Looking at the pained expression on Zhou Kai's face, Lu Luo also felt a bit distressed.

They were all brothers from the orphanage who had bled together.

The family had been poor for over a year now; Brother Kane had suffered!

"Brother Kane, that year at eighteen, at the school gate, we stood like lackeys. From that day on, I, Lu Luo, swore to rise up. Wealth and honor, never to be forgotten. From today onward, it's our chance to rise!"

[So your way of gaining wealth and honor is to forcefully ask Brother Kane for money?]

Lu Luo didn't bother to pay attention to the Observer.

He wrapped his arm around Zhou Kai's neck, almost hugging him so tight Zhou Kai was gasping for air.

"How dare you, Lu Luo, you're actually trying to silence someone by killing them!"

"Brother Kane, turn back; the outside is full of Hunters."

Zhou Kai knew he wouldn't be able to leave without giving money today.

"Brother Luo, stop choking me, I'm really going to die! How much do you want? Can't I just give it to you?"

Zhou Kai patted Lu Luo's hand and finally buckled under the pressure.

Hearing Zhou Kai relent, Lu Luo said somewhat embarrassingly, "It's not about how much money..."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Kai suddenly wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had already understood Lu Luo's meaning. If it wasn't a problem of how much money, then it was about needing to give money continuously. And by the looks of it, Lu Luo probably needed a lot of money on an ongoing basis to be satisfied.

"Brother Luo, it wasn't easy for Circular to get to where it is today!"

"I know."

"Making money isn't easy either."

"I know."

"You know, and yet you ask for money every day? Can't you be a decent person?"

Zhou Kai's gaze flickered, as if tears were about to fall. Handing over money is painful for anyone. Zhou Kai, who had been scared of poverty since he was a child, felt an inexplicable kinship with money, so it was even more distressing for him.

Lu Luo quickly comforted Zhou Kai. They were good brothers, after all, and things needed to be made clear.

"Brother Kane, I currently have a method that can significantly enhance your fundamental strength with almost no high price. This method can greatly improve your basic strength and might even allow you to possess physical attributes that rival those of the Exotic Species in a short period."

"What are you talking about?" Gu Fangyi and Qi Xinzhu exclaimed in unison.

As exceptionally powerful Transcendents, they were naturally aware of the importance of physical attributes. Not just them, nearly all Transcendents understood the significance of physical attributes. But not all Transcendents could train their physical attributes to the point where they could stand shoulder to shoulder with Exotic Species. Only Lu Luo, because he had the Devourer, was able to increase his attribute values enough to rival the Lords of the Exotic Species within a year. Hunters also put all their Dark Energy into nourishing their bodies, which is why they could possess attributes comparable to Exotic Species.

Even so, they would still have significant shortcomings in some aspects of their attributes. For instance, Yang Liya's strength and agility exceeded 300, but her Constitution didn't even reach 100. If a person could achieve attributes on par with Exotic Species and steadily cultivate various energy Cultivation Techniques, then their combat strength could reach a level like Lu Luo's! If their attribute strength could come close to Lu Luo's, then their combat power could also reach Lu Luo's level.

That was why Gu Fangyi and Qi Xinzhu were so shocked. They understood the might of such abilities. However, Zhou Kai and Bai Yuetong didn't quite grasp the significance of Lu Luo's words. Bai Yuetong had no interest in cultivating at all, while Zhou Kai just muddled through, in the purest sense!

Moreover, his way of thinking was peculiar, yet somewhat reasonable. Circular now had plenty of combat power. If Circular were really forced into a situation where he, Zhou Kai, had to take action, then Circular's demise wouldn't be far away. Since the company would be near death if he ever had to act, why should he cultivate? The company is so busy; doesn't it need to make money? If he doesn't make money properly, where would Brother Luo and Brother Gu get the funds for their cultivation expenses? Where would Dumb Hair get the funding for her research? Brother Luo is starting a new project now, but where will the money come from?

So for Zhou Kai, making money for the company was the most important thing. Cultivation and all that was not important at all. If Brother Luo, Brother Gu, and Qi Xinzhu couldn't withstand it even when they stepped up, then there was no use in him joining the battle either. Therefore, if it was really possible to significantly enhance his brothers' combat abilities, Zhou Kai was still quite willing to pay.

"Brother Luo, is that thing you mentioned really powerful?" Zhou Kai looked at Gu Fangyi and Qi Xinzhu, not understanding what was going on.

There was no point in mentioning Xinzhu; she was Brother Luo's wife, and they were in cahoots, so she couldn't be trusted. Brother Gu was more reliable.

Wait a second, Brother Gu and Brother Luo…???

Indeed, before Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu had a chance to explain, Gu Fangyi spoke up. "Brother Kane, if what Brother Luo said is true and effective, our strength will make an astonishing improvement. The company can indeed take off. I trust Brother Luo, so, Brother Kane, hand over the money!"

