[Hidden task condition [Favor of the Great Families] triggered. Upon completion, additional reward will be granted: +1 Skill Scroll.]
While gathering information related to Bai Jin, this message popped up on Yang Yu’s system panel.
Come to think of it, Terra mentioned that the Giant Umbrella Trading Company is formed by many families. Could it be that the company is investigating under the orders of these families, and finding it troublesome, decided to outsource the task to adventurers?
But why did the additional reward appear now?
Hmm.
I get it. Since it’s a task assigned by their superiors, the Giant Umbrella Trading Company has to take it seriously and thus needs reliable adventurers.
My current strength is well-known among the adventurers here, but my origins are mysterious, and I’ve become famous too quickly. The Giant Umbrella Trading Company might still have doubts about my true capabilities.
Earlier, when I unintentionally saw through them being a small trading company, Terra probably contacted the employer after I left, confirming that I could complete the task and even do better than expected.
Despite having so many families behind them, they’re still a small trading company. No wonder they’re trying to catch the tail of a big company.
They gave me a week to infiltrate.
If my guess is correct, the hidden condition might be to complete the task ahead of time after obtaining all necessary items.
“Not bad, quite challenging. I like it.”
After gathering some more information on Bai Jin, Yang Yu headed to the jewelry store.
Since this task is challenging, I must consider the risk of failure. Terra mentioned that they’ve prepared an escape route for us, but to avoid being left high and dry, I need a backup plan.
He had previously sold a glass bead to the jewelry store owner, agreeing to a full refund within a month.
If I leave just like that, it would definitely affect my reputation. So, I went to the jewelry store owner, intending to finish the second half of the story about the glass bead and use the 100,000 gold coins without any guilt.
As various exquisite gems came into view, Yang Yu didn’t linger his gaze on them for long. Acting as if he were used to such sights, he walked up to the counter and greeted the clerk.
Meanwhile.
In a room in the jewelry store, Gruden, dressed in luxurious attire, was engrossed in playing with the glass bead. He had already had it appraised by someone more professional than himself. Given the current level of human craftsmanship, this item was almost impossible to counterfeit, making this tiny glass bead a unique treasure in the world.
With it, getting rich wouldn’t be a dream.
Just as Gruden was fantasizing about how much the value of this small glass bead would multiply in his hands, the clerk knocked on his door, informing him that Yang Yu had arrived.
Gruden’s chubby face twitched slightly. He was quite surprised by Yang Yu’s sudden visit.
“Why is he here? It hasn’t been long. Did he change his mind? I’ve grown quite fond of this thing; if he…”
Frowning, Gruden first had the clerk entertain Yang Yu and then gently placed the glass bead into a jewelry box, putting it away. He then walked to the VIP room with his large belly.
In the VIP room, Yang Yu was sipping tea, which anyone could tell was of higher quality than last time.
Walking leisurely into the VIP room, Gruden saw Yang Yu and smiled obsequiously.
“A rare guest indeed, Lord Yang Yu. I apologize for not welcoming you earlier. What brings you to my humble store today?”
“You call this place humble? You’re too modest.”
“Not at all.”
After a few pleasantries, Yang Yu got straight to the point, “Let’s cut the small talk. I’m here to take back the glass bead I sold you.”
Gruden asked with a smile, “Why so suddenly?”
“It’s nothing. This place turned out to be duller than I expected. I can’t stay for a month. I plan to leave for other places. To avoid causing you unnecessary loss, I intend to repurchase the glass bead as agreed.”
Yang Yu took a sip of tea, calm and composed.
Despite having spent a significant amount of the 100,000 gold coins, he remained unfazed. If he failed, he could always borrow some money to cover the cost and then sell the glass bead through other channels.
However, he believed the jewelry store owner no longer wanted to return the glass bead.
Sure enough, Gruden’s face showed extreme reluctance. He had invested a lot of time and effort into this tiny glass bead, pondering daily on how to sell it for an exorbitant price, eating and sleeping poorly, and had grown quite attached to it.
Now, with Yang Yu wanting to repurchase it for just over 100,000, Gruden wanted to shout at him: “Get lost! As far as you can! You sold it, it’s mine now!”
Thankfully, remembering Yang Yu might be a noble, Gruden retained some sanity and said respectfully:
“Uh… Lord Yang Yu, to be honest, I’ve already found a buyer who agreed to buy the glass bead for 200,000.
You once said that if I sold it, it would be a guaranteed profit. I did as you suggested, and everything went as planned. Although the glass bead is still with me, if you take it back suddenly, I won’t be able to explain to the buyer.”
Since Yang Yu was leaving out of boredom and not because he had found a better buyer, there was still a chance.
Experienced in the gemstone business for many years, Gruden excelled at extracting useful information from conversations and making the best business judgments.
For example, when chatting with a noblewoman, he could always discern what aspect of her appearance she cared most about and then seamlessly transition to gemstones to make a sale.
“I didn’t expect you to find a buyer so quickly. It seems I underestimated you.” Yang Yu set down his teacup and smiled. “Asking for the bead back now would indeed be a bit unkind. But are you sure you want to sell this glass bead? As you can see, it’s just a man-made object. As society progresses, there will eventually be people who can create similar things.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. We gemstone traders care only about the present. I’ve experienced new gemstone mines causing drastic devaluations before. As long as we profit before others realize, it’s fine.”
Gruden gave a sly, cunning smile unique to merchants.
“How about this, Lord Yang Yu, I’ll make a little less profit this time and give you another 50,000. This way, I’ll officially buy the glass bead, and you won’t need to guarantee its value anymore. You can go wherever you like, and this 50,000 can be your travel fund. Enjoy your journey.”
“As expected of a jewelry store owner, you indeed have a keen eye, knowing to balance risk and reward while calmly bearing the risks.” Yang Yu looked at Gruden with admiration. “Since you put it this way, I won’t insist on taking back the glass bead. There’s no need for the 50,000. Just give me 39,999. I’ll share a bit of the risk with you and we can be friends.”
Hearing this, Gruden let out a sigh of relief and then smiled slightly.
“Deal.”