Chapter 1036: Don't You Bully Me for Not Reading Enough, Ao
In the meeting room, Jiangnan and Chen Daoyi sat facing each other for the second time!
As soon as he sat down on the hydraulic swivel chair, Chen Daoyi shuddered violently, feeling a sharp pain in his target point!
He shot up immediately, clearly still traumatized by the previous Great Chair of Concentration.
Jiangnan snickered secretly: "Sit! Since we've come this far, why are you still being polite with me?"
Chen Daoyi's mouth twitched: "I'll pass, better to stand."
Jiangnan glared: "What do you mean? Do you want me to talk to you while looking up?"
(ꐦ‾᷄～‾᷅) "Not sitting? So you prefer kneeling?"
Chen Daoyi shuddered again, recalling the strange incident where Jiangnan's single shout made everyone kneel, and his face turned pale.
"Then... I'll just sit!"
With that, he sat on the hydraulic swivel chair, but took the precaution of assuming a hydraulic hovering horse stance.
Jiangnan smiled brightly: "What do you want with me? Don't tell me you're still thinking about the spirit yarn? Go ahead, I'm game."
"But opportunities won't come every time. Next time, your Chen Clan will be destroyed."
Even though Jiangnan was smiling, Chen Daoyi felt a bone-chilling cold.
This young man's influence was far too great.
"Not... not that. I was wondering if you could plead with the higher-ups for the Chen Clan?"
"I put in a lot of effort this time. Can't it be considered as atonement? If you speak up, the higher-ups will surely..."
Jiangnan's expression turned cold.
"Brother Chen! A man must have principles. If I hadn't uncovered your scheme and dragged you onto the boat, the blood vine would have spread all over the Western Frontier by now."
"You've done it once, you can do it again."
"I don't get it. Don't you understand the principle of 'when the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold'? Have you wasted all those years? What does China mean to you?"
"I'm not asking you to make contributions to China. Everyone has selfish motives, including me."
"But you need to understand: In chaotic times, even if the Chen Clan only wants to protect itself, China is still your community of interests."
"You went too far this time."
Chen Daoyi's face was grim. Jiangnan's words were harsh, but he could only swallow his pride.
"At first, I didn't agree. The risk was too great. But later, when you got involved, I couldn't resist."
"I was furious about the Void Sea incident. I thought if I handled it cleanly, no one would find out. I was overconfident."
"As you sow, so shall you reap..."
Jiangnan glared: "So you're saying it's my fault? Then I'll go."
Chen Daoyi darkened: "No, I've brought it upon myself. Jiangnan is right."
Now that he was at Jiangnan's mercy, Chen Daoyi only wanted to protect the Chen Clan, so he had to admit defeat and submit.
Jiangnan rolled his eyes: "Regardless, you helped me in the underground city, and your granddaughter saved my life and cured my illness."
"Otherwise, I would have joined forces with Nephew Big Thunder and crushed you at 097."
"But this is personal. I won't take a stance on this matter. I'll leave it to the higher-ups. You won't suffer, but if you don't feel the pain, you won't learn your lesson."
Chen Daoyi opened his mouth to say more, but finally sighed, looked up at the ceiling light, lost in thought.
Jiangnan's big eyes darted around.
"Ahem, let's set aside public affairs for now and deal with private matters first."
"When will your Chen Clan repay the one billion dollars you owe me?"
Chen Daoyi: ???
"You're out... I fuck... ahem, when did I ever owe you money?"
This little bastard is trying to take advantage of me, isn't he? Or hinting that I should give him benefits so he'll speak for me?
Jiangnan pulled out the IOU with the fingerprint: "It's written in black and white. Don't try to cheat me."
Chen Daoyi quickly took the IOU and read it.
"The money my brother borrowed. What does that have to do with me? Besides, the borrower is Jin Hao, not you."
Jiangnan said with unshakable confidence: "Jin Hao entrusted it to me before he died to collect the debt."
"I also have video evidence. Want me to play it for you?"
"If you don't pay, I'll report you. I'll say you've been suspicious these days and have secretly been in contact with the Brahma Society."
Chen Daoyi gritted his teeth in hatred. How is this different from a kid who threatens to tell the teacher if you don't share snacks?
Jiangnan might not plead for the Chen Clan.
But if this guy wants to screw over the Chen Clan, he's a sure thing.
"Fine, fine! I'll pay! Once I get out..."
Jiangnan shook his head: "No, pay up now. Have your family bring the money by truck. I'll help you contact the outside."
[From Chen Daoyi, Resentment Points +1000!]
This isn't a debt collection; it's outright robbery from my pocket!
But since the leverage was in his hands, he had no choice but to pay.
Six hours later, a dozen Sen Guards drove trucks carrying money to 097.
Jiangnan was overjoyed. In truth, the money he looted from the Brahma Society's treasury was enough to pay off his system debt with plenty left over.
But that was his own money, intended for marriage. He wouldn't part with it.
On the vendor cloth, Jiangnan contentedly stuffed the truckload of money into his alternate dimension.
He casually pulled a zodiac cookie from his pocket and handed it to Chen Daoyi.
[From Chen Daoyi, Resentment Points +1000!]
"Do you really have to make it so ceremonial?"
I just paid you a billion dollars for a single cookie?
Jiangnan shrugged: "A souvenir. So every time you see this cookie, you'll think of me."
Chen Daoyi glared, tore open the cookie, and devoured it furiously. Full of indignation, he turned and headed to the rest area without looking back.
The moment the billion dollars was taken by Jiangnan, the system deducted it as payment for the stall fee.
At the same time, it converted 10 million skill points for Jiangnan.
Jiangnan was so happy he hummed a tune as he walked.
