It was time to go!
Han Jin made up his mind. He thought that he still had some time, but the Hell Purple Flower's manic actions had alerted him.
After years of fighting, there were only a few lords left in the northeast region. Grand Duke Solomon on the other side of the swamp was out of the question, as he believed that Solomon had enough power to protect himself. On the other side of the swamp, there were only four forces left: Han Jin, Wild Willow City of the elves, Marishen of Depew City, and Chesam of Cold Shadow City.
Among the four forces, Han Jin had the largest territory, with three territories: Holy Crown City, Black Raven City, and most of the Beitman. Chesam was second, with two territories: Cold Shadow City and Kuma City. Wild Willow City was third, and the struggling Marishen was fourth. Of course, this was only based on the size of the territory.
After careful calculation, Han Jin's territory was twice the size of Chesam's, but his overall strength might not be as strong as Chesam's. Black Raven City and Beitman City were almost in ruins, and their population had been greatly reduced. It would take a long time for them to recover, so Han Jin could only rely on Holy Crown City, while Cold Shadow City was backed by the Titans. This greatly narrowed the gap between the two sides.
Therefore, he had to pay attention to Chesam. When the Abyssal Race invaded, Chesam would become an indispensable force. The power of the Titans would definitely surpass that of the elves and Marishen of Depew City.
In other words, he had to form a united front as soon as possible. He wasn't worried about Marishen, but Chesam!
Han Jin paced back and forth as he recalled what Guevara and Grand Duke Solomon had said about Chesam. Guevara said that Chesam was a lunatic, and Solomon said that Chesam's brain was abnormal. In modern terms, Chesam should be a mental patient with some kind of paranoid personality disorder. Chesam's intelligence was very high, and the fact that he could become the Thunder Titan and have an unshakable reputation in his tribe was proof of this.
It wouldn't be easy to deal with such a person, and even if Chesam agreed to work with him, Han Jin wouldn't dare to trust Chesam. Who would dare to trust a monster with paranoid personality disorder? The actions of a psychopath could not be deduced using common sense. Chesam was capable of doing anything.
What gave Han Jin even more of a headache was the fact that after Chesam had captured Kuba City, he had sent Hogan to Isolated Cliff City with a large number of slaves. Chesam wanted to show off his power, and his goal was achieved. Along the way, no one dared to offend the ice mages led by Hogan. But when they arrived at Isolated Cliff City, Han Jin didn't care about anything else. He subdued Hogan, killed the ice mages, and took all the slaves as his own. This was undoubtedly a resounding slap to Chesam's face.
Would a paranoid psychopath forgive Han Jin's offense and sincerely cooperate with Han Jin?
Difficult!!
The best way was to find an opportunity to get rid of Chesam and support Domine, making her the leader of the Titans. But this method contained too many uncertainties. Chesam had been famous for many years, and it was impossible that he didn't have any supporters in the Titan Race. If Domine became the leader, it would definitely cause internal strife within the Titan Race. Plus, Domine had made it very clear that she wouldn't allow Han Jin to do anything that would harm the Titan Race. There was almost no concept of nations in this world, but the concept of race was deeply ingrained. Han Jin didn't dare to ignore Domine's determination.
Han Jin had always regarded Domine as a friend, and a friend that he could trust. He didn't want to hurt Domine.
The more he thought about it, the more his head hurt. It was too difficult to catch the train of thought and behavior of a psychopath …
Let's wait until I meet Chesam before making a decision! Han Jin sighed softly. When he forced Chesam's name out of his mind, he suddenly thought of Qi Li.
Han Jin didn't care about Morgan's Secret Treasure, but the Glorious Battle Robe was an important artifact. It would be a lie if he said that he didn't want it, but he couldn't ask. He could only wait. He couldn't just run over to Qi Li and ask her where Morgan's Secret Treasure was. Give me the Glorious Battle Robe!
