“Ling Xi’s call.” Xie Su picked up his phone, glancing back at his charming wife with a smile.

“That girl must be bored out of her mind from being locked up. She doesn't want to stay in Songhai anymore. Honey, don't agree right away. Tease her a little. That brat, young as she is, is already playing tricks on me. She needs some discipline.” She swayed her slender waist, coming to the table and sitting down.

She immediately answered the phone, laughing, “Ling Xi, missing Dad?”

“Dad, come to Songhai quickly, come to Songhai quickly.” His daughter's urgent voice came from the speaker, slightly sharp, as if she were unusually excited.

“What's wrong? Homesick? Want Dad to go to Songhai to bail you out?”

Xie Su spoke, looking across the round table at his wife, who was waving her hands repeatedly. Pretend to be difficult, don't let her come back, Xie's mom mouthed.

Some women are naturally combative. If there are no “sisters” at home for them to fight, mother and daughter can also bicker. Xie Su never interfered in the mother-daughter power struggles, but sometimes he was helpless, like now.

“Ling Xi, Dad is busy lately, can't get away. Stay in Songhai for a few more days. When I'm done, I'll come pick you up.”

Xie Su saw his wife point to herself again.

“Maybe you should call your mom?” Xie Su understood his wife's meaning.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, and Xie Lingxi's tone instantly returned to calm: “Is Mom next to you?”

Xie's mom hurriedly waved her hand.

“No.” Xie Su shook his head.

“Strange, I can smell a hint of tea even through the phone…” Xie Lingxi's tone turned cold, and she said:

“Dad, since you're busy, then I won't bother you. I'll find other uncles. Mom definitely won't do. After all, such an important matter as the return of the Holy Infant's head, how can Mom, a mere woman, represent the family?”

Xie Su felt as if struck by lightning, his whole person stunned.

The words “Holy Infant returning to reality” repeatedly echoed in his mind.

Suddenly, a surge of heat rushed to his head. Xie Su abruptly stood up, and said anxiously, “Ling Xi, this is no joking matter. What news did you get? Wasn't the Holy Infant's head lost in the Yai Mountain Sea? Quick, tell Dad everything.”

Any family of The Way of the Extraordinary inevitably controls a high-level rule-based item, at least one. Rule-based items are the cornerstone of families of The Way of the Extraordinary, their foundation.

Losing the Holy Infant's head had already shaken the Xie family's foundation.

If he could welcome back the Holy Infant's head, it would be a great achievement,

His position as head of the family would be completely secure.

Xie Lingxi just wouldn't answer him, acting coquettish, “Dad, it's been so long since I talked to you. You don't even care about me, and you don't even know how much I like those two items you gave Mom last year.”

Xie Su said loudly, “I'll have her give them to you!”

“That brat, that was your Dad's wedding anniversary gift.” Xie's mom shrieked.

“Thank you, Dad~” Xie Lingxi said with a smile, “By the way, I've been wandering around lately, and I'm short on money. Mom manages my share of the family's annual dividends, saying I'm underage.”

“Return it to you!” Xie Su said.

“Plus interest.” Xie Lingxi said, “But I don't understand these things. I heard Yuan Shi Brother say that the current annual interest rate at the bank is 20%.”

Xie's mom was already heaving with anger.

“Okay, Dad will get it back for you. Ling Xi, stop playing games, and tell me quickly!” Xie Su urged.

“Yuan Shi Brother just returned from the Yai Mountain Sea, and brought back the Holy Infant's head. Dad, come quickly. If you don't come, he'll sell it to the Five Elements Alliance. I used a lot of favors to get you the right of first refusal.” Xie Lingxi took credit.

“Good daughter! Dad will come to Songhai right away.” After saying that, Xie Su couldn't wait to hang up the phone.

“I'm going with you.”

Xie's mom pushed the table and stood up, in a posture of righteousness and wanting to tear her own daughter apart.

“What are you going for? Don't mess with me.” Xie Su glared back at her, and said:

“Get the bank card and those two items out. I'm going to see my precious daughter right away. Hurry up, don't delay my reclaiming the Holy Infant's head.”

Fu Family Bay, small villa.