♫♩♬～ da lala (ง⁼̴ꇴ⁼̴)ว
So this is what it feels like to be debt-free?
Even the system in his mind started spamming emojis.
[(ˉ◡￣｡)♬♩♫♪]
"You seem very happy. Resentment points are now over 26 million."
"If I spend them all, can you give me an upgrade card in advance?"
[(･᷄◡･᷅) Ptooey!]
Jiangnan: ???
You just got your money back and now you're getting cocky? Spitting in my mind again?
Not even a little discount?
"Wait! Last time, nine hundred million converted to nine million skill points, no problem."
"But this time, it's a billion dollars! That's over six billion in value! Why only ten million points? Shouldn't it be over sixty million?"
"Are you cheating me again?"
[(٥ᵔ◡ᵔ)...]
[Please, Host, don't dwell on certain details. It's calculated per chapter. No mistake.]
Jiangnan: !!!
How can that be the same? Can you please not ignore the exchange rate?
If you're counting it as ten billion, why did you add 'dollars'?
You're bullying me for not reading enough, right?
Jiangnan ground his teeth, but ten million skill points were real, enough to max out another spirit technique.
But besides the Chen Clan's stubbornness, no other families came to provoke me.
Too many skill points and nowhere to spend them? What a headache!
On the other side, Chen Daoyi sat at a table, still worried about the higher-ups' verdict.
"Tsk, I shouldn't have bothered coming. Just got myself into trouble."
"Hmm? Why do I feel like a sheep?"
Just then—
Bang! The door was kicked open.
Chen Xi ran in excitedly.
٩(๑˃̶͈̀ᗨ˂̶͈́)۶ "Grandpa! Grandpa! Why did you give Brother Jiangnan a billion dollars?"
"Is it... my dowry? Did you talk to Brother Jiangnan about..."
Chen Daoyi was startled, his face turning pale.
Σ(›ଵ益ଵ‹||)
His eyes closed, his legs kicked out, and he died on the spot, a sudden collapse.
(◞˘⌓˘◟)
His body fell limp from the stool to the floor.
Chen Xi was stunned. She rushed over: "Grandpa? What... what's wrong? His heart... it's not beating!"
Is he dead?
(ʘ̆﹏ʘ̥̆‖) Did I scare Grandpa to death?
Chen Xi's eyes reddened immediately. She quickly picked up Chen Daoyi and rushed out, full of anxiety.
"Someone... someone save my grandpa! He seems to be dead!"
Chen Xi's anxious shouts attracted the attention of many.
"Chen Daoyi's dead? No way? Dying just like that? He's a Dao Heaven after all."
"So sudden? One generation's strong, returning to dust. Truly thought-provoking."
Crying bitterly, Chen Xi directly found Jiangnan and the others.
(งཀ⌂ཀ)ง "Wuuwaa—My grandpa seems to be dead! Brother Jiangnan, please save him!"
In the command room, everyone looked at Chen Daoyi's ashen face with strange expressions.
Jiangnan's mouth twitched: "Uh... not seems, he is dead. How did your grandpa die?"
Chen Xi burst into tears: "I scared him to death!"
Jiangnan: (‧̣̥̇⑉ԾжԾ) Pu pu pu pfft—
Forgive me for laughing in such a serious situation. I just can't help it!
Liu Mang: (乛◡乛●) "Ah, people get fragile with age. Even a Dao Heaven can't escape fate. Bury him."
Li Si: ╮(︶﹏︶)╭ "Even Nan Shen the immortal can't save him now. He's already smelling. No hope. Cremate him."
[From Chen Daoyi, Resentment Points +1000!]
[From Chen Daoyi...]
I'm not dead, damn it!
What kind of cookie is that? It causes fake death?
Cremate me? I'll be cremated even if I'm not dead!
This is a conspiracy!
You're trying to kill me!
I'm wrong, truly wrong! You're my ancestor, okay?
Please don't cremate me!
Chen Xi's tears kept falling.
(*꒦ິ～꒦ີ) "Wuu—Grandpa, I shouldn't have scared you. I'm unfilial."
"How did you leave so suddenly! Wuu—A regular crematorium can't handle a Dao Heaven, right?"
"So, is there a high-level fire-type ability user here?"
Chen Daoyi: !!!
You're truly my own granddaughter! You've killed me with filial piety!
Jiangnan cleared his throat twice, pried open Chen Daoyi's eyes, and looked.
"Ahem—Mila can still save him, but it will require a lot of her life force. Out of respect for Senior Chen, I've decided to step in."
"But I can't do it for free. For ten billion dollars, I can revive Senior Chen."
Chen Xi's eyes lit up: "Really? But ten billion... that's too much. I don't have that much money."
Jiangnan's expression turned serious: (๑•̀◠•́)و "Don't worry, you don't have it, but your grandpa does. Write me an IOU, and let your grandpa pay later."
"When your grandpa wakes up and finds out, I'm sure he'll be very gratified."
Chen Xi wiped her tears: "Thank you! Thank you, Brother Jiangnan! I'll write the IOU now! I want to save Grandpa!"
Chen Daoyi: !!!
Can you stop scamming my money right in front of me?
Gratified? My heart will shatter!
I just gave you a billion, and now you're tricking me for another ten billion?
I just... ~%?…;#*'!
[From Chen Daoyi, Resentment Points +1001!]
[From Chen Daoyi...]
Jiangnan: (´◞ิꇴ◟ิ‵)
——
Author's note: Translation note: The original Chinese text contained onomatopoeia and slang. The above is an English version adapted for readability while maintaining the original tone. Some terms like "resentment points" and the emoji-style expressions are kept as a stylistic choice to reflect the original's humor. The character name "Jiangnan" is kept as per the glossary.