NABC Chapter 305 Kid, I've put up with you for a long time
Chapter 305 Kid, I've put up with you for a long time
Chapter 310 Kid, I've put up with you for a long time
As the three approached, Zhu Wen quickly strode forward to greet them.
The dozen or so core members of the blacksmiths' association behind him followed closely behind. A group of burly men strode forward in unison, their heavy footsteps echoing in the empty street, creating quite an imposing scene.
Zhu Wen's gaze swept quickly over the three people opposite him, and unsurprisingly landed on Xu Jiujiu.
A sincere and enthusiastic smile spread across his rugged face as he bowed slightly and said, "Princess Jiu Jiu's presence is truly an honor to our Blacksmiths' Association!"
Although the Blacksmiths' Association is not an official organization, it naturally dares not offend the royal family in the Star Luo Empire.
Xu Jiujiu smiled slightly, waved her hand gently, and said in a natural tone, "President Zhu, you flatter me. I just happened to be passing by and came to take a look. I'm not the main character today."
As she spoke, she naturally turned her head and looked at Huo Yuhao beside her.
Although Zhu Wen already had the answer in his heart, he still gave a vague answer on the surface.
He turned to look at Huo Yuhao, a perfectly balanced expression of curiosity and confusion on his dark face, and asked with clasped hands, "Forgive my poor eyesight, but who is this gentleman?"
His words were half true and half false; his poor eyesight was feigned, but his confusion was genuine. He truly did not know why the young man had come to visit.
Xu Jiujiu smiled slightly and introduced, "This is Huo Yuhao, the head of the Spirit Transmission Hall."
"To the funeral hall?"
This time, Zhu Wen's puzzled expression was genuine. Although many people had been secretly discussing the mystery of the mourning hall, he had never paid any attention to it.
Huo Yuhao then took the initiative to explain, "The Spirit Transmission Hall now specializes in manufacturing soul tools. My visit today is specifically to discuss cooperation with Chairman Zhu."
Upon hearing this, a look of understanding flashed in Zhu Wen's eyes.
As the president of the Blacksmiths' Guild, he was well aware of the importance of metal forging in the production of soul tools.
Having understood the other party's purpose, Zhu Wen's smile became even more sincere.
He immediately stepped aside to clear the doorway, gesturing for them to enter: "I see. Then let's not stand at the door and talk. Please come in, all three of you, and let's sit down and chat!"
The interior of the blacksmiths' association is consistent with its rugged exterior style, with no fancy decorations or exquisite furnishings; everything is based on practicality.
Zhu Wen led the group to a reception room. Besides Huo Yuhao, Xu Jiujiu, and Jin Li, only three people remained from the Blacksmith Association: Zhu Wen, the president, and two vice presidents.
After taking his seat, Zhu Wen noticed that the person sitting next to him in the main seat was Huo Yuhao, not Princess Xu Jiujiu. This made Zhu Wen value Huo Yuhao even more.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the meeting officially got down to business.
Zhu Wen put down his teacup and looked at Huo Yuhao with a calm expression.
He cut to the chase and asked, "Master Huo, we're both straightforward people, so let's get straight to the point. What exactly does this cooperation mean, the kind you mentioned at the door?"
Huo Yuhao had made preparations before coming, so he said directly, "It's very simple. Our Spirit Transmission Hall will provide the rare metal raw materials, and the Blacksmith Association will be responsible for forging and processing according to our requirements."
Zhu Wen and the two vice presidents did not show any surprise after hearing this.
This cooperative model is nothing new; the blacksmiths' association has taken on similar jobs before.
If that's all there is to it, then there seems to be no reason to hesitate about this deal. An order delivered to your doorstep is a free lunch.
But Huo Yuhao's next words caused Zhu Wen and the other two vice presidents' expressions to change instantly.
Huo Yuhao gently placed the teacup on the table, then raised his eyes and calmly swept his gaze across the faces of the three presidents.
Then he said, slowly and deliberately, "But how you forge it is up to me."
These words were anything but polite; they could even be described as domineering.
After all, Huo Yuhao is just a teenager, but each of these three presidents is old enough to be his grandfather.
If it weren't for Princess Xu Jiujiu of Xingluo being there to keep things in check, these guild leaders would probably have already lost their tempers.
Even so, the faces of the three presidents visibly darkened.
After a brief and tense silence in the reception room, Zhu Wen slowly began to speak.
