Chapter 22: Xiao Yang, the Master Salesman

Arriving at the Heavens Trading Zone once again, Xiao Yang was filled with enthusiasm. However, enthusiasm is one thing, but putting it into practice is quite another.

Finding the same spot as last time, he spotted his acquaintance, the warm-hearted Red Beard. The fellow was currently red-faced and neck-deep in an argument with a knight.

"Get lost! Scram! If you can't afford the price, don't touch it! I don't accept haggling here!"

His temper remained as fiery as ever. After a brief shouting match, the two parted on bad terms, and the tall knight huffed and strode away.

While Red Beard continued to grumble, Xiao Yang observed the scene while pulling various bits of junk from his backpack: large bones, zombie innards, stacks of obscure books, candlesticks, gold coins, and pewter plates.

To be honest, Xiao Yang’s stall was truly the most pathetic in the entire trading zone. There was no helping it; life is hard for a newcomer.

Fumbling through his stash, Xiao Yang pulled out the only things that might have some value: a pair of Zombie Flesh Boots and a "Heavy Strike" skill scroll. He had actually considered giving the boots to Little Bone to see if the creature could wear equipment, hoping to gear him up. The result was that while Little Bone could wear them, he didn't seem to like them at all. Once equipped, the creature would pace back and forth in agitation, looking like an anxious little quail.

Xiao Yang could understand this—even setting aside the negative status effects, the boots were hideous. They were a ghoulish crimson, tinged with green, constantly writhing with visible veins running through them. They were the kind of thing that would give you nightmares if you stared at them for too long. Selling them was for the best; the mere thought of Little Bone wearing such things made Xiao Yang’s eyelids twitch.

Just as Xiao Yang finished setting out his wares, Red Beard, who had been fuming from his earlier argument, finally noticed Xiao Yang, who had appeared beside him at some point. He was surprised, and his blunt, honest nature took over.

"Why are you still selling this garbage, kid?"

Xiao Yang’s expression soured. If he could, he wouldn't spend his days selling skeleton bones and zombie innards, or even scavenging candlesticks and plates from dungeons, but life was tough. Realizing he had spoken out of turn, Red Beard quickly turned his head to change the subject.

"My forged weapons are clearly so good! These people just have no taste!"

Hearing this, Xiao Yang didn't dwell on it and leaned in familiarly toward Red Beard.

As he got closer, Xiao Yang realized that Red Beard wasn't bragging.

[Lava Battle Axe]
[Quality: Excellent]
[Type: Heavy Weapon, Poleaxe]
[Damage: 35]
[Requirements: Heavy Weapon Mastery, Polearm Mastery, 25 Strength]
[Effect: Slashes deal bonus fire damage and accumulate charge. Once fully charged, it can release a Lava Field.]
[Description: A painstaking work by a dwarven smith nearing master status. A fine axe, suitable for warriors with fire resistance.]

What a magnificent axe. Naturally, Xiao Yang could only drool over it. After listening to Red Beard and recalling the scene he had just witnessed, he asked a question: "Big Brother Red Beard, do you sell your goods like this every time?"

Red Beard fell into deep thought, and after a long while, he hesitantly replied, "I suppose... not?"

Xiao Yang slapped his forehead. Well, of course, things were hard to sell when you acted like that. It took him only a short time to figure out why Red Beard struggled so much: his three unwritten rules. First, no haggling. Second, no repetitive questioning. Third, no comparing his items to those at other stalls. With rules like those, it would be a miracle if he sold anything at all.

To Red Beard, these were matters of course. He didn't allow haggling because he priced his weapons reasonably—far cheaper than the exorbitant prices at other stalls. As for the second rule, that was due to his volatile temper, and the third was a matter of his artisan pride. It just went to show that a good craftsman isn't necessarily a good salesman.

Suddenly, Xiao Yang had an idea. He proposed a suggestion: "How about this, Big Brother Red Beard? Let me try to sell them for you, and if I make a sale, you give me a little cut in Spirit Coins?"

Red Beard looked at him skeptically, but ultimately agreed to let him try. After all, he had nothing to lose. Xiao Yang wasn't sure if he’d succeed, having no real sales experience, but he figured it was worth a shot. He wasn't entirely without a foundation—after graduating from university, his first job was door-to-door milk promotion. He didn't last long, especially once his suit-wearing, pompous manager made him carry milk up and down every floor of an old campus building that lacked an elevator.

Xiao Yang quickly whipped up a price tag. Red Beard had priced the Lava Battle Axe at 500,000 Spirit Coins, but Xiao Yang immediately bumped it up to one million, doubling the price. This stunned Red Beard, but he was even more dumbfounded by the banner Xiao Yang held up:

[PREMIUM PROMOTION! 30% OFF! A MASTERPIECE! DON'T MISS OUT!]

"Step right up, don't miss out! For real quality weapons, look no further! Certified by the God's Game! A painstakingly crafted work by a Master Smith! Come take a look!" Xiao Yang shouted at the top of his lungs.

The tactic actually worked. Soon, a crowd of players gathered, and several melee-class players began to seriously consider the offer. Red Beard had never seen such a spectacle. It was safe to say not every world had been baptized by clickbait, but these sensationalist headlines weren't even Xiao Yang's ultimate weapon.

Whenever someone asked about the price, Xiao Yang would immediately launch into a rehearsed spiel: "If you miss this, it's gone forever! A true masterpiece! Tell you what, you look familiar—you must be a great hero who has saved many lives. I’ll make a painful sacrifice and lower the price for you."

If 30% off was still too expensive, no problem—he could do 40% off. If that still didn't work, 45% off was perfectly fine! As long as you were interested, there was no escaping his trap. Master salesman Xiao Yang was officially on the clock.