NIP Chapter 106 Want to redeem someone? Pay with your hammer!
Chapter 106 Want to redeem someone? Pay with your hammer!
"Not interested?"
A string in Thor's mind called reason hummed.
He had imagined that the other party would offer an astronomical sum that would be enough to empty Asgard's coffers.
He also imagined that the other party would demand some kind of cutting-edge technology that could overturn the balance of the Nine Realms.
But he never imagined that the other party would say those four words in the tone of someone commenting on roadside weeds.
This makes no sense.
Whether it's a king on earth or a god in the cosmos, the ultimate reason for war and conflict is always self-interest.
Resources, land, wealth, power...
But the man in front of him seemed to be oblivious to all of this.
So what is he after?
"So what do you want?" Thor's voice was a little dry, and he found himself unable to control the urgency in his tone.
Lin Fan did not answer.
He strolled back to the stone bench, sat down, picked up the bottle of chilled soda, tilted his head back, took another gulp, and let out a satisfied sigh.
His gaze returned to Thor, scanning him up and down.
That look didn't seem like he was looking at a prince from a divine realm; it was more like that of an experienced butcher assessing a pig that had just entered the pen, calculating which part to cut and how many pounds of meat he could get.
That blatant, objectifying gaze made Saul feel like every inch of his skin was burning.
"Your compensation has to be something I find 'interesting'."
Lin Fan finally spoke again, extending a finger and pointing it at Thor from a distance.
"You look much stronger than your frail younger brother."
"It must be worth even more."
A vein on Thor's forehead throbbed uncontrollably.
"My brother's fire poker is barely passable in terms of material, and the glass bead embedded in it has mixed energy, so it's just for making a sound," Lin Fan commented to himself, seemingly oblivious to Thor's face, which was as black as the bottom of a pot.
"And you?"
Lin Fan's gaze fell precisely and undisguisedly on the hammer disguised as a black umbrella in Thor's hand.
"Your umbrella has a rather unique design."
"Let me take a look?"
coming!
It is coming!
Loki, standing to the side, felt his heart stop for half a second, and the hairs on his body stood on end!
This scene, this sentence structure, this tone!
Back then, he was tricked out of the Mind Scepter, which symbolized the Chitauri military power, by that casual "Let me take a look"!
"No!"
Thor practically yelled it out; his body reacted faster than his brain, and he yanked the "umbrella" in his hand behind his back.
Are you kidding me!
This is Mjolnir!
She is his comrade-in-arms who fought alongside him in the Nine Realms, the source of his Thor's power, and the symbol of his status as the son of Odin!
Forget about giving it to him, even letting a stranger touch it would be an unforgivable desecration to him!
Seeing Thor's possessive, puppy-like demeanor, Lin Fan wasn't annoyed; he just pursed his lips in boredom.
"mean."
He uttered two words calmly, as if stating a fact.
"They won't accept this or that, they have no sincerity whatsoever, so what's the point of talking about compensation?"
Lin Fan stood up, dusted off his pants, and seemed to have lost all patience.
"Alright, you've finished your soda, please go back now."
"Come back when you've figured things out and are ready to offer something 'interesting' in exchange for the person."
"As for now..." He glanced at Loki, whose face was ashen, "Hey sweeper, what are you daydreaming about? You haven't finished your work yet! If you don't sweep the leaves from three streets today, dinner is canceled."
After saying that, he turned around and prepared to go back to the courtyard.
"Wait!" Thor exclaimed anxiously, taking a step forward and blocking Lin Fan's path with his tall frame.
He can't just go back like this.
Returning empty-handed not only meant breaking his promise to the Father, but also meant that he, Thor, had failed completely!
"Mr. Lin Fan!" Thor's voice rose slightly with urgency. "Apart from Mjolnir, you can name any other condition! Asgard's treasury holds countless treasures from the Nine Realms; whatever you can name, I can fetch for you!"
"Oh?" Lin Fan finally stopped, raising an eyebrow. "For example?"
"For example... the Eternal Flame! That's the core of Surtur, capable of burning everything, and never going out!"
Lin Fan shook his head: "No interest. My kitchen uses natural gas; you just turn the switch, it's much more convenient than that."
Thor almost choked on his breath.
"That...that Bowl of Life and Time? It's said to be able to reverse time and keep people forever young!"
Lin Fan shook his head again and pointed to the sapling in his yard that had just sprouted tender buds: "Pick a couple of leaves from that thing to make tea. It's much better than your broken bowl, and you can even mass-produce it."
Thor's expression froze completely.
"That...that Uru Divine Steel! The hardest metal in the Nine Realms, it's the perfect choice for forging divine artifacts!"
"Oh, this."
Lin Fan seemed to remember something and casually reached into his pocket to rummage around.
Between a small wad of cotton and half a candy wrapper, he pinched out a deep blue gem and casually tossed it between his fingertips.
"Is this the kind of hardness you're talking about? My glass bead seems much purer than your steel, but unfortunately, its energy structure is too chaotic. It can only be used as a spatial coordinate, so I won't feel bad about losing it."
Thor's eyes were glued to the gem, and he couldn't even breathe.
That...that's the Space Stone from the Mind Stone!
He actually...really...kept it in his pocket with the trash?!
Thor was completely out of options.
Everything he was so proud of—the wealth and glory Asgard had accumulated over millennia—seemed to be no different in this man's eyes from a roadside stone, a kitchen stove, or a candy wrapper in his pocket.
The other party's level of existence was so high that even looking up at them felt strenuous.
Looking at Thor's expression, as if he had been constipated for three days and three nights, Lin Fan felt a little bored.
"Alright, looks like you don't have anything good to offer." He waved his hand, dismissing him. "Well, there's nothing I can do then. Your brother, just stay here and sweep the floors, and try to get named 'Employee of the Year' as soon as possible."
"Oh, right," he added kindly, as if he had just remembered something.
"We have a bottom-ranking elimination system here. If he doesn't perform well and his performance is at the bottom, he may be eliminated."
"In the end, I'll probably have to send them to the backyard to be used as fertilizer for my vegetable garden, along with those unruly ninjas."
Upon hearing this, Loki's face drained of all color, turning as white as a sheet of paper.
Thor's heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.
He knew the other person wasn't joking.
What should I do?
What should we do?
He looked at Lin Fan's indifferent expression, then looked down at the hammer in his hand, his knuckles white from gripping it so tightly.
The Father God sent him to communicate, to let him put down his pride.
But now, what the other side wants is his glory, his very foundation!
"Mr. Lin Fan."
Saul's lips were dry, and his Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty as he made an incredibly humiliating decision.
"I... I can let you see Mjolnir."
He gritted his teeth and added, "But, just take a look."
That was the only way he could comfort himself.
It's good to let the other party see it.
After all, in this world, apart from Odin the Father and himself, there could never be a third person who could shake this hammer in the slightest.
Let this mysterious man from the East witness the power of the Asgardian artifacts and make him back down!
"Oh?"
A hint of "something's interesting" finally appeared on Lin Fan's face.
He nodded and extended his hand.
"Okay."
"Give it to me."