The spectators outside the arena burst into laughter at the comical scene:
"Hahaha, the one pretending to be powerful has been exposed!"
"Serves him right! Serves him right! I guess there's a difference between uncles, even among them."
"My god... this is absurd... there was actually a tenth-tier expert hiding around here, and I didn't notice!"
"Are you kidding? That's a tenth-tier expert. They must have been secretly protecting Lin Ran..."
"If an ordinary person like you could detect them, you should just retire already."
"Ran Shen's foundation is unbelievably deep..."
"A million-strong army of awakened individuals on the payroll, inexplicably powerful armor and sword spirits that can decimate enemies, and now a mysterious tenth-tier expert..."
"And if you add Principal Ma's backing... who in their right mind would dare to cross him?!"
"This is the treatment Ran Shen deserves! Otherwise, heaven is being too harsh on good people!"
"..."
Their hearts filled with righteous fervor, they clenched their fists in front of their screens, as if they wished they could personally deliver a few punches to Wang Zhen.
As for Wang Zhen, he wished he could deliver a few punches to himself...
His greatest reliance for this trip was Wang Zifu, who was supposed to be a condescending force against tenth-tier awakened individuals.
But now, his reliance was gone, and he was being thrashed around like a chick, held in a grip and thoroughly battered.
And as for the personal guards behind him...
Frankly, Wang Zhen didn't think for a second that they could defeat Lin Ran's elite army of awakened individuals, a pack of wolves.
He had clearly seen the performance of these awakened individuals just now.
They were an ace force that could charge against and carve a path through a surging beast tide. How could his guards, all brawn and no substance, compare?
Wang Zhen was well aware of his own men's combat capabilities.
Looking at the sweaty Wang Zhen and Wang Zifu, who was clearly losing in the air, Lin Ran walked over with a smile and patted Wang Zhen's shoulder:
"Patriarch Wang... things have reached this point, shouldn't you show us something?"
Wang Zhen wasn't foolish; he immediately understood that Lin Ran was planning to negotiate, to take a piece of him.
But given the current situation, Wang Zhen had no choice but to make a significant concession, to accept some form of territorial and indemnity payments.
Otherwise, having long heard of Master Matt and his disciple's reputation, he knew the consequences would be far worse than simply admitting defeat.
So, Wang Zhen forced a shrewd smile, glanced at the pathetic-looking Wang Zifu in the air, and said:
"Great hero Lin, please ask your uncle to stop for now, don't beat my uncle too badly..."
"How about this, how about this, we can discuss things calmly..."
"I think, in the beginning, I was indeed impolite and rather inconsiderate."
"How about this, I'll sponsor you a sum of resources. We can discuss the types and amounts once everyone stops fighting, alright?"
Lin Ran nodded in satisfaction as Wang Zhen proved so amenable, and then he smiled:
"By the way, Patriarch Wang, you asked me a question earlier, and I haven't answered it yet."
Wang Zhen blinked, momentarily losing track of Lin Ran's erratic train of thought:
"What question?"
Lin Ran patted his shoulder again:
"Didn't you ask me earlier why I was still stationing troops here after dealing with all the fierce beasts and foreign races?"
"Then I can tell you responsibly that I intend to build Changyuan into a formidable barrier to defend against the fierce beasts and foreign races from the forbidden lands, secret realms, and spacetime rifts further east!"
"Didn't the military lose all those armed fortresses before..."
"So my plan is to build a brand new fortress, what do you think?"
Wang Zhen was stunned by Lin Ran's words, unsure of his intentions.
Of course, with his limited vision and perspective, he couldn't possibly fathom Lin Ran's plan to acquire the entire Changyuan Forbidden Land.
His thinking was still stuck on the literal meaning of Lin Ran's words.
So Wang Zhen could only say obsequiously:
"Excellent! Excellent!"
"It is truly a pillar of the nation for Great hero Lin to be willing to alleviate the troubles of his homeland and country, and clean up the military's mess!"
"If I call you a sage reborn, I don't think anyone would object!"
It wasn't just Wang Zhen; even the spectators were startled by Lin Ran:
"Holy crap! Ran Shen! It's him again!"
"My heavens! This is a truly grand undertaking! After all, the threats from the east of Weiyang Province are a grave concern for all of Weiyang."
"Now, for Ran Shen to step forward as the first line of defense! This requires immense courage and sacrifice!"
"Ran Shen! In this era where everyone is hoarding their own forces for personal gain, there are still people like Ran Shen who are willing to proactively serve the country..."
"To use his own subordinates to defend the territory, I can't even imagine!"
"Alas, it's an immense fortune for Jianggu City in Weiyang Province to have produced such a figure!"
"I can't even begin to imagine what Jianggu would be like today without Ran Shen..."
"Heh, hearing Ran Shen's words, I wonder how many unscrupulous families will be too ashamed to sleep tonight..."
"Too ashamed to sleep? You think too highly of them! Their faces are as thick as city walls, and they value personal interests more than their own lives. They'll definitely sleep soundly, perhaps even dreaming of mocking Ran Shen as a fool!"
"Alas, if our Dragon Country had more people like Ran Shen, why would we worry about not being prosperous!"
"..."
After listening to Wang Zhen's words, Lin Ran's smile became even more cunning.
Since business was about to be discussed, Lin Ran first severed the external communication channel, ending the live broadcast.
He had already gained enough fame, boldly displayed his muscle by showcasing a million-strong army of awakened individuals and tenth-tier potential experts, and deliberately displayed his Highest Council Xuanlong Token.
With this series of maneuvers, his claim over the Changyuan Forbidden Land was practically a done deal, something no one could prevent.
Next, it was time to reap some tangible benefits for himself...
"Patriarch Wang, speaking of stationing troops, haven't you noticed a major issue?"
"That is, many of my brothers and sisters are currently unarmed!"
"Although I 'borrowed' some military equipment and supplies from the military before, that's not truly ours and must be returned eventually."
"So I was thinking, since everyone is so concerned about Changyuan's safety and has specifically sent troops here..."
"It means this area is extremely important to everyone."
"Since that's the case, I've provided the manpower, so shouldn't this be... hmm?"
Hearing that Lin Ran's request was for ordinary items like military equipment and supplies, Wang Zhen finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, as long as it wasn't rare heavenly treasures or precious minerals, it was no big deal!
So Wang Zhen nodded and said:
"Makes sense! It makes perfect sense!"
"So, Great hero Lin, how many sets of military equipment and supplies do you need in total?"
Lin Ran smiled without answering, raising his hand and making a "V" sign.