Li Weizheng explained the situation they had analyzed, hoping to borrow a batch of Dark Gold–tier equipment and use a region about to face a town-defense battle as a test site.
That meant they needed seventeen thousand sets of Dark Gold–tier equipment.
Chu Fu did a rough calculation. The outskirts of Goblin City held ten thousand goblins, while another twenty thousand lived inside the city, producing thirty thousand sets of Dark Gold Goblin equipment in total.
During the first wave, the Thorn Guild had received fifteen thousand sets of equipment. During the second wave, it had received another twenty-two thousand.
The guild had since recruited another five thousand people, bringing its total membership to fifteen thousand.
That left twenty-two thousand surplus sets—so it really could lend them to Li Weizheng.
She said, “The higher-ups’ plan is sound, but Dark Gold–tier equipment is simply too expensive.”
Dark Gold–tier equipment was currently considered endgame gear for levels twenty to thirty, with each piece costing roughly five hundred to eight hundred gold coins.
And Li Weizheng had said “sets,” not “pieces.”
A set required at least eight pieces. Add the four accessories, not to mention the weapon—
Even calculating conservatively, with ten pieces per set, the total would come to eighty-five million gold coins.
Chu Fu had only charged Li Weizheng ten thousand gold coins for ownership of the Origin-tier dungeon.
Even then, Li Weizheng had to desperately make up the difference with real-world supplies.
As for supplies worth eighty-five million gold coins, Li Weizheng felt that would amount to nothing more than a bounced check. He was too embarrassed to even bring it up.
But then Chu Fu changed her tone.
“Still, I’m willing to support the country’s project. Consider it an investment. Once you take the Origin-tier dungeon, I want fifty percent of the profits from the Dark Gold equipment we lend you. That includes Diamond-tier equipment and materials—we get first priority to purchase them.
“We can provide twenty-two thousand sets of equipment.”
Li Weizheng was overjoyed.
“No problem! We can negotiate all of that. Absolutely no problem!”
“Good. I don’t really understand the details of profit-sharing, so I’ll have my secretary negotiate with you. I still have other things to take care of.”
“Of course, no problem.”
Li Weizheng hurriedly agreed.
Chu Fu ended the call and immediately contacted Feng Huimin.
“You go negotiate with them. The cooperation is only one part of it—while you’re there, ask for the land around Wangxi Manor. Ask for as much as possible.”
“Leave it to me, Boss.”
Feng Huimin immediately set off.
After half a day of negotiations, Feng Huimin quickly reached an agreement with Li Weizheng.
The Thorn Guild would provide twenty-two thousand sets of Dark Gold equipment, while the authorities would provide another three thousand sets, forming a dedicated force to conquer the Origin-tier dungeon.
After the dungeon was successfully conquered, the Thorn Guild would receive a share of the Diamond-tier materials and Dark Gold equipment.
Its share would be sixty-five percent.
The partnership would last four months. After that, they would decide whether to continue based on the circumstances.
After all, by then, the country might possess far more Dark Gold equipment and could potentially kick the Thorn Guild out.
However, with the snowball effect of accumulating resources, those twenty-two thousand sets of Dark Gold equipment might turn into who knew how many individual pieces.
Naturally, as Dark Gold equipment became more widespread, its value would fall. The Thorn Guild was taking on a considerable risk.
That was why the Thorn Guild demanded development rights to the Wangxi Scenic Area.
And it was not merely the land around Wangxi Manor.
It was the entire Wangxi Scenic Area, a suburban district occupying five percent of Linjiang City’s total area.
Even the mountains behind it were sold to the Thorn Guild.
The two sides signed an extremely formal contract.
The Wangxi Scenic Area now belonged entirely to the Thorn Guild. It could even be established as an independent development zone with its own official departments.
That point was crucial.
Only a clearly documented land transaction with the authorities could establish ownership at the instant the game invaded reality. Otherwise, they would possess only residential or usage rights—not actual ownership.
