Chapter 54

: The Real Opportunity
Zhang Mu’s words smashed on Era merchant No. 35’s heart like a hammer.
The man in front of me had 3,000 first-ranked crystals and 100 beast cores? How can it be possible?! Moreover, he says he has Luoyang Peony Buds, so he must be No. 37’s sub-merchant. How did he know that my purchase price of Luoyang Peony Bud is the highest among all cities?
What made him most shocked was Zhang Mu’s identity as sub-merchant Number 001, which meant that Zhang Mu was the first person who had signed a contract with the Era Trade Caravan from all the 99 Era stores worldwide.
If there were no other reason, it can only mean that he was a lucky man. Moreover, by being so arrogant, he showed that he had a brave heart.
 
Unexpectedly, No. 37 had found such a great sub-merchant so fast in this testing field. How did that bastard beat me again!
No. 35 was jealous in his heart, but he didn’t show his envy as he had met all kinds of aborigines since he started traveling across the many testing fields.
In his opinion, Zhang Mu was still too young. If he met some other Era merchant with a really bad temper, he would have been evicted immediately.
However, No. 35 liked Zhang Mu’s self-confidence even though,
unfortunately, he was not his sub-merchant.

Good! You are arrogant, but I like it. Unlike the stupid people I met before, you have the right to be so proud. We can discuss business.

No. 35 retracted his cold demeanor and looked at Zhang Mu with a smile on his face.
Zhang Mu was betting. He knew it was risky to kill a first sub-merchant. He had thought of how to negotiate with this Era merchant from the moment they met because he knew different personalities should be handled in different ways.
Zhang Mu defined No. 35’s character quickly after they first started talking. He realized that if he apologized, he might increase No. 35’s aversion to him. If Zhang Mu was kicked out of the store, his efforts would have been in vain.
If No. 35 was arrogant, so Zhang Mu must be even more arrogant than him.
If No. 35 was aggressive, then he must be more so than him.

What about Liu Shuo, your Number 009?
Zhang Mu asked tentatively.
No. 35 pushed his red hair back and joked with him,
I think you feared no one and didn’t care about it at all.

Zhang Mu smiled and said,
I was forced by you. I don’t want to fail this mission and let my efforts be in vain. By the way, you and my boss are
are at the same level.

Hearing that, No. 35 shook his red robe and said,
Don’t say that. To be honest, I don’t like you and prefer Liu Shuo whose ability was more suitable for being a sub-merchant. Moreover, it’s not that I don’t want to expel you, I just can’t do that. You are Sub-merchant Number 001 who represents the first contact between the local people in this testing field and the Era Trade Caravan. No Era merchant has the right to refuse you.

Zhang Mu was shocked. He didn’t expect his title as
Number 001
could grant him this right.
No. 35 continued with dislike,
I thought Number 009 was suitable to be an Era sub-merchant and yet he didn’t do his tasks. He hunted down all the evolvers with high abilities, which caused me to only successfully recruit two sub-merchants. He may as well die.

Zhang Mu didn’t interrupt No. 35 and learned that in Xi’an, there were only two sub-merchants in total. Except for Liu Shuo, there was someone else. Although the position of second sub-merchant couldn’t compare to the first sub-merchant, it still held great advantages.
At this time, Zhang Mu thought of Yuan Rui.
At the very beginning, Zhang Mu didn’t mean to involve Yuan Rui in the Era trade and he hadn’t thought to bring Yuan Rui along to
along to Xi’an. But now, Yuan Rui had started to become very important to him.
At first, Zhang Mu thought that the system should have recruited enough sub-merchants, so he didn’t ask Yuan Rui if she wanted to become one of them. However, he didn’t expect Liu Shuo to have caused a bug. His overkill caused a situation where there was only one sub-merchant left in Xi’an.
It wasn’t only about ability and companions, he just didn’t want to be alone again. Yuan Rui always reminded Zhang Mu of his humanity.
I’m still a human being!
I don’t want to live alone anymore!
The chance Liu Shuo created was a turning point, making sure Yuan Rui could continue to follow him.
It was different from a simple trade. It would mean long-term benefit for him!
Zhang Mu looked towards No. 35 with his eager eyes.
No. 35 thought that he was looking forward to the deal, so he just said indifferently,
If we reach a deal, both of us would receive great profits. I may as well tell you, right now, the 3,000 crystals you have can be exchanged for any Era General good and the exchange price for the Luoyang Peony Bud here is the highest among all the nearby Era stores. I have to say, you are really a lucky guy.

And then No. 35 smiled bitterly 35 smiled bitterly and said slowly,
To be frank with you, my performance in the other testing fields dropped quite alarmingly recently and I need a big deal to better my ranking. Your crystals can help me climb up to the top in this world, Testing Field No. 37. So even if you weren’t Number 001, I will still have made a deal with you. I hope that you’ll exchange all your wealth. As time goes by, goods will depreciate, you know.

No. 35’s frankness made Zhang Mu look up to him. After all, people would usually keep some goods in reserve just in case. However, No. 35 was worried that Zhang Mu would keep too much so he told Zhang Mu about his current situation honestly. Yet, even if he didn’t do so, Zhang Mu would have exchanged all of his assets.
After all, satisfying mutual interest was the path to success.
But now, he had lost interest in this deal. He just wanted to finish it as quick as he can and help Yuan Rui get the title of the second sub-merchant in Xi’an.
Thinking of this, Zhang Mu stared at No. 35 and said,
I’ll trade all the goods I have with you. Let’s start trading now.

Seeing Zhang Mu so decided, No. 35 raised his eyebrows and said excitedly,
Fine!