Chapter 86: The Potter Family

George immediately understood the situation. He squinted his eyes, a teasing smile curling his lips, and said, “In that case, congratulations! You might even be holding a grandson by this time next year.”

“It’s not that easy! I don’t even know which family’s daughter my son has fallen for. If he brings the girl he likes home for me and his mother to see, then maybe there’s a chance. But talking about this now is still too early!” Wang Qinian stroked his goatee and shook his head, pretending to be helpless. However, George could easily sense the hidden joy in Wang Qinian’s eyes and the faint smile on his lips.

‘This is a good chance to talk about the local customs and unique traditions of Kalatu with him. I should also try to get closer to this rare Dragonborn. After all, finding a way to meet the cultivators in Kalatu will mostly fall on his shoulders.’ With this thought, George’s eyes darted around as he asked, “Since we are so familiar, is it okay if I call you Old Wang?”

“You can call me whatever you like, as long as you don’t break the rules. You are a Noble, so some titles are really beyond my reach,” Wang Qinian replied, his tone suddenly shifting to something sarcastic and cold.

‘It seems Old Wang has had some trouble with this kind of thing before! Otherwise, if it was just an instinctive alertness, he shouldn’t be so resistant.’ Seeing Wang Qinian’s sudden change in attitude, George began to form his own thoughts.

He laughed and scolded, “Old Wang, didn’t you suffer some losses in this area when you were in Kalatu? But now you are on the Western Continent. The rules here are not as strict as in the Millennium Empire. You really don’t need to worry so much about this.”

“That’s right. This is not my hometown anymore.” It seemed that George had touched on a sore spot for Wang Qinian, making him look a bit depressed for a moment. However, Wang Qinian was someone who had weathered many storms, so he did not start complaining or sighing heavily to ruin the mood in front of George.

“Is there anyone in the shop?” A lazy voice came from the shop entrance.

Wang Qinian, who had been looking down in silence, suddenly jerked his head up. A slight flush appeared on his face, and his eyes sparkled with excitement. But this expression flashed by in an instant. Quickly, Wang Qinian returned to his usual expression, stood up with a smile, and went to greet the new customer—no, the new buyer.

‘This must be a fat sheep for Wang Qinian.’ Seeing Wang Qinian’s behavior, George knew the importance of the newcomer—after all, they were his bread and butter.

In ‘Fuli’anqiong’, George rarely met other customers. Of course, the most important reason was that George usually chose times when few people shopped. Why was that? It was because George was very good at bargaining. Although this only applied to imported goods from the East, he could usually bargain the price down to about seventy percent of the original asking price. If he did this when the shop was crowded, it would, in a way, be tearing down the shop’s reputation.

People who bought goods in an import shop were not all extremely rich or noble, but they were at least somewhat wealthy. Often, even if they knew a product might not be worth its listed price, they would still buy it for the sake of face or showing off. But if they found out someone else bought it for a much lower price, or heard it was worthless compared to what they paid, those customers who lost face would certainly not blame their own lack of judgment. Instead, they would likely blame the shop owner entirely. At the very least, the title of a shady merchant would stick to them. George could not do something that would ruin someone’s livelihood without any reason.

‘This voice doesn’t sound very familiar, but I think I’ve heard it somewhere before?’ With this question in mind, George turned around and looked toward the newcomer.

A young man who looked slightly older than George stepped into the shop. He was wearing a neat hunting outfit with the front buttons tightly fastened. It had two small flap pockets and two large tiger pockets, making four pockets that were both practical and beautiful. The use of a visible belt and cuff tabs made the clothes look crisp and well-fitted. Worn by this person, the outfit gave an impression of being free and easy, comfortable, and well-suited.

Although his voice had been lazy, his facial expression showed a determination that did not match. If it weren’t for Wang Qinian’s brief moment of excitement just now, George would never have thought of him as a fat sheep. However, George had a vague impression of him but couldn’t quite place him.

Wang Qinian, who was busy greeting the customer, did not care what George was thinking at the moment. He walked past George and approached the new big spender with a sycophantic smile.

Taking advantage of the short time Wang Qinian spent negotiating with the other man, George carefully examined the new guest. When his gaze finally focused on the man’s very distinctive large nose, a sudden idea struck him. ‘Right! This one must be the current Heir of the Potter family! I’ve seen him a few times at ballrooms. He is said to have good business skills, but unfortunately, his strength doesn’t seem to be very good.’

