pjbooks Chapter 1700 - 1699: Grand Gesture
Chapter 1700 - 1699: Grand Gesture
The shop owner hadn't encountered any business for a long time. She decided to open the store a few days early on a whim and unexpectedly welcomed some business, and it was quite a big spender at that.Excitedly, she quickly marked the weight of the stone and sold it to Tang Rao at the lowest price.
This shop's stone prices were even cheaper than the previous shop. Tang Rao didn't bargain, handed over the money, and immediately placed the stones into his Space Ring to avoid drawing attention.
"Mister, you've spent a fortune on these three stones. Don't you want to open them up to see if there's Purple Crystal inside? Aren't you curious whether you've hit the jackpot or lost out?"
Tang Rao knew what the shopkeeper was thinking. Whenever someone bought a stone from any shop, they usually insisted on opening it right away. If someone did, those in the surrounding crowd would definitely gather to take a closer look. Wouldn't that be free publicity for her shop?
No matter if anything valuable was found, once someone buys something there, it shows that they believe there's something good inside. By seizing this shopping psychology, the shop's business would soon improve. It's a win-win scenario.
When Tang Rao bought something from the previous shop, didn't he bring quite a few customers to them?
It's just that Tang Rao already knew there was something inside, so whether he opened the stone on the spot or not made no difference to him. He chose not to, mainly because he didn't want too many people to know he had struck it rich right after arriving in the mountains. When new stock actually came in, whatever Tang Rao was interested in, others would follow suit, leading to endless troubles.
"No need, I buy these things based on my personal interest. Whether there's something inside doesn't matter to me at all, so let's leave it be."
What? Just leave it at that?
People who had just walked into the shop, eager to witness the second miracle Tang Rao might bring, were left with no show when Tang Rao decided not to open the stones. What's the point then!
"Hey brother, when you were picking stones just now, we all noticed you. Those eyes of yours are sharper than anything, every pick a winner. How about opening these stones too, and maybe let us bask in your good luck? Perhaps our stone picks might bring us some fortune too!"
The people speaking seemed harmless, but Tang Rao still had no intention of indulging their curiosity.
"Let's just leave it. I'm really just doing this for fun. I'll wait until I've bought quite a few, then use them as decoration at home, occasionally cutting one to thrill myself."
"This kid's pretty arrogant, isn't he? First he thought little of you, and now he won't save face for others. We're not looking for trouble with him, but just the people he's inadvertently offended could cause him enough problems."
The youngster beside Hai Lai whispered in his ear, "Master, should we keep following him, or just let this kid continue being cocky?"
Indeed, Hai Lai and his group had been trailing behind Tang Rao, watching how he picked his stones. They intended to learn his method, but ended up seeing Tang Rao offend quite a few people instead.
Hai Lai nodded. He was quite pleased to see Tang Rao offend everyone.
He wanted to see how many people could hold back and not take action when faced with such an arrogant young guy like Tang Rao.
"We can leave now. Someone else will take care of it before we even get involved."
Hai Lai walked away content, and Tang Rao walked away satisfied, while the group hoping for a good show left feeling disappointed.
"What's all this about? They draw us in to watch, then toy with us like fools. Aren't they just treating us like idiots?"
The crowd originally gathered dispersed from the shop following Tang Rao and his group's departure.
The shop owner didn't blame Tang Rao for this. Even though she didn't profit from the onlookers, what she earned from Tang Rao would last her for quite a while.
At noon, Tang Rao and Shu Yi found a relatively empty clearing, pulled out a small set of portable housing from his personal palace, invited Shu Yi inside for a chat, and took out beer and barbecue from his Space Ring to treat Shu Yi.
Ever since reaching the Divine Realm, Tang Rao's top-tier treatment for good friends was beer and barbecue. When he brought out these two items, it was a clear indication of his genuine friendship, of treating someone as a true friend.
"What's this stuff? I've never had it before; it's so refreshing. And you, it's my first time seeing someone carry a house with them when they travel. Brother, knowing you these few days has really changed my view of you."
Shu Yi shook the beer bottle in his hand, tasting the beer while getting to know Tang Rao.
Tang Rao felt at ease around Shu Yi. He put his feet up on the sofa, holding a big lamb leg, with oil all over his hands and mouth.
"This is beer. In the past, only my best friends could drink this. Now, as long as you have money, you can buy it at Kao Shan Street in North Island."
Tang Rao wasn't sure if introducing beer to Kao Shan Street was the right thing to do. After all, what was once a mysterious and exclusive drink for good friends could now be purchased by anyone with money on Kao Shan Street, in unlimited quantities.
When something becomes available to everyone, it's no longer precious or as mysterious as it once was.
"You're really mysterious. Every time I feel I understand you a bit, you reveal another glimpse of your cunningness to keep me intrigued. I doubt I'll ever fully understand you in this lifetime, sigh."
Shu Yi sighed. A bit frustrated, he downed his beer in one go, soon falling in love with the exhilarating feeling it brought, completely head over heels.
"Brother, you're indeed my good brother. You see, I've never been to North Island and am not familiar with it. That Kao Shan Street you mentioned is even more foreign to me. Do you have any beer stock left? If so, sell me some; the price isn't an issue."
Price is negotiable, Purple Crystal can be earned, but once the beer is drunk, it's gone. To drink it next time, you have to find your way to Kao Shan Street, consuming a lot of effort. Shu Yi decided to take a shortcut, leveraging his relationship with Tang Rao, hoping to save time and stock up on some beer in his Space Ring so he could easily indulge whenever he wanted.
"I do have some, but I don't sell my beer. If you want some, I'll give you some. We're brothers after all; no need to be formal."
The beer from the Space Ring suddenly appeared before Shu Yi, a whole case of it. It wasn't a big deal for Tang Rao, but from Shu Yi's perspective, it was a generous and grand gesture from Tang Rao.