This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

It was clearly a beneficial deal. The significance of 100,000 gold was immense. To give an example, that amount could buy enough C-rank spells to outfit an entire squad of elite soldiers.

Moreover, having the **Another Happy Day** skill stones sold exclusively through the government's channel was a form of security for Rita. She wasn't just handing them profit; she was leveraging their protection. By allowing them to officially distribute the stones, it would prevent other factions from coveting the earnings, knowing it was under official control.

Plus, it gave the government the advantage of first refusal on the stones, an invaluable resource in looting high-level equipment.

Meow.Q said she needed to seek approval from higher-ups.

Rita took a sip of her coffee with a calm smile, "No rush, go ahead."

But she hadn't even finished half her cup when Meow.Q returned—this time with Shadow.Q.

Rita sighed internally, straightened up, and said, "I'm in a bit of a hurry. If you agree, let's sign the contract quickly. I don't have time for further discussions."

Meow.Q blinked in confusion. "Weren't you just saying there's no rush?"

Shadow.Q found it amusing. She'd just seen this woman lounging over coffee, looking completely at ease, but now she was claiming to be in a hurry. Shadow.Q placed a contract on the table. "I'll agree, but I want 40% of the profits. That's our bottom line. After all, if we publicly say we're only taking 20%, it could damage our reputation, and that loss is priceless."

Rita smirked. "They'll believe it. The value of these skill stones won't stay at 3 gold forever. Right now, that's maybe what a small squad makes in three days. But in the future, when they're making 10 gold in that same period, are these stones still going to be priced at 3? These stones may not have combat value, but their worth in acquiring high-level gear is beyond measure.

I can't protect this on my own, so I'm coming to you."

Shadow.Q nodded, seemingly sympathetic. She repeated, almost wistfully, "You can't protect it on your own, so you need us."

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Rita bit her lip, realizing she had shown a bit too much of her hand. She wasn't as skilled in negotiations as these professionals. "I could always throw my lot in with another faction," she countered.

Shadow.Q remained calm. "But you don't like internal power struggles, do you? Joining a faction means dealing with those struggles. Once people recognize the real value of your skill, other factions will begin fighting over you and the faction you align with."

Rita stayed silent for a long while before standing up abruptly. "Forget it, then."

Shadow.Q froze, mid-sip of her coffee. **What the…?** She looked at Rita, genuinely shocked that she was backing out just as the deal seemed to be within reach.

With an annoyed click of her tongue, Rita grumbled, "I'm sick of talking. I'm done. I'm out of here."

**What kind of negotiation is this, where the player flips the table when they're about to win?**

Rita didn't just flip the table—she turned and actually walked away. She hadn't made it more than a step before Shadow.Q leaped to her feet, grabbing Rita's arm.

The negotiation expert who had been so composed just a moment ago was now leaning over the table, clutching Rita's hand like a lifeline. "Sister!!!"

Rita sighed, "I'm only 26."

Shadow.Q quickly moved around the table to block her path, throwing an arm around her shoulder affectionately. "Younger sister!"

From behind, Meow.Q chimed in, "Uh, hey, I'm still here."

Without even turning, Shadow.Q shot back, "Scram."

Meow.Q, barely holding back laughter, replied, "Yes, ma'am."

Shadow.Q clung to Rita's shoulder. "Let's talk this through. We can work it out."

Rita raised an eyebrow. "You won't like what I have to say."

Shadow.Q paused for a moment, that phrase sounding oddly familiar.

Rita added, "There's no way I'm agreeing to 40%. At most, you get 10%."

Shadow.Q's smile twitched. "Ten percent is a no-go…"

Rita shrugged off Shadow.Q's arm and turned to leave.

But Shadow.Q grabbed her again, clinging desperately, more determined than she'd ever been—even more than when she was trying to win back her ex-boyfriend back in college. "Twenty percent! That's my bottom line! I swear, that's the best I can offer!"

Coincidentally, that was also Rita's bottom line. She had never expected to avoid paying some sort of fee, but her expression remained cold. "Fine, but if I exchange gold, I get a commission—1%. Not too much, right?"

Shadow.Q stepped back with a huff. "Fine, go ahead and leave, but don't expect to come crawling back."

Rita lifted her foot, feigning another attempt to leave. Just as predicted, she was pulled back again, Shadow.Q wrapping her arm around her tightly.

Shadow.Q smiled sweetly. "Because I'll come after you."

Rita: **"..."**

Shadow.Q led Rita back to the table, still gripping her shoulder. "If you only exchange 100,000 gold, you'll get 0.5% commission. But if you can exchange 200,000 gold, we'll raise it to 1%."

Rita extended her hand. "Deal. I'll aim for 200,000 gold."

Shadow.Q's smile froze.

Meow.Q leaned over. "Sis, that's some savage negotiation."

Shadow.Q barked, "Shut up!"

Rita no longer felt the urgency to hunt down Levi and his group. She waited patiently for the contract to arrive, thoroughly reading through it once more to ensure it matched their agreement.

1. Rita will exchange gold from the planet Lania Kaiya at a rate of 200 grams of gold for one gold coin, on behalf of the Special Affairs Bureau. If she exchanges less than 100,000 gold coins, she will receive a 0.5% commission. If she exchanges more than 200,000 coins, her commission will rise to 1%. During this period, the Bureau may not use any method to **Insight** into Rita's methods of exchange.

2. Rita's **Another Happy Day** skill stones will be sold exclusively through the Special Affairs Bureau. In return, they will provide her with blank skill stones and publicly declare that Rita only receives 20% of the profits. The Bureau will also offer Rita protection. Of the profits from **Another Happy Day**, the Bureau will take a 20% cut, settled every 15 days.

The contract was fair to Rita. It only stipulated that her skill stones had to be sold through the Bureau, but didn't restrict her from using them personally or for others, meaning she could still use them as needed.

Should the contract be broken, all members under the Special Affairs Bureau would lose 1 attribute point, while Rita would lose 10 attribute points and all her gold. The contract also had a two-year term, after which they could renegotiate.

This didn't surprise Rita. **Wheel of Fate** was, after all, just a B-grade Divine Gift. A-Grade and below gifts weren't unique—another **Wheel of Fate** might surface someday. But if they didn't find another user, then the upper hand would be hers once more.

There were many details outlined, including a clause preventing Rita from exchanging gold for any other factions, and a requirement that after one year, she would disclose her method of gold exchange to the Bureau.

In exchange, the Bureau guaranteed that if anything happened to her within those two years, and they traced her killer using a **Divine Gift** related to causality, they would avenge her.

It was a fair deal. Even if only to protect their access to the gold exchange, the Bureau would keep her safe. Plus, should anything happen, they'd be obligated to seek revenge on her behalf. As for revealing her method in a year, that wouldn't impede her own progress—by that time, she would have drained the goblins of all their resources anyway.

Satisfied with the terms but aware of the small price she had to pay, Rita carefully reviewed the contract once more before signing her name.

Shadow.Q signed on behalf of the Bureau, stamping it with the official seal.