Chapter 153: One Cannon’s Might, Black Wind Domain’s “Due Diligence”

The devil’s questioning allowed no refusal.

One-Eyed Dragon felt as if his throat had been tightly gripped by an invisible giant hand, unbearably dry.

He wanted to roar, to curse in fury, to give the order to fight to mutual destruction.

But the moment he saw that void in the starry sky that had yet to dissipate, that hollow symbolizing absolute nothingness, all his courage and rage were doused from head to toe by a basin of icy water, extinguished clean in an instant.

He had been through countless battles and killed without blinking, so he naturally understood the terror of that single cannon shot.

That was not power in the conventional sense, but suppression at the level of laws!

Just like tigers and leopards in the mortal world—no matter how ferocious—before cultivators, they were nothing more than lambs awaiting slaughter.

Their “Soul-Devouring Cannon”, compared to that bizarre gray giant cannon of the other side, was no different from a fire poker versus an immortal-grade magical treasure—completely different dimensions altogether.

“I… I…”

One-Eyed Dragon’s lips trembled as he squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth,

“I… negotiate!”

The moment the word “negotiate” left his mouth, it was as if all the strength in his body had been drained away, and his entire person wilted.

He knew that from this very moment on, the prestige he had built over three hundred years in the Black Wind Domain had been utterly destroyed.

However, Chu Feng did not seem satisfied with this answer.

On the light screen, that handsome face of his revealed a fox-like smile that made One-Eyed Dragon’s heart pound in terror.

“Very good. Mr. One-Eyed Dragon has made a wise commercial decision.”

Chu Feng nodded approvingly, then suddenly changed the topic,

“However, before formally signing the ‘investment agreement’, according to the rules of our Ascension Group, our side needs to conduct a comprehensive ‘due diligence’ on your company.”

“D… due diligence?”

One-Eyed Dragon was dumbfounded once again.

This term was even more awkward than “business model” just now, and made him feel even more unfamiliar and uneasy.

“That’s right.”

Chu Feng explained patiently, like a teacher guiding step by step,

“So-called ‘due diligence’ refers to the fact that before investing, we need to comprehensively understand your Black Wind Stronghold’s ‘financial condition’, ‘human resources structure’, ‘core technological advantages’, as well as whether there exist any ‘potential legal risks’.”

He spread his hands, wearing an expression of complete matter-of-factness:

“After all, what we invest are genuine, hard-earned spirit stones.”

“If I don’t thoroughly understand your family assets, how would I dare invest money in you?”

“What if you are a complete mess—wouldn’t my investment go straight down the drain?”

“Our CEO has to be responsible to the shareholders.”

These twisted arguments moved Zhao Wuji on Ascension No. 1 to tears, making him want to kowtow to Chu Feng on the spot.

Professional! Far too professional!

Turning a naked threat of force into a rigorous, formal commercial investment!

This level of thinking, this breadth of vision, surpassed those cultivators who only knew how to fight and kill by ten thousand star domains!

As for the group of star pirates from Black Wind Stronghold, they listened in utter confusion, staring at one another.

Financial condition?

Wasn’t that just how much they had robbed and which cave it was hidden in?

Human resources?

Wasn’t that just how many brothers they had under them, and who was the strongest fighter?

Did this even need investigation?

One-Eyed Dragon’s face alternated between green and white. He felt that he was not being recruited, but rather being stripped layer by layer, placed naked before everyone for public humiliation.

“You… what exactly do you want!”

He growled through clenched teeth.

“Very simple.”

Chu Feng snapped his fingers,

“To improve efficiency, I hereby formally ‘invite’ Mr. One-Eyed Dragon, as well as all ‘senior executives’ of your company at Golden Core stage and above, to board my ship ‘Ascension No. 1’ for an in-depth ‘executive interview’.”

“Of course, you may also refuse.”

Chu Feng added with a smile,

“But in that case, our ‘due diligence’ will have to obtain data through Plan B.”

“Weng—”

The muzzle of the “Annihilation Soul Crystal Cannon” once again lit up with a terrifying gray vortex, like the eye of death itself, coldly locking onto every flying vessel of Black Wind Stronghold.

A naked threat!

An open stratagem!

This was a completely blatant open stratagem!

One-Eyed Dragon trembled with rage. He knew that once he brought all the leaders onto the other side’s flying vessel, it would be knife on the chopping block and fish on the cutting board—life and death entirely at the mercy of the other party.

But if he did not go…

He glanced at the leaders behind him whose resolve had already begun to waver, and his heart turned ice-cold.

He dared to guarantee that if he dared say a single word of “no”, then even without the other side firing, these so-called “good brothers” of his would be the first to sell him out just to stay alive!

“Fine… we… will go!”

In the end, One-Eyed Dragon almost spat blood as he squeezed out these three words from his throat.

Moments later, under the continuous targeting of the “Annihilation Soul Crystal Cannon”, a small docking craft carrying One-Eyed Dragon and more than a dozen fierce-aura star pirate leaders trembled as it headed toward “Ascension No. 1”.

When they stepped onto the deck of “Ascension No. 1”, everyone was stunned by the warm, jade-like, spirit-energy-bursting floor beneath their feet.

“Th… this is flooring made of ten-thousand-year spirit jade?”

A late–Golden Core leader cried out in shock, his eyes filled with greed.

Moving further inside, within the ship’s cabin, a richness of spirit energy so dense it nearly condensed into substance rushed toward them. For these star pirates who had long absorbed chaotic energy in the Black Wind Domain, it felt as though all thirty-six thousand pores of their bodies opened at once, with even their cultivation bottlenecks showing faint signs of loosening.

Hanging on the walls were not blades or swords, but landscape paintings of profound artistic conception. Each painting faintly emitted fluctuations at the level of magical treasures.

Even the tea fragrance drifting through the air carried wondrous effects of awakening the mind and enhancing clarity.

Luxury!

Ultimate luxury!

This was not a flying vessel at all—this was clearly a mobile paradise cave abode!

These star pirate leaders, who usually prided themselves on being immensely wealthy, felt at this moment like a group of bumpkins who had just walked out of a poor mountain ravine, seeing for the first time what true “aristocracy” meant.

The last remnants of resistance in their hearts were completely crushed and wiped away before this kind of dimensionality-reducing “capital strength”.

The group was guided into a conference room so spacious and brightly lit it was almost unbelievable.

At the long conference table, Chu Feng sat in the main seat, leisurely sipping tea.

One-Eyed Dragon and the others sat down uneasily, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Yet Chu Feng did not even spare him a glance. His gaze passed directly over him and swept toward the dozen leaders behind him, each with different expressions.

He set down his teacup, and a gentle, spring-breeze-like smile appeared on his face.

“Alright, all of you future ‘division general managers’.”

“Our ‘position competition’ begins now.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep