After a long while, Bai Qingxue let out a soft sigh.
Shi Feng could see the helplessness in her expression through the screen. After all, this was a guild she had built with countless hours of effort and sacrifice, and now it was being merged into another guild. Her reluctance was only natural.
However, he had his own considerations.
Even if two guilds formed an alliance, they were still separated by two cities, and no one knew what the future might bring. Whether it was the guild's leadership or its rank-and-file members, there would always be a certain wariness. To avoid adding unnecessary burdens to Zero Wing, the best outcome would be to absorb Snake of the Body outright.
It sounded absurd.
A tiny guild daring to swallow a first-rate guild? Wasn't that just asking to choke?
But Shi Feng had the confidence and the strength to back it up.
Zero Wing now boasted a wealth of top-tier players, and Torchfire Trading kept steadily supplying gold coins. Gold reserves were already plentiful, so absorbing the vast Snake of the Body was entirely within their means. Moreover, once Snake of the Body's sales channels were integrated, Torchfire Trading would be able to earn even more gold.
In addition, Snake of the Body had operated in the virtual gaming world for years, accumulating a large base of loyal customers. These patrons were wealthy and willing to spend generously in-game. There were even numerous corporate and enterprise sponsors, which was how Snake of the Body generated such impressive revenue.
Zero Wing's studio was still in the client-development phase. If they could acquire Snake of the Body's existing customer base, they would quickly earn a massive number of credit points—unlike their current situation, with no stable income and the need to negotiate every deal themselves.
"Guild Master Black Flame, I need to think this over," Bai Qingxue said slowly, having regained her composure. "Since you have no intention of selling your shares in Torchfire Trading, would you be willing to sell me some gold coins instead?"
In the Virtual Trade Center, while plenty of people were selling gold coins, individual lots were small, and the combined total wasn't that much. On top of that, all the major guilds were buying up gold in bulk right now, making it virtually impossible to purchase large quantities. The only option was to rely on one's own gold-farming teams to cover a guild's day-to-day expenses.
"You know as well as I do that every major guild is strapped for gold right now, Miss Bai. Selling a small amount wouldn't be a problem, though. How much are you looking for?" Shi Feng asked.
Although he had spent a considerable sum, he received a handsome daily income from both Star Trace Trading and Torchfire Trading. Selling off one or two thousand gold coins wouldn't pose any difficulty.
"I don't need much—just five thousand gold," Bai Qingxue said after a moment's thought, naming her price. "I can transfer fifty million credit points right away."
Five thousand gold would be enough to stabilize Snake of the Body's current situation, establish a guild headquarters, and give the members a sense of hope. At that point, it would be even harder for Cao Chenghua to lure people away.
"Five thousand gold? You think far too highly of me, Miss Bai," Shi Feng said with a wry smile. "How about this—I can sell you two thousand gold at market price, but in return I'll need Snake of the Body's manpower to purchase land plots on my behalf in ten major cities across the Star Moon Kingdom and handle various promotional activities for Torchfire Trading. What do you say?"
Gold coins on the market were steadily depreciating, but a single gold coin was still worth nearly six thousand credit points—enough to buy a level-25 piece of Black Iron Equipment or a level-20 piece of Mythril Equipment.
Bai Qingxue was offering fifty million credit points, well above market rates. But even holding fifty million credit points in hand, forget about getting five thousand gold—even four thousand would be out of reach. Otherwise, the corporate magnates would have already snapped up every last plot of land in the major cities.
The truth was, now was when gold was at its most valuable. Secure prime land early, and the returns could be ten or even a hundredfold down the road. The corporate titans would naturally spare no expense to throw credit points at such opportunities, but unfortunately, such deals simply couldn't be done.
"Two thousand gold?" Bai Qingxue's eyes widened in surprise.
When she had first thrown out the figure of five thousand gold, it had been more of a casual probe than a concrete demand—she'd wanted to gauge Zero Wing's financial floor. In all of the Divine Realm, no guild could produce five thousand gold at once. Yet here was Shi Feng, casually offering two thousand.
Two thousand gold!
She had spent days painstakingly accumulating gold, relying on the guild's farming teams and her trusted associates just to scrape together what she had. And Shi Feng, after purchasing so many prime land plots, could still produce two thousand gold?
His financial power was simply unbelievable…
"Is that not enough?" Shi Feng considered for a moment, then added, "The most I can offer is three thousand gold. If that's still not enough, you'll have to find another way."
Bai Qingxue had helped him on numerous occasions in the past, and he certainly wouldn't kick someone while they were down. He would help where he could—but only within his means.
Although he still had plenty of money, he needed to purchase land in other cities to open shops, and he also had to keep reserves on hand for the guild's emergencies.
"Thank you. I'll transfer the funds right away," Bai Qingxue said, her face lighting up. With three thousand gold plus the two thousand-odd she already had, purchasing land, establishing a guild headquarters, and covering daily expenses would be more than enough. Cao Chenghua's scheme to quietly fracture the guild would become even harder to pull off.
Shi Feng then sold three thousand gold to Bai Qingxue through the Virtual Trade Center and teleported to Maple Leaf City.
Maple Leaf City was a major city in the eastern region of the Star Moon Kingdom, with a player population approaching nearly a million. This was precisely why so many people were bullish on Smile City.
In all of Maple Leaf City, apart from a handful of scattered small guilds, Smile City was the only major guild in operation. All other large guilds had been driven out one by one to develop elsewhere. The guild's dominance was rock-solid—other guilds would find it nearly impossible to stir up even a ripple in Maple Leaf City.
As Shi Feng walked down the main street, many of the players he passed were Smile City members, each carrying themselves with an unmistakable air of arrogance. Players from other guilds could only keep well out of their way, making the guild's hegemonic status plain for all to see.
"Our Smile City is opening a trading house in Maple Leaf City! It's called the Smile City Trading House, located right in the central district. Prices are way lower than NPC shops, and there's plenty of merchandise you won't find in any NPC store. If you're interested, come check us out—we guarantee you'll feel right at home!"
Numerous Smile City members were out on the streets promoting the Smile City Trading House. The advertising was practically overwhelming, sparking the curiosity of countless players who wanted to take a look.
After all, player-run shops were far superior to NPC stores. Items like Whetstones weren't even sold in NPC shops—you could only barter with Blacksmith apprentices to get them. It wasn't like Star Trace Trading back in White River City, which Shi Feng himself had established and stocked with goods NPC stores didn't carry.
"One guild to rule them all. A pity—this can only last for now," Shi Feng murmured, settling into a pavilion bench, sipping fine wine and watching the bustling central boulevard.
Before long, a middle-aged man approaching forty walked up to Shi Feng and said respectfully, "Greetings, Guild Master Black Flame. My name is Liang Chen—President Bai sent me. I've brought the proxy purchase agreement for your review."
"Thank you for your trouble," Shi Feng replied, taking the document. After a few quick glances to confirm everything was in order, he signed it. "Let's head to City Hall to complete the formalities."