Ten Thousand Ways To Eliminate Players
Chapter 40 - 040 Honest Business Operations

Chapter 40: 040 Honest Business Operations

Dumbelldore was evolving too slowly. He needed a competitor, someone to push him from behind.

One might only acknowledge one ’big brother,’ but a teacher could have many disciples.

When disciples competed intensely among themselves, the teacher’s job naturally became easier.

In Lin Bai’s eyes, there were no useless people and, of course, no enemies.

"Brother Lin, it seems your facilities here are rudimentary. Do you need more investment?" Luo Congwen, excited that his long-held aspiration was finally about to be realized, did his best to build a good rapport with Lin Bai. "The Luo Family has money and manpower. I see this shop assistant of yours doesn’t look very sharp."

[Resentment from Dumbelldore; +1+1]

"Young Master Luo, please mind your own business." Dumbelldore lazily watched Luo Congwen. "I am all Master needs here."

"So you are his senior disciple! Forgive my rudeness!" Luo Congwen hurriedly apologized to Dumbelldore.

"Little Deng, guard against jealousy." Lin Bai looked at Dumbelldore, a perfectly timed trace of disappointment in his eyes. "If you cannot control your emotions, I fear we are destined never to share a master-disciple bond."

Damn it... I have to hold back!

Dumbelldore almost sprang up. He took a deep breath, reining in his temper. He clasped his fists, bowed deeply to Luo Congwen, and said reluctantly, "Young Master Luo, I have offended you."

"No bother, no bother at all." Luo Congwen helped Dumbelldore up and said sincerely, "So, Brother Deng is also one of the destined people chosen by Brother Lin. In that case, let us encourage each other."

This world did not have Confucianism, but its cultural traditions were similar.

Luo Congwen aspired to Cultivation, and having studied literature since childhood, Lin Bai’s demand for Confucian standards suited him perfectly.

In comparison, Dumbelldore, the freewheeling Player, had lost from the very beginning.

Importantly, Luo Congwen had no intention of monopolizing Lin Bai. In his mind, once initiated, everyone could cultivate together as martial brothers.

Compared in this regard, Dumbelldore, who was thinking of monopolizing the story quest, was once again at a disadvantage.

Lin Bai’s gaze swept between the two as he sighed to himself. It seems the natives are more suited to be the kind of disciples someone like me, who enjoys being a teacher, is looking for!

However, the ’Fond of Being a Teacher’ System rewarded the teacher with feedback from the results of their disciples’ Cultivation.

On this point alone, the natives were completely defeated. Lin Bai needed feedback on their Cultivation Level, and they could never upgrade as unhindered and rapidly as Players.

Unfortunately, Lin Bai did not possess the discerning eye to select a child of destiny from among thousands of natives.

However, if it could stimulate Dumbelldore, he wouldn’t mind accepting Luo Congwen as an auditing student.

After all, Luo Congwen had provided his startup capital. To a certain extent, Luo Congwen was his benefactor; he couldn’t let him be disadvantaged.

Song Qing and the others watched from the side, whispering among themselves.

Luo Congwen glanced in their direction, then remembered his purpose and felt a little awkward. "Brother Lin, I..."

Is the matter of offering money and people just going to be dropped like that?

Lin Bai nodded at Luo Congwen, saying, "A cultivator should be true to their nature, free and unrestrained. Timidity and worrying over gains and losses are also hindrances."

Luo Congwen was startled, then overjoyed. "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Lin! In that case, I will head over now!"

Lin Bai watched him head back to the entrance of the store.

Seeing the delighted look on Luo Congwen’s face, Song Qing laughed and asked, "Everything okay?"

Luo Congwen laughed, "A misunderstanding; it’s been cleared up. Brothers, Shopkeeper Lin is my benefactor. If you dare to bully him, I, Luo Congwen, won’t let it slide."

"Brother Luo, you think too highly of us. Shopkeeper Lin is an exceptional man; he’s always been the one bullying us. How would we dare to bully him?" Zhu Huan laughed. "Speaking of which, we still don’t know what sort of ’program’ Shopkeeper Lin has prepared for us. Frankly, I’m quite uneasy."

