Extracting all things: My attributes grow infinitely.

The biggest misjudgment by Ma Yuanhua, Yu Baichuan, and even Murong Jin was that they thought Jiang Chuan would abide by the rules of the federal political world and play the game with them in a straightforward manner.

No one could have predicted it.

Jiang Chuan came here with the intention of overturning the table from the very beginning!

The frost that permeated the room slowly receded, as if drawn by an invisible hand, and was completely gathered back into the cold, ethereal halo in Jiang Chuan's palm.

The banquet continued.

The atmosphere in the room was different.

Ma Yuanhua and Yu Baichuan knelt on the ground and reported everything they knew in detail.

Jiang Chuan then realized that the hidden dangers in Tiannan City were many times worse than the information he already had.

The root of this malignant tumor, the blood algae, lies neither in Ma Yuanhua nor in Yu Baichuan.

These two people are, at best, just white gloves placed on the table to do dirty work.

The real root of the problem lies with the old patriarch of the Yu family, who has been retired for many years.

Yu Zhenhai.

Yu Zhenhai is 97 years old this year, which means he has reached the limit of human lifespan.

Logically speaking, someone his age should have been dead in his coffin long ago.

But he is not only alive.

Moreover, he lives a more robust life than most young people.

The reason he can remain young forever is because he signed a special contract with the "fish-men" who live in the depths of the South China Sea.

Even Yu Baichuan, his own son, was unaware of the specific details of the contract.

The two of them only knew one thing:

The seeds of the blood algae were brought back by Yu Zhenhai from the depths of the South China Sea!

Yu Baichuan spoke as if talking to a stranger: "The sap of blood algae is an excellent material for making healing potions, and its effect is more than 30% better than any substitute on the market. Ever since Yu Zhenhai obtained the seeds from the fishmen, we have joined forces to transform the entire coastal area of ​​Tiannan City into blood algae plantations."

After a moment's thought, Jiang Chuan asked the crucial question: "What do the fish-men want? They wouldn't hand over such precious seeds for no reason."

Ma Yuanhua replied, "Master, what they want are humans."

"Humans?"

Jiang Chuan repeated it.

Ma Yuanhua said, "Yes, the blood algae seeds are not given away for free. The fishmen come to collect 'rewards' every year. The reward is three hundred living people, and they must be healthy and strong young men."

"We will use fishing boats to transport them to a specific coordinate deep in the South China Sea and hand them over to the envoys of the fish-men."

Yu Zhenhai calls this "sea sacrifice".

"As for those who are given to the fish-men, we will record them as 'disappeared at sea.' There are often storms at sea, and it is common for hundreds of people to go missing every year."

Jiang Chuan nodded, his face expressionless, and said, "You two beasts really deserve to die."

"Thank you for the compliment, Master!"

Ma Yuanhua and Yu Baichuan's expressions were fanatical, exuding a chilling and eerie aura.

Fortunately, Jiang Chuan has gotten used to it.

"Go on."

"Yes, the Yu family amassed a great deal of wealth by cultivating blood algae, and Yu Zhenhai used this money to build a private island deep in the South China Sea."

"He lives on the island year-round, ostensibly to enjoy his retirement, but actually to facilitate direct communication with the fish-men."

"but."

"Blood algae has a fatal flaw."

Anger flashed across Ma Yuanhua's face: "Blood algae are cyclical crops. Once their reproductive cycle is over, they quickly enter a withering period, dying off on a large scale within just one month!"

"The withered blood algae also release a highly toxic substance that can cause the extinction of all life within a hundred miles of the sea."

"It will also seep into the groundwater along the coast along with the seawater."

"At that time, not only the coastal areas of Tiannan City, but more than half of the thirty-six cities in Lingnan will suffer!"

Ma Yuanhua raised his head, his voice excited, "Master, that old hag Murong Jin sent you to Tiannan City for this appointment just to make you take the blame, leaving a huge stain on your political career so you can never be promoted again!"

"Is that so?!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chuan immediately put down his crossed legs, feeling shocked and furious. This was truly a vicious move, so vicious that neither he nor Qin Tianheng had anticipated it!

Murong Jin was, after all, one of the Federation's Heavenly Generals.

They are the pillars protecting humanity.

But now she's abandoning nearly half the population of the thirty-six cities of Lingnan and trying to drag him down with her!

Its heart is awkward!

Jiang Chuan glanced at the furious Ma Yuanhua again: "Aren't you one of the culprits who wanted to frame me? What are you getting so worked up about!"

Ma Yuanhua immediately knelt on the ground in fear and slapped himself repeatedly.

"Your subordinate deserves to die! Your subordinate deserves to die!"

"Alright."

Jiang Chuan waved his hand to stop him, then asked, "You said that Murong Jin also knows everything about the Blood Algae matter. Is there any evidence for that?"

"this……"

Ma Yuanhua's mouth was bleeding from slapping himself. He covered his swollen face, thought for a moment, and shook his head helplessly: "Master, Murong Jin is always cautious in her actions. She never gives us direct orders. Even if I were to stand up and identify her, I'm afraid it wouldn't be enough to use it as leverage against her."

