Chapter 115: The Power of Capital

Chapter 115: Chapter 115: The Power of Capital

As the strongest person in the world, Shen Yun’s home was undoubtedly under the surveillance of numerous factions. It wasn’t entirely out of the question for someone to stumble upon a hidden secret of some legacy there. Therefore, the Spiritual Power Special Service Bureau had long stationed agents on the perimeter. This security detail could generally intercept any Cultivators, tourists, and malicious individuals drawn by his fame.

But this time, someone had actually slipped in. It was impossible for him not to be angry.

Whenever Shen Yun left home, he usually took Xiaojie and Erin with him. Xiaojie was a crucial combat asset, and he couldn’t comfortably leave Erin alone to watch the house. Now, it seemed he couldn’t completely rely on the Special Service Bureau’s protection, either. The Enlightenment of his house had to be put on the agenda. If the intruders this time had brought bombs with the intent to destroy... Shen Yun even felt a lingering sense of dread.

With an icy expression, he walked up to his front door, pulled out his key, and opened it. Inside, he was greeted by the sight of two smiling foreigners.

"Mr. Shen," one of them said in standard Chinese. "We are—Ah!"

Before he could finish his sentence, his words devolved into a bloodcurdling scream. Though a shock of several hundred volts wasn’t lethal, it was incredibly agonizing. Xiaojiu dragged the two men out, holding one in each hand.

Shen Yun, meanwhile, picked up the briefcase the two men had left behind. He placed it on the coffee table and opened it. Inside, just as Xiaojiu had scanned, was a laptop. The screen flickered to life. A handsome white man in his forties, holding a glass of red wine, was sitting in a luxuriously decorated room.

"It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Shen. I hope my subordinates haven’t offended you," the man on the screen said with a smile.

At that moment, Xiaojiu walked back in from outside. "Master, I’ve dealt with those two."

The man fell silent for a brief moment, but quickly resumed his smile. "Since they offended you, I apologize. However, I did specifically instruct them to be polite."

"I’ll give you five minutes," Shen Yun said mildly, leaning back on the sofa. "My time is limited."

"Heh." The man chuckled softly. "I imagine even you must know who I am."

Shen Yun didn’t say a word, simply watching him with a casual gaze.

"I am the chairman of the Grotte Company, Buddy Constock." Unbothered, Buddy swirled the red wine in his glass. "Even before the Spiritual Qi revival, I was already a billionaire worth tens of billions. Of course, things are different now. I am about to become the wealthiest person on the globe, infinitely richer than any past richest man in the world."

"Hah." Shen Yun couldn’t help but crack a smile.

It wasn’t a sneer of mockery; he genuinely found it amusing. Just today, Vierlia had told him that he was already the wealthiest man in the world and casually handed him a billion dollars in pocket money. Who would have thought a contender for the title of "richest man" would pop up right after?

"Don’t believe me? It’s perfectly normal not to." Buddy exuded the calm confidence of a top-tier billionaire. "After all, the world has changed. Who could have imagined that someone so exceedingly ordinary could suddenly leap to become the strongest person in the world?"

It was a veiled insult, implying that if not for the Spiritual Qi revival, a nobody like Shen Yun would never have crossed paths with someone of his stature in this lifetime.

"You have three minutes left," Shen Yun said flatly.

He naturally wouldn’t be provoked by such a low-level taunt. The only thing that truly angered him was the fact that people had entered his home uninvited.

Buddy was slightly displeased, though he managed to hide it well. "Actually, Mr. Shen, we can be considered the same kind of people. We’re both vested interests in this Spiritual Qi revival. The only difference is that you rely on luck and talent, whereas I rely on capital. Can you understand the power of capital?"

Seeing that Shen Yun didn’t reply, he didn’t waste any more time. Slightly accelerating his pace, he spoke with a hint of ostentation.

"I’m not referring to the standard textbook definition, but to the personal experience of a top-tier billionaire. Capital is the concentration of power. My Cultivator talent is quite average, but I was still able to reach the Divine Thought Stage in just over three years. Why? Because I can mobilize vast amounts of manpower and resources to search for legacy relics on my behalf. And now, I hold the lifeblood and hard work of hundreds of top scientists entirely in the palm of my hand. This is the power of capital.

"I will undoubtedly become the man with the most capital in the world, while you are the most powerful man in the world.

"I will give you thirty percent of all my assets. If we join forces—we will be invincible."

Buddy opened his arms slightly, then clenched his fists. It was an infectious gesture, and his eyes sparkled with a sincere gleam. He was indeed here to seek a partnership today. The unparalleled strength and future potential Shen Yun had displayed made him worthy of such an alliance. He was even prepared to offer thirty percent of his total assets as an investment. He was confident that Shen Yun would be tempted.

