"Oh?" Zhu Ziyang chuckled with interest, glancing at Tang Ya. "And what sort of big business are we talking about?"
Everyone found their seats. Jiang Nannan, of course, claimed the spot beside Zhu Ziyang. Qian Lingyi and Wu Huan'er sat on either side of Jiang Nannan and Ma Xiaotao, while Tang Ya and Bei Bei sat on the east end of the table. Huo Yuhao took a solitary seat on the west.
"Hehe, well, it's actually not my credit—it's all Yuhao's work!" Tang Ya said cheerfully at Zhu Ziyang's question, immediately pointing a playful finger at Huo Yuhao.
"Oh?" Zhu Ziyang turned toward the young man with an intrigued smile. "Yuhao, let's hear it."
"Yes, sir!" Huo Yuhao's face was lit with confidence and excitement, his tone slightly elevated with pride. "We've actually developed a new soul tool with tremendous destructive power. Teacher Tang Ya and Senior Brother Bei Bei thought it would be a good idea to sell it to the Academy, so we came to discuss it…"
Huo Yuhao trailed off halfway, but Zhu Ziyang had already understood their purpose. Looking at Tang Ya's hopeful eyes, Bei Bei's nervous expression, and Yuhao's awkward tension, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Hah." After laughing softly, Zhu Ziyang sighed with good humor. "Alright, let's see this soul tool of yours first. You can't sell something before the buyer has inspected the goods, right?"
"Perfect!" Tang Ya jumped up, thrilled. "Yuhao, quick—bring out the Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannon! Let Ziyang see the glorious fusion of Tang Sect hidden weaponry and modern soul tool technology!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Huo Yuhao's own excitement flared. With a wave of his hand, a large metallic object appeared before everyone.
It was an oddly shaped soul tool, occupying nearly ten square meters of space. Its base was a massive square of metal—the largest single component—fitted with tracks that suggested it could move, though even at a glance, one could tell it was incredibly heavy.
Above the base stood a thick cylindrical core that connected the foundation to a long rectangular metal block on top. The upper section was about two and a half meters long and one and a half meters wide, its surface flat and sleek. Eighteen pitch-black apertures lined its front face—barrels or launchers, perhaps.
This was the full appearance of the Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannon, as Tang Ya had called it. To be blunt, it looked like a giant black metal box—strange and inelegant, with no trace of beauty or artistry.
Zhu Ziyang studied it thoughtfully. Huo Yuhao, however, gazed at it with pure affection, like a proud father admiring his newborn child. It was clear that he was immensely pleased with his creation. His eyes, bright with hope and tension, turned expectantly toward Zhu Ziyang.
He was waiting for his teacher's approval.
"Yuhao, why don't you introduce your Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannon?" Zhu Ziyang said at last, smiling lightly at the boy's eagerness.
"Yes!" Huo Yuhao straightened, his eyes shining with excitement. "The Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannon is a Class Four fixed-mounted soul tool. Although it's officially rated as Class Four, its firing range is comparable to that of a Class Six fixed-mounted soul cannon!
"It can operate in multiple firing modes—single-shot or rapid-fire. At maximum output, it can launch forty-eight soul cannon shells at once. The cannon itself carries forty-eight shells internally; the base beneath serves as an ammunition chamber. Only when all shells have been fired can it be reloaded again."
As he spoke, Huo Yuhao personally demonstrated the weapon's functions. To everyone's surprise, each of the forty-eight shells was of a unique design—custom-made, finely crafted, and clearly well thought out. Zhu Ziyang raised an eyebrow in approval.
This boy had a real head for business.
"These shells are specially designed," Huo Yuhao continued proudly. "I call them Class Four Fixed-Mount Soul Cannon Shells. Their power rivals that of ordinary Class Five shells—but they're exclusive to the Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannon!
"Also, the base beneath is equipped with two caterpillar tracks, which allow the cannon to move. That makes it far more flexible than the standard fixed-mounted soul cannon!"
"Senior Brother, what do you think?"
When he finished, Huo Yuhao looked at Zhu Ziyang with eyes shining like a child awaiting praise.
"Not bad," Zhu Ziyang said with a warm smile, giving an approving nod. "A Class Four fixed-mounted soul tool, meaning all materials used were below Class Five, correct?"
"Yes!" Huo Yuhao replied immediately, face glowing with pride. "The most valuable component is the cannon barrel itself, made from a rare metal called Irontitanium Alloy. It just barely qualifies as a Class Five material."
"As I thought." Zhu Ziyang smiled, satisfaction glinting in his eyes. He reached out to pat Huo Yuhao's shoulder. "Yuhao, you've truly lived up to your teacher's expectations. A Class Four fixed-mounted soul tool—this is a barrier even the Sun Moon Empire hasn't yet broken.
"This marks the first time our Shrek Academy has developed soul tool technology ahead of them. Excellent work!"
The praise made Huo Yuhao feel as though celestial music was ringing in his ears. His youthful face flushed with excitement.
Tang Ya, too, was beaming proudly, her beautiful face glowing with joy. Bei Bei seemed about to speak but stopped himself. Watching the excitement on the faces of Tang Ya and Huo Yuhao, he sighed inwardly.
So be it, he thought. The Tang Sect and Shrek Academy are bound together—one cannot prosper without the other.
"Hehe, so what do you think, Ziyang?" Tang Ya grinned mischievously. "Want to buy a few and mount them on Shrek City's walls?"
"Haha," Zhu Ziyang laughed aloud. "Are you sure you want me to answer that?"
"Uh…" Tang Ya froze, then waved her hands quickly. "Never mind—pretend I didn't say that!"
Zhu Ziyang chuckled, shaking his head. Bei Bei stepped in smoothly, saying, "Ziyang, of course, we wouldn't dream of making the Academy pay. But the Tang Sect does need funds to grow. We were hoping you could help introduce us to some clients."
"Ah, I thought as much." Zhu Ziyang's expression said he had expected this. "I can connect you with representatives from the Star Luo and Heavenly Soul Empires. But you'll have to handle the negotiations yourselves. After all, we can't let outsiders think the Tang Sect is just Shrek's subordinate branch."
"Really? That's wonderful! Thank you, Ziyang!" Tang Ya exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement. "Wahaha! Businesswoman Tang Ya is ready for action!"
Her exaggerated theatrics made Bei Bei's face darken, while Zhu Ziyang, Jiang Nannan, Ma Xiaotao, and the others couldn't help but laugh.
"Alright," Zhu Ziyang said with a smile, "go get some rest. At the latest, you'll hear from the Star Luo and Heavenly Soul empires within two days."
Indeed, those two nations were under immense military pressure. The Zhuge Divine Crossbow Cannon could very well ease some of that strain.
Even if it was just a drop in the ocean, for a drowning man, even a single straw was worth grasping.
"Mm!" Tang Ya and her companions nodded eagerly, spirits high as they left the room.
The cannon, of course, was left behind—after all, a good sales pitch always needed a sample product.
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