Fleet Admiral Patriarch.

At the top floor of the renowned Moon Dew Restaurant, all the influential leaders of Serene Jade City gathered before a young man. "Respected Su Jin, please, we need your assistance!" pleaded the city's mayor, an elderly figure.

The Young Man, Su Jin ignored the plea of the old man and casually sipped his tea. He still can't get accustomed to tea as a coffee lover but that's the best this world has to offer for him now so far.

The others present, adorned in luxurious robes, kept their heads bowed in respect as Su Jin enjoyed his tea. However, one figure stood out among them—a man clad in Martial Armor, gripping a sword tightly, his gaze fixed on Su Jin with thinly veiled disdain.

Among the entourage of middle-aged men, there was also a young woman whose expression was filled with complexity, though she refrained from openly showing her displeasure towards Su Jin.

"Mayor Yi Nang, you sound like I am asking for a ransom, you are making me look like a villain in Serene Jade City. Did I ever say I would not help? Didn't I come to you with an offer earlier which you all rejected? You all laughed at my products, calling me a scammer."

Mayor Yi Nang nodded frantically, his eyes filled with guilt.

"It was solely my mistake to not recognize the value of you, your words and your timely offer to resolve the siege of our City is under right now, I was blind, please punish me but please help the city."

"Mayor Su Jin, you still sound like I am holding something hostage here and demanding ransom from you."

He sipped the tea again.

"This is a mere transaction, please honor my current offer and I will deliver the weapons immediately."

"Respected Su Jin, we have already accepted your offer, and we are willing to pay, it's just this, we are short on Spirit Stones."

"Then I have nothing to offer, end of the discussion, let none here believe that I am the villain here, I am just a merchant passing by and offered his help but in return, I was humiliated, however, still I am willing to do transaction but with a slight change in the initial offer, the initial asking price I offered, which you all rejected was filled with the respect for this city…but, now, I am asking what I deserve."

Everyone looked here and there with guilt and regret, some even had a blaming gaze at the young woman with them.

"Please hurry before I leave."

"You're not going anywhere," came the stern voice of the Martial Armored one, his tone carrying a clear threat.

"And what if I do anyway, Commander Fang?" Su Jin liked the threatening tone of this Martial Warrior as if he wanted him to take action.

A whizzing mechanical sound buzzed behind Su Jin and a dark shadow emerged with a dark hat hiding its face. A slow hum echoed in the room as if something was channeling a massive amount of power.

Everyone felt a killing intent as the shadow stood behind Su Jin. The Commander Fang gripped his sword but still, he felt a doubt inside him against this adversary.

"How can you be certain that your weapons are even of quality and requirements?" Commander Fang seeing force would be not optimal, he questioned Su Jin's product.

Suddenly, a sword came flying out of nowhere and landed with a clank on the table in front of everyone.

"Appraise it yourself," Su Jin calmly dared them. One of the individuals stepped forward from the group, appearing to possess sufficient knowledge of smithing.

He picked up the sword, noting its unconventional design—shorter, wider, and thicker than the standard military-issue swords. Examining it closely, he kept his expression neutral, betraying no hint of his thoughts or impressions. 

Casting a brief glance back at Mayor Yi Nang, he nodded in acknowledgment, silently accepting the weapon without a word.

"It's perfect, but your condition of purchasing the whole set of armor along with the required sword, not to mention the minimum of 10 thousand set in comparison to our requirement of only three thousand with a premium price..." Mayor Yi Nang voiced his concern, glancing around at the hesitant faces of the others gathered.

"Think of it as my professional integrity," Su Jin responded firmly. 

"This package ensures the best results for your needs. If you're using my products, then I want you all to have the overall advantage and reap its benefits. Additionally, I need to make ends meet, and anything below 10 thousand is simply not acceptable. I am not some street vendor..."

Despite Su Jin's explanation, uncertainty lingered among the group, reluctant to commit to the full package.

"Please make your decision," Su Jin urged, taking another sip and draining his cup.

