Chapter 81: Shrewd Businessman

    "Urgh—" Shen Nianzu choked on his breath when Jin Jiuchi’s arm suddenly wrapped around his neck, dragging him as far away as possible from the Broker. He stumbled on his steps and almost fell if not for the man who was clutching onto him like a lifeline. This damned husky... did he want to suffocate him or something?!

    "You... get off! You are killing me!" He patted Jin Jiuchi’s rock hard arm in fluster, and only then did the man realize that he had been squeezing the jade doll too tight.

    "Oops, sorry," he loosened his hold with a sheepish look, but still unwilling to let go. "Nian’er, are you okay?"

    Shen Nianzu shot him a murderous glare, but in the end, he allowed Jin Jiuchi to cling onto him like an oversized koala. He shifted his glare to the horse-head man and hissed in anger, "Stop it. You are scaring him."

    A low and muffled chuckle drifted out from the horse head, before the man yanked it off to reveal a man in his thirties with a pale face, disheveled hair and dark circles under his eyes. He had a teasing look on his eyes as he looked at Jin Jiuchi and Nian back and forth, "Overprotective much?"

    Shen Nianzu harrumphed and did not deign to answer it, whereas Jin Jiuchi’s gaze was transfixed on the horse head on the man’s hand. "Is that a mask?" he asked with his silver eyes twinkling in curiosity.

    "Yeah, it’s a costume mask. Here," he surprised Jin Jiuchi by shoving the horse head into his arms. "A gift for our first meeting. Come in." He left the door open for them and turned around to enter the house first.

    "Nian’er!" Jin Jiuchi hugged the horse head to himself and turned to the jade doll, moved. "He’s such a kind person!"

    However, Shen Nianzu ruthlessly plucked the costume mask out of Jin Jiuchi’s arms and chucked it into the house and the next second, an ’ow!’ sounded from the broker.

    "Nian’er!" Jin Jiuchi cried out in horror and disbelief. It was a gift for him, so why did Shen Nianzu throw it away?!

    "Do not accept anything from that person, do you hear me?" When he saw Jin Jiuchi’s eyes start to glisten with tears like a child who had his new toy taken away, he pressed on his forehead and relented with a helpless sigh, "If you want, I can buy you two– no, even ten of it. That man is a shrewd businessman, he will not give anything out for free. So if he suddenly gives you something, it means that he is expecting you to give him something else in return. Understand?"

    Jin Jiuchi was utterly dumbstruck when he heard that. Never before had he expected that someone could be so sly. Dangerous... this world was so dangerous. If Shen Nianzu was not here, who knew what could have happened to him? He might have been chewed until not even his bones remained!

    "Okay," he patted his chest with lingering fear. "I will listen to Nian’er. No matter what he gives me, I will not accept. What if he asks me to give him one of my kidneys?!"

    Shen Nianzu snorted in amusement when he heard that adorable remark. "It’s good that you get it," he could not help but reach out to rub Jin Jiuchi’s silly head, and upon noticing Jin Jiuchi’s surprised look on him, he immediately took his hand back, cleared his throat and stepped into the house. "Let’s go inside."

    Jin Jiuchi blinked and dazedly touched the spot where Shen Nianzu had patted him, and the corner of his lips curved higher and higher into an uncontrollable grin. "Nian’er, wait for me!" He quickly chased after the jade doll and closed the door behind him.

    A short hallway stretched out in front of him with both sides of the wall covered in paintings and small trinkets like a creepy doll made of straws, a hand skeleton that belonged to God-knows-who, a wooden mask painted in bright red color...

    Curious, Jin Jiuchi leaned closer to sniff it and he almost fainted when the pungent stench of medicines, rotten blood and cow dung assaulted his nose. He turned away in haste and retched dryly. W–What the hell was that?! How could it smell so horrible?!

    "What are you doing?" Shen Nianzu poked his head out of the adjacent wall and upon seeing Jin Jiuchi’s miserable look, he was shocked and quickly approached the man, taking hold of his arm. "What’s wrong?"

    "Nian’er..." Jin Jiuchi pitifully lowered his head to the crook of Shen Nianzu’s neck and took a whiff of the jade doll’s heavenly fragrance to offset the horrible stench clinging to the tip of his nose.

    Thinking that Jin Jiuchi was truly feeling unwell, Shen Nianzu did not push him away. Instead, he gingerly placed his hand on the man’s back and patted it with a concerned look on his face. "What’s wrong with you?"

    Jin Jiuchi seized the advantage to inhale deeply a few times while the jade doll was feeling softhearted, and only then did he raise his head and flash a grin to the jade doll, "Nothing. I have recovered already."

    Shen Nianzu gave him a skeptical look, but now was not the time to question Jin Jiuchi’s random antics. He grabbed hold of the man’s wrist and pulled him deeper into the house. The living room looked surprisingly normal, considering the bizarre trinkets hanging on the wall in the hallway. They continued to cross the living room toward the room where the Broker usually received his clients.

    It was a simple room akin to an office with a long mahogany table, a swivel chair, a set of couch and a low table, a shelf that occupied one side of the wall and a few potted green plants on the corner. The room was very normal, indeed – if one could ignore the jars filled with suspiciously bubbling liquid lined up inside the shelf.

    Jin Jiuchi had just wanted to take a closer look when Shen Nianzu dragged him to the couch and pushed him down to sit, before he took a seat beside Jin Jiuchi.

    A moment later, the Broker entered with a tray of drink which he placed on the low table in front of them, but learning from the previous lesson Shen Nianzu had given him, Jin Jiuchi obediently sat still and did not receive it.

    "So," the Broker took a seat opposite them and asked, "What brings you here to my humble place? And who is this? A newly ascended newbie? This is the first time I have ever seen you together with someone else..." he couldn’t help but scan Jin Jiuchi up and down, curious about what was special about him. And that gaze caused Jin Jiuchi to grow alert. He truly did not like to be scrutinized like this, and he conveyed his intent by sending a warning glare to the Broker.

    "Oho..." Instead of being intimidated, the Broker rubbed his chin with an intrigued look.

    Shen Nianzu suddenly dropped the bomb on him, "This is the player ranked 100, JJ."

    "He’s— who?!" The Broker’s eyes widened in delight, and the look he gave Jin Jiuchi became even more heated, it was as if he had discovered a glowing pearl hidden beneath the rock. "Oh my God, so it’s you! It’s a pleasure to meet you, JJ. You can just call me the Broker."

    "Have you heard of me?" Jin Jiuchi asked warily.

    "Duh, I bet everyone in the App is discussing you right now. The leaderboard that had not changed for two years finally gained new blood! Isn’t it very exciting news?" He laughed uproariously, and then recalling something, he showed a sly grin and remarked, "Too bad that you come here a little too late. Had you been two hours earlier, you would have bumped into my client who’s ready to dump a huge amount of points for me to find out about you."

    Jin Jiuchi’s jaws dropped in shock. "Someone... wants to find out about me?"

    He still did not get what was so sensational about the leaderboard, but it looked totally important if it meant someone was trying to dig out information about him. No wonder Shen Nianzu was so surprised when he saw Jin Jiuchi’s rank last night.

    "Who?" Shen Nianzu’s face darkened.

    "I think you can guess who it is," the Broker replied with a shrug.

    Shen Nianzu lowered his eyes in thought. If there was someone who urgently needed to find out more about Jin Jiuchi, enough to pay the Broker for it, then only one person came to mind.

    "The former rank 100, who has been kicked to rank 101 with JJ’s ascent, Dance of the Wind."