Chapter 121: Ye Mo’s Stall
Translator: Tim Editor: Chrissy
Ye Mo estimated the price of his stall was high, likely paid for by Lin Huihe or someone else. He didn't need to reimburse them; the cost of the pill exceeded 10,000.
Ye Mo arrived early, but as he settled, the spacious exhibition center quickly filled with people.
The attendees seemed affluent. Though loud, the atmosphere was not boisterous. Most people went directly to items of interest, inquiring about prices.
Even the cheapest items cost several thousand dollars; better ones easily reached tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions.
Witnessing such casual spending, Ye Mo marveled at the wealth of some. He’d been happy selling a charm for $10,000, but now saw unfunctional, polished charms selling for $18,800.
Using his spirit sense, he found the best sellers were protective amulets or artifacts promising good fortune or health. Stalls with ancient characters did especially well. The cheapest item he noted cost around $200,000 and was non-negotiable.
Other vendors didn't copy these successful stalls, fearing that using the ancient characters wouldn't improve their sales.
However, Ye Mo found few genuine magic artifacts; rarely did any emit spirit chi. Even stalls with ancient characters had few, usually one or two, but at exorbitant prices.
The lack of spirit chi didn’t render them useless; Ye Mo was an expert. His spirit sense revealed some real magic artifacts, though their functions were unimpressive, less than 1% as effective as his.
Disappointingly, despite his superior items and modest pricing, his stall was the least visited. Few approached, and fewer still inquired about prices.
Business was tough, Ye Mo sighed. His small stall and lack of banner were likely to blame. If he couldn’t sell anything, he wouldn't recoup his 100,000 investment.
Suddenly, he saw a familiar face: the fashionable girl from the plane, accompanied by a man in his twenties or thirties. He was surprised she’d be interested in magic artifacts. As he watched, she turned and saw him.
She was attractive, but her eyes repelled him—too snobbish. Her thin lips, though her sunflower seed-shaped face was pleasant, clashed with her eyes.
Seeing his stall, she approached immediately. She’d thought he was looking for her at the airport, but this encounter damaged her self-esteem.
“You sell these things? How much is this necklace? I’ll buy it as charity.” Her disdain implied she was doing him a favor.
“One hundred thousand,” Ye Mo replied without looking up, disgusted by her attitude, as if he were a beggar. He’d planned on $50,000–$80,000 but his displeasure raised the price. He’d seen ancient martial arts stalls selling for at least $100,000–$200,000, but his necklace far surpassed theirs.
“What?” she exclaimed, regaining composure. She sneered, “Do you think you’re an ancient stall? A necklace worth a few hundred dollars at $100,000? You're trying to extort me because I pitied you. No wonder you have no business.”
“An Yan, don’t waste time with this sort of person. If you want a necklace, let’s go to an ancient stall. I’ll get you one for your birthday,” the man said quickly.
An Yan frowned, realizing she liked the necklace's style but found Ye Mo annoying.
“I’ll give you 10,000. You’re getting a great deal,” she offered, believing she was being generous for a necklace worth less than $1,000. Her initial pity turned to a desire to buy, but she doubted the shabby stall owner would dare extort her.
“Not selling,” Ye Mo said.
“Hmph! I’m giving you money, are you selling or not?” she insisted, annoyed by his perceived greed.
Ye Mo replied plainly, “Do you want to buy by force? It’s mine; I can sell it for whatever I want. I’m not forcing you to buy. Move aside; you’re blocking my business.”
“Okay, I’ll see how much you sell today. Don’t come begging me to buy it later. 100,000—I’ll see how many you sell,” the woman declared, refusing her companion's suggestion and staying to watch.
Ye Mo sneered, “100,000 was the price then; now it’s 200,000.” He resented her interference.
“You…” An Yan was furious. She felt he was doing this to spite her. 100,000 wasn’t much for her, but the principle bothered her. Though she liked the necklace, she didn’t want to overpay.
“Hmm, this necklace is so pretty. How much is it?” A middle-aged man with two girls under twenty stopped at the stall. One girl exclaimed over the necklace.
He paused, saying, “You’ve hardly found anything you like. If you like it, Dad will buy one for each of you.”
Ye Mo noted the girls' resemblance; they were likely twins. The man’s tone indicated wealth; he’d buy anything his daughters liked.
“Dad, I want one too. There are two; one each for me and Sis. This necklace is really pretty,” the other girl said.
Ye Mo was speechless. His protective and health-enhancing artifacts attracted customers for their looks.
“Boss, how much is one?” the middle-aged man asked.
“Hmph, he wants to sell his few hundred dollar thing for 200,000,” An Yan interjected.
Ye Mo glared at her coldly. Her nosiness was infuriating.
“What are you looking at? Can’t I tell the truth?” An Yan yelled, offended by his glare.
Ye Mo ignored her; he sold only to those who appreciated his work.
The middle-aged man smiled, unfazed by An Yan. He asked Ye Mo, “May I ask if this is 200,000?”
Seeing him still inquire despite An Yan, Ye Mo knew this man was determined and wealthy or unconcerned about the price.
“Yes, 200,000.” Ye Mo considered it fair; his necklace was worth it. Inferior items sold for more.
“Okay, I’ll take two. This necklace is very pretty,” the man said.
Ye Mo explained, “I’m not selling this for 200,000 just for its looks. It has two functions. One is lifelong health benefits; wearers rarely get sick. The other is defensive; it has three charges, and it's gone once they're used.”
“Hmph,” An Yan scoffed, annoyed but helpless. The man clearly ignored Ye Mo’s claims. He wouldn’t sell such an item on a small stall if it had such powers.
“Dad, you should buy one too. It has defensive powers. We can each have one,” one girl suggested.