When a poor kid who had never seen real money was suddenly presented with unimaginable wealth, the ensuing rush of excitement was something Buddy had witnessed countless times. Even if the other party was the strongest person in the world, he had only stepped into the limelight a few months ago. If he wasn’t immediately swayed, it was only because he had yet to truly appreciate the allure of capital.

"Are you finished?"

Shen Yun, however, found it incredibly tedious. He looked at Buddy as if looking at a clown. Money? Perhaps he would have cared in the past. Even before today, he might have felt a slight twinge of astonishment. But now, as a man with a billion dollars of pocket money currently burning a hole in his pocket, money was utterly boring to him.

"This offer will always remain on the table," Buddy shrugged. "If you understood just how much wealth I’m going to possess, I think you’d change..."

CRACK.

With a crisp sound, Shen Yun crushed the laptop using his Spiritual Power.

Hmm... he suddenly felt a bit of regret. He was never one to casually destroy things in the past. Was it because he was rich now? No, it was probably just because the laptop wasn’t his.

"Xiaojiu, what did you do with those two?" Shen Yun turned to look at the AI assistant.

"I knocked them out and left them outside. I’ve already notified Lu Hang to come over," Xiaojiu puffed out her cheeks. "I gave him a merciless scolding for letting people sneak into our home. If I had known, it would have been better to leave Erin behind to guard the house."

"Just be more careful from now on." Shen Yun frowned. He had made up his mind. The next thing to receive Enlightenment after the fighter jet would be his own house. At most, it would only take a month or two to accumulate the necessary energy.

Meanwhile.

On an island called Ritter in the high seas, Buddy, who had just been speaking with Shen Yun, glared angrily at his computer.

"What a vulgar man."

He tossed his wine glass onto the table, sending wine worth hundreds of dollars per milliliter spilling across the surface.

"Master." A silver-haired old butler stepped forward. "He is, after all, merely a lucky child of this era. Calling him a nouveau riche wouldn’t be an exaggeration. How could he possibly compare to the generational prestige of the Constock clan?"

"Exactly. He’s no different from those foolish, short-sighted nouveau riche." Contempt flashed in Buddy’s eyes. "No matter how powerful someone is, they must obediently bow before the might of capital. Once our product launches, the world will be transformed by us. When that time comes, he’ll come crawling back to beg me, hehehe."

He was quite looking forward to that scene. After all, he had ten thousand ways to make a young lad succumb to the allure of capital.

The old butler walked over, pulled out a cloth, and wiped up the spilled wine. Then, he poured a fresh glass, gently swirled it for a moment, and handed it over. "Master, lately, many spies and agents have infiltrated the island disguised as workers. I’m afraid... how should we deal with them?"

"Just lock them all up." Buddy took a sip without a care in the world, an intoxicated expression washing over his face.

What he enjoyed wasn’t the fine wine itself, but the exquisite taste of luxury.

"I fear that once our press conference is held, they will drop all pretenses," the old butler said softly.

"Hahaha." Buddy laughed boisterously. He stood up and walked over to the window. Not far away lay a massive, densely packed industrial complex, churning out all sorts of weaponry.

"Dropping all pretenses will only allow the people of the world to recognize the majesty of Buddy Constock." The flames of ambition danced in Buddy’s eyes. "Between walking away with nothing and gaining a piece of the pie, ordinary people might choose the former out of impulse, but capital will always choose the latter. Isn’t capital the very essence of power?"

He had made all the preparations. He was just waiting for that moment—the moment he stood at the absolute pinnacle of capital. When that time came, a single word from him could drive countless people into a frenzy. Even if Shen Yun was the strongest Cultivator alive, how could a single man ever compare to the power of the multitudes he commanded?

Three days later.

Lu Hang had already arrived at Shen Yun’s house with his men.

"This was a failure on our end!"

He didn’t make any excuses. No matter the reason, such a major incident was entirely their responsibility. After all, while Shen Yun was running around the country for the sake of the nation, they couldn’t even properly protect his cherished old family home.

"You should know that I’m a very nostalgic person." Shen Yun didn’t lash out at him, but his expression was deeply serious. "This home holds all my memories up to this point. The drawings I made on the walls as a kid, the height marks carved into the back of the bedroom door, the toys stashed under the bed... You could say every corner holds a piece of my past. I can’t even imagine what I’d do if it were destroyed."

As someone whose parents divorced when he was ten and who had been living alone since he was fifteen, Shen Yun truly held a special attachment to this place. When he was home, he might not feel it. But when he was away and opened his eyes in the morning to an unfamiliar ceiling, he would start to miss it.

"I understand." Lu Hang took a deep breath. "There absolutely won’t be a second time."

"...Forget it, I bear some responsibility as well. I won’t give anyone else the opportunity, either." Shen Yun shook his head, dropping the subject. "So, do you have anything to report on this so-called Buddy?"