Yu Baichuan also said, "Murong Jin has never received a single penny from the blood algae industry, and has never had any contact with our Yu family from beginning to end. She only relied on Deputy City Lord Ma to pass on messages, and there's nothing I can do about her."

"That old hag."

Jiang Chuan cursed under his breath, tapping his knuckles lightly on the table, making a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound.

These political monsters, who have held high positions for many years, are all shrewd and cunning. They leave no trace of their actions and never utter a word that can be recorded.

All instructions are hidden in ambiguous hints, left for subordinates to interpret on their own.

If you understand correctly, the credit goes to those above.

You misunderstood; the one who takes the blame is the one below.

The most difficult person to deal with is someone like Murong Jin. She is not greedy for money or sex, but only for power. Her political career is almost spotless, and it is very difficult to bring her down.

Jiang Chuan gazed wistfully out the window, mentally going over the whole incident from beginning to end.

Murong Jin's move was indeed quite cunning. If he hadn't taken control of the entire city's management with swift and decisive action from the very beginning...

They were probably kept in the dark until the crisis broke out.

As for what Qin Tianheng said...

He doesn't need to do anything; all he has to do is return to Tianque City to succeed as the Heavenly General once his term is up.

That's pure fantasy.

If the hidden danger of blood algae were to erupt, not only would the more than 300,000 people in Tiannan City suffer, but tens of millions of people along the Lingnan coast would also be in danger. At that time, let alone becoming a full-fledged Heavenly General, it would be uncertain whether he could even retain his status as a candidate!

"Ma Yuanhua".

Jiang Chuan spoke, his tone flat, revealing no emotion.

"Your subordinate is here!"

Ma Yuanhua's forehead slammed heavily onto the carpet.

"Go and do three things now."

"First, effective immediately, all blood collection points in the coastal villages and towns of Tiannan City will be shut down, without exception. Furthermore, all unemployed fishermen will receive living allowances from government funds. If the funds are insufficient, they will be supplemented from your private treasury."

"Secondly, all harvesting of blood algae in coastal villages must be stopped. The harvested blood algae must be sealed and stored in warehouses, and no more harvesting is allowed for the remaining algae."

"Third, issue a notice in the name of the city lord's mansion to inform all villagers that the new city lord has taken office and the rectification of the blood algae industry will officially begin tomorrow."

Ma Yuanhua was stunned for a moment. As a seasoned veteran who had been in officialdom for decades, he almost instinctively calculated the consequences of this order in his mind.

Once the blood algae harvesting stops, the payments owed to the Yu family will not be recovered, and the financial deficit in Tiannan City will expand to an unfillable level within half a month.

More importantly, this announcement was tantamount to openly telling the old man of the Yu family:

The new city lord is here to cause trouble!

But now that he was Jiang Chuan's servant, these concerns were suppressed in his mind for less than a second.

He kowtowed deeply: "Your subordinate obeys!"

"Yu Baichuan."

Jiang Chuan turned to the figure kneeling on the other side.

"Your subordinate is here."

"I'm giving you two tasks. First, you need to compile a complete list of the properties that the Yu family has forcibly seized in various coastal villages, including the area of ​​the blood algae fields, the number of blood collection points, and the total profits over the past few years. Submit it to me within three days."

"Secondly, contact your biological father as soon as possible and ask him to come to the city. I want to see him in person."

Yu Baichuan looked up and offered his advice considerately: "Master, Yu Zhenhai has always kept to himself and never sees outsiders. Although I am nominally the head of the Yu family, he is the one who makes the real decisions. If I rashly contact him to come to the city, I'm afraid it will only alert him."

Jiang Chuan frowned slightly, but quickly realized what was going on.

This is true.

Even Ma Yuanhua, the acting city lord, was just a white glove for Yu Zhenhai, so naturally he had no right to order him to come to the city to see him.

If Yu Baichuan were to simply relay the message, that old fox, with his cunning, would likely immediately deduce that something had gone wrong in the city, causing both Ma Yuanhua and Yu Baichuan to defect. In that case, it would be even less likely that he would return.

He nodded: "You reminded me just in time. You can keep your body intact after you die."

"Thank you, Master!"

Yu Baichuan kowtowed in gratitude, then suggested, "In my opinion, it would be better to take advantage of the upcoming sea sacrifice. Yu Zhenhai is holding a ceremony in the South China Sea trench, and Master could personally go to see him. I can try to arrange it!"

Jiang Chuan stared at him intently for a while, making Yu Baichuan feel uneasy, before finally speaking, "This is a good idea, you can make the arrangements."

"yes!"

Yu Baichuan was so excited to receive recognition that he wanted to kill his own father immediately.

……

three days later.

Before dawn, the port was already bustling with activity.

Three rusty fishing boats were moored by the pier, the sputtering of their diesel engines making the boats tremble.

At the end of the pier, Ma Yuanhua and Yu Baichuan stood solemnly, watching Jiang Chuan walk into the cabin.

Jiang Chuan changed into a drab fisherman's outfit, smeared some black ash on his face, and rumpled his hair into a mess. He squatted in the corner of the cabin, looking exactly like an ordinary fisherman.

