Seven Seas built people.

When this name came to mind, some images surged from the depths of Dong Yangping's memory.

Blonde hair, those signature yellow-green eyes, always impeccably dressed in a suit and tie, a meticulous to the point of being rigid, and that famous line, "Labor is shit, and sorcerers are shit."

As an adult, Nanami Kento is a first-class sorcerer, Gojo Satoru's junior, Itadori Hisahito's trusted senior, and a "true adult" who died heroically in the Shibuya Incident.

But the boy in front of him, Nanami Kento, is still a twelve-year-old boy.

Dong Yangping's gaze lingered on the boy for a moment.

Nanami had already lowered her head again to organize the books, her movements methodical and orderly, unlike the impetuousness that children her age should have.

His profile was clean-cut, and his expression was calm, but beneath that calmness seemed to lie a kind of premature weariness.

Wen Zang noticed Dong Yangping's gaze, but simply smiled slightly: "Well then, let's get back to our topic. You said you want knowledge, that's good. But at Cangwenxuan, special knowledge comes at a special price—and not just money."

"I understand the rules."

Dong Yangping turned his gaze away from Qi Hai and looked back at Wen Zang: "Shen Er said that you need to conduct tests here. But I have a question: What is the purpose of these tests?"

Wenzang raised an eyebrow: "Naturally, we screen our guests. Not just anyone can access things from the world of sorcery. If they fall into the hands of unscrupulous people..."

"you're right."

Dong Yangping interrupted him, his tone calm but firm, "But please allow me to offer another perspective—the purpose of the test is essentially to assess whether the guest is 'capable' of accessing this knowledge, and whether this would bring 'risks,' right?"

Wenzang did not deny it.

Dong Yangping continued, "What if I could prove these two points to you without conducting any tests?"

The store fell silent for a moment.

Even Nanami Kento stopped what he was doing, and although he still kept his head down, he was clearly listening.

Wen Zang laughed, a playful glint in his eyes: "Young man, you're quite interesting. Tell me, how do you plan to prove it?"

Dong Yangping did not answer immediately, but walked slowly to the center of the store and looked around.

His gaze swept over the towering bookshelves, the dimly lit corners, and the few old scrolls hanging behind the counter, finally settling on a bronze mirror on the wall behind Wenzang.

The mirror had an antique design with intricate patterns along its edges. Its surface was covered with a thin layer of gray, yet it exuded an unusual aura.

"This mirror,"

Dongyang Ping pointed at the bronze mirror: "It should be a magical artifact, right? Although it's not high-level, it has the functions of 'early warning' or 'detection'. You've been using it to observe me ever since I entered."

Wenzang's pupils contracted slightly.

Qi Haijian finally raised his head, and for the first time, his yellow-green eyes looked directly at Dong Yangping.

"I am not a sorcerer, that's true."

Dong Yangping continued, "But what did you see through the mirror? An empty shell completely devoid of magical power? Or something... that even magical artifacts can hardly assess accurately?"

Wenzang was silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking: "In the mirror, you are like a cloud of mist. There is no outline of magical power; this is not a physical characteristic that an ordinary person should have."

"That's right."

Dong Yangping smiled: "So, regarding the 'ability' part—you also know that Shen'er is very strong, right?"

"certainly."

"My physical strength is even slightly stronger than Shen'er's."

Dong Yangping said this in a flat tone, as if he were saying that the weather was nice today.

But the effect of this statement is no less than that of throwing a boulder into a calm lake.

Wenzang's breathing visibly faltered.

"If you don't believe me."

Dong Yangping continued, "I can give you a chance to test it out—there are defensive barriers or magical artifacts in the shop, right? You can activate them and attack me with the intensity you feel is appropriate. I won't fight back, I'll only defend."

Dong Yangping had no idea whether those attacks would be effective against him, so this was a good opportunity to test it out.

Wenzang stared at Dongyangping with a complex expression.

After a long silence, he shook his head: "No need. It's hard to believe, but... that mirror does show that your physical strength is abnormal. And you have no need to lie—this kind of lie is too easy to expose."

Dong Yangping nodded: "Then, I've passed the 'ability' test. Next is 'risk'."

