DipNovel Chapter 44: Dividing the Money
Chapter 44: Dividing the Money
The morning after the battle with the Devouring Python, the Thunder Blade Squad left the hotel rooftop where they had fought all night.
Lin Zheng's prosthetic leg was completely destroyed in the battle, and now he can only walk with the help of a hastily made wooden stick. Liu Xu is in even worse shape, with three broken ribs, a fractured left arm, and varying degrees of internal organ damage—if she hadn't gritted her teeth and spent a lot of money to replace her inner armor with a high-end 9-series one before setting off, that tail would have been enough to kill her. Even so, she can only lie on a stretcher now, carried by Leng Bao and Shen Yang in turns.
"Back to the supply base." Lin Zheng stood on the rooftop, looking at the rising sun, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "First, heal your injuries and process the materials. We'll return to Yangzhou once Liu Xu can move again."
No one objected.
The journey back was much slower than the way there. The group slowly made their way along the road beside the canal. Lin Zheng walked at the front, leaning on a wooden cane. Leng Bao and Shen Yang carried Liu Xu on a stretcher in the middle. Luo Fang was responsible for guarding the two flanks. Lin Yun walked at the very back, with nine throwing knives appearing and disappearing around him. His mental energy maintained maximum vigilance at all times.
Fortunately, the Devouring Python's aura was still present, and the monsters along the way had long since fled, so they encountered almost no trouble along the way.
As evening approached, the supply base's tower finally came into view.
"To light the way home for us martial artists." Lin Yun looked at the tower, and that phrase welled up in his heart again.
The base guards recognized them. Seeing Liu Xu on the stretcher and Lin Zheng covered in blood, they quickly opened the gate. A medical vehicle was already waiting at the door—Lin Zheng had contacted the base's Extreme Martial Arts School office on the way.
Liu Xu was taken into the medical room, while Lin Zheng stood motionless at the door, leaning on a wooden cane. His prosthetic leg had fallen off, and his empty trouser leg swayed gently in the wind, but he was completely unaware.
"Captain, your leg..." Luo Fang asked cautiously.
"It's alright," Lin Zheng said, his gaze still fixed on the door of the medical room.
Luo Fang and Leng Bao exchanged a glance, but neither spoke. They knew that in the past three years, Lin Zheng had never been so nervous around anyone as he was today.
Half an hour later, the door to the medical room opened. The attending physician came out, took off his mask, and said, "The patient is not in life-threatening danger. The fractures of his ribs and left arm have been treated with periosteal repair technology, and the damage to his internal organs has been brought under control. He needs to rest for a month and cannot engage in strenuous exercise during this period."
Lin Zheng's body swayed slightly, as if a taut string had suddenly been released.
"Thank you, doctor," he said, his voice a little hoarse.
"Team Leader Lin, your prosthetic leg..." The doctor glanced at his empty trouser leg.
"Order me a new one, the best one," Lin Zheng said. "Money is no object."
The doctor nodded and left with the trolley.
Over the next few days, the Thunder Blade team settled down at the supply base.
Liu Xu was staying in a ward in the medical room, receiving treatment and rehabilitation training every day. Lin Zheng stayed by her side almost every moment, eating beside her, handling affairs beside her, and even sleeping on the sofa in the ward at night. His new prosthetic leg would arrive in three days; it was the latest alloy prosthesis, with far greater flexibility and weight-bearing capacity than the one he used before.
"You don't need to stay by my side every day." Liu Xu leaned against the hospital bed, looking at Lin Zheng by the window, her voice very soft.
"I do," Lin Zheng said, without turning around.
Liu Xu's eyes reddened, and she didn't say anything more.
The other team members weren't idle either. Shenyang spent a lot of time every day processing the mountains of monster materials—skinning, deboning, sorting, and packing—each step had to be done meticulously. Leng Bao and Luo Fang assisted him, and the three of them were constantly busy in the supply base's warehouse.
Lin Yun locked himself in his room to process the gains from the battle.
