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Chapter 230: 198, Low-Cost Purchases_1
Chapter 230: 198, Low-Cost Purchases_1
Chapter 230: Chapter 198, Low-Cost Purchases_1
Everyone in the room turned their attention to the figure in front.
Lundham City was no longer safe; the Hammer Party could invade at any moment.
People could escape, but the goods in the city could not be taken with them.
When the Hammer Party stormed the city, these goods would not be secure.
Even if they did not enter the city, they couldn’t guarantee the safety of the goods when they left without anyone to guard them for a long time.
Here, in Lundham City, a place teeming with gangs and mercenary groups, an unattended warehouse would be as good as lost property on the street that would be stolen within three days.
The best option was to sell the piled up goods before leaving.
Turn it into cash and take it with you.
All shops have been contemplating this matter for the last few days, but they all chose to seek out business groups who are already selling goods.
Finally, someone willing to buy showed up, but it seemed like they would haggle the price.
“Captain, can you handle the goods of so many of us?” someone asked, puzzled.
The size of the transaction is hard to handle even in normal times, let alone now when the Hammer Party has cut off routes.
“That depends on the price you’re offering. If it’s favorable, I’ll be happy to help lighten your burdens. If not, I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do,” Wu Heng said candidly.
“Captain Wu Heng, my shop sells cloth, high-quality cloth material. I’m willing to cut 30% off the profit and sell this batch of goods to you,” an old human merchant said, smiling from his chair.
Wu Heng considered the man’s words.
A 30% discount… that was practically free.
That was about the discount he got when making a bulk order from the Maoliao Armor Shop.
This must be their normal pricing for bulk orders.
Wu Heng glanced at the man and shook his head. “It’s too expensive and you don’t show me much sincerity. Even in ordinary times when I buy goods, you give me a larger discount than what you’re offering now.”
“Uh…” The cloth shopkeeper looked embarrassed, apparently not expecting a guild captain to have experience with bulk purchases. He explained hurriedly, “Our cloth is of the highest quality and is not to be compared with, uh, those regular ones.”
Wu Heng raised his hand to interrupt him, “You may consider your offer and let me know your thoughts later.”
The cloth shopkeeper’s face turned red, but he didn’t say anything further. Amidst the chuckles of the other shopkeepers, he sat back down.
He crossed his arms and swung his foot, as if to see what offer others might produce.
The room fell silent for a few seconds.
A beastman stood up and made a beastman salutation before saying in a deep voice, “Captain Wu Heng, I have some weapons and shields left in my shop that I’m willing to sell to you.”
Wu Heng had seen this beastman shopkeeper before.
He was the owner of the weapon shop opposite the Maoliao Armor Shop.
When Wu Heng was going to research the styles of throwing spears, it was Duke who had taken him to that shop.
They’d met, but weren’t familiar with each other.
“Definitely, it depends on the discount on the price.”
The weapons shop owner didn’t hesitate to state, “You will get a 40% profit. They’re the weapons we normally sell to mercenaries so the quality can be assured.”
Things like cloth weren’t what Wu Heng needed.
As long as the price was low, he would take it; if the discount was minimal, he wouldn’t.
But weapons were something Wu Heng would consider buying.
After all, the skeletons had been using kitchen knives for certain periods, and now he had an opportunity to procure a batch of real weapons for them.
While the kitchen knives were practical enough, they did have their limitations compared to real weapons.
“I’ll take them if you give a 60% discount.”
“No no, that would be too much of a loss for us.”
“Well, since you’re leaving anyway and can’t take these goods with you, why not take the cash and have a comfortable life back at your tribe?” Wu Heng continued.
The beastman shopkeeper continued to shake his head, then after a moment said, “Perhaps you are not aware, Captain. Our workers have been requisitioned by the City Lord’s Mansion. We would not be able to leave even if we wanted to. We are required to hasten the manufacturing of arrows and repairing weapons, so we’re not going anywhere.”
Upon hearing that, everyone in the room froze.
Soon, people started to sweat and shake their legs nervously, becoming restless.
The fact that the weapon shop’s craftsmen had been taken to mass-produce arrows indicated that a battle was definitely imminent.
The information regarding the city’s internal area was always more accurate.
“Regardless of whether you’re leaving or not, your goods won’t be secure once the war began. Give me a fair price, and I’ll buy them, especially that we already know each other,” Wu Heng said straightforwardly.
The beastman shopkeeper squinted his eyes and glanced at the owner of the Maoliao Armor Shop not far away.
“50%. Final offer,” he finally replied.
Not wanting to haggle any longer, Wu Heng agreed, “Deal. I’ll take all the goods in your shop.”
The beastman shopkeeper nodded, “Then I will go back to take an inventory and give you an accurate price.”
“Alright.” Wu Heng nodded.
The beastman shopkeeper stood up and left without paying any attention to the onlookers.
At this moment, the cloth store owner who proposed to sell Wu Heng cloth earlier, chimed in quickly, “Uh, Captain, I thought about it… I can give you a 50% discount.”
Wu Heng replied immediately, “Regarding the cloth, you should give an 80% discount, and I will then offer a 20% price.”
“That’s… that’s too low…”
Before he could haggle, another shopkeeper stood up.
