jiāo xiū yuǎn yǒu xiē xīng fèn de shuō dào ：“ nǐ de yì si shì ， dào shí hòu ， nǎ pà yǒu rén yòng zài zěn me lí pǔ de jià gé xiàng tā men chū shòu pǔ xián zhēn yè ， tā men wèi le wán chéng jiāo huán yuē dìng ， yě dé niē zhe bí zi mǎi xià ？”
焦修远有些兴奋的说道：“你的意思是，到时候，哪怕有人用再怎么离谱的价格向他们出售普贤真叶，他们为了完成交还约定，也得捏着鼻子买下？”
Jiao Xiuyuan was excitedly saying, "Your point is that when someone tries to sell the Pu Xian True Leaf at an outrageous price, they will still have to buy it in order to fulfill their promise of returning them?"
“ ér ruò shì wǒ men tí qián chī diào shì chǎng shàng dà bù fèn pǔ xián zhēn yè de fèn é ， dào bī duì fāng ……”
“而若是我们提前吃掉市场上大部分普贤真叶的份额，倒逼对方……”
"And if we preemptively acquire a large portion of the market for Pu Xian True Leaves, forcing the other side..."
“ pà bú shì néng qīng sōng huò lì shù bèi ！”
“怕不是能轻松获利数倍！”
"...we might make several times our investment!"
“ miào a ！” xiǎng tōng le qí zhōng guān jié ， jiāo xiū yuǎn měng dì yī pāi dà tuǐ ， bù yóu gǎn tàn dào 。
“妙啊！”想通了其中关节，焦修远勐地一拍大腿，不由感叹道。
"Brilliant!" Realizing the logic, Jiao Xiuyuan suddenly slapped his thigh and couldn't help but exclaim.
“ jiāo dào yǒu bù kuì shì zuò shēng yì de tiān cái ！” lǐ fán diǎn diǎn tóu ， chēng zàn dào 。
“焦道友不愧是做生意的天才！”李凡点点头，称赞道。
"Friend Jiao is truly a genius in business!" Li Fan nodded and praised him.
méi yǒu bǎ lǐ fán de gōng wéi fàng zài xīn shàng ， jiāo xiū yuǎn shén qíng biàn huàn ， zhòu zhe méi tóu zǐ xì sī suǒ le piàn kè 。
没有把李凡的恭维放在心上，焦修远神情变幻，皱着眉头仔细思索了片刻。
Not taking Li Fan's compliment to heart, Jiao Xiuyuan's expression changed as he frowned and thought deeply for a moment.
liǎn shàng zhèn fèn de shén qíng què yòu huǎn huǎn xiāo shī ， tā yáo tóu shuō dào ：“ dào yǒu diǎn zi dí què jué miào ， bù guò sì hū tài guò lǐ xiǎng huà le 。”
脸上振奋的神情却又缓缓消失，他摇头说道：“道友点子的确绝妙，不过似乎太过理想化了。”
The excitement on his face slowly faded. He shook his head and said, "Your idea is indeed ingenious, but it seems overly idealistic."
“ ruò shì duì fāng zài shē jiè pǔ xián zhēn yè de shí hòu ， qiān dìng de qì shū zhōng ， yǒu kě yǐ yòng děng jià gòng xiàn dù guī huán de tiáo kuǎn ne ？”
“若是对方在赊借普贤真叶的时候，签订的契书中，有可以用等价贡献度归还的条款呢？”
"What if the contract they signed when borrowing Pu Xian True Leaves includes clauses that allow repayment with equivalent contribution points?"
“ rú guǒ duì fāng pīn zhe huǐ yuē fǎn shì ， yě bù yuàn yì chóng xīn mǎi huí pǔ xián zhēn yè ne ？”
“如果对方拼着毁约反噬，也不愿意重新买回普贤真叶呢？”
"And what if they are willing to breach their contract rather than buy back the Pu Xian True Leaves?"
