Fu Xuan felt that she was growing more and more baffled by this man's so-called business philosophy. Even though she herself knew very little about doing business, it shouldn't be this kind of logic.
Still, how Sylvester thought was secondary. What troubled her was that she had no way to buy more trash cans, and that was giving her a real headache.
She did not for a moment believe that buying a mere six trash cans could possibly guarantee that all the ammunition hidden within them would be revealed.
She knew very well the financial state of the Xianzhou Luofu. The few dozen trash cans inside this room only amounted to a few tens of millions of Credits at most, nothing worth worrying about.
But what she hadn't expected was for Sylvester to impose a purchase limit.
Fu Xuan crossed her arms, stood silent for a while, then made up her mind and said, "I'll give ten million. Ten million Credits for one of your trash cans."
From her knowledge of merchants, when they say something isn't for sale, what they really mean is that the buyer hasn't raised the price high enough.
So, Fu Xuan decided to put forth an offer no merchant in their right mind could possibly refuse.
After all, even at auction houses where prices were driven sky-high, it was rare to see a markup this extravagant.
To her, who now held the finances of the Xianzhou Luofu in hand, a few hundred million Credits was nothing more than a drop in the ocean.
But for any ordinary person, that was unquestionably an astronomical sum.
Fu Xuan was fully confident that this would be more than enough to sway Sylvester.
And indeed, Sylvester admitted inwardly that if he were truly a businessman, he would have no reason to reject such an offer.
But he still refused.
After all, he wasn't a businessman.
"Apologies. As much as I'd like to agree, my business model is based on fixed prices. I can't break that rule. Regular trash cans are one million Credits each."
After he said this, Sylvester smacked his lips.
No wonder Fu Xuan was a figure capable of commanding an entire Xianzhou. To just casually offer ten times the listed price!
At ten million per trash can, and with dozens here, that meant hundreds of millions of Credits. If he could sell ten per day, that would be a hundred million a day.
Converted into hard cash, those Credits would be enough to crush him to death a hundred times over.
Unfortunately, he couldn't sell them like that.
And besides, his ultimate goal in selling trash cans wasn't for money.
The system's minimum price for ordinary trash cans was one million Credits. Any lower, and the sale would be invalid.
Otherwise, he would have already been handing them out for free on the streets.
"Not satisfied with this price?"
Fu Xuan's cold features tightened slightly as her brows furrowed.
At this moment, the question that had been haunting her mind from the start pressed forward with irresistible weight, demanding to be answered.
From the very beginning, this store had been riddled with oddities.
The fact that the shopkeeper put priceless treasures into trash cans to sell was strange enough.
The purchase limit, his refusal to accept higher offers—another strange point.
Even the Interastral Peace Corporation, those universe-spanning conglomerates, couldn't possibly pay a higher premium than this.
Those merchants, penny-pinching as they were, valued returns above all. Unlike the Xianzhou, they did not possess the audacity to invest vast resources in pursuit of a single goal.
Yet even with an offer like this, Sylvester still wouldn't budge.
Which made things plain—money meant nothing to him.
And that only made the situation all the stranger.
What was his real purpose?
Whether it was [Imagine Breaker] or [Zafkiel's Sixth Bullet - Vav], either one, if placed in the Corporation's auction halls, would ignite a storm across the entire cosmos. Yet he had handed them over to her at a price that was practically a giveaway.
What was he after?
'The whole world bustles for profit, the whole world hurries for profit.' Those were the words of an ancient sage of the Xianzhou.
And that profit did not always have to mean money.
Whether it was the High-Cloud Quintet of old, or today's Yanqing and Yukong—who among them did not have an obsession?
To fulfill an obsession could itself be called a kind of profit.
Fu Xuan drew a deep breath, gazing at Sylvester as she spoke softly. "I may not have known you for long, but I can tell you bear no ill will toward the Luofu. One might even say… you're a good man."
At the word "good man," Fu Xuan paused slightly.
After all, he had deliberately provoked her upon first meeting, acting frivolous and disrespectful—hardly what she'd call "good."
But then she recalled how he had distracted her from her worries, subtly shifting her mind away from sorrow. Fu Xuan understood—this was someone who hated tragedy.
And so, he would hardly be the one to bring tragedy with his own hands.
At the very least, he could be considered a good man—albeit a mischievous one.
"I want to hear the truth from you. Why do you do business this way? Why are you really here?"
Fu Xuan let her doubts spill out in full.
She truly could not guess what Sylvester's profit was.
Money?
Ridiculous. He wouldn't even take it when it was handed to him.
To sell more trash cans?
Then why impose a purchase limit? Wasn't that contradictory?
Could it really just be about the fun of selling? Like a fisherman who catches fish only to release them?
But then why sell these precious Curios? With treasures so rare, wouldn't keeping them be far better than selling them off? Was there some unspoken necessity that forced him to part with them?
Fu Xuan was done with evasions. If they could be honest with each other here, it might open the door to a cooperation of great importance.
"To let more people have the chance to buy trash cans," Sylvester replied, dropping the casual grin he usually wore and speaking with weight.
