Contract Completed

Cheng Shuili watched the rapidly scrolling messages on the channel, her fingertips tapping lightly on the screen.

She did not speak or offer any personal opinions, choosing instead to open the trading channel.

At the top of the trading channel’s homepage hung the bottle of "special-effect antibiotics." It contained only three pills, and the seller’s description read: "Absolutely effective, one pill works! If you don't believe me, we can sign a trade contract!"

Because of this description, the number of zeros following the price tag was dizzying.

Cheng Shuili noticed the publisher's ID was [Daimeng Kaixinguo].

He seemed to have had it listed for quite a while. While there was plenty of discussion in the regional channel, most of it was filled with abuse.

Besides this one, there were many other medicines listed below, but none were marked as absolutely effective, and their prices were not nearly as high.

Cheng Shuili did not check her private messages. With 001, she would not miss any important content, and as for the other messages...

Cheng Shuili didn't even need to click on them. Just from the few words visible on the chat page, she could guess that they were certainly not kind.

During the time she had been busy in the beastman town, cursing Black Feather seemed to have become a trend.

It wasn't just in private; the regional channel was the same.

"Look! This is the 'Light of Humanity' you all keep talking about. This is Black Feather! Not a single member of Black Feather is infected with the plague! Even the beastmen within their safe zone aren't sick! Who would believe there isn't something fishy going on? Maybe the crows had the medicine all along and were just hiding it! In their eyes, our lives are, heh..."

"Maybe they think it's a good thing for some dead weight to be cleared out. People like this should be the first to die!"

"The entire Black Feather safe zone is clean; there isn't even a single patient! How is that possible? Unless they knew how to prevent it early on, or... the plague was created by them in the first place!"

"Exactly! Think about it—it's terrifying! Is she colluding with the source of the plague?"

"We need an explanation! Black Feather must make their epidemic prevention methods public! They must share the medicine!"

"Right! Make it public! Share it! Otherwise, they are traitors to all of humanity!"

"Let's group up and visit the Black Feather station! We just want to survive; what is wrong with that?!"

Emotions were fermenting, and malice was breeding in the speculation.

Although some weakly retorted with "don't spread rumors without evidence" or "even if they really have medicine, what does that have to do with us?", these voices were quickly drowned out by the surging accusations and incitement.

Cheng Shuili occasionally caught a glimpse of one or two unique comments, and upon checking the IDs, they were indeed the water army working for Xinxue.

There was actually no need to control this public opinion because they were making such a scene now that once Cheng Shuili brought out the medicine, they would immediately change their tune.

Yes, let them make a scene.

The fiercer they curse now, the more ridiculous they will look when they "flip" later, and it will allow her to see clearly who are the poor wretches purely driven by fear, and who are the poisonous snakes with ulterior motives trying to muddy the waters.

She closed the annoying, scrolling interface of the regional channel, as if the clamor outside were separated from her by an invisible barrier.

Then, she opened the private chat window with [Xinxue Chu Ji].

[Crow Takes Flight]: We have the energy stones and the time now; you can start promoting our Black Feather special-effect medicine in the regional channel.

Almost immediately, Xinxue’s avatar began to pulse.

[Xinxue Chu Ji]: Boss, you've finally managed to free up your hands. Is everything going smoothly in the beastman town? The regional channel has been a mess these past few days. I've had people watching it, but I haven't seen anyone trying to stir things up. Those few factions have been quiet, appearing to be working hard on prevention internally.

Cheng Shuili’s gaze lingered on Xinxue’s message for a moment.

Working hard on prevention internally?

Are they just looking out for themselves, or are they secretly observing?

Cheng Shuili exhaled softly, her fingertips tapping on the screen.

[Crow Takes Flight]: The situation with the beastmen has been resolved. The contract is signed, and the medicine has been distributed; it should be under control before dawn. Since those big factions are busy with their own affairs, that’s even better.

She paused slightly before continuing to type.

[Crow Takes Flight]: Let’s not list the medicine for sale yet; let’s build some hype in the regional channel first. The beastman town will reopen tomorrow. When that happens, we'll let these people see the effectiveness of the medicine for themselves before we talk about listing it.

Of course, whether or not the beastman town allows these plague-stricken humans to enter was not something Cheng Shuili needed to worry about.

What she had to do was smash the red-hot iron of hope directly into this icy water of despair!

Whether it splashed into water or steam, she didn't care.

What she wanted was for everyone to hear that hiss and see the white mist rising suddenly.