“ bù kě kòng yīn sù tài duō ， fēng xiǎn tài gāo 。”
“不可控因素太多，风险太高。”
"There are too many uncontrollable factors and the risks are high."
lǐ fán yǒu xiē bù yǐ wéi rán dào ：“ shì shàng qǐ yǒu wú fēng xiǎn zhī shēng yì ？ xiāng bǐ qǐ tā néng huò dé de lì rùn ， wǒ rèn wéi shì zhí de yī shì ne 。”
李凡有些不以为然道：“世上岂有无风险之生意？相比起它能获得的利润，我认为是值得一试呢。”
Li Fan said somewhat unconvinced, "How can there be a risk-free business in this world? Compared to the profit it could bring, I think it's worth a try."
jiāo xiū yuǎn shén sè wēi dòng ， zhèng yù jiē huà ， què yòu tīng lǐ fán shuō dào ：“ kuàng qiě ， wǒ rèn wéi ， nǎ pà duì fāng fàng qì gēn wǒ men jué lì ， zhǔ dòng tuì chū ， wǒ men shōu gòu de dà liàng pǔ xián zhēn yè ， yě shì zhuàn duō kuī shǎo 。”
焦修远神色微动，正欲接话，却又听李凡说道：“况且，我认为，哪怕对方放弃跟我们角力，主动退出，我们收购的大量普贤真叶，也是赚多亏少。”
Jiao Xiuyuan's expression changed slightly as he was about to respond when Li Fan continued, "Moreover, even if they choose not to compete with us and exit voluntarily, the large quantity of Pu Xian True Leaves we acquire will still be more profitable than lossy."
“ dào yǒu hé chū cǐ yán ？” jiāo xiū yuǎn méi máo yī tiāo ， yǒu xiē bù xìn de wèn dào 。
“道友何出此言？”焦修远眉毛一挑，有些不信的问道。
"Why do you say so?" Jiao Xiuyuan raised his eyebrows in disbelief.
lǐ fán zuǐ jiǎo yǒng xiàn chū yī sī xiào yì ， shēn chū yòu shǒu shí zhǐ 。
李凡嘴角涌现出一丝笑意，伸出右手食指。
A smile appeared on Li Fan's lips as he extended his right index finger.
chà nà zhī hòu ， yī méi jīng yíng tī tòu de zhèng èr shí miàn tǐ tóu zi ， píng kōng fú xiàn qí shàng 。
刹那之后，一枚晶莹剔透的正二十面体骰子，凭空浮现其上。
Instantly, a transparent icosahedron crystal dice materialized above it and began rapidly spinning, reflecting many fragmented images.
bù duàn fēi sù xuán zhuǎn zhōng ， yìng zhào chū xǔ duō pò suì de huà miàn 。
不断飞速旋转中，映照出许多破碎的画面。
After a moment of shock, Jiao Xiuyuan recognized the item in Li Fan's hand and exclaimed, "Heavenly World Dice?!"
lèng le piàn kè ， jiāo xiū yuǎn rèn chū le lǐ fán shǒu zhōng de bǎo wù ， jīng hū dào ：“ tiān dì qián kūn tóu ？！”
愣了片刻，焦修远认出了李凡手中的宝物，惊呼道：“天地乾坤骰？！”
Just as he was about to examine the images on the dice, Li Fan quickly put it away.
zhèng dài xì kàn tóu zi shàng de huà miàn ， lǐ fán què shì mǎ shàng bǎ tā shōu le qǐ lái 。
正待细看骰子上的画面，李凡却是马上把它收了起来。
"This matter has been thoroughly calculated by me. It should be around 90% accurate," said Li Fan seriously.