“Captain, I have a batch of new furniture here. Some of them are engraved with runes and are magical tools. Are you interested?”
“I run a medicinal shop. I have herbs in the shop that I’m willing to sell to you.”
“Jewelry is a sure bet. You will not regret buying them.”
“…”
In an instant, the shop became noisy.
It was a mess. You could hear people naming their prices, but you couldn’t tell who was from which shop.
Wu Heng motioned for silence and declared, “I’ll buy weapons, armor, and medicinal materials at a 50% discount. As for cloth, food, magical tools, and general goods, I’ll buy them at 20% of the price. Shop owners who are willing to sell can go back and prepare. Give me a list later and I’ll come to collect the goods.”
Magical furniture was engraved with runes and used for everyday life, differing from magical tools.
After a moment of silence, the room once again erupted into chaos.
“Captain, shouldn’t jewelry be counted in the 50% too?”
“Captain, don’t you want the girls? You didn’t count the slaves. They’re all young girls.”
“…”
Squeak~!
Amidst the argument, the door was pushed open.
Several mercenaries, armored and with longswords at their waists, strode in.
Scanning everyone present, they squeezed out a smile on their serious faces and said, “We are from the Lyle Business Group. Is it here that someone purchases warehouse goods?”
“Yes, what’s in your warehouse?” Wu Heng asked.
“Fabric and spices.”
Wu Heng hesitated, but still said, “Purchase at 20% of the original price. If you can agree, you can stay.”
The mercenaries looked troubled, hesitated for a while, “Okay, I’ll sell.”
Then he added, “Do you want horses and carts?”
“You want to sell the cart too?”
“They were used for cargo in the city, and the horses are all in their prime. If you need them, I can also sell them to you at a low price,” the mercenary continued.
“Deal. Go and count your goods. I will later send people to check,” Wu Heng declared.
“Alright.” The mercenary came quickly and left just as fast.
He turned around and went directly to the warehouse to count the goods.
The mercenary had just left.
The door was pushed open again.
More shop owners and mercenaries from other blocks walked in.
“Is it here to sell goods?”
Whoosh~!
The hall became even more noisy.
“I’ll sell you the fabric, I’ll go back to count the goods now and deliver them to you soon.”
“I also have several carts there, I’ll sell them to you too!”
Those shopkeepers, who had just been haggling, began to immediately step forward. After confirming with Wu Heng that they wanted to sell their goods,
They rushed out of the shop to count their goods.
…
At 9 a.m.,
Wu Heng exchanged for gold coins at the Snake Badge Consortium.
With Andre Willow, he began to visit the stores he had noted earlier at ‘Maoliao Armour Shop,’ buying their goods.
Wu Heng received the goods, and the shops received cash.
Both sides achieved their goals.
Usually, after Wu Heng gave the money, he would put the goods in his Space Ring.
The owners would close their shops immediately, then quickly leave with their people.
No one knew when the battle would start, or if the city gates would be closed and people couldn’t leave.
It was best to leave as soon as possible.
Looking at every house closing their doors on the street, Andre Willow looked up.
“Master, do you think the Hammer Party won’t come?”
Everyone else was selling their goods at low prices, while their master was exchanging gold coins and sweeping all the shops.
He was buying anything and everything, even the least popular items.
So, she began to wonder if Wu Heng had some inside information and knew there wouldn’t be a war.
Wu Heng shook his head, “I’m not sure, but judging from the current situation, this battle is likely inevitable.”
Every organization had its intelligence sources.
The first batch of people in the inner city area had almost left, and now the shop owners were leaving too.
His recent visit to the Snake Badge Consortium had been under guard.
Clearly, things had gotten quite serious.
Andre Willow began to look worried, speaking softly, “Master, why are you buying these goods…”
Without waiting for Wu Heng’s reply, she continues, “Master, why don’t we also go hide for a while? Even if we have to live outside for some time, Mini and I can take care of you.”
In her and Mini’s eyes,
Their master definitely came from some big family.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so generous, so young yet a captain at the association, and have a good relationship with the consortium’s local manager.
He wasn’t leaving the city because he was afraid of hardship.
But a bit of hardship was better than getting involved in this fight, wasn’t it?!
Wu Heng raised his hand, touching her little head, her fluffy ears softly trembling in response to his touch. “We haven’t reached that point yet. In this position, there are responsibilities that need to be fulfilled. They are businessmen and mercenaries; they can abandon everything and leave. As a captain of the association, I can’t just run away when I hear rumors.”
Andre Willow seemed to understand, nodding her head, “Then let’s do as Master says.”
Don’t worry. Even if a war breaks out, I can take you two away,” Wu Heng said.
The two continued to visit the remaining shops.
Buying up all the goods in their warehouses.
Along the way, business groups still came to ask him about the prices and sold all their goods to him.
When everything was over,
Wu Heng looked at Andre Willow, “Buy some supplies for your kin. Recently, the shops aren’t open, so they should try not to go out. If anything dangerous happens, go find Wen Mansha of the Pinned Gang.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll go handle that now.”
“After settling everything, come back home quickly. Don’t stay outside.”
“Okay!” Andre Willow nodded, walking briskly towards the shop.
While Wu Heng returned home with the goods.