[Xinxue Chu Ji]: Understood! Boss! You can leave this to me~ Hehe, give me half an hour, and the news will spread immediately. If you want to watch the show, Boss, you can sleep a little later.

Cheng Shuili looked at Xinxue’s last sentence, which was both playful and tinged with excitement, and a trace of an imperceptible smile flashed in her eyes.

Ending the conversation, Cheng Shuili did not immediately close the panel.

She reopened the regional channel, her gaze sweeping over the messages full of hostility and despair that were still flooding the screen.

Those curses, doubts, and incitements... at this moment in her eyes, they were like dead leaves about to be swept away by a gale.

She could imagine that when the news exploded like a thunderclap, this noisy quagmire would fall into an eerie silence, followed by a burst of frantic commotion.

Those who cursed the loudest might be the first to pounce on the trade button.

Human nature is like that; she had seen it many times before.

But this was exactly the effect she wanted.

Using the most direct and irrefutable way to crush the rumors, establish order, and at the same time... push Black Feather’s reputation and influence to a whole new height.

The night outside the window seemed to grow thicker, but a thicker night also meant a faster dawn.

Soon, this region, which had been tortured to the brink of death by the plague and panic, would welcome a fire personally ignited by Cheng Shuili that could truly dispel the cold.

A night passed, and Cheng Shuili woke up before dawn.

Early in the morning, she made a trip to the beastman town.

The sky had not yet fully brightened, and the faint light of dawn struggled to pierce through the mist over the town.

When Cheng Shuili arrived, Xiong Ji was directing a squad of bear-race guards, going house to house for a second round of disinfection.

Seeing Cheng Shuili, he immediately trotted over, his massive frame moving with a strange lightness.

"King! You've arrived! According to your instructions, the medicine was fully distributed last night, with priority given to the critically ill. During the inspection this morning, all symptoms of the plague had completely disappeared! The disinfection work has also been done once, and they are doing the second round now."

His eyes were bloodshot, but the light of excitement was almost overflowing.

Cheng Shuili nodded, her gaze sweeping across the street.

Indeed, although it was still quiet, the dead, despairing atmosphere had receded. One could even faintly hear voices coming from some of the beastman settlements; clearly, everyone had been awake all night.

She took the bread she hadn't managed to sell from the Abyss Ring and told Xiong Ji to organize the resting tribesmen for breakfast.

Xiong Ji looked at the mountain of bread, which was emitting the aroma of wheat, his bear eyes widening, and his throat involuntarily swallowing.

"King... is this... is this all for us?"

Cheng Shuili replied: "Yes, you've worked hard. Let everyone fill their stomachs first. You've all worked hard these past few days; let everyone get some good rest."

Xiong Ji responded with a heavy nod, the honest smile on his face stretching almost to his ears. He turned and called out in his booming voice: "Come over here! The King has rewarded us with breakfast! There's plenty of fragrant bread! Eat up and then hurry and get some rest, get your energy back!"

The bear-race beastmen, who had been busy or forcing themselves to stay alert, were stunned for a moment before bursting into low cheers.

They gathered around, carefully picking up the still-warm bread, and began to devour it ravenously.

They had been physically and mentally exhausted these past few days. The plague had come suddenly, and naturally, food hadn't been prepared in advance; they had essentially been scraping by for several days.

Such fresh, soft food was undoubtedly a huge comfort to them!

The gaze the bear-race beastmen turned toward Cheng Shuili, beyond the original awe, now held a sense of gratitude and closeness from the bottom of their hearts.

Cheng Shuili had originally been helping to distribute the food, but after being squeezed out by one bear-race beastman, she was handed a piece of bread by another.

And so, the human who had been helping distribute food became a mascot squatting on the side, gnawing on bread.

Cheng Shuili looked at the soft bread forcibly stuffed into her hands with a mix of amusement and frustration, then raised her eyes to look at the surrounding bear-race beastmen who were wolfing down their food while occasionally sneaking a peek at her, their eyes filled with satisfaction.

She had originally intended to come and distribute food to slightly win over hearts, but instead, she had become the object of feeding and observation.

Fine, mascot it is.

Who says a King can't be a mascot?

She didn't stand on ceremony, and amidst the cool air of early morning, she began to eat the bread in small bites.

The taste was indeed good; the wheat aroma was rich, the texture solid, and it brought a kind of primal satisfaction.

