The Natives of This World Are Fierce

Sun Tian’s breathing was heavy, as if those two simple sentences had consumed a massive amount of his energy.

He glanced toward his villa. Even though no one was home during the day, he could almost imagine his daughter still sleeping peacefully inside.

Once he made the decision, Sun Tian suddenly felt much more at ease.

But he quickly realized that the one who could truly make the final call had yet to speak.

Su Su was taken aback by Sun Tian’s expression, but she couldn’t help but admire the middle-aged man.

Even she had found the illusion from moments ago incredibly oppressive. She only felt better once her Magic Power started circulating on its own. One could only imagine the mental ordeal a normal person like Sun Tian was experiencing.

Su Su even suspected that her Mentor had shown him such a brutal scene so vividly because he was trying to make Sun Tian back down.

’In my mind, my Mentor’s subtext was probably something like, ’Child, you aren’t ready. You people can’t bear that kind of pressure and cost. Go live your free, ordinary lives!’’

However, the man had withstood it and given a perfect response.

’Saying "The Sun Family has no cowards" was a subtle way of putting pressure on my Mentor.’

Although Su Su knew her Mentor couldn’t care less whether the Sun Family had cowards or not, she also knew that a Dawn Sage of his outstanding character would probably be very considerate of the feelings of a former comrade’s descendant, not to mention those of an ordinary person.

Qin Xiaoxia turned his head, his calm gaze meeting a pair of bloodshot eyes.

He saw determination in that gaze, along with anticipation and a hint of worry.

There was nothing Sun Tian could do but wait for the mysterious man’s reply. It was no exaggeration to say this moment would decide the future of his family.

This decision wasn’t being made in a luxurious conference hall, at a tense negotiating table, or on a complex investment market—it was happening beside a bench in his own neighborhood garden.

The wait, only a dozen or so seconds, felt like an eternity.

He saw the mysterious man crack a smile. ’That can’t be a bad sign, right?’

But the mysterious man’s next words made his heart leap into his throat.

"Give me the Scroll."

’Give him the Scroll? Is he planning on taking it back?’

But this was no time to argue. Sun Tian respectfully handed over the Contract Scroll.

Qin Xiaoxia took the Scroll and unrolled it.

Gazing at the Day of Dawn symbol in the upper-left corner, his eyes held both reminiscence and a hint of a sigh.

To Su Su and Sun Tian, it looked like a moment of remembrance for fallen heroes, one filled with profound emotion.

But in Qin Xiaoxia’s mind: ’I can’t believe those old coots actually managed to leave something behind for their descendants. I wonder what scam this thing was used for back in the day? They even used silver. I wonder how much the poor sap who got scammed lost.’

A faint purple Magic Power emanated from his hand, which he gently ran over the Scroll.

Sun Tian, who was watching intently, noticed the blurriness on the Scroll begin to fade as characters reappeared one by one.

’Is this the Oath?’ he couldn’t help but wonder.

Before, when it was blurry, he could at least make out a few of the formal-looking characters at the beginning. Now, neither he nor Su Su could recognize a single one.

"These are Magic Patterns, you could also call it magic script."

Though the terms he used sounded similar, the listeners automatically grasped his meaning.

"Su Su, even though you’ve awakened your Magic Power and have considerable talent, you still have much to learn. Magic Language, Magic Patterns, and various Techniques will be the focus of your studies from now on."

"Yes!"

Su Su replied obediently, her eyes fixed curiously on the contents of the Scroll.

Qin Xiaoxia handed the Scroll back to Sun Tian.

"As for you, it’s fine if you can’t read the Oath for now. Play to your strengths. To be blunt, we approached you because we’re interested in the Sun Clan’s current financial capabilities."

And what was Sun Tian’s strength? He had money!

He naturally understood that his wealth was likely a major factor, aside from the Oath.

Now that he knew what kind of beings he was dealing with and had a brief understanding of Dawn’s current situation, he immediately puffed out his chest and declared to Master Sage, "The Sun Group will spare no effort in its support of Dawn."

’Spending money was far safer than risking his life on the front lines.’