“ cǐ shì jīng wǒ tuī yǎn ， yīng gāi bā jiǔ bù lí shí 。” lǐ fán zhèng sè dào 。
“此事经我推衍，应该八九不离十。”李凡正色道。
Seeing Jiao Xiuyuan's confident demeanor, his own doubts began to arise.
jiāo xiū yuǎn kàn zhe lǐ fán xìn xīn mǎn mǎn de yàng zi ， yě bù yóu de biàn dé yǒu xiē chí yí qǐ lái 。
焦修远看着李凡信心满满的样子，也不由得变得有些迟疑起来。
"I will gather more information." With that, this puppet in front of Li Fan seemed to lose its consciousness and fell silent.
“ dài wǒ zài dǎ tàn dǎ tàn 。” shuō wán ， lǐ fán miàn qián de zhè jù kuǐ lěi jiù rú tóng shī qù le zhǔ cāo zòng yì shí bān ， wán quán chén jì xià qù 。
“待我再打探打探。”说完，李凡面前的这具傀儡就如同失去了主操纵意识般，完全沉寂下去。
Li Fan didn't rush; he stood by patiently, waiting.
lǐ fán yě bù zháo jí ， jìng lì yī páng ， nài xīn děng dài 。
李凡也不着急，静立一旁，耐心等待。
---
zhè yī děng ， jiù shì yī tiān yī yè 。
这一等，就是一天一夜。
This wait lasted for a day and night.
shēng jī chóng xīn jiàng lín jiāo xiū yuǎn shēn shàng hòu ， tā hū de zhēng kāi yǎn jīng ， miàn lù xǐ sè ：“ yǒu xì ！”
生机重新降临焦修远身上后，他忽的睁开眼睛，面露喜色：“有戏！”
When life returned to Jiao Xiuyuan's body, he suddenly opened his eyes with a look of joy: "There might be a chance!"
“ ó ？ dào yǒu dǎ tīng dào le xiē shén me ？” lǐ fán ráo yǒu xìng qù de wèn dào 。
“哦？道友打听到了些什么？”李凡饶有兴趣的问道。
"Oh? What did you find out?" Li Fan asked curiously.
jiāo xiū yuǎn kào jìn ， yā dī le shēng yīn ：“ jù kě kào xiāo xī ， bèi hòu cāo zòng pǔ xián zhēn yè jià gé de ， shì yǐ tiān shū zhōu tán tái càn wéi shǒu de jǐ wèi huà shén xiū shì 。”
焦修远靠近，压低了声音：“据可靠消息，背后操纵普贤真叶价格的，是以天枢州澹台灿为首的几位化神修士。”
Jiao Xiuyuan approached and lowered his voice: "According to reliable sources, the ones manipulating the price of Pu Xian True Leaves are several Transcendental cultivators led by Tan Tai Can."
“ tā men de bèi jǐng ， huò duō huò shǎo ， dōu néng gēn wàn xiān méng zǒng bù chě shàng diǎn guān xì 。”
“他们的背景，或多或少，都能跟万仙盟总部扯上点关系。”
"Their backgrounds can somehow be linked to the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance."
“ ér gè dì shǐ yòng de xián míng biàn zhēn fú ， jī běn dōu shì yóu tā men lǒng duàn de 。”
“而各地使用的贤明辨真符，基本都是由他们垄断的。”
"And most of the Wise and Just True Certificates used in various regions are monopolized by them."
“ tán tái càn ……” zhè ge xìng shì tài guò tè shū ， ràng lǐ fán bù yóu dì xiǎng qǐ le shàng yī shì hèng sǐ de zhèn dào tiān cái ， tán tái tāo 。
“澹台灿……”这个姓氏太过特殊，让李凡不由地想起了上一世横死的阵道天才，澹台韬。
"Tan Tai Can..." This surname reminded Li Fan of the array technique genius who died in his previous life, Tan Tai Tao.