His voice was a few decibels lower than before, but his tone remained quite restrained: "Master Huo, as the saying goes, everyone has their own area of expertise."
"When it comes to making soul tools, you soul masters are experts, and we roughnecks who swing iron hammers are naturally no match for you."
"But when it comes to blacksmithing and forging, I'm sorry, this is a craft that has been passed down from generation to generation among us blacksmiths, and you are probably not as good as us."
His words were extremely polite, but the meaning was clear: laymen shouldn't give unsolicited advice.
He paused, took a deep breath to calm his turbulent emotions, softened his tone, and continued, "Master Huo, you could actually list out the specific requirements for the materials for us."
"As for the required hardness, toughness, and dimensional accuracy, our blacksmiths' association will naturally provide the most suitable forging solution according to your requirements, ensuring that the forged material is flawless."
Huo Yuhao did not show any offense or dissatisfaction on his face after hearing Zhu Wen's words.
He remained calm and composed, with a slight smile playing on his lips, and said, "Chairman Zhu, it's not that I don't trust the blacksmiths' association's skills, but rather that the requirements I've set—you simply can't meet them!"
If Huo Yuhao's previous statement was somewhat domineering, then this statement is now a blatant provocation.
Going to the blacksmiths' association's territory and, in front of the three presidents and vice presidents, saying that their ancestral craftsmanship simply couldn't meet his requirements, isn't that like blocking their doorway and pointing your finger at them to hurl insults?
It is tolerable and unbearable.
"Snapped!"
A muffled thud exploded in the quiet reception room.
Before Zhu Wen could speak, Vice President Qu Tong slammed his hand hard on the table, making the heavy solid wood table tremble violently and spill a few drops of tea from the teacup.
The old blacksmith had white hair and beard, and his skin had taken on a unique dark red hue from years of forging by the furnace. A thick, bushy beard trembled with his heavy breathing.
He jumped to his feet, glared at Huo Yuhao, and his voice boomed like a bronze bell: "Kid, I've put up with you for far too long!"
"I've wielded a hammer for most of my life, rising from apprentice to vice president. I've handled more iron than you've eaten meals."
"How old are you, kid? You haven't even grown your hair yet, and you dare to question the blacksmiths' association's skills in front of an old man like me?"
Qu Tong grew increasingly agitated, his voice rising louder and louder, making the windows of the reception room rattle: "If you don't trust our blacksmiths' skills, then don't come here to discuss any cooperation!"
"They want us to do the work, but then they criticize us, saying we can't do this or that. How can that be reasonable?"
Qu Tong poured out all the words he had been holding back in his heart in one breath, his chest heaving violently.
Chairman Zhu Wen then spoke, calling out in a deep voice, "Old Qu, sit down."
Qu Tong glanced at Zhu Wen, then snorted heavily through his nose, plopped back down in his chair, crossed his arms, and turned his head away from Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao watched the whole scene unfold, but his face showed no anger or displeasure.
Although Zhu Wen maintained politeness and restraint throughout, he deliberately delayed stopping Qu Tong from slamming the table and cursing, which speaks volumes.
Zhu Wen was also angry, but he couldn't show it because he had been there for a long time.
However, all of this was within Huo Yuhao's expectations, and it could even be said that this was exactly the effect he wanted.
He didn't offer any explanation, but simply smiled slightly and slowly extended his right hand.
With a slight thought, an object appeared out of thin air in his previously empty palm.
More accurately, it is a rare metal.
It was a perfectly square cube, about three inches on each side, with sharp edges and corners, cut very neatly.
Its color is extremely peculiar, with the main body exhibiting a cold and pure silver-white, resembling the snow-capped peak of a glacier that has never melted for millennia.
On the silvery-white background, fine and deep purple lines are evenly distributed.
The most bizarre thing is that the surface of this metal is covered with patterns that look like eyes, as if countless sleeping eyes are quietly gazing at the world.
Whether it was Qu Tong, who had just slammed his anger onto the table, or Chairman Zhu Wen, who had suppressed his rage, or Vice Chairman Lin Zhiyuan, who remained silent throughout, it was all a matter of personal feelings.
At this moment, all three of them were as if drawn by a magnet, their gazes fixed intently on the metal piece in Huo Yuhao's palm.
The entire reception room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. In the eyes of the three of them, it seemed that there was nothing else in the world except for that piece of metal that emitted a faint purple glow.