Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

"I understand." Lin Yi stood up and bowed slightly to the four seniors sitting around the stone table. "Thank you all for your guidance."

Hill waved his hand, still languid: "No need for formalities. Just prepare the goods and send them over, leave the rest of the technical work to me. As for resources... you'll have to put in the effort yourself."

The old man finally spoke: "The road must be taken one step at a time. External attention and pressure... when you truly possess the power to force them to take you seriously, a new balance will naturally emerge. Until then, caution is necessary, but there is no need to be afraid."

Lin Yi nodded again, his figure gradually fading within the inheritance space until he finally disappeared.

The moment Lin Yi returned to the skill enhancement chamber, his personal imprint vibrated slightly.

It was a message from the ancient one: "Transaction complete, halo seeds cleared. Regarding resources... the situation is a bit special, if it's convenient, come to the witch's place."

Without delay, Lin Yi teleported directly to the witch's shop.

Pushing open the door, the store was indeed much quieter.

The representatives from various chambers of commerce who had been arguing heatedly earlier had left, leaving only three people.

Old Gu sat in his usual spot by the window, a thick leather ledger spread out in front of him, his fingers moving quickly across it as he did the final calculations.

The witch leaned against the counter, sipping her black tea.

The most eye-catching one is Gulu.

This little madman from the Paradise of Reincarnation, whom many people fear, is currently sitting on a high stool, his hands supporting his chin, staring blankly at the ceiling, his face clearly showing his "doubt about life".

The glass of juice, only half-finished, lay at her feet; she clearly had lost all interest in tasting it.

Hearing the door open, all three looked over at the same time.

"You've arrived?" The old man closed the ledger, a gentle smile appearing on his face, though a hint of helplessness and amusement lingered in it.

Gulu suddenly turned his head and stared at Lin Yi, his eyes so sharp it was as if he wanted to dissect him and study him thoroughly.

"You..." She opened her mouth, as if she had countless questions to ask, but in the end she could only manage to utter one sentence, "Are you even a priest?"

Lin Yi walked to the counter, pulled out a chair, and sat down: "Yes."

"What kind of priest are you?!" Gulu's voice rose slightly as she pointed to the thick stack of contracts and resource lists beside Gu Lao. "You plundered resources cleaner than a necromancer! Do you know the expressions on the faces of those merchants when they left? They looked like they'd seen a ghost!"

She simply couldn't understand it. In her mind, a priest, even an abyss priest, should have core abilities in healing, support, and perhaps some control and damage.

Those skilled at scavenging resources are likely to be guild leaders or necromancers, a profession that requires massive amounts of materials to maintain their legions and conduct research.

But what about Lin Yi? He went to the original world and came back emptying most of the world's reserves. The list of resources he released was enough to make more than a dozen large chambers of commerce feel overwhelmed.

This behavior is even more professional than those legendary Void Bandits who are particularly fond of "scraping the ground" (i.e., extorting money from the enemy).

The witch chuckled and put down her teacup: "Gulp, don't try to apply conventional career templates to him. Everyone who makes it in the Paradise of Reincarnation has a 'side job'."

Old Gu smiled and shook his head, then continued, "Alright, let's get down to business. The various chambers of commerce have tried their best to collect the items on the list you sent me. But the results... are not ideal."

He pushed the ledger in front of Lin Yi and turned to the page summarizing the supplies.

"All one thousand copies of the Halo Seed have been sold. This part is very successful. Those chambers of commerce are now like gamblers with bloodshot eyes, desperately pouring resources into this system."

The ancient finger moved downwards, pointing to the resource procurement section.

"But the supplies you need, especially the high-quality materials on your list, they can provide... less than a tenth of them."

Lin Yi glanced at the list and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Indeed, the procurement volume was far lower than expected.

"And the reason?" he asked.