“ mò bú shì tóng yī gè jiā zú ？” lǐ fán xīn zhōng àn xiǎng ， miàn shàng què bù dòng shēng sè ， jì xù tīng zhe 。
“莫不是同一个家族？”李凡心中暗想，面上却不动声色，继续听着。
"Might they belong to the same family?" Li Fan thought to himself but kept a neutral expression as he continued listening.
jiāo xiū yuǎn tāo tāo bù jué ：“ shì shí gēn wǒ men tuī cè de yǒu xiē chū rù 。 yóu yú zhǎng kòng zhe xián míng biàn zhēn fú shēng chǎn xiàn de yuán gù ， zhè xiē rén de shǒu shàng jī yā zhe dà liàng de pǔ xián zhēn yè 。”
焦修远滔滔不绝：“事实跟我们推测的有些出入。由于掌控着贤明辨真符生产线的缘故，这些人的手上积压着大量的普贤真叶。”
Jiao Xiuyuan continued: "The reality differs from our speculation. Due to controlling the production line of Wise and Just True Certificates, these people have accumulated a large amount of Pu Xian True Leaves."
“ wàn xiān méng měi nián shōu qǔ de xián míng biàn zhēn fú shù liàng yǒu xiàn ， huò lì tài màn 。 yú shì ， zhè qún rén biàn dǎ qǐ le wāi zhǔ yì 。”
“万仙盟每年收取的贤明辨真符数量有限，获利太慢。于是，这群人便打起了歪主意。”
"The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance only collects a limited number of Wise and Just True Certificates each year, making profits too slowly. Thus, they devised an alternative plan."
“ tā men zhōng de yī bù fèn rén yǐ shǒu shàng zhǎng wò de bù fèn pǔ xián zhēn yè wèi dǐ yā ， xiàng 【 qīng fēng táng 】 jiè qǔ le dà liàng de gòng xiàn dù 。”
“他们中的一部分人以手上掌握的部分普贤真叶为抵押，向【青风堂】借取了大量的贡献度。”
"Some of them used part of their Pu Xian True Leaves as collateral to borrow substantial contribution points from the Green Breeze Hall."
“ tóng shí ， yú xià de rén ， zé shì fǎn guò lái xiàng qīng fēng táng shē jiè pǔ xián zhēn yè 。”
“同时，余下的人，则是反过来向青风堂赊借普贤真叶。”
"While the rest borrowed Pu Xian True Leaves from the Green Breeze Hall on credit."
“ yī lái yī huí ， pǔ xián zhēn yè yòu huí dào le zì jǐ shǒu shàng 。 tóng shí tào lì huò dé le děng jià zhí de gòng xiàn dù 。”
“一来一回，普闲真叶又回到了自己手上。同时套利获得了等价值的贡献度。”
"Through this round trip, Pu Xian True Leaves returned to their hands. Meanwhile, they gained equivalent value in contribution points through arbitrage."
lǐ fán wén yán ， wēi zhòu jiāng jiāo xiū yuǎn dǎ duàn ：“ wǒ jì de ， zhè qīng fēng táng de lì xī kě bù dī ba ？ tā men zhè me zuò ， yòu néng huò lì duō shǎo ？ ér qiě ， gòng xiàn dù dào shǒu ， wèi hé tā men yòu yào duō cǐ yī jǔ ， bǎ pǔ xián zhēn yè yòu dài chū lái ？”
李凡闻言，微皱将焦修远打断：“我记得，这青风堂的利息可不低吧？他们这么做，又能获利多少？而且，贡献度到手，为何他们又要多此一举，把普闲真叶又贷出来？”
Li Fan interrupted him with a frown: "I remember that the interest rate of the Green Breeze Hall is quite high. How much profit can they make from this? Besides, why would they lend out Pu Xian True Leaves after obtaining the contribution points?"
jiāo xiū yuǎn xiào le xiào ， shuō dào ：“ zhè jiù shì wèi shén me wǒ shuō yǒu jī kě chéng de yuán yīn le 。”
焦修远笑了笑，说道：“这就是为什么我说有机可乘的原因了。”
Jiao Xiuyuan smiled and said, "This is precisely why I say there's a chance."