He took a step forward, his voice low, but each word clear and forceful:

"I come from a merchant family, and my father taught me a principle: all problems in the world are essentially problems of interests. So-called 'risk' is nothing more than a trade-off between 'potential gains' and 'potential losses'."

Wenzang did not refute him, but gestured for him to continue.

"Your concerns about the risks of knowledge leaking from the sorcery world stem from a few things: First, the buyer might use the knowledge for evil, attracting the sorcery world's investigation and implicating you; second, the buyer might be unable to protect themselves and be robbed or silenced by other forces, leading to the exposure of the transaction; third, the buyer might not be able to pay or get into trouble."

Dongyang Ping held up three fingers, then bent them down one by one:

Regarding the first point: I purchase knowledge only for self-preservation and to understand the world; I have no interest in provoking the world of sorcery. I know better than anyone that before becoming truly powerful, keeping a low profile is the way to survive.

"Regarding the second point: my strength has already been partially demonstrated. Moreover, I have sufficient financial resources to hire bodyguards and arrange security—not sorcerers, of course, but armed personnel. In the world of ordinary people, money can solve most problems."

Regarding the third point...

Dong Yangping took out a black bank card from his pocket and gently placed it on the counter.

The card had a matte finish in the dim light.

"This is a Mitsubishi UFJ Bank black card, a supplementary card with unlimited credit. You can verify it."

"And they're all businesses that open their doors to the public..."

Dongyang Ping's meaning is already quite clear.

Wenzang didn't touch the card, but just stared at it: "Unlimited credit... The young master of the Dongyang conglomerate?"

"Exactly."

Dongyang Ping readily admitted, "So money isn't an issue. And I believe that establishing a long-term partnership with me is more beneficial to you than a one-off transaction."

What I need is not just a few books, but continuous intelligence, channels, and even future procurement of magical artifacts.

You're a businessman; you should understand what "stable, large clients" means.

Nanami Kento listened quietly to the sound, a thoughtful look flashing in his yellow-green eyes.

At his age, he has already shown that rigorous and rational qualities.

He was assessing Dong Yangping's logic and analyzing the credibility of each statement.

Wenzang fell silent.

His fingers tapped rhythmically on the counter, clearly weighing his options.

Dong Yangping didn't urge him, but waited patiently.

He knew he had gained absolute control.

It also grasped the core psychology of black market merchants—greed and the desire for long-term profits.

The rest depends on whether the other person is a smart person.

At the same time, Dongyang Ping was also observing the specific situation of the entire store.

After a long while, Wenzang let out a long breath.

"You win, young man."

He shook his head with a wry smile, "I haven't met a guest like you in many years... who skips all the steps and overturns the negotiating table to start over."

"The test is waived?" Dongyang Ping asked.

"That's waived." Wen Zang nodded. "However, since you say you want to establish a long-term partnership, we need to discuss the specifics of the deal. What do you want?"

Dongyang Ping was well prepared.

"For the first phase, I need three things."

He held up his finger: "First, a complete set of basic knowledge books on the world of sorcery—from history to the present, from theory to practice, the more comprehensive the better."

This includes, but is not limited to: the nature of incantation power, classification of spell techniques, an encyclopedia of incantations, an overview of incantation tools, the basics of barrier spells, and detailed information on the organizational structure of the incantation world, etc.

"Second, three to five low-level spell tools. Preferably defensive or supportive types; offensive types are not needed for now. The requirements are: easy to use, able to function partially without spell power, and easy to carry and conceal."

"Third," Dongyang Ping paused, "I need your help to keep an eye out for a special kind of magical artifact—glasses that allow people without magical power to see spirits. If you have any similar artifacts, please let me know immediately; price is not an issue."

As Wenzang listened, his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

These are all big orders.

"The first one is easy," Wenzang said. "I have a complete set of introductory texts, including copies of textbooks for advanced and lower-level sorcery. But the second and third... I need to organize my inventory of sorcery tools."

"I understand."

Dong Yangping said, "That's why I said 'pay attention.' As for low-level magical tools, I can pay a deposit in advance. You can contact me once you've prepared them."

Dong Yangping pushed the black card again: "We can complete the first transaction today—the knowledge tome. Name your price."

Wenzang stared at the card and finally called out a number.

Dong Yangping didn't even raise an eyebrow: "Sure. But I need to pay an extra 'consultation fee' to ask you a few questions."

