Swallowed Star Volume 2 - Chapter 17: Negotiations

Volume 2 Chapter 17: Negotiations
Luo Feng’s heart skipped a beat.
In the fighter discussion board in the ‘Home of Limits’, there were many posts about grudges between fighters. For example, in China, fighters in the six major headquarters are under the government’s control and are subject to law! However, once they leave the city and enter the monsters’ area, there was no law to resolve anything.
That was a place where fighters and monsters fight, a place with no laws! The fighters all walked on the border between life and death, so cases where fighters kill each other over their conflicts are common.
All the large dojos, the government, etc. don’t want to see this kind of thing happen.
Fighters, are the wealth of humans!
They’re the only thing they have that can fight against monsters; they don’t want the fighters to have any internal feuds. So from this came the ‘Internal Negotiations’ which ‘settled’ the arguments. People have grudges, okay, let’s settle them at the table to end them. It’s another saying if there is absolutely no way to resolve them.
“Luo Feng, you’re still a rookie that just entered the circle of fighters. It’s best to not make any enemies” smiled chief instructor Wu Tong as he said, “You also need money right when you start”
“Okay”
Luo Feng nodded. If they can resolve it, then so be it, “Uncle Wu, I can’t let Zhang Hao Bai off easily! If I was weak, then my legs and arms would’ve been broken”
“But of course” nodded Wu Tong as he said, “if we don’t let them bleed, they might think my Dojo of Limits is afraid of them”
“Uncle Wu, what price do you think I should offer?” asked Luo Feng. He didn’t know the rules, so he thought it would be better to get some advice.
After pondering, Wu Tong said, “If it was just a regular person who messed with you, then you shouldn’t go past 50 million Chinese dollars! And Luo Feng, you are an elite of our Dojo of Limits, so you shouldn’t go too low either. No lower than 10 million Chinese dollars! Between 10 to 50 million, you can just randomly pick a number”
“Okay” Luo Feng nodded his head as he considered his choices.
“If you agree, then I’ll tell them to come over tonight to meet us” laughed Wu Tong.
“Okay, thanks uncle Wu” laughed Luo Feng as he nodded.
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Luo Feng first returned home to put his 《Nine Stage Thunder Blade》scroll away，and then entered the internal network ‘Home of Limits’ to try and find some information on private negotiations between fighters.
“Oh….. so it’s like this”
“Reputation also ties in with this payment money”
Luo Feng consecutively read many posts and finally felt that he had an idea about what tonight’s negotiations would be like.
“Feng, it’s time to eat” mother Gong Xin Lan’s voice came from downstairs.
“Coming, mom”
Luo Feng turned off the power and then headed downstairs.
In the living room downstairs, his father and mother were carrying the plates and bowls around while the maid cooked.
“Where’s Luo Hua?” asked Luo Feng doubtfully, “he still hasn’t returned?”. Right now, there are two hired maids, both around 40 years old. One of them was hired just to take care of Luo Hua, since it would be more convenient for Luo Feng: with someone looking over his brother, he can go outside more.
“Your brother is at the lotus flower lake park, he just called to tell us he’ll be here soon” said father Luo Hong Guo as he smiled.
“How come brother has been going to that park all the time these days?” asked Luo Feng.
Mother Gong Xin Lan laughed softly on the side: “Feng, your brother has a girlfriend”
“Girlfriend?” Luo Feng was surprised. Even though there were many handicapped people in society these days, for example the soldiers who fought in the army and came back crippled from fighting monsters…… although handicapped people can also get into relationships, marry, and have children, but Luo Hua hasn’t even been here for over a month yet.
In such a short time, in a relationship?
“Feng, don’t listen to your mother. Your brother is spending time with a girl, but they aren’t at that point yet” laughed Luo Hong Guo.
“Who cares, it’s good if he can get into a relationship” Luo Feng was happy inside. No matter what the result of this relationship is, it’s an experience of life. This experience is good for him.
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Yang Zhou city’s Yi-An* region, sky garden sector.
*TL note: If any of you actually still remember from vol. 1 ch. 14~15, I wrongfully wrote Zhi-An sector for the location of the sky garden sector (it’s supposed to be Yi-An. sorry about that)
“Uncle” Zhang Hao Bai looked at his uncle Zhang Ze Hu. Zhang Hao Bai went through these recent days in a state of fear and nervousness. He was even afraid that someone from the security agency will come and snatch him away.
“Hu, as long as we can keep Hao Bai, it’s ok if we go through some pain” Zhang Ze Long couldn’t help but to say.
“Bro, rest assured!” Zhang Ze Hu was very large and muscular and he gave off a feeling of an unrivaled, ferocious beast. Zhang Ze Hu grinned and showed his snow white teeth, “That little rabbit Luo Feng, just a rookie fighter! All he did was fight the weakest monsters raised by the military to become a fighter, he should know the rules! Those who shouldn’t have caused trouble, actually caused trouble….. hmph, messing with the Mountain Tiger* is asking for death!”
*TL note: This is basically his nickname which will be mentioned again later.
Seeing how his uncle was so confident, Zhang Ze Long and Zhang Hao Bai let out a sigh of relief.
“Alright, leave it to me, I’ll be going”
After waving, Zhang Ze Hu headed out.
Outside was a heavy, six-wheeled, remodeled hummer. There was even someone inside waving out and smiling as he shouted: “Brother Hu, ready?”
