Chapter 75 Opening Chain Stores

"The boss seems quite open-minded, having such a beautiful waitress is a fortune indeed,"

the Wang Family Patriarch tried to insinuate familiarity.

"To tell the truth, Liangchen is face-blind and can't really tell who's beautiful and who's not. Liangchen chose Yan Yu as a waitress not because she's beautiful, for I truly don't know whether she is or not,"

Li Xiaobai said indifferently, with his hands behind his back.

Inside the bathhouse, the air was charged with tension, and the various family heads were somewhat confused. What kind of response was this?

The owner doesn't play by the rules!

"Has the boss ever considered expanding the operational scale? The current Tangneng First-Class is too small to satisfy the demands of the city's cultivators!"

the Li Family Patriarch continued to inquire. Their ultimate goal this time was to get their hands on the formula for Tangneng First-Class.

Having accurately described the miraculous effects of the bathhouse, and having experienced it firsthand, if they could control this resource,

amassing wealth and cultivating the pillars of their families would be a cinch.

"Of course, are the esteemed family heads interested in investing?" Li Xiaobai said with a chuckle.

"I believe Boss Ye has heard about the popularity of Xia Family First-Rate. Why not merge your bathhouse into Xia Family First-Rate? In the future, the profits of Xia Family First-Rate will be divided between Boss Ye and us, sixty-forty. How about it?"

Xia Jiuquan said bluntly.

"Xia Family First-Rate has already gone bankrupt, and you still want to ride on the coattails of my Tangneng First-Class?"

Li Xiaobai said with a strange look, infuriating Xia Jiuquan with his words.

"Tangneng First-Class has no formula. The enhancement of cultivation level is all thanks to my wholehearted dedication to serving the people. The water in this bathhouse is just ordinary water. If there's something you fancy, feel free to take it with you."

"If you really want to work together sincerely, then just invest directly in the shop,"

Li Xiaobai said, speaking the absolute truth. If discussing a formula, it could only be made personally by him.

"Boss Ye must be joking. This Tangneng First-Class is a blessing for the cultivators, a place that can benefit all the cultivators in the city. For the sake of the people, it should rightly be contributed,"

Xia Jiuquan said.

"Correct, it's about benefiting the entire city's populace, not just a matter for Boss Ye alone. It would be more secure to let us manage it together,"

"Yes, yes, if we run it together, a sixty-forty profit split is still a huge profit for you, Boss Ye."

"…"

The family heads clamored, each trying to persuade him.

Li Xiaobai was speechless. These people clearly wanted to snatch away the secret recipe of Tangneng First-Class, yet they also wanted to take the moral high ground, using the welfare of the people as an excuse to make him hand over the formula willingly.

They were exceedingly crafty.

"Didn't you hear Boss Ye say no? Just soak honestly in your baths, and scram when you're done, before you bring trouble upon yourselves,"

a few black-robed figures spoke faintly from a corner of the pool.

They were three Evil Cultivators who had been with Li Xiaobai all along. Ever since they found out Li Xiaobai knew Zhang Rui, they had changed their ways, serving him obediently with good words, and barely even dealing with the Xia Family anymore.

"Mr. Zuo, you guys..."

Xia Jiuquan was surprised, not expecting to encounter these old acquaintances.

"Boss Ye is our brother. Bullying him is bullying us. The rest is up to you!"

"Exactly! Get lost, quickly. Without any sincerity and spouting nothing but crap, even the beggars can't stand it,"

the straw-cloaked man also cursed and said.

"You are..."

Xia Jiuquan felt uneasy and dared not take another look at the straw-cloaked man, intimidated by his presence. The straw-cloaked man's appearance reminded him of someone.

Someone who should not exist in this world.

"I am who I am, a different kind of firework. Don't you dare use your power to oppress others."

"Of course, Xia here has no intention of bullying others with power,"

Xia Jiuquan stealthily tugged at the sleeves of the other family heads, signaling them not to act rashly.

Although the other families were puzzled, they also understood that Xia Jiuquan was not one to act without reason and silently agreed to let him take the lead in the discussion.

"What are your thoughts, gentlemen?" Li Xiaobai asked.

"We are willing to invest and help Boss Ye acquire the shops. As for the profits from the business, how about splitting them fifty-fifty?"

"One-nine, you are only providing the location."

"That's too little. We also need to spend resources to acquire the shops. Four-six!"

"Two-eight, I am the one managing the shops, and you haven't done anything."

"Three-seven, we can't go any lower."

"Deal!"

Right then, the various family heads started issuing orders, quickly gathering people and buying up a large number of shops in the city, ready to transform them into bathhouses.

Li Xiaobai was pleasantly surprised; with the opening of the branches, wealth would start rolling in. The time to become rich and prosperous was approaching.

After the family heads had departed, taking a bath with one's juniors still felt somewhat odd.

Following the family heads, Li Xiaobai quickly surveyed the city, buying up all the shops suitable for transformation into bathhouses.

The System exchanged resources and arranged the venues quickly, and luxurious bathhouses were built in no time. The family heads watched, dumbfounded; it was their first time seeing someone stuff so much water and bricks into a Space Ring.

However, they still hadn't uncovered any secrets about the water source.

In one day, dozens of new Tangneng First-class shops appeared in the city, with various promotional slogans popping up everywhere, drawing in many cultivators and commoners.

Under Li Xiaobai's direction, the bathhouses included a special area for the poor. Ordinary families could enjoy a free bath for half an hour each day, and if they wanted more time, they could earn it by helping out in the bathhouses.

This was considered a benefit for the ordinary people, and the popularity of the new shops could be easily imagined once they opened.

That evening, Ergouzi returned, looking somewhat panicked.

"Boy, quickly check if Lord Ergouzi has been injured!"

"What have you been doing outside?"

Li Xiaobai purchased a pill that healed injuries and tossed it to Ergouzi.

"Lord Ergouzi encountered a bandit den and battled them for hundreds of rounds, barely losing!"

Ergouzi stood up straight and said indifferently with his hands behind his back.

Li Xiaobai was covered in metaphorical black lines; you didn't look like this just a moment ago.

"What did those people look like?"

"They all wore black robes; I couldn't see clearly. But when they made their move, Lord Ergouzi saw a bloody aura. They must be Evil Cultivators without a doubt."

"Where did you encounter them?"

"Outside the city, in a small forest. They had a portrait in their hands, seemingly searching for someone. At a glance, they didn't seem like any good sort."

Li Xiaobai pondered. These Evil Cultivators were likely searching for him. Given the straw-cloaked man's influence and to avoid extraneous complications, it would be best to lay low in the city.

In a few days, the family disciples would travel together to the Holy Demon Sect for training. At that time, he could go with them, and bring along those three idiotic Evil Cultivators as well. This way, it would be less likely for the Evil Cultivators outside the city to target him.

He checked the System panel.

[Defensive Power: Indestructible Golden Body, Sixth Turn (23000/60000) upgradable.]

There were still four Dragon Serpent Fruits inside the Space Ring; he swallowed them all.

[Attribute Points +5000…]

[Attribute Points: 20000.]

All points to defense!

[Defensive Power: Indestructible Golden Body, Sixth Turn (43000/60000) upgradable.]

Only one step away from upgrading, he would soon be rid of the Blood Demon Corrosion.

Li Ya came over with a cheerful expression, "Boss Ye, the young talents of the city are holding a gathering tomorrow. Would you like to join? Miss Yan Yu has already agreed to go."