“ yīn wèi ， shí jì míng yì shàng ， zhè xiē pǔ xián zhēn yè shì shǔ yú wàn xiān méng de cái chǎn 。”
“因为，实际名义上，这些普贤真叶是属于万仙盟的财产。”
"Because in reality, these Pu Xian True Leaves belong to the assets of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance."
“ xián míng biàn zhēn fú shì shè wàn xiān méng jī mì ， zì rán yào cǎi qǔ guǎn kòng cuò shī 。”
“贤明辨真符事涉万仙盟机密，自然要采取管控措施。”
"Wise and Just True Certificates involve confidential alliance matters. Naturally, control measures must be taken."
“ tán tái càn zhè qún rén ， bù guò shì yīn wèi gè zì shēn hòu de bèi jǐng ， dé dào le fù zé zhì zào xián míng biàn zhēn fú de zhí wèi ér yǐ 。”
“澹台灿这群人，不过是因为各自身后的背景，得到了负责制造贤明辨真符的职位而已。”
"The Tan Tai Can group only obtained their positions related to manufacturing Wise and Just True Certificates due to their backgrounds."
“ měi gé yī duàn shí jiān ， wàn xiān méng zǒng bù dū huì pài rén lì xíng jiǎn chá 。”
“每隔一段时间，万仙盟总部都会派人例行检查。”
"Periodically, headquarters would send people for routine inspections."
“ suī shuō yǒu nèi bù guān xì ， kě yǐ tí qián zhī dào xiāo xī 。 bù guò biǎo miàn gōng zuò hái shì yào zuò de ， qǐ mǎ míng miàn zhàng shàng ， bù néng kuī kōng tài duō 。”
“虽说有内部关系，可以提前知道消息。不过表面工作还是要做的，起码明面账上，不能亏空太多。”
"Although they have internal connections that allow them to anticipate news, surface-level work still needs to be done. At least the accounts shouldn't show significant losses."
jiāo xiū yuǎn qīng hēng le shēng ， yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī bù xiè ：“ jí biàn zhè yè wù de yóu shuǐ yǐ jīng gāo de xià rén ， tā men yī rán réng bù mǎn zú 。”
焦修远轻哼了声，眼中闪过一丝不屑：“即便这业务的油水已经高的吓人，他们依然仍不满足。”
Jiao Xiuyuan hummed with disdain in his eyes: "Even though this business is highly profitable, they are still not satisfied."
“ shàn zì jiāng qí dǐ yā ， huàn qǔ jù é gòng xiàn dù ， qiào dòng gàng gǎn ， zài shì chǎng zhōng xīng fēng zuò làng 。”
“擅自将其抵押，换取巨额贡献度，撬动杠杆，在市场中兴风作浪。”
"They collaterally mortgage it to obtain huge contribution points, leveraging their position in the market."
“ ér zhè qún rén bèi hòu dōu yǒu shēn hòu de bèi jǐng ， xiāo xī líng tōng 。 suǒ yǐ wú wǎng bù lì ， huò lì pǒ duō 。 qīng fēng táng nà diǎn lì xī ， hái zhēn bù bèi tā men fàng zài yǎn lǐ 。”
“而这群人背后都有深厚的背景，消息灵通。所以无往不利，获利颇多。青风堂那点利息，还真不被他们放在眼里。”
"Behind these people are deep-rooted backgrounds and well-connected. Thus, they remain invincible, making substantial profits. The Green Breeze Hall's interest rate really doesn't matter to them."