Hypocrites were disgusting, but villains weren't any better. Han Jin didn't want to be either. At least, he didn't want to leave such an impression on his friends. In order to avoid suspicion, he had never even asked about Qi Li's experience. The people from the Purple Flower of Hell kept staring at Qi Li. Of course, it was related to the Glorious Battle Robe. As long as he asked, the topic would inevitably turn to the Glorious Battle Robe. Now that everyone knew that he already had the Glorious Pendant and the Lion King's Shield, how should he express his attitude? Purposely evading the question, pretending not to be interested, hypocrites! Asking Qi Li to give him the Glorious Battle Robe, villains! Then … I'll just keep quiet …
At this moment, someone knocked on the door a few times, and Gibran's voice came from outside. "Raphael, it's ready!"
"Come in," Han Jin said. "Where's Kurtini?"
"He's already waiting over there," Gibran said as he pushed the door open.
Han Jin pondered for a moment and nodded. "Let's go, we'll go over there too."
When Han Jin and Gibran walked to the deck, they saw that everyone was gathered together. An excited voice came from inside, and it sounded like Hallister.
Han Jin frowned and slowly walked over. When they saw Han Jin, Morrisons, Hogan, and the others hurriedly made way for him. Han Jin saw that Hallister and Hallister were sitting opposite each other. There was a stack of papers on the table, filled with words. Hallister's face was red, and he slammed the table from time to time. He even pointed at Hallister's nose and yelled. Compared to Hallister, Hallister appeared to be very weak. He had a bitter expression on his face as he tried to explain something. Suddenly, he looked like he had received a great shock, and he waved his hands frantically. The more agitated Hallister became, the weaker Hallister became. In the end, he was practically begging Hallister.
If anyone else saw this scene, they would think that Hallister was bullying Hallister, trying to force Hallister to sign an unfair contract. However, Han Jin knew that Hallister was the one being bullied.
In order to recognize a person, one had to carefully savor them. When Hallister was at his poorest, he relied on women to survive. Han Jin had joked that Hallister could seek revenge, but Hallister had no intention of doing so. He knew that he was in the wrong. How could such a person make things difficult for Hallister? Impossible!
Hallister, on the other hand, was extremely shrewd. He had built his own foundation in these troubled times, and he had always had a firm grip on the Allied Trade Association and the Mercenary Association. He had great influence, so how could he have done it if he wasn't scheming enough? Two years ago, Hallister had given Han Jin everything he had and supported Black Raven City with all his might. Just this kind of boldness alone was not something an ordinary person could compare to.
Han Jin wasn't trying to shield him. When he sent Hallister to meet with Hallister, he knew that the difference in status between the two was too great. Hallister was likely to be at a disadvantage. However, Hallister had helped him in his most difficult time, so it didn't matter if he gave in a little. As long as he always had overwhelming power, he wasn't afraid of Hallister. If Hallister really went too far, he could make Hallister cough up double the amount.
However, the others were deceived by appearances. They thought that Hallister had gone too far, but because of the difference in status, Hallister was still one of them, so they couldn't say anything. They could only remain silent.
Han Jin walked to the table, picked up the prepared contract, and flipped through a few pages.
"My lord!" Hallister stood up angrily.
"My lord, you're here." Hallister stood up with a smile and bowed to Han Jin.
The dozen or so pages were filled with words. Han Jin didn't understand this kind of 'economic contract', but he had seen it before. He found that the content covered a wide range of topics and was very detailed. He was surprised and asked Hallister, "Did you write this?"
"Yes … Miss Qi Li helped me write it." Hallister's face turned even redder.
"Miss Qi Li? Miss Qi Li from Morgan & Co.? " Hallister asked. His eyes revealed a look of realization. Obviously, he had been surprised by Hallister's' professional and systematic knowledge '.
Hallister coldly turned his gaze away, ignoring Hallister.
"We're all on the same side. What's there to argue about?" Han Jin said in a lecturing tone. He then put the prepared contract back on the table.
