... After all, this is your first romance..."
Xu Yan narrowed her eyes and smiled, "Tsk tsk, you still have the nerve to say that. When I was in high school and college, who told me not to date? I was very obedient. Three years of high school, four years of college, and I never dated anyone. I was honest..."
"Oh."
Xu Chun chuckled, "You were really honest. I heard that when you were in high school, a boy pestered you relentlessly, and you almost twisted his head off. I had to send people to compensate him and apologize for that incident. I remember it clearly."
Xu Yan's cheeks flushed. "Alright, alright, stop bringing up old stories. Ten billion, transfer it to my account."
"Understood."
Xu Chun said with a helpless expression, "Let's eat first, let's eat first. After dinner, I'll have the finance department transfer it to you."
"Mm."
Xu Yan obediently held her bowl, ready to eat.
"How about this?"
Xu Chun cautiously probed, "Bring Lin Zhao home for dinner, let Dad have a look?"
Xu Yan immediately put down her bowl.
"Alright, alright..." Xu Chun's face darkened. "Bring him when you're ready to."
Xu Yan picked up her bowl, gave him a look, exuding a hint of dominance.
...
At night.
Leng Yan directly transferred ten billion universal coins to Lin Zhao's account. Lin Zhao dared not delay. He immediately took Chen Xue to Crimson Moon Transport that night and went through the procedures for Leng Yan's investment and financing meticulously. Afterward, he arranged for Su Wan to go to Ning City the next day to deliver the relevant documents to Leng Yan. Friendship is friendship, but business must be handled properly; he couldn't let Leng Yan's kind gesture go unappreciated.
At this point, Lin Zhao's account had 1.46 billion universal coins. It seemed... he could purchase another batch of goods.
Late at night, he called Nangong Muyun, the young master of Rongcheng Aerospace Industry.
"Oh?"
Nangong Muyun laughed heartily, "Boss Lin Zhao, what's up?"
"I want to buy a plane, but I'm not sure about the market."
"Come to my place tomorrow morning, and I'll personally show you around."
"Alright!"