Bai Zhannian interjected, "You don't know, do you?"
"Well..." Tianjizi rubbed his hands. He could see that the two people sitting in front of him were no ordinary individuals, otherwise they wouldn't have known about the Thirteenth District. With this thought, he stopped pretending and said with a smile, "I do know, but I don't quite understand your last question. What do you mean by 'divine artifact'?"
"Heh—" Chen Fan chuckled. He had to admit, Tianjizi was quite the businessman.
They had come here to inquire about the Thirteenth District, yet Tianjizi was questioning them in return? Clearly, this meant that not only could he earn money by selling information, but he could also glean some intelligence for himself, thus always staying informed and having more leverage for future dealings.
However, Chen Fan smiled and said, "Then explain the first two questions to me first." He didn't dwell on the matter. The divine artifact wasn't much of a secret; even if ordinary people didn't know about it, it didn't mean they couldn't come into contact with it, depending on their capabilities, of course.
Tianjizi glanced at the banknotes on the table and said, "Alright, seeing how forthright you are, I won't hold back. The Thirteenth District's location is quite secluded, but while others may not know, I know it extremely well! It's near Cangbei Mountain."
"Cangbei Mountain?"
"Yes," Tianjizi stated firmly. "Cangbei Mountain is an important landmark in the Red Sun Nation. It's said that the Thirteenth District is vast, with their people everywhere in the Red Sun Nation. They engage in various businesses to make money, but their base, aside from myself, likely no one knows better."
"Did you pry into heavenly secrets?" Bai Zhannian suddenly asked.
Tianjizi gave an awkward smile, looked at the money, and then said, "Not exactly. I've had dealings with people from the Thirteenth District in the past, which is why I have some understanding of their affairs. Moreover, I also know how you can enter the Thirteenth District."
"Get to the point," Chen Fan said, pulling out another check and placing it on the table. Dealing with people like this required hitting them over the head with money, no other actions were necessary.
Tianjizi chuckled. Seeing the money, his eyes lit up, and he said, "Although the Thirteenth District is heavily guarded, they recruit new members internally every year. If the timing is right, they should be selecting new recruits these days. If you wish to enter, I can guide you on how to join the Thirteenth District. But the condition is that you must tell me something about the divine artifact you mentioned."
As he spoke, he glanced at the check on the table, clearly wanting both money and information. Although Tianjizi wasn't exceptionally skilled, he was a keen judge of character. Since Chen Fan and the others were so eager to learn about the Thirteenth District, it provided the perfect bargaining chip.
Chen Fan pursed his lips and smiled. "Alright, since you want to know, what harm is there in telling you? The so-called divine artifact is merely something the Thirteenth District has been guarding. As for what it is, even we are unclear, which is why we want to enter the Thirteenth District to see what this thing is."
"Are you trying to steal something from the Thirteenth District?" Tianjizi's expression turned grim. In all his years, he had never encountered such audacity. The Thirteenth District had always been the bully, but he had never heard of anyone daring to scheme against them. Wasn't this a joke?
However, Chen Fan shook his head. "No, we just want to go in and see. Stealing? Is that something we would do?"
"I advise you not to have such thoughts," Tianjizi said urgently. "The people in the Thirteenth District are all formidable. Their power is beyond your imagination."
"Enough, get to the point. How do we participate in the Thirteenth District's selection?" Chen Fan asked directly. His initial plan was to find the Thirteenth District's location and storm in. But now, a new method had emerged: infiltrating their ranks covertly. This would make their actions much more convenient. After all, a direct assault would significantly increase the risk, especially since he didn't even know the full extent of the Thirteenth District's capabilities. There might be hidden experts, and that could alert them. Everything was for the sake of caution.
Tianjizi smiled. "That's easy. Within this week, the Thirteenth District will be holding a large-scale recruitment drive under the bridge in the northern part of the city. The 'recruitment' is understood by those who know what it truly entails – they need fresh blood. Although we don't know what the people in the Thirteenth District are actually doing, everyone who enters knows one thing: emerging from it will undoubtedly make them a dragon among men."
"That magical?" Chen Fan grinned, clearly not entirely believing it. But Tianjizi stated with conviction, "Whether you believe it or not, the people of the Thirteenth District are generous with their rewards. However, even after leaving, you cannot reveal any information about the Thirteenth District, otherwise, they will..." As he spoke, Tianjizi made a throat-slitting gesture.
Chen Fan chuckled. "Aren't you worried about the people from the Thirteenth District causing trouble for you?"
"Heh—" Tianjizi smiled and said indifferently, "The Thirteenth District is indeed a powerful organization, but I also have my own influence. Over the years, I've earned quite a lot by selling information. But that's not the main point; what's more important is the extensive network of contacts I've built."
However, Chen Fan completely ignored his words, clearly seeing it as an attempt to intimidate him. Having just arrived in the Red Sun Nation, threats had no effect on him. He slowly stood up. Since he had obtained all the intelligence he needed, there was no reason to linger. As he stood up, he picked up the two checks and the banknotes from the table.
At this, Tianjizi's expression turned sour, and he looked at Chen Fan questioningly, "The consultation fee...?"
"You did tell me about the Thirteenth District just now, but you also received information about the divine artifact from me."
Chen Fan smiled, completely disregarding Tianjizi's displeased look. Instead, he waved to Bai Zhannian and, without looking back, continued, "My rule is that if you get information from me, you also pay for it. After all, there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world!"