“Yup, go and pick up old Li and then we’ll head to the Dojo of Limits” Zhang Ze Hu got on the car and waved as he said.
“ALRIGHT!”
The hummer let out a low, powerful noise and swiftly left the sky garden sector.
Around evening, in Yang Zhou city’s Ming-Yue sector’s Limit Hall’s 2nd floor’s lobby, Luo Feng and his group were there.
“Feng, what a coincidence. Your uncle Kong and big brother Chen are here” laughed Wu Tong loudly. Luo Feng also greeted the two people beside Wu Tong. One of them seemed extremely skinny and had a scar on his face that looked like it cut his face in half. Just looking at him strikes fear in you.
The other man was a burly man who you could tell was enthusiastic just by looking at him.
“Brother Chen, uncle Kong” yelled Luo Feng.
These two people weren’t ordinary people. In the Limit Hall here in Yang-Zhou city, there were three warlord level fighters: Chief Instructor Wu Tong, ‘Fire Cannon’ Chen Gu, and ‘Hawk Blade’ Kong Quan. Wu Tong already retired from monster hunting, while ‘Fire Cannon’ Chen Gu and ‘Hawk Blade’ Kong Quan frequently leave the city to hunt monsters.
These two people were the leading figures in the circle of fighters in the Ming-Yue sector.
“Feng, we already know about the situation. Rest assured, we’ll stick out for you in this case!” laughed Fire Cannon Chen Gu, “Damn, no matter how cocky these Thunder Dojo people get, they won’t mess with us”
“Yes” Hawk Blade Kong Quan slightly nodded.
After a moment –
The people from the Dojo of Limits and the Thunder Dojo sat on their respective sides in the lobby. There were at least 20 people on the Dojo of Limits’ side while there were just 8 people on the Thunder Dojo’s.
“Wu Tong, in this case, it is indeed Hu’s nephew’s fault” a large brute laughed loudly as he said, “but that nephew is just a small child? What does he understand, and he’s just an ordinary person, not even a fighter, so no need to argue over such trivial things”
“Old Li, don’t bring in those pointless things” laughed Wu Tong as he shaked his head, “No matter how uncertain we are about this case, you guys came here to negotiate right? Mountain Tiger, say something”
Zhang Ze Hu, who is called “Mountain Tiger” in the circle of fighters, uses a gigantic two handed machete*.
*TL note: The first two characters for machete is 開山 and his nickname is 開山虎. Since there’s a character for mountain in it I just decided to call him Mountain Tiger (but now you see where his nickname comes from)
“Chief Instructor Wu” smiled Zhang Ze Hu as his gaze landed upon Luo Feng, “For this case, we should let little Luo explain it himself. Little Luo, how should we go about solving this case in a way that satisfies you?”
“Shut up”
‘Hawk Blade’ Kong Quan snapped, “Luo Feng is a good brother in our Dojo of Limits, Little Luo? He is qualified for you to call him by his name too”
Zhang Ze Hu panicked, Hawk Blade Kong Quan was a ruthless man in the circle of fighters, so even Zhang Ze Hu doesn’t want to anger him.
“Mr. Zhang Ze Hu” Luo Feng stood up and smiled, “This case made many of my brothers stand up for me, so I’m a bit embarrassed. But for my own thoughts….. hmph, that Zhang Hao Bai trying to break my arms and legs is a small matter, but he actually attacked my dad, and that is asking death!”
Luo Feng shouted as he glared.
Zhang Ze Hu was shocked and the fighters on the side of the Dojo of Limits laughed. This ‘Mountain Tiger’ Zhang Ze Hu was a senior fighter and is an advanced warrior, just one step away from the warlord level. Luo Feng actually dared to glare at him with such an attitude, which let the fighters on the side of the Dojo of Limits understand his courage!
“Hmph, Luo Feng, so what do you want to do? Speak!” Zhang Ze Hu wasn’t amused and had a bad face on.
Zhang Ze Hu’s anger? He really didn’t care about it. Just speaking about the present, Luo Feng’s body fitness level is already high for an intermediate warrior, so he’s nearing the ‘advanced warrior’ level. And with his spiritual force added in there, he’s already at least a ‘beginner warlord’ level.
“One phrase, 50 million Chinese dollars. I, Luo Feng, will give you some face, and we can call this case off” smiled Luo Feng.
“You sure have a huge mouth, 50 million!” glared Zhang Ze Hu.
“This price is high” frowned the Thunder Dojo’s chief instructor Li.
Luo Feng just smiled and said nothing.
“The price isn’t high” smiled the Dojo of Limits’ chief instructor Wu Tong.
“Luo Feng, I’ll give you a price, 5 milion! I’ll give you 5 million and we’ll call off this case and it’ll still leave me some face. Or else you aren’t giving me, Zhang Ze Hu, any face!” Zhang Ze Hu stared at Luo Feng.
5 million?
The people on the side of the Dojo of Limits frowned, even if you are trying to give some face to ‘Fire Cannon’ Chen Gu and ‘Hawk Blade’ Kong Quan, you shouldn’t offer such a low price. If the price is too low, you aren’t giving any face!
“Or else I’m not giving you any face?” Luo Feng glared, “Zhang Ze Hu, let me say something also. 50 million, no less. If you’re even one dollar off, then prepare to meet your nephew in the security agency!”