Chapter 142
Shen Li was excited.
If they could find the guildmaster, all of the guild’s current problems would disappear.
For the guild’s players, the guildmaster was their anchor. Only the strongest could be guildmaster. Without one, the guild would soon be swallowed up by others.
In this era, guilds eagerly “made gods”—and that god was always their guildmaster.
This kind of faith was something Lu Chuan couldn’t understand.
“So this is the real reason you came to me.” Lu Chuan realized.
The vice guildmaster must have had some way of confirming the guildmaster could be found, and came to pressure him—hoping Lu Chuan’s strange luck and connections would bring results.
“I didn’t expect you to advance this quickly,” the vice guildmaster smiled. “And since you’ve already crossed paths with many factions, your encounters will surely help us locate the guildmaster. Believe me, Lu Chuan—this is helping you too.”
The vice guildmaster himself hadn’t expected it—he had been searching for the Guildmaster for so long with no progress, yet Lu Chuan had already connected with the Extreme Evil Loan Company inside the dungeon, and his Golden Tower had even become famous in that world.
Lu Chuan thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Alright, I agree.”
“I’ll be waiting for your good news,” the vice guildmaster said, overjoyed. “As for Starry Ming, I’ll try to hold him back for now.”
He pulled Lu Chuan aside and talked with him for quite a while longer, mostly about the Guildmaster, before finally leaving in satisfaction.
[Host, you agreed so readily? They’ve been looking for the Guildmaster for so long without any results—finding him will be just as hard for us.] #888 felt Lu Chuan was acting oddly.
According to the vice guildmaster, the Guildmaster was currently asleep inside a series of dungeons, nearly impossible to locate.
If Lu Chuan could find him first, he’d be able to outshine Starry Ming and smoothly take over as the new leader.
What #888 couldn’t understand was why Lu Chuan—who normally would never let such an opportunity slip without demanding something in return—had accepted so easily, without asking for anything at all.
That was completely abnormal!
Normally, with Lu Chuan’s personality, he’d at least ask for ten billion in search funds up front!
“Finding the Guildmaster won’t be easy, but if it’s hard for me, it’s just as hard for Starry Ming.” Lu Chuan rubbed his ear, utterly unconcerned. “Anyway, the fact that the vice guildmaster personally came to me means he can’t wait any longer. Either he thinks I’m capable of finding the Guildmaster, or his own health is failing and he won’t last much longer. Whatever the reason, I’ve got no reason to refuse, do I?”
[That’s true.] #888 nodded in agreement, then added, [Still, I thought you’d ask the vice guildmaster for some money. Agreeing without any demands at all—that’s just not your style.]
“What money would I ask him for?” Lu Chuan smiled. “Isn’t most of the guild’s wealth already in my hands?”
#888 fell silent for a moment, then quickly scanned the Star Guild’s headquarters financial records.
[…Holy crap. Host, the finance officers, accountants, even the procurement and logistics staff— they’re all your people?!]
He hadn’t realized. One scan, and he was floored.
Normally, #888 was too busy helping Lu Chuan with other things to pay attention to his hiring or staffing. With Lu Chuan’s huge business empire in both the real world and the dungeons, #888 spent most of his energy keeping the books balanced so no one could cheat him. On top of that, he used his immense computing power to help Lu Chuan optimize countless trade routes.
If not for #888 basically being a one-man accounting firm, it would’ve been nearly impossible for Lu Chuan to manage his industries in both realities while spending most of his time clearing dungeons.
Behind the soaring growth of Lu Chuan’s fortune was #888 quietly shouldering the weight.
But now, #888 realized he wasn’t the only one carrying that burden.
Host, you’ve been recruiting so many underlings behind my back?!
For the first time, #888 felt a pang of unease.
He had been focusing so hard on guarding against Cang Jiu, yet Lu Chuan had secretly built such a network already? If it came down to competing for favor, the pressure was going to be immense.
“You think I’m stupid? Starry Ming can build his own power base—do you think I’d sit back after earning so much money without recruiting anyone?” Lu Chuan smiled. “I just didn’t go all out poaching players like him. I’ve mainly recruited ordinary people.”
A few powerful, promising players were enough.
