I Don't Agree to the Terms

Since it was about setting sail, Gu Shanhai definitely had to build his own ship, as he didn't trust those built by others.

He wasn't worried about not being able to come back from the sea; his main concern was that Little White might have to steer the ship. That meant it had to be built sturdily; otherwise, with a single stomp on the throttle by Little White, it might fall apart.

What? Ships don't have throttles? Well, now they do. Gu Shanhai could completely install one, and even brakes wouldn't be a problem.

"This is really troublesome," Gu Shanhai said with some resignation, before collecting all the tribute offerings; they could be used again next time.

The value of these offerings wasn't low in this world, but they were all gifts from Mr. Qin, so their worth to him wasn't that high since they were only valuable within this world. The gods from other worlds almost certainly didn't want them.

So while they were expensive locally, their value plummeted once outside, which is why they were given away without a second thought.

It was the public's property, not his, so Mr. Qin naturally didn't care. Even if the high-ups knew, they wouldn't say anything, as Mr. Qin's strength alone was enough to silence them, let alone when you added Gu Shanhai to the mix.

Gu Shanhai's situation was known to the higher-ups of various forces, especially with Mr. Qin's grand gestures, which couldn't be hidden from other interested parties, not to mention the involvement of Shura and the Heavenly King.

But they didn't know what he was up to, so they dared not make any rash moves.

Over time, however, it was inevitable that someone would come to probe, just like now.

"***, hello, I am the vice president of the Giant Dragon's Breath, Fire Dragon Flame. I was wondering if you had a moment to chat?" A half-dragon person approached, mostly showing dragonic traits, but from the outer appearance, they appeared to be Western, probably with the lineage of a Red Dragon or Fire Dragon or something of the sort.

"Walk and talk, and please make it quick; I have things to do," Gu Shanhai said as he packed his things and prepared to head back. The tributes definitely couldn't be left at the inn; they were kept in a more secluded place, but he wasn't dismissive right off the bat.

"Of course, I just wanted to ask, why did Mr. Qin, Shura, and the Heavenly King come to this world?"

"If you're willing to share, we from the Giant Dragon's Breath are ready to offer you a handsome reward."

Fire Dragon Flame did not assume an arrogant or superior air but tempted with benefits.

"Reward? Let's hear your offer first," Gu Shanhai said, all ears at the mention of a reward. If they were just trying to freeload, he would have brushed them off easily.

To avoid any trickery on their part, he definitely needed to see what they had to offer first.

"This... is the item." The other party hadn't expected Gu Shanhai to be so greedy, but greed was good in their eyes.

So Fire Dragon Flame took out a dragon claw, which, judging by its appearance, seemed to be from a Red Dragon and had been processed.

To Gu Shanhai, it contained the soul of a Red Dragon, which could provide a large amount of fire resistance to a player, cause extra fire damage with attacks, and upon near death, would let the Red Dragon emerge to absorb damage and heal the player.

"It'll do, I guess," Gu Shanhai said, finding only the Red Dragon's soul somewhat useful. The equipment itself was rough, and he might just boil it down to meatballs to eat later.

"Alright, hand it over."

After assessing the item, Gu Shanhai boldly asked for it.

Fire Dragon Flame, not worried about Gu Shanhai reneging on the deal, immediately tossed the dragon claw over.

Gu Shanhai pocketed it and then said, "They came to this world because I called them here."

"And then?" Fire Dragon Flame waited for about three minutes, but there was no continuation from Gu Shanhai.

"That's it, you just asked why they came. It's because I called them," Gu Shanhai said, looking at Fire Dragon Flame strangely. He felt he had answered quite clearly.

"What about their purpose?" Fire Dragon Flame asked gravely.

"Gotta pay more," Gu Shanhai stated gravely.

"..." Even the Fire Dragon Flame was at a loss for words. You've taken my stuff and that's all you have to say? Clearly not satisfied, but with gritted teeth, the dragon produced another dragon scale, its value evidently less than the claw just given.

"Tsk, such shoddy workmanship, fine, give it here," Gu Shanhai said with disdain, but then he thought even a mosquito's leg counted as meat.

"You tell me first," the Fire Dragon Flame had gotten smarter, not giving the item to Gu Shanhai immediately.

"Take it or leave it," Gu Shanhai rolled his eyes and walked away without looking back, convinced that such matters were voluntary.

"Wait, take it!" Seeing Gu Shanhai's response, the Fire Dragon Flame could only grit his teeth and give in, having already offered a dragon's claw; it was too much to continue to suffer losses.

With evident impatience, Gu Shanhai took the scale and said, "Their purpose was to come serve me."

"!!!" Shocked, the Fire Dragon Flame realized Gu Shanhai was the mastermind all along, managing to scam them twice—no wonder the intel was so vague.

"Give it back," the Fire Dragon Flame couldn't swallow his pride.

"Why should I? Once it's in my hands, not even the Heavenly King can claim it back," Gu Shanhai retorted with an air of 'what are you gonna do about it?'

"I—" the Fire Dragon Flame considered resorting to force, but fortunately, he was sensible enough to recognize that if these three were serving Gu Shanhai, then he couldn't possibly be simple.

And having researched Gu Shanhai, who had been the top player a century ago, was there a chance he still held that title today?

Otherwise, how could someone so obviously looking for a beating keep strutting around so nonchalantly? That confidence had to be rooted in strength.

"Uh, can we take on the job?" the Fire Dragon Flame asked shamelessly, not mentioning the lost items again.

"No way, you're too dumb. You've been duped twice," Gu Shanhai said dismissively.

The Fire Dragon Flame fought an urge to throttle Gu Shanhai, but considering how frankly he admitted it, he knew the man had backup, so he suppressed the urge.

"But, seeing as you seem like the gullible rich type, your giant dragon brood is sure to be wealthy. Interested in buying something? I've always been a fair trader," Gu Shanhai inquired.

"What are you selling..." asked a weary Fire Dragon Flame.

"I sell everything. Custom orders are possible too if the price is right," Gu Shanhai said as he pulled out a list and casually tossed some samples over.

The Fire Dragon Flame didn't even glance at the list, but the samples nearly made his eyes pop out.

"You sell this too?" His first thought was to rob Gu Shanhai, and the second was to kidnap the man.

But those thoughts evaporated when he saw Gu Shanhai's mischievous smile.

"Sell it? Of course, as long as you can pay. I should mention, I don't take Game Coin, only barter," Gu Shanhai said, instantly perceiving the malice in the other's eyes. Did this fool really think he could take advantage and walk away unscathed?

By his own usage alone, he could become quite a formidable figure – considering attacking him? Most crafters couldn't stand up to combat players, but the top-tier ones were veritable monsters in terms of attributes or equipment, capable of taking on combat players in a head-on fight.

"Alright, alright, but I need to discuss it with our guild leader first. Where can I find you later?" the Fire Dragon Flame definitely wasn't giving up. As for whether to buy or steal, that would be decided after consulting back home.

"For the next month, I'll still be on Player Island in this world; after that, who knows," Gu Shanhai wouldn't possibly wait for him.

The Fire Dragon Flame then suggested adding each other as friends, but Gu Shanhai deftly sidestepped the offer using his innate talent once again.

"Hopefully, this turns into a profitable venture without capital," Gu Shanhai could sense the other's ill intentions but wasn't bothered, knowing that as long as there was no action, it was all ignorable. However, he was actually hoping the Fire Dragon Flame would try something, so Gu Shanhai could seize the opportunity to turn the tables and intimidate some of the more deluded players.