"Brother Yang!" Kang Siran strode into the luxurious private room within the Purple Source Commerce Association branch, his face flushed with good spirits, and greeted Yang Kai with an enthusiastic cupped-fist salute.
Yang Kai rose and returned the courtesy. "Brother Kang!"
"Sit, sit — we're hardly strangers." Kang Siran gestured him back down, then glanced toward the door. Immediately a serving girl entered bearing fragrant tea of the finest grade.
Once the door was shut, Kang Siran spoke. "Brother Yang, have you come to collect the goods?"
"Indeed. The two-month deadline is nearly upon us. How have things progressed on your end?"
Kang Siran grinned. "Brother Yang's business is no small matter — President Lou has been coordinating at full capacity. Both the Void Spirit Crystals and Void Spirit Jade are ready." As he spoke, he produced a spatial ring and slid it across the table toward Yang Kai.
"This comes to a total value of forty million high-grade Source Crystals worth of merchandise. Brother Yang, please verify."
"No need." Yang Kai shook his head. Had it been anyone else, he might have actually inspected the ring to confirm the goods were sufficient. But this was Kang Siran — there was absolutely no reason to.
Kang Siran would never shortchange him.
In truth, gathering Void Spirit Crystals and Void Spirit Jade worth forty million high-grade Source Crystals from branches across the Southern Domain within two months had been no small feat. It had cost considerable manpower and resources along the way. Even with President Lou's full backing, it was Kang Siran who had done the lion's share of overseeing and pushing things along. In the end, they had scrambled to assemble everything on time — and even had a bit extra, which Kang Siran had taken it upon himself to throw in as a gift to Yang Kai.
Compared to the magnitude of this deal, such a small bonus was hardly worth mentioning.
"How much do I owe?" Yang Kai asked.
"Brother Yang previously paid a deposit of ten million. The two twelfth-rank inner cores are valued at thirteen million. That leaves a balance of seventeen million high-grade Source Crystals." Kang Siran quoted the figure. "Also, Vice President Lou mentioned that if you'd rather not pay in Source Crystals, twelfth-rank inner cores are equally acceptable."
Yang Kai flashed a grin. "President Lou certainly knows how to work the numbers. I think I'll stick with Source Crystals."
He had quite a few inner cores on hand, but he couldn't just flaunt them. If too many twelfth-rank inner cores flooded the market, it would inevitably drag down the price. Yang Kai had no intention of shooting himself in the foot.
As for Source Crystals — he had been able to settle Hou Yu's seventy-million debt without breaking a sweat. Seventeen million was nothing.
Before long, payment was made and goods exchanged. Kang Siran produced the official documents, and the two inscribed their spiritual imprints upon them, marking the successful completion of the transaction.
Yang Kai said, "I'll need Brother Kang to continue purchasing Void Spirit Crystals and Void Spirit Jade on my behalf. If I don't come personally, just send them to the Green Sun Divine Temple."
"No problem." Kang Siran nodded. "On that note — congratulations, Brother Yang, on your elevation to the rank of Elder at the Green Sun Divine Temple."
"An honorary Elder, nothing more." Yang Kai waved it off.
Kang Siran continued, "The Association actually received an invitation as well, but I was so wrapped up in sourcing these crystals and jade that I couldn't get away to offer my congratulations. A thousand apologies!"
"Brother Kang, there's no need to be so formal. Let's not speak of it." Yang Kai smiled mildly.
With the transaction complete, the two settled into idle conversation.
When Yang Kai asked after Kang Siran's recent circumstances, he learned that his friend was now thriving at the Maple Forest City branch. Originally, with only first-layer Dao Origin Realm cultivation, the position of branch manager would have been entirely out of reach.
However, his intimate knowledge of Maple Forest City had earned him an exceptional appointment. Before this deal with Yang Kai came along, his tenure as manager had been nearing its end — within a short while he would have been reassigned from this lucrative posting, probably shipped off to some remote backwater once again.
But Yang Kai's enormous deal had turned everything around. Kang Siran now enjoyed President Lou's deep trust and favor.
A single transaction worth forty million — who else could pull that off?
What's more, Yang Kai had committed to delivering two twelfth-rank demon beast inner cores to the Purple Source Commerce Association every half year.
This was a long-term partnership. That alone made Kang Siran's position as manager unassailable. After all, Yang Kai had entered this arrangement specifically on the strength of his personal relationship with Kang Siran.
Among the branch managers, President Lou now looked upon Kang Siran in an entirely different light. Many major clients had begun requesting him by name. In particular, after a manager named Gu Hong had left Maple Forest City, all of Gu Hong's former clients had been transferred wholesale under Kang Siran's charge.
The Kang Siran of today was, for all practical purposes, the foremost manager of the entire branch.
"That Gu Hong left Maple Forest City?" Yang Kai said, somewhat surprised. No wonder he hadn't seen the man on this visit.
"That's right. After your last visit, Brother Yang, he requested a transfer on his own initiative. President Lou had no reason to refuse — he waved it through immediately." Kang Siran's smile widened until it threatened to split his face. He and Gu Hong had been locked in fierce competition with no hope of victory, yet in the end it was Kang Siran who had the last laugh, while Gu Hong — the one who had held the overwhelming advantage — had walked away of his own accord.
"He probably figured there was no point in staying. I owe it all to you, Brother Yang." Kang Siran thanked him profusely, convinced that every bit of his good fortune was Yang Kai's doing.
Listening to all this, Yang Kai felt a faint stir of suspicion that he had grasped something important. He pressed further. "What was Gu Hong's state when he left?"
Kang Siran didn't understand why he was asking, but after a moment's thought replied, "In quite a rush. Mm, he seemed rather distracted those last few days — wore a look as though catastrophe was about to befall him."