As for the rest of the top players, none of them would listen to Starry Ming anyway; at best they’d cooperate occasionally.
And weaker players? Recruiting them would only be dead weight.
That was why Lu Chuan only picked Cynthia and the others as teammates. Once they climbed to the top, they could help him. Teammates didn’t need to be many—better to have quality over quantity. Too many people, and they’d just start plotting against each other.
The current setup was perfect.
His teammates were the most promising rookies from other guilds, while his underlings were ambitious, skilled ordinary folk.
And conveniently, players tended to look down on ordinary people.
Lu Chuan used the Golden Luxury Estate as a front, secretly selecting these ordinary folks. With some training, he first put them to work there. After gaining experience, they could slip quietly into the guild and be promoted step by step.
And since he was the financial director, no one suspected the larger game he was playing.
Back in his birth world, most bosses knew better than to let the same people control both accounting and finance, because it blurred the line between public and private funds. There were even whole books of accounting laws to prevent exactly that.
But the Star Guild? No such thing as accounting law there.
Without such restrictions, Lu Chuan’s reach stretched as far as he pleased.
When Starry Ming was busy recruiting players, Lu Chuan had already taken over procurement and logistics.
When Starry Ming was plotting against him, Lu Chuan already had a crystal-clear record of his expenses.
Not even the vice guildmaster suspected that Lu Chuan had quietly become the true financial master of the Star Guild, right under their noses.
Why? Because players didn’t care about ordinary people—or about money, unless it was equipment.
The guild’s treasure trove was just sitting there, unguarded. Lu Chuan would’ve felt guilty not to take it.
He only needed to reach out a little, and everything became his.
Lu Chuan could only laugh bitterly.
Wealth chooses the owner most suited to it, he thought. I just didn’t have the heart to refuse.
[Host, you only recruited ordinary people?] #888 asked after finishing his scan, realizing almost all of Lu Chuan’s people were non-players, with even low-tier players being rare.
“Mm. Because in this era, ordinary people have no choice.” Lu Chuan stroked his chin. “And it’s those without choices who treasure my opportunities the most.”
Ordinary people had limited room to rise. If they couldn’t become players, the only way to climb higher was by working for him. And as Lu Chuan’s position in the guild grew stronger, so would their loyalty.
[But host, with your network so large, what if someone tries to poach them?] #888 asked, worried.
“What could Starry Ming give them? They owe me for their mortgages, and they rely on the high salaries I pay to support their families. I’ve given them both carrot and stick—why would they betray me?” Lu Chuan chuckled. “And even if a few are turned, it doesn’t matter. #888, don’t I still have you? Every master ledger is stored in your database.”
Golden Luxury Estate tied these people to him like welded chains. Even if they denied being his men, no one would believe them.
#888 couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Don’t worry, Little System. They’re just workers. The one I truly trust will always be you.” Lu Chuan coaxed softly. “They may have countless bosses in their lives, but you’ll only ever have me. I know which matters more.”
[As long as you know that. I’ll keep handling your accounts. Human calculation can’t compare to mine—they’ll always make mistakes.] Flattered, #888 immediately decided to boost its computing power further, so it could help its host earn even more money.
“Good. I’ll head into a dungeon and start looking for information about the Guildmaster.” Lu Chuan nodded.
Of course, he couldn’t find the Guildmaster by himself. Even the vice guildmaster had been searching for years without success.
But there were people who could.
If he remembered right, back in the Flesh and Blood Apartment dungeon, Mei Xue and her companion had found an astrologer specifically to locate their Guildmaster.
Since the Star Guild’s leader was trapped in a dungeon, it was safe to assume most other Guildmasters—except the Ocean Heart Guild’s leader—were in the same situation.
Which meant, an astrologer really could track them.
And conveniently, that astrologer had appeared around the same time as Chen Ji, the loan shark.
The God of Exchange was supposed to be able to trade for anything. That meant they likely had information as well.
If Chen Ji didn’t, then Cang Jiu might.
And if both failed, Lu Chuan still had his Golden Tower. Using it to search for someone wouldn’t be hard. In short, finding the Guildmaster wouldn’t be impossible—just a matter of sooner or later.
With that in mind, Lu Chuan went straight to Chen Ji.
