Qiangu Dongfeng looked at the caller and immediately picked the call when he saw who had decided to call him after being unavailable for all this time.
His mood was good though, yesterday was quite a haul for him.
"Are you free now?"
{Thanks President! I didn't know you were giving me 8 pieces worth of materials.}
Qiangu Dongfeng smiled at the answer. A reply that was nowhere near his question made him snicker at Fan Lin's continued lack of respect towards him, which, by now, had become more of a thing that he wanted to mend in Fan Lin when he got his hands on him
Just how much satisfying it would be to tame a rabid dog to one that wouldn't even wag it's tail without your command. He thought about that sometimes. Just how wonderful it would be!
"Four. That's what the deal was. I will provide no more than that."
He said, mentioning what was previously agreed, otherwise he had a big hunch that the hungry ghost on the other side will definitely try to reap him a few more.
{Really, we will see. I heard someone say that you have been generous nowadays. Help the poor me as well. I am needy, fill my pockets a bit with your magnanimity and kindness, Oh! President of the mighty and gallant Spirit Pagoda. At least deliver the rest of the materials to upheld your side of the deal, you pauper.}
As he heard the way Fan Lin spoke, a blight of unease rose in his heart. This slight bit of emotions that he could feel from his voice felt like an unforeboding vagueness that was hard to conceptualise.
Something was wrong with the way the brat was speaking and it wasn't good.
Fan Lin was definitely set to mess with him; and he had came prepared. Qiangu Dongfeng knew that. He definitely understood that.
'What do I do though? What does he even wants now? What does he even have that he can use against him now?'
'Wait! There's a lot!'
Qiangu Dongfeng was on the verge of realisation...
Questions arose in his mind as he deftly began to think of the answers that could potentially be used for whatever Fan Lin could be planning to.
'Do I even have to listen to him after this?'
'Should I?'
'I could just lay low and wait like I did before. There's no need to rush and create loopholes.'
'I can take it slow.'
'On thinking again, is he even worth all the trouble that he could bring?'
Qiangu Dongfeng wondered. Wondered a lot... until he cane to a decision. He shall stick to his previous plan that he had been working for the past decades.
As for Fan Lin and his worth, that could wait until the Spirit Pagoda has nothing to fear and he is the final voice on the matter.
'It is necessary to keep a good relationship with him though. At least until he is keeping his contacts with Leng Yaozhu.'
'But how far would he take advantage of me? How much more do I have to pamper to his needs?'
"You first. What about the information? What happened at yesterday's meeting? Did Yun Ming leave? Did something important happen? You were unreachable the whole day, the discussions were that long? Did they talk about me?"
Qiangu Dongfeng asked the questions that he thought were important. The questions that he can't get the answers to.
This was his dilemma. His weakness. The meeting was held between a group whose members he had no control over along with the brat that was playing all sides and we don't talk about the Vice President.
{Calm down for a bit. I will send you the information in a minute. Yun Ming will leave in an hour. Nothing had happened to me. I was just doing work. I need your help but we will get to that later. You have lots of time and considering that you aren't acting like a pathetic garbage on the roadside, I will grace you with my presence and we can discuss some more important and mundane things that you will be interested in.}
{But first, let's talk about the meeting. It was a video conference this time, long one but... Well~ read the document; to briefly detail the event, they want my cooperation in setting up a trap for the Evil Soul Masters. An effective one at that.}
{According to the Seagod Pavilion, MY presence has become something akin to an Evil Soul Master attractor as wherever I am going, people are releasing lots of negative emotions and then Evil Soul Masters are gathering there as well. In short, the Evil Soul Masters are using me as their portable cultivation enhancer tool.}
{Since the replantation is a well known project with dates set and all, adding to the fact that my whereabouts are often linked with mass relocations that is often done before I have to visit the area, it isn't that hard to pinpoint where I will go next and that had unknowingly raised the problem where the Evil Soul Masters are actively relocating people in the name of the replantation just so my job would become easier, and people being idiots are doing so, adding more troubles to themselves and then blaming me and releasing negative emotions and then the Evil Soul Masters are feeding into that and also reaping off of me. All in all, I am liked by the wrong crowd and getting hate from everyone. Read the doc for complete details. How can humans be so stupid though?}
"They are not. Vice President Leng Yaozhu had talked about this to me yesterday. The Evil Soul Masters have rooted themselves in the system and are actually using their legal designations to aid in your replantation since it helps them one way or the other."