He had already mastered the second level of the Nine-Layer Thunder Blade technique, but he was still far from achieving a state "as natural as breathing." Every day, he would practice his power generation techniques in his room, over and over again, until his arms were so sore he could no longer lift them.
More importantly, his understanding of soul attacks.
That day at the bottom of West Lake, he severely injured the Devouring Python with a soul attack he had gleaned from the rules of death. Although the effect was remarkable, the consumption was also astonishing—his mental energy was almost completely drained, and his soul suffered a considerable shock. If it weren't for the fact that his soul had been accumulated over three lifetimes and tempered by the small cauldron, that attack would have been enough to turn him into an idiot.
"Soul attacks cannot be used as a regular method," Lin Yun concluded in his mind. "My understanding of the rules of death is too crude, and using soul attacks is too costly and risky. They should only be used in life-or-death situations."
A week later, Liu Xu was discharged from the hospital.
Her fracture has mostly healed, and the cast on her left arm has been removed. Although she still cannot engage in strenuous exercise, she has no problem walking, eating, or handling simple tasks.
"All the materials have been processed." Shenyang held a "reporting meeting" in the lobby of Building A6. A long string of numbers was displayed on his laptop. "It's time to sell."
Lin Zheng nodded: "Contact the Extreme Martial Arts Academy and have them send someone to collect the goods."
"I contacted him a long time ago," Shenyang chuckled. "Manager Zhao will arrive this afternoon."
That afternoon, Manager Zhao from the supply base's Extreme Martial Arts Academy office personally led a transport vehicle to Building A6. He and Lin Zheng were old acquaintances, but seeing the neatly stacked boxes of materials in the warehouse, he couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
"Team Leader Lin, this time... did you raid a den of beast generals?" Manager Zhao squatted on the ground, rummaging through the materials in the box, his eyes wide with astonishment.
"More or less." Lin Zheng stood to the side, leaning on his cane, his tone calm. "Take a look and give me a quote."
It took Manager Zhao two whole hours to finish counting all the materials. He closed the ledger, wiped the sweat from his brow, and announced the figures.
"Fifty-three low-level Beast General-grade monster materials in total. Steel-maned Boar, Rift-horned Bull, Mutant Water Python, Shadow Leopard, Mutant Mastiff... The total value of all materials is 530 million."
"Thirty-one mid-level beast general-grade monsters in total. Mainly Ironback Porcupines, mutated water pythons, shadow leopards, and mutated alligator turtles. The total value of the materials is 1.52 billion."
"Eight high-level beast general-grade monster materials: two saber-toothed tigers, three iron-backed mastiffs, two mutated water pythons, and one shadow leopard. The total value of the materials is 2.21 billion."
"Plus, there are three mutated mastiff eggs, all in excellent condition and highly viable. At market price, each egg is worth 50 million, for a total of 150 million."
Manager Zhao raised his head and took a deep breath: "The total cost of materials for ordinary beast generals is 4.21 billion."
A moment of silence fell over the conference room. Four billion—and that was just the harvest of an ordinary beast general.
"And then..." Manager Zhao's voice trembled slightly, "A high-level Lord-class Devouring Python. Scales, skin, gallbladder, fangs, bones—all intact. Team Leader Lin, how did you kill this snake? A high-level Lord-class one! There are very few people in the entire Jiangnan Base City who could do that."
Lin Zheng did not answer the question, but simply said, "Offer a price."
Manager Zhao wisely refrained from pressing further and opened another ledger: "Our Extreme Martial Arts Academy can offer 10 billion for the Devouring Python's materials. But we're old acquaintances, and although I'd love to make that money myself, I still suggest you sell to the HR Alliance. They have a greater demand for high-level Lord-grade materials, and the price will be at least 20% higher."
"Then let's sell to the HR Alliance," Lin Zheng said. "You help us get in touch."