"Excuse me."

"First, how quickly can these classic texts be prepared?"

"Two hours," Wenzang said. "I can have Qihai help you tidy up."

"Secondly," Dong Yangping looked at Qi Haijianren, "is this young man a sorcerer?"

Wen Zang paused for a moment: "Jianren is indeed very talented, but he's not quite there yet. He's currently working for me, learning some basic knowledge."

The deal was thus finalized.

Wenzang asked Qihai Jianren to organize the books in the warehouse, while he himself started operating the POS machine.

Swipe the card, sign—all in one smooth motion.

When the notification sounded that the transaction was successful, Wenzang's smile became much more genuine.

"It's a pleasure to work with you, Lord Dongyang." He extended his hand.

"It's a pleasure working with you." Dong Yangping shook his hand. "Also, I have an additional request."

"Speaking."

"I would like to know how to contact the Seven Seas Construction team."

Wenzang was taken aback: "Build people? Why?"

"He's special."

Dong Yangping looked towards the warehouse. "Calm, organized, and clearly more mature than his peers. I'm currently building my own team and need various talents. Of course, he's still young, and I just want to stay in touch—perhaps there will be opportunities to collaborate in the future."

Wenzang pondered for a moment: "That depends on Jianren's own wishes. You can ask him when he comes out."

"certainly."

Twenty minutes later, Nanami Kento walked out of the warehouse carrying a heavy cardboard box.

He placed the box on the counter and adjusted his glasses—only then did Dong Yangping notice that the boy was now wearing thin-rimmed glasses.

"It's all sorted out."

Qi Hai's voice was calm: "There are a total of twenty-seven books, including twelve books on basic theory, five books on historical classics, three books on spell spirit illustrations, two books on spell classification, two books on barrier spell introduction, one book on spell tool overview, and two handwritten copies analyzing contemporary forces in the spell magic world."

Dong Yangping opened the box to inspect it.

The books included both new and old ones, but all were well-preserved. The handwriting on the handwritten copies was neat and orderly, clearly indicating careful editing.

"Thank you for your hard work." Dongyangping looked at Nanami. "Nanami-kun, may I ask you a question?"

Nanami Kento nodded: "Please speak."

"Do you plan to become a sorcerer in the future?"

The question made the boy silent for a few seconds.

"I'm still considering it," he finally replied. "I know a bit about the world of pyromancy, but I've also seen its...chaos and danger. I need more information before I can decide."

"A wise choice," Dong Yangping said. "So, if I occasionally consult you on some knowledge of the world of sorcery, or if there are opportunities for cooperation in the future, could we keep in touch? This is my business card."

He handed over a simple black business card with only his name and phone number on it.

Nanami Kento took the business card, looked at it, then looked up at Dong Yangping, and finally looked at Wenzang.

Wenzang nodded: "Jianren, Lord Dongyang is an important guest. You decide for yourself."

After thinking for a moment, Nanami Kento took out a pen and a small piece of paper from under the counter and wrote down a string of numbers.

"This is my contact information." He handed the contact information to Dong Yangping, "but I can't guarantee I can answer all questions, nor can I guarantee I'll be available at any time."

"That's enough," Dong Yangping smiled.

He picked up the box of books and nodded to Wenzang: "I look forward to your news."

"I will contact you as soon as possible," Wenzang said.

Dong Yangping turned and left Zangwenxuan.

The doorbell rang again, followed by the sound of footsteps fading into the distance.

The store has returned to quiet.

Wenzang leaned against the counter and let out a long sigh of relief.

"What an extraordinary young man..." he murmured. "The world of sorcery is about to be thrown into turmoil."

Nanami Kento silently tidied up the books that had been rummaged through.

"Mr. Wenzang".

He suddenly spoke up, "Was that person really an ordinary person?"

Wenzang looked at the bronze mirror. Dongyangping's figure was no longer reflected in the mirror, but some kind of "traces" remained clearly visible.

"Mirrors don't lie."

Wenzang said softly, "It's hard to believe, but it's true. Jianren, remember this person—Dongyangping. Think about it. If you don't want to go to the High School of Spellcasting in the future, then follow him."

Nanami Kento nodded.

He didn't say anything, but continued tidying up the books.

But he had carefully tucked the black business card into the innermost part of his pocket.

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