Chapter 489: Selling the Goods at the Right Time

Chapter 489: Selling the Goods at the Right Time

Almost everyone in the campsite ended up ordering takeout. Existing food supplies stored there underwent thorough inspections. The Sanctuary Church even issued a notice: for safety’s sake, if you encountered any small wild animals during this period, it was best to hunt and eat them, to avoid problems from other sources.

Of course, if any brave soul who ate those animals did encounter problems but hadn’t died, they could seek medical treatment at the Sanctuary Church. Spots were limited; only the first ten would be accepted.

This announcement came half an hour after Zheng Yichen and Moser finished talking. The action was pretty fast. Afterwards, some people also noticed the colorful horizon glows. Not everyone was blind; those wide-spread glows were impossible to miss. Seeing them, the faces of those with more knowledge paled slightly.

“This is bad. This situation is way too serious. The Sanctuary Church actually deployed a big lockdown!” Green scratched his green hair, looking deeply troubled. He was one of the few who could recognize what those glows meant.

“Lockdown?” Oss asked, confused.

“See those glows? Those are something only we inside can see. From the outside, they’re invisible…” Green explained. Oss followed his pointing finger and looked out. Oss’s vision changed subtly, allowing him to see the elemental power far off altering in a very orderly, synchronized way, blending together. Those glows were a result of that change. Normal sight only showed the glows, but from Oss’s perspective, the entire sky became multicolored.

“I heard from family that the Sanctuary Church possesses a special Magic Artifact, made by replicating the conditions of a Containment Barrier. Is this it?”

“Her identity seems pretty impressive,” Green couldn’t help but whisper to Oss. “She even knows stuff I wasn’t aware of.”

“…Then how did you recognize it was a lockdown?”

“I heard it from someone, obviously. Though they didn’t tell me exactly what it was.”

Oss nodded. “But if it’s invisible from the outside, what’s the point of us seeing it inside…”

Green pondered the question. That was a good point…

“Probably to stop someone from bumping their head,” Zheng Yichen said, emerging from his small shed. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, he took out a large black cloth, spread it on the ground, then shook it like performing a magic trick, making a huge pile of small cubes tumble out. “Step right up, everyone! Big sale! 98% off! Don’t miss out!”

Zheng Yichen’s call immediately drew a larger crowd. Setting up a stall in this place was weird enough, let alone amidst the current uneasy atmosphere. With danger lurking nearby, a stall was… incredibly eye-catching! What Zheng Yichen brought out were the ‘tents’: Portable Houses capable of unfolding into single-person rooms!

“How’s the function?” Green, being closest, couldn’t help but walk over first. He picked up one of the small cubes. The weight was acceptable, similar to a tent’s, but the best part was its portability.

“Depends on your needs,” Zheng Yichen replied. He fetched a wooden signboard and stuck it upright in the ground. It had a detailed explanation. The standard version was like a tent, only several times tougher and offering actual rigidity – something tents didn’t have. Its enclosure was average, and it came without basic furnishings inside.

Even so, for this basic model, the price was dozens of times higher than a tent… A good tent cost, at most, a few silver coins. An enchanted tent cost much more, depending on the magic added. One with just reinforcement magic cost a little over one gold coin. Honestly, unless someone was rich, most didn’t see the need for one since enchanted items consumed mana to maintain.

The standard Portable House started at three gold coins… But it was a bit like buying a vehicle: pricey upfront, but worry-free later. More importantly, it didn’t consume mana!

Then came the Deluxe version. Both strength and performance-to-price ratio were triple the standard one. It also included reinforced anchoring and a simple mattress. Its price, however, was five times the standard.

Next was the Enhanced version. Its base materials were superior; its defensive strength could resist sword attacks. Ordinary Professionals would take significant effort to break it. Owning one meant ignoring regular wildlife in the wild. Prices began at fifty gold coins, with higher-spec versions within this tier costing even more.

Lastly, the Luxury version. Inside were practical, simple furnishings, plus it had magic features like alarms and temperature control. It included an internal faucet, superior shock absorption… etc. Its strength could withstand attacks from a Ranked Practitioner for a period. Prices started at three hundred gold coins…

Which was the version Zheng Yichen was using.

As for the final section on the sign, the Bespoke version? Well, that depended entirely on the customer’s wishes… Naturally, it was exorbitantly expensive.