"Okay." Manager Zhao nodded. "The materials for the Devouring Python will be stored in our warehouse for now, and we'll hand them over when the HR Alliance people arrive. The money for the ordinary beast generals should arrive today."
That evening, 4.21 billion was transferred to the Thunder Blade Squad's shared account.
Shenyang held a "money-sharing meeting" in the lobby of Building A6. Liu Xu sat on the sofa, her body still wrapped in bandages, but she was in good spirits. Lin Zheng sat next to her; his new prosthetic leg was almost fully adjusted, and there were no noticeable problems with his walking. Leng Bao and Luo Fang sat opposite them, Shenyang sat in front of his laptop, and Lin Yun leaned against the window.
"For materials for ordinary beast generals, 4.21 billion." Shenyang cleared his throat. "We'll divide it according to the old rules. The captain gets 30%, 1.26 billion. Sister Liu gets 20%, 840 million. Lin Yun gets 20%, 840 million. The remaining 30%, 1.26 billion, will be split equally among me, Luo Fang, and Leng Bao, 420 million each."
When the numbers were announced, smiles appeared on everyone's faces. This was only the harvest of an ordinary beast general; the Devouring Python's share hadn't even been calculated yet.
Three days later, the HR Alliance representatives arrived.
The man who arrived was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a sharp black suit and wearing gold-rimmed glasses; he looked every bit the shrewd businessman. He brought two assistants, and they spent the entire morning carefully examining the materials related to the Devouring Python in the warehouse.
"The snake is in perfect condition, with no damaged scales, its gallbladder is highly active, and the skin is of the highest quality." The middle-aged man closed the folder, adjusted his glasses, and said, "12 billion. This is the final offer from our HR Alliance."
Lin Zheng glanced at Lin Yun. Lin Yun nodded slightly.
"Deal," Lin Zheng said.
12 billion yuan arrived in the account that same day.
Back in building A6, the second money-sharing meeting began. This time, the atmosphere was much more lively than before.
"The materials for the Devouring Python, 12 billion." Shenyang's voice trembled. "According to the plan the captain previously set, Lin Yun will take 80%—9.6 billion. The remaining 20%, 2.4 billion, will be divided equally among the five of us, 480 million each." This was the team's rule. Even though Lin Yun contributed the most, as a member of the same team, he would share the spoils with the others. Lin Zheng had always done this, and Lin Yun had no objections, after all, that magical plant was the biggest gain!
He took a deep breath and announced the final number.
"Captain: 1.26 billion for ordinary beast generals plus 480 million, totaling 1.74 billion."
"Sister Liu: 840 million plus 480 million, that's a total of 1.32 billion."
Lin Yun: Eight hundred and forty million plus ninety-six billion, for a total of one hundred and four hundred and forty million.
Me: Four hundred and twenty million plus four hundred and eighty million, that's a total of nine hundred million.
Luo Fang: Four hundred and twenty million plus four hundred and eighty million, a total of nine hundred million.
"Leng Bao: 420 million plus 480 million, a total of 900 million."
After Shenyang finished reading the last number, he leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh: "The money distribution is complete."
The meeting room remained quiet for a long time.
Looking at the string of numbers after her name on the screen, Luo Fang's eyes reddened slightly: "This is the first time I've ever earned so much money at once." As a junior warrior, she used to earn a maximum of three to four hundred million in a single hunt, but her expenses were also huge, whether it was combat uniforms or daily training.
Leng Bao didn't speak, but his hand holding the teacup was trembling slightly.
Liu Xu looked down at her knees, a faint smile playing on her lips. Lin Zheng sat beside her, his gaze fixed on her, his eyes filled with an indescribable emotion—no longer avoidance, no longer inferiority, but a gentle, open, and forgiving acceptance.
Lin Yun leaned back in his chair, staring at the number "10.44 billion" on the screen, feeling surprisingly calm. In the Panlong world, he still had nearly a million gold coins left by Morton in his spatial ring. But that money fell from the sky; this money was different—it was money he had earned with his life, every penny carrying the chill of the West Lake and the stench of the Devouring Python's blood.
