Chapter Twelve: Arms Deals Can Also Take Place in a Children's Playground

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The product was rejected, and Fu Lan was quite puzzled. "Why? Isn't there development value in the lower-tier market as well?"

"It's not like that, Teacher Fu. Many market principles don’t apply in this industry. You should know our customers are divided into those who 'charge' and those who 'consume ash,' with the latter making up the majority."

Fu Lan nodded slightly; Shi Ningyu had already explained this jargon to him.

"Charging" refers to magic users who mainly replenish their magic power with magic ash; "consuming ash" refers to ordinary people. In earlier years, the purity of magic ash on the market was generally low, mostly composed of ash, so taking magic ash was also called "consuming ash."

Old Tian continued, "Unlike the 'charging' group, those who consume ash pursue the feeling. The higher the purity, the better the experience. It’s like with digital products—once they’ve used high-end goods, they can hardly be satisfied with low-end ones."

"Even if the price of high-quality goods is several times higher, these people will find ways to buy them. So the purer the product, the more it can dominate the market."

"This is also why I want to collaborate with the princess; we can’t let that crazy Lao Ba monopolize the market."

Fu Lan felt a sinking sensation in his heart—he hadn’t considered this. He glanced sideways at Shi Ningyu, who hadn’t told him in advance either. Was this some deliberate trap?

"But that doesn’t mean low-end products will be completely replaced, right?" Unexpectedly, it was Shi Ningyu who raised this question for him.

Old Tian agreed, "Many new consumers still tend to choose products below the 'salt' level, including some who simply can’t afford better. But overall, it’s not closely tied to economic status; over time, they will move towards the high-end market. The low-end market usually shrinks periodically, as new customer growth is influenced by many factors."

He then added to Fu Lan, "Of course, personally, I wouldn’t lure minors or salaried workers who can’t afford long-term expenses into this. Our main target remains the middle class and above."

Fu Lan silently repeated Shi Ningyu’s reminder in his mind and withheld any judgment on Old Tian. "So, Boss Tian means that I can only offer my products at a low price?"

"No, no, Teacher Fu. Actually, I wanted to persuade you to give up on the lower-tier market and work with Miss Shi to tackle higher purity products. Miss Shi holds you in the highest regard."

"I don’t understand why someone with your advanced skills insists on making low-end goods. But recently, I received some information that convinced me to cooperate with you."

"Teacher Fu, you’ve developed a formula to increase unit output, right?"

Fu Lan nodded. He didn’t mind Shi Ningyu revealing this information; he believed it was his core competitive advantage over other chefs.

"As Miss Shi said earlier, low-end products won’t be completely replaced. Sometimes, changing the track allows the same product to be mined for greater value."

Old Tian’s friendly smile vanished, replaced by a sharp glint in his eyes.

"Teacher Fu, are you interested in participating in arms trading?"

Nearby, in a ball pit, a little boy surrounded himself with a high stack of white balls, stretching his neck to throw blue balls out, shouting, "Toilet man’s coming! Water bullet launch! Biubiubiubiubiu..."

A blue ball flew onto the negotiation table. Shi Ningyu turned away displeased, glaring in that direction, but Old Tian reverted to his business smile, picked up the ball, and handed it to an employee to return it to the pit.

Fu Lan considered for a moment, then cautiously asked, "Boss Tian means the low-end products can be used as ammo packs?"

Old Tian nodded approvingly. "Talking to a smart person saves trouble."

The confirmation caused a slight twitch at the corner of Fu Lan’s right eye. Magic ash was originally invented to replenish magic power, but because the "ash consumers" were so prevalent, this fact was often overlooked.

Magic ash was actually a strategic material.

Usually, when talking about magic users "charging," it refers to gentler scenarios, like after a hard training session mixing magic ash into an electrolyte drink.

Drawing a bottle of magic ash solution mid-battle to sustain power always felt odd. Even though in games it’s common to pull out a blue potion to replenish mana...

In reality, such situations were rare unless one had ample time to recharge under a teammate’s protection.

"Is this market really that big?" Fu Lan expressed doubt.

He had heard of gangs training magic user enforcers for underground struggles, but the intensity of those battles seemed insufficient to require "ammo packs."

If things were really that extreme, the Magic Affairs Bureau would have intervened. He couldn’t imagine any other scenario demanding large quantities of magic ash.

If the demand were truly that large, he wouldn’t have heard nothing about it until now.

