Chapter 229 - 185: It’s Not That We Won’t Pay, but We’ll Pay Later, Pay Slowly, and Pay Gradually

"Very well!" Mo Ban nodded, not the least bit worried Chu Bamboo would default on his debt.

With a light wave of his palm, the distant gates opened. The many chains binding the killer were flung through the air, smashing the killer through the gateway.

Then, Mo Ban got up unhurriedly, as lackadaisical as a retired old man. He started walking toward the Inner Sect, clearly preparing to leave. But after two steps, he inexplicably added, "Kid, if I recall correctly, you guys in that shantytown renovation area are planning some kind of education reform, aren’t you?"

Chu Bamboo narrowed his eyes. "I suppose so?"

He’d seen the meeting minutes before. He seemed to recall something about it.

It was mainly because the textbooks Chu Bamboo had plagiarized recorded the importance of universal education—it could practically be called the foundation for changing one’s Destiny and achieving a comprehensive rise. Those students were naturally deeply influenced!

In fact, Chu Bamboo had wanted to do it for a while, but... the conditions simply weren’t right back then! After all, he was the only one who could be a teacher... Even if he had picked clever and quick-witted children, most of whom could teach themselves, he still had to spend some of his energy guiding them...

Even now, the conditions weren’t perfect... ’But I can have this group of students I’ve trained teach in my stead. In that case, maybe it’s good to let them have a go at it? No matter what, studying and promoting education could never be wrong.’

"If you’ve really made up your mind, be careful!" Mo Ban said grimly. "Just as I said before, education is completely in the hands of Confucianism! Even for those village schools, the teachers must be bona fide Confucian disciples who have received approval from the Ministry of Rites! Only then can they be established."

Mo Ban paused, giving Chu Bamboo a deep look. "Not to mention, the things you’re teaching! You’ve completely abandoned the literary eight-legged essay... If you were to set up a few small tents and teach in secret, that would be one thing. But to do what your shantytown headquarters’ public announcement says... to open a school unique to the shantytown that only teaches science and not the humanities..."

Mo Ban didn’t continue, but his meaning was perfectly clear.

"...I understand." Chu Bamboo nodded calmly. He had actually been mentally prepared for this for a long time. ’There’s no avoiding offending the scholars...’

Scholars study the literary eight-legged essay to become officials. But the education the shantytown was going to implement was meant to change the entire shantytown’s Destiny... They could only go all-in on science!

Otherwise, where would they find enough official positions for the entire shantytown to fight over?

It had to be done! It was a must!

Even under immense pressure, facing endless hostility, it had to be done this way.

"...For my part, I’ll be waiting for you to change your mind!" Mo Ban’s meaning was clear. If Chu Bamboo became his disciple, he would help shoulder the pressure.

"Old Mo." Chu Bamboo raised an eyebrow, turning the tables. "I never would have guessed... you pay quite a bit of attention to me! So... was it really the first time you heard from Wall Announcements that I’d joined the Special Operations Brigade?"

"...I only knew you got the shantytown officially recognized! I really didn’t know about the Special Operations Brigade." Mo Ban rolled his eyes. "As for keeping an eye on the education you’re pushing... isn’t that normal? You came up with such powerful arithmetic... how could I not pay attention? It’s just... your textbooks are too well hidden! I haven’t been able to get my hands on them... When are you going to gift me a batch?"

"I’ll give them to you after the school opens!" Chu Bamboo said noncommittally.

"Then... this old man will be looking forward to it!"

"Mr. Chu, I’m afraid your weapon will take another two days!" Mo Wen said after watching his master leave. He breathed a slight sigh of relief, then his expression turned serious again. "I have something urgent to do tonight!"

"? What’s wrong? You look like you’re about to pick a fight." Chu Bamboo keenly sensed the killing intent rising from Mo Wen’s expression.

"It’s the Hai Family of Jinghai!" Mo Wen ground his teeth as he spoke of them. "We helped the Hai Family and just completed the... Hai Group Building... in the First District... But, damn it all, they’re claiming they’re short on funds! They told us to wait for our payment... How can they be so unreasonable!"

The more Mo Wen spoke, the angrier he got. "Today, if you all hadn’t come... we would have gone to collect the debt by force."

Chu Bamboo was stunned. "..."

’Is the Hai Family that bold? Daring to stiff Brother Tu Mu...’

Right! He quickly figured it out.

