Techniques and Dao

Chapter 65 The Arrogant Xiaoming (2)

"What are you doing? Go yourself if you want." After listening to Tai Shang Xiao Jun's account in the boss's conference room, Sun Xiaoming glared at Jin Fanyin. "I'm not getting involved!"

"Xiaoming, why don't you do it?" Jin Fanyin asked. "When the world is in trouble, those who can help should do their best."

"Don't ask me! I'll ask you first, why should I believe them?" Sun Xiaoming pointed at Taishang Xiaojun and Hua Sheng.

Jin Fan was speechless for a moment.

"It's hard to say whether those two are scammers or fraudsters. Besides, they didn't seem to show any sincerity in inviting us. So I definitely won't agree rashly!"

"Don't they know magic?"

“How would I know if they’ve tampered with this room beforehand?” Sun Xiaoming said. “Have you seen that magician Will’s performances? They all seem like magic.”

"Why go to such lengths to deceive us?"

“I don’t know what they’re after. But I do know that if we agree, our company will suffer huge losses. Who has supported you all these years? Before you debuted, you were just a nobody. Who provided you with food and lodging? Who paid for your street dance and rap lessons? Who got you the gigs? Who made you an idol star?” Sun Xiaoming said, “It was all the company!”

Sun Xiaoming's words came at Jin Fanyin like a machine gun: "Jin Fanyin, you're acting impulsively now, wanting to save the world or something. If those two are crazy, and you lead the whole group to cancel their contracts and go crazy, how much money will the company that's worked so hard to cultivate you lose? The company will go bankrupt, the boss will go bankrupt, and such a great group like 'BRAVE' and 'HOPE' will have to disband. Won't you feel bad? As an artist, you signed a contract for the company to cultivate you. How can you just quit like that? People have to have a sense of contract! Understand?!"

“This…” Jin Fanyin didn’t know how to respond.

"If this is just the same old trick, I'm sorry, I have to go now." Sun Xiaoming turned and walked towards the door.

With a clang, a gleaming ancient sword was firmly embedded in the wall, blocking Sun Xiaoming's path. She could barely see when the sword had flown in front of her.

Despite being terrified and her legs trembling, the proud Sun Xiaoming suppressed her racing heart and turned to walk back.

With a snap, something else blocked his way. Sun Xiaoming exclaimed and covered his face with both hands.

When she opened her eyes, she saw that only an arm clad in a Taoist robe was bracing against the wall, blocking her way. It turned out that it was Taishang Xiaojun bracing his left hand against the wall.

Sun Xiaoming said angrily, "What are you trying to do?"

Tai Shang Xiao Jun leaned closer to her face and slowly uttered a few words: "Don't even think about leaving if you don't agree."

“But she already has someone she likes…” Sun Xiaoming turned her gaze to the other side.

This time, it was Tai Shang Xiao Jun's turn to be stunned for a long time before finally coming to her senses: "What nonsense are you spouting? The speed at which you change the subject could reach Mars!"

"Then why did you pin me against the wall?" Sun Xiaoming glared at him.

"Am I cornering you against the wall? Don't you realize I'm threatening you?"

Sun Xiaoming sighed, seemingly slightly disappointed.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun suddenly felt that he was the one who couldn't back down.

“I’ve made myself perfectly clear. Your wall-pinning won’t work on me!” Sun Xiaoming said.

“I see you are determined to go this time.” Tai Shang Xiao Jun remained unyielding. “And I’ll say it again, I did not wall-slam you.”

Hua Sheng, standing to the side, had no choice but to interrupt and smooth things over, saying, "Sun Xiaoming, we really have no reason to lie to you. So tell us, what would it take for you to cooperate with us?"

This was exactly what Sun Xiaoming wanted to hear. Having been in the business for three years, he spoke fluently and knowledgeably about business processes.

"In my opinion, hiring celebrities should follow industry standards and pricing. If it leads to breach of contract for commercial projects we've already accepted, you should be responsible for the compensation. Besides, when 'HOPE' goes out, it's not just the members who perform; we also need to bring some trainees as substitutes. These are all costs."

Tai Shang Xiao Jun clapped his hands and said, "Amazing! No wonder you're the leader of a popular idol girl group. You can make so many girls obey you. You're really something! Even saving the world isn't something you forget to package as a commercial, making the company earn more revenue. Your boss must be crying from hearing this on the ceiling."

Everyone looked up at the ceiling, and sure enough, the fat, big-eared boss was extremely excited, tears streaming down his face.

Hua Sheng watched as the boss quickly moved aside and said, "Some people may be ugly, but they have quite the imagination! Don't let these greedy tears fall on me and ruin the magic of my Taoist robe." Sun Xiaoming rolled his eyes and said, "I didn't mean to make things difficult. Since you claim to be gods, paying this meager appearance fee for an invited artist should be a piece of cake. You won't be putting me in a difficult position, will you?"

Taishang Xiaojun turned to look at Huasheng and said with a wry smile, "Isn't it all about this in the end? As long as the scheme is deep enough, even an iron rod can be ground into a needle! What do you say, why don't we just let the world be swept away by the flood and not save it?"

Hua Sheng coughed twice: "No, although the world is materialistic, it hasn't reached the point of being incurable yet."

"What should we do if she asks the gods for money now?" Taishang Xiaojun asked.

"I never said I was a god, you're the god," Hua Sheng said cheerfully. "But you can always use the Rolex you're wearing as a substitute!"

"These two groups are asking for exorbitant appearance fees. Forget about my Rolex, even my Patek Philippe from last time wouldn't be enough!" Tai Shang Xiao Jun sighed.

