Chapter 7: Three Prices

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The team leader was a woman dressed in a gray suit and a woolen coat. She did not wear the team leader’s uniform. The uniform was most likely Luo Shan’s personal choice.

She was not tall, about 1.6 meters.

She had delicate facial features and looked weak, but she had an imposing manner. She led a large group of people through the portal. After looking around, she walked quickly to where Luo Shan was.

“Miss Tong, you’ve been busy. I didn’t expect to see you for information on levels below the 100th floor.” Luo Shan stretched out his hand from afar and even took a small step forward to welcome her.

The middle team’s leader shook his hand lightly. She did not say anything but just nodded and turned to look at Wang Wen.

Everyone present was from the First Consortium. The only outsider was easy to recognize.

She took the initiative to introduce herself to Wang Wen. “I’m Tong Xiaolei, and I’m the team leader of the First Consortium’s intelligence department. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Before Wang Wen could say anything, Luo Shan, who was standing at the side, smiled at Tong Xiaolei and said, “Miss Tong, he’s the one who provided the information. His name is—”

He turned to ask his two subordinates, “What’s his name?”

The taller of the two subordinates answered, “He claims to be selling information.”

Luo Shan said, “Yes, yes, he’s selling—”

The middle team members chuckled.

The lower team members seemed a little embarrassed.

Tong Xiaolei pursed her lips and smiled, giving Luo Shan a way out. “It doesn’t matter. To the First Consortium, it doesn’t matter if there’s a name or not. It just depends on whether we want the information.”

Wang Wen raised his left eyebrow slightly.

A simple sentence not only eased the awkwardness of his colleagues but also showed the power of the First Consortium casually.

It was neither servile nor domineering.

That woman was not simple!

Wang Wen thought for a moment. He took the initiative to get straight to the point. “Hello, Miss Tong. I see that the middle team’s leader is here personally, so you must have the answer. Can you tell me how much that information is worth now?”

Tong Xiaolei stared at him carefully and smiled. “How much do you want for it?”

After a long time, the other party still looked like they were haggling with a newbie. Wang Wen was a little frustrated.

At that time, the First Consortium had not yet stabilized their foothold. Some of the problems were handled with a bit of stinginess.

Wang Wen sighed. If only he did not need the money.

Wang Wen shook his head, sighed deeply, and revealed his options. “I have three prices.”

He stretched out his hand, pointed at Luo Shan, and said, “If it’s him, I want 100,000 points.”

Without waiting for Luo Shan to argue, Wang Wen stretched his hand toward Tong Xiaolei. “If it’s you, I want a million points.”

Luo Shan was so shocked that his nostrils were enlarged. However, Tong Xiaolei’s eyes lit up, and she asked with a fake smile, “There’s still one price left?”

Wang Wen smiled and withdrew his hand to bid farewell to everyone. “If it’s the head of the First Consortium’s intelligence department, it’s free.”

As his voice faded, the surroundings went silent. It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Luo Shan’s hair stood on end. It was as if an electric current ran up from his tailbone to the top of his head, which made his scalp numb.

No one had ever done business like that.

At least he had not seen it in a long time.

Whatever the value of a piece of information, it was as valuable as it should be.

How did it get from 100,000 points to a million points, then a million points to free?

Was that a business deal?

It was a game!

Luo Shan felt as if he had suffered a huge mental attack. He was a little dizzy.

Tong Xiaolei clapped her hands.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave first.” Wang Wen turned to leave.

He did not expect he would be delayed for such a long time. The sky was almost dark, and he had to hurry back to the academy to have dinner.

It seemed like he still had to freeload off the boy for a few more meals. Other than that, it was nothing much. That boy was so stingy with his food that he did not even want to buy meat.

Wang Wen shook his head and muttered to himself as he walked toward the portal toward the World Tower.

Tong Xiaolei chased after him and said, “The head of the First Consortium’s intelligence department is old, so it’s better not to disturb him. I’ll agree to your price.”

Wang Wen stopped in his tracks, turned around, and asked, despite knowing the answer, “Which price?”

A large group of people had gathered around them again. Tong Xiaolei walked closer in high heels, smiling elegantly, and said, “Of course, it’s my price. One million points.”

She bit the word my heavily, and it had a profound meaning.

Wang Wen imitated her earlier clapping style and said, “As one would expect of a First Consortium member, you have guts.”

Tong Xiaolei asked curiously, “Can you tell me the reason for your three prices?”

Wang Wen shook his head. “The middle team is very good at analyzing. The first two prices won’t be a problem for you. I’ll tell you about the third one. The reason it’s free is that, on the one hand, I have a good impression of the First Consortium. I think it’s worth it to exchange a piece of information that’s not very expensive for some friendship. On the other hand, I’m just a nobody. If the head of the First Consortium’s intelligence department is willing to talk to me, it doesn’t matter if it’s free. If others think highly of me, I’ll have to give them some respect, right?”

“I understand.” Tong Xiaolei felt a little embarrassed. She pursed her lips and did not say anything more.

She touched her wrist gently. The two oddly-shaped bracelets on her wrists were quite high-tech and connected with a white light at the center.

She separated her hands, and the white light extended into a laptop-style light and shadow. The screen showed that it was turned on.

Wang Wen’s eyes lit up. So there were optical computer wristbands at that time? It was a man’s dream! He had to think of a way to get one!

Tong Xiaolei did not notice his expression.

Her wrist did not move to stabilize the keyboard. Her fingers nimbly tapped a few times. Light and shadow flashed, and the screen showed the transfer interface.

She raised her head and said to Wang Wen, “Come on, give me your personal code. I’ll pay a deposit of 500,000 points for now. Later, the upper team will come to see you. They will arrange for at least three experts that have reached above the 150th floor to accompany you into the tower. Once the information is confirmed, the remaining 500,000 points will immediately be transferred to you.”

Wang Wen frowned and did not say a word.

Tong Xiaolei asked curiously, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem ”

Wang Wen said, “I don’t want to enter the tower. You guys go ahead and test it out. After you’re done, just call me with the rest of the deposit.”

“You don’t want to enter the tower?” That was the first time Tong Xiaolei heard that kind of explanation. She also frowned with some embarrassment. “If that’s the case, I can’t give that much deposit. Can you tell me why?”

“I simply don’t want to enter it.” Wang Wen asked, “How much deposit can you give?”

Tong Xiaolei looked at the people around her, especially the distracted Luo Shan.

She thought for a while.

She said, “100,000 points. I need the complete information in case there is any problem.”

“No problem.” Wang Wen took out a piece of paper and handed it to her. “My personal code and the solution. Have a look.”

Tong Xiaolei took the crumpled piece of paper and unfolded it. She seemed to find it hard to accept that such valuable information could be written so carelessly on such a piece of paper.

The analysis was done from some kind of notebook.

She looked at it, and her expression gradually stiffened. “I don’t quite understand. This isn’t a specific solution. It’s more like a kind of preparatory work. I can understand the first few points, but that last one—”

Tong Xiaolei looked up suspiciously and asked Wang Wen, “May I ask why are you wearing iron pants?”