Chapter 160: Study Room Conversation
As night fell, the manor where the Han family’s residence was located was already enveloped in bright lights.
Under the cover of towering trees, villas of various sizes were distributed throughout the manor, occupying a total area of more than ten mu.
At this moment, inside the castle-like villa at the core of the manor, the Han family head, Han Zhenshu, was handling family affairs in his study.
Although he was already over sixty years old, the power brought by being a Professional Beast Tamer made him look like a middle-aged man.
While dealing with family affairs, he looked at the various data in his hands, and his brows were slightly furrowed.
The Han family’s current situation was far from optimistic. Ever since two Professional Beast Tamers of the family had suddenly fallen decades ago, the unprepared Han family had suffered enormous losses.
Resources had been drastically reduced, severely affecting the cultivation of the younger generation. As a result, among the younger generation of the Han family, there were very few who had any hope of advancing to Professional Beast Tamer.
One had to know that the success rate of class advancement was not one hundred percent. Once it failed, it would cause damage to Spiritual Power.
For Beast Tamers without background support, a failed advancement would most likely completely cut off the Beast Tamer path.
This was because healing Spiritual Power, as well as once again preparing the resources required for class advancement, were things ordinary Beast Tamers could hardly obtain.
Every time Zhou Ming entered the wilderness, he could easily gain several million or more in rewards. Among these, the Radar Sensory Domain provided him with the greatest help.
Many dangers were discovered in advance through the Radar Sensory Domain. The risks he bore were far lower than those of other Beast Tamers, and he could even achieve preemptive strikes.
In addition, he had Snake Saliva Fruit to help him lay a solid foundation, and he possessed the Original Meditation Method · White Bone Contemplation that ordinary Beast Tamers did not have. In truth, his starting point already surpassed the vast majority of Beast Tamers.
“Knock, knock, knock…”
The door was knocked.
“Come in.”
As the words fell, the door was pushed open, and a formally dressed middle-aged man walked into the study.
This person was Han Zhenshu’s eldest son, Han Xiaoshan, who was mainly responsible for the family’s textile business.
Upon entering the study, Han Xiaoshan wore an expression of anger and directly explained the reason he had come to see Han Zhenshu.
“Dad, word came from the Internal Affairs Office. This year, one-third of the cotton planted outside the city has been contracted by the Qi family. The Qi family is starting to get involved in the textile industry.”
Textiles, clothing, shoes, and socks all seemed extremely ordinary, but once an entire industry was fully controlled, the profits obtained would not be small at all.
These were the Han family’s foundation. The Qi family’s move to intervene in the textile industry was clearly meant to completely crush the Han family.
After all, the decline of the Han family back then had been caused by the Qi family. Naturally, they would not give the Han family any chance to recover.
“I already knew about this matter. The newly appointed director of the Agriculture Bureau has a daughter who is dating Qi Lingxuan from the Qi family. The two families will most likely become in-laws.”
After learning the reason why the Qi family was able to intervene, Han Xiaoshan was momentarily at a loss. The Agriculture Bureau’s status was no lower than that of the Public Security Bureau, and it was responsible for crop cultivation within the ten-kilometer safety zone outside the city.
“Then what should we do?”
“Hmph, you still have the nerve to ask what to do? Right now, the family’s resources have been concentrated on you younger generation, yet not a single one of you has managed to advance to Professional Beast Tamer.”
Within the alliance, commercial competition was extremely straightforward. It all depended on which family was stronger, whether they had background support, and the strength of their Beast Tamers.
The Han family’s younger generation had yet to produce a single Professional Beast Tamer, and the newly appointed Agriculture Bureau director naturally acted with fewer scruples.
Hearing his father’s scolding, Han Xiaoshan, who was already a middle-aged man, also felt ashamed.
His two previous failed advancements had not only wasted a great deal of the family’s resources, but had even damaged his Spiritual Power at the source.
Even with the Han family’s resources supporting him, it was impossible for him to advance to Professional Beast Tamer again in the short term.