"Not just uneasy, but our wallets are also feeling it," Song Qing said, shaking his head with a laugh. "The prices for the night session are triple the daytime rates. And to top it off, the food is just common stuff you can find anywhere. Shopkeeper Lin is truly a first-rate businessman."

"All expenses are on me," Luo Congwen declared, looking at Lin Bai, full of vigor.

"Brother Luo is truly generous." Zhu Huan snapped his folding fan shut and pointed inside. "Shall we go in then?"

"Let’s go." Song Qing took the lead and started to walk in, but when he reached the doorway, he noticed Lin Bai wasn’t following and couldn’t help but pause. "Shopkeeper Lin, aren’t you coming in?"

Lin Bai shook his head and smiled. "The night session is different; the ghosts provide full service. If I go in, it would spoil the atmosphere. Please, gentlemen, go right in. I, Lin Bai, have no grudges against any of you and won’t harm you. Besides, this isn’t a one-shot deal for me..."

"In, in, in!" Luo Congwen urged. "Brother Lin won’t harm us..."

Saying this, Luo Congwen took the lead and stepped into the shop.

Upon entering and seeing the floating Jimmy Navada family, he was instantly dumbfounded, even ignoring the shop’s ramshackle decor. Are they real?

"Of course, it’s real." Jimmy Navada chuckled and floated over to pull out a chair. "Young Master, just let my wife and daughter know what you’d like to order."

They look no different from real people! Perhaps because Lin Bai had given him enough confidence, Luo Congwen quickly regained his composure. He took a couple of steps forward, observing the Navada family. His gaze finally landed on Song Ling, dressed in fluttering white, and he mused, Everyone says ghosts are terrifying, but it was all lies...

Song Qing and Zhu Huan also walked in, standing behind Luo Congwen and curiously observing the Navada family. "Their feet aren’t touching the ground; they’re definitely not actors. This trip was worth it! Shopkeeper Lin truly is an exceptional man."

"Please, take a seat, gentlemen," Song Ling said, timidly floating over and guiding them further into the room. "Just tell Little Ling what dishes you’d like..."

"Since Young Master Luo is treating, just bring us one of everything on the menu," Zhu Huan said, staring fixedly at the gentle and charming Song Ling. He hesitated for a moment, then turned to Jimmy Navada and tentatively asked, "Brother Ghost, when the food and drinks are served, could we invite your daughter to join us for a drink? We mean no harm; we just want to experience the novelty of dining with a ghost..."

At this moment, Sera Wade and Song Ling had already filled the table with food and drinks and were timidly standing in attendance by the table.

Jimmy Navada glanced at him casually and said, "Of course, that’s no problem. Shopkeeper Lin said that as long as the guests’ requests aren’t excessive, we should try our best to accommodate them."

"Indeed, Shopkeeper Lin is an ingenious man, so thoughtful," Song Qing said with a laugh, clapping his hands as he sat down first. He patted the empty seat beside him. "Little Ling, you can sit next to me later."

"I’m the one paying, so naturally, she should sit next to me." Luo Congwen gazed at Song Ling, seeing her as if she were Little Qian from the tales. His mind filled with romantic fantasies as he said, "If I had known, I would have come alone. What’s the point of dining with you two louts? Little Ling, sit with me... Damn it!"

With a cry of alarm, Luo Congwen stumbled backward, knocking over his stool and falling to the floor. His face was a mask of terror as he pointed at Song Ling, stuttering, unable to utter a complete word.

"Brother Luo, you’re truly faint-hearted..." Song Qing chuckled, turning his head to look at Song Ling.

But as he looked, he saw a terrifying, pitch-black face, bleeding from all seven orifices...

AAARGH!

With a scream, Song Qing’s eyes rolled back, and he promptly fainted.

Seeing things had gone south, Zhu Huan turned and bolted towards the door.

BANG!

The door was slammed shut from the inside by Jimmy Navada, who had reverted to his terrifying, ferocious appearance from before his death. Dark energy pulsed around him as he sneered, "Fools! You came, and you still think you can leave? Did you really believe Lin Bai could control us?"