Mayor Yi Nang, recognizing the urgency, hastily conferred with the group. Despite the numerous grumbles and expressions of discontent, they eventually exchanged several spatial rings.

"We accept your terms," Mayor Yi Nang conceded, reluctantly presenting a single ring with a gesture of respect.

Su Jin accepted the ring, and after a brief moment, a smile spread across his face.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Su Jin replied, returning the ring to Mayor Yi Nang. Confusion spread through the group as the mayor reclaimed the ring.

Mayor Yi Nang inspected the ring once more, and his eyes widened in satisfaction. Without delay, he passed it on to Commander Nang, who reacted with evident shock after checking the content of the ring.

The Spatial Ring was now filled with Ten-Thousand Armor Sets and Ten-Thousand Swords. Curiously, none of them had witnessed Su Jin channeling his cultivation base during the transaction, nor did they sense any trace of his power.

Being cultivators themselves, they instinctively understood that they had narrowly avoided the wrath of a genius. They hoped that their transaction and show of sincerity would be enough to appease Su Jin and avoid any potential future consequences.

"Respected Su Jin, we shall take our leave as well," Mayor Yi Nang announced hurriedly, following Commander Nang out of the room, leaving only the young woman behind with Su Jin.

"Why are you still here?" Su Jin inquired, tapping the table lightly. A waiter promptly appeared from the back, replenishing their tea and setting out some snacks.

He resumed sipping tea and still made a facial expression of not liking this bland watery taste at all, he really misses a strong cup of dark joe.

The young woman tried to avoid glaring at Su Jin.

"You're wicked and evil, preying on the vulnerabilities of ordinary people," she spat.

"I won't debate morality with you. You're free to leave; your presence only adds to the distaste of this bland tea," Su Jin retorted calmly.

She gritted her teeth but didn't leave.

"The transaction is over, I don't need anything else." Hearing again he did not want her, she stomped her feet and left.

"R1? Should I have asked for more?" He asked while tilting his head slightly backward.

However, no answer came.

"If only you could have talked." He sighed. "So lonely, in this new world. I don't know why I stand out so much, not a soul to share my heart with."

He really felt out of place in this world. He would have given up if he didn't have his 'System' to help him out.

__________

Meanwhile, Commander Nang surveyed a dummy statue, now adorned with the new shiny silver armor provided by Su Jin. "We are ready, Commander," a soldier announced confidently.

All eyes turned to the gleaming silver armor under noon sun, its dark underlying soft padding creating a striking visual. 

The news of Mayor Yi Nang and other affluent leaders of Serene Jade City purchasing this armor set, along with swords, had spread throughout the entire barracks, sparking a sense of anticipation and readiness among the soldiers.

In contrast to their usual armor, which only covered the upper body and head, this armor provided full-body protection, including boots, gauntlets, and arm guards.

However, they had only equipped the chest piece on the dummy.

"Let's put it to the test," Commander Fang ordered.

One of the soldiers nearby swiftly channeled his cultivation base, his sword glowing brightly as he swung with full force, aiming for the chest armor.

*THWAK*

The sword struck, emitting a bright spark as it slid across the surface of the armor. Instead of denting or piercing the shiny silver surface, the strike simply slid off, as if it had encountered a slippery barrier.

"This... Is this Master Ranked Armor? Are you sure, Commander, this is for us?" one soldier asked incredulously.

Commander Fang was torn. On one hand, he hoped the armor would fail, exposing Su Jin as a scammer. On the other hand, his men desperately needed armor to defend the city.

"Yes, this is all for you," he reluctantly confirmed.

The soldiers erupted with joy, quickly selecting armor pieces that fit their sizes.

"Look, it has these markings for sizes too…" 

Everyone scrambled to select their sizes and armor, while Commander Fang examined the sword.

"If the armor is Master Ranked, then is this sword also Master Ranked?" he wondered aloud. In one hand, he held his own old sword, a Master Ranked family heirloom. On the other hand, he grasped the new, shorter, thicker, and wider sword provided by Su Jin.