With almost everything settled in this first meeting with Zhang Xi, the focus now has to shift toward implementation, the practical execution of everything we agreed on earlier. Those details I didn’t share with her. I’d rather keep it that way until she truly becomes part of our group, once the deal with the leader of the Silver Fangs is closed.

"So, Zhang Xi, could you contact your leader as soon as possible? Our time is tight."

Her face visibly shows something close to confusion at my words. Probably because of how quickly I want to set the whole plan in motion.

"I could... do it now... You see... I’m the spokesperson, so I sort of have him in my Party group." She says it hesitantly, her eyes searching my expression for any crack in my reasoning.

This is more perfect than I anticipated.

"It would be perfect if you could." I try to soften my tone, keeping my voice as dry and flat as possible, stripping out any trace of excitement.

"Hmm... Of course." She begins to rise. "I’ll leave you alone to contact him. Excuse me, I’ll be right back."

Zhang Xi steps out the door calmly. I can’t say clearly why she won’t make the call in front of us. Something about it smells off to me. Maybe it’s pure courtesy, a spokesperson keeping her leader’s voice private from strangers. Or maybe there’s something between the two of them she’d rather none of us overhear. In Thirstfall, the difference between manners and concealment is usually just a matter of who’s listening. Either way, I file it away and stay alert to it.

The moment the door clicks shut, I turn to Oliver. Even if we can hear what comes from outside, she won’t catch a word of what’s said in here.

"Where did you get the warehouse, Oliver?"

I fire it off fast, no detours. He understands the reason for the urgency and answers without overthinking.

"Near the Azure Prime field hospital. Three blocks from here."

Excellent. That means it’s a ten-minute walk from the academy at most. Sitting beside a field hospital, we can put OXI directly into the hands of the Divers crawling back from the trenches in search of healing. The LDP has no curative effect of its own, but that isn’t the angle. A Diver who returns to the front knowing his OXI’s refill won’t quietly rot his insides while it keeps him standing has every reason to buy, and the wounded talk to each other more than any merchant ever could. It couldn’t be better.

"Good work, Oliver. Better than I imagined. How big is it?"

"About nine thousand four hundred square feet."

"More than enough. Roughly two basketball courts. Plenty for thirty workers, machinery, and storage."

"Hold on, what are you two talking about?" Veric asks, scrambling to keep up with the speed of the conversation.

"Oliver already secured the site for the factory."

Veric starts to stammer.

"But, but... but... this is moving really fast."

"Just hand over the money, Veric."

"You say that like you’re a mugger working a red light in some drug corner."

He pulls thirty Plates from his inventory and passes them to me.

[Scales: 50,836 → 350,836]

I have three hundred and fifty thousand Scales total now. That won’t even be enough to start properly. As much as I dislike it, I need their help right now, all of it. We need close to half a million. Maybe a little less, according to my calculations.

"We need ten more Plates just to get everything off the ground." I look at Oliver. "How much did you spend, big guy?"

"Exactly five Plates for the first rent, deposit included. After crying my eyes out into that grumpy matron’s ear, she finally gave in." He says it visibly worked up, practically combustible with leftover irritation.

He’s probably talking about the woman who owns the place. Five Plates for rent with a deposit really is a steal. For a space this size, in this area, the full price would run closer to seven. Oliver did great.

The room stays silent, as if I really am robbing everyone by asking for ten more Plates right after pocketing thirty. I get it. To them it looks like a bottomless hand reaching back into a purse that’s barely closed. But money sitting in three separate inventories doesn’t build a factory; pooled capital does, and the contract already binds every coin to a share they’ll thank me for later.

"Come on, people. We’re under a contractual oath. Rhayne watched me register it in the Oathmark. Do you think I’m going to rob you?"

Rhayne pulls ten Plates from her inventory and hands them over, making an unpleasant grimace, like the act of giving me that much money causes her physical pain. I refuse the full ten and push three back to her, keeping only seven.

"Veric has to chip in too. Oliver’s exempt this time." I level my gaze at him. "I know you made three Plates on bets. Move it."

"Damn it, Sands." He pulls the three Plates from his inventory and sets them on the table, his face shut tight. Annoyance might as well have been his surname in that moment. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Veric starts sliding the Plates toward me, but the instant I reach for them, he slaps his hand over the pile, as if shielding his money from an ambush.

I let out a sigh, tired of the childish game.

Across from me, Rhayne is visibly restless now, her eyes flicking to the door again and again.

I open my HUD and grant Ocean’s Law authorization to project onto the scene. A translucent, liquid panel materializes in front of them, showing only the information I want it to.

I select "currency."

[Scales: 420,836]

"See that? I already had five Plates of my own. I already chipped in."

Veric releases his Plates. I take his plates slowly, looking into his eyes with a smirk.

At that exact moment, the door swings wide open. Zhang Xi walks straight into the sight of the panel hovering there, displaying nearly half a million Scales.

Her knees give out, and she drops to the floor, dumbstruck.

’Perfect timing... my plan worked.’