{I genuinely thought it was your doing. You did promise that the replantation would be smooth sailing and all. Don't worry, I kept my mouth shut.}
"I don't know what you are talking about."
{I see~ Continuing on, the Seagod Pavilion wants me to either follow THEIR plan of reforestation that they had created for the purpose of capturing Evil Soul Masters using me...}
"Or?"
{Otherwise, they want me to stop altogether, at least for a few years. I am apparently too fast in my job; pretty much no one is able to catch up to the chaos my replantation has been causing in the human society causing the Evil Soul Masters to thrive in my presence... }
{Thus if I stop now, as time passes, the sudden change in their cultivation speed will definitely agitate the Evil Soul Masters, jolting them awake from the intoxication of their newfound strength, sooner or later, they will become restless and agitated, leading to impulsive actions and loose ends which will then be used to infiltrate the Evil Soul Masters and damage it from the inside by the 'Seagod Pavilion' who will be ready and prepared for it all along. Their words, not mine.}
{They said that there will be sacrifices but ones that they are willing to take if they could root out or at least heavily damage the Evil Soul Masters for a while.}
{There is also the third way in which I create a series of disturbance one after another, causing lots of public outrage but no harm, which would in turn would become massive gathering points for the Evil Soul Masters due to my 'presence' in all this, and the Seagod Pavilion will then capture, kill, and interrogate them. However many they could catch. However much they could get.}
{How to proceed on this is something they have left for me to decide for they think I have a knack for it. They will just follow my directions and seethe the anger and resentment by the side while protecting the citizens involved in case something happens.}
{This is going to be a lengthy task and would require me to give them my full cooperation since the Evil Soul Masters are tricky and too deep-rooted into the society. Cleaning them completely is nigh impossible in a short while but with my help, they said they can swiftly and optimally deal with the Evil Soul Masters without further losses on their side.}
"There's a lot more left. I have sent a precise report to you, check it out whenever you can. This is also what I was doing yesterday since I am sure I can't tell you all the details without being lost or ignoring something that you might consider important. You should respect me more for the efforts I am putting for me.}
{I have also included about their thoughts of you that I had gathered with difficultly along with the future cooperation plans that they had of me. You might find it useful. Now make sure to deliver the materials soon. You don't have much time.}
{As according to my payment, the Seagod Pavilion will grant me two pieces worth of material for my Four Word Battle Armour and along with the appointment with the Heavenly Blacksmith by the end of this month. You are getting the point right? I need the materials before that.}
"I got the report... What did you need my help for?"
A question he shouldn't have asked.
{I want to replant the other two continents. Prepare the rest of the requirements for me.}
"...?"
"Putting your tone aside. Why? This goes against what you previously said."
{I want all the land to be green.}
"...What selfish motive do you have now?"
{Do you want to know the truth?}
"Yes."
{30000 kmsq more land. You know where.}
"*Sigh* No. I can't do that. Everyone's already pestering me for the previous grants I have given you."
{No problem. Just do not ask me things when you can't afford it.}
{Continuing on, deliver the materials...}
{And prepare the things for the other continents.}
"I didn't agree to that!"
{What?}
{Well, I am a child of few words, I won't argue with you. I have the dial address of Yun Ming, I will just call and tell them about this new informer that has really close relations with the Top brass of the Evil Soul Masters group. They would love to get their hands on such an person and I would be rewarded handsomely. They will surely prepare for my departure to the other continent. And give me the land as well.}
"..."
'Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck!!!!!'
"It's too much, I can do half of that."
{I didn't hear you. What are you talking about? Half the continent? One of them? Or is it about the land that you promised to gift me? Is it half that? Just 15000 sqkm?}
"...Yes."
{I see. Well that's enough I guess. I am pretty generous as well. Let me tell you why I wanna do the replantation. Do you want to know though? You didn't seem like you want to know. I wouldn't say things you would not like to hear. That would be uncouth of me.}
"I want to know..."
{Good.}
{That's the tone I like.}
"..."
Qiangu Dongfeng internally screamed in rage. He got reaped and he could do nothing but negotiate the price down while patching up the dignity that has just been shredded without mercy.
"Do not test my patience. Tell me why!"
{Do not be angry.}
{I am dying.}
"Huh?"
...
Next chapter in 6 to 8 hours. That's when the next vehicle will come. Bye