Chapter 18: The Trade Contract

"It's not too little. The flame produced by this alchemy creation is too small and has almost no lethality. Its only use is to light fires. Even if its effect is better than flint, how much do you think those adventurers are willing to pay for it?"

Although Xia'er was unconvinced, she had to admit that Barta had a point.

The half-elf girl put herself in their shoes; she certainly wouldn't be willing to spend a large sum of money just to improve her fire-lighting experience.

So, she turned to discuss it with Mali.

Barta stood there quietly, seemingly waiting for their decision, but in reality, he was secretly observing the changes in Xia'er and Mali's expressions.

Especially the former; young people of that age easily wore their emotions on their faces. As for Mali, he couldn't quite read him.

This man seemed to care about the deal, but also seemed not to care that much at all.

After listening to Xia'er, Mali took another item out of his backpack.

"This is SOD Mi," the half-elf girl introduced to Barta. "Applying the white lotion inside to your skin makes it smoother and more hydrated. It has beauty and anti-aging effects."

Barta's eyelids twitched, but his expression remained unchanged. He simply signaled the young clerk to extend the back of his hand, and Xia'er squeezed some Dabao onto it.

Afterward, he first brought it to his nose to smell it, then had the young clerk rub it in and observe for a while, asking the latter how it felt.

"It seems a bit smoother."

Barta was unimpressed. "Lamia mucus has a similar effect, and this bottle doesn't hold much. I can add at most three more bottles of Animal Communication Potion."

Xia'er protested, "Do you know what you're looking at?! These two items are unique across the entire Leiwateleisi Dalu!"

Barta chuckled. "Everyone who sells alchemy creations says that, even if they're just holding trinkets made by novice alchemists for practice."

The half-elf girl wanted to argue further, but Mali tapped her shoulder lightly, reminding her, "The potion's effect is about to wear off."

"This is a crooked shop, the boss is a profiteer, clearly driving down the price!" Xia'er said angrily. "Let's go somewhere else."

"But neither Giant Bear Strength nor Dulin Zahu has Animal Communication Potions for sale," Mali comforted her. "It's okay. This trade is just for an emergency. Besides, these are just worthless little trinkets; they're everywhere in my hometown."

He opened his mountaineering backpack again and took out a pair of sunglasses and gloves. "Tell him, add these two items to trade for twenty bottles of Animal Communication Potion. If he doesn't agree, we'll go back to the original deal: trade the lighter for four bottles, and we'll buy the rest in another city."

Mali then explained the uses of these two items to Xia'er.

After the second negotiation, it was Barta's turn to hesitate. He certainly knew the true value of these items. Those bumpkins and penny-pinching adventurers might not be willing to pay a high price for them.

But among the nobles and wealthy merchants, many liked these novel little gadgets, and they were generally very generous.

And the most generous one of them all happened to be in Yingjiao City right now.

That person had come in disguise, and even the Morales Family didn't know. Barta only knew because he had accidentally obtained this secret information.

As long as he could keep that person happy, this investment could potentially yield a five-fold, no, even a ten-fold return.

However, people are always greedy. Even with huge profits beckoning, Barta still wanted to compress costs as much as possible.

But the attitude of the two in front of him was very straightforward; they didn't intend to haggle with him and gave him an ultimatum, leaving his superb negotiation skills with no room to maneuver.

Barta was just about to agree when his gaze fell on Mali's hand.

He had actually noticed that thing a long time ago, because Mali almost never let it go, clutching it tightly the whole time.

This showed the importance of the object.

And even setting that aside, its impossibly smooth surface and the beautiful, hair-like textures on it were the finest Barta had ever seen in his life.

Even the Dwarf blacksmiths, famous for their forging craftsmanship, could never forge such metal.

"Add that as well!" Barta said.

Mali listened to Xia'er's translation and looked at his thermos. "That's possible, but tell him he has to add more money. At least thirty Gold Eagles."

"Fifteen," Barta countered.

"Twenty-five."

"Twenty."

"Deal!"

Mali handed over his thermos. Although losing his drinking tool was somewhat inconvenient, he still had a water bladder in his backpack he could make do with, so it didn't have a huge impact.

Besides, the main thing was that the other side was paying way too much. He even seriously considered whether he should bring a truckload of thermoses to sell later.

Anyway, there was plenty of stock in the supermarkets of Luoyang. If each one could sell for twenty Gold Eagles, or even just one Gold Eagle, he could immediately escape poverty and get rich in one trip.

If he brought a few more truckloads to other cities, in a month—well, let's be conservative, give him half a year—the richest person on the Leiwateleisi Dalu would have to be named Ma.

Clearly, both parties were very satisfied with the deal.

After getting the thermos, Barta couldn't put it down, liking it more the more he looked at it.

The only fly in the ointment was that when the young clerk opened the drawer, he found there were only twelve bottles of Animal Communication Potion.

Barta said apologetically, "Look at my memory. Animal Communication Potions aren't usually in high demand, and this is all the stock in the shop. I can collect materials and ask an alchemist to help brew the rest, but it will take at least a month to get them. If you're worried, we can sign a contract."

The naive half-elf girl thought Barta really had just forgotten, but Mali knew this guy was likely just playing dumb, knowing all along that the stock was insufficient.

But he couldn't be bothered to argue anymore, so he said to the half-elf girl, "No need, just have him exchange the rest for gold coins."

Barta would certainly lose a bit by trading this way, as his wholesale price was lower than his retail price, but he knew he was in the wrong. Moreover, since he had gained so much this time, he was uncharacteristically generous. He went upstairs, opened his small treasury, counted out sixty Gold Eagles, and handed them to Mali.

But just as the latter was about to take them, he pulled his hand back and said with a smile,

"After all, this is a deal worth over a hundred gold coins. It's better to set a contract just in case either party regrets it later."

Xia'er said angrily, "So you know you're a profiteer, worried we'll come back to find trouble with you?"

Barta wasn't angry, saying leisurely, "Say whatever you want. This deal was indeed agreed upon by both parties. I never forced you from beginning to end."

"The gods will punish your greed. One day, you will have nothing!" ===== CHAPTER 19 =====