Business Comes Knocking

Luo Qiu habitually observed his first customer.

With a hint of dust from his travels, the man tried his best to maintain basic politeness by not looking away, but Luo Qiu could still sense his unease. He wore a black suit but no tie, and the top button of his collar was undone.

The suit also appeared somewhat wrinkled, and there was a faint stubble visible on his face. His eyes were bloodshot, clearly due to a lack of rest.

Overall, Luo Qiu's impression of the customer was that he hadn't slept well, or perhaps hadn't slept at all, and was in a state of considerable distress.

His accent also indicated he was local.

"Hmm... that's about all I can tell for now," Luo Qiu thought to himself, nodding inwardly. And then... nothing else followed.

"Let's take a look at the environment here."

The customer had entered, holding a club membership card, which clearly indicated he knew something about the 'Trafford Buyers Club'.

As the new owner, Luo Qiu, after a period of silent observation, remained silent... He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do next.

Should he... greet the customer? But how should he greet him? Should he make a stylish entrance like the previous owner? The problem was, the customer was already seated when he entered. Or perhaps he should introduce the items here, say things the customer hadn't heard before to boost his own prestige? But apart from the 'Crimson Moon', he had little knowledge of anything else.

So, was discussing the 'Crimson Moon' with someone who was clearly much older than him a topic centered around their eyes?

This was incredibly awkward.

He had no idea what to do next... but the customer was waiting, looking at Luo Qiu with that anxious expression, which made him feel even more awkward.

"Do... you want anything?"

After much deliberation, Luo Qiu finally broke the silence.

"You are..." the middle-aged man asked, confused.

"This is the club's owner. Please, have a seat," You Ye suddenly said.

Although just a doll, she was an impeccable doll in every aspect, even understanding how to help her master resolve difficulties. At this moment, Luo Qiu even felt that the most useless thing the previous owner had left behind was that dry manual, while the most useful was clearly You Ye, the capable maid.

It's a shame she's just a doll, just a doll, a doll.

You Ye led the fidgeting middle-aged man to the reception area and had him sit down... which was actually just a round table near the display window.

After the customer was seated, You Ye walked over to Luo Qiu and whispered, "Master only needs to listen to the customer's needs and then assess whether the transaction is worthwhile. If you feel the offered transaction amount is insufficient, it's okay to refuse."

It was a reminder, such a thoughtful maid doll.

Luo Qiu nodded. He would be nervous like any ordinary person, but he wouldn't show it excessively. Perhaps it was his personality, but Luo Qiu calmly walked over and sat down in front of the middle-aged man.

"Are you... really the owner of this club?" the middle-aged man asked, looking Luo Qiu up and down.

"Is it that strange?" Luo Qiu retorted.

The middle-aged man quickly shook his head, as if afraid of causing displeasure, and explained, "No, no, no... it's just, it's not what I imagined."

Luo Qiu's curiosity was always strong, so he immediately asked, "Then what did you imagine it would be like?"

The middle-aged man said, "I heard legends about this club from my ancestors. Even my grandfather didn't know how long this club had existed."

Saying this, the middle-aged man looked at Luo Qiu again and said, "According to my grandfather, he bought things here three times in his lifetime. Each time he saw the owner, their appearance hadn't changed... but it didn't seem to be a young person."

"Let's talk about what this gentleman needs," Luo Qiu said calmly.

He hoped to leave a mysterious impression on the other party... He wasn't sure if doing so would help with the upcoming transaction, but he simply felt that the previous owner had also given him a mysterious impression, and he thought he should try to emulate it.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man hurriedly placed the black card he was clutching onto the table.

He must have valued this card greatly, as he had been holding it with both hands since entering the shop. "This, this! I, I want to buy back my factory!"

Then the middle-aged man began to tell his story.

The middle-aged man was named Jin Zifu. His family had operated a large machine tool manufacturing factory for generations, and it was a well-known name in the city. Of course, for Luo Qiu, who didn't pay much attention to the business world, this was the first time he had heard the name.

Recently, Jin Zifu's factory had fallen into crisis. The factory had, without him realizing it, ceased to belong to him and had become the property of his son-in-law.

It turned out that in recent years, his son-in-law had occasionally asked him to sign some documents. At the time, out of trust, he hadn't paid much attention. By the time he realized what was happening, the factory had already changed hands, and more importantly, even his assets had become his son-in-law's.

His daughter had died in a car accident several years ago, but his son-in-law had never remarried. He worked diligently at the factory every day, and played the role of both father and mother to their one-year-old child.

It was precisely because of this that Jin Zifu had grown to trust his son-in-law more and more, and it was also because of this that he had unknowingly lost everything.

"Zi Qian... no, that beast, he actually plans to demolish the factory and cooperate with developers to build a large luxury residential area on the factory's land! The workers will only receive a meager severance pay! So many families! Some of them have dedicated half their lives to my factory... I absolutely will not allow this to happen!"

Looking at the card on the table, it was entirely black, with a golden imprint engraved on one side. If he remembered correctly, the pattern of this imprint bore a seven-tenths similarity to the outline of the altar on the third basement level.

But... did he mean to use this card as the transaction fee?

Luo Qiu, who had no concept of this card, felt awkward again...

"We have understood the gentleman's request," You Ye said, walking out with an exquisite tea set and teapot. After placing the tray down, she picked up the card and said with a smile, "There is only one emblem left. It will disappear after this transaction is completed. According to the rules, you will receive a 10% discount on the transaction fee... Are you sure you want to proceed with the transaction? If you are sure, please state the transaction fee you deem appropriate. Of course, whether the transaction fee is appropriate will ultimately be determined by our owner."

You Ye is amazing!

"I... I know the rules," Jin Zifu said, taking a deep breath. "My grandfather told me the rules before he passed away."

At this point, Jin Zifu fell silent. Luo Qiu could see clearly that he had made up his mind to come to this place, but he hadn't made up his mind to fully complete this transaction.

"Half of my remaining lifespan," he finally said, which surprised Luo Qiu greatly.

Luo Qiu had skimmed through the so-called owner's manual, but he still had no idea how the club operated. Everything felt so novel... and ever since he'd first encountered the altar, it had felt increasingly mysterious.

Lifespan?

He forced himself to play the part of an observer, wanting to see how You Ye would handle the middle-aged man and witness this absurd yet real scene.

"I understand," You Ye said, nodding. "For humans, lifespan is one of the most precious forms of currency for trade. Please wait a moment, and kindly close your eyes, guest."

At that, You Ye suddenly extended a finger and gently tapped Jin Zifu's forehead.

A short while later, You Ye withdrew her arm and put on... well, she had been wearing black gloves all along.

"Sir, based on an estimation of your physical condition, your remaining lifespan is preliminarily calculated at thirty-seven years. Half of that lifespan is eighteen years and six months."

"Eighteen years..." A flicker of fear crossed Jin Zifu's face, but he gritted his teeth. "Eighteen years it is. I can't let the employees who follow me suffer. They have families, young and old. If this factory closes down... I've decided. I'll trade my eighteen years and six months for my factory!"

"I apologize, sir. Whether the transaction is completed still requires the owner to judge if the currency you offer is suitable."

"This... this..."

Seeing Jin Zifu start to fidget nervously again, Luo Qiu felt that awkwardness creep in once more...

How should I judge it? How can I judge it?

"Perhaps our owner needs a little more time to consider," You Ye said with a smile. "Guest, you may return for now. If there's any news, the card in your hand will provide instructions... Thank you for visiting the 'Trafford Buyers Club'."

You Ye is truly amazing...

PS: Please collect.