"You’re back, how did it go?"

Zhang Zhongjiu looked at Lin Chen expectantly, after all, Lin Chen and his group disappeared as soon as they got the potion. It was easy to guess with a bit of thought what they were up to.

Lin Chen didn’t hide it, pointing at Yao Xuanji, Nalan Wushuang, and finally at himself.

"Three of us succeeded."

Zhang Zhongjiu widened his eyes, looking shocked.

"Four bottles of potion, and three of you succeeded. Is the potion really that effective?"

Before Lin Chen could answer, Zhang Zhongjiu figured it out himself and laughed: "You also used the Huang Family’s formula to make the potion, right?"

Lin Chen chuckled, spreading his hands: "I don’t know what you’re talking about." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Although Lin Chen didn’t admit it, his demeanor and reaction were indirectly admitting it.

Zhang Zhongjiu nodded in understanding: "That makes sense, though with two types of potion, four people succeeded in three promotions. That’s still a pretty high success rate."

Lin Chen said with a laugh, "Revitalize, I suppose."

Zhang Zhongjiu agreed, "Indeed, whether the potion matches the martial artist, whether it can fully activate them and lead to promotion, while there’s no authoritative reliable method, it largely depends on a good match. Maybe you just happened to match perfectly."

"The probability I mentioned earlier was just an overall promotion rate, some will be lower, and naturally, some will be higher."

Zhang Zhongjiu sighed, his eyes complex.

"Speaking of luck, you’ve got quite the luck, coming to Planet 11 and just happening to encounter the Huang Family’s situation. If I hadn’t orchestrated things, you should have gotten a copied version of the Huang Family’s formula, right?"

Lin Chen said with a laugh, "Couldn’t have helped for nothing."

Zhang Zhongjiu smiled wryly, "Surrounded by countless forces, only you could sneak them away without anyone noticing..."

Lin Chen laughed openly, "We came to Planet 11 this time to find a way to promote. Since I encountered it, of course, I had to give it a try."

"Even if I provoke the Wang Family or other major forces, it’s no big deal. At worst, I’ll escape. They wouldn’t openly dispatch someone to kill us just for that."

Zhang Zhongjiu said with a laugh, "If you don’t tell, I won’t tell, no one will know. Even if they did, you’re three Level 8s now, whoever wants to mess with you better think carefully about the consequences."

"Those wealthy families actually least want to fight against powerful forces from other planets. They’re rooted here, while others are merely visitors."

"If things really get heated, if they smoothly eliminate the others in one strike, that’s fine. But if things go wrong, they may not be able to withstand the retaliation of others."

"Like you said, at worst, you’d escape. Although the Federation can maintain unified management, even if you know who the murderer is and issue a Federation wanted order, people might just change planets, even identities, and live openly and unharmed."

"For instance, if you were to cause a major incident and flee back to Planet 49, with your current strength, who on Planet 49 would stop you?"

Lin Chen laughed, "The Federation’s law encompasses each planet, but cross-planet law enforcement still falls short."

Zhang Zhongjiu shrugged, "Cross-planet law enforcement isn’t impossible, it ultimately depends on the target. If the target is just a Fourth, Fifth, or even Sixth-level Martial Warrior and wanted, once discovered, they might be apprehended instantly, given high bounties for wanted people. Who wouldn’t want the bounty?"

"But if the target is Seventh-level, or even Eighth or Ninth-level, Seventh-level might still be manageable, but for Eighth, Ninth-level, acting rashly might mean losing lives instead of earning money."

"To securely capture an Eighth-level Martial Artist, you’d need to deploy several Eighth-level Martial Artists, avoid urban areas, plan and set up battlefields, lure the enemy in. In short, very troublesome."

Yao Xuanji laughed softly, "So, the Federation law ultimately restrains the lower layers of society, while high-power individuals or strong martial artists are hard to truly restrict by law."

Zhang Zhongjiu replied with a helpless expression, "That’s the limitation of the law, and it’s unavoidable in any era. The ancient book said that the emperor breaks the law like commoners, but that’s merely an idealized claim."

Lin Chen returned to the main topic, "I have an Eighth-level potion made from the Huang Family’s formula. Do you have channels to exchange for promotion potions from other forces? Wenyin hasn’t promoted yet. I need to procure some other formula potions for her."

"Moreover, there are a few back home that I also need to prepare for. Since we’re here, we must be well-prepared, otherwise, wouldn’t this long journey be in vain?"

Zhang Zhongjiu hesitated and replied, "The Zhang Family might be able to exchange some."

Lin Chen laughed, "You returning to Level 8, they’re all very worried, how would they agree to exchange? Isn’t this clearly enhancing you or your allies’ strength?"

Zhang Zhongjiu smiled wryly, "If I, or my aunt, were to approach, they would naturally be on guard, but if someone else approaches, the Zhang Family might not refuse."

Lin Chen asked with interest, "Any good recommendations?"

Zhang Zhongjiu thought for a moment, "You need a reputable, well-connected middleman."

Lin Chen’s eyes lit up, "A middleman, earning a commission?"

Zhang Zhongjiu nodded, "That’s right, but as long as you find a suitable middleman, with the Huang Family’s potion in hand, you can exchange not only with the Zhang Family but with other families, even official potions."

"A reliable middleman needs more than just fairness. They need channels, connections, a background, credibility, someone to take the blame, provide compensation—it’s not an easy task."

Lin Chen nodded, "Since you said so, you must have a specific candidate in mind."

Zhang Zhongjiu nodded, "Indeed, I do have someone in mind, but this person is very difficult to approach. Or rather, without a credible background, they will find it hard to trust you."

Lin Chen laughed, "A barter transaction, just intermediary fees. As long as the goods we provide are genuine, there’s room for negotiation. Regardless, there’s profit to be made for him as a middleman, right?"

Zhang Zhongjiu thought it over and agreed. If Lin Chen and his group had limited potions, then others might not want to help. But since they hold a formula, the middleman might not mind an additional channel.

"East District One, Tianheng Group’s Chairman’s Second Young Master, Xu Qingchuan."

Lin Chen nodded, "Tell me about this person’s situation?"

Zhang Zhongjiu answered, "Tianheng Group is the top consortium on Planet 11, with countless subsidiaries and immense financial strength..."