“ bié de bù shuō ， dān shuō zhè pǔ xián zhēn yè ， chà bu duō quán wàn xiān méng de cún huò dōu zài tā men shǒu zhōng 。 cāo zòng jià gé qǐ lái ， hái bú shì qīng ér yì jǔ ？ shōu gē bù míng suǒ yǐ de xiū shì ， gēn běn bù zài huà xià 。”
“别的不说，单说这普闲真叶，差不多全万仙盟的存货都在他们手中。操纵价格起来，还不是轻而易举？收割不明所以的修士，根本不在话下。”
"To be specific, almost all of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's stock is held by them. Manipulating prices isn't a difficult task. Reaping benefits from confused cultivators is effortless."
lǐ fán huǎn huǎn diǎn tóu ， míng bái le tán tái càn zhè qún rén de xíng shì shǒu duàn le 。
李凡缓缓点头，明白了澹台灿这群人的行事手段了。
Li Fan nodded slowly, understanding Tan Tai Can's operational methods.
shuō bái le ， yě jiù shì nuó yòng wàn xiān méng zhàn lüè wù zī ， duì huàn gòng xiàn dù 。
说白了，也就是挪用万仙盟战略物资，兑换贡献度。
In essence, they were misusing strategic resources of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance to exchange for contribution points.
suí hòu tōng guò nèi bù xiāo xī ， dī mǎi gāo mài ， zhuàn qǔ chā jià ， wèi zì jǐ móu lì 。
随后通过内部消息，低买高卖，赚取差价，为自己牟利。
Then, through internal information, buying low and selling high to make profits.
“ rú cǐ zuì míng ， kě shì bù xiǎo 。 jiāo dào yǒu zhè dōu néng dǎ tàn de zhè me qīng chǔ ， néng nài kě zhēn shì kuài yào tōng tiān le a ！” lǐ fán huí guò shén lái ， zé zé chēng zàn dào 。
“如此罪名，可是不小。焦道友这都能打探的这么清楚，能耐可真是快要通天了啊！”李凡回过神来，啧啧称赞道。
"Such a crime carries significant consequences. Friend Jiao can gather such clear information; your abilities are truly reaching the heavens!" Li Fan regained his composure and praised him.
jiāo xiū yuǎn bǎi le bǎi shǒu ：“ yě shì zhè xiē rén shí zài bù dāng rén zǐ ， tài guò xiāo zhāng ！ bù jǐn bù yán gé bǎo mì ， hái zài xián liáo zhōng bǎ zhè xiē dàng zuò chuī xū de zī běn 。 suǒ yǐ wǒ cái néng zhī xiǎo 。”
焦修远摆了摆手：“也是这些人实在不当人子，太过嚣张！不仅不严格保密，还在闲聊中把这些当做吹嘘的资本。所以我才能知晓。”
Jiao Xiuyuan waved his hand: "It's because these people are simply not human! They are too arrogant, not strictly keeping secrets, and even boasting about it in casual conversations. That's why I knew."
“ fǒu zé ， zhè me sī mì zhī shì ， wǒ yòu rú hé néng zhī ！”
“否则，这么私密之事，我又如何能知！”
"Otherwise, how could I have known such confidential matters!"
lǐ fán xiào le xiào ， bù zài zhè fāng miàn jiū jié ， ér shì hé jiāo xiū yuǎn tǎo lùn qǐ jū jī tán tái càn tuán huǒ de kě xíng xìng 。
李凡笑了笑，不在这方面纠结，而是和焦修远讨论起狙击澹台灿团伙的可行性。
Li Fan smiled but didn't dwell on this point. Instead, he discussed with Jiao Xiuyuan the feasibility of eliminating Tan Tai Can's group.
“ zhè yàng yī lái ， zhī qián wǒ de gù lǜ yě jiù bú shì wèn tí le 。”
“这样一来，之前我的顾虑也就不是问题了。”
"This way, my previous concerns are no longer issues."
“ wú lùn rú hé ， tā men shì bì yào jiāng pǔ xián zhēn yè shōu huí 。 nǎ pà qīng jiā dàng chǎn ， yě bì xū rú cǐ 。”
“无论如何，他们势必要将普闲真叶收回。哪怕倾家荡产，也必须如此。”
"No matter what, they will inevitably reclaim Pu Xian True Leaves. Even if it means bankruptcy, they must do so."