Just as she was eating, the last squad of bear-race beastmen performing the disinfection finally returned. Their faces were beaming with smiles. They had originally been heading toward Xiong Ji, but upon seeing Cheng Shuili, they abruptly changed direction, trotted over to the King, stood at attention, and reported:

"Report to the King! The East District we were responsible for has been completely disinfected. We checked it three times and confirmed there were no omissions! The smell... might be a bit pungent, but we guarantee it is absolutely clean!"

The lead bear-race beastman puffed out his chest, his voice resonant. Although he was exhausted, his eyes were filled with the pride of completing a mission and a trace of... restraint from performing in front of the King.

Cheng Shuili swallowed the last bite of bread and nodded, her tone affirmative: "You did very well. You've worked hard. Go eat something first, then get some good rest."

"Yes! Thank you, King!"

The bear-race beastmen beamed, responding in unison, before turning toward the pile of bread and joining the ravenous crowd.

Cheng Shuili brushed the breadcrumbs off her hands and stood up.

Her time as a "mascot" was over.

Her gaze returned to Xiong Ji, and she asked: "Are there any squads that haven't returned yet?"

Xiong Ji shook his head, "Everyone is here. King, the second disinfection is also finished."

In other words...

The plague in the beastman town had, at this point, completely ended.

Cheng Shuili did not go to verify it, instead opening the trading contract directly.

The system was absolutely impartial. If there were no issues, the first trade contract she signed with the Rat King should be finished, right?

She, who was always calm, felt a bit uneasy at this moment.

After all, the terms of that contract were truly ruthless, and Cheng Shuili naturally hoped for a good outcome.

Her fingertips hovered over the cold system panel for a moment before she clicked on the contract signed with the Rat King. The moment she saw it clearly, her heart skipped a beat.

The contract was...

In a completed state.

It was over; it was truly over.

40% of the revenue from the Rat King’s military factory, and the right to dispose of 30% of the goods—she had finally... gotten her hands on it!

Cheng Shuili’s fingertips glided across the panel, the slight tremor in her fingers forcefully suppressed.

Don't be impatient.

This harvest was too massive; she had to digest it carefully and proceed gradually.

Although the Rat King had been forced to sign a humiliating treaty, he was by no means an easy opponent. The internal situation of the factory, the specific accounts, the categories of goods, and their flow—all of it needed to be figured out step by step before she could truly convert this spoils of war into actual gains.

Suppressing the waves in her heart, Cheng Shuili closed the contract interface.

Now was not the time to take stock of the harvest; there was still an act to finish in the play before her.

Since the plague had ended, the administrative rights to the beastman town should be handed back to the Rat King. Xiong Ji had already sent people over, and the Rat King would likely arrive in a moment.

Cheng Shuili looked up at the sky; she admitted that it was indeed not very polite to call the Rat King at this hour.

But she had done plenty of such impolite things, so one more wouldn't matter.

When the Rat King emerged from his warm fur bedding and heard the message relayed by his guard: "The plague has been completely cleared; please proceed to the square, the Bear King will officially hand over the administration to you," the expression on his face was spectacular.

So fast? How is that possible?

He had originally estimated that it would drag on for at least a few more days, enough time for him to think of new ways to make trouble for Cheng Shuili.

Immediately, his face darkened completely.

How could he not realize that Cheng Shuili was clearly doing this on purpose!

Choosing to notify him at this hour when the sky hadn't yet brightened clearly meant she had been busy all night! It was all to catch him off guard.

However... a trace of regret flashed in the Rat King’s eyes.

This was his own fault. When the little rat reported it last night, he hadn't taken it seriously, thinking it was just a normal struggle by the humans. He hadn't expected the plague to be resolved just like that.

The Rat King stood before the full-length mirror, silent for a moment. All the emotions mixed together turned into wariness and suppressed rage.

This human not only had remarkable methods, but she even grasped the timing with such cunning!

But he had no room to vent.

In the square, Cheng Shuili and a group of bear-race guards, who had just eaten their fill and were full of spirit, were waiting for him.

More importantly, the contract was complete; he had to fulfill his promise, take back the management rights, and at the same time... honor the bet that made his heart bleed.

The Rat King took several deep breaths, barely maintaining his surface calm. He donned his royal attire and, to the crisp tapping of his staff, led a group of attendants, whose faces were equally unpleasant, toward the square.

In the square, Cheng Shuili stood straight, the dawn casting a faint golden rim around her.

Behind her, the neatly lined up and high-spirited bear-race beastmen stood in stark contrast to the beastmen on the Rat King’s side who had just woken up.