Zhou Kai's face twisted in agony. Damn, Gu Fangyi was definitely in on this with Lu Luo. Alas, there wasn't a single frugal person in the company.

"Alright, alright, let's just assume this thing you're talking about is really amazing. Now tell me, what do we need to do?"

It was surely a joyous occasion when all shareholders were in agreement. Lu Luo nodded with a smile and began issuing his commands.

"I need Dark Spirit Stones, enough Dark Spirit Stones, rare metals, and Lan Tian's purple solution. Then, have troops redeployed to reconfigure the base's defensive layout. The location of Witch Luo Ling also needs to be moved. She will be moved from the third level of the base down to the very bottom, which is the rock cavern."

"The rock cavern?"

The others looked puzzled; they all knew that the base only had three levels. But the so-called three levels were only areas with human construction. Beneath the third level, at the very bottom of the base, was a layer of rock caverns. Lu Luo's White Snake had always been stationed there.

In fact, Lu Luo hadn't told them that apart from the White Snake, there were many other types of Exotic Species at the bottom of the rock. They would be the Circular Base's last line of defense. Now that Witch Luo Ling had become the company's highest strategic material, it was natural to place her in the safest location. This way, he could also afford some freedom of movement with Qi Xinzhu and Gu Fangyi. He no longer needed Witch Luo Ling to sacrifice her lifespan to make candy. Witch Luo Ling shouldn't refuse his proposition.

After hearing Lu Luo's arrangements, Zhou Kai still offered a different opinion. "Brother Luo, let's not talk about Corrosive Items; the Fourth Ring now also produces Corrosive Items. Although it's not as abundant as outside, it's still pretty decent. But rare metals are out of the question; they're too expensive. Normally, only the alchemists in the Inner Ring can produce rare metals. The price used to be reasonable, but given the current situation between the Inner Ring and the Wasteland, the price of rare metals has nearly skyrocketed."

Zhou Kai was stating facts. Actually, Circular wasn't particularly short on money because the work system Lu Luo had arranged was a very reasonable, albeit latent, exploitation policy. This was the overtime extra pay system. The people of the Wasteland, who had never experienced an overtime bonus system, worked with manic energy. Lu Luo even set up days off for these people but also established double pay for those days off. This led to the workers within Circular's lands working madly, doing overtime, working, and then more overtime. Overtime at night, overtime on days off!

The salary for the lowest-level employees used to be 160 Alliance Currency. Now, the Circular points that Lu Luo issued—the economic currency circulating within Circular—had a purchasing power almost equivalent to 500-600 Alliance Currency. Their pay increased three to fourfold. They didn't particularly want to work overtime, but there was nothing to be done; Lu Luo had simply offered too much. The workers, afraid they wouldn't be able to make that much money in the future, were willing to work hard and earn as much as they could at this critical moment. Whether it was to spend on women or to save, the important thing was to get the money in hand first.

Because of such policies, the current Circular was amply supplied, be it in resource collection or Dark Spirit Stones. However, rare metals were a different story. Circular lacked the technology to produce these materials. In fact, the entire Fourth Ring didn't have the technological capability to do so. To acquire rare metals in large quantities, they would likely have to be imported from the Inner Ring.

Lu Luo's brow furrowed slightly. If the shortfall in rare metals couldn't be filled, then they could only go ahead with the Attribute Plan, not the Equipment Plan. That was because the production of Fusioner equipment required rare metals.

"If that's the case... then let's put equipment development on hold for a bit," Lu Luo said with some regret.

At that moment, Dumb Hair actively tugged on Lu Luo's finger. "I have a way with rare metals."

"You have a way? You haven't been in contact with the Inner Ring for so long; what can you do?" Lu Luo was quite reluctant to let Bai Yuetong contact the Inner Ring. This was because he still hadn't given Bai Yuetong a satisfactory answer. Lu Luo always felt that it was better not to contact the Inner Ring until things between him and Dumb Hair were settled, because he found that quite a few people had designs on Dumb Hair.

"When it comes to the development of Circular, drop the male chauvinism, Lu Luo. I said I have a way, and I really do. And it's ready-made, no need to contact the Inner Ring."

"Ready-made?"

"Come with me."

Following Bai Yuetong with doubt, Lu Luo and the others arrived at her enormous office. Bai Yuetong opened her Mecha storage room, where her scar-laden white Mecha stood quietly.

"Do you mean... your Mecha?" Lu Luo asked uncertainly.

"Yes, the primary armor material of this Mecha is rare metal, Kro defensive alloy. The main armored parts consist of about 55% of it. I estimate the weight of the rare metals to be around two tons. Two tons of rare metals should keep the company running for a while, right?"

Bai Yuetong's straightforwardness and generosity left Lu Luo somewhat at a loss. The Mecha before him had been with Bai Yuetong from the very beginning. It must be incredibly important to her, mustn't it? Lu Luo didn't say it wouldn't be right or anything of that sort; that would be hypocritical. They really did need rare metals now; there was no question about that. If Bai Yuetong was truly willing to melt down the Mecha, then he, Lu Luo, would definitely take it. But he still needed to provide sufficient compensation for Bai Yuetong.

