Zhen Hua's face was frozen in a mask of cold fury. The principle he had defended for decades—the law of the forge that forbade cutting in line—shattered like glass in the presence of that doll. His heart, long hardened by the heat of the furnace and the cold of rejection, was now a chaotic mess.
"You can cut in line," Zhen Hua hissed, the words tasting like ash. "I will prioritize your metals. But you must promise me one thing! These dolls... this style... it must never be made again. It is forbidden to give them to anyone else."
Qiangu Zhangting didn't share Zhen Hua's coldness. He smiled, a expression of pure, predatory warmth. "I can do that, Senior. But your offer isn't enough."
Zhangting's voice was smooth, but it carried the weight of an entire industry. He revealed that the doll manufacturing industry was one of his personal projects under the banner of Winter Fire Hall. To Zhen Hua, the name was a bolt from the blue. Winter Fire Hall was a massive chain store that spanned the continent. The thought of dolls resembling Yuan Baoer—the girl he loved his entire life—being mass-produced on an assembly line was unbearable. The blood rushed to his head, and the Divine Craftsman almost fainted.
The Price of a Legend
"Tell me," Zhen Hua whispered, his psychological defenses crumbling into dust. "What is your price?"
"Simple," Zhangting replied. "Winter Fire Hall is missing a Chief Technical Advisor. To forge the materials for our high-end products, we need the touch of the only Divine Craftsman who can master Heavenly Forging."
Zhangting stepped closer, holding up three fingers. He explained the math of the "pirate ship" he was forcing Zhen Hua onto. By investing his Heavenly Forging technology into Winter Fire Hall, Zhen Hua would own 30% of the shares. He would earn over a hundred million federal coins a month. But money was just the bait. The true hook was the monopoly.
By joining Winter Fire Hall, Zhen Hua would unknowingly lead the entire Blacksmith Association into the arms of the Spirit Pagoda. The "doll industry" was merely a skin. Beneath it lay a supply chain of high-level forged metals that would make the Spirit Pagoda an industry unicorn. Once Zhen Hua signed, no other force could compete. The Divine Craftsman would no longer be a neutral legend; he would be the Spirit Pagoda's greatest technical asset.
The Final Temptation
Zhangting pointed at the doll on the sofa. "As the Advisor, you control the modeling. You can ensure the Yuan Baoer doll remains your exclusive treasure. More importantly, if anyone tries to pirate our business and replicate her likeness, you will have the full power of the Winter Fire Hall and the Spirit Pagoda behind you to destroy them. You won't be alone in protecting her memory."
Zhen Hua fell into a deep silence. His love for Yuan Baoer was his Achilles' heel, and Zhangting was pressing his thumb into the wound. To refuse meant watching her image flood the market. To accept meant selling his soul to the Qiangu family.
Seeing the silence, Zhangting knew the deal was done. Like any good business transaction, he provided the "entertainment." He leaned in and whispered into Zhen Hua's ear, presenting the final pieces of the "gift." He took out a set of professional products: patented soul-guided tools and virtual reality eye sockets.
"Senior, the Yuan Baoer doll is more than a statue," Zhangting added with a sly glint in his eye. "It is a mecha creation, much like Teacher Makino's red-ranked mechas. It is capable of Soul Spirit Fusion. It doesn't just look like her—it can interact with you."
The room grew heavy with the weight of the Divine Craftsman's surrender. The only Divine Craftsman of the era had been outmaneuvered not by metal, but by the ghosts of his own heart. The abyss hadn't just gazed at Zhen Hua; it had invited him in for a drink.
Current Status:
Ally Gained: Zhen Hua (Divine Craftsman)
Project: Dual Armor Style (Construction Initialized)
Political Gain: Blacksmith Association (Soft Integration)
Next Chapter: The Divine Forge — Forging the Dual Armor of the Abyss.