Chapter 446: Chapter 176: Raising the Price
The motorcycle convoy slowed as it emerged from the tunnel, stopping in front of the crowd. The leader was a woman wearing a motorcycle helmet and an Anti-stabbing Suit.
After stopping her bike, she took off her helmet, revealing her face.
She was a woman of about twenty-three or twenty-four with ear-length short hair. Her eyes were sharp, her eyebrows blade-like, her cheekbones prominent, and her nose straight. Yet, when all her features came together, she was strikingly beautiful.
She radiated an aura of brisk efficiency. After dismounting from her motorcycle, she gave a few brief orders, and her subordinates immediately carried them out.
It was clear she commanded great respect. Since her arrival, the caravan’s camp seemed to have found its backbone, and the tense atmosphere gradually settled.
Lu Ke spoke to Chen Chuan again. "That’s Senior Sister Nan."
Yu Gang spoke up. "Her name is Lan Xinnan. Her father was a good friend of mine. She learned Fighting Skills from me starting at age nine. After her father passed away, she moved with her mother to Central City. I had returned to Yangzhi around that time, which is when I took Xiaoke as my apprentice."
Chen Chuan nodded. ’In that case,’ he thought, ’judging by the timeline, Yu Gang taught her from childhood all the way to adulthood. They must be quite close indeed.’
Yu Gang added, "She’s actually very talented, with a high aptitude. If she had been able to focus on her martial arts training, her accomplishments would be even greater by now."
After arriving, Lan Xinnan went off to one side and began conferring with the man with the thick beard and a few others. Chen Chuan noticed that Old Zhan, the man who had brought him here, was also among them.
However, an argument seemed to break out. One of them stormed off, angrily waving away the people who were inspecting the vehicles. He jumped into a car riddled with bullet holes and drove off.
Lan Xinnan said a few words, and someone got into a vehicle to give chase. Old Zhan then approached and said something to her. She glanced over at Yu Gang and Chen Chuan before walking toward them.
When she reached Yu Gang, she first greeted him, "Teacher." As she looked at Chen Chuan, she involuntarily sized him up for a few extra moments.
She had seen the recording Lu Ke had shown her and knew this was a Third Limit Fighter. So, she spoke with a degree of gravity, "You must be Brother Chen. Hello." She extended her hand. "I’m Lan Xinnan."
Chen Chuan shook her hand. "Hello, Captain Lan."
Lan Xinnan said, "My apologies. We rarely get visitors, and I should be hosting you properly, but a situation has come up that I need to handle first." She turned to Lu Ke. "Xiaoke, I need you to take good care of our guest for me."
Lu Ke replied, "Don’t worry, Senior Sister. Besides, Brother Chen isn’t a stranger."
Chen Chuan said, "Captain Lan, you’re being too polite. Your affairs are more urgent. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know. Teacher Yu was my first fighting instructor and has helped me a great deal. Brother Lu is also my friend. If you’re facing any difficulties, I believe my abilities should allow me to be of some assistance."
Lan Xinnan looked at him, a little surprised. ’In her experience, Third Limit Fighters were all idiosyncratic and difficult, but Chen Chuan seemed exceptionally polite and approachable.’
She nodded, said, "Excuse me," and walked a short distance away. She seemed to be speaking to someone using a Realm Token. After a moment, the call ended. She called out, "Old Cao, Uncle Shen, Xiaoding, Sister Yun, come over here."
Once they had gathered in front of her, she said, "I’ve settled things with Old Bian. We’ll handle this matter ourselves. He guarantees the opposing Third Limit Fighter won’t get involved, but we have to increase his payment of money and supplies by another twenty percent."
"Another twenty percent?"
Xiaoding, the white-haired young man, exclaimed, "But Old Bian hasn’t done a single thing!"
Lan Xinnan said, "Even if he does nothing, his very presence prevents the opposing Third Limit expert from attacking us. That’s what matters most."
Xiaoding couldn’t hold back. "But he’s too greedy! We’ve already lost a lot of territory, and business isn’t what it used to be. If we give him another twenty percent, what will we have left to eat? Are the brothers supposed to work for free?"
Uncle Shen, a man in his sixties with the gentle face of a kind soul, wore a pair of very thick glasses. He asked, "Xiaonan, can we ask Old Bian to lower his price a little?"
Lan Xinnan shook her head. "His initial demand was thirty percent."
Uncle Shen sighed. "I’ll see what I can figure out, then. If everyone tightens their belts, we should be able to squeeze a bit more out."
"Damn it," Xiaoding swore, then spat on the ground. "That Old Bian is just too greedy."
Old Cao, the burly man with the thick beard, crossed his massive arms and frowned. "But right now, we have to rely on Old Bian."
Sister Yun, a shrewd-looking woman in her thirties who was a little on the plump side, said, "Old Bian has us by the throat. He knows that if we don’t retaliate this time, morale will collapse. He also knows we can afford his price, even if it won’t leave us with much.
"I don’t think we necessarily have to rely on Old Bian.
"That Brother Chen who arrived today... I heard he’s a student of Mr. Yu..."
