“Hahaha, that’s because our business back then was a one-time deal, with no need for any after-sales service. That’s why I didn’t use the 【Myriad Treasures Transaction Contract】.”

This type of contract was similar to an 【Equality Contract】. Once it took effect, if one party violated its terms, it would trigger an automatic penalty from the Spirit Calamity Game.

However, instead of having your account wiped, you would just pay a penalty fee.

For example, if the contract stated that Wu Wang was providing a specific 【Relic】 radio but he secretly swapped it for something else, then all his possessions wouldn’t be repossessed by the Spirit Calamity Game. Instead, they would be directly transferred to Gentleman Penguin as a system-enforced payment for the breach of contract.

The reverse was also true.

This was why Gentleman Penguin’s trades were renowned throughout the various worlds.

If he were to violate a contract, the entire contents of the Myriad Treasures Chamber of Commerce’s warehouse would serve as the penalty fee.

With this as a guarantee, his reputation was known throughout every Instance in the universe.

At this thought, Gentleman Penguin wiped a cold sweat from his brow.

Holy shit! Good thing I was too lazy to use a contract back then and didn’t try any shady business.

Otherwise, if word of this got out…

What would happen to my reputation?

“By the way, I’m using my disciple’s identity in front of those Descenders. I hope the esteemed President won’t expose me,” Wu Wang said with a smile.

He examined the contract in his hand.

A different kind of idea began to form in his mind.

“Of course. My protection of client privacy is renowned throughout the universe, and your disguise is perfect.”

“Aside from the Aura of Desire emanating from your entire body, even I am unable to see through the weak and helpless state you’ve feigned. It seems the 【Spirit Venerable of the Sea of Desire】 has truly given you many fine things.”

Wu Wang fell silent.

For a moment, he couldn’t tell if the penguin was complimenting or mocking him.

Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not faking my weakness.

I really am this weak.

He stared at the paper for a moment before changing the subject.

“Can I trade for blank versions of your 【Myriad Treasures Transaction Contract】? I’d like a few to use for transactions with others.”

Hearing this, Gentleman Penguin shrugged indifferently. He tapped the Question Mark Box with his cane.

“Of course, no problem! You can be considered a major client. Think of this small request as a little bonus.”

Four blank 【Myriad Treasures Transaction Contracts】 floated out and landed in his flipper.

Before handing them to Wu Wang, Gentleman Penguin added a reminder.

“My Transaction Contracts respect the integrity of individuals and the fairness of the transaction. If you use it to trade with others, the penalty for breach of contract cannot involve the soul or life. You also cannot trade for something that one party is incapable of providing.”

For instance, you couldn’t use a transaction contract to force a beggar to repay a debt of hundreds of millions. That was something the other party was fundamentally incapable of doing, and it would completely violate the principle of fairness.

Nor could you act like a Hell Demon, constantly demanding to gamble with someone’s soul.

Wu Wang nodded repeatedly, indicating it wasn’t a problem.

Taking the golden paper strips, he pointed to the series of golden filigree patterns along the edge.

“Um, the entire paper is within the scope of the contract’s written area, right? So these decorative patterns are…?” he asked uncertainly.

“Oh, my friend! Finally, someone who can appreciate the beauty of this design! Of course, I sketched this myself! Isn’t it beautiful?”

Gentleman Penguin proudly put his flippers on his hips.

But he didn’t expect what would happen next.

He watched as Wu Wang picked up a pen and began to write in the gaps between the golden filigree patterns. He wrote lines of tiny text in an extremely twisted script that looked like a ghost’s scribbled talismans.

The strokes were devilishly clever.

The cursive was bizarre.

The font was minuscule.

He even managed to make the small characters blend with the shape of the golden filigree. At a glance, one wouldn’t even think it was text, but just another part of the engraved design.

Gentleman Penguin vaguely sensed what this fellow was up to. With a complicated expression, he watched as Wu Wang, in just a few short minutes, transformed a normal 【Myriad Treasures Transaction Contract】 into one filled with “hidden clauses” using his small, exquisite cursive.

That’s right. Any text written anywhere on the golden strip of paper could be considered a condition of the transaction.

Wu Wang had written down a few conditions that a normal person would likely reject outright. However, he phrased them in a way that just barely skirted the edge of fairness.

He hid them within the golden filigree on the border.

If someone were to sign this contract with him, they would naturally have to abide by those hidden clauses, since they were, after all, written “openly” and “clearly” on the paper.

It was just a matter of not looking closely enough.

“Come on, bro… Doesn’t your world have something like contract law?”

Gentleman Penguin couldn’t help the twitch at the corner of his mouth.

“Isn’t what you’re doing a bit unethical?”

Wu Wang shrugged and stuffed the modified paper into his pocket.

“It’s fine,” he said nonchalantly. “It’s like recent graduates. Many of them don’t even know the difference between a labor contract and a service contract.”

“A transaction is just a game of semantics. I’m not forcing anyone to sign, am I?”

“They can only blame themselves for not being careful.”

He was preparing these contracts for other organizations.

What Wu Wang didn’t say was that his plans went even further. He wasn’t just thinking about hiding clauses in the filigree. He had even considered thinning out multiple 【Myriad Treasures Transaction Contracts】 as much as possible and stacking them to form a “Multi-layered Contract.”

The top layer shown to the other party would have perfectly normal terms.

The layers underneath, however, would be filled with all sorts of terms that were as beneficial to him as possible.

The spot for the signature would be made so thin that the ink would bleed through to the pages below.

This way, when the other party signed, they would be signing several contracts at once. After fulfilling the terms of the top contract, they might unknowingly violate the terms of a contract underneath.

Wouldn’t he make an absolute killing on penalty fees?

After hearing Wu Wang’s sophistry, Gentleman Penguin felt a wave of helplessness.

He suddenly recalled the method for collecting Hero Shards that 【Pending Death】 had mentioned.

【Collect one hundred Hero Shards to exchange for an item.】

Damn it! They really are master and disciple! Each one is more wicked than the last!

What is a conscientious merchant like me supposed to do?

Is this what I get for being a good guy?

Thus, he decided to severely condemn Wu Wang.

“Mr. Yan, I think you are a perfect Saint Son of Desire. Are you interested in working for the Myriad Treasures Chamber of Commerce? I can set you up with a position as an auctioneer.”

“You would surely shine there…”

He all but said it outright.

You’re better suited to be a crooked merchant than I am!

At this moment, Gentleman Penguin was completely unaware of the impact these few contracts would have. He had just jokingly given them away.

He had no idea what kind of shock they would bring to the entire trading system of the Spirit Calamity Game.

Before long, because of these few contracts, the trust between people would face a great challenge.

Everyone making a deal would worry if their contract had been 【Multi-layered】 or contained 【Micro-engraved Hidden Clauses】.

And yet, the perpetrator of all this was currently just planning to use them to improve his life a little. He wanted items to protect his Second Sister without her knowledge, or to gain the protection of certain powerful existences.

Zhuge Yue’s situation had to be resolved after this Instance ended. She was far too dangerous.

This was Wu Wang’s ultimate goal.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have needed to trade for so many things with Gentleman Penguin.

Oh, and those completely unusable 【Contaminated Relics】? I might just be able to sell them to others using these hidden clause contracts.

Wu Wang smirked to himself. He believed that with how large and successful these organizations were, they wouldn’t care about the small amount of money he scammed from them.

Nor would they mind the little bit of fun he was having at their expense.