Chapter 174: Seed Trading (Thanks to 'A Mo Tian Tian Mo Yu' for Rewarding Alliance Leader)

Chapter 174: The Seed Trade (Thanks to “Amo’s Daily Fish‑Meddling” for the tribute to the Alliance Leader)

Inside the Red Tower skyscraper at the city’s heart.

At a desk on the thirty‑second floor.

Xiong Haohan lifted his phone and saw a message from Xiong Wenwu.

Xiong Wenwu: “Zhang Yu is a decent fellow, he looks out for me.”

Xiong Wenwu: “If it’s convenient, could you do him a favor, Brother Haohan?”

Xiong Haohan is a manager at Red Tower Breeding Company.

The reason he is in touch with Xiong Wenwu is that they both hail from the same breeding base.

One’s origin in a particular breeding base is a weighty badge of identity within Red Tower Livestock.

Because most of the demon‑kind share the same father, the base where one was born marks who they grew up with, who they studied with—a natural tie that binds the demon‑folk together.

If one drills down further, it becomes a matter of which hatchery, which dormitory, whether they hold a middle‑school or high‑school diploma, whether they attended Red Tower High, which class they were in, and exactly which demon race they belong to.

Indeed, although all are classified as demon‑folk in civic records, there are stark differences among them.

These differences affect not only internal demon society but also how humans perceive them… demon‑folk are not all the same to the human eye.

For example, turtle demons and toad demons are far less welcomed than bear, dog, or cat demons; they face harsher prejudice, achieve fewer accolades, and Red Tower Livestock trims their breeding numbers each year.

Layer upon layer of such distinctions has spawned countless factions within Red Tower Livestock.

Perhaps because they are scorned in the human world, perhaps because they lack parental support, demon‑folk tend to cluster in these myriad groups.

Xiong Haohan and Xiong Wenwu, besides sharing the same breeding base, also attended Red Tower High, both once served in the model class, and both belong to the bear‑demon lineage.

That common background let Xiong Wenwu meet his senior, Xiong Haohan, early on through the alumni association and the bear‑demon chat group.

In that group, Xiong Haohan—who rose to manager of a breeding firm after just three years—was a beacon for countless bear‑demons, a symbol of a life spent watching the world shift from a lofty office, with steady pay, on‑time mortgage payments, and the freedom to work overtime at will.

But when he read Xiong Wenwu’s message, Haohan thought inwardly, “Little brother, you’re overestimating me.”

Scanning Zhang Yu’s dossier, Haohan mused, “I’m just a low‑level employee here; I can’t even raise the price for a kid from Songyang High.”

“Our fertility bank and research teams don’t take just any trash,” he added.

Since becoming the company’s overtime machine, Haohan has neither the energy nor the interest to follow the tumult of high‑school politics, and he knows nothing of Zhang Yu, the student who’s been making waves at the three major high schools.

Yet one thing has been etched deep in the mind of this Red Tower High alumnus.

Besides the three elite schools, do graduates of other schools even qualify to sell seeds?

Songyang High? That would be a pure waste of paper.

But as Haohan kept reading, the monthly exam scores, competition results, and assorted metrics for Zhang Yu left him gaping in astonishment.

“This is from Songyang High?”

“How can this be from Songyang High?”

“And Zhang Yu is already this strong in his first year of high school—who knows how much was invested—are they really trying to sell him?”

Haohan sighed, “Indeed, high‑school cultivation is a bottomless pit; as long as you want to spend, there’s always a place to spend, and the money never seems enough.”

“Nevertheless, his talent and potential are undeniably great.”

“But at my rank, I can only offer a limited price; I doubt I can meet his expectations.”

After pondering Wenwu’s request, Haohan used his authority to file a report on Zhang Yu’s case.

“This is all I can do; how much we finally get will depend on his luck and skill.”

To Haohan’s surprise, a response came quickly, urging him to arrange a meeting with Zhang Yu as soon as possible.

Thus the appointment was set for early the next morning.

The following dawn, as Zhang Yu had just taken his seat in the conference room, Haohan hurried over.

“Greetings, I’m Xiong Haohan,” he said warmly after shaking Zhang Yu’s hand, “I have another matter to ask of you.”

“It’s not that we distrust Songyang High’s assessment; we simply wish to obtain more precise data on you—specifically your magical power and physical vigor, the two traits most tied to bloodline inheritance. With exact figures, our negotiations will be smoother.”

“Would that be acceptable?”

Since Zhang Yu had come here, he naturally did not refuse.

He soon completed the tests for magical power and physical vigor within the company.

“Magical power: 88.14; Physical vigor: Level 8.09…”

Haohan first examined the aggregate magical and physical scores, then reviewed blood work, urinalysis, and all other health metrics.

He thought, “These magical and physical readings surpass even his latest monthly exam results—has he improved recently?”