What Chu Fu wanted was a clear record of the transaction.
That was the only way to secure ownership.
Moreover, completing the transaction in advance allowed them to make use of the nation’s resources. Large quantities of construction materials did not need to be transported by Chu Fu herself.
The country would handle everything.
“Boss, I also got a group of Earth- and Metal-element players to help us build Thorn Town. They’re all from the Civil Engineering Bureau, so they work much faster. They’ll have it finished in a little over ten days!”
“Well done.”
Chu Fu praised her.
She left the matter with Li Weizheng to Feng Huimin, and handed the spoils from the town-defense battle over to her subordinates as well.
Chu Fu planned to focus seriously on raising her own level.
The dungeon progress she had neglected for a while also needed to be resumed.
There was still one final level-thirty-to-thirty-five dungeon in Linjiang Town that she had yet to clear: Destroy the Undead Calamity.
She had yet to claim the reward from the speed-clear rankings, too!
The bosses outside had long since been holding bags of gold, waiting for Chu Fu to lead her team in and do them the honor of a visit.
However, Chu Fu still chose to add a newcomer to her party.
That person was Dogging Around.
After his talent evolved, it became somewhat similar to Chu Feng’s talent and showed tremendous potential.
She would bring him along and nurture him a little.
Everyone used Return Scrolls together and went back to Linjiang City.
Shen Chi’s body suddenly shifted and transformed into a gigantic mecha.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
“Whoa! Wheelchair, did you fuse the mecha into your body?” Jiao Jiao Isn’t Spoiled exclaimed.
The head of Shen Chi’s mecha gave a slight nod, and his voice came through the speakers.
“That’s right. After the fusion, I gained one thousand points each in Constitution, Strength, and Agility. My defensive and offensive power also increased considerably.”
“That’s way too powerful! Your increase is much faster than mine. I’ve swallowed so much poisonous mist—even drank ten thousand bottles of rat poison—and only gained one hundred points in Constitution and Spirit.”
Chu Fu was speechless too.
Still, as long as one possessed a Limit-Breaking skill, future improvements would become much easier.
At least for now, Chu Fu was using resources from reality.
If the resources in reality ever ran out, she would have to start using resources from the game.
For example, she could use the first trait of Poison Person to control spirit rice, transform it all into poisonous rice, and then consume it.
That was the easiest method she could think of.
However, wasting real-world resources would be foolish. She would use them to improve herself first, then rely on in-game resources afterward.
She had to build a solid foundation.
Shen Chi comforted her. “Plant Girl, your method provides a steady, long-term increase. Mine is just a one-time boost. If I want to improve further, I’ll need to advance my mecha to the Epic tier. That’s far too difficult.”
Suture Saint said, “All right, all of you have ways to increase your attributes. That’s already an incredible advantage.
“But Plant Girl’s method really is terrifying. I heard someone merely walked past the laboratory building and was poisoned. It even made the news!”
Chu Fu was speechless.
“How did something like that make the news?”
“There was nothing anyone could do. You’re a celebrity-level player now. But seriously, with this Poison Person ability of yours, does that mean your blood and saliva are poisonous too?”
Chu Fu nodded.
That was indeed the case!
At the very least, anyone who dared hurt even a single hair on her head would be killed by the poisonous gas spraying from her pores.
Jiao Jiao Isn’t Spoiled burst out laughing.
“Then wouldn’t you poison anyone you kissed?”
Chu Fu had genuinely never considered that possibility.
Just then, a buzzing metallic voice came through the speakers.
“Metal Person isn’t afraid!”
“Pfft!”
Chu Fu burst out laughing. What a painfully cold joke.
Xie Lin rolled his eyes so far upward they nearly disappeared. If Shen Chi had been there, he would definitely have killed him with a glare.
“You’re the Poison Person, and you’re the Metal Person, so what does that make me?”
“Ah! So I’m the Sword Person!”