She looked at the others. "You all probably don’t know this, but he’s a Third Limit Fighter. An expert, from what I’ve heard. I say we ask him to handle it instead."
"Third Limit?"
"Really?"
Old Cao was taken aback. He had assumed Chen Chuan was, at best, on the same level as Lan Xinnan. He never expected him to actually be a Third Limit Fighter.
Xiaoding’s eyes lit up, and he immediately declared, "If we have to pay that twenty percent, I’d much rather give it to Brother Chen than to that insatiably greedy bastard, Old Bian!"
Lan Xinnan said seriously, "I don’t recommend approaching Brother Chen. This is our own problem; there’s no need to drag an outsider into our mess. Besides, Brother Chen is from the Upper City District and has a legitimate status. Even if he solves this one problem for us, can he help us indefinitely? Things would only get more complicated down the line."
Her words silenced the group. It was a sobering, practical concern.
Xiaoding, however, disagreed. ’If Chen Chuan really did help them,’ he thought, ’the other side would know about their connection and might not dare to cause trouble again.’ But he clearly didn’t have enough sway in the group to push the idea.
Uncle Shen said, "Let’s stick with the plan for now."
Old Cao agreed. "Old Bian may be greedy, but we’ve relied on him to get through these things before, haven’t we? I say we go with him."
Sister Yun sighed. "Oh, well, it was just a suggestion."
With the matter decided, Lan Xinnan saw Lu Ke leading Chen Chuan back to an RV. Only Yu Gang remained standing where he was. She walked back to him and smiled. "Teacher, I found a suitable source for an Implant. It should be a match for you. You’ll be able to get rid of your cane soon."
Yu Gang said, "I’ve been this way for a long time; I’m in no rush. Xiaonan, I’ve told you before, just focus on yourself and the problems in front of you. You don’t need to waste so much effort on a useless old man like me."
Lan Xinnan simply smiled.
Just then, a call came through on her Realm Token. "It’s Old Bian," she said. She walked a few steps away to answer. A moment later, her blade-like eyebrows shot up. "What? Another twenty percent?"
A deep voice came from the other end. "That’s right. Another twenty percent."
Lan Xinnan frowned. "We just made a deal. Why are you changing it now?"
The voice replied, "It’s not me changing the terms; the other side changed their minds. And they’re being very firm this time. We can’t rule out the possibility that they’ll get violent.
"If I have to face them, the outcome is uncertain. I’d be putting my life on the line, so I need more compensation.
"Xiaonan, you know I don’t have to fight them. I’m only staying here and looking out for you all for your mother’s sake and out of loyalty to our old team.
"If you’re not willing, I won’t force you."
Lan Xinnan said, "Uncle Bian, I just spoke with my team. It was hard enough to convince them the first time. Please, just give me a little more time."
Old Bian replied, "I understand. I know it’s not easy for you. But don’t take too long. I can afford to wait, but the other side might not be so patient."
"I’ll have to trouble you to stall them, Uncle Bian. I’ll be as quick as I can."
Lan Xinnan ended the call. She stood there thinking for a moment before walking back over to Yu Gang.
Yu Gang asked, "Old Bian changed his mind?"
Lan Xinnan nodded. "Yes. Old Bian has eyes and ears here; he knows everything that’s going on. I suspect either he really doesn’t want to fight the opposition, or he found out about Brother Chen’s arrival and wants to test us, to see if we’re planning to replace him."
Yu Gang’s voice was grim. "What are your thoughts?"
Lan Xinnan’s tone was decisive. "I know Old Bian is greedy. With a person like that, it’s better not to rely on them, but you can’t afford to offend them either. He’s not very good at accomplishing things, but he’s excellent at sabotaging them.
"He never gives back what he’s taken. If I agree to this today, he’ll keep doing it forever.
"I lead this team so that everyone can have a good life. I’ve tolerated his greed in the past for the sake of the group, but now he’s crossed our bottom line. I refuse to give in to him any longer."
She looked up and said frankly, "Teacher, I didn’t want to trouble Brother Chen. This isn’t his fight, and there was no reason to drag him into it. But now, it seems I have no other choice. I’m going to talk to him."
Chen Chuan was over by the RV chatting with Lu Ke when he saw Yu Gang and Lan Xinnan approaching. They looked like they had something to discuss. When they reached him, Yu Gang said, "Xiaonan would like to discuss something with you."
Chen Chuan nodded.
Yu Gang said, "You two talk." He then beckoned to Lu Ke, and they both walked away.
Lan Xinnan said, "Brother Chen, I’ll be direct. My team has run into some trouble, and we may need a Third Limit Fighter to intervene. We’d like to ask you for a favor."
She said earnestly, "We are prepared to pay a price for your services that you’ll find satisfactory. But I know this matter has nothing to do with you, so if you’re unwilling, we won’t press the issue."
Chen Chuan looked at her and said, "Captain Lan, there’s no need to be so formal. Like I said, Teacher Yu and Brother Lu are here. If there’s something I can do to help, I will. Please, tell me the details of the situation."
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