I Feel Like I've Seen This Sales Method Somewhere Before?

“Good morning, Wan Shitong.”

Wu Wang smiled and walked over to her.

The Wan Shitong didn't refuse his goodwill, simply nodding silently from beneath her hood.

Not caring whether she was waiting for someone or not, Wu Wang plopped himself down on the other end of the bench.

Before he could even speak, the Wan Shitong questioned him first.

"Excuse me, when did you tamper with the Transaction Contract?"

Wu Wang was speechless.

Damn it, he thought. She already triggered the breach of contract notification.

How long had it been since the players got out of the 【Relic Scramble】? And she'd already put a price tag on his information and started selling it?

When he didn't answer directly, the Wan Shitong continued.

"When I was appraising the value of the information regarding That Existence and yourself, a notification from the Transaction Contract appeared in my mind. But the contract was signed with That Existence, and you weren't present at the time. How did you modify it?"

She then explained further.

"Don't misunderstand. I am not angry about this. I just want to make a deal with you. I want to trade for the method of modifying a contract after it's been signed."

Hold on a minute, sister, Wu Wang thought. Leaving aside the fact that your way of speaking sounds a bit familiar... this attitude of yours, thinking about deals anytime, anywhere... it makes it hard not to be reminded of a certain Black-hearted Penguin!

“That's my secret...”

Before Wu Wang could finish, the Wan Shitong cut him off.

“I understand. You need me to raise the price, is that right?”

Holy shit, sister! It's like you can read my mind! I haven't even finished my line. I haven't even brought up my sworn brothers or beloved family, yet you're already offering to raise the price. How could I possibly have the nerve to agree?

In the next second, Wu Wang spoke with righteous conviction.

"Yes, that's right. What's your offer?"

He had the nerve. Plenty of nerve.

The Wan Shitong pondered for a moment before taking a pendant shaped like a talisman from her pocket.

"This can passively defend against one instance of sub-Legendary instant-death damage," she said. "There are no usage conditions. How about it?"

This is perfect! It solves my most pressing need!

The danger of entering Instances was getting higher and higher, and the players he encountered were growing stronger. Wu Wang needed exactly this kind of protective item to secretly give to his second sister.

It was like getting a pillow the moment you felt sleepy.

"Deal!" Wu Wang chuckled as he accepted the talisman.

He then told her about the hidden clause in the golden thread pattern on the Transaction Contract.

In truth, even if he hadn't said anything, she would have noticed it after being duped a few more times, provided she examined the contract carefully. Besides, even though he'd revealed it to her now, the hidden clause was still in effect. This meant the Wan Shitong couldn't sell the information to anyone else, since it involved Wu Wang himself.

"So that's how it is. No wonder teacher looked so displeased when he left," the Wan Shitong muttered to herself.

Before Wu Wang could ponder the meaning of the "teacher" she mentioned, he saw her fish a fragment shaped like a puzzle piece out of her pocket.

She handed it to Wu Wang.

"This is a new service I'm offering. After every transaction, you get one fragment. Collect ten, and I will answer one question about sub-Legendary information for free."

It seemed like a free gift, but in reality, getting ten fragments meant conducting nine more transactions with her. This was simply a blatant scheme to attract repeat business.

Wait a minute, isn't this the same as collecting Hero Shards? Why does this sales model seem so familiar?

Wu Wang froze.

He subconsciously asked, "What's your relationship with that penguin?"

"Hm? You know my teacher?" the Wan Shitong asked in surprise.

She had thought the Gentleman Penguin only had dealings with high-level beings like the 【Spirit Venerable of the Sea of Desire】. She never expected that a mere private tutor like Yan Shuangying would also know him.

This forced the Wan Shitong to re-evaluate Yan Shuangying's importance. He wasn't just a simple private tutor after all.

Little did she know, her words dealt an even greater shock to Wu Wang.

This girl is the Black-hearted Penguin's apprentice? No wonder their speech patterns are so similar. And this sales model of collecting Hero Shards... I was the one who suggested it to the Black-hearted Penguin!