“…I’m a pauper,” Green sighed forlornly after staring at the different Portable House specs on the sign. His meager budget, alas, limited him! Hmph!

The sign’s descriptions were incredibly detailed, even enhanced by Zheng Yichen’s magic to project structural diagrams of each version into the viewer’s mind. The Luxury version, especially – could it even be called a house? It might as well serve as a special protective barrier. Though small for spaciousness, considering its portability, features, and price, maybe it wasn’t outrageously expensive?

Bah! Three hundred gold coins could buy a large mansion in places with cheap property values! Buying a tiny room like that? Only if you were desperately bored with money, or planned to dedicate your entire life to adventure as a perpetual drifter. Or maybe if you unexpectedly struck it rich and wanted to splurge quickly. For most, the standard version would suffice…

Three gold coins wasn’t unreasonable for an Adventurer with some savings. The thing’s enclosure was far better than a tent’s, its ventilation superior. It even had transparent panel sections acting as windows.

“Three gold coins. You said 98% off…”

“That is the discounted price,” Zheng Yichen stated without blinking, glancing at this fussy green-haired guy who clearly lacked tact. Really, haggling over a measly discount for a three-gold-coin item? One gold coin was ten thousand copper coins; two percent off saved less than sixty copper coins. Is it really worth it? Is it?

“Would you prefer I mark up the original price so you can calculate the discount?”

“…Never mind,” Green decided after a moment’s struggle. He glanced at the Deluxe version. Compared to the standard, the Deluxe offered vastly better value for money. A few times the price bought several times the performance. With comparison came frustration. If you were already spending three gold coins, why not shell out over ten for a significantly better experience?

As for the Enhanced version… he dismissed it. Fifty gold coins minimum? Might as well spend a little over twenty for a better Deluxe version. A place to sleep wasn’t a tortoise shell; if attacked, you fought back, not hid inside hoping the thing could ward off enemies forever.

Honestly, if you had time to think that way, why not fantasize the Portable House transforming upon encountering enemies, letting the occupant inside become a giant robot pilot to stomp the foe?

Too fantastic.

“Selling?”

“If a single room isn’t right, I also have double rooms, even quadruple rooms,” Zheng Yichen said, bringing out larger blocks. His reason for sticking to cubes wasn’t that he hadn’t thought of spheres or capsules; they were simply much harder to design for folding compactly. Cubes were the most efficient shape.

Before the Adventurers could deliberate further, members of the Sanctuary Church arrived. One looked over the sign and promptly took several Deluxe Portable Houses. Zheng Yichen hadn’t exaggerated; its price-to-performance was indeed the highest. The Enhanced version was solidly mid-range, the standard was basic, and the Luxury… well, required more gold than sense… Well, that might not be entirely fair.

Could one call a rich man’s choice waste? Not really.

In any case, the Church purchasing these didn’t surprise Zheng Yichen. Moser was already using one, a Luxury version at that. He doubted that people within the Sanctuary Church, learning of such a thing and having the means, wouldn’t be interested. Living quarters in the wild were like food supplies: having quality items ensured a better state. The Sanctuary Church’s knights weren’t ascetic monks; if conditions allowed comfort, why refuse?

And once the Church led the way, wouldn’t other Adventurers follow?

“What do you need?” Oss asked his team, looking past the single rooms to the double and quadruple versions. While the blocks were over twice the size, carrying them in an Expansion Pouch wouldn’t be an issue.

“Hmm… double sounds good,” Green replied. The size was still manageable. A quadruple unit would be far too large and visible from a distance, even with customizable colors…

“Single room,” Fred said gruffly. A double wasn’t even a consideration. He never shared sleeping space with anyone. This wasn’t a preference; it was necessity. Anyone sharing his room was in grave danger. There had been accidents before during rough adventuring when everyone crowded together. Back then, without these conveniences, one endured the squeeze. After several unfortunate incidents brought rejection, he’d slept alone ever since.

“Single room,” Garcia stated decisively without hesitation. His background made him also lean towards privacy. Then, worried about team spirit, he added, “Though if circumstances suit, getting a quadruple is also fine.”

“Hmm… alright then,” Oss nodded. He approached Zheng Yichen and immediately purchased four single-room Portable Houses (Deluxe) in different colors for the team, plus one quadruple Deluxe model. Over a hundred gold coins vanished instantly. “The quadruple one’s on me personally. The rest, we share the cost.”

