Merchants have always pursued profit, and Chen Fengnan was no exception.
As a representative of one of the eight great financial conglomerates, the Chen Financial Conglomerate, Chen Fengnan had previously considered collecting all of the Nine Souls Jade.
However, after Ning Fan defeated Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning in his presence and snatched the Nine Souls Jade away, Chen Fengnan's thoughts changed.
To possess the Nine Souls Jade, one must also have the matching strength; otherwise, the Nine Souls Jade would only become a death warrant.
Since the Nine Souls Jade was stolen, Chen Fengnan had been searching for the person who took the Nine Souls Cloud, who was Ning Fan.
For this purpose, Chen Fengnan had put in a lot of effort, and correspondingly, results had come forth.
It must be said that Chen Fengnan's influence was immense; he had already discovered quite a bit of intelligence about Ning Fan's identity, such as his connection with the Phantom Guild.
"I consider Mr. Ning to be in the same position as someone like myself. I have roughly understood some things about you, and today I invited you in this manner only to clear up misunderstandings."
Chen Fengnan's words had an implied meaning, and Ning Fan narrowed his eyes, pondering seriously.
It sounded like Chen Fengnan must have discovered something; otherwise, he wouldn't regard him so highly.
Ning Fan raised his head, locking eyes with Chen Fengnan, and saw an intense self-confidence in the other's gaze.
That look, as if he had already seen through everything, subconsciously made Ning Fan believe that his identity as an Asura of the Phantom Guild was exposed before this man.
Perhaps sensing Ning Fan's inner thoughts at that moment, Chen Fengnan smiled faintly and added, "Mr. Ning need not worry; only a few people know of your identity."
Chen Fengnan's words made Ning Fan even more certain that the other party knew about his secret identity. Hearing his acknowledgment, Ning Fan felt much more relieved.
Ning Fan did not lower his guard, his chin propped on his hand as he stared at Chen Fengnan and the four individuals, Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning, beside him. After a while, he spoke, "So, what exactly do you want to cooperate on?"
Cooperation didn't matter; both sides were on equal footing. Ning Fan had previously thought Chen Fengnan wanted to recruit him, which was why he had refused the other initially. But after the latter's explanation, Ning Fan no longer resisted as he had before.
Hearing this, Chen Fengnan finally heaved a sigh of relief in his heart, thankful that Ning Fan did not reject him, which was a reward for his efforts.
"After all, I am a businessman. The Chen Family does a lot of business and inevitably encounters some troubles. I used to think that having those four was sufficient, but what if I encountered someone like you?"
Chen Fengnan said straightforwardly, and he did not feel embarrassed to speak about such matters in front of Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning—almost as if he was being completely frank.
The expressions of Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning beside him turned somewhat awkward, being spoken about by their boss, they must be feeling a bit aggrieved and indignant.
Ning Fan looked at their interesting expressions and laughed with interest, "Heh heh, it seems you are also aware of your own limitations…"
When uniting, Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning were indeed formidable, but they were not invincible. If it really came down to killing, Ning Fan had many ways to defeat them, not to mention one-on-one.
If someone wanted to target Chen Fengnan, the smart thing to do would be to defeat Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning one by one. Wouldn't Chen Fengnan's life then be easily taken?
Of course, the prerequisite would be that the person targeting Chen Fengnan could qualify to stand in front of him, bypassing the formidable obstacles of Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning.
However, there were indeed quite a few such people in the world, with Ning Fan being one of them.
The expressions of Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning became more animated, and the smile on Ning Fan's face grew even broader.
Chen Fengnan's face still wore a faint smile as he continued, "Therefore, I hope to forge a strong partnership with you. Of course, you needn't do anything in particular; I just hope Mr. Ning could assist me when necessary."
Simply put, Chen Fengnan wanted to add another layer of insurance for himself, believing that the current four—wind, rain, thunder, and lightning—were definitely not enough.
Ning Fan stroked his chin, mulling over something, still hesitating.
Seeing this, Chen Fengnan snapped his fingers, and Ah Yu walked out, placing a wooden box on the table.
"This is my gesture of sincerity."
Chen Fengnan pushed the wooden box towards Ning Fan.
Upon hearing this, a spark flashed in Ning Fan's eyes. He took the box and immediately felt a strange energy flowing from the wooden box into his palms.
The corners of Ning Fan's mouth curved up, seemingly quite pleased with the contents of the box.
He didn't need to open it to know what was inside; it was the fourth piece of the Nine Souls Jade.
Since Chen Fengnan had shown his sincerity, Ning Fan couldn't lag behind. He nodded and said, "I can agree to cooperate with you, as long as it doesn't conflict with my principles."
Ning Fan had already reminded Chen Fengnan early on that it was a partnership of equals, and he wouldn't be willing to do just anything.
Chen Fengnan nodded in satisfaction and looked at Ning Fan, adding, "I know you want the Nine Souls Jade. I will help you find more of it."
"Oh? So, you are not interested in the Nine Souls Jade at all?" Ning Fan raised an eyebrow, looking at Chen Fengnan with some confusion.
Chen Fengnan shook his head with a wry smile, "The Nine Souls Jade doesn't have much practical use for me, and even if I possessed it, it would ultimately attract people like you."
At that, Ning Fan gave a somewhat awkward smile.
Indeed, it was true; not just anyone could possess the Nine Souls Jade, as it could easily become their death warrant.
With this promise, Chen Fengnan spoke directly to Ning Fan's heart. For Ning Fan to say he wasn't moved would definitely be a lie.
Given Chen Fengnan's significant influence, having his help in finding the Nine Souls Jade would obviously be advantageous.
After establishing their cooperation, the atmosphere in the private room relaxed considerably, no longer as tense as before.
At Chen Fengnan's signal, several attractive maids came in and poured wine for Ning Fan and Chen Fengnan.
"To a fruitful cooperation," Chen Fengnan stood up, raising his glass to Ning Fan.
Ning Fan shrugged, a smile on his face, and the two clinked glasses together.
Yet, it was a case of joy for some and sorrow for others, as Ning Fan, having received the fourth piece of the Nine Souls Jade along with Chen Fengnan's promise, was naturally joyful; Chen Fengnan was also radiant with satisfaction having formally established cooperation with Ning Fan.
However, the entourage of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning around Chen Fengnan felt somewhat bitter.
Honestly, they were quite upset with Ning Fan, especially Ah Lei!