Damn it! I'm gonna charge him a copyright fee!

"I've made a few deals with him," Wu Wang said, the corner of his mouth twitching.

More than just a few deals, he thought. Your teacher is currently hunting me all over the world. If I'm not mistaken, you probably have a Bounty Order for the red-tentacled thief, right?

A thought suddenly struck him.

"Hey, wait a minute. Since that penguin is your teacher, why didn't you two greet each other on the ship? And he could have told you about the contract in advance, couldn't he?"

The penguin had clearly known Wu Wang had tampered with the Transaction Contract. Yet the Black-hearted Penguin chose to ignore it and let the Wan Shitong sign.

What kind of teacher screws over his own apprentice like that? Was he afraid his apprentice would steal his business?

The Wan Shitong shrugged helplessly.

"Because he won't let me acknowledge him in public. He says that I have no impact on his prestige in the world of trading, but I've made him lose all face in the field of education. He'll only acknowledge me when I can make a deal with someone at the Venerable level."

"As for the contract..." she continued. "Teacher believes in 'learning from one's mistakes.' Especially with traps in Transaction Contracts like this, he probably felt I had to fall for it once to truly remember the lesson."

Wu Wang was speechless. The Black-hearted Penguin really was a "good teacher."

The penguin had held the tampered contract in his own hand. He had even watched from the side as Wu Wang wrote the hidden clause. And he still managed to hold back from warning his own apprentice.

With a teacher like that, sister, you must have had some terrible luck in your past life!

Of course, complaints were just complaints. The title of "Apprentice to the Myriad Treasures Chamber of Commerce's President" actually held a lot of weight.

But if the Wan Shitong went around flaunting it, she would attract a great deal of trouble. After all, who knew what kinds of powerful beings the Black-hearted Penguin had made deals with?

If they couldn't find the penguin, they might just come looking for his apprentice instead.

At the current stage, players were no different from ants in front of such beings, easily crushed at a whim.

She was only telling Wu Wang now because she sensed that he already knew about the connection between her and her teacher. But she never would have imagined that he had confirmed it simply through her 'Hero Shard' sales method.

“Is there anything else you wish to trade for? If not, I will be leaving.”

The Wan Shitong stood up and dusted off her greatcoat.

This prompted Wu Wang to ask, "Who are you waiting for? Another trading partner? Or is there some information you're looking to acquire?"

The Wan Shitong didn't hide anything.

"I am indeed waiting for a trading partner," she answered forthrightly. "I want to buy the method for obtaining 【Void Yellow Sand】 from the 【God-Forsaken Land】 from them. But it seems something came up and they can't make it. If you know how, I can trade with you as well."

Had it been an ordinary player, the Wan Shitong would have already gotten up and left.

In the Spirit Calamity Game, few players knew of the 【God-Forsaken Land】, even among the high-level participants from the 【Relic Scramble】. Fewer still knew about the 【Void Yellow Sand】 found there.

But she figured that since Yan Shuangying had a connection to the 【Spirit Venerable of the Sea of Desire】, he might know a channel or two. That was the only reason she brought it up.

She didn't expect Wu Wang to freeze on the spot.

His mind was filled with the image of the barren land he had just been in.

That boundless yellow sand didn't seem to have anything special about it, did it?

"Um, let me ask first, is that 【Void Yellow Sand】 very rare?"

The Wan Shitong saw his confusion and explained.

"Of course. In the entire history of the Spirit Calamity Game, only a few players have ever reached the 【God-Forsaken Land】. The small amount of 【Void Yellow Sand】 that currently exists was all obtained from lottery-style rewards in Nightmare-level Instances. At this stage, players have yet to find any other stable method of acquiring it."

Wu Wang's eyes lit up.

Hey! What a coincidence!

I have a way to get the sand. You have a way to sell the sand!

How about we team up, get bigger and stronger, and create a glorious future together?