Old Tian told him, "In fact, it has gone beyond the conventional market. Like real arms trading, these transactions have official backing."

Fu Lan was taken aback. He just wanted to make money, not get involved so deeply. He almost decided to back out immediately, but Old Tian’s words drew him in to listen further.

"Compared to this, the consumer market is just small-time, sometimes even a fishpond for boosting sales. If it gets too big, the Magic Affairs Bureau will step in. But have you ever wondered why they haven’t completely banned this market yet?"

"Exactly. The answer is obvious: the bureau’s magic users are no different from those outside. Standard weapons also require magic power. When natural recovery and beast carcass recycling aren’t enough, magic ash is the only supplement."

"In some countries, magic ash is only illegal when linked to unlawful magic users. Control isn’t as strict as ours. Because if someday the problems with ash consumers are properly solved—like developing a formula that removes hallucinations—then magic ash will inevitably come into the open. You can’t block all escape routes too early."

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"Many countries are now legalizing cannabis; some formerly banned substances are loosening restrictions, returning to controlled prescription drugs. A large part of this is to pave the way for magic ash."

"This is actually good news for other regions as well. In the near future, profits in strict magic ash control zones will rise, possibly attracting external forces aiming for the high-priced market. At that time, chefs like you will be even more sought after."

"It seems whichever path you choose, talents like Teacher Fu will benefit greatly," Boss Tian said with a meaningful smile.

Fu Lan couldn’t agree with his viewpoint.

The current situation was largely the result of the Magic Affairs Bureau and the ulterior forces hiding behind it. But he also knew how dirty his work was, and he couldn’t be happy being praised for such a thing.

Sharp Boss Tian noticed the subtle change in his attitude and shifted his tone:

"Remember the Somalia beast-taming incident years ago?"

Of course he did. Fu Lan didn’t care much about international affairs, but this incident was known worldwide.

In fact, it was the first public debut of magical girls to the general public.

At the end of 2006, Somalia was still in civil war and chaos. During a street battle, a faction under a local warlord deployed several elite magical beasts—mammoths.

These massive creatures, larger than main battle tanks, caused huge destruction on the battlefield. Initially, they targeted enemy forces, but soon lost control and indiscriminately destroyed many civilian homes.

Because the local government lacked a magical beast countermeasure unit, it wasn’t until early the next morning that a peacekeeping special operations team, rushing across two continents, finally quelled the chaos.

Although a magical girl who was an auxiliary member of the team shone in battle, the world’s attention focused more on two beast tamers.

They were two magical girls from neighboring countries whose families were captured by the warlord and forced to serve him.

Since magical girls’ attacks couldn’t directly harm ordinary people, the warlord devised a plan: he made them use their special abilities to forcibly control several mammoths, driving them into the battlefield.

This unprecedented vicious event couldn’t be suppressed.

The girls’ tragic backgrounds and the warlord’s brutality were exposed worldwide through war correspondents’ cameras, unveiling the mysteries of magical girls and magical beasts.

What had been disguised as an accidental beast attack was reinterpreted; magical girls secretly fighting beasts officially entered public view.

Though various efforts later tried to repair the damaged image of magical girls, that terrible debut seemed to have cemented their reputation, binding those who protected humanity with some of the dirty adult world.

"Actually, some things never change. The international convention bans military use of magic, but many countries have secretly continued such research. It’s said some still secretly imprison magical girls, trying to unlock their war potential..."

Listening to Boss Tian’s analysis of the undercurrents, Fu Lan felt increasingly uneasy.

Magical girls should have faded from the stage by now; whether hunting beasts or caught in conspiracies, the Magic Affairs Bureau had taken over their role. This was a result of the bureau’s pragmatism.

Yet in some corners of the world, magical girls still suffered such fates, entangled in various conspiracies. By coincidence, he was once again...

Meanwhile, Boss Tian continued, "The power of a single magic user is always limited. In terms of destructive force, most magic can’t match modern weapons."

"But what if magic users acted as a unified force? If they could use magic ash to break individual magic limits and launch high-power, sustained joint spells? Not to mention, magic holds huge advantages in assassination and disguise missions."

Boss Tian straightened up, hands spread, glasses reflecting light: "So, consuming ash is just a short-sighted transitional phase. Militarization is the future."

Fu Lan frowned and fell into thought.

Old Tian observed his expression and added, "If this path works, we could even become official white gloves, no longer sneaking around. Of course, there’s risk the gloves might be taken off, but we’ll have our exits before that."

