I Can Control Resources

"Bring them all over? Without missing a single one?" Li Tiannan gave Gao Neng an odd look. Gao Neng was clearly not acting normal.

After all, even if you’ve evolved a ton of attribute materials, there’s no need to summon every single alchemist, is there?

Li Tiannan was no fool.

If there wasn’t something fishy going on, he would eat the bed in front of him!

"Gao Neng, just be straight with me. What do you want me to gather all these alchemists for?" Li Tiannan’s brow furrowed slightly.

He was weighing his options, trying to determine if it was worth it.

If Gao Neng was just being willful and messing around, he didn’t mind helping out. But if Gao Neng planned to use this opportunity for some ulterior motive, then he would have to think twice.

"To learn," Gao Neng replied, offering his prepared excuse.

"To learn?" Li Tiannan looked puzzled.

"Yes. I want to learn the art of alchemy. I’ll provide a massive supply of high-grade attribute raw materials. When the top alchemists from the great sects and families arrive, they’ll all be able to profit handsomely. In exchange, I’ll take the opportunity to learn a thing or two. That’s not asking too much, is it?" Gao Neng said with an expression of utter sincerity.

"You want to steal their techniques?! Hmm... If you’re providing enough materials, I suppose it could be considered a fair trade. But do you really just want to learn their secrets?" Li Tiannan was still skeptical by the end.

"Of course. What else would I do? It’s not like I’m going to use this opportunity to challenge the top alchemists from the great sects and families to a competition of alchemy techniques, am I?" Gao Neng said with a laugh.

"That’s true. If you really knew alchemy, you wouldn’t have just let all those attribute raw materials sit in your bag." Li Tiannan was quickly convinced.

He remembered that back at the Eastern Capital Military Academy, Gao Neng had dozens of Magnetic Crystal Attribute Ores in his backpack, but they just sat there, unused.

Therefore, he was certain...

Gao Neng absolutely did not know alchemy.

"Then I’ll have to trouble you, Master. It would be best if you could gather all the grandmasters of alchemy. That way, I might be able to learn from all the different schools and become a grandmaster myself one day!" Gao Neng’s smile never left his face.

"A grandmaster? Don’t be ridiculous. There are some things they’ll never teach publicly. Still, it’s good that you have the ambition. If you study hard, you’re bound to learn something. However, I can only guarantee I’ll get them to come. Whether or not they’re willing to make a deal with you is your problem," Li Tiannan said, giving Gao Neng a scornful look.

"Thank you, Master!"

"Alright, don’t thank me. Thirty mid-tier attribute raw materials and twenty Magnetic Crystal Attribute Ores. Don’t you forget it!" With that, Li Tiannan vanished on the spot.

"Don’t worry, I won’t forget!" Gao Neng waved at the spot where Li Tiannan had vanished. Then, he casually opened his mobile banking app.

Balance: 3,153,000,000.

’A bit on the low side!’

The trip to the Demon Abyss had been fruitful, but it had also been expensive. He had burned through over a billion in one go.

’Looks like I’ll have to keep a low profile for the next few days.’

’At least until Fang Yuan arrives.’

Gao Neng hadn’t paid such a steep price for Li Tiannan to organize this "event" just to steal a few techniques. He had a much crazier plan in mind.

However, to pull off this plan, the first thing he needed was money.

A whole lot of money.

And Li Tiannan...

...was broke!

...

「The next morning.」

In the aftermath of the great battle, the Underground City had finally returned to a state of normalcy.

The adventuring teams in the Underground City and the prodigies of the Dragon List had all settled down. Few dared to venture out into the wilds anymore.

As usual, Gao Neng, Shen Ning’Er, and Fang Tangtang ordered three Energy Breakfasts at the cafeteria. He was somewhat surprised, however, that Yi Qinglian didn’t try to pick a fight with him today.

She simply shot him a complicated glance as she walked past.

Shaximo and his group were the same.

Not one of them seemed to be looking for trouble with Gao Neng.

Meanwhile, Lin Ying and his group greeted Gao Neng and Shen Ning’Er enthusiastically.

’Everything is so peaceful.’

After finishing breakfast, Gao Neng returned to his room.

Wu Qingjing and Yutian were already waiting outside his door. The moment they saw him, they pulled him toward the location of the new lab.

As they walked, they explained their plans for the laboratory to him.

This time, Gao Neng was perfectly lucid, making several straightforward requests. Wu Qingjing and Yutian were both relieved. ’After a night’s sleep, he’s finally not crazy anymore.’

The day passed in peace.

「The following day...」

Fang Yuan arrived.

He arrived at noon, having evidently set out from the Celestial King Group early in the morning.

More importantly, Fang Yuan had not come alone.

Gao Neng guessed that Fang Tangtang must have told Fang Yuan something in advance, because this time, Fang Yuan had five people trailing behind him.

According to Fang Yuan’s introductions, there were two risk assessors and three board members from the Celestial King Group.

He had essentially brought an entire team with him.

A clear sign of his sincerity.