Oss declared. The others naturally accepted. Oss footing the bill entirely for all, including their personal singles, would have felt awkward for a newly formed team, even if they’d built some rapport through battles. Clear boundaries were healthier long-term.

Not buy? Considering Zheng Yichen was a dragon who’d specifically set up shop here… Wouldn’t refusing feel like snubbing him?

“Captain, what about Lena?”

“Lena… doesn’t need our concern,” Oss shook his head with a wry smile. He understood Lena too well at this point. She’d probably already handled her own arrangements. Buying one for her would be redundant; though she’d undoubtedly accept it casually if he did.

“Huh?” Green blinked, then quickly understood Oss’s meaning. Even as they’d been discussing their options, Lena had already made her selection known via Magic Weapon Summoning Book: an exquisite cube appeared beside her. Seeing it, Oss couldn’t help but twitch his lip. “Enhanced version… Alright Captain, you really do know her.”

Green said nothing more. He watched Zheng Yichen continue his sales pitch. Once some bought, a few of the lingering mercenaries and Adventurers hesitated then purchased some too. Why buy newly listed items from the Online Store when you could get them straight from Zheng Yichen himself?

Moser watched Zheng Yichen conduct business with an impassive expression. He really wanted to walk over and remind everyone to be serious – this was a crisis zone! No one was allowed to leave! But then a crucial thought struck him: the Containment Zone status itself hadn’t been publicly declared yet. Only a short time had passed; news hadn’t spread.

However, news would get out soon. And until the Containment Zone situation was resolved, no one could leave. Continuing to camp in tents under such circumstances would be increasingly uncomfortable. Tents were only for temporary rest, not to mention the roaming Human Form entities… A regular tent wouldn’t deter an ordinary person, let alone those beings.

Thus, Zheng Yichen’s Portable Houses would be in high demand. The sense of security alone would be invaluable. This made Moser consider: could the Human Form creatures and the Flesh Seeds be Zheng Yichen’s scheme to deliberately create a crisis just to push his shady business?

“Work, work! Change of plans. Increase Portable House production. Let’s aim for ten thousand units for now,” Zheng Yichen handed a newly drafted plan to the Ghost Maid acting as his secretary. She took it to an Alchemical Puppet nearby. The puppet scanned the document and nodded, pulling out a specific Blueprint clipped inside.

Many machines in the Workshop were assembleable and disassembleable. Through intricate reconfiguration, they maximized compatibility for producing newly designed parts. Where no perfect fit existed, molds would be created anew. Already, storage held two dedicated warehouses for such molds…

This was a golden opportunity. That’s why Zheng Yichen, upon learning from Moser at the Temporary Camp that those within the Containment Zone couldn’t leave, rushed back to set up his stall. He ditched his original, slower strategy to build hype and let curiosity draw buyers to him organically. Now, he took the initiative to sell.

If the Sanctuary Church set up such a large Containment Zone, clearly this issue wouldn’t be solved in ten days or half a month. As dangers possibly escalated outside, who would sleep soundly in flimsy tents? Wouldn’t demand for his Portable Houses soar?

Even the cheapest standard model sold for at least three gold coins. Zheng Yichen kept costs remarkably low, using composite materials instead of high-end Enchanted Material, often with just a thin Demonization plating. The Deluxe version incorporated Inferior Enchanted Material, making it the value powerhouse. Zheng Yichen designed it to be the bestseller. These houses weren’t for ordinary folks anyway; the buyers were Adventurers and Mercenaries. Anyone able to afford the standard version would surely be tempted by the vastly better Deluxe value proposition?

More crucially, would the Sanctuary Church order sparingly? Unlikely! Zheng Ychen started anticipating when they’d place a bulk order. The Church was known to take good care of its members. Zheng Yichen pondered adding a group-buy discount. Fine, put one in; discounts were vital for boosting sales. He wasn’t pioneering it. Many Online Stores and merchants used such strategies long before.

His hesitation came from not wanting to slash prices too deeply… After all, he really needed the money! So: 95% discount for orders over 1000 units. That seemed far more reasonable than 98% off. For orders over 500 but under 1000, 97% off; over 100 but under 500, 99% off…

That would do. He’d worry about deeper discounts later when business stabilized and he wasn’t so cash-strapped.