Chapter 54: Contribution and the Darkness Under the Lamp It is still the pavilion in the center of the lake. Tao Tie met Chu Mingtu and Du Bo who came together. "I am Chu Ri..." After entering the pavilion, Chu Mingtu immediately bowed and greeted. But as soon as he lowered his head, he saw the ivory dragon paperweight on the stone table and was suddenly speechless. He had forced himself to forget about it. I didn't expect to see it again on this occasion and in this way! This…… For a moment, Chu Mingtu had mixed feelings and complicated emotions, and he didn't know what to say. He even forgot to continue the greeting that had already begun.

Fortunately, Tao Tie did not take it as an offense, but said apologetically: "Mr. Chu, it's not that I don't care about your feelings, but just now Miss Mo of the Shahe Gang asked the county literary scholar Tan Jinxuan to give me this item. I haven't touched it yet, so I just put it here." These words contain a lot of green tea. It not only shows that Tao Tie has never touched the ivory dragon paperweight, but also directly points out the reason why the ivory dragon paperweight appears here. He also pointed out clearly that the only man known to have touched the ivory dragon paperweight, besides Chu Mingtu himself, was Tan Jinxuan! Why did Tao Tie do this? Of course, it’s to follow my own wishes. For this thing, Mo Yuhan and Tan Jinxuan can buy it if they want, or give it to me if they want? Who do you think Tao Tie is? Whatever they did with it, whatever happened to them, Regardless of whether they have any thoughts that they are unwilling to continue holding, No matter how much money you can get from selling it, Tao Tie felt a little unhappy after all. Besides, Tao Tieben had no intention of meeting Tan Jinxuan. Because he knew that Tan Jinxuan was a bit demonic, and if he really met him, nothing good would happen! However, when Tan Jinxuan sent his request for a meeting through the gatehouse, he specifically stated that he had definitely become the inspector of the Class A squad of the Immortal God Division of Liuxian County. Considering that he wanted to do a good job as the deputy squad leader of the A squad of the Immortal God Division in Liuxian County, and that he needed to unite his subordinates without letting the unconventional instructor Huang, who strongly supported him, make things difficult for him, Tao Tiefang reluctantly agreed to meet with Tan Jinxuan. As expected, this encounter did not turn out well, and the blame was thrown at him. Even though Tao Tie knew that Mo Yuhan most likely genuinely wanted to apologize, and Tan Jinxuan was also thinking of taking the opportunity to please his boss, the two of them were not intent on taking advantage of him, Tao Tie. This ivory dragon paperweight, a piece of "Wenxin Diaolong" Haoran artifact, is actually a good thing, except that it makes him feel uncomfortable due to his obsessive-compulsive disorder! But if you are unhappy, you are unhappy, and you can't fool yourself. Since this is the case, of course I have to vent it out. No matter whether it was useful or not, or whether it could tarnish Tan Jinxuan's reputation, Tao Tie would feel much better after making up some stories about Tan Jinxuan in front of Chu Mingtu. Taking a deep breath and calming himself, Chu Mingtu followed up on Tao Tie's words and said, "Mr. Tao, your words are too serious. It's okay, it's okay..."