"Oh no, the ghosts are out of control!" Lin Bai’s panicked voice came from outside the door, accompanied by frantic knocking. "Gentlemen, hold on! I’ll go get Daoist Priest Qingfeng right away..."

Hearing this, Zhu Huan’s face turned deathly pale, and he hollered hysterically, "Lin Bai—!"

The candle flame flickered and then extinguished, plunging the room into sudden darkness.

Zhu Huan felt a chill on the back of his neck, as if someone had breathed on it from behind.

Then, a creepy voice whispered in his ear, "Young Master, your humble servant is here to serve your meal!"

"No!" Zhu Huan felt a warm wetness spread in his groin. He scrambled forward, running a few steps before regaining enough sense to drop to the ground, kowtowing repeatedly like he was pounding garlic. "Mercy, mercy! I was wrong! I shouldn’t have asked you to drink with us..."

"Lin Bai, you fraudster! Our enmity is irreconcilable! If I survive today, I swear I’ll tear you into a thousand pieces!"

Luo Congwen felt an icy hand touch his neck, and goosebumps erupted all over his body. He thrashed and kicked, screaming hysterically.

Before he could finish his words, the candles flickered back to life.

"Gentlemen, the performance is over. Are you satisfied with the dining environment?" Jimmy Navada asked, trying to suppress his laughter and keep his voice as even as possible.

Luo Congwen’s screams died in his throat.

He opened his eyes in a daze. The terrifying ghosts were gone. Before him stood the Jimmy Navada family, looking perfectly ordinary once more.

Sera Wade was holding Song Qing’s neck, pinching his Renzhong acupoint.

Song Ling was rearranging the table and chairs that they had knocked over.

Everything terrifying seemed to have never happened.

Noticing Luo Congwen’s gaze, Song Ling turned her head and offered an apologetic smile. "Young Master Luo, please don’t blame us. This was Shopkeeper Lin’s instruction. He said that every customer should feel right at home and that every coin you spend must be worthwhile..."

Luo Congwen now knew he had been tricked by Lin Bai yet again. He felt a mouthful of old blood caught in his throat, tears streamed down his face, and his lips trembled. "Lin Bai, damn your ancestors!"

"By the way, are you still going to eat the food on the table?" Song Ling asked. "Shopkeeper Lin did say that whether you eat it or not, you have to pay the full amount. Also, there are clean trousers upstairs; those are an extra charge if you need them..."

Hearing this, Luo Congwen felt as if he were reliving the day he was first tricked by Lin Bai. He looked at the embarrassed Zhu Huan, then at the innocent-looking Navada family, and gritted his teeth. "Lin Bai, you truly are despicable!"

...

「Outside the door.」

Dumbelldore listened to the conversation inside and looked at the leisurely Lin Bai. He was utterly exasperated. This guy is so damn devious!

He couldn’t help but ask, "Master, which of the gentlemanly virtues does this... align with?"

Counting the income from this latest maneuver, Lin Bai glanced at him and chuckled, "Honesty!"

"..." Dumbelldore was speechless for a moment, then suddenly felt a sense of relief. By Lin Bai’s standards, Luo Congwen would never qualify to be his disciple, not even if he died trying.

Just then, a man in ordinary clothes emerged from the shadows. He approached Lin Bai, clasped his fist in a salute, and asked, "Are you Shopkeeper Lin?"

"I am," Lin Bai replied, also making a fist salute. "And who may you be, sir?"

The man gave Lin Bai a long, hard look and snorted. "City Lord’s Hidden Guard."

"Ah, so it’s an officer from the Hidden Guard!" Lin Bai’s eyes lit up, and he said in an overly friendly tone, "Are you here to experience the Dreadful Mansion dining? For the City Lord’s sake, I can give you a two percent discount. I can even get the ghosts inside to put in more effort for you."

[Grudge from Zhou Jiang; +1]

The muscle at the corner of Hidden Guard Zhou Jiang’s eye twitched involuntarily. "No need, Shopkeeper. Come with me. The City Lord has summoned you."