"To be honest, Teacher Fu, maintaining business now is just to keep market share from being completely squeezed out. You should know how ruthless our opponents are; losing a foothold means being wiped out."

But Fu Lan wondered silently: Is the opponent that crazy Lao Ba?

Boss Tian didn’t wait for an answer and continued, "Before conditions mature, it’s necessary to do business and accumulate funds. My business structure will definitely adjust in the future. And I guarantee talents like you won’t regret joining at this time."

He wrote a few lines on paper and, amid the overlapping nursery rhymes around them, continued his devilish whisper:

"Your new formula fits perfectly with our current research direction. If you join, you’ll become a dedicated department researcher, with an independent salary system."

"Meanwhile, you can continue your existing production; as long as the quality isn’t below 'salt,' I’m willing to buy at twice the market price."

"Think it over, Teacher Fu."

Fu Lan rested his elbows on the table, staring at the numbers on the paper, his chin deeply buried in his interlaced fingers. By this calculation, he could probably raise enough for surgery in two months.

Of course, he didn’t want surgery money; even with a heart transplant, his expected lifespan was limited. But undoubtedly, accepting this offer would let him accumulate his inheritance faster.

"Oh, by the way, we’ve made some progress on other projects. If you agree to join, I’d be happy to share them with you."

Boss Tian probably thought these words would move him, but Fu Lan was not the textbook researcher enticed by advanced achievements.

Finally, he said, "I want to discuss it with my partner."

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"Take your time. No rush; I’ll be here until the mall closes."

So they went upstairs to a less conspicuous spot.

"Did you know Boss Tian wanted to do military... ammo packs before coming?" Fu Lan asked Shi Ningyu.

"I just found out, just like you."

"What do you think?"

"He’s more ambitious than I thought. My principle has always been to only earn money easily. But he wants you, so your opinion matters most."

"What about the fact that I can refine crystals..."

"Of course I didn’t tell him."

Fu Lan nodded, pondering. "If I refuse, will your side fall through?"

Shi Ningyu shrugged, "Hard to say. But he’s a relatively reliable choice. Unless you want to run around nightclubs giving jobs to small-time thugs every day, doing business with him is much easier—just focus on supply."

They fell silent for a moment. After a few minutes of thought, Fu Lan and Shi Ningyu returned to the children’s playground.

"Sorry, Boss Tian, I’ve decided not to participate in the research," Fu Lan said, "but I still want to cooperate with you. I’ll help the princess’s side improve purity. Is that okay?"

Old Tian looked at him deeply, his eyes narrowing into a smile. "Fine, no problem."

They agreed on delivery time and place, then parted ways. Before leaving, Old Tian not only paid Shi Ningyu for the sample but also bought Fu Lan’s substandard products.

After the business talk, Fu Lan still furrowed his brows.

It had just begun, and he was already considering how to break free. Old Tian clearly wanted to tie him down before agreeing; for now, he had to rely on this platform.

But in the long run...

"Come on, cheer up! When you make money, make sure to reward yourself!" Shi Ningyu patted her little shoulder bag vigorously.

"How should I reward myself?"

"Huh? You need someone else to tell you?"

"I have no idea; just looking for ideas."

"I usually have a big meal, but I already ate tonight. Or buy clothes, bags, cosmetics, or some interesting stationery."

"Girls are so convenient," Fu Lan said, lowering his head in thought but still couldn’t think of how to reward himself.

Drink? He didn’t like it in the first place, and now even less so. Buy new games? Electronic entertainment had been quiet for a while. Digital devices? Seemed nothing urgent to replace...

"Foot bath? Spa?" Shi Ningyu suggested.

Fu Lan gave her a blank look.

"Well, I don’t know what middle-aged guys like. Do you fish? Buy a fishing rod?"

Fu Lan sighed, "Forget it, I’ll go home. You take your time shopping."

Shi Ningyu sighed too: "Sigh, do people always become like this in middle age? I’d better enjoy everything before 30 and then die."

"When I was your age, I thought the same."

"Really? What do you think now?"

"Now, huh..."

Across from them, beyond the distant mall atrium, a woman with a triple braid suddenly stopped.

She looked suspiciously towards Fu Lan, and after confirming it was him, shifted her gaze to the twin-tailed girl beside him. Watching the two chatting, her expression grew quite complicated.

She took out her phone and dialed a friend’s number: "He Yue, something big just happened, I have to tell you!"