Chapter 51: The “But”… Second Young Master

Inside the courtyard of the Pia Chamber of Commerce, people were coming and going in a busy manner. It seemed that everyone was busy with their own work, and no one even noticed the arrival of Luo Pei and his group. Luo Pei and his companions didn’t cause any trouble either, and simply followed the young servant in blue clothes, James, as he walked inside.

They walked forward for a while longer. Seeing that there happened to be no one around, and James was a few steps away, Luo Pei immediately grabbed his son and said in a low voice with irritation: “Luo Yan, what are you up to? Did you steal your teacher’s professional badge? Hurry up and put it away! I’m warning you, don’t mess around!”

Upon hearing this, Luo Yan was speechless. He rolled his eyes and said with irritation: “Who stole the teacher’s professional badge? This is my own! I just got it certified at the Mages Guild!!”

“What? You got certified at the Mages Guild yourself?” Luo Pei was stunned upon hearing this. He was about to press for more details, but then he saw that James had already stopped ahead and was turning back to look at them. He knew this wasn’t the right time, so he could only carry his full load of questions and quickly catch up. However, he also made up his mind that once this business was done, he would definitely ask his son what exactly was going on.

They continued walking forward like this for a while, and finally the group arrived at the rear third wing of the compound. There they met the manager in charge of hide purchasing, Storekeeper Hood. He turned out to be a thin, tall old man wearing reading glasses. When they arrived, the old man was carefully reading a ledger and didn’t even lift his head at their arrival.

After entering the room, James immediately spoke up: “Storekeeper Hood, this Wizard here has come to discuss matters regarding hide purchasing with you.”

Hearing this, Storekeeper Hood slowly raised his head. His gaze casually swept across Luo Pei’s group, then he quietly nodded and spoke in a hoarse voice: “Hide purchasing? Alright~~ Our Pia Chamber of Commerce is the largest hide trading firm in Lons Pompey City. We will definitely give you all a satisfactory price. So please, hand your hides over to me.”

Hearing Old Hood speak so gently, Luo Pei was delighted. The big chamber of commerce in the main city truly had its own dignity and bearing, unlike those nouveau riche in Wooden Bucket Town. However, he didn’t know that the conversation between the two men just now, though seemingly ordinary, actually carried hidden subtlety. James had discreetly revealed that there was a Wizard among these people, and Old Hood had taken everything in with a single glance. His nod just now was merely expressing appreciation for James’s cleverness.

The reason Old Hood was so courteous was entirely out of respect for Luo Yan’s presence. If it weren’t for Luo Yan being a Wizard, you’d see what kind of attitude they would have gotten. At the very least, as a head storekeeper, he would never personally inspect the quality of hides.

Although he had some doubts about a kid like Luo Yan being a Wizard, Old Hood felt that since this child could produce a Level 1 Magic Apprentice professional badge, it meant he must have a rather close relationship with some Magic Apprentice. Otherwise, could the badge have been found or stolen?

Upon hearing this, Luo Pei presented the three animal hides he had brought. After Old Hood received them, he held them in his hands and examined them very carefully. It was obvious he was quite meticulous — he adjusted his reading glasses and peered closely at the color and texture of the hides.

After a long moment, Old Hood raised his head and said slowly: “The hides you’ve brought, sir, are of rather fine quality. These two Lie Zhou Gray Wolf pelts can be considered first-grade goods. I can purchase them at three Gold Plangs each…”

“Three Gold Plangs each?!” Hearing this price, the Luo father and son showed no reaction, but Isaiah and the other three all cried out in surprise. Although Luo Pei had long said their prey was valuable, they had still been somewhat doubtful out of habit. Now hearing this, they were instantly stunned.

But what surprised them even more was yet to come. Old Hood paused briefly, then continued in a gentle voice: “As for this Haude Moore Great Black Bear hide — the fur is soft and glossy. It can be considered top-grade goods entirely. I can purchase it at fourteen Gold Plangs. What do you all think?”

“Fourteen Gold Plangs?!” At this point, Snow and the others were completely dumbfounded. They had probably never seen this many gold coins in their lives. For a moment, they said foolishly: “Good~~ Good~~ That’s great!”

Luo Pei, on the other hand, hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and said slowly: “Storekeeper Hood, it’s like this… Our village can provide your chamber of commerce with a large quantity of these kinds of hides. What do you think about the price…”

Hearing Luo Pei say they could provide a large quantity, Old Hood suddenly widened his eyes and said with some surprise: “Is that true?”

Luo Pei nodded and said: “Of course. These three hides are just samples we brought. The quality of the others won’t be any lower than these.”

Now Old Hood was genuinely excited. He rubbed his hands together and said happily: “Good~~ If you can truly provide a large quantity with guaranteed quality, then our chamber of commerce can purchase first-grade goods at four Gold Plangs each, and top-grade goods at fifteen Gold Plangs each. What do you think? If there’s no problem, let’s sign an agreement.”

“Fif…fifteen Gold Plangs…” At this point, Snow and the others were completely speechless. Their eyes were wide open, with golden light flickering in them. Luo Pei also showed a pleased expression. Looking at the Lons Pompey City market, this price could be considered fair and reasonable — not very high, but not heartless either. It was basically acceptable.

Even Luo Yan nodded slightly at this point. After all, you had to let the other side make some profit. You couldn’t just take all the benefits for yourself, could you?

With both sides willing, it was naturally a happy outcome for everyone. Luo Pei immediately said with a smile: “Alright~~ Then let’s go with this price — four Gold Plangs for first-grade goods, fifteen Gold Plangs for top-grade goods. Once the agreement is signed, I’ll go back and immediately arrange for the goods to be delivered to you. We’ll also deliver goods on a regular basis in the future.”

Seeing that Luo Pei had agreed to his price, Old Hood was also quite pleased. He had originally worried that Luo Pei and his group might use their Wizard as backing to demand a higher price, so he had set the price slightly low, leaving room for bargaining. Now seeing that the other side had no such intention, their profits would be even greater. Naturally, he was quite satisfied. He immediately arranged for someone to prepare the contract.

This was originally a fine matter — Luo Pei had found a way for the villagers of Talim Village to earn income, and had also gained the political achievement he wanted; the Pia Chamber of Commerce had also gained benefits and secured a future source of goods. This could absolutely be considered a win-win or even a three-way win. Everyone was happy… But who could have thought that at this very moment, a harsh voice came through!

“Four Gold Plangs for first-grade goods, fifteen Gold Plangs for top-grade goods — Old Hood, have you gone senile? This young master would like to see just what kind of fur is worth so much money!”

Following this arrogant voice, a frivolous young man with a pale, sickly complexion — clearly one who had indulged excessively in wine and women — came swaggering in. Behind him followed a shop assistant — the very one Old Hood had just arranged to prepare the contract. The assistant wore a look of panic and helplessness on his face…