After receiving a clear answer, Ruan Tang finally relaxed. "Go on, back to work."

The door closed again.

Sitting in her office chair, Ruan Tang let out a long sigh and opened the express package. The first thing that caught her eye was a delivery list: Magical Girl Madoka Cosplay Costume.

Just as Ruan Tang was about to take out the costume to check the fit, there was another knock on her office door. In a panic, Ruan Tang scrambled to stuff it into her briefcase. She then sat down, composed her expression to one of indifference, and said, "Come in."

The person who opened the door was her secretary.

"President Ruan, I've arranged everything as you requested," she began. "You have a meeting in ten minutes, a ribbon-cutting for the new store in half an hour, and after that... Here is your schedule for the day."

The secretary placed a sheet of paper densely packed with appointments onto the desk. Ruan Tang glanced at it and felt a headache coming on.

This is the downside of playing hooky! While it was relaxing to be a hands-off manager, the work that piled up over several days… it's simply overwhelming!

She put everything else aside for the time being and devoted herself completely to her work. The last thing she wanted was to spend her rare vacation taking work calls.

「Dongli University」

Xu Lai informed Liu Nanwei and Zhou Feng that he would be traveling for a few days.

They didn't show any particular reaction. The university infirmary was already overflowing with people, so it wouldn't be a problem if Xu Lai took a few days off—heck, he could be gone for a month without any major issues.

After all, Dongli University's infirmary was on par with a small, top-tier hospital, staffed with leading medical experts in every department. This led the students at Dongli to joke, "Anything a top-tier hospital can cure, Dongli can cure. And anything a top-tier hospital can't cure, Dongli can cure too."

If anyone tried to argue the point, the simple retort was: "Does the city's top-tier hospital have a veterinarian?"

Obviously, they didn't, as they only had doctors for humans.

Xu Lai opened a website on his computer to search for Akihabara. After all, once they were in Sakura Country, he had to take his daughter to buy Xiao Mai merchandise first. To both Xu Lai and Ruan Tang, Yiyi was the apple of their eye.

While he was browsing, Liu Nanwei whispered, "Director Xu, Su Daiyi and Eighth Master are here..."

Xu Lai looked up and waved nonchalantly. "Have a seat. Help yourselves to water."

Helping themselves was out of the question, of course. Liu Nanwei quickly stood up to pour water for the two big shots, then she and Zhou Feng tactfully made an excuse to leave.

Only the three of them remained in the infirmary.

"Director Xu, we took the liberty of attending the Liu family's wedding yesterday. I hope we didn't cause any trouble for your wife and her friend," Su Daiyi said cautiously.

"No," Xu Lai shook his head. Ruan Tang, Luo Chu, and Xu Yaoyao had a small private get-together afterward, and the bride, Xu Yaoyao, was thrilled with how things had turned out. As for the Su, Jiang, Liu, and Shen Families, Xu Yaoyao couldn't care less about those wealthy families.

What she cared about was that the wedding went smoothly and all the guests had a wonderful time.

Su Daiyi and Old Jiang Ba both sighed in relief. Waking up this morning, they both felt they had been too reckless yesterday. Now that their minds were at ease, Old Jiang Ba spoke in a deep voice, "Mr. Xu, in five days is the Sea Temple Festival, a grand event held once a decade for East Sea, Hangcheng, Liu City, and the surrounding thirteen cities. Will you be attending?"

The Sea Temple Festival? What's that? Xu Lai thought, momentarily stunned.

"Two hundred years ago, a typhoon ravaged the coast, submerging the coastal area and causing devastating losses. It was rumored that the typhoon was the work of a Sea Demon from the deep," Old Jiang Ba paused, then continued, "When the immortals in the heavens learned of this, they crossed the sea to slay the Sea Demon. To commemorate that immortal, the seaside communities built a temple on an island, which they renamed Sea Temple Island."

"Every ten years, the leading family of each of the thirteen cities sends one person to participate," Su Daiyi added. "The first person to cross the hundred-nautical-mile zone under their own power and set foot on Sea Temple Island will receive one hundred million yuan, collectively funded by all the wealthy families."

"It can't be that simple, can it?" Xu Lai said with a wry smile.

These wealthy families aren't exactly philanthropists. Would they really pool so much money just to honor an immortal who saved the common folk? Only a fool would believe that. There must be some vested interests at play; it's in a businessman's nature to chase profit.

"You're right," Su Daiyi said with a radiant smile. "In addition, the winner also gains the operating rights to that tourist island for ten years!"

Xu Lai remained silent, waiting for them to continue.

"We've come to ask you, Mr. Xu, to represent the Su Family of Hangcheng and the Jiang Family of Liu City in the Sea Temple Festival," Su Daiyi said. "The prize money will be entirely yours. In return, our families can manage the island for you, and we'll only take a fifty-percent share of the profits."

"Seventy percent," Xu Lai stated flatly. "I want seventy percent of all profits from the island."

Ten years ago, the Martial Artist who represented the Jiang Family had only been promised ten percent of the island's profits by Eighth Master. But Su Daiyi and Old Jiang Ba exchanged a glance and showed no hesitation. They both bowed at once.

"Then we will have to trouble you, Mr. Xu."

The island's annual revenue from ticket sales alone started at twenty million yuan, not to mention that tickets accounted for only a small fraction of the total income. Even if the Su and Jiang Families split the remaining thirty percent, with each taking just fifteen percent of the net profit, it was still a huge gain.

After all, they were confident Xu Lai would win. This was like found money.

"Mr. Xu, the other families will certainly hire Martial Dao experts to compete as well. There have been deaths in the past, so you..." Su Daiyi trailed off, worried for Xu Lai's safety.

Old Jiang Ba was also very anxious. "Indeed, Mr. Xu. Please, you must guarantee your own safety."

"Don't worry, I don't kill people," Xu Lai said lightly.

Su Daiyi: "..."

Old Jiang Ba: "..."

They were worried about *him*!

During the last event, for example, not a single one of the premier families from the Jiangnan region was absent, with exactly thirteen participants. Yet, the death toll reached eleven. In the past, the great families had spent fortunes to hire experts for the crossing, and some of those experts even teamed up to attack others. Life and death didn't matter; their eyes were fixed only on profit.

Seeing the concern in their eyes, Xu Lai waved his hand dismissively, indicating it was a trivial matter.

A hundred million, plus profit-sharing for the next ten years. The five-hundred-million-yuan betrothal gift for my wife should be enough, right? Xu Lai was very satisfied.

A little while later, Liu Nanwei and Zhou Feng returned. Zhou Feng was fine, quietly getting back to work. Liu Nanwei, however, was much more of a gossip. "Director Xu," she asked curiously, "what did President Su and Eighth Master want with you?"

"They want me to compete in the Sea Temple Festival."

"..."

The infirmary fell silent. A moment later, both of them grew frantic. "Director Xu, the Sea Temple Festival is incredibly dangerous!"

"It's rumored that even Martial Ancestors have died during the crossing in the past!" Liu Nanwei knew Xu Lai was strong, but if even Martial Ancestors had perished there, they didn't want anything to happen to him.

"I'm short on cash," Xu Lai said with a helpless shrug.

"I have money!" Zhou Feng pulled out his wallet and took out all his credit and debit cards. "There's about three hundred thousand yuan in my accounts, and I can get another two hundred thousand from my credit cards..."

"I'm short five hundred million."

"..."

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