The pace of contributions for this funding round was far faster than He Zhenghao had anticipated.
When he hinted to the cultivators of Congyun Sea that Li Fan would soon restart the funding campaign, they, eager to seize this rare opportunity to profit, rushed to transfer their contributions to He Zhenghao without hesitation.
He Zhenghao was swamped, feeling both the strain and the thrill.
In less than seven days, half of the target was already achieved, with nearly 53 million contribution points collected.
Handling such a large volume of contributions brought about a subtle shift in He Zhenghao’s mindset.
“Ah, what kind of life was I living before I met the Lord Envoy?”
“For the sake of a mere two or three hundred thousand contribution points, I used to scrimp and save, living every day in fear.”
“How stifling!”
Reflecting on the past, He Zhenghao couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh.
Looking at the ever-rising numbers on the statistics board, He Zhenghao felt an uncontrollable surge of excitement.
If everything went as planned, when this round of fundraising concluded, the Lord Envoy would likely, as he had in previous times, allocate a small share of the profits to him…
Even if it was just one percent…
No, even one-third of one percent would make He Zhenghao more than content.
After all, with the Lord Envoy’s abilities, making a profit equivalent to the principal was no great challenge.
By that calculation, he would at least receive a reward of 300,000 contribution points…
Thinking of this, He Zhenghao couldn’t help but grin foolishly.
After a while, he finally snapped back to reality from his daydreams.
He prepared to transfer the contributions to the Lord Envoy.
But then, something unexpected happened.
The Tianxuan Mirror notified him that it could not locate the recipient, and the transfer failed.
Large beads of sweat instantly dripped from He Zhenghao’s forehead.
This situation only had two possible explanations.
One, he had entered the wrong recipient, and the target person didn’t exist.
Two, the other party had temporarily suspended all functionality and permissions on their Tianxuan Mirror.
He Zhenghao quickly realized what the issue was.
The first explanation was obviously impossible. The Lord Envoy was an honored member of the Immortal Alliance, overseeing an entire region.
So…
Recalling how Li Fan had hinted before that he would be entering deep seclusion and was not to be disturbed by anyone, he also remembered the backup Jade Slip he had left him, to be used in emergencies.
“Damn it!” He Zhenghao slapped his thigh in frustration.
“It seems that this is indeed, as Gao Yuan suggested, a test from the Lord Envoy.”
Looking at the astronomical figure in his account, He Zhenghao’s face turned pale.
What had once seemed like an incredibly promising contribution amount now felt like a death sentence.
“This is bad… very bad. While my investment skills are indeed exceptional, it depends on the situation!”
“I can handle a few thousand or even tens of thousands of contribution points.”
“But handling over a hundred million—how could I dare manage that?”
“If, by sheer luck, I make a profit, that would be fine, but if I incur a loss, wouldn’t I have to cover it myself?”
The more He Zhenghao thought about it, the more frightened he became.
He knew very well that the cultivators who had come to him so eagerly, calling him “Daoist He” or “Brother He,” were only friendly because they hoped to make money.
If these cultivators, who had scraped together all their contribution points for this funding campaign, suffered losses, they would be the first to tear him apart.
A wave of dizziness hit him, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.
At that moment, a fleeting thought crossed his mind—to flee with the funds.
But fortunately, he managed to regain his composure.
Shaking his head to dispel this self-destructive idea, He Zhenghao steeled himself and urgently sought out Gao Yuan.
When Gao Yuan heard the news, his expression also turned serious.
However, instead of giving advice immediately, he habitually tapped his finger on the table, sinking into deep thought.
He Zhenghao didn’t dare interrupt, waiting anxiously on the side.
After a while, Gao Yuan’s frown relaxed, and the cloud lifted from his face.
He reassured He Zhenghao, saying, “Daoist He, you need not act rashly. Just wait patiently for the Lord Envoy’s instructions.”
He Zhenghao was surprised. “Brother Gao, what do you mean?”
Gao Yuan smiled confidently. “Who do you think the Lord Envoy is?”
“Although he might not particularly care about a billion contribution points, even I know that a sum this large is beyond the control of ordinary people.”
“While you’re renowned, it’s clear that even you aren’t certain of turning a profit with this.”
He Zhenghao nodded in agreement.
Gao Yuan continued, “Exactly. Since we both understand this, how could the Lord Envoy not know?”
“Remember the talisman he left with us? The Lord Envoy mentioned that we could use it to contact him.”
“But conversely, as a talisman carrying a trace of his consciousness, he could also use it to contact us.”
He Zhenghao suddenly understood.
“The decision on how to handle this billion in contributions—surely the Lord Envoy has a plan in mind. Daoist He, just complete the fundraising and await his command.”
“Remember, as subordinates, the greatest mistake we can make is acting on our own or being overly clever,” Gao Yuan advised.
“You were wise to come to me for advice instead of panicking and using the talisman to report to the Lord Envoy.”
“Otherwise, you might have failed this test.” Gao Yuan’s words were earnest.
He Zhenghao thought it over and took a deep breath, standing up and bowing to Gao Yuan.
“Thank you, Brother Gao, for saving me. If there’s ever anything you need from me, just say the word!”
“Heh, Daoist He, you’re too kind. Working under the Lord Envoy, we need to support each other,” Gao Yuan replied graciously.
With Gao Yuan’s guidance, He Zhenghao finally felt reassured.
He hurried back to continue with the fundraising campaign.
Watching He Zhenghao’s departing figure, Gao Yuan’s gaze turned unreadable.
The reason he kept pulling He Zhenghao closer was because he had noticed that the Lord Envoy regarded him with a special status.
Though both of them were mere “tools,” there was no doubt that tools could still have varying levels of favor.
Tools that fit well were often reused.
And He Zhenghao seemed to be one of those favored tools.
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