When Su Wei named the figure, Old Jack's hand trembled around his flask.
"I don't have time to process it right now, so I can only sell it wet."
Su Wei's voice grew lower. "But there's no way I'm selling it for eighty, like it's scrap."
Old Jack opened his mouth, and his freshly lit cigar nearly fell onto his trousers.
Did this kid... know his stuff?
That kind of professional terminology, and his knowledge of market prices, were nothing like the spineless wimp who only knew how to hide behind his father.
There was no chance of snapping it up for twenty or thirty percent of the price.
"You little..."
Old Jack smacked his lips and smiled awkwardly. "Well, well. Your time in the mountains wasn't wasted. You even learned the lingo."
He took another look at the black lump on the table, rapidly calculating his profit.
Even if Su Wei knew the price of the dried product, he needed money urgently and didn't have the equipment to dry it.
That was Old Jack's advantage.
"Ninety."
Old Jack gritted his teeth, his face pained. "That's really the highest I can go, Su Wei. Transport, cleaning, slicing, drying-those all cost money. Gas prices have gone up again lately..."
Su Wei said nothing.
He simply pulled the fungus an inch closer to himself.
It was a silent refusal.
The muscles in Old Jack's face twitched.
Why wouldn't this kid budge, no matter what he said?
"One hundred!" Old Jack raised his voice. "I can't go any higher! Any more and I'll have made the trip for nothing!"
Su Wei still didn't let go.
He even shook his head.
"One hundred and ten."
Old Jack continued raising his offer, his heart aching.
Su Wei finally spoke, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "One hundred and twenty! Otherwise, I'll keep it and boil it for tea myself. My body's weak anyway, so it'll be just the thing to build it up."
As he spoke, he pressed down with his palm, as though he really meant to put it away.
"Wait, wait, wait!"
Old Jack sprang to his feet in alarm.
It would be such a waste if a piece of chaga this large and in perfect condition were ruined.
With just a little processing, he could sell it to wealthy tycoons and make several times what he paid.
"One hundred and twenty!"
Old Jack practically roared. "One hundred and twenty dollars a pound! Su Wei, you're squeezing the marrow right out of my bones!"
Su Wei stopped.
"Deal."
The single word settled it.
Old Jack slumped back into his chair, grabbed his flask, and took a long swig.
"Vampire. You're even more ruthless than those bank fellows."
Grumbling, he deftly pulled out a portable electronic scale.
Sixteen pounds and three ounces.
The odd ounces were dropped.
A stack of green American bills landed on the table, Old Jack's fingers trembling as he counted them out.
"One thousand nine hundred and forty-five. Take it."
Su Wei grabbed the money and stuffed it straight into his pocket.
The deal was done.
But he still didn't relax.
Old Jack hadn't left yet.
Not only had the old man stayed, but he also leaned in closer.
The pained look had vanished from his murky eyes, replaced by a new calculation.
His gaze was full of greed.
"The small business is done."
Old Jack licked his cracked lips and pointed at Su Wei's collar-or rather, at the patch of white fur.
"Let's talk big business."
Su Wei immediately grew wary.
Here it comes.
"That fox."
Old Jack lowered his voice, putting on a mysterious air. "An albino red fox with blue eyes. After all my years on Kodiak, this is the first wild one I've seen."
"Not for sale."
Su Wei's answer was curt.
Inside his collar, Cotton Candy seemed to sense the malice. The little fox squirmed uneasily and let out a faint whimper.
Su Wei rested his hand on Cotton Candy's little head through the fabric to soothe the fox.
"Don't be so quick to refuse."
Old Jack waved a hand, wearing a phony "I'm looking out for you" expression. "Su Wei, face reality. You owe the bank a hundred and sixty thousand, and they want thirty thousand of it paid back within a month. By selling mushrooms? Dream on."
He held up a finger and wagged it in front of Su Wei.
"Ten thousand dollars."
Old Jack stared fixedly at Su Wei's face, hoping to find a trace of hesitation. "Give the fox to me, and ten thousand dollars is yours right away. Just like that, a third of your minimum payment for the month is taken care of!"
Ten thousand dollars.
The figure was indeed tempting.
The bounty Su Wei had heard about was only eight thousand for a blue-eyed white fox.
This crooked merchant was actually offering two thousand above that?
The profit behind it had to be frighteningly high.
"I said, not for sale."
Su Wei's voice turned cold. "Cotton Candy is my companion."
"Companion?"
Old Jack burst into exaggerated laughter, the sound grating. "Don't be stupid, kid! There are only two kinds of animals here!"
"Prey, or bait. You're talking about feelings for an animal? Can feelings help you pay your debts? Can they save this broken-down house of yours?"
He stood up, braced both hands on the table, and leaned forward, imposing and threatening.
"Su Wei, be smart. That boss on Kodiak who deals in pet foxes is only offering eight thousand. I'm giving you ten! And that's only out of respect for your unlucky old man!"
Su Wei remained unmoved.
His hand never stopped stroking Cotton Candy's head, soothing the little one.
The more anxious the old man became, the more valuable the fox must be.
Besides, with the Beast Taming Module, Cotton Candy was already the only one he could rely on in this world of ice and snow.
Sell my family for money?
He couldn't do something like that.
"Please leave, Jack."
Su Wei directly ordered him out, pointing at the door. "I need to rest."
The smile froze on Old Jack's face.
Even ten thousand dollars doesn't tempt him?
Only he knew that some time ago, a tycoon had offered fifty thousand for a wild, rare fox in perfect condition!
And this blue-eyed albino red fox clearly met the requirements!
Fifty thousand dollars!