Zhou Xing picked up on the underlying meaning in Qin Siyang's words.
Background.
Zhou Xing had already found Qin Siyang's sequence awakening a bit strange, but he had treated it as a low-probability occurrence.
However, after exchanging just a few words face-to-face with Qin Siyang, he realized that the swamp behind Qin Siyang was unfathomably deep, "So, Qin, how did you awaken your sequence?"
Qin Siyang smiled slightly, "That wouldn't be convenient to share with Uncle Zhou. Let's focus on discussing how many bottles of sequence potion you want me to give you instead."
Hearing this, Zhou Xing fell silent, immediately recognizing Qin Siyang's attitude.
His background was deep.
His backers were not to be pried into.
The two of them were simply making a transaction and would have no other connections.
Zhou Xing had initially developed an interest in Qin Siyang, wanting to probe his background and consider whether a deeper collaboration was possible.
However, with just this one sentence, Qin Siyang blocked off that possibility.
This conclusion was drawn from their brief conversation.
Zhou Xing was a greedy man with no real backing.
If the person sitting across from him were Li Tianming, he would definitely try to establish a relationship.
If it were Qian Wenzhao, he would certainly show goodwill and suggest keeping in touch.
But Zhou Xing did none of that.
Perhaps because Zhou Xing had always been an academic type, studying within the safety zone, working in the education sector. Even after awakening the useless [Soft Body] sequence, he had never had the chance to hunt gods outside the safety zone.
He was always circling within human society, accustomed to the power dynamics of officialdom, and naturally wouldn't take Qin Siyang too seriously.
Even though he spoke of Qin Siyang as "the rising star of this region" and "the future of this area," he didn't truly believe it.
In his eyes, Qin Siyang was just someone who had awakened a sequence by luck and then stumbled into a lot of accumulation, nothing more than a lucky survivor.
It was the subconscious influence of his environment and his narrow worldview that limited his thinking.
If Zhou Xing had experience hunting gods, he would know how shocking it was that Qin Siyang had earned 1,600 points on his first trip outside the safety zone, all on his own.
If Zhou Xing had experience in combat, he would understand how terrifying it was for Qin Siyang to kill John, who was a sequence level two and wielding a sequence weapon, despite being only sequence level one.
Unfortunately, he didn't know.
Or rather, even if he knew, he wouldn't comprehend it.
A person can only grasp information within their own field of vision; they cannot reap benefits beyond their understanding.
When Zhou Xing proposed fifty bottles of sequence potion, Qin Siyang keenly realized that he and Zhou Xing were not the same type of people.
Zhou Xing wasn't stupid.
But he wasn't someone suitable for Qin Siyang.
In other words, befriending him would likely result in more losses than gains.
Qin Siyang wasn't going to agree to that.
You give me the special admission quota, and I give you the sequence potion.
A fair trade, nothing more, nothing less.
Zhou Xing might not understand Qin Siyang's power, but he understood the underlying message.
Since Qin Siyang refused any deeper ties and only wanted to talk business, then they might as well properly negotiate the price.
Zhou Xing put away his smile and regained the authority of a superior.
Behind his black-rimmed glasses was the gaze of an education department director scrutinizing an ordinary high school student.
"Qin, twenty bottles of sequence potion for the special admission quota. That's my bottom line."
"Uncle Zhou, I'll be straightforward, it's not happening."
"Looks like you don't want the special admission quota."
"No, it's just that Uncle Zhou is asking for an outrageous price."
"You don't understand the value of a special admission quota."
"And you don't understand the value of sequence potion. Sequence potions are priceless. Eight silver coins, that's what I sell them for to black-market dealers. If you try to buy them privately, you won't get them for less than ten silver coins."
"Why so expensive? Because for most sequence users, earning just one bottle of sequence potion is ten times harder than you think."
"But you have eighty bottles."
"That's because I'm not most sequence users."
Qin Siyang continued, "I don't know how the sequence users working under government departments acquire sequence potions. But I can say with certainty that in an environment where the United Government heavily encourages hunting gods, sitting in an office and obtaining sequence potions must be much harder."
"Five bottles of sequence potion are enough to advance a newly awakened sequence user to sequence level one. Thirty bottles can raise four people by one sequence level. Do you know what that means?"
"Even at the largest exit of Safe Zone No. 38324 in this area, there are no more than thirty sequence level one users."
"They would do anything for sequence potions," Qin Siyang's gaze suddenly turned cold, "If I offered just five bottles of sequence potion for someone to kill you, they'd fight each other over the chance."
Zhou Xing gritted his teeth, staring at Qin Siyang, still remaining silent.
Qin Siyang then flashed a brilliant smile, as if he were just a sunny teenager, "Of course, I wouldn't have someone kill you, Uncle Zhou."
"There's no need."
"Spending five bottles of sequence potion to kill someone over a special admission quota? Not worth it," His words sent another chill down Zhou Xing's spine.
He wasn't spared because Qin Siyang feared him, but simply because it wasn't necessary.
That made Zhou Xing wonder just how many people Qin Siyang had killed before.
John was probably not his first victim.
And considering his mysterious background, perhaps what he just said wasn't just bluffing.
Qin Siyang said, "I believe Uncle Zhou's original price of five bottles was quite reasonable. Don't you agree?"
Zhou Xing had originally asked for fifty bottles of sequence potion.
But Qin Siyang had made it clear he was only willing to offer five.
Asking for more would be pushing his luck.
In Qin Siyang's eyes, Zhou Xing's life wasn't even worth five bottles of sequence potion.
He was confident that just three bottles would be enough to have someone kill Zhou Xing.
It would just bring some unnecessary trouble afterward.
Zhou Xing's fists clenched involuntarily. His expression as he looked at Qin Siyang was caught between fear and loathing.
"Fried ten-armed octopus is here!"
Just as the tension reached its peak, the restaurant owner brought over a dish.
"You should eat this while it's hot, otherwise, it won't stay crispy. I've also started braising pork trotters, and I'll get you two cold dishes in a bit."
"Boss Du, forget the pork trotters. My relationship with Qin isn't that deep."
"But... but I've already put them in the pot."
Qin Siyang chuckled, "So, Uncle Zhou has agreed to my request."
Zhou Xing replied coldly, "Yes. We'll take care of it after the meal."
Qin Siyang's smile widened, "Since Uncle Zhou is willing to help me, this meal is on me. Boss, keep braising the pork trotters, I'd like to try them."
"You're paying?", The owner eyed him skeptically. Where around here could a high schooler afford his signature dishes?
Zhou Xing said indifferently, "Don't worry, he has money."
"Alright then! Please wait a moment!"
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