“He’s only just entered his second year, yet these baseline figures are already at senior‑year level.” “No wonder the higher‑ups value his seed; it must tie to the newest fertility‑bank initiative.”

Haohan knew that ever since Oasis Group’s breakthrough in ex‑vivo cultivation, Red Tower Livestock’s traditional livestock and breeding markets had been shrinking.

To reverse the trend, Red Tower began liquidating assets while embarking on a transformation.

The new focus: customized breeding markets and bloodline development.

In Haohan’s eyes, Zhang Yu appeared to be a prime specimen, one that could boost the success rate of Red Tower’s pivot.

He then discussed the specifics of a seed transaction with the other party.

But shortly after, he frowned, “You only want to sell research rights, not breeding rights?”

Seeing Zhang Yu nod, Haohan replied, “Selling only research rights won’t fetch a high price. Honestly, at best we could offer you a few hundred thousand.”

“With talent like yours, countless buyers would clamor to breed your bloodline; the profit margin would be substantial…”

Just as Haohan was persuading him, Fu Ji whispered in Zhang Yu’s mind, “Don’t agree to sell breeding rights; we’re only here for pocket money.”

“As for breeding your bloodline, it may bring a hefty sum now, but if you later ascend to the upper echelons of Kun‑Xū, having descendants becomes a liability—opponents could exploit the causal ties, even wield techniques based on your lineage.”

“Thinking long‑term, it’s wiser not to have offspring yet.”

Zhang Yu had long heard Fu Ji’s cautions, and he did not relent in the face of Haohan’s entreaties.

Just as Haohan was gathering his thoughts on how to proceed, his phone rang.

Zhang Yu watched as Haohan’s body tensed, his head bobbing in a series of rapid bows, until finally he hung up with a deferential smile.

Haohan, looking surprised, turned to Zhang Yu and said, “A high‑ranking figure is very interested in you and wishes to speak with you personally.”

Guided by Haohan, Zhang Yu followed the attendant to the 333rd floor of the Red Tower, stopping before a massive golden door.

Haohan swallowed, a mix of anticipation and dread in his gaze, and said, “You go in; I’m not cleared to enter, so I’ll wait outside.”

Zhang Yu pushed the door open and stepped through.

Inside, the first sight was a tunnel that resembled an aquarium’s underwater passage.

Above, a colossal artificial seawater tank stretched beyond sight, teeming with marine creatures both familiar and alien to Zhang Yu.

He even saw numerous demon‑fish adorned with dragon scales and horns.

Zhang Yu walked forward for dozens of meters until he arrived at a vast office.

Behind the office, a whale glided slowly in the water, separated from him by a pane of glass.

A three‑meter‑tall silhouette turned its back to Zhang Yu, watching a whale glide, and said, “The office environment here isn’t bad, is it?”

“Whenever I finish a weighty decision, I like to come here and feel the ocean’s tranquility.”

The other turned, revealing a beautiful face that was neither wholly male nor wholly female.

A few delicate dragon scales on the skin did not diminish the beauty; instead they served as ornaments, adding an air of mystery.

A pair of dragon horns on the forehead radiated a fierce aura, causing Zhang Yu to unconsciously hold his breath.

Though this ‘dragon‑person’ stood three meters tall, he was not as hulking as Song Hailong or Zhao Tianxing; his build was closer to that of an ordinary human, draped casually in a flowing black‑gold robe that exuded elegance and nobility.

At that moment the ‘dragon‑person’ smiled at Zhang Yu and, slowly, said, “Zhang Yu, I like you. Would you be interested in becoming my adopted son?”

Zhang Yu blinked in surprise and, startled, replied, “You are… the Black Dragon director from Hongta High? The father of those demon‑descended?”

A thought of trouble flickered through Zhang Yu’s mind; he had not expected that selling a single seed would attract the attention of such a figure.

The dragon director regarded Zhang Yu as if he were a premium seed, certain to yield considerable profit in Hongta Pastoral’s forthcoming transformation plan.

In truth, Hongta’s current corporate overhaul was driven not only by the influence of Oasis Group but also by the directors’ own forecasts of the future.

From the dragon director’s perspective, the great clans of Kunxu’s first tier have, over the years, seized every position, embedding their monopoly into every facet of the first tier.

“ In the world to come there will be no place for common folk, or rather, the common folk of the future will only be the fallen branches of the great clans.”

“ The various great clans are the greatest market.”

“ As the clans monopolize, the commoners gradually withdraw from competition, and what follows is the fierce struggle among the clans themselves.”

“ Thus, at that juncture, the potential of the descendants’ immortal path becomes exceedingly vital.”

“ Every clan across the lands will increasingly value blood‑line alteration, reproduction, and the strengthening of innate talents in their offspring.”

“ I have heard that in Xiandu, a clan has already begun to remodel its descendants’ bloodlines using the immortal path.”

(End of chapter)