The Card Apprentice - Chapter 304
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Chapter 304

"Raw materials, but we only want high-grade goods . If there are any items you can't identify, you can bring those out as well . In addition…" Xi Ping glanced at Bogner, "if you have any fine card appliances, you could also bring those out for us to take a look at . "

Miss Xiao smiled sweetly . "All right, please wait a minute . "

After a moment, one of her workers sent over several fantasy cards . Miss Xiao's scallion-like fingers pulled one of them out and slipped it into a card projection device in front of Chen Mu and the rest . An ordered list immediately appeared in front of them . By picking any one among the list, more detailed information about its parameters would pop out .

What Miss Xiao hadn't expected was that the one flipping through the list wasn't the richly experienced Xi Ping; it was their young boss .

A boss seldom came personally to select items . That was work that required a lot of experience . Moreover, that boss was still so young . Unless he is an expert in materials… Good at materials? Could he be a card master? Only card masters would be so familiar with materials .

Miss Xiao was as bright as the snow, and the first thought in her mind corresponded closely with reality . Without showing what was on her mind, she secretly watched which materials Chen Mu was browsing though .

They were all high-grade materials! That realization made her heart race . If her conjecture was correct, then that young boss was certainly a high-level card master! What would be more valuable there than a high-level card master?

The chamber had made a huge investment to build a base in the Outer Reaches, where they could get large quant.i.ties of high-grade materials . Up until then, however, they still hadn't recruited any high-level card masters . Actually, they hadn't been able to gain a foothold when they were in the city, so they simply came to the Outer Reaches to establish a base there .

They had gradually opened markets in a few cities in the vicinity by virtue of their high-grade materials, but a high-level card artisan could make the value of the materials they had multiply many times over . The profits from that would turn people's eyes red .

But high-level card masters were a scarce resource . The chamber's power in the city wasn't sufficient to attract such high-level talent . No high-level card masters wanted to advance themselves at such a desolate and dangerous place .

The chamber had gone so far as to make ready in advance some pretty good equipment for the special use of card masters . That equipment had inevitably remained sealed up in the storeroom until then .

Chen Mu's movements were quick; although he'd never gone through any systematic education about materials, he still had his own methods . There weren't that many materials he could use there . In truth, he had quite a bit of good materials in those transport shuttles . Still, there were some pretty good steals among those unknown materials .

The fluidity of Chen Mu's practiced actions immediately confirmed Miss Xiao's conjecture .

Bogner was browsing through the card appliances when he did a double-take . "Yikes, not bad . You can actually get military-style card appliances . It looks like this little smuggler's trail is not so deserted . "

Miss Xiao showed her entrancing smile . "It looks like the gentleman is quite familiar with these byways . May I ask the gentleman's name? I have been really rude!"

"Miss Xiao's voice is really enchanting! I am Bogner . I've been along this way before, but I was quite well-known then!" Bogner was looking l.u.s.tfully at Miss Xiao, pounding his chest rather loudly .

Jeeves looked at Bogner with disgust . Well-known? How come I haven't heard of him?

"Oh, this is a pretty good price . Military items should be a little bit more expensive . " Bogner's gaze seemed to be desperately drilling into the snowy white in her opened collar . Xi Ping averted his head with "I don't know him" written on his face .

Under Bogner's hot gaze, Miss Xiao kept a cool expression, always maintaining her slight smile . "Mr . Bogner is an expert, after all . Our humble chamber of commerce has always had fair prices, and we treat people honestly . "

"Oh, treating people honestly is what I like most! You don't know how sincere I am, Miss Xiao . Inside and out, I am completely sincere-tasting!" Bogner pulled back his gaze, but it still wanted to move lower by itself .

Miss Xiao's expression didn't change . She only adjusted the way her body was sitting, nipping Bogner's intentions in the bud while saying sweetly, "Mr . Bogner is really concerned with our business . "

"So I am . " Bogner kept nodding . Without moving his gaze from Miss Xiao's face in the slightest, he said, "Hertha . "

"Present, Chief . " Hertha stepped out of line .

Bogner was looking at Miss Xiao, bewitched, while pointing to the fantasy card in front of him . "Choose a few suitable ones . "

"Yes, sir . " Hertha wasted no words and immediately lowered his head to start choosing .

"Those guards of Mr . Bogner's are really well-trained . This is my first time to see anyone else's card artisan guards so rigorously disciplined . You are really awesome!" Miss Xiao fluttered her beautiful eyes .