He could tell that Fu Xuan no longer referred to herself as "this seat," and that was a signal of utmost importance.
So, he had to make a pledge in return.
"Fu Xuan, you don't need to ask about other matters. I can promise you this much—I bear no malice toward the Xianzhou.
"As for the rest… I truly cannot say. Now then, about the other six trash cans—should I open them for you now?"
"If you can't increase the number, then I'll simply return tomorrow," Fu Xuan said calmly.
She cast her eyes over the stack of trash cans. Just plain iron cans, the kind long since phased out on the Xianzhou.
Yet if it were possible, she would have purchased every last one of them without hesitation.
But with only ten allowed per week, there was no reason to rush opening them immediately.
Besides, she already had [Imagine Breaker] in her possession. With this Curio, most other treasures would still fall within her ability to counter.
Enough. He had promised not to bring harm to the Xianzhou, and that much was acceptable.
More importantly, through their interaction, she was convinced—though mischievous, he harbored no malice.
At that thought, her anticipation swelled. She was eager to test the effects of this Curio.
Looking at Sylvester, she performed a salute rarely offered outside of the dearest friendships of the Xianzhou. "Very well, Sylvester. I'll see you tomorrow. From this day forth, the Cloud Knights will not interfere with your business. If you ever require assistance, you may seek us out."
"My thanks, Lady Fu Xuan. Then… may I contact you directly?" Sylvester pulled out his Jade Abacus and gave it a little shake to signal his intent.
This was the perfect chance to acquire Fu Xuan's personal contact information, fair and square.
"My… my contact information?"
She almost slipped into saying "this seat," but quickly corrected herself.
"Very well." After a brief pause, Fu Xuan agreed.
The two exchanged contacts.
Afterward, Sylvester saw her out of the shop.
No sooner had Fu Xuan stepped outside than she was surrounded on all sides by a crowd that had been waiting anxiously.
Every face was alight with excitement, every pair of eyes fixed on her hands, desperate for a glimpse of what she carried. Their expressions made clear enough what they wanted to ask.
"Master Diviner, what do you think of this shop? Are the rumors true?"
"Master Diviner is carrying something out. She must've opened one of the trash cans. But how was it? What did you get?"
"Master Diviner, did you feel the Aeon's gaze upon you?"
"Phew, thank goodness Master Diviner didn't buy out the entire stock. I still have a chance!"
"Chance? Do you even have the money? Those trash cans are a million Credits each."
"I'll save, I'll scrimp and go without if I have to. Sooner or later, I will be able to buy one!"
…
Everyone was whispering, everyone was speculating about the shop, everyone's eyes burned with anticipation as they awaited Fu Xuan's answer.
"Master Diviner, please, tell us—was this shop a sham or not?"
From the side, Guinaifen popped up with a flourish. "Hey, folks, you heard it here first! Our temporary general, Lady Fu Xuan herself, is giving this her official stamp of approval! Hop over to Little Guinaifen's live stream for the final results of the trash can event—guaranteed no regrets!"
The crowd around the live broadcast swelled, even attracting the quiet attention of factions outside the Xianzhou, slipping into Guinaifen's comment section to await the results.
[Lil Jelena: If this is real, how much do you think the shop's worth? If the shopkeeper agrees to a buyout, I'd say a P27 position is the least he deserves.]
[Premium Reroller: Hah, better he come to me. I'll start him off at P30.]
[Bonajade: The both of you should stop bickering. Otherwise, I'll request Diamond assign me the job directly.]
⤷ [Lil Jelena: …]
⤷ [Premium Reroller: …]
Watching the restless crowd, Fu Xuan could only sigh in helplessness.
For the sake of peace in the Xianzhou, she wanted to tell them it was all a sham, to tell them not to waste their money.
But such a lie went against her principles, and it was not the place of one who presides over the grand design to resort to such tricks.
She exhaled quietly.
Enough. She would stoke the fire a little on Sylvester's behalf.
Fu Xuan understood perfectly—once she opened her mouth, the credibility of this shop would soar, practically equating to official recognition from the Luofu itself.
And with the sheer weight of the matter, tomorrow—no, tonight—the tiny shop would shine like a Lux Arrow from the Reignbow Arbiter, reverberating across the cosmos, until every great figure knew of it.
Gentlemen of refinement, prodigies of sharp wit, overlords drunk on arrogance, thieves skilled in cunning—all would come flocking, eager to partake in this bizarre feast carried on the backs of trash cans, a blaze on the galactic stage.
The Xianzhou would be thrust into the most extreme of opportunities: either to stand as the center of the universe—or to be reduced to ruins.
But such was the fate of the Xianzhou.
She opened her deep violet eyes, and to the crowd before her, her cool voice carried the weight of truth. "What this shop offers is all real. The Aeon's gaze truly did linger here for a fleeting moment. But destiny differs for each of us. What you gain here—or lose—will be decreed by fate."
"I myself have already obtained a priceless Curio. Soon it will be submitted to the Seat of Divine Foresight. If you so desire, go and claim one for yourselves."