Tao Tie smiled faintly and said, "I wonder if Mr. Chu knows that this ivory dragon paperweight is a 'Wen Xin Diao Long' Haoran artifact, which is of great use to Confucianism. Mr. Chu sold it for four hundred taels of silver the day before yesterday, and he really lost a lot." "Really? Forgive my ignorance." Chu Mingtu understood the elegant meaning from the sound of the strings, and understood what Tao Tie meant without saying it directly. His face twitched, but he replied in this way, politely refusing. Having been doing business abroad for many years, Chu Mingtu has abundant knowledge and experience, and naturally knows the value of Haoran ware, especially the "Wenxin Diaolong" Haoran ware. If the other item is a Haoran weapon, he would be very interested in buying it back. Because it's profitable. But this ivory dragon paperweight in front of me... It’s really hard to describe. Tao Tie seemed not to notice Chu Mingtu's awkwardness, and simply said bluntly: "I am not a Confucian cultivator. No matter how good the Haoran weapon is, it is of no use to me. So, I will sell it to Mr. Chu for 40 taels of gold. As for whether Mr. Chu wants to sell it for 100 taels of gold, 200 taels of gold, or even more, I don't care." After a pause, Tao Tieyu asked in a negotiating tone: "What do you think of my proposal, Mr. Chu?" Chu Mingtu's face couldn't help but twitch a few more times, the amplitude a little bigger than before. He has already politely declined! Why do we need to state it so clearly? Fortunately, Chu Mingtu was good at cultivating his Qi, and he had something to ask of Tao Tie, so he quickly calmed down and replied in the calmest tone possible: "Mr. Tao's suggestion is of course excellent." Chu Mingtu seemed to think seriously for a moment and made a decision: "But I can't let Mr. Tao suffer a loss. So, I will take this Haoran weapon from Mr. Tao for sixty taels of gold." "No!" Tao Tie immediately raised his right hand, denying Chu Mingtu's words, and firmly stated his attitude, "Forty taels of gold, not one tael more." To be honest, Chu Mingtu was quite surprised. However, he also knew that although the Missionary Academy was only an external Taoist system, it was still a Taoist practice for people who practiced Taoism, and they valued being content and sincere. Tao Tie insisted that he only wanted forty taels of gold, and that really meant he only wanted forty taels of gold. Instead of retreating in order to advance, he felt that the offer of sixty taels of gold was too low and took the opportunity to ask for eighty or one hundred taels of gold! In that case, what else is there to say? "Listen to Mr. Tao." Chu Mingtu agreed promptly. Then he decided to pay for the 40 taels of gold himself and not use the bank's account. After bringing this ivory dragon paperweight home, I buried it directly. This "Wenxin Diaolong" Haoran artifact will never be allowed to circulate again! No matter how huge the profit is! Tao Tie naturally had no idea what was going on in Chu Mingtu's heart. He successfully completed the deal, passed the "pot" on, and got forty taels of gold. He was very happy. With a gentle wave of his right hand, a breeze blew.

The ivory dragon paperweight on the stone bench flew into Chu Mingtu's arms with the wind. Before Chu Mingtu could say anything, Tao Tie took the initiative to change the subject: "Mr. Chu and Uncle Du came to see me early in the morning, there must be something going on. No matter what it is, please speak frankly to Mr. Chu and Uncle Du, and don't worry about anything." After saying this, Tao Tie pretended to be listening attentively. Chu Mingtu subconsciously took the ivory dragon paperweight and wiped it carefully on his clothes. Hearing this, he simply said without beating around the bush: "Mr. Tao, I am sorry to ask to see you so early in the morning, but it is actually just for one thing. I and a few brothers of Chu have jointly opened a business, and we want to register it under Mr. Tao's name. I hope Mr. Tao will not despise our business because it is not big enough and consider it. As for the offerings..." After a pause, Chu Mingtu put the ivory dragon paperweight into his arms and said solemnly: "As for the offering, Chu and a few brothers are willing to donate 20% of the gross profit of the business every year! If there is anything involving Mr. Tao, and Mr. Tao needs to come forward to settle it, we will add another half of the gross profit!" With a gross profit of 20% per year, considering the business scale of the company led by Chu Mingtu, it is roughly around 500 taels of gold! Just by registering it under your name and without doing anything, you can get 500 taels of gold. It is definitely a good deal. No, it's not just a good deal. Considering Tao Tie’s current net worth, it should be said that it is a sky-high price! For Chu Mingtu and his brothers, they took out the bulk of the profits they earned from hard work in business and offered them to Tao Tie! Pure Shen Yishi behavior! I don’t know what Chu Mingtu and his brothers are planning. However, although Tao Tie was very tempted, he did not agree rashly, but just smiled. Then he looked at Du Bo who had not seen him since he entered the pavilion, and asked with concern: "Du Bo, have you settled down?" Chu Mingtu frowned slightly, but soon relaxed. Du