As for the Qi Lingxuan mentioned by the two of them, he was the leading figure of the Qi family’s younger generation. He had advanced and class-changed to a Phantasmal Tamer at the age of thirty-two, and his future prospects were extraordinarily bright.
“Why not kill Qi Lingxuan?”
In the suddenly quiet study, a voice came from the direction of the windowsill.
“Who is it?”
Han Zhenshu suddenly stood up and stared at the windowsill. In an instant, his body was wrapped in a layer of earth-yellow Phantasmal Beast armor.
“Han Family Head, apologies for the disturbance.”
As the voice sounded, the shadows at the study’s windowsill began to writhe, and Zhou Ming, wearing a snake-patterned mask, appeared.
“Who are you? What is your purpose in trespassing into my Han family?”
Sensing that the other party’s strength was only at the initial Professional level, Han Zhenshu felt a slight sense of relief.
With the Han family’s current strength, they were more than capable of dealing with a Professional Beast Tamer at the initial stage.
“I want to seek cooperation with the Han family.” Zhou Ming immediately stated his intent.
“Doesn’t Your Excellency think this method is somewhat inappropriate?”
“The method is not important. Whether cooperation is possible is what matters most.”
Zhou Ming did not dwell on this point with Han Zhenshu, but instead directly pointed out the crux of the matter.
“Then on what basis does Your Excellency think our Han family would cooperate with a stranger?”
Han Zhenshu walked to stand opposite Zhou Ming. As he spoke, the aura of a Professional Beast Tamer began to surge.
For a moment, the study was filled with an oppressive atmosphere.
“Does this reason count?”
The Fire Sparrow Longblade used by Qi Shouwu appeared in Zhou Ming’s hand.
“Qi Shouwu’s Fire Sparrow!”
As mortal enemies of the Qi family, the Han family naturally kept constant watch over them. They were well aware of Qi Shouwu’s intelligence.
“That fellow took the initiative to provoke me, so I conveniently sent him on his way.”
“Actually, the cooperation is very simple. Because my profession is somewhat special, I have taken a liking to a Wildfolk camp within the base. I need to develop it.”
Zhou Ming casually explained Qi Shouwu’s matter in a light tone, then directly stated the reason for cooperation.
“A defective system. You want to conduct human experimentation.”
“Han Family Head, that is not important. You do not need to concern yourself with my purpose.”
“Right now, an opportunity for your Han family to rise again is right in front of you. With Qi Shouwu dead, the Qi family now has only four Professional Beast Tamers.”
“The one who caused your Han family’s decline back then, Qi Kaiyuan, is also the most senior member of the Qi family. He is already one hundred and twenty years old. With the lifespan of a mid-level Professional Beast Tamer, he does not have many years left.”
“If now the most outstanding junior of the Qi family, Qi Lingxuan, were also to die, then the Qi family would only have two Professional Beast Tamers left. Your Han family would then be able to suppress the Qi family once more.”
Zhou Ming not only wanted to obtain resources from the Han family to establish the camp, but also wanted to ensure that the Qi family would be unable to threaten him. They would have no choice but to rely on the Han family to restrain matters.
To make the Han family willing to wade into this muddy water, he naturally had to present a scenario tempting enough.
“What you say sounds good, but Qi Kaiyuan can still hold on for several years at least. And Qi Lingxuan is within the base. Would you really have the opportunity to kill him and retreat unscathed?”
As the one in control of the Han family, Han Zhenshu would not be easily swayed by Zhou Ming’s words.
“Heh…”
Zhou Ming let out a cold laugh and then said,
“Han Family Head has forgotten one thing. I am alone and unencumbered. If I offend the Qi family, at worst I can simply seek another place.”
“But your Han family is different. If you continue to have your resources slowly eaten away by the Qi family, and still fail to cultivate a qualified successor, then perhaps the end awaiting your Han family will be a tragic one.”
“Even if your entire clan is not exterminated, it is very possible that the ordinary people of the Han family will fall into becoming Wildfolk.”
When Zhou Ming spoke the words “Wildfolk,” his tone was exceptionally heavy.
In an instant, the atmosphere within the study became oppressive to the extreme.