"My lord, Lord Hallister is too …" Although he could tell that Han Jin was lecturing Hallister, Hallister didn't look pleased at all. Instead, he smiled bitterly. "The real profits can't be that big. The Allied Trade Association has more than a hundred caravans. No one knows better than me how much profit there is."
"You think you're the only one who knows?!" Hallister said angrily. He had talked a lot with Qi Li. Qi Li had told him clearly that the roads built during the Empire's unification were vital lifelines. In the past, due to years of war, the lifelines were often broken for various reasons. Some even bled profusely, which seriously affected the merchants' profits. If Han Jin could rely on his own power to ensure the safety of the lifelines, the total profit would reach an unimaginable number. Thus, he couldn't back down, not even a little.
Hallister had benefited greatly from this. He even wanted to ask Qi Li to come out and talk to Hallister. He would rather give up his position. Unfortunately, time was limited, and Qi Li's injuries hadn't healed yet. She wasn't in the best state of mind, so he had to give up on that idea.
Because he understood enough, the more Hallister complained, the angrier he became. In the end, he couldn't control his emotions anymore.
"How about this? Don't argue. I have an idea." Han Jin smiled as he looked around. Suddenly, he asked, "Gibran, how many chairs are there in total?"
"Chairs?" Gibran looked around. "There are about forty to fifty of them."
"Give me a few gold coins." Han Jin held out his hand.
Gibran was even more confused, but he still took out a few gold coins and placed them in Han Jin's palm.
"President Hallister, to be honest, when I was in trouble, you were the one who generously helped us. So, I think that arguing about profits is a blasphemy to our friendship," Han Jin said with a smile.
"My lord, on behalf of everyone in Isolated Cliff City, I thank you for your generosity!" Hallister said seriously. Then, he bowed to Han Jin again.
"I also know that the profits can't be that high. Let's find a way to compromise." Han Jin walked to the seat that Hallister had given up and put down a gold coin. Then, he walked to the empty seat on the side and put down two gold coins. He smiled. "How about this? You can put four gold coins on the next chair, then eight on the next one, and then sixteen. When all the chairs are filled with gold coins, that will be my annual profit. The rest will belong to you."
"My lord! How can this be?! " Hallister shouted. He had never expected that Han Jin would not only fail to uphold justice for him, but also completely ruin his plan.
"My lord, please don't joke around." Hallister smiled bitterly. He didn't believe Han Jin at all. According to Han Jin's plan, if all the chairs were filled with gold coins, ten thousand gold coins would be more than enough. How could he let his lord earn so little in a year? Even if Han Jin really wanted to, he wouldn't dare. Should he … give in? He felt that Han Jin was being sarcastic. It was very likely that Han Jin was already unhappy with him.
"There are so many people watching. Why would I joke around?" Han Jin slowly shook his head. "Don't worry. I just want to express my gratitude."
"Lord Raphael, you have no right to do this!" Hallister screamed hysterically. He was already speaking without thinking.
"What did you say, Hallister?!" Guevara yelled.
Everyone looked at Hallister strangely. Only then did Hallister realize that he had made a big mistake. His face turned from red to white. His lips trembled, but he couldn't say anything.
Hallister looked at Han Jin and then at Guevara. His eyes were full of hesitation. After being in business for so many years, he didn't believe in anything. He only believed that there was no such thing as a free lunch in the sky. Giving away almost all the profits because of gratitude? What a joke! If he was so grateful, why didn't he let him be the lord?!
"Are you doubting my sincerity?" Han Jin asked softly.
"I …" Hallister paused. He knew that he had no way out, so he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I'll do as you say! But I've been wandering around these days and found that you've removed all the magic crystal cannons on the wall of the Holy Crown City. "
"Yes, what's wrong?"
