Chapter 64: Affiliated Power
High-level equipment*370 pieces!
Rare equipment*18 pieces!
Upon seeing the plethora of equipment materializing before him, James was struck dumb as if hit by a thunderbolt. He was utterly speechless for a long time.
"All this… Irving, do you mean to sell all this equipment to me?" James questioned, hastily getting up to rummage through his desk, subsequently producing several bank cards and a check.
"I'm so sorry, Irving. I don't have that much money on hand. These four bank cards should contain over fifty million dollars in total, and this check can accommodate up to three hundred million dollars … If that's not enough…" James stammered, simultaneously reaching to make a call to the company's financial department.
At this moment, he was a mixture of anxiety and excitement.
Almost four hundred pieces of equipment, the lowest quality being high-level one-star grade, and even including rare graded equipment.
At this point in the game, players who possessed even one piece of high-level equipment were few and far between. Even the currently thriving Dragon Age Guild could only offer its members standard-grade equipment, and not even a full set at that…
To say nothing of the rare-grade equipment, even a piece of high-level equipment would be fiercely contested if offered on the forum trading section, illustrating its rarity!
"Wait for a moment." Irving halted James, who was scrambling to raise funds, and asked gravely, "You haven't answered my question yet: can this equipment immediately assemble a team of over a hundred players?"
"Of course, it can!" James exclaimed excitedly, "Forget a hundred, we could attract four times that much!"
A guild comprising four hundred players could be considered top-tier in the game at this point.
"Irving, rest assured, I won't short you a penny. I'll get the finance department to allocate funds immediately." James continued sincerely, "Just name your price, Irving, or I can settle it based on the current market rates."
James could hardly contain his excitement. With this equipment, the Green Ivy Group could stand on solid footing in the game.
Irving smiled. "Consider this equipment as temporarily in your possession. To me, money is merely scraps of paper. However, there is one point I must remind you of…" Here, a cold light flashed in his eyes, "We are in a cooperative affiliation, and I expect no repeat of the mine incident. You must manage all resources properly."
"And!" Irving's tone hardened, "If there's any embezzlement of resources or if anything is kept from me, our cooperation ends immediately, and I will reclaim all the equipment I have given you."
Having learned from his past life, he would not tolerate betrayal.
Although James' previous actions had proven him trustworthy, one must always draw lines in any solid cooperative relationship.
The office fell silent.
A moment later, James nodded gravely and said, "Irving, you can be completely assured on this point. The Green Ivy Group is at your disposal at any time. If you still have any doubts, I am even willing to step down from my position as the Guild Master."
Irving had been carefully observing James's expressions. No matter how well a person could hide their true feelings, subtle changes in their expressions were hard to control.
"Guild Master?" Irving was a bit surprised.
No matter how you looked at it, the Green Ivy Group had been painstakingly built up by the White family, involving not only considerable financial investment but also a lot of effort. The fact that James was willing to give up his position as Guild Master voluntarily spoke volumes about his sincerity.
"Forget it, you should keep that position." Irving said, the cold glint in his eyes gradually fading. He continued, "We must prioritize quality over quantity when recruiting guild members. If we recruit too many useless members, they will only become a burden at critical moments."
"Understood." James replied. "With this equipment, I'm confident many players will want to join the Green Ivy Group, and we should be able to hold onto the mine."
Although the suddenly emerging Brotherhood of Night Blades had already swallowed up several surrounding guilds, James now felt somewhat confident.
"Hold onto it?" Irving sneered. "Let me tell you the truth. I don't just want to hold onto that mine. I want to eliminate any and all potential threats!"
"Irving, you mean..." James seemed to suddenly understand something, and his heart surged with excitement.
When he looked up again, he could only see Irving's departing figure.
Downstairs at the Green Ivy Corporation building, a Maybach S680 slowly pulled away. The immediate problems of the Green Ivy Group were resolved, but Irving, driving the car, still had a furrowed brow.