Bo was flattered and quickly replied, "I'm settled. Thank you Mr. Tao for your concern. Thank you Mr. Tao for your concern." Tao Tie still smiled and said, "Du Bo, you're welcome." He immediately changed the subject and asked, "I wonder why Du Bo came to see me?" "Oh." Du Bo scratched his head and replied hesitantly, "Mr. Chu invited me here. He said I could apply to become your butler, Mr. Tao." Scratching his head, Du Bo smiled in annoyance and said, "I am a country hunter, how can I know what a housekeeper should do? But what Mr. Chu said is right. After all, I don't want to live a mediocre life like this, so I thought of trying my luck, just in case Mr. Tao agrees. Right?" In just a few words, Du Bo, who was usually taciturn, uncommunicative and of few words, made his thoughts clear. He also "sold" Chu Mingtu by the way. I don't know whether he did it intentionally or unintentionally. Chu Mingtu was not angry about this, and Tao Tie didn't care about it either. Intentional or unintentional, does it matter? unimportant. Not important at all. The most important thing right now is whether Tao Tie will accept Chu Mingtu's proposal of affiliation and let Du Bo be his steward. What does Tao Tie think about this? No one will be refused! But don't agree too easily. With a slight smile on his face, Tao Tie said, "Mr. Chu, you are so eager to give me money, I am naturally happy and there is no reason to refuse. So, Mr. Chu, please wait for a few days. I will finish the things at hand first, and then find someone to do a background check to make sure that Mr. Chu and your company have not caused any troubles that I cannot solve, or people that I cannot deal with. Then we will sign the affiliation contract under the witness of the county government. What do you think?" "No problem, I'll listen to Mr. Tao." After hearing Tao Tie's words, Chu Mingtu agreed without any hesitation.

This is the proper meaning of the title. If Tao Tie did nothing and agreed directly, Chu Mingtu would feel that there was something wrong with his judgment of people. Then, without Tao Tie's order to expel him, Chu Mingtu took the initiative to say, "Mr. Tao, I will not bother you any further. The forty taels of gold will be transferred to your account soon. My brothers and I look forward to hearing from you." After saying this, Chu Mingtu bowed again, turned around, walked out of the pavilion, and left the missionary house. This leaves Tao Tie and Du Bo with a relatively private space for conversation. This action was extremely decisive and efficient, without any delay. It seemed that Chu Mingtu's special trip to invite Du Bo to come along was a waste of time and effort. However, no matter what, Tao Tie and Du Bo were the only ones left in the pavilion in the middle of the lake. Du Bo was taciturn, not good at speaking, depressed and silent. Tao Tie had a smile on his face, but he didn't say anything. The atmosphere in the pavilion suddenly became silent and a little strange. It was in this somewhat strange atmosphere that Tao Tie's mind was racing like lightning, with many thoughts surging in his mind. Why should he consider accepting Chu Mingtumao’s rash proposal of affiliation? He went there not only for the huge sum of money he could "get without any effort", but also because his identity had suddenly changed. After receiving the badge of deputy squad leader of the Liuxian County Immortal God Division Class A Patrol given by instructor Huang Junshi, Tao Tie was no longer a "lonely man" or a casual cultivator. But as a member of the system and a small "leader" at that, he cannot avoid doing things to win people's hearts. There is one more place to spend money. It would be inappropriate to continue to act according to the previously set strategy and accumulate money by completing monster hunting missions. Even if Chu Mingtu had not offered his contribution, Tao Tie would have taken the initiative to look for similar sources of funds. This is what is called increasing revenue and reducing expenditure. As for the story between Du Bo and the housekeeper, there are other considerations. Firstly, after officially taking up the post of deputy squad leader of the A-class patrol squad of the Immortal God Division of Liuxian County, although Tao Tie still preferred to continue living in the cave in the missionary academy, he should also have a mansion in the urban area for people to find easily. If you own a mansion, you don't need servants to serve you, but a doorman is essential. Secondly, Du Bo had a relationship with the mountain ghost of the Eight Immortals Mountain, and the mountain ghost girl asked Tao Tie to take care of Du Bo in exchange for a wisp of "earth" energy. What's more, the background of the mountain ghost girl seems to be very hard. The Celestial Empire specially reserved for her the position of mountain god of the Eight Immortals Mountain. Taoist Yu Fan, who came from the famous Yu family of Cangyun Prefecture and was the local god of the Eight Immortals, had been seeking it for many years but could not get it! In this case, it would be a good thing to let Du Bo be the steward of the city mansion. The premise is that what Du Bo asked for is not excessive! Thinking this in his heart, Tao Tie broke the silence and asked bluntly: "Du Bo, what do you want?" "what?"