Many young and middle-aged men selected from coastal villages and towns also boarded the ship.

Both men and women.

Everyone looked numb, as if they all knew the purpose of their trip.

"sail!"

The boat captain shouted at the top of his lungs.

With the mooring lines untied and the sampans stowed, the three fishing boats slowly sailed away from the harbor, heading towards the depths of the South China Sea as the sky began to lighten.

The diesel engine was too noisy, so Jiang Chuan simply leaned against the ship's side and closed his eyes to rest.

He went through the intelligence that Yu Baichuan had given him in his mind.

The location of the sea sacrifice is called:

Ghost Cry Reef.

Near a group of reefs deep in the South China Sea, about two hundred nautical miles from Tiannan City.

The sea conditions there are notoriously treacherous, with numerous reefs, narrow channels, and persistent fog that keeps passing merchant ships in a state of disarray.

But the Yu family insisted on holding the sea sacrifice there.

Because that's the trading location designated by the Murlocs.

Yu Zhenhai was just an ordinary businessman in his early years.

They made their fortune through smuggling.

Later, somehow he got involved with the fish-men from the depths of the South China Sea, and through a few dangerous transactions, he became the richest tycoon in Tiannan City.

After he became extremely wealthy, he chose to retire gracefully and lived a secluded life thereafter.

This retreat was not an act of escaping the world, but rather a complete severing of ties with the human world.

According to Yu Baichuan.

The last time he saw his father in person was three years ago.

At that time, Yu Zhenhai no longer looked human; gill slits had grown on both sides of his neck, and his skin was covered with a layer of fine scales...

The fishing boat tossed and turned at sea for a full day and night.

It was dusk the next day.

The sky suddenly changed color.

Thick, inky sea fog surged in from all directions, and large turbid bubbles rose to the surface of the sea. A strong, salty smell filled the air, and some people couldn't help but vomit.

Jiang Chuan frowned. He felt the currents beneath the ship changing drastically, as if countless enormous shadows were moving through the deep water.

"arrive."

Yu Baichuan entered the cabin, came to Jiang Chuan's side, and said in a low voice, "Master, Ghost Cry Reef is just ahead, and the sea sacrifice ceremony is about to begin."

Jiang Chuan nodded and looked out over the ship's side.

Sure enough, a patch of jagged black rocks appeared in the thick fog.

The reefs embrace a semi-natural, semi-artificial altar, which extends in a ring into the sea.

A person stood in the very center of the altar.

Jiang Chuan's gaze fell on that figure, and his heart skipped a beat.

He was a man who looked to be under thirty.

His long black hair cascaded over his shoulders, his face was so handsome it was almost otherworldly, and his skin had a faint bluish sheen.

He stood barefoot in the center of the altar, wearing a dark red robe.

On the sides of his cheeks and below his ears, fine gill slits were clearly visible, fluttering slightly with the sea breeze, like some kind of underwater creature breathing.

Yu Baichuan respectfully stepped forward to introduce himself.

"Father!"

Yu Zhenhai?

Jiang Chuan instantly recalled Yu Zhenhai's age: ninety-seven years old.

But the person in front of him looked thirty years younger than Yu Baichuan, and not much older than him, an eighteen-year-old transmigrator.

Is that fucking ninety-seven?

Jiang Chuan's eyes showed a strange light. Although the human race has professionals, even those at the peak of the eighth rank cannot break the limitation of short lifespan and overcome the shackles of lifespan. The longest-lived can only live to be one hundred and twenty years old!

But Yu Zhenhai in front of us has clearly broken this limitation and achieved reverse aging!

This is the deal he made with the fish-men?!

Yu Zhenhai spoke, his voice hoarse as he questioned, "I heard you've stopped production at all the blood algae fields along the coast. What's going on?"

Yu Baichuan quickly explained, "Father, this was all the new city lord's idea. I thought that with the sea sacrifice approaching, it wouldn't be good to cause trouble, so I temporarily agreed to his conditions. I'll deal with him after the sea sacrifice!"

"Um……"

Yu Zhenhai was very satisfied with his explanation, and his doubts were dispelled.

"Um?"

His gaze suddenly cut through the crowd and landed precisely on Jiang Chuan.

Those eyes were strange vertical pupils, with a deep-sea fish-like eerie green color that shimmered with a cold, eerie light in the mist.

He strode toward the fishing boat, his bare feet touching the seawater. Thin layers of ice seemed to materialize beneath his feet, making each step steady and solid, as if he were walking on flat ground.

He walked to the ship's side, looked Jiang Chuan up and down, and suddenly a strange excitement crept into his voice.

"Baichuan, the offering you brought is very different."

He licked his lips, revealing a set of fine, sharp teeth that didn't look like those of a human.

"His flesh and blood smelled very pure."

"It's purer than all of this batch combined."

Yu Zhenhai raised his hand and reached towards Jiang Chuan's face: "Good son, did you specially offer this person to your father?"

Jiang Chuan did not speak; his lowered eyelids revealed a layer of frost covering his dark pupils.

Ice crystals spread silently across the steel deck beneath his feet.