“ fǒu zé ， yí dàn dōng chuāng shì fā ， nǎ pà tā men bèi hòu de kào shān ， dōu bǎo bú zhù tā men 。”
“否则，一旦东窗事发，哪怕他们背后的靠山，都保不住他们。”
"Otherwise, once their secret is exposed, even their powerful backers won't be able to save them."
“ dào shí hòu ， jiù bú shì pò chǎn de wèn tí le 。 shēn sǐ dào xiāo ， dōu shì qiú zhī bù dé de jié guǒ 。”
“到时候，就不是破产的问题了。身死道消，都是求之不得的结果。”
"At that time, not going bankrupt but facing death and the end of one's path would be a welcome outcome," Jiao Xiuyuan said with cold eyes.
jiāo xiū yuǎn miàn lù hán guāng ， zhǎn dīng jié tiě dào 。
焦修远面露寒光，斩钉截铁道。
"Good!" Li Fan clapped his hands in approval.
“ shàn ！” lǐ fán gǔ zhǎng ， miàn dài zàn xǔ zhī sè 。
“善！”李凡鼓掌，面带赞许之色。
The only concern was that the two of them were too weak to face their opponents.
“ wéi yī dān yōu de shì ， nǐ wǒ èr rén ， shì dān lì báo ， wèi bì shì duì miàn dí shǒu 。”
“唯一担忧的是，你我二人，势单力薄，未必是对面敌手。”
"If we can't eliminate them in one strike, once they react, our plans might fail," Jiao Xiuyuan suddenly added.
Jiao Xiuyuan was excitedly saying, "Your point is that when someone tries to sell the Pu Xian True Leaf at an outrageous price, they will still have to buy it in order to fulfill their promise of returning them?"
"And if we preemptively acquire a large portion of the market for Pu Xian True Leaves, forcing the other side..."
"...we might make several times our investment!"
"Brilliant!" Realizing the logic, Jiao Xiuyuan suddenly slapped his thigh and couldn't help but exclaim.
"Friend Jiao is truly a genius in business!" Li Fan nodded and praised him.
Not taking Li Fan's compliment to heart, Jiao Xiuyuan's expression changed as he frowned and thought deeply for a moment.
The excitement on his face slowly faded. He shook his head and said, "Your idea is indeed ingenious, but it seems overly idealistic."
"What if the contract they signed when borrowing Pu Xian True Leaves includes clauses that allow repayment with equivalent contribution points?"
"And what if they are willing to breach their contract rather than buy back the Pu Xian True Leaves?"
"There are too many uncontrollable factors and the risks are high."
Li Fan said somewhat unconvinced, "How can there be a risk-free business in this world? Compared to the profit it could bring, I think it's worth a try."
Jiao Xiuyuan's expression changed slightly as he was about to respond when Li Fan continued, "Moreover, even if they choose not to compete with us and exit voluntarily, the large quantity of Pu Xian True Leaves we acquire will still be more profitable than lossy."
"Why do you say so?" Jiao Xiuyuan raised his eyebrows in disbelief.
A smile appeared on Li Fan's lips as he extended his right index finger.
Instantly, a transparent icosahedron crystal dice materialized above it and began rapidly spinning, reflecting many fragmented images.
After a moment of shock, Jiao Xiuyuan recognized the item in Li Fan's hand and exclaimed, "Heavenly World Dice?!"
Just as he was about to examine the images on the dice, Li Fan quickly put it away.
"This matter has been thoroughly calculated by me. It should be around 90% accurate," said Li Fan seriously.
Seeing Jiao Xiuyuan's confident demeanor, his own doubts began to arise.
"I will gather more information." With that, this puppet in front of Li Fan seemed to lose its consciousness and fell silent.
Li Fan didn't rush; he stood by patiently, waiting.
---
This wait lasted for a day and night.
When life returned to Jiao Xiuyuan's body, he suddenly opened his eyes with a look of joy: "There might be a chance!"