Having an Extreme Evil Loan Company VIP card was really convenient—he could find Chen Ji in minutes.
[Host, I just caught one of your underlings making a one-cent mistake in their ledger—wait, host, where are you?!] #888 almost screamed. [You literally just chose the God of Exchange as your hunt target, and now you’re waltzing right into his turf?!]
“Relax. The main god system will protect me. I haven’t developed enough to challenge the God of Exchange yet, so the system practically wants to keep me safe in its hands.” Lu Chuan smiled. “Otherwise, why do you think it healed my soul damage so quickly?”
If the main god system had any brains, it would know exactly what the best choice was.
[You could at least tell me, you know.] #888 could only sigh. [I’m over here helping you balance your books, and you don’t even give me a heads-up before you show up here. Is that appropriate?]
“Wow, System, your language has really leveled up — you even know how to play humble now,” Lu Chuan said in surprise. “Fine, I’ll remember to tell you next time.”
He had figured there was no need —#888 was watching him all the time anyway. But since the system had spoken up, he’d give advance notice next time. After all, he still needed #888 to do work for him.
Sure enough, when Lu Chuan stepped onto the territory of the Extreme Evil Loan Company, he didn’t notice anything strange or out of place. The [God of Exchange] didn’t sense that Lu Chuan was the one hunting him, either.
Heh. That gave Lu Chuan a bit more freedom.
“…What are you here for again?” Chen Ji turned his head the moment he saw Lu Chuan; he didn’t want to see him at all.
“Come on, we just went through life and death together in that instance, and you don’t even want to look at me?” Lu Chuan stared at Chen Ji in mock shock. “I’m a bona fide Master Rank player now — shouldn’t you be cultivating such a valuable client?”
“You’ve got a lot of nerve to say that.” Chen Ji rolled his eyes so hard they almost hit the ceiling. “You know exactly what you did. Didn’t you rush straight to the Main System after leaving the instance to repair your soul? Once you officially become a Master Rank player, you only get one chance to repair your soul. Did you have to be that impatient? Our god hadn’t even warmed up your soul yet when it got snatched back.”
The [God of Exchange] had planned to store Lu Chuan’s soul and savor it slowly, but after just one lick, the Main System barged in and yanked it away.
The reason was simple: repairing a human soul consumed a lot of power. Since half of Lu Chuan’s soul hadn’t been digested yet, the “original stock” was obviously the best option. And since the [God of Exchange] was still under the Main System’s control, he couldn’t resist.
From the theft to the repair, hardly any time or cost was spent. So even if the [God of Exchange] was furious, there was nothing he could do — except vent his anger.
The day Lu Chuan left the instance to have his soul repaired, the entire Extreme Evil Loan Company shook as if in an earthquake. The god was mad.
No one dared come to work; everyone speculated about what could have provoked such wrath. Chen Ji had his suspicions, so he promptly took nearly a week of vacation to wait things out, in case the god decided to take it out on him.
“Huh? The Main System is that much of a bandit?” Lu Chuan was genuinely shocked. “I thought it just fixed me up on its own — turns out it outright robbed your god! No wonder it patched my soul in seconds without a hint of discomfort. So I really did get the original goods.”
Perfect. A thief through and through — worthy of being the Main System.
Lu Chuan almost felt they could get along.
“How do you think the Main System manages to shackle so many gods?” Chen Ji didn’t mind sharing; it wasn’t exactly a secret.
“Well, seeing how the [God of Exchange] lives under its thumb… why not just rebel?” Lu Chuan seized the chance to sow discord. “The Main System controls all these Infinite Worlds. Beat it, and you’d rise to become the one true god in the universe!”
Chen Ji rolled his eyes again and waved for Lu Chuan to leave. “Say what you came to say. If it’s nothing, I’m going back on vacation. I finally got my leave approved — I won’t waste it on you.”
“It’s nothing big. I just want to find the guildmaster of our Star Guild. Got any info? Since we’re such good friends, maybe give me a freebie?” Lu Chuan asked.
Chen Ji stood to go.
“Wait! At least give me a discount,” Lu Chuan grabbed him quickly. “I was kidding, all right?”