The families that could meet George at ballrooms were certainly not people who lacked dignity or were unfit for society. Since George had no clear impression of them, it meant these families actually had little influence. They were basically first or second-tier members of the Court Nobility.

The Potter family was a noble family that had fled from the Judyko Islands about eighty years ago. It was said that after their side lost completely in the war for the throne known as the ‘Seven Kings’ Rebellion’, they brought their wealth to the Duchy of Nohan. Of course, over these years, the heads of the Potter family in Karada had worked hard to manage their affairs. Their current business was two to three times larger than when they first arrived. Unfortunately, they had never produced a strong cultivator above the Black Lead Rank, so they had never been truly accepted by the ruling class of the Duchy.

Since they had met a few times before, George had a reason to say hello. Even if they couldn’t become friends, at least he could become a familiar face. Connections were always built up little by little. Maybe there would be a time when he needed their help. It was always better to build a good relationship now.

“Excuse me! New guest, if I’m not mistaken, are you from the Potter family?” George acted as if he had just recognized the man.

Hearing George’s words, Mr. Potter stopped his conversation with Wang Qinian and turned around to look at George. From his slightly changed expression, it seemed he also had an impression of George, but he couldn’t quite place him for the moment.

Seeing that the other man’s reaction was exactly as he had expected, George spoke first: “I am from the Bolerum family. We met last year at a ball.”

After this reminder, Mr. Potter suddenly snapped to attention and said, slightly excitedly, “Is it Lord Bolerum? It is rare that you remember an idle person like me who doesn’t have a title yet.”

As the heir of a rising family, James Potter basically remembered the faces of the important people in Karada. However, he had not spent much effort on future big shots. Or rather, in the foreseeable future, his family would still not be able to join such circles. Their limited meetings were mostly at large ballrooms, where they barely exchanged a glance, let alone spoke. So it was very normal that he could not recognize George.

With such a good start, of course, George continued: “As for the title, I think you will get one sooner or later. As for the term ‘idle person’, I don’t really agree with that. At least your reputation for being good at business is quite good among the younger generation in Karada.”

Everyone loves to hear flattery, of course, but you must also know the other person’s preferences. Otherwise, you might flatter someone and get your leg kicked, leaving you with nowhere to complain. For an ambitious young man like Potter, what he desired most was for his achievements to be recognized by others. If these words came from someone of lower status or someone who needed his help, Potter might suspect that the other person was flattering him against his conscience. But if they came from someone of much higher status, his first impression would be that this was an acknowledgment of his achievements by a superior. Reality, sometimes, is this cruel.

“Is that so? I actually have such a reputation? But compared to you, I am far behind.” Potter smiled, clearly a bit embarrassed, while twirling a strand of hair with his index finger.

George walked forward and asked in a pretend-friendly manner: “So, what do you want to buy today? If you don’t mind, let me help you with some suggestions. I have a certain confidence in these imported goods from the East.”

“That’s wonderful! Although I have bought things here a few times, I actually don’t quite understand their value and meaning. With the help of an expert like you, I feel much more at ease. Especially regarding the deep-sea pearl you bought last year; your eye for detail was truly unique.” The Potter family member, while cheering, did not forget to flatter George.

However, upon hearing about the deep-sea pearl from last year, Wang Qinian’s face did not change, but the slight twitching of his cheek muscles showed that this news had a huge impact on him.

‘That was 3,000 Gold Coins! A full 3,000 Gold Coins! But based on my understanding of this kid, he might have bargained it down to around 2,000 Gold Coins. Even so, there would still be a profit of about 500 Gold Coins. Why didn’t I take that pearl back then? I just gave it away to someone else for free.’ Thinking of this, Wang Qinian’s heart almost bled. Everyone knew this was George’s biggest purchase in the import business. Yet, as the merchant he visited most often, he failed to secure this big deal. Could Wang Qinian not be depressed?

As for George, this experience was neither good nor bad. Originally, last year George had met that giant pearl at the ‘Sushaha’ import shop. The pearl had a diameter of about 3.5 centimeters, and the key point was that it was perfectly round, showing no signs of deformation often seen on large pearls.

At first, it was just a guide from his sixth sense and curiosity. But when George held the pearl in his palm, he seemed to feel a heartbeat-like resonance. Then, the feeling of water and milk blending together when he tried to immerse it with his own Spirit Light immediately made George decide to buy it.

