The Rules You Made Mean Nothing to Me

Lu Ping looked up at him.

"But now everyone outside is boycotting us, who would be willing to sell their goods to Exchange Tower?"

Ren looked at the low-ranking mercenaries coming and going outside the warehouse.

"They're unwilling because they haven't seen what Exchange Tower can offer yet."

That noon.

Several long tables were set up in front of the burned-down site in the south of the city.

The dilapidated walls were simply cleaned up, and the dust and wood chips on the ground were swept to the sides. Ren didn't rush to hang up a new plaque; he simply had the area around the old site tidied up.

Lu Ping sat behind a long table with a dozen or so of his former subordinates.

There were no expensive Soul Artifact on the table, nor were any Merchant Guilds guild flags displayed.

There were only a few wooden signs.

Free identification of Spiritual Materials.

Free identification of Soul Artifact fragments.

Free identification of Desolate Beast skeletons.

After the news spread, a crowd quickly gathered.

"Wasn't Exchange Tower swallowed up by the Azure Luo Merchant Guilds?"

"Where did these people come from?"

"Free appraisal? Are you trying to scam me out of something?"

"Let's see how it goes."

The first to arrive was a young mercenary wearing tattered leather armor.

He stood outside the crowd for a long time, and finally, as if he had made up his mind, he took out a broken short blade from his pocket.

The short blade was only half intact, the blade was full of nicks and chips, and there were traces of Desolate Beast gnawing on its surface.

People around laughed.

"You even brought this broken knife out for appraisal?"

"It's probably not even worth a single copper soul coin."

The young mercenary's face flushed red, his fingers gripping the short blade tightly.

"I just wanted to ask, if you're not going to buy it, that's fine too."

He turned to leave, but Lu Ping said, "Give it to me."

The young mercenary hesitated before placing the dagger on the table.

Lu Ping didn't rush to offer a price. Instead, he followed the method Ren had taught him, first examining the blade, then observing the nicks and residual Soul Power.

He ran his fingertip lightly across the blade, then turned the short blade over to examine the bottom of the handle.

The onlookers gradually quieted down.

Lu Ping looked up and asked, "Where did you get this knife?"

"On the outskirts of the Desolate Beast Mountain Range, on the body of a dead Soul Master."

You found it yourself?

"Yes."

"Has it undergone high-temperature forging?"

The young mercenary shook his head.

Lu Ping nodded.

"Although the blade is broken, a wisp of fire-attribute Soul Power remains inside. When intact, it should have been a mid-tier Soul Artifact. Now that the main body is damaged, it cannot regain its original power, but the hilt and the remaining blade can be reforged."

The young mercenary swallowed hard.

"Then... how much is it worth?"

Lu Ping looked at Ren.

Ren nodded slightly.

"Buy at three thousand soul coins."

An uproar immediately erupted around them.

"What? Three thousand soul coins?"

"That kind of broken knife is worth three thousand?"

"The black market will give him a maximum of five hundred!"

The young mercenary stood frozen in place.

You're not mistaken?

"No."

Lu Ping took out the Soul Coin and pushed it in front of him.

"Exchange Tower accepts goods at their actual value, without deliberately lowering the price or using their status to bully others."

The young mercenary's fingers trembled slightly as he looked at the bag of soul coins.

"Really... really for me?"

"Take it."

He picked up the money bag, his lips moved a few times, and finally he bowed deeply.

Thank you.

After the young mercenary left, the discussions in the crowd completely changed.

"Really?"

"Let me see your things too."

"Don't push, one at a time!"

A mercenary brought over a dark red crystal. Ren glanced at it and said, "It's mixed with ordinary stone powder. Only 30% of it is real soul crystal. It's worth at most eighty soul coins."

The man's expression changed.

"You're talking nonsense! I dug this out from the body of a third-tier Desolate Beast!"

Ren reached out and took the crystal, gently pinching it between his fingertips.

Click.

The surface of the crystal is cracked, revealing grayish-white impurities inside.

The people around immediately fell silent.

The mercenary's face turned pale and then red, before he finally lowered his head.

"Eighty it is."

"Can."

Another person brought a piece of Desolate Beast bone.

This time, Lu Ping offered twice the price of the black market.

Someone brought over a short sword whose Soul Power had been exhausted. Exchange Tower didn't boast about its value and simply accepted it at the price of the raw materials.

Some people tried to test him by bringing counterfeit goods, Ren immediately exposed them, even stating clearly which stall they bought them from.

Every transaction attracts onlookers.

Every result spread throughout the south of the city.

Exchange Tower doesn't consider status.

I don't care about background.

Don't try to lower the price just because the other party is a low-level mercenary, nor exaggerate the price just because the other party brings useless items.

For things that are truly valuable, pay the full price.

If something is worthless, explain it directly.

Half a day later, the once deserted streets in the south of the city were now packed with people.

The shopkeepers of nearby stores stood at their doorways, watching the mercenaries gathering in front of the long table, their faces growing increasingly grim.

"With prices being raised like this, how are we supposed to do business?"

"Free appraisal is one thing, but they even dare to charge the actual price for the goods upon delivery."

"If this continues, they'll siphon off all the goods from the south of the city!"

Lu Ping was sweating profusely from his work.

He hadn't been this busy in a long time.

As he watched the Spiritual Materials pass by the table and the mercenaries who had been on guard gradually relax, his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

As evening approached, a hunched old man suddenly appeared outside the crowd.

The old man was dressed in old cloth clothes, his hair was gray, and he was leaning on a wooden cane.

He stared at Lu Ping behind the long table for a long time, but never approached.

Lu Ping looked up and saw him.

"Lao Zhou?"

The old man froze, then turned to leave.

Lu Ping quickly caught up with him.

"Stop right there."

The old man stopped at the street corner, his back to Lu Ping.

"I was just passing by."

Why didn't you come in when you were just passing by?

I have nothing to sell.

"Then come in and have a drink of water."

The old man remained silent for a long time before whispering, "You don't blame me for leaving Exchange Tower back then?"

Lu Ping did not answer.

He took a communication ring from his pocket and handed it to the old man.

"Take it."

The old man stared at the ring, his finger hesitant to extend.

"Exchange Tower... will you really still accept me?"

Lu Ping nodded with a smile, but his eyes slowly welled up with tears.

The old man finally took the ring and clutched it tightly in his hand.

This scene was witnessed by many of his former subordinates.

The name Exchange Tower has been silent for far too long.

But today, it has reappeared in the south of Chaotic Star City.

That evening.

Several Merchant Guilds dressed in brocade robes arrived at the old site.

The leader was obese, with a blue jade pendant hanging from his waist, and several guards followed behind him.

He walked to the long table, glanced at the posted prices, and sneered, "Who gave you permission to post the acquisition prices?"

Lu Ping frowned.

"Exchange Tower its prices, naturally."

Do you even know what rules are?

The Brocade-Robed Shopkeeper pointed to the wooden sign.

"The supply of goods in Chaotic Star City is limited, and the purchase price has long been set by our few Merchant Guilds. By raising the purchase price and selling the medicine at a low price, you are clearly cutting off everyone's source of income!"

Just as Lu Ping was about to speak, Ren walked up from behind.

"What adventurers risk their lives for shouldn't be taken away by a few words from you."