“Two.” The old man held up two fingers. “First, quality. Many of the things you need, especially high-level materials or specific equipment for the Abyss, Technique, and Priest systems, are simply not something that merchants below the sixth tier can reliably provide. The best they can offer is epic-grade, and most of it isn’t top-tier quality. The attributes might be passable, but the additional effects, growth potential, or compatibility with specific systems are all disappointing.”

He paused, glanced at Lin Yi, and said, "I've recommended equipment to you and helped you find some materials. I know your taste and needs very well. Most of the things these merchants have brought out are either 'outdated' or 'not good enough' for you, so I just turned them down for you without wasting your time."

Lin Yi nodded; this was expected.

His current strength and needs have long surpassed the scope of ordinary sixth-tier contractors, and those chambers of commerce targeting the low-to-mid-tier market naturally cannot meet his needs.

“Secondly,” the ancient man withdrew his finger, “the total amount of resources you brought back this time is simply too enormous. Even if we only consider the portion you are willing to trade, it far exceeds the liquidity and storage capacity of these merchant guilds. They are willing to gamble on the Halo Seeds and concentrate their funds to seize them. But the real minerals, metals, energy crystals, and daily necessities… they want to consume them, but their stomachs are not big enough. If they force themselves to swallow them, their cash flow will break, their storage will explode, and they will not be able to quickly convert them into cash. Therefore, they can only tearfully give up most of them, only picking out about one-tenth of the most valuable and easiest to sell to buy.”

The old man sighed: "The remaining nine-tenths are still piled up in your space capsule. These things need to be processed through other channels."

Lin Yi remained silent for a moment. He hadn't been entirely unprepared for this outcome, but he hadn't expected these chambers of commerce to have such small appetites.

It seems that the accumulation of thousands of years in Kiwatos is indeed astonishingly profound.

"How's the Goblin Merchant Guild doing?" Lin Yi asked Gu Lao.

"We've already made contact. Is there anyone more suitable for this kind of large-scale transaction than the Goblin Merchant Guild?"

"However, since I became a trader, I've only used it twice. The Goblin Guild has high entry requirements and discerning eyes. I don't dare to use this line unless it's something truly good, lest I lower its rating."

Lin Yi took out his basic VIP card and, following an ancient method, infused it with a wisp of spiritual energy.

The silvery sheen on the card's surface rippled like water, then projected a beam of light that converged and took shape in the open space in the center of the shop.

A few seconds later, a cute, half-person-tall metal object appeared there.

It has the appearance of a lucky cat, and its whole body is bright gold. One of its front paws is raised and waving, while the other paw is pressing down on a huge gold coin model. Its face always has a cheerful smile.

What's most striking is its enormous mouth, dark inside, which seems to connect to some spatial passage.

This is the Goblin Merchant Guild's standardized remote transaction receiving device—the "Wealth-Gathering Toad." It may have different appearance variations in different races and cultures, but its function remains the same.

After the "Wealth-Gathering Toad" appeared, its eyes, inlaid with red gemstones, blinked and emitted a soft, slightly mechanical voice: "Contact signal detected from junior VIP user 'Doctor'. Identity verification in progress... Verification complete. Dear VIP user, how may I assist you?"

Almost as soon as it finished speaking, a screen of light was projected from its ruby ​​eyes and floated in mid-air.

The light screen flickered with static a few times before stabilizing, revealing the interior of a room.

The room was decorated in a glittering, opulent style, full of the goblin people’s love for extravagance and ostentation. Various glittering decorations and antique shelves filled the view.

In the center of the image, behind a desk that appears to be carved from a single piece of dark gold wood, sits a goblin.

It was Mark.

But compared to the well-dressed but not overly luxurious goblin manager in Lin Yi's memory, the Mark before him was a completely different person.

He wore a perfectly tailored dark purple velvet tuxedo, with intricate silver runes embroidered on the collar and cuffs, and each button seemed to be some kind of energy gem.

She wore no fewer than five rings on her ten fingers, each made of a different material, their brilliance understated yet exuding elegance.