Hua Sheng could only say, "May the Heavenly Venerable grant you boundless blessings! Supreme Immortal, why don't you just use your magic to conjure money? Besides, many countries print money far more ruthlessly than you do, so a little more won't hurt. Otherwise, where would all this inflation come from in this world?"

"That's all!"

With a wave of his hand, the Supreme Lord Xiaojun's desk was instantly piled high with glittering gold nuggets. A loud bang followed, and the corner of the desk cracked under the weight of the gold, demonstrating that the entire table of gold nuggets must have weighed several tons!

Sun Xiaoming was so surprised he couldn't close his mouth, but the expression only lasted for half a second before it immediately turned into a victorious and proud smile.

Although fleeting, Sun Xiaoming's smile was noticed by Taishang Xiaojun. Taishang Xiaojun said, "Since the gold was created by me, I can also make it disappear at any time. Perhaps all I'll give you are a few leaves."

“You wouldn’t do that, after all, you’re a deity, and deities have to keep their word! Besides, the matter hasn’t even been done yet. If the gold bricks turn into leaves, you know how it is now, with the changing seasons and large temperature differences. We girls are delicate and not very healthy; we might suddenly catch a cold or get a fever, and it would be normal for us not to be able to participate.” Sun Xiaoming touched the gold on the table. “Once this is over, all this gold will be in the bank account, and we won’t be the ones who suffer. Deities don’t have the impulsive thoughts of mortals; they probably wouldn’t let innocent people suffer just to vent their anger, would they?”

Tai Shang Xiao Jun watched as Sun Xiaoming waved his hand upwards, and the fat boss immediately fell from the ceiling into the pile of gold. He groaned while clutching the gold, but his expression didn't seem to be in great pain.

The portly boss spat out a half-lost tooth and said, “You two immortals, don’t be in such a hurry to leave! I’ve come up with a business plan! You’re both so powerful, could you conjure up some longevity elixirs? The kind that add ten years to your life with just one pill. If you can give me a hundred, I’ll build you a hundred Taoist temples! If you can give me the elixir formula, I can start a listed company in no time, and I’ll build a hundred Taoist temples—no, a thousand! Ten thousand would be fine too! I guarantee incense will burn continuously to worship you two immortals!”

"See? Money is everything, and greed blinds everyone. Guess what I'm thinking?" Tai Shang Xiao Jun said to Hua Sheng, "Those people who hang out in high-end places, the men in suits and ties, the women with heavy makeup, talk about financing and investment all the time, as if they're rolling in money. But at a lavish banquet, there might not be a single real rich person. Every guest is trying to hook up with a tycoon. The air is filled with this kind of greedy, disgusting stench."

Tai Shang Xiao Jun turned around and flicked his long sleeves: "Only when people reach their limit do they learn to respect life and revere nature. A person who lives to be a hundred years old may not necessarily be a muddle-headed walking corpse. Worshipping Buddha and immortals is worshipping oneself, ultimately persuading oneself to do good. Buddha and immortals, why would they care about your incense offerings? You all shut up! Don't let this immortal be tainted by the stench of money! The appearance fee is only going to be more than enough! You'd better make the arrangements properly, we'll come to pick you up tomorrow!"

Then, Tai Shang Xiao Jun reached out his hand, and the phone parts floating outside the window reassembled into their original form. He handed the phone to Sun Xiaoming: "Miss Sun said we were frauds, but deep down you already believed we possessed magic, didn't you?"

Sun Xiaoming laughed, "When I saw the door close automatically and the boss was on the ceiling, I figured we were recording a prank TV show. It wasn't until the phone flew out of my hand that I believed you guys had some special abilities. When you said we were gods, I thought, whether we can save the world is another matter. Since we have value, why not get more work for the company? So many people spend time and effort; it's only right that we get some appearance fees. Do you think we're all hot-headed kids?"

"Since you know we possess magical arts, aren't you worried about being tied up?"

"Hey! You two are so powerful, yet you come to us mere mortals for help. It means there must be something you can't do, but we can. Since you're asking for our help, it's better to do it willingly than by force." Sun Xiaoming blinked her big eyes, touched her two index fingers together in the air, and said in a coquettish tone, "Besides, you two don't look like bad guys."

"You know how to use your strengths. You're the only girl in this room, so you'll probably get your way even if you make some unreasonable demands." Tai Shang Xiao Jun sighed.

Sun Xiaoming laughed: "What is a mere amount of gold to you two? Consider it a formless act of charity by cultivators, helping to alleviate the suffering of us hardworking masses. Everyone gets what they need!"

Tai Shang Xiao Jun turned to Jin Fan Yin beside him and said, "A clever girl who never forgets to seize opportunities, who else do you think should be the captain if not her?"

Jin Fanyin said with a wry smile, "If I had said the same thing as her, I'd probably be hanging from the ceiling with the boss by now, right?"

"There are some things that others can say, but you can't. Those wearing plaid skirts can say them, but those wearing jeans can't."

Tai Shang Xiao Jun shook his head and waved his hand, opening the door automatically.

After leaving the room, Hua Sheng poked his head back in and said to the boss who was lying on the gold bricks, "Don't forget to pay your taxes after making so much money! If you miss a single penny, we'll hold you responsible!"

"Yes, yes, yes! I will definitely pay taxes according to the law!" The boss nodded like a hen pecking at rice, or like a wooden fish chanting sutras.

Covering the company's expenses for the entire year and protecting the smile of the adorable boss—that's Sun Xiaoming's style! Sun Xiaoming rested his chin on his left hand, watching Taishang Xiaojun and Huasheng's departing figures, and sighed softly, "That young man named Taishang Xiaojun is quite handsome!"

Jin Fan's eyes widened as he shouted outside, "Why did you only fix her phone? My phone is burnt to a crisp!"

(End of this chapter)