The Deal Was Done

028

Not long after Li Yue left.

Another staff member brought in tea and snacks.

They set them on the coffee table in front of the two.

Jiang Fu picked up a cream mini cake about the size of a mahjong tile, made with exquisite care.

"Want some?"

Shi Jiu's fingers flew across her phone screen.

"Mm," she said. "My hands are busy."

Then she opened her mouth a little.

Jiang Fu: "..."

He stared at the two fingers moving so fast across the screen they were almost a blur.

Then he carefully brought the little cake to her lips.

Shi Jiu turned her face slightly.

She took a small bite.

Then another.

Outside the lounge window.

Shen Yan watched their interaction with his heart in his throat.

He took a deep breath.

Then handed the form to Li Yue beside him.

"Manager Li, you did very well!"

"The next time these two students come to the Trading House, you'll handle them again!"

Li Yue's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly agreed.

Then she hesitated. "And the price...?"

Shen Yan waved a hand. "Just as you said before."

"Pay a 150 percent premium this time. After that, buy from them at the normal price."

Trying too hard to please them would only make his motives look suspect.

Li Yue nodded.

She watched Shen Yan's back as he beat a rather hasty retreat.

Her confusion deepened.

Shen Yan was a supervisor at the Martial Artist Guild's District Nine branch in Bin City, the second-in-command here.

Yet he seemed afraid of the two inside.

After Shen Yan left.

Li Yue didn't go in right away.

She paced outside for quite a while.

Only then did she knock and enter the lounge.

Jiang Fu picked up a napkin from the table.

He wiped the cream from Shi Jiu's lips.

Shi Jiu glanced at him.

Then looked away.

And went back to her game.

Li Yue cleared her throat.

She placed the form on the coffee table.

"The transaction is complete. The money will be deposited into your Exclusive Martial Artist Bank Accounts shortly."

Jiang Fu paused. "Exclusive Martial Artist Bank Accounts?"

Li Yue explained with a smile, "The Martial Artist Guild opens one for every certified martial artist. The bank card, account details, and password are all in your document bag."

Only then did Jiang Fu remember the document bag he had rolled up and stuffed in his pocket.

He checked it with his Spirit Power.

Still there.

Jiang Fu turned his attention to the form.

[One hundred Red-tailed Rat Tails: purchased by the Martial Artist Guild's Bincheng District Nine branch Trading House at a 150 percent premium. Purchase price: 500 Xia Coins each. Total: 50,000 Xia Coins.]

[Ten intact Silver Moon Wolf carcasses: purchased by the Martial Artist Guild's Bincheng District Nine branch Trading House at a 150 percent premium. Purchase price: 1.25 million Xia Coins each. Total: 12.5 million Xia Coins.]

[The funds will be transferred to the Exclusive Martial Artist Bank Accounts within half an hour.]

Jiang Fu frowned.

"A Silver Moon Wolf... only goes for 1.25 million, even with a 150 percent premium?"

Ten Silver Moon Wolf carcasses came to 12.5 million.

That was no small sum.

But it fell far short of what Jiang Fu had expected.

Without the premium.

The actual purchase price of a Level 2 Silver Moon Wolf was only 500,000?

Even the cheapest Tier 1 Spiritual Fruit, the Mist Ripple Fruit, was worth a million!

Seeing the look in Jiang Fu's eyes.

Li Yue patiently explained, "Low-level Mutated Beasts really aren't worth much."

"Tier 2 Mutated Beasts like Silver Moon Wolves roam the Wilderness Area in packs. They're everywhere."

"And they can't threaten cities where humans live."

"So the purchase price isn't very high."

At her words.

Jiang Fu thought of the pack of Silver Moon Wolves that had chased him.

There had been more than a hundred!

...There really were a lot of them.

They were numerous.

And they posed little threat to the Human Habitable Zone.

Naturally, the Martial Artist Guild offered a low purchase price.

Li Yue looked at Jiang Fu and continued, "Actually, Silver Moon Wolves are among the more valuable Tier 2 Mutated Beasts."

Jiang Fu's mouth twitched.

