Chapter 6: Calculations

Easterners

Lin Qi was inwardly cursing all the deities he knew, regardless of which deity had sent this group of fat sheep to the lame man's shop; from this day forth, that deity would become Lin Qi's mortal enemy. The young man's right hand, adorned with pearls and jewels, was something Lin Qi had never seen in his life, so valuable.

Lin Qi's words were filled with malice; he was eager to incite a conflict between the Lame Shop and those plump sheep draped in black cloaks. In that moment, he had already devised a plan: only by provoking a clash between these plump sheep and the Lame Shop could he seize the opportunity to benefit from the chaos and gain sufficient advantages from these individuals

The slender figure of Vic stuffed a large piece of fatty meat into his mouth, nodding eagerly, and casually gave a pat on the backside of a passing maid.

To turn certain wealthy individuals into the poor, to seize their valuable possessions, to convert others' money into one's own—this is Lin Qi's ideal, his pursuit, and his life goal. His life is built upon wealth; without money, his existence is dim and devoid of light

Lin Qi possesses the most simple, pure, and unadorned worldview in the world. In his view, there are only two types of currency: his money and other people's money. He sees only two types of people: the wealthy and the poor. He categorizes items into two types as well: valuable treasures and worthless trash

With a light sigh, Jiang Yong casually pointed at the gold bars on the wine cabinet with his slender, pale fingers. His fingers silently penetrated the gold bars, deeply embedding themselves into the wine cabinet made of century-old oak, creating a transparent hole in the inch-thick surface of the cabinet

The young man's right hand is like the bright light on a lighthouse, illuminating a long stretch of Lin Qi's winding journey through life

With a slightly strange and unsettling smile, Jiang Yong softly said: "I sincerely apologize for that young lady. However, I hope you can understand that I am not accustomed to having people too close to me"

"Easterners, in light of your shared ancestry with my forebears, I solemnly remind you! This is the domain of the limping shop, the territory of the limping uncle. If you dare to assault his most beautiful and beloved maid, you are finished!"

Gently placing the gold bar on the greasy wine cabinet, the young man in white said in fluent Common Tongue of the Western Continent: "I am Jiang Yong. According to your customs, you and the books may call me 'Jiang' or refer to me as Manager Jiang."

In the blink of an eye, the cripple had already taken Jiang Yong and his entourage away from the wine cabinet

A long robe with a peculiar style, embroidered with a strange creature that resembles a python, yet has a mouth full of sharp teeth and four claws that look like those of a rooster. This creature is both fierce and magnificent, exuding a chilling allure of evil temptation.

When the crippled man stepped forward, Lin Qi was standing by the wine cabinet, staring intently at those young men. He looked almost mad as he watched the leader among them carefully wipe his palms with a white silk handkerchief. The young man's fingers were moving, and the rings on his hands created enchanting halos under the light.

"What a pity, this is the territory of the cripple!" Struggling to swallow, Lin Qi lowered his hands, released the bowstring of the crossbow, and carefully concealed the two poisoned crossbow bolts in the leather pouch at his waist. He emerged from the shadow of the wine cabinet, smiled, and leaned over the long bar, making a gesture of slitting a throat towards the young man.

Squinting his eyes, Lin Qi said softly: "Vik, have someone keep an eye on them. I want to know exactly how much money they brought with the *map*!"

This is not a fat sheep, but a beast with a colorful coat. Although the fur of the beast is also quite valuable, it is clearly unwise to risk one's life for gold coins. Unless it can be proven that Jiang Yong possesses a substantial wealth that would entice Lin Qi, the mere rings he wears on his hands are insufficient to prompt Lin Qi to take action

Lin Qi, standing next to the cripple, gasped in shock as he stared at the gold bar and the wine cabinet pierced by Jiang Yong's finger. He suddenly let out a heavy sigh.

The servants of the two lame shopkeepers lifted the unconscious Lisa and soon disappeared from the bustling tavern without a trace

Gold, bright and shining gold; gemstones, sparkling gemstones. Lin Qi let out a low groan, pressing his right hand firmly against his heart. He took deep breaths, managing to control his breathing with great effort, allowing the boiling blood to gradually flow throughout his body, thus avoiding the risk of sudden death from a ruptured heart or a cerebral hemorrhage.

For the sake of gold coins, Lin Qi can collaborate with the cripple; likewise, for the sake of more gold coins, Lin Qi can unhesitatingly sell the cripple.

What a fine fat sheep, but why do they have to come to the lame man's shop

Of course, if Lin Qi were to learn that Jiang Yong truly possesses a vast fortune, he would make Jiang Yong aware that, despite his formidable strength, he absolutely should not carry too much wealth into the territory of the Iron Fist Brotherhood

Raising his glass and taking a hearty gulp, Lin Qi ambiguously stated: "This is Boleili City, the territory of my Lin Qi's Iron Fist Brotherhood!"

This guy is really wealthy! Due to high blood pressure, Lin Qi felt a wave of darkness before his eyes as he struggled to swallow his saliva. His nostrils flared violently, and Lin Qi took deep breaths, finally managing to suppress the raging fire in his heart. With his hands hidden in his sleeves, Lin Qi's fingers repeatedly brushed against the triggers of two small crossbows concealed within. Several times, he nearly lost control and almost raised his hand to launch an attack on the young man.

The terrifying strength, this fellow named Jiang Yong must have the power of a high-level knight. Aside from those legendary high-level knights who can cleave boulders with their bare hands, Lin Qi cannot think of any other monster capable of achieving what Jiang Yong has done. A flesh-and-blood body able to penetrate gold bars? What are his fingers made of?

The young man with a pale face curled the corner of his mouth into a lofty and disdainful sneer. He kept his left hand behind his back, slightly hunched over, and walked slowly to the long wine cabinet. He squinted his eyes and scrutinized the cripple for a moment, then glanced at Lin Qi. When his right hand reemerged from within his cloak, it was holding a gold bar, half a foot long and as thick as a thumb.

Only Lin Qi, who had been subtly observing them with the corner of his eye, noticed how they departed, especially as several of Jiang Yong's attendants walked by, their cloaks being lifted by the table legs, revealing the deep blue robes underneath.

After casting a deep glance at Jiang Yong, Lin Qi stepped out from the wine cabinet and sat down at a table with Enzo and Vic. He called for fine wine and roasted meat with loud shouts, laughing heartily as he admired the bold and uninhibited dance of the performer.

The ruffians, who had just been brazenly trying to profit from the fat sheep, simultaneously returned to their seats. They raised their glasses and once again erupted into loud chatter. Three dancers passionately swung their thighs, continuously kicking their fair, long legs, provoking the ruffians to burst into exuberant laughter and howls. The tavern instantly returned to its usual state, with the scents of sweat and alcohol once again filling the air

Lin Qi's blood surged almost entirely to his brain and heart, causing his body to heat up, and sweat flowed continuously down his skin