A uniquely shaped pocket watch hung around his neck, the gemstones inlaid on the watch case occasionally flashing with a faint light.

Even the sparse hair on his head was styled meticulously, clearly using shiny hair oil.

Clearly, Mr. Mark has been promoted, and he seems to be doing quite well.

Mark obviously saw Lin Yi on the other side of the screen immediately as well.

He was taken aback at first, then every wrinkle on his face smoothed out at the fastest speed, forming an extremely enthusiastic and somewhat obsequious smile.

"Oh! It's Doctor! Long time no see, long time no see!" Mark's voice came through the light screen, louder and clearer than he remembered. "I'm so happy to see you safe and sound, and even more radiant than before!"

Lin Yi nodded calmly: "Mr. Mark, it seems everything is going well for you too, congratulations."

"Not at all! It's all thanks to you! It's all thanks to you!" Mark waved his hand hastily, his smile almost overflowing, but deep in his eyes remained a shrewd and clear understanding.

He knew all too well why he was promoted.

Although the amount of Lin Yi's last transaction was not earth-shattering in the eyes of the well-informed Goblin Merchant Guild, the forces involved and the connections and strength that Lin Yi might represent behind his ability to produce these items attracted great attention from the Goblin Merchant Guild's internal intelligence department.

Further investigations caused considerable alarm among the Chamber of Commerce's leadership. The attention from the Demon Clan, the cooperation with the Feathered Clan, the connection with the Arcane Eternal Star, and even the possible undisclosed points of contact with the Demon Clan... Lin Yi's current rank is not high, but the complex web of causes and conditions and the potential energy behind him are not to be underestimated.

The Chamber of Commerce leadership quickly made a decision: to significantly upgrade Lin Yi's client level and level of attention, and to assign a dedicated person to maintain a good relationship with him.

As the person who was the first to contact Lin Yi and handled the last transaction fairly well, Mark naturally became the most suitable candidate.

As a result, Mark was promoted several levels and given the responsibility of specifically liaising with Lin Yi, with greatly improved authority and resource allocation.

Mark was well aware of this, so his attitude towards Lin Yi, in addition to professional enthusiasm, also showed a great deal of heartfelt respect and caution.

He didn't want to lose the lucrative position he had worked so hard for by neglecting this "lucky star".

Clearing his throat, Mark quickly got into work mode: "Is this a big business deal you want to do for our Goblin Merchant Guild? Rest assured, whatever your needs, we will serve you with the highest standards and the most favorable terms!"

Without wasting any words, Lin Yi threw the dozens of space capsules he had prepared into the open mouth of the "Wealth-Gathering Toad" one by one.

The "Wealth-Gathering Toad" accepts all comers. Each time it swallows a capsule, a faint glow appears around its belly, and it makes a satisfied "gurgling" sound.

The golden coin model it was pressing down on with its paws also rotated, and the numbers on it jumped rapidly, seemingly making a preliminary estimate of its value.

On the other side of the light screen, corresponding beams of light illuminated Mark's desk.

With each flash of light, a space capsule appeared on his large table.

Soon, dozens of capsules piled up into a small mountain in front of Mark.

Mark's professional smile froze slightly when he saw the first capsule appear.

When he saw the capsules stacking up at an astonishing speed, his breathing became noticeably heavier, and his eyes gleamed.

Instead of immediately checking the contents of the capsule, he reached out and pressed a hidden button on the table.

Almost the instant the button was pressed, the space next to Mark's desk distorted, and a goblin, shorter than Mark, dressed in a sharp black suit and wearing small gold-rimmed glasses, appeared out of thin air.

This goblin looked older and had a more composed and reserved demeanor.

When he appeared, Mark immediately stood up from his chair and bowed slightly respectfully: "Manager."

Clearly, this is Mark's boss, a mid-level manager in the Goblin Merchant Guild who has the real authority to handle large transactions.