That stopped Chen Ji, “All right, which generation of Star Guildmaster do you want me to find? Give me their name, age, photo if possible — but the most important is their player nickname and abilities. The rest can be altered with items, but nicknames and abilities rarely change. You know how many players want a clean slate here, so finding someone can be tricky. And our company doesn’t charge a flat fee; it depends on the difficulty and effort. Be prepared.”
Hearing Lu Chuan mention a search job, Chen Ji’s face lit up with a smile.
“For finding people, we only take Rationality Cards or S-grade items as payment. If you can’t afford it, we offer installment plans — our interest isn’t high.” Chen Ji beamed.
“What’s the price?” Lu Chuan was already regretting asking when he saw Chen Ji grinning like that. If it was too steep, he’d rather go to Cang Jiu — being an Executor, Cang Jiu might even work for free.
“If your guildmaster is just hiding in some instance, that’s easy — starts at 100 Rationality Points. But if they’re trapped in a super-high-difficulty dungeon, or in some god’s hands, there’s no upper limit. Generally, to enter an instance and look for someone is 300 points minimum. If you want us to confirm identity or rescue them, the price…” Chen Ji rubbed his fingers together, eyes gleaming.
“Sorry to bother you.” This time Lu Chuan turned and left.
After all, the vice guildmaster hadn’t demanded immediate results. No rush.
“Hey, don’t go! I said you could take out a loan!” Chen Ji ran after him. “Think carefully — no one’s better at tracking people than us. I know you’re on good terms with the Executor, but consider this: if your guildmaster is badly injured or in trouble, and they bump into an Executor, it could trigger a mutation. Then all you’ll be able to do is collect their corpse.”
Lu Chuan stopped.
Admittedly, that sounded plausible.
If the guildmaster really mutated after meeting an Executor… the vice guildmaster would definitely take Lu Chuan down with him.
“Too expensive.” Lu Chuan waved him off. “At those rates you’re fleecing me. I might as well hire an astrologer.”
“Those poets? They’re charlatans who spout riddles — believe them and you’re doomed.” Chen Ji scoffed. “Coming to me means your items and tracking skills have failed, so only we can take the job.”
“But I can’t afford it.” Lu Chuan spread his hands — the very picture of stinginess.
“Master Rank players aren’t poor, you’re just cheap. Fine, fine, I’ll give you ten percent off.” Chen Ji wasn’t ready to give up such a lucrative deal. “Miss this, and you won’t get another chance.”
Lu Chuan paused — finally, some sincerity. He looked at Chen Ji. “Deposit?”
“Fifty Rationality Points.” Chen Ji quoted a lower figure first to secure the business.
“I don’t have that much. Here’s twenty.” Lu Chuan tossed him two cards worth ten points each. “I’ll find a way to get you the rest soon.”
“Fine.” Chen Ji reluctantly agreed — prying anything from this miser was hard work.
“You people really are sharks.”
“Hardly — compared to you, the golden-tower landlord, I’m nothing.”
Lu Chuan snorted, unwilling to waste words.
Since he was already here, Lu Chuan inspected his Golden Tower and gave instructions for the search as well. He couldn’t pin all his hopes on the Extreme Evil Loan Company; maybe his own people would find the target first, saving him the balance.
[Host, about those Rationality Cards — couldn’t we buy them up through the Golden Tower?]
“What for?” Lu Chuan sneered. “I hardly ever need them. I’ll get them if I need them.”
[Isn’t that for Chen Ji’s deposit?]
“Ask the vice guildmaster.” Lu Chuan replied. “If Chen Ji’s fee is that outrageous, I’m not paying alone. The vice guildmaster wants the guildmaster found — he should subsidize me. I might as well milk him.”
Lu Chuan had meant to save the vice guildmaster some money, but Chen Ji’s gouging left him no choice — time to sponge off the boss. The VP would gladly pay anything to retrieve the guildmaster.
At that very moment, while managing Star Guild affairs, the vice guildmaster felt a sudden chill.
Maybe the weather was cooling; he’d better add a layer. He had to take care of himself — Lu Chuan still needed to bring the guildmaster back.
Author’s note:
Lu Chuan: Once I swallow the God of Exchange, I’ll make Chen Ji work for me!