Naturally, Gao Neng couldn’t be stingy either, so he chose a luxurious restaurant in the Underground City for their meeting.

The group of nine took their seats.

Gao Neng’s party consisted of himself, Shen Ning’Er, and Fang Tangtang.

"Gao Neng, my boy, I’ve heard from Tangtang about your evolution energy. We’ve already conducted a preliminary assessment. If you’re willing, the Celestial King Group can act as the primary investor with a one-time investment of 500 billion. As for equity... we’ll require a 51% controlling stake. What do you say?" Fang Yuan didn’t wait for the food to be served, getting straight to the point as soon as he sat down.

"Grandpa Fang, let’s wait for the food to arrive before we talk business," Gao Neng said with a smile.

"Heh, it seems Mr. Gao isn’t quite satisfied?" one of the risk assessors stood up and gave Gao Neng a respectful bow. "Mr. Gao, as a risk assessor and negotiator for the Celestial King Group, I am naturally obligated to consider the interests of our corporation first. So, if anything I say comes across as offensive, I hope you won’t take it personally."

"Don’t worry about it," Gao Neng said with a wave of his hand.

’The Celestial King Group doesn’t belong to Fang Yuan alone. It’s only natural that he can’t make the final call on such a massive investment by himself.’

’It made perfect sense for the board of directors to send two risk assessment and negotiation specialists.’

Gao Neng had no objections. After all, this wasn’t some small deal worth a hundred or two hundred million. Five hundred billion was no small sum, even for a behemoth like the Celestial King Group.

"Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Gao. My name is Tian Guangguang, but you can call me Xiaotian. I’d now like to briefly discuss the risks associated with this investment."

"Go on."

"First, to our knowledge, your evolution energy is not unlimited, Mr. Gao; it requires a medium. While we’ve received reports that the Federation Government is likely to comply with your wishes, this still presents a certain degree of risk. Second, you still need to figure out the laws of evolution, which adds another layer of risk. Based on these two points, our analysis at the Celestial King Group suggests..."

"Ah, the food’s here. Let’s eat first," Gao Neng interrupted the risk assessor. He then turned to look at Fang Yuan and the three Celestial King Group board members.

"Ahem." Fang Yuan cleared his throat softly.

The risk assessor’s face flushed slightly, but he quickly sat back down.

The three board members exchanged glances and ultimately chose to remain silent. None of them spoke, simply waiting as the server brought out the dishes one by one.

Fifteen minutes later, all the dishes were on the table.

Gao Neng slowly rose to his feet, raising the wine glass in front of him.

"Grandpa Fang, esteemed uncles and elders, and our two negotiation specialists, please forgive Ning’Er, Tangtang, and I if our hospitality has been lacking!" Gao Neng said with a smile.

He wasn’t trying to put on airs.

He *had* to. What he wanted wasn’t just a 500 billion investment from the Celestial King Group, but its unconditional, full-throated support.

"You’re too kind, Mr. Gao."

"Indeed."

"We’d only ever heard Chairman Fang and Tangtang speak of you, Mr. Gao, calling you a dragon among men. Seeing you today, you are indeed as young and promising as they said!"

The three board members chimed in.

Fang Yuan also stood up with a smile. His gaze fell upon Gao Neng and Shen Ning’Er, who had also risen, and his eyes held a look of approval and gratification.

The two risk assessors and negotiators also rose to their feet at this moment, raising their glasses.

"Alright, thank you, gentlemen," Gao Neng nodded at the two specialists before turning to Fang Yuan. "Grandpa Fang, I didn’t actually ask you here today to discuss a project partnership for my evolution energy."

"Oh? Then what did you want to discuss?" Fang Yuan didn’t seem surprised.

"My intention is..." Gao Neng trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid.

Having navigated the business world for decades, Fang Yuan naturally understood Gao Neng’s implication. After exchanging a look with the three board members, he gestured for the two risk assessors to leave the room.

Once the two of them had left, Fang Yuan raised his glass again.

"Uncle Lan, Elder Wang, Elder Li—these three are old-timers who’ve been with me for years. You can speak freely," Fang Yuan said, then downed half the wine in his glass.

"Alright, then I’ll be direct. I want to run for the next Speaker," Gao Neng said. He glanced at the half-full glass Fang Yuan had left, understanding the message perfectly.

"We’ve already assessed that possibility. The Celestial King Group doesn’t have the resources for that. The risk is too high." Fang Yuan still showed no surprise.

"Then let’s make it a high-stakes wager," Gao Neng replied, equally unsurprised.

"Hmm?! You want to make a wager with the Celestial King Group?" Fang Yuan’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of genuine surprise in them. "Gao Neng... the 500 billion investment we just discussed had no such strings attached. Are you sure you want to propose this? Do you have any idea how ruthless these agreements can be?"

"I wouldn’t have proposed it if I wasn’t confident," Gao Neng said. He raised his own glass, drank exactly half, and set it back down.

"Then please, Mr. Gao, tell us what makes you so confident!" the three board members said in unison after exchanging another look.