"Oh? What did you find out?" Li Fan asked curiously.
Jiao Xiuyuan approached and lowered his voice: "According to reliable sources, the ones manipulating the price of Pu Xian True Leaves are several Transcendental cultivators led by Tan Tai Can."
"Their backgrounds can somehow be linked to the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance."
"And most of the Wise and Just True Certificates used in various regions are monopolized by them."
"Tan Tai Can..." This surname reminded Li Fan of the array technique genius who died in his previous life, Tan Tai Tao.
"Might they belong to the same family?" Li Fan thought to himself but kept a neutral expression as he continued listening.
Jiao Xiuyuan continued: "The reality differs from our speculation. Due to controlling the production line of Wise and Just True Certificates, these people have accumulated a large amount of Pu Xian True Leaves."
"The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance only collects a limited number of Wise and Just True Certificates each year, making profits too slowly. Thus, they devised an alternative plan."
"Some of them used part of their Pu Xian True Leaves as collateral to borrow substantial contribution points from the Green Breeze Hall."
"While the rest borrowed Pu Xian True Leaves from the Green Breeze Hall on credit."
"Through this round trip, Pu Xian True Leaves returned to their hands. Meanwhile, they gained equivalent value in contribution points through arbitrage."
...
Li Fan interrupted him with a frown: "I remember that the interest rate of the Green Breeze Hall is quite high. How much profit can they make from this? Besides, why would they lend out Pu Xian True Leaves after obtaining the contribution points?"
Jiao Xiuyuan smiled and said, "This is precisely why I say there's a chance."
"Because in reality, these Pu Xian True Leaves belong to the assets of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance."
"Wise and Just True Certificates involve confidential alliance matters. Naturally, control measures must be taken."
"The Tan Tai Can group only obtained their positions related to manufacturing Wise and Just True Certificates due to their backgrounds."
"Periodically, headquarters would send people for routine inspections."
"Although they have internal connections that allow them to anticipate news, surface-level work still needs to be done. At least the accounts shouldn't show significant losses."
Jiao Xiuyuan hummed with disdain in his eyes: "Even though this business is highly profitable, they are still not satisfied."
"They collaterally mortgage it to obtain huge contribution points, leveraging their position in the market."
"Behind these people are deep-rooted backgrounds and well-connected. Thus, they remain invincible, making substantial profits. The Green Breeze Hall's interest rate really doesn't matter to them."
"To be specific, almost all of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's stock is held by them. Manipulating prices isn't a difficult task. Reaping benefits from confused cultivators is effortless."
Li Fan nodded slowly, understanding Tan Tai Can's operational methods.
In essence, they were misusing strategic resources of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance to exchange for contribution points.
Then, through internal information, buying low and selling high to make profits.
"Such a crime carries significant consequences. Friend Jiao can gather such clear information; your abilities are truly reaching the heavens!" Li Fan regained his composure and praised him.
Jiao Xiuyuan waved his hand: "It's because these people are simply not human! They are too arrogant, not strictly keeping secrets, and even boasting about it in casual conversations. That's why I knew."
"Otherwise, how could I have known such confidential matters!"
Li Fan smiled but didn't dwell on this point. Instead, he discussed with Jiao Xiuyuan the feasibility of eliminating Tan Tai Can's group.
"This way, my previous concerns are no longer issues."
"No matter what, they will inevitably reclaim Pu Xian True Leaves. Even if it means bankruptcy, they must do so."
"Otherwise, once their secret is exposed, even their powerful backers won't be able to save them."
"At that time, not going bankrupt but facing death and the end of one's path would be a welcome outcome," Jiao Xiuyuan said with cold eyes.
"Good!" Li Fan clapped his hands in approval.
The only concern was that the two of them were too weak to face their opponents.
"If we can't eliminate them in one strike, once they react, our plans might fail," Jiao Xiuyuan suddenly added.