"Lord, that's not good!" Hallister said solemnly. "The Holy Crown City is your capital. If something happens in other cities, it can be remedied, but not in the Holy Crown City! Lord, there are still more than six hundred magic crystal cannons in the Isolated Cliff City. I'll transport all of them here within a month. And the magic crystals … Please give me one and a half months. I'll collect thirty thousand magic crystals above the seventh level. Lord, this is all we have in the Isolated Cliff City. As you know, the Allied Trade Association mainly deals in magic crystals, weapons and armors. I'll have to leave some for later use. Also, the magic crystal cannons and magic crystals will be the profits we'll give you this year. What do you think? "
"First of all, thank you for your sincerity." Han Jin smiled and said, "But I can't take the magic crystal cannons and magic crystals for free. We'll pay for them. Of course, I hope you can give us some discount on the price."
"No, no, no!" Hallister shook his head like a rattle-drum. "If you insist … I won't sign this contract!" Holman had always been on high alert when it came to money. He had seen many businesses disappear without a trace because they were too greedy. Money was cute, but it had to be earned through safe and appropriate channels.
"Well … that's fine." Han Jin smiled. "If you don't have any other opinions, then let's sign the contract. Hallister, please make the changes."
"I won't sign it!" Hallister also knew that compromise was beneficial to him, but he couldn't accept this result. "Lord, please let me go back to being my manager. I … I can't do it!"
"This is an order," Han Jin said coldly, then gave Hallister a look.
Hallister was stunned. He stared blankly at Han Jin. He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but then he saw Han Jin's lips curl up slightly. He immediately understood that Han Jin hadn't made this decision carelessly. He calmed himself down and slowly sat down.
Holman lowered his head, calculating his gains and losses. He didn't notice the change in Hallister's expression. In addition to his previous promise, he had given Han Jin more than a thousand magic crystal cannons and a large number of magic crystals, which was barely enough to cover a year's worth of profits. It was fine to take some small advantages, but to take a big one, especially from Han Jin, was no different from dancing with the God of Death. No matter what, he wouldn't do such a foolish thing.
After about half an hour, Hallister had already changed the terms of the contract and signed his name. The Magician beside him quickly stamped the contract with a magic symbol, then coldly handed the contract to Hallister.
Hallister looked through it carefully and signed his name. He looked up at Han Jin and smiled. "Lord, sorry to keep you waiting."
Han Jin took the contract and tossed it to Hallister. "Keep it safe," he said calmly.
"Lord, I don't know how to express my gratitude." Hallister let out a long sigh. "Actually, the gold coins I brought with me this time is enough to pay you a year's worth of profits, haha …"
Hallister was joking. The others also knew that the gold coins weren't the main point. The magic crystal cannons and magic crystals were the real profits, so they all laughed along.
"Is that so? Then I'll pay you now. " Han Jin said with a half-smile. Then, he thought of something. "Oh right, President Hallister, if you feel that the contract is not suitable and want to change it, you can directly look for Hallister." Han Jin didn't want to force Hallman to his death. He just wanted to teach him a lesson and avenge Hallister.
(Dispelling the rumors … After writing the chapter yesterday, I didn't have the energy to think of a proper name. My friends kept urging me, so I wrote a chapter title. Please don't misunderstand. Because the upstairs is under renovation, this is already the fifth day. Every day, I write to Miss Gaga's deafening singing, so my writing speed is slower and more tiring. Music itself is a kind of distraction. Of course, it's much better than noise. As for how loud it is … Anyway, my speaker has been drifting on the coffee table for the past few days. Other things don't matter, but the jumping of the words makes my heart ache! The couple opposite the door is quite interesting. They can't stand the noise of the electric drill either. They've been humming the whole afternoon, reflecting on their impure thoughts. I'm talking about nunchakus! It's a pity that their speakers aren't as good as mine. They're completely suppressed by my hello, hello, baby. I'm so proud of myself. Note: I don't mean to show off my English. In fact, I've never passed this class, not even once. It was a very tragic era. The reason why I'm using these three words is because they're at the beginning of the song, and because I can only recognize these three words fluently …)
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