"Bai Yuetong, are you serious?"

Dumb Hair tossed her hair and said generously, "Do you think I'm being very generous and want to thank me? You're too naive, Lu Luo. You probably aren't fully aware of my family's financial power, nor of the support I would receive if I returned to the Inner Ring. It's just one Mecha. We're about to return to the Inner Ring. Once back, I'll immediately get a new Mecha. Besides, I've already started working on the design and research of a new type of mechanized combat suit. This type of mechanical Mecha might never be used again."

True as that was, Lu Luo still felt that Dumb Hair was getting the short end of the stick. "But after all, these things are yours..."

"Mine and yours? Lu Luo, remember this: what's mine is yours. If it weren't for you, I might have lost at Noah's."

Bai Yuetong looked earnestly at Lu Luo, while Qi Xinzhu turned her head away at the side.

These two, acting as if I don't exist! Outrageous! Forget it, Dumb Hair is also doing this for the company; I'd better not be too harsh on her.

Lu Luo furrowed his brows. Now that the Dark Spirit Stones, rare metals, and energy were all sufficient, they really could attempt some new endeavors.

"Alright, Brother Kane, go prepare the supplies now. I will go collect poisonous candy from Witch Luo Ling. Qi Xinzhu, Brother Gu, Bai Yuetong, the three of you stay here and smelt this Mecha. We'll split up and gather at the base's lower level tonight."

"Yes!"

With Lu Luo's clear orders, Circular, which was already considered a large company, went into full operation. A portion of the members with Transcendent combat abilities was assigned to the company's third layer, taking turns standing guard. After the dispatch, the defense force here had already surpassed the outer perimeter defense force of the Circular Base. Some people were curious about what was at the very bottom of the base, but no one dared to ask. And even if they did ask, nobody would tell.

Zhou Kai began to rapidly allocate the Dark Spirit Stones and other supplies Lu Luo required. Lu Luo himself started supervising Witch Luo Ling as she made poisonous candies. Because it was the first batch, Lu Luo asked Luo Ling to produce sixty poisonous candies. This put quite a bit of pressure on Luo Ling. Although creating the poisonous candies did not consume Luo Ling's lifespan, the consumption of Dark Spirit Stones and her innate Dark Energy was very real. Moreover, it was more than for a usual witch's candy. So after making another sixty poisonous candies, Luo Ling was exhausted and slumped on the ground.

"I'm sorry, Master, I just don't have any Dark Energy left. And my strength has been greatly depleted; I need time to recover. I'm sorry."

Lu Luo, holding the sixty poisonous candies, was already very satisfied, so of course, he couldn't force Luo Ling any further at this point. "You've done very well, Luo Ling; I'm very pleased. Take a good rest now. This is your well-deserved reward."

Lu Luo handed over a bottle of Life Energy potion, worth about 200 points, to Luo Ling. This stuff was poison for humans but ought to be very attractive to Exotic Species.

Lying on the ground, Luo Ling looked somewhat shocked; she had not expected that her current work wouldn't consume her lifespan and that she could even receive a reward. This would have been impossible in the past.

"I am grateful for your generosity, my Master. I will work hard."

"Alright, rest well!"

Lu Luo left the base's lower level, content with the candies in hand. Luo Ling lay there, breathing heavily, until the White Snake suddenly popped up beside her.

HISS, HISS, HISS!

Luo Ling looked at the White Snake in surprise, especially at its long eyebrows. "A Thunder Beast Species, huh! Are you also one of Master's summoned creatures?"

The White Snake looked somewhat haughtily at Luo Ling, as if to assert its status, before finally nodding. Even though it hadn't yet broken through to the Lord level, that didn't hinder its pride!

"A Contract Creature, ah! It seems there's still a lot Master doesn't know." Luo Ling grinned. Lu Luo's performance had given her some hope and sparked some new thoughts within her. Originally, she had thought that Lu Luo would exploit her till death. But now it seemed this Master was somewhat different. If she could demonstrate her value, perhaps her life could be more stable and secure?

"Don't be smug, little White Snake! Combat power is very important. But humans have been dealing with Exotic Species for so many years not just through combat power, but with their intelligence as well. The difference between you and me is that I possess enough intelligence! Little White Snake, you'd better learn a thing or two!"

White Snake Thunder-Scale didn't quite understand Luo Ling's meaning. In its eyes, Luo Ling was just a broken and weak Lord, nothing to be proud of. Yet it subconsciously felt that there was some sense in what Witch Luo Ling had said.

Could intelligence truly be more important than strength? I'm eager to break through to the Lord level, to be able to assist Master better. So, could the witch before me help me achieve that? Using what she called intelligence?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.