"You mean... other Tier 2 Mutated Beasts are worth even less?"

Li Yue nodded. "That's right."

"Tier 1 through Tier 3 Mutated Beasts generally sell for anywhere from a hundred to a million Xia Coins."

"Of course, there are exceptions."

"Some special Mutated Beasts are extremely valuable. Take the Blood-Eyed Golden Tiger, a Tier 3 Mutated Beast!"

"Its purchase price even exceeds that of a Tier 5 Mutated Beast."

Just then.

Shi Jiu suddenly looked up, her pretty face scrunched up. "I can't shake the feeling I lost money..."

"Like I came across something really, really valuable and didn't pick it up..."

In her mind.

An imposing tiger with blood-red eyes suddenly appeared.

Jiang Fu's expression froze for a moment.

"Uh... that was probably a dream," he said awkwardly.

Shi Jiu thought it over for a moment.

It made sense to her.

So she lowered her head and went back to her game.

Jiang Fu breathed a little easier.

It was less than he had expected.

But he had still made a fortune.

He had sold them at a premium.

The price had already surpassed that of a Tier 3 Mutated Beast.

And this world treated martial artists quite well.

They didn't have to pay taxes.

Whatever they sold for was theirs to keep.

Half of 12.55 million was 6.275 million.

Enough to buy Vitality Pills!

Besides.

With a walking cheat code like Jiang Fu.

One Vitality Pill became ten!

At that thought.

Jiang Fu said no more.

He put the form back on the coffee table.

Then scooped Shi Jiu up from the sofa.

"Since the deal's done, we won't keep you any longer."

"See you, Sister Li!"

Li Yue stood and handed Jiang Fu her business card.

"Here's my card. Just ask for me when you come next time."

Jiang Fu took it. "Will do."

"I'm going to buy a phone. What about you?"

After leaving the Trading House, Jiang Fu looked down at Shi Jiu in his arms.

Shi Jiu kept her eyes on her phone. "Playing games."

Jiang Fu: "..."

He shouldn't have asked.

By then.

He had taken the bank card out of the document bag.

It was sky blue.

Custom-issued by the Martial Artist Guild, it worked with all five major banks worldwide.

The Martial Artist Guild's Trading Area had a place that sold phones.

One cost 23,333 Xia Coins.

It was a Wilderness Area model: wear-resistant, sturdy, with excellent reception.

It could pick up a signal no matter how far you were from a human city.

The money had already arrived.

With his Martial Artist Badge, he needed no other proof of identity.

Buying a phone and setting up service took less than ten minutes from start to finish.

The moment Jiang Fu activated his phone.

A call came in.

But before Jiang Fu could answer, the caller hung up.

"That's my number. Save it."

"Oh, okay."

After saving Shi Jiu's number.

Jiang Fu fished a crumpled business card from his pants pocket.

Li Dazhi.

The taxi driver who had brought him to the Martial Artist Guild that afternoon.

He hadn't charged Jiang Fu for the ride.

Now that Jiang Fu had money, he could pay him back.

The call connected quickly.

"Sir, it's me."

"Hahaha, I know, I know! I'm right here in the parking lot. Come on over!"

Jiang Fu paused.

An unexpected warmth spread through his chest.

So.

That driver, a complete stranger, had never left. He had been waiting here for him all this time.

Holding Shi Jiu, Jiang Fu hurried out of the Martial Artist Guild building.

He didn't ask Shi Jiu where she wanted to go again.

She had already said she would go wherever he went.

By then,

the sun had set, and the sky had grown dark.

The towering city wall cast an enormous shadow.

It made the night here feel even deeper.

Under the somewhat dim streetlights,

Jiang Fu soon found the taxi with its hazard lights flashing at the parking lot entrance.

After opening the rear door,

Jiang Fu put Shi Jiu inside first, then climbed into the back seat himself.

...Mostly because he was afraid she would slide off the seat.

Li Dazhi glanced in the rearview mirror.

He immediately spotted the Martial Artist Badges they were both wearing.

He couldn't help smiling as he said, "Hey, kid, is she your girlfriend?"

"How nice! Both of you lovebirds are martial artists!"