According to George’s plan, he would keep it on his person and constantly nourish it with his naturally emitting Spirit Light every moment. After a few years, it might become an Artifact. If one day he could form a Golden Core, he would have the chance to slowly polish it using the method of refining talismans into seals. Perhaps in the future, it could become a protective treasure like the Xuanpin Pearl.

After a round of bargaining, George bought the pearl from the Sea Demon Crowned Clam for 2,000 Gold Coins. If things had ended there, it would have been a satisfactory ending for George. Although he spent a large sum of money, he obtained something beneficial to himself, which was certainly something to be happy about.

But what they did not expect was that the merchant aggressively publicized George’s purchase of the pearl, viewing it as a great opportunity to advertise their shop. Of course, the price mentioned was not the actual selling price, but the 3,000 Gold Coins they had quoted.

Although they did this without George’s consent, George decided not to argue with them, considering his usual reputation for being a tough bargainer. However, after the advertisement spread, it unknowingly turned into rumors. Until one day, the rumor became: Lord Bolerum bought a top-grade pearl at the import shop to build a relationship with a certain high-level Mage.

Only then did George realize that this large pearl was the base material for the Mana Regeneration Pearl, known as the favorite of Mages. If other materials were available and a Legendary Mage skilled in making Artifacts was hired, a pearl of George’s size could potentially be crafted into a Supreme Mana Regeneration Pearl capable of restoring enough mana to cast a ninth-level spell with some left over. Otherwise, if it was just a decorative jewel, it would not sell for such a high price.

In short, the series of troubles that followed completely ruined George’s good mood from before. Plus, the pearl had not yet been fully nourished after a year. So, the young Mr. Potter had just kicked the horse’s leg.

However, George also knew that to those who did not know the details, this was a sign of his keen eye for pearls, enough to brag about. Although George was not very happy about this, he did not show anger. He waved his hand without changing his expression and said, “Let’s not talk about the past anymore. We must face the future. So, what kind of imported goods do you want to buy here today? Maybe I will have the same luck as last time!”

“How to put it, actually, there are not too many special requirements. The main thing is that it should have a strong Eastern flavor,” Potter said, sounding a bit hesitant.

‘The reason why James Potter, known for his business skills, is seen as a fat sheep by Wang Qinian is that he does not care at all whether what he buys is worth the price. This is probably a common disease among most people in Karada who buy Eastern goods. Anyway, the items bought are used to decorate their family cabinets, so as long as they remember the price, the name of the item, and its general function, it is enough.’ George shook his head silently in his heart. The influence of this extravagant style was even more serious than George had imagined before.

George asked somewhat casually, “So, are you buying this for collection, for personal use, or as a gift?”

“My family requires me to buy one piece for collection. But if there are other inexpensive items, I would also like to buy one for personal use.” Saying this, James Potter showed George a very sunny smile.

For a person with no clear purpose like this, George found it hard to find a suitable item at the moment. To get more information, George put on a serious and solemn expression and asked: “So, what kind of collection do you already have in your family? Let me see if I can help you select some items that you haven’t collected before, to increase the completeness of your family’s collection.”

“If that could be done, it would be great. Let me think.” James Potter lowered his head to think for a moment and then spoke: “As far as I know, we have some ceramic products, and tapestries made of silk…”

Wang Qinian, who had been almost left aside, listened as James Potter listed the types of collections in his family one by one. Although his actions and expression had not changed much, he was probably muttering in his heart about what goods in his shop the other person had not mentioned.

After James Potter finished speaking, George quickly thought for a moment. He found that the Potter family’s collection over the years was basically very complete. It was really not easy to point out an item that the Potter family did not have but was exactly available in the ‘Fuli’anqiong’ shop. Wang Qinian, standing nearby, also frowned tightly, because he was the one who could directly profit from this.

Suddenly, George seemed to have thought of something. He asked: “Does your family not have any Eastern weapons as collectibles?”

“Using weapons as collectibles?” James Potter showed unprecedented excitement. This made George wonder if his words had been misunderstood.

Wang Qinian immediately understood what George meant. He excused himself first: “Eastern weapons? Please wait a moment while you two rest. They are stored in the warehouse on the second floor. I will be right back.”

Saying this, Wang Qinian turned and ran quickly behind the counter. Soon, the sound of footsteps running up the stairs could be heard.