In the living room, Xie Lingxi hung up the phone, and put down the phone with satisfaction, picked up half a watermelon on the table, dug out the most essential piece in the middle, and put it in her mouth with relish.

Zhang Yuanqing, at the side of the table, sized her up and said, annoyed:

“I feel like you, the middleman, are making a bit too much profit.”

“When one attains the Way, even one's pets ascend to heaven.” Xie Lingxi coquettishly twisted her body, swallowed the watermelon, and said, “Yuan Shi Brother, when my Dad comes, remember to ask for a higher price.”

She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then asked for an exorbitant price:

“Two billion in cash, one hundred bottles of Life Elixir.” The Queen widened her eyes: “Does the Xie family have that much money? Even if they do, the Xie family doesn't have that many bottles of Life Elixir.”

Zhang Yuanqing spat at her: “Go, go, go, don't mess around. I'm sincerely doing business with your family.”

As a family of The Way of the Extraordinary that has been in business for a hundred years, the Xie family's assets are immeasurable, but they definitely can't take out 2 billion in cash in one go.

One hundred bottles of Life Elixir are even more impossible.

Xie Lingxi's eyes narrowed into crescents, and she said with a smile:

“Raise the price on the spot. The Holy Infant's head was lost by a cousin of mine. His grandfather is the Old Ancestor's most beloved son, and his Dad once fought with my Dad for the position of family head.”

“His talent is very good. Everyone said that he would become the Xie family's next family head. This cousin of mine often secretly mocked my Dad, saying what's the use of being the family head, he doesn't even have a son, he's only glorious for one generation.”

“After he died in the Yai Mountain Sea, the Old Ancestor punished his line, but still couldn't bear to punish him severely.”

Zhang Yuanqing understood: “So the higher I ask, the better. Anyway, I can't let the Holy Infant's head return to the Xie family easily.”

Xie Lingxi nodded with a smile:

“If it's too easy to get back, how can I show my father's role?”

Guan Ya pretended to suddenly understand: “Don't look at how young our Lingxi is, her schemes are much stronger than ours.”

Xie Lingxi's expression changed slightly, and she pretended to be weak and innocent: “Guan Ya Sister misunderstood me. This is all what my Dad said. I just happened to hear it. I'm only 17 years old, how would I understand these things?”

The Queen admired her immensely: “You people from big families are just so smart. Unlike me, I come from a poor family, and I'm too stupid.”

Zhang Yuanqing felt that he couldn't stay any longer, so he stood up and left: “I just came out of the dungeon, I'm going to sleep for a while.”

Li Chunfeng silently cast a look of schadenfreude, and then said:

“I used my connections to find some good weapons for you. I've sent the attributes to your email. You can pick one, and if you're not satisfied, tell me.”

“Thanks!”

Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room, simply washed up, took out his phone, and opened his email. Sure enough, he saw the email sent by Li Chunfeng.

There were a total of three output-type weapons.

One was a dagger, one was a hunting rifle, and one was a long blade.

The dagger's functions were armor-breaking, bleeding, and hallucination, making it very suitable for Night Wanderers like him.

The hunting rifle had a single function, burst, and its characteristic was its tremendous power. The disadvantage was its slow attack speed, poor accuracy, and inability to fire continuously. When encountering close-combat experts, one often only had time to fire one shot.

The long blade's function was also very simple, poison. Those struck by the blade would be poisoned to the core. Even if they didn't die, they would be crippled. It was very insidious, a Voodooist profession item.

“The three items are all good, but they can only be said to be good. At the Saint stage, they are considered middle-grade.”

Zhang Yuanqing didn't think much of the three items. What he wanted was a high-grade or even top-grade item at the Saint stage.

He had a lot of middle-grade Saint realm items in his inventory and gang warehouse. It was too cost-ineffective to spend another ten or twenty million to buy them.

Although he always complained that money was just waste paper, and inflation was so terrible, it was impossible for ordinary Saints to take out tens of millions at once.

It's like the old saying, assets and cash are two different things.

“I want a high-grade or even top-grade item. The price is negotiable.” He replied to the email.

Once he sold the Yin-Yang Disc and the Holy Infant, he should be able to scrape together enough money for a top-grade item.

