I am a demonic cultivator, not a capitalist with a conscience.

Chapter 642 The Logic That Makes No Sense (16)

When Cao Zhen learned that the shipping cost for a Buddha statue was now 3,000 yuan, he couldn't hold back and unleashed a string of Buddhist profanities, causing his new assistant Xie Chengyang to cover his ears.

Once Cao Zhen stopped, panting, he handed her hot water and then sincerely said, "Minister Cao's voice was full of energy and his demeanor was imposing when he scolded people. He is truly a minister among ministers, a model among models, and we should all learn from him!"

"Stop talking nonsense, come with me to find the bandaged man!"

Carrying the sealed Buddha image, Cao Zhen rode a flying shuttle to the clouds, where he saw the bandaged man supervising the work at the dock.

Sensing the flying shuttle in the air, the bandaged man wrapped new bandages around his hands, letting the old bandages fall into the void within his body and become part of him.

Once the bandages on his body were clean and tidy again, he said to Cao Zhen, who had landed in front of him, "Minister Cao, it's been a long time."

"Yes, although that previous meeting was a bit hasty."

The bandaged man rubbed his thumb, smiled meaningfully, and then asked, "So, Minister Cao, is there anything I can help you with?"

Taking a deep breath, Cao Zhen tried to calm himself down and stared at the bandaged man, saying, "Mr. Bandaged, I'm here to talk business with you."

"No negotiation, three thousand per piece."

Taking out the Buddha statue from his bosom, Cao Zhen held it up in front of the bandaged man and said earnestly, "A Buddha statue is 21 centimeters tall and weighs three kilograms. In addition to carrying the dream realm, it can also soothe the Daoist or Buddhist heart, thereby enhancing cultivation and eliminating inner demons. This item is strictly subject to import and export regulations. The dream realm inside can be activated twenty times. The price is only 870."

"Um, so what?"

"The tariff is 50%, so the price here is 1,305. This price is already very cheap. We've practically sold it off cheaply."

"It's pretty cheap."

Pretending not to notice the bandaged man's sarcasm, Cao Zhen continued, "But now, you're charging three thousand for shipping alone. Don't you think that's excessive?"

"Will it?" the bandaged man said nonchalantly.

Looking at the bandaged man, Cao Zhen pondered for a moment, then said softly, "Mr. Bandage, I don't know what Chen Yu said to you, but I hope you won't just listen to one side of the story. Give me a chance, and I will definitely show my sincerity."

As an incarnation of the Bodhisattva of Universal Benefit and a deputy minister of the Disaster Response Department, Cao Zhen was extremely humble.

Fearing the other party might disagree, Cao Zhen continued, "Not only that, I have a close relationship with Bodhisattva Puhui and am quite a figure in Wangsheng Prefecture. I wonder if Mr. Beng has any needs, I can fulfill them."

"Can we bring Cloud City back?"

"……What's the meaning?"

The bandaged man spread his hands in front of Cao Zhen and slowly unwrapped a corner of the bandage, revealing a body full of filth underneath.

Seeing the other man's pupils suddenly contract, the bandaged man revealed a smug smile and said softly, "Mr. Cao, have you really forgotten about Yunduan City?"

Looking around, Cao Zhen was initially bewildered, but then suddenly realized what was going on.

Seeing Cao Zhen's current expression, the bandaged man smiled and said, "It seems you've remembered. Cloud City also suffered a disaster back then and sought help from the Disaster Response Department. However, the final result was like this. The land was completely desertified, the urban structure was abolished, and the local residents were displaced."

"……I'm very sorry."

After re-wrapping his bandages, the bandaged man smiled and said, "No need to apologize, because I know you did it on purpose. Cloud City is too big and difficult to control, so you, the Rebirth State, have turned your attention to the much smaller Tianmu. Buddhist capital has fully invaded and transformed Tianmu City into its own shape, so we'll just abandon Cloud City, which is difficult to control."

After a pause, the smile on the bandaged man's face slowly faded, revealing a chilling expression beneath the bandages. Stared at by those hate-filled eyes, Cao Zhen couldn't help but take a step back, as if he would be incinerated if he hesitated any longer.

"Minister Cao, I have only one question. If you dare to answer truthfully, I will reduce the shipping fee to zero, and I will persuade Chen Yu. My question is, did you really not intentionally send calamities into the cloud? Is the calamity in Changsheng Prefecture really unrelated to you?"

Cao Zhen swallowed hard, neither daring to say yes nor no.

He is an incarnation of the Bodhisattva of Universal Benefit. Although he possesses extraordinary strength, he is still subject to the constraints of the Heavenly Dao.

Especially when the bandaged man in front of him was asking questions, something inexplicably triggered him, making him realize that he had to be careful about this question, or he would surely suffer retribution.

The few seconds of silence felt like years; the silent answer resonated in their ears, making it all the more heavy.

Although Cao Zhen said nothing, he said everything.

After a moment of silence, Cao Zhen said in a low voice, "But everyone is doing it, and the higher-ups in Changsheng Prefecture have also agreed to it."

The bandaged man gazed silently into the distance and whispered, "I know... I know."

After standing silently for a while, Cao Zhen left the bandaged man's side, knowing that the matter could not be resolved.

Just as he was about to return to the shuttle, the bandaged man suddenly spoke up: "From a personal point of view, I would never do business with you. But my current boss is Chen Yu, and behind him is Tianyuan. Tianyuan is lacking everything right now, which is why I'm offering this price. If you're not willing to pay this amount, then forget it."

"...I understand. The 100,000 Buddhist statues will be loaded onto the ship tomorrow. We will prepare the supplies."

"can."

The bandaged man had his back to Cao Zhen and did not turn around even after hearing the shuttle start.

He got the answer he wanted, but his heart was filled with sorrow.

For the sake of a port, Cloud City was forced to bear everything it shouldn't have, and has fallen to its current state.

"The high-ranking officials of Changsheng Prefecture, the Wangsheng Prefecture, the Disaster Response Department... this is just the beginning. I will make sure you pay for this!"

Within him, the part of his being that belonged to his physical body began to boil rapidly. A black killing intent grew in the bandaged man's heart, giving him the motivation to live.

The next day, when the cargo ship docked at the port of Changshengzhou, 100,000 magical artifacts, along with materials used as freight, were transported there, ready to be shipped to Changshengzhou.

These materials are the most common incense sticks in Wangshengzhou, which can be used as sacrificial offerings, but they are not very valuable.

The bandaged man who came with the ship said nothing, but instead left the State of Rebirth with the goods and began trading.

On the cargo ship, Camel, the special envoy of Traveler Passenger Transport, looked at the pile of supplies and asked in confusion, "Boss Beng, why are you collecting these? They don't look like anything valuable."

"I don't know either, but Mr. Chen said it didn't matter and that he would accept it as a benefit."

"I see... Does Mr. Chen have any other plans? But what kind of plans could there be for something like this?"

"I don't know, but I feel that Chen Yu can turn trash into treasure."

Looking at the bandaged man with a determined gaze, Camel felt that the other man's confidence was both unreasonable and very reasonable.

(End of this chapter)