The goblin manager in the suit nodded to Mark, then his gaze fell on the pile of space capsules on the table, before turning to Lin Yi in the light screen.

A perfectly measured business smile appeared on his face, neither overly obsequious nor lacking in genuine interest.

“Nice to meet you. I am Mark’s supervisor, you can call me King Gallen.” The goblin supervisor’s voice was steady and clear. “The size of your transaction has triggered our mechanisms. I will be at your service, and I hope you will be satisfied.”

As he spoke, a palm-sized precision terminal appeared in his hand.

The terminal screen lit up, displaying rapidly scrolling preliminary scan data synchronized from the "Wealth-Gathering Toad".

Despite his extensive knowledge, the goblin supervisor's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly when he saw the waterfall-like refresh of the resource list on the screen, followed by a long string of astronomical figures.

He looked up at Lin Yi, his smile becoming even more sincere: "The variety and quantity of your 'goods' this time are truly rare. Although the value of each item may not be top-notch, the sheer volume and comprehensive system make its overall value and appeal to a specific customer group extremely high."

He paused for a moment, then cut straight to the point: "So, what do you hope to gain from our Goblin Merchant Guild this time? Please feel free to name your expectations, and we will do our best to meet them."

Lin Yi was prepared and sent a list directly to the receiving end associated with "Golden Toad of Wealth" via the branding transmission.

The list contains the core materials needed for the first batch of experiments fusing divine souls with the Shadow Legion, as well as for subsequent related research, which were determined after discussions with Hill and Rutheran.

These items are extremely difficult to obtain through ordinary channels, and the demand for them is also considerable.

The list was immediately received by Manager Jin Jialun's terminal.

He browsed quickly, his fingers swiping across the screen, sometimes pausing, sometimes tapping rapidly to make internal queries.

A few minutes later, he looked up and said, "Although some of the supplies you need fall under the control of the government, our Goblin Merchant Guild and the amount of your transaction can fully meet your needs. Some of the supplies that need to be transferred from special warehouses or coordinated may take one to three standard days."

He turned to Mark: “Mark, immediately coordinate with the logistics department, the controlled goods warehouse, and the knowledge base to prepare according to the highest priority of this list. Invoke my permissions.”

"Yes, sir!" Mark perked up, immediately turned around, and jogged off the screen to carry out the order.

Jin Jialun looked at Lin Yi again: "The allocation of supplies will take some time. In the meantime, we can finalize the valuation and settlement plan for your shipment."

He swiped his finger across the terminal a few times: "We have several options for you to choose from. First, you can directly convert the points into the Goblin Merchant Guild's universal points, which you can redeem for any item or service within the guild. The points are valid indefinitely and come with a mid-level VIP discount. Second, you can partially convert the points and exchange the remainder for other resources or certain scarce intelligence. Third... we can provide you with some special investment or channel development plans, but of course, this requires deeper cooperation."

Lin Yi said almost without hesitation: "The main conversion will be into points, and a small portion will be reserved to exchange for Soul Crystals (complete)."

“A wise choice.” Manager Jin Jialun nodded in satisfaction and quickly operated the terminal. “Then, let’s proceed with the final inventory, valuation, and contract drafting. ‘The Wealth-Gathering Toad’ will complete a detailed scan, and we will simultaneously verify it. The whole process will take about ten minutes.”

For the next ten minutes, the "Wealth-Bringing Toad" in the shop had its eyes flashing red as it performed a deep scan and analysis of each capsule.

The screen continuously updated the estimated prices of various supplies.

Gulu dropped her expression of existential doubt, moved closer to Gu Lao, and stared at the constantly fluctuating numbers on the screen that made her dizzy. She muttered, "A mid-level manager of the Goblin Merchant Guild personally came forward... Just how many worlds has this guy emptied out?"

Finally, the inventory and valuation of all supplies were completed.