Du Bo was speechless and seemed not to understand what Tao Tie was asking. Tao Tie lowered his voice and asked again: "Du Bo, what do you want?" This time, Du Bo did not hesitate, but asked, "Mr. Tao, I heard that you worked as a porter at the dock before entering the missionary school, is that right?" "Yes." Tao Tie nodded and did not avoid the matter. Du Bo then asked: "Then why didn't Mr. Tao take the fifteen taels of silver, marry a wife, and live a peaceful life?" Tao Tie immediately understood Du Bo's thoughts after hearing this. He smiled and said, "Du Bo, when I buy the house, you will be my housekeeper. But I want to make it clear that although I call you a housekeeper, I am actually doing the work of a concierge." Dubernana replied: "I will listen to you, sir." "it is good." Tao Tie was very satisfied with Du Bo's answer and the title, but he didn't intend to say anything more. Du Bo understood immediately, bowed, and left the pavilion. Based on this insight alone, who would dare to say that Du Bo doesn't know how to be a good butler? Looking at Du Bo's departing back, Tao Tie felt thoughtful. He seemed to see the older version of himself who had just traveled to this world. If a person has no dreams, what is the difference between him and a salted fish? "Ah……" Suddenly, Tao Tie shook his head and smiled, not wanting to deceive himself with dreams and feelings. Be direct with yourself. He took in Du Bo as his butler just to further establish a relationship with the mountain ghost girl who seemed to have a strong background! Since it is so utilitarian, just do it better and more thoroughly so that no one can find fault with it. Doesn't Du Bo have a restless heart hidden under his dull appearance? Isn’t Du Bo over fifty years old, and still “dreaming” of embarking on the path of spiritual practice? The possibility of practicing Taoism and Buddhism is not great, and the same is true for practicing Confucianism. Considering the close relationship between Du Bo and the Mountain Ghost Girl, when the Mountain Ghost Girl is conferred an imperial title by the Heavenly Dynasty and officially becomes the mountain god of the Eight Immortals Mountain, perhaps she will be able to follow the path of a witch. But who can be sure that the mountain ghost girl will definitely be granted an imperial title by the Celestial Empire? In this case, I can only try the path of martial arts again. It just so happened that Tao Tie had a set of yellow-grade top-grade martial arts skills called "Xingyiquan" that he got from Mo Yuhan of the Shahe Gang. It is very appropriate to teach it to Du Bo. As for whether Du Bo can succeed in practicing it, that is Du Bo's own business. Tao Tie could only promise that he had done his best. Thinking of this, Tao Tie took out the inheritance jade slip of "Xingyiquan" from his storage bag and probed his spiritual consciousness into it. First receive the content of the technique, then comprehend the true meaning of martial arts, and finally trigger [Knowledge of All Things]. Then she put on a mask of pain, complaining like Xianglin Sao: "I'm so stupid, really!" (End of this chapter)