"Oh, right, there's also contribution points," Shenyang added. "According to the Limitless Martial Arts Academy's standards, Lin Yun received over 100,000 contribution points for ordinary beast general materials, reaching the two-star level."
Lin Yun nodded slightly. Two-star contribution points, 100,000 points. This means that he can enjoy a 50% discount at the two-star standard when buying things at the Limitless House in the future—a greater discount than before.
"Everyone else's contribution level has reached two stars as well." Shenyang closed his laptop. "Captain, when are we going back to Yangzhou?"
Lin Zheng glanced at Liu Xu: "Wait another week, until Liu Xu's injuries are a bit better. Then—go home."
A week later, the Thunder Blade Squad returned to Jiangnan Base City by train.
At the entrance of Mingyue Residential Area, everyone was about to disperse. Lin Zheng stood in the setting sun, leaning on his cane, his gaze sweeping over each person.
"Take a month's rest," he said. "The willow catkins will recover, and you all should take your time to process what you've gained. We'll set off again in a month."
"Understood!" everyone responded in unison.
Lin Yun turned and walked towards home. After a few steps, he looked back—Lin Zheng and Liu Xu stood side by side in the sunset, their shadows finally merging. Liu Xu's hand gently rested on Lin Zheng's arm, and Lin Zheng didn't pull away.
Lin Yun smiled and quickened his pace.
The lights in the villa were still on.
The aroma of braised pork wafted out as the door opened. Grandpa Lin Guodong sat on the sofa, phone in hand, seemingly hesitating whether to make a call. Hearing the door open, the old man jumped up and hurried to greet him.
"Yun'er!" Lin Guodong looked his grandson up and down, and after confirming that he was not injured, his eyes immediately reddened. "Why have you been gone for so long? Wasn't it supposed to be half a month? It's been almost a month!"
"Grandpa, I'm fine." Lin Yun smiled and hugged the old man. "I stayed a few more days and made a little more money."
"Money isn't important, as long as you're safe and sound." Lin Guodong took his hand and pulled him to the dining table. "Eat quickly, the food's getting cold. I'll heat it up for you."
"No need, Grandpa, it's still edible even when it's cold."
Lin Yun sat down and began to eat heartily. Braised pork belly, sweet and sour pork ribs, steamed sea bass, and garlic-flavored vegetables—all his favorites. His grandfather sat opposite him, watching him eat, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out.
After finishing his meal, Lin Yun went upstairs and into his room.
He closed the door, took the sealed box from his spatial ring, and placed it on the table. Moonlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, illuminating the lush green plant. The six leaves glowed faintly in the darkness, and the red fruit in the center, like a solidified ember, silently awaited something.
Lin Yun stared at it for a long time.
He didn't know what it was, but he could sense that the energy contained within this fruit was far greater and purer than any crystal core he had ever absorbed. The Devouring Python, despite its severe injuries, had been determined to return there, undoubtedly because this fruit could enhance its strength or heal its wounds, indicating its value far exceeded 12 billion.
"I need to find a chance to figure out what this is," Lin Yun murmured.
He carefully put the sealed box back into his spatial ring. Then he sat cross-legged on the bed and closed his eyes.
He switched his consciousness to the Panlong World.
In the grove behind Ernst Academy, his other body sat cross-legged on a blue stone, moonlight shining on his shoulders. The magical elements around him flowed quietly, and memories from the two worlds converged in his mind, with every detail of the battle against the Devouring Python vividly before his eyes.
The insights gained from soul attacks, fragments of the rules of death, the aura of that mysterious plant—all these things were settling deep within his consciousness, waiting to be digested and understood.
Lin Yun opened his eyes.
One hundred and four billion, the second level of the Nine-Layer Thunder Blade. And that unidentified plant.
This time, the harvest far exceeded his expectations.
But the road ahead is long. God of War, Planetary level, Cosmic level... the journey he has to take has only just begun.