...

On the eve of the May Day holiday, some time after that unforgettable encounter...

A meeting, to be personally chaired by Sun Tian, was scheduled for today in the main conference room of the Sun Group headquarters.

’Two "lifelines" of Magic Power, and two seeds that could be activated by that power in a crisis.’

This was what Master Sage had left him before departing.

Sun Tian, who had arrived early and was seated at one end of the conference room, would occasionally feel for the seeds hidden inside the pendant against his skin, and for the Magic Power in his arm.

Maintaining this small amount of Magic Power felt like carrying an extra two or three kilograms at all times, but since the weight was distributed throughout his body, it wasn’t a major issue.

The sense of security it brought, however, was extraordinary.

Even at his age, Sun Tian couldn’t help the slightly childish, grandiose thought that he was no longer like everyone else.

The heads of the market research department had, for the most part, already seen the meeting’s preliminary proposal.

The fact that their boss, who was usually the last to arrive, was the first one in the conference room today surprised the executives filing in and put them on edge.

’Looks like President Sun is taking these proposals very seriously today.’

Before long, it was time for the meeting to begin.

...

"President Sun, this investment plan is rather abrupt. We’ve never been involved in the Gold sector, and Gold Ore mining is completely new territory for us."

"I know Gold prices are in a slump and have hit a significant low. The likelihood of a future rebound may be increasing, but I believe we need to conduct more research."

This was a seasoned marketing manager, his tone primarily one of cautious persuasion.

"I believe President Sun’s plan has merit."

A market analyst, one who was prone to flattery but also possessed genuine skill, spoke up next. Leaders tended to favor his type.

"President Sun isn’t just looking at the potential rebound of Gold. He must also be considering the current global situation. As the old saying goes, ’antiques in prosperous times, gold in troubled times.’ With the international climate so volatile, increasing instability and financial turmoil are bound to re-solidify Gold’s position..."

The employees gave their opinions, speaking eloquently and at length, but the issue they all ultimately circled back to was the single word: "risk."

’Sun Tian knew perfectly well which of them had real substance and which were just talking nonsense.’

"Alright, I understand everyone’s general sentiment. The Sun Clan doesn’t belong to me alone, even if I do hold a controlling majority of the shares~"

Sun Tian’s little joke drew good-natured smiles from everyone in the room.

"Of course I wouldn’t do something for no reason. Everyone’s primary concern is ’risk,’ and I am no different."

"However!"

"You’re missing one key point. We don’t need to acquire established Gold Ore mines from those Vampires. We need to find a suitable, natural mineral vein."

Now the room was stirring. It wasn’t with excitement, but with a sense of absurdity.

’Prospecting for a new Gold Ore deposit is even riskier than an acquisition! If a good one really existed, would it be our turn to find it? What if we buy a plot of land and there’s nothing there? This is just recklessly throwing money away, isn’t it?’

However, before the murmuring could escalate into an uproar, Sun Tian raised a hand, signaling for silence.

"As a matter of fact, a private prospecting team of mine has already achieved remarkable results. Once the detailed report is released, none of you will have any further doubts. I’m just giving you all a heads-up today."

Then, as if on a whim, Sun Tian produced another proposal.

"In light of our long-standing plans to build up our technological assets, I’ve decided to establish a grant fund. It will be dedicated to providing financial support for promising and energetic young teams around the world."

This was another bombshell. The Group’s "illness" of prioritizing trade over technology had existed for a long time, and it was often a constraint on further growth.

Everyone was already aware of this.

For a company of the Sun Clan’s current size, lacking both a deep technological foundation and a substantial tech subsidiary, breaking through to the next level amidst a sea of powerful competitors required a novel approach.

But the idea of establishing a fund was still too sudden.

"President Sun, the startup capital for the foundation will be..."

"One billion RMB. It will come from my personal account, but be managed by our corporate team!"

At these words, all the executives in the room, especially those who held shares in the company, breathed a collective sigh of relief. Their admiration for Sun Tian grew even deeper.

For the Sun Clan to have achieved what it had today, this man’s contributions were truly second to none.