Manager Jin Jialun looked at the compiled figures on the terminal, his smile widening: "The total transaction amount has been confirmed. After deducting the corresponding value of the materials required in your list, the remaining amount will be converted according to your wishes. The contract has been generated; please review it."

A phantom of a contract covered with complex runes and terms was projected onto Lin Yi through the light screen.

The contract is extremely detailed, covering the traded items, valuation basis, delivery method, responsibilities of both parties, and the Goblin Guild's confidentiality commitment.

Lin Yi quickly glanced through the contract and, after confirming that everything was correct, used his mental power to leave his mark at the end of the contract.

"The contract is established!" Manager Jin Jialun said cheerfully. "The supplies you need will be delivered to your designated location through secure channels within a week. Please check your mail."

He paused, then added, "In addition, based on your transaction amount and cumulative contributions, your VIP level has been automatically upgraded."

As if to confirm his words, the silver-white metal card in Lin Yi's hand suddenly emitted a soft golden light.

As the light shifted, the card's color gradually changed from silver-white to a deep, calm gold, and its texture seemed to become heavier.

In the very center of the card, below the simple word "VIP", there is now an ancient goblin "Ⅱ" symbol.

"Congratulations, Mr. Lin Yi, you are now a mid-level VIP user of our Goblin Merchant Guild." Manager Jin Jialun congratulated him with a smile. "Mid-level VIPs enjoy many privileges. The most important of these is the right to apply for 'emergency assistance' once a year, no matter which world you are in."

He explained in detail: "When you activate this permission, the Chamber of Commerce will assess and dispatch suitable powerful individuals or teams based on the points you pay and the situation you face. Through specific channels controlled by the Chamber of Commerce, they will forcibly intervene in your world to provide services such as military support, crisis resolution, or emergency evacuation. Of course, the points required will vary depending on the difficulty of intervening in the world, the strength of the dispatched forces, and the possible subsequent consequences, and success is not always guaranteed. But it is undoubtedly a trump card that could save your life in a critical moment."

Lin Yi's heart stirred. This privilege was indeed useful, essentially providing an additional powerful cross-world ally. Although the cost would inevitably be high, it was priceless in a desperate situation.

“In addition, intermediate VIPs enjoy higher discounts on most items purchased within the Chamber of Commerce, can access higher-level internal intelligence catalogs, have priority in participating in certain rare auctions, and…” Manager Jin Jialun gave Lin Yi a meaningful look, “when your points accumulate to a certain level, or when you make certain special contributions, you may have the opportunity to access the Chamber of Commerce’s more core ‘services,’ or even a path to promotion to senior VIP.”

"Thank you for letting me know." Lin Yi put away the card, which had turned dark gold, and nodded.

"Then, this transaction is successfully concluded." Manager Jin Jialun bowed slightly. "We look forward to our next collaboration. Mark will serve as your dedicated contact person, at your service at any time. We wish you all the best on your journey to the Paradise of Reincarnation."

The light screen flickered a few times, and then disappeared along with the "Wealth-Bringing Toad" in the center of the shop.

The shop has returned to quiet.

The old man let out a long sigh of relief: "Dealing with the Goblin Merchant Guild is always incredibly mentally taxing. But it's finally done. I'll let you know once your things arrive."

Lin Yi hummed in agreement, calculating the time in his mind.

By the time we receive the materials, Hill should have almost finished preparing as well.

Finally, Gulu couldn't resist any longer. He leaned closer to Lin Yi, looked him up and down again, and finally sighed, "Fine, I give up thinking about it. Whatever job you want, that's fine. But... next time there's this kind of 'cleaning up the battlefield' work, remember to call me! My fees are reasonable, I do professional cleaning, and I guarantee it'll be more efficient than if you did it all by yourself... cough, I mean, probably even better!"

Ultimately, she felt a touch of professional jealousy and interest in Lin Yi's ability to "scrape the ground."

Lin Yi glanced at her, neither agreeing nor refusing, simply saying, "If there's a chance." (End of Chapter)