Chapter 80

Keou was stunned. He hadn't expected Ryan to be able to see the limitations of the Staff of Withering at a glance.

"You're right. This Magic Staff is strange. Once used, it causes inexplicable mental interference, making the user suffer. We eventually discovered that only Supernatural Being skilled in mental magic can use it."

"Right, that's why the value of the item is greatly reduced."

"You can't say that. For Supernatural Being are skilled in mental magic, it is definitely the best second-tier weapon."

"But where are you going to find someone who wants to buy it? Even if it is indeed worth that price, the market supply and demand are not in proportion, so the price of goods will naturally fluctuate, won't it?"

Keou exclaimed in surprise, "The mayor actually knows how to do business?!"

"I know a little bit." Ryan smiled. "How about this, I happen to have a weapon too, and we can trade if you'd like."

"Oh? Let me see."

Ryan took out the Bloodlust Blade that 'Lin Qi' had recently obtained.

This thing is also tier 2, but it's a level below the Staff of Withering in terms of quality. However, short swords are very versatile and come with a life-steal effect, so it's not bad among tier 2 weapons.

If Ryan hadn't been in a hurry to get a weapon for 'Vainay', he wouldn't have taken it out to exchange. He doesn't need it now, but he can use it for a new character later.

Keou took out something that looked like a magnifying glass and stared intently at the Bloodlust Blade, seemingly quite satisfied with it, nodding occasionally.

After some haggling, the two finally reached a fair trade agreement: one for one.

In the end, no one lost out, since the Bloodlust Blade could be easily sold by the Gilded Group.

No matter how good something is, it's worthless if no one buys it. As businesspeople, they need to sell their goods in a timely manner to maximize their profits, since time costs must also be taken into account.

Next, Ryan traded some more items with Keou, including a large Magic Power recovery potion, Magic Scrolls, and various buff potions.

As for equipment, Ryan wasn't interested. He figured he could eventually get some by spending time farming... Of course, the main problem was that the equipment was just too expensive. Even a single Tier 2 relic could sell for 20,000 to 30,000 Soul Jade. No wonder the investigators of the Burning Covenant were all so poor.

Keep in mind that Jack only earns 300 Soul Jade a month. Even if he gets promoted and receives a raise in the future, it will still take him several years to buy a Tier 2 relic.

Finally, Ryan used Soul Jade to exchange for gold coins with Keou and bought the batch of weapons in the latter's possession.

That bastard still has a lot of good stuff, it's just a pity Ryan is broke now.

"Phew~ We're back to square one overnight."

The transaction was over. Looking at his nearly empty backpack, Ryan shook his head inwardly. He could only hope that 'Lin Qi' would suffer a little longer and manage to acquire more good items in the Inner World.

"Mayor, I saw Mr. Keou leave. Did your transaction go smoothly?" Larkin had prepared several hundred gold coins in case Ryan ran out of money; this was basically all the liquid funds he had on hand.

"Very well done, Larkin." Ryan chuckled. "I'm very satisfied."

"It is my honor." Larkin bowed slightly.

"By the way, the position of the Municipal Housing and Construction Department is vacant. It's not good that no one is managing it. Mr. Larkin, are you interested?"

"Me? Is that okay?"

Larkin was taken aback; the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development was a lucrative position.

"Of course. I will plan the development of Berman City in the future. You are someone I trust, understand?"

"I understand, I understand."

Larkin nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry, Mayor, I'll do my job well!"

"Okay, good luck... I have to go now, please give my regards to Jack."

If Larkin is capable, Ryan even plans to let him manage Berman City's gray market. This isn't something you can just take over; you have to manage it properly. Larkin is a businessman, and he knows better than Ryan how to do business.

Moreover, Larkin's own business is also very large, so this is a powerful alliance where each party gets what they need.

After leaving Larkin's house, Ryan returned to his residence.

The contract with Keou has been signed, and the other party will deliver the goods together tomorrow. At that time, the money will be exchanged for the goods.

Put down your work and log into the game!

Lin Qi, Shally, and Vainay were all busy with their own things.

"Speaking of which, it's time to create a fourth character..." Ryan switched interfaces and selected to create a new character. "There are too many things to do right now, and I need a capable secretary."

Second update, 6,500 words. Today I'm another 13,000 words!

By the way, characters won't be constantly appearing later on, as releasing too many at once would make the characters seem one-dimensional. They'll basically be released based on their roles, and we'll carefully consider adding powerful combat characters. We'll also release other character types when new maps are released. Finally, thank you to a reader who provided the character class design; it was truly excellent!