"So, it was a job from the Mortal World? Meaning, you can’t use supernatural powers to collect the debt?" Chu Bamboo glanced at him sideways.

"That’s right! But it doesn’t matter." Mo Wen swung the iron Hammer he always carried on his shoulder, his face turning savage. "Even if we can’t, we’ll still skin them alive! We’ll drag them to the Supreme Court for a trial and sentencing!"

"...That could be a bit troublesome." Chu Bamboo’s expression was subtle. Before Brother Tu Mu could ask, he added, "Because the Hai Family’s main focus is the Dali Temple... oh, no, in the First District it should be called the Supreme Court! So... that’s probably the source of their confidence in delaying your payment, right?"

’If Brother Tu Mu really did drag them over there... I’m afraid they’d be the ones putting him on trial first!’

The scene fell silent for a moment.

Mo Wen stared blankly. When he came to his senses, he started cursing, "Beasts! Absolute beasts! How can a family be so beastly? Damn it, they must have done this on purpose... Aren’t they afraid we won’t help them in the future? Bastards! How could even the Hai Family be like this... I’m going to skin them alive first!"

Mo Wen was genuinely furious. It was actually a common occurrence for the Moisture Teaching’s project fees to be delayed; they had encountered this sort of thing far too many times in the past.

But the problem was, this time, the Hai Family had made a promise. Considering the Hai Family was a major Jinghai family with a reputation to uphold, they had even lowered their price... And the result? The building is finished, and the other side just washes their hands of it?

When he saw the reply they’d given, he had almost stormed out with his Hammer. What the hell did they mean by: ’It’s not that we won’t pay, but that we’ll pay slowly, gradually, and little by little! We’ll pay one part first, then another part later, eventually achieving full payment!’

Listen to that! Is that something a human would say?!

"Senior Brother!" a woman in a tight-fitting uniform spoke up cautiously. "Really skin them alive... This... Master probably wouldn’t agree, would he?"

Mo Wen’s body stiffened, and he clenched his fists, unwilling to back down.

Immediately, another person stepped forward and said grimly, "It wasn’t easy for our Mechanical Moisture Teaching to enter Jinghai City! We even promised the Captain’s Office that we would double the amount of Ancient Relics we used to repair for free... Senior Brother, you can’t ruin this great situation! Otherwise... Master will probably have something to say about it. Of course, if you insist on doing things your way! There’s nothing I can do! But, if Master asks, I will answer truthfully."

’You want to get ahead and become the Eldest Senior Brother, is that it? How dare you fan the flames here? Is this my fault?!’ Mo Wen shot a vicious glare at his dear junior brother.

"How about this," Chu Bamboo added leisurely, "I can help you get in touch with Regent Lu Jin, but, about the previous price..."

Mo Wen fell into thought. "..."

"Fine." Mo Wen nodded honestly and hesitated for a moment. "In that case, I’ll waive my labor fee completely... but you still have to pay for the materials! That has to be recorded in the books... So, in the end, just give me twenty-five thousand Qian Coins..."

Zhang Hai: "..."

’This is why I feel that this group of civil engineers has ridiculously low emotional intelligence! Is money all that’s in their heads? Chu Bamboo only offered to make a connection, but for a favor like that, you should have found a way to cover that twenty-five thousand yourselves...’

It was just absurd! He tried to hold it in, but he couldn’t take it anymore and directly launched a fierce critique, "And here you were badmouthing our God Worship Sect before. Looking at you now, heh, you’re the real cheapskates..."

Zhang Hai spoke his mind, and for a moment, he felt incredibly refreshed.

"...Huh?!" Cold sweat broke out on Mo Wen’s forehead. He thought about it and realized it was true, but the problem was... ’It has to go through the accounts! There’s no way to write it off!!’

"Master, I also think Host Zhang has a point!" Wall Announcements whispered.

Mo Wen: "..."

Even his own disciple had stabbed him in the back! ’Could it be? Am I really that bad with people?’ Mo Wen began to have an existential crisis.

"...Alright, then, on my end! Then... it’ll be free." Mo Wen nodded in anguish.

With that one nod, the final funds... would be coming out of his personal account!

Never mind not getting the five-thousand-plus for his labor fee... he even had to front the twenty-five thousand for materials! Who could he possibly complain to?!

Thinking it over and over, Mo Wen, in his grief, locked onto the true culprit and ground his teeth... ’Hai Family, screw your mothers!’