"So I am!" Bogner's l.u.s.tful face was infatuated, and he completely forgot himself .

"Ok, just these few . " Chen Mu stopped what he had been doing and turned over his materials choices to Xi Ping . Just then, Hertha also opened his mouth . "I've chosen them, Chief . "

The final results were collected in Xi Ping's hands, who was the most experienced with the work of bargaining . Xi Ping scanned them and formed a mental plan .

"These are the items we've chosen, Miss Xiao . Give us a quote . " Xi Ping handed over their list to Miss Xiao .

Miss Xiao took the list and scanned it . Within half a minute, she raised her head . "The price for the materials is 5 million Oudi . As for these card appliances, since they came from the military, I can't give them to you for anything less than 8 million Oudi . " Miss Xiao's smile was as enchanting as ever .

A strange look flashed past Xi Ping's face . That price… is really too low! The materials Xi Ping would be taking were numerous . If they were on the market, their price would be about 20 million, and that was not including those few unknown materials . Smuggled military card appliances were so expensive that you wouldn't be able to get those for less than 15 million .

There was no free lunch in that world . As an old hand in business, Xi Ping naturally understood that very well . His expression turned prudent . "Your esteemed Hughes Chamber of Commerce will be taking quite a loss at that price . I think Miss Xiao must have something more in mind . Perhaps we should discuss it . "

A harmless smile floated onto Miss Xiao's mouth . "Mr . Xi is really astute, after all . This price would certainly const.i.tute a loss for our humble chamber of commerce . So, we have a few small proposals . "

"Small proposals? Ha ha, I doubt Miss Xiao's proposals will be so small . " Xi Ping was being playful .

Chen Mu was watching the two go around in circles with curiosity . As he saw it, such a skill was quite interesting, even just listening in .

Miss Xiao laughed lightly and glanced around seductively, her originally exquisite eyebrows now inadvertently charming . "The first small request regards those few unknown materials . We hope your esteemed boss could explain them somewhat, so the next time we come across them, we won't have some treasure in our hands we didn't know about . "

Xi Ping's gaze turned to Chen Mu since that matter needed the boss's decision . Chen Mu muttered to himself for a moment before nodding . It wasn't something difficult for a strong person to do .

Xi Ping knowingly turned his gaze to Miss Xiao . "And the second small proposal?"

With that fine start, Miss Xiao was feeling pretty good . She appeared still more movingly beautiful . "The second small proposal might be a little bold . If I haven't guessed wrong, the esteemed gentleman is certainly a high-level card artisan! I would like to try to see if we might be able to reach a deal . "

Xi Ping's expression chilled . His counterpart had been able to perceive the boss's ident.i.ty as a card master . That was pretty awesome! Of course, she was wrong about the boss's level . In Xi Ping and Bogner's minds, the boss was a grand master card master .

"What sort of deal?" Xi Ping's tone maintained its calm, and he looked prudent .

Miss Xiao said calmly, "I'm hoping we might purchase a batch of pretty good cards . At best, they would be four-star . Of course, three-star cards with outstanding performance would also be fine . As far as remuneration, Oudi would be fine; or, if you require other goods or materials, that would be fine as well . Please relax about the price . We certainly won't allow you to take a loss . "

She kept up her enchanting smile . "As for that little tail behind your team, I've already gotten rid of it for you . You may take it as a token of the sincerity of our humble chamber of commerce . "

Everyone was taken aback . The power of the Hughes Chamber of Commerce in that region wasn't so average, after all . Xi Ping's gaze inevitably returned to the boss's face . That matter was also his to decide .

Chen Mu thought it over and shook his head . "I am truly sorry, but we won't be able to remain here for that long . We'll be leaving after resting a couple of days . " It didn't suit them to stay there long, and they would have to leave after a little tidying up . Their best choice would be to enter the Heavenly Drum Village District as soon as possible . If they were to agree to that deal, who knew how long it would delay them?

Xi Ping shook his head . "We are very sorry, but we are powerless . We'll have to purchase them at market prices . "

Miss Xiao couldn't hide the disappointment in her eyes, and her gaze burned into Chen Mu . "Won't the esteemed gentleman consider it? If it's a matter of price, I'm sure we can satisfy you . "

Chen Mu took her gaze directly and apologized with a smile . "Miss Xiao, I really apologize, but it's not because of money . "

Miss Xiao's gaze went quickly bleak .

Bogner, who had been less than serious all along, suddenly opened his mouth . "Mark Hughes . Does Miss Xiao know him?"