At half past seven at night, Zhang Yuanqing was awakened by his phone ringing. He picked up the phone, cursing, and discovered that it was Fu Qingyang calling.

After answering the phone, Fu Qingyang's cold and unique voice came over:

“People from the Huaihai Branch and headquarters have arrived. The head of the Xie family is also here.”

“I'll be right over.” Zhang Yuanqing perked up.

After hanging up the phone, he took a deep breath, and reviewed the contents of the afternoon's discussion in his mind.

People from the headquarters had also arrived, which meant that the Huaihai Branch had not accepted Fu Qingyang's request, and felt that the price was too high, so they reported it to the headquarters.

They asked people from the headquarters to come to Songhai to put pressure on him, and try to get back the Yin-Yang Disc with the reward in the bounty.

This kind of game was commonplace in large organizations. If you didn't fight for something, others wouldn't give it to you.

No one would sympathize with you.

The fighting and gaming allowed by the rules was exactly what Fu Qingyang was best at and had been doing, so he supported Zhang Yuanqing.

A newcomer like Yuan Shi tianzun, without a solid base, without rich connections, and without "achievements" within the official organization, the Huaihai Branch couldn't possibly let him have his way. It was normal to find relationships to borrow power and pressure him.

So there was a need for gaming.

Originally, this was a win-win situation, because official members craved merits, and for the Huaihai Branch, merits were just a title. The interests behind them were paid for by the headquarters, and even the entire organization, and they didn't need to spend real money.

"Sometimes, compared to immediate interests, long-term interests don't matter much. This time, I want the headquarters to know that the rules of the system can't restrain me." Zhang Yuanqing hummed softly while putting on his shoes:

"I was an arrogant young man, I don't believe in ghosts, gods, or people."

A starlight lit up, and then disappeared, with lingering echoes in the room.

In the next second, he saw the luxurious style of the study, and saw Fu Qingyang sitting behind a large desk.

As well as three guests on the reception sofa.

Xie Su frowned, and said unhappily, "Yuan Shi tianzun, why don't you just ask for all of my Xie family's assets?"

"Family Head Xie is being too serious. This is my condition. If you agree, everything is easy to say. If you don't agree, the Holy Infant's head is mine." Zhang Yuanqing's tone was tough.

"Bastard!" Xie Su was furious. "You brat, you're bullying my Xie family. Have you thought about the consequences?"

Yuan Shi tianzun laughed: "Please pay attention to your words, Family Head Xie. Are you going to threaten me in front of Elder Fu, and in front of Detective Elder and Secretary Li?"

Xie Su took a deep breath, "I know your conditions. I will report it to the Old Ancestor."

After saying that, he got up with a displeased look, and said, "Xie will take his leave first."

Family Head Xie is very cooperative. Zhang Yuanqing said, "Don't mention it!"

In the strategy that he and Fu Qingyang discussed, gaming with the headquarters couldn't be too tough, but it couldn't be not tough either. So the Xie family became the target of killing the chicken to warn the monkey.

First, create a "tough" atmosphere, so that it's easier to bargain.

With Xie Lingxi's words in the afternoon, Zhang Yuanqing believed that Family Head Xie would definitely cooperate with his exorbitant demands, because this was also what Family Head Xie wanted.

Sure enough, Family Head Xie cooperated very smoothly. Watching Family Head Xie leave with a flick of his sleeves, Zhang Yuanqing looked at the two people on the sofa.

Secretary Li said with a smile:

"Yuan Shi, sometimes, human relationships are more important than interests. You're asking for too much."

These words seemed to imply something.

"Secretary Li, Detective Elder, what price are you offering?" Zhang Yuanqing pretended not to understand.

Detective Elder said in a deep voice:

"Yuan Shi tianzun, the Huaihai Branch has already issued a bounty, a B-level merit and an eight million cash reward. This has been certified by the headquarters. We won't bargain with you, Yuan Shi tianzun. You have to understand your identity. You can bargain with the Xie family, but the headquarters doesn't fall for that." Zhang Yuanqing said:

"The content of the bounty, the headquarters recognizes it, but I don't!"