Yu-Gi-Oh!: This card wants to go to you.

"The profits from dark-attribute aquatic creatures are too high."

"If everyone goes to hunt wild beasts, who will defend the city walls?"

Everyone fell silent.

【Ding】

Just then, a rotating projection appeared.

[President]: "Everyone, please take a look at this report."

"In eight hours, loan applications increased by 20% compared to previous months."

"It's estimated that twelve million people are taking out loans to speculate on elemental beads today. If left unchecked, the price will increase forty or fifty times tomorrow. And then... a month later, they find that the Alliance can't get the patterns..."

"At that time, the bubble will burst."

"People who hoard large quantities of beads will panic and sell off, causing a stampede..."

"Biantana is about to face a small financial crisis, a disaster affecting over 100 million people."

"The destruction of the world does not necessarily require swords and guns."

"Silent disasters are sometimes more deadly."

After the president finished speaking, the air fell into complete silence.

[Commander]: "The end of the world... Old Hong, what do you think?"

There was no response, leaving everyone puzzled.

[Genius]: [Chairman]?

"call--"

A long sigh of relief rang out.

[Chairman]: "My daughter is fine."

The other four: "..."

[Chairman]: "Hmm, where were we?"

The other four: "..."

[Commander]: "We're discussing Teacher Bai from KC, the Elemental Beads, and the Forbidden List."

[Chairman]: "Oh, about that."

"No branch offices have received any intelligence about the sale of teardrop-patterned beads, so the possibility that the target is still inflating prices cannot be ruled out."

"The most urgent task is to stop the flow of the veins."

“If it’s really going to be a deal, he’ll probably go through the dungeon. Quan Ji, you should strengthen the monitoring of the level 4 fortress dungeon.”

[Kwon Ji]: "Oh my!"

"But if he won't even sell to us, would he really sell to someone else?"

[President]: "It's not a question of whether he wants to or not."

"Even if he is truly indifferent to fame and fortune, what if he, his family, or his loved ones were held at gunpoint?"

"Given a choice between his tattoos and his true love, what should he do?"

"Everyone has moments when they are not in control of their own destiny... there are risks involved."

...

...

The author plans to struggle (double updates for filler) for a month, so the update schedule may be a bit unstable. The update plan for next month will be determined based on the data. I hope you understand and support me.

Struggle progress: (2/30)

Chapter 177 Rats

[Quan Ji]: "But threatening him requires finding him first..."

Quan Ji wanted to say something more, but was quickly interrupted by the president.

[President]: "Quan Ji, you're acting a bit strange today. Are you close to him?"

"Just because we can't find it now doesn't mean we won't find it in the future. Just because we can't find it doesn't mean others can't find it, and it certainly doesn't mean it can hide forever. Any possibility is a risk."

"Back then, Yuanwu was like that. He didn't do a good job of risk control, and he suddenly crashed the network. For many people, being disconnected from the internet was worse than being killed."

[Chairman]: "Christopher is right. This is basic risk control. We cannot rule out the possibility that the other party is indeed planning a devastating financial crisis."

"It would be best to spend more money on public relations, fabricate some negative news, and suppress the price of elemental beads."

"At the front lines... retrieve and display the bodies of the underwater soldiers so that others can remember the fear of being dominated by wild beasts."

[Genius]: [And what about me?]

[Chairman]: "You're a genius, you need to have your own ideas."

[Genius]: [I only know how to do research]

[Commander]: "Speaking of which, the beast tide is coming. Is the [Summoning Machine] ready?"

[Genius]: [Hmm... We just developed a template embryo. During testing, the mortality rate of the experimental subjects was 20%, and the affinity requirement was 4.5. It cannot be used for production yet.]

[Quan Ji]: "I...I...I have someone!"

[Chairman]: "You need to leave some [mice] to investigate that Teacher Bai."

"Given his dueling skills, he could very well shine in the fourth tier league. Keep an eye out for players or teams that have won three or four games in a row."

...

"How much, how much?"

When Immy heard the amount on the bill, her eyes widened in disbelief.

“248,000,” the Magic Chef Angel smiled.

"24...8..." Immy stammered, "Is it really that expensive?"

"You guys aren't a shady business, are you?"

"If you deceive me, the consequences will be severe."

The last sentence was spoken in an extremely cold tone.

She doesn't lack the money; she just wants the truth.

The angelic chef promptly produced a detailed bill and patiently explained each item: "A vampire heiress ordered a high-purity blood bun, costing 50,000..."

"Fifty thousand for a blood pack?!" Yimi exclaimed in shock at the opening ceremony.

"Ahem!" Luo Bai remembered something happy and couldn't help but chuckle, quickly covering his mouth to try his best to suppress his laughter.

It seems Miss Mei has tricked someone into treating her to a meal again.

With her usual elegant smile, the Magic Chef Angel added, "Pure Blood Packs are scarce in the Eastern Fortress, with insufficient supply, high storage and transportation costs, and relatively expensive market prices."

“That doesn’t make sense either… After deducting the blood pack, there’s still 198,000 left…” Immy frowned and did some mental calculations. “Most of the dishes cost two or three thousand each, so ordering the full amount should be around sixty thousand.”

"Two tables only cost 120,000, what about the remaining 78,000?"

"Miss Ilan packed a page of menu."

"Huh? A whole page?"

While others pack one or two dishes, Yilan charges by the page.

"Hahaha!" Luo Bai couldn't help but laugh a little unkindly.

"Where are they?!" Immy roared, looking around but unable to find the money-grubbing vampire heiress or the sixth brother who had packed up a one-page menu. "Damn it, did they have to run away so fast?"

"No!" she insisted, narrowing her eyes. "What about the remaining 18,000?"

The angelic chef stroked her chin and recalled, "An old homeless man ordered [Barbecued Bali], [Pan-fried Butis], [Bouilla Bouillabaisse], and [Butter-fried Bram]."

"What homeless old man? He's just a rat!" Immy said, a hint of anger rising in her voice. "Why should I pay for him?"

“Hmm…he said…” the Magic Chef Angel said wistfully, “He is an old friend of yours.”

"What?!" Immy exclaimed in surprise, never expecting such an answer.

"He spotted you in the crowd at a glance, and the name matched. I thought we must know each other," said the Magic Chef Angel. "It was my oversight not to confirm with you. This ten thousand..."

“Let’s settle the score,” Immy interrupted.

"Homeless elderly..."

She rubbed her temples; every time she tried to recall something, a sharp pain shot through her mind.

"Uh--"

Immy shook her head, abandoning the thought of the homeless old man, swallowed hard, and asked instead, "What about the remaining 8?"

"Unexpectedly, treating someone to a meal led to a series of unexpected encounters, including a vampire heiress, a gluttonous old man who packed up a whole page of menus, and other strange old acquaintances."

Are there any other experts?

Who was behind the final 8?

The Magic Chef Angel tilted her head and looked at Luo Bai.

Immy looked over, her eyes wide with shock.

The silence speaks.

"Oh." Luo Bai suddenly realized, and explained casually, "That's the cat food I bought for 8."

"Click—"

A crisp sound of a fist clenching echoed in the air.

"You guys... still care about cat food?!" Immy couldn't help but yell.

Upon hearing this, the Magic Chef Angel said seriously, "Miss Yi, it seems you have a great misunderstanding about our restaurant."

"The motto of our Magic Chef Restaurant is—"