The domestic and international situation was unstable, especially the foreign forces Anna mentioned. They had previously attempted to massacre game players in the park and were now covertly controlling several families.
Irving keenly sensed that these foreign forces were brewing a massive conspiracy.
The reason he brought out all that equipment to help the Green Ivy Group grow quickly was to cultivate his own power.
In the imminent apocalypse, the brutal and turbulent situation would be like one whirlpool after another. To truly control his destiny, he would need to carve out a place for himself.
Irving thought of the soon-to-be-unlocked [Flowing Light and Dense Realm] in the game. The system had hinted that it would contain a large amount of rare equipment and materials, but also numerous powerful exotic beasts.
Many guilds in the game were already preparing to venture into the [Flowing Light and Dense Realm]. The allure of the equipment was massive for the players.
For Irving, it was also a rare opportunity!
With his [Tenfold Drop Rate] talent, entering the [Flowing Light and Dense Realm] would be like stepping into a treasure trove. The powerful exotic beasts within could be used to expand his exotic beast army.
"But it won't open until tomorrow..." Irving muttered, seemingly formulating a plan. Just then, he suddenly heard the urgent sound of horns outside.
At that moment, he was driving his Maybach S680 through an intersection with traffic lights. As he looked in the direction of the sound, he saw a speeding truck heading straight towards him.
Irving was shocked and quickly turned the steering wheel.
This special edition Maybach S680 is so robust that even if all four tires were simultaneously blown out, it could still proceed at nearly 100 kilometers per hour, a testament to its formidable performance.
As the car's frame shook violently and the sound of tires scraping against the ground filled the air, a large truck careened dangerously close to the Maybach.
Unexpectedly, the truck did not stop but instead continued its trajectory straight towards a black business sedan nearby.
Bang!
A dull thud echoed as the black sedan was forcefully overturned.
Sitting inside his car, Irving was suddenly hit with a foreboding sense of danger, recalling the threatening messages from the Dark Night Blades. Just as he was about to drive away swiftly.
A group of armed, masked men poured out of the truck's rear compartment.
The masked men immediately opened fire on the black sedan, bullets raining down and transforming the vehicle into a sieve within moments.
Witnessing this scene, Irving quickly realized that this group was not targeting him.
"Damn it!" Irving muttered, shaking his head. He had no intention of getting entangled with these armed, masked assailants.
The gunfire struck terror into the hearts of passing pedestrians, who scattered in all directions. However, a few bold individuals hid in corners, secretly recording the chaotic scene with their phones.
This was the city's capital, right in the heart of the downtown area. No one could have imagined that someone would dare to open fire here.
Meanwhile, though the black sedan was riddled with bullets, it appeared to be bulletproof, as moments later, someone inside returned fire.
A fierce gunfight erupted on the street, plunging the scene into utter chaos.
"Hand over the person!" the leading masked man shouted as he continued to shoot, signaling to his comrades to rapidly approach the black sedan.
Irving, still in his car, was clueless about the unfolding events. As he prepared to leave the area, his eyes unintentionally caught sight of a familiar face near the black sedan.
"How could it be her?" Irving was momentarily stunned.
The familiar visage flashed by so quickly that he even doubted his own eyes.
Beside the overturned black sedan, four men in suits were protecting a young woman, attempting to flee. However, the masked men outnumbered them and had superior firepower.
Another burst of gunfire erupted, and one of the suited men was fatally shot, collapsing heavily to the ground.
The remaining three men looked grim but continued to protect the young woman with desperate determination. Yet, given the stark disparity in strength, it seemed only a matter of time before they would be completely overpowered.
At that moment, Irving finally got a clear look at the woman being protected in the center, and his expression turned extremely complicated.
"It really is her!"
Sophia's face was ashen. She had been shot in the arm, and blood was gradually soaking through her clothes. She watched in despair as her bodyguards fell one by one in front of her.
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