"One hundred gold soul coins?" Yu Xiaogang's voice shot up. "Why don't you just rob me while you're at it?"
He was furious. While he knew Tang San's actions had been outrageous, the consequences should have amounted to a small cleaning fee at most. Five gold soul coins would have been pushing it. But one hundred? Did they really think he, Yu Xiaogang, was some fool they could easily bully?
"Now, now, there's no need to be anxious. Let me explain it to you slowly," the person in charge said. Seeing Yu Xiaogang's explosive reaction, he showed no displeasure. In fact, he seemed to have expected it, his expression remaining perfectly calm. He was a reasonable man, and everything he did was backed by logic and precedent.
"This sum of one hundred gold soul coins was determined after detailed calculations," he continued smoothly. "And we've already discounted a portion of the costs as a courtesy."
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang grew even angrier. A courtesy? Are you trying to tell me I'm getting a good deal here? Is that even a human language you're speaking?
"Ten percent of the sum is to cover the specialized cleaning costs for the arena," the manager explained, ticking a point off on his finger. "The other ninety percent is..." He paused for a moment as if for dramatic effect. "...to cover the cost of refunding half the ticket price to the audience. You will need to bear this loss as well."
Throughout his explanation, the manager maintained a gentle, elegant smile. To Yu Xiaogang, however, it looked utterly disgusting and hypocritical. If you want money, just ask for it. Stop pretending to be some benevolent gentleman. He was, of course, completely unaware that he and the manager were cut from the same cloth. But since he knew he was in the wrong this time, he couldn't say much.
"Why should we be responsible for the ticket refunds? Shouldn't that be the responsibility of the Spirit Arena?" Yu Xiaogang argued, though his voice lacked conviction. He had already guessed that Tang San's explosive performance would lead to some spectators demanding their money back. He couldn't deny that it was Tang San's fault. But one hundred gold soul coins was simply too much. If he paid that, the personal wealth he had accumulated over the years would be completely wiped out.
"Haha, a fair question," the manager said with a smile. He then picked up a document from his desk. "It is clearly written in the participation agreement for the Soto Great Spirit Arena that if any individual causes financial loss to the arena due to personal reasons, they will be required to provide personal compensation. I'm sure you've noticed that because of your disciple's actions, many spectators chose to get a refund. Therefore, you are required to bear this loss."
He put the paper down and smiled again. This time, however, the smile didn't seem like a professional courtesy. It looked like he was genuinely struggling to hold back a laugh.
"Of course, we at the Spirit Arena are not unreasonable. We greatly admire unique talents like your disciple," he said, the sarcasm barely concealed. "Out of concern for you both, I am willing to personally pay for twenty percent of the compensation costs."
"In that case, you would only need to pay eighty gold soul coins. What do you think?"
Yu Xiaogang's face flushed, shifting between red and green. Although the manager's words were formally polite, the underlying mockery was impossible to miss. What does he mean he admires talents like Tang San? He's openly making fun of us!
As if reading his mind, the person in charge spoke again. "Perhaps you aren't aware yet, but your disciple's reputation has already spread throughout the entire Soto Great Spirit Arena. In other words, he's incredibly famous right now. If he were to continue participating in Spirit Fights over the next few days, he would definitely attract a huge amount of attention."
Popularity didn't always come from strength. Sometimes, just being a spectacle was enough to draw a crowd. As long as people were buying tickets to watch, the Spirit Arena was happy. Whether the audience was cheering or cursing didn't matter to their bottom line.
"What are you proposing?" Yu Xiaogang asked, his brow furrowed. He could tell there was a hidden meaning behind the manager's words.
"If you are willing, you can have your disciple continue to participate in the Thirteenth Spirit Arena for the next seven days," the manager laid out his offer. "His opponents will all be within the normal strength range. However, we can arrange for about half of them to be slightly weaker, to ensure your disciple gets some wins. The other half might be slightly stronger, to maintain a balanced win rate. In exchange for this exclusivity, the Spirit Arena will increase its publicity for his matches. And I can personally guarantee you five percent of the Thirteenth Arena's revenue for those seven days."
As soon as he heard this, a greedy gleam appeared in Yu Xiaogang's eyes. Five percent of the revenue from an entire arena, even for just a week, was a significant amount of money.
"However," the manager added, "you will still need to pay the eighty gold soul coins in compensation." As he spoke, he slid another pre-written agreement across the desk.
Yu Xiaogang snatched it up and scanned it quickly. The terms were exactly as the manager had described. Without a second thought, he signed his name.
Thump.
With a pained expression, Yu Xiaogang took out a heavy purse from his spirit tool, counted out eighty gold soul coins, and threw them on the table. This was his private stash, all one hundred gold coins of it, now nearly gone.
"We will be here on time tomorrow," he said, his voice firm.
"I will be waiting," the person in charge replied, standing up. He then personally walked Yu Xiaogang and Tang San to the door, even holding it open for them with the utmost politeness. The two men in black were still standing guard outside. The manager whispered a few words in their ears, and their attitude towards Yu Xiaogang instantly shifted from menacing to respectful.
"These two will escort you to the main gate of the Spirit Arena. Please, this way."
Yu Xiaogang nodded with immense satisfaction. This, he thought to himself, is the kind of treatment a Grandmaster like me deserves. The polite escort and deferential attitude completely satisfied his vanity.
Tang San's pale complexion had also returned to normal. He looked at his teacher with admiration. The teacher is amazing, he thought. As long as he's here, there's no problem that can't be solved.
Under the escort of the two men in black, they were led through a special internal passage directly to the main entrance on the first floor.
"Take care, you two," one of the guards said respectfully.
Yu Xiaogang waved a dismissive hand over his shoulder without even turning his head. He pulled Tang San along and walked out of the building. His disciple needed a good night's rest for his big match tomorrow.
However, before they had gotten more than a few steps away from the entrance, a hand suddenly landed on Yu Xiaogang's shoulder. His heart leaped into his throat, and he tensed up. Are they going back on their word? Are they going to kill us to silence us over such a small matter?
"Boss, you want tickets for tomorrow's Spirit Fights?" a sleazy voice whispered. "Twenty percent off! I've got inside information. There's going to be a really exciting show tomorrow."
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