Bargaining

Cheng Shuili did not know what kind of totem this was, but it certainly seemed like a good find.

She did not rashly ask for the price. The stall owners in this black market were cunning, just like the ones she remembered from the antique streets of her past life.

If she had opened by asking for the price, the stall owner would have gouged her; he wouldn't have sold her anything without skinning her alive.

Recalling the tactics she had seen in her past life, Cheng Shuili pointed casually at an item on the stall and asked, "How many game coins for this?"

It was a badge covered in rust.

The guide behind Cheng Shuili paused, his expression shifting. He had not expected this human to actually intend to buy something here.

He had made it very clear: most things here were scams, and there were very few real bargains to be found.

Unfortunately, the few humans he had served all held the fantasy of finding a treasure, only to end up getting swindled.

The guide had originally thought this human miss was different, but it seemed she was just like the rest.

"You have your eye on this medal?" The stall owner’s voice was raspy, yet carried a hint of obvious delight.

"I risked life and limb to bring this out! It’s what you players call a special item. Once equipped, the wearer gains infinite courage and will never feel timid again! Unlike those greedy merchants who name any price, I only charge 300 game coins as a risk fee!"

The stall owner’s voice was excited, though he tried his best to suppress it.

The stall owner was clever enough not to mention visible attributes like strength, agility, or stamina, instead claiming it granted an intangible, untestable quality like "courage." Even if one wore it on the spot, they wouldn't feel any change.

No wonder he could scam players.

Current survivors weren't necessarily simple or kind, but they certainly weren't all treacherous either. Moreover, most people shared Cheng Shuili's initial, natural trust toward these beastmen.

After all, in the games she had played in her past life, it was rare for NPCs to deceive players.

Having been "abducted" before, Cheng Shuili had become thoroughly guarded.

These beastmen were called NPCs, but they didn't fulfill any NPC duties. In some ways, they were more like the players' competitors!

She remained silent for a long time.

Long enough that the guide thought she was about to pull out her game coins to buy it, but Cheng Shuili suddenly gave a light scoff.

"You think this piece of junk is worth three hundred game coins?"

Cheng Shuili’s voice was not loud, but it carried clear mockery.

A flicker of panic crossed the stall owner’s eyes, and the lines at the corners of his eyes deepened. "Customer, what do you mean by that? This is a genuine special item, brought back from the ruins at the risk of my life... Even if you want to haggle, you shouldn't attack me like this, right?"

"Is that so?"

Cheng Shuili interrupted him. Her tone remained gentle, but her words made the stall owner’s fingers tremble with rage.

"Then why don't you try wearing it? Since it grants infinite courage, surely you must need it right now?"

Her gaze swept pointedly over the stall owner’s slightly shaking fingers.

The air around them seemed to freeze for a moment, and the stall owner’s complexion turned ugly.

The guide stood behind her, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He had originally expected this human to be fooled like the others, but she had seen through the scam at a single glance.

"I, I..." The stall owner stammered, beads of sweat seeping onto his forehead.

Cheng Shuili’s tone was casual. "I only liked the style of this medal. Let’s speak plainly; give me a reasonable price."

The stall owner knew this human was not easily fooled. Having lost his initial confidence, he muttered, "One hundred... one hundred game coins..."

"One hundred?" Cheng Shuili raised an eyebrow. "You dare ask for that much for a broken medal?"

Cheng Shuili laughed again, her face showing obvious disdain. She made no move to act, so the beastmen in the shadows naturally did not open fire.

The stall owner felt mocked, the skin around his eyes turning a deep red.

But he hadn't made a sale in days, and it was rare to have a human interested in his goods, so he was unwilling to let her go easily. "Customer, what price are you willing to pay?"

Cheng Shuili raised an eyebrow slightly and cut the price by a zero: "10 game coins."

The stall owner paused, his fingers clenching into fists beneath his cloak. Although he would still make a profit at ten game coins, he was truly unwilling to earn so little on a single transaction!

"Customer, if you are sincere about buying, please add a little more."

Cheng Shuili nodded, looking as though she were easy to talk to. "Fine, I’ll give you twenty game coins, but in addition to this medal, you must give me one more item as a gift."

He had only asked for ten more coins and she wanted a gift?

The stall owner shook his head. "How about this, let’s meet halfway. You give me 50 game coins, and you can take the medal plus any other item on this stall. How about that?"

That had been Cheng Shuili’s goal all along.

But 50 game coins was still too expensive.

Besides, the fact that the stall owner could make such an offer meant that nothing on his stall was worth more than 40 game coins!

Cheng Shuili looked at the price list on the side. The medal was the cheapest at three hundred game coins, and everything else started at three zeros.

What a greedy merchant!

Cheng Shuili shook her head inwardly. Compared to this, what was her small commission for processing materials?

Next time she did custom work, she would have to make a killing!

"If it's 30 game coins, I can accept that."

Cheng Shuili stood her ground, her gaze fixed on the medal, appearing ready to walk away if it were too expensive.

The stall owner thought about it for only a moment before agreeing to the proposal.

A profit is a profit, isn't it?

Who would turn down game coins?

Cheng Shuili chose the medal and the totem, and the two quickly completed the transaction.

The stall owner’s eyes fell on the totem in Cheng Shuili’s hand. He suddenly felt a trace of doubt: this human hadn't looked at the totem once from start to finish, so why did she choose it in the end?

Cheng Shuili stored the medal and the totem in her Abyss Ring. As she turned to leave the stall, a faint, imperceptible curve appeared at the corner of her mouth.

The guide followed behind her, observing this human female, who appeared fragile but was exceptionally shrewd, with a complex expression.

"You have a sharp eye."

The guide couldn't help but lower his voice to ask, his tail swaying uneasily. "But why buy this trash? That medal isn't even a low-level item."

Cheng Shuili did not answer immediately, continuing to walk forward until they turned a corner and she was certain the stall owner could not hear their conversation. Only then did she stop.

"I know the medal is fake," she said softly, her fingers unconsciously stroking the patterns of the totem in her bag. "But sometimes, you buy a fake to get the thing you truly want."

"That stone?"

The guide understood immediately.

Cheng Shuili had no intention of explaining further. They were merely in an employer-employee relationship, one that was about to end, so there was no need to say anything more.