Chapter 33 - The Art of Luring You to Spend Money

Su Mu had inquired only to find out that the mountain gate was closed because the time for the cultivation examination had not yet arrived.

This let him breathe a sigh of relief; thankfully, there hadn't been any melodramatic mishap.

As nine o'clock drew closer, more and more examinees gathered in the square outside the mountain gate. Of course, it still couldn't compare to the massive turnout during the Spiritual Qi Value Assessment.

During the Spiritual Qi Value Assessment, just Yongfang City alone had over twenty thousand participants. But now, for the specialized subject examination happening across the whole province, there were at most five to six hundred people.

The examinees grouped together in threes and fives, chatting, some were relaxing with earphones in, listening to music, while others looked around curiously, taking pictures with their phones.

Su Mu checked the time and felt it was the right moment.

What could be more profitable than selling gift packs and releasing new cards just before the start of a new event?

When it came to luring you to spend real money, the scheming planners were definitely rich in experience.

Su Mu set his backpack down on the ground, unzipped it, and pulled out several boxes of Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken.

The examinees who had come with him were already curious about his backpack, and when they saw him take out several boxes of food, they were even more astonished.

"What are you doing bringing all this? Did you not have enough for breakfast and need an extra meal? Surely not."

Su Mu just smiled without responding and reached into his bag again, this time pulling out a megaphone.

Now, not only were the few examinees who came with him stunned, but other examinees also turned their surprised gazes towards him, wondering what he was up to.

Amidst the astonished stares, Su Mu turned on the megaphone and began his performance.

"Hello, everyone! It's great to meet you all. Who I am doesn't matter; what's important are these boxes of spiritual cuisine. For those who know their stuff, you've probably recognized them already. Yes, they are the famed 'Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken', touted as 'eat before the exam, pass the exam with ease.'"

"The benefits of Shangfu Chicken are numerous, especially in boosting the consumer's energy, memory, and comprehension. With the specialized subject examination upon us, it can be of great help!"

"After eating it, you won't have to worry about the spells in the examination being too difficult to understand or learn. With this chicken, you can be sure of achieving good grades!"

Some of the examinees caught on and gave Su Mu a thumbs-up: "Bro, you're bold, selling stuff right at the cultivation exam site. Aren't you afraid of being disqualified?"

Su Mu just smiled, not the least bit worried.

He wasn't foolish. If he dared to sell things here, he had certainly done his homework beforehand.

According to the information he had gathered, selling items at the cultivation exam site was permissible as long as what was sold wasn't a banned drug or food, and it wouldn't attract any punishment or obstruction.

He wasn't the first to do this. There had been several precedents, and even some big shots had done more outrageous things without any consequences.

Another examinee spoke up: "Classmate, you've chosen the wrong time and place to sell spiritual cuisine. Those who can afford it have already eaten, and those who can't, can't afford it. Surely you're not going to sell it for hundreds of yuan a box?"

Su Mu wasn't there to do charity work; how could he possibly sell it for just a few hundred yuan a box? That wouldn't even cover the cost of the ingredients, let alone the surgery fee he needed to earn for his sister.

"For one box, I am asking for eighty thousand yuan."

"How much? Eighty thousand?"

"Are you out of your mind wanting that much money?"

"That price is even higher than what Master Yuanzhou charges for his Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken. How could you possibly sell it at that rate!"

A wave of astonishment and skepticism swept through the square.

Su Mu was expecting this reaction and said with a smile, "The Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken I'm selling is indeed pricier than Master Yuanzhou's, but there's a good reason for that. Its effects are twice as strong as the spiritual cuisine made by Master Yuanzhou!"

This explanation only increased the skepticism.

Someone argued, "That's impossible! Master Yuanzhou is one of the top alchemical cuisine masters in the country, recognized for making the best Shangfu Chicken. No one could do better than him!"

And there it was, the challenge had been thrown down.

Su Mu looked at the skeptic, not upset in the least, but rather grateful.

If nobody had spoken up, he would have had to play both the questioner and the responder, which would have been awkward. Now, it all felt more natural.

Su Mu gestured to himself and said, "I'm right here, not going anywhere, and I certainly can't run away. If the Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken I'm selling doesn't live up to its promised effects, I'll offer you ten times your money back! A ten-to-one refund guarantee, an absolute act of good faith!"

Seeing his earnest promise and hearing the bold guarantee, the voices of doubt quieted slightly. But most people were still skeptical, not believing that anyone could surpass Master Yuanzhou in chicken-making prowess.

However, several examinees from Yongfang City's No.7 High School were tempted.

They had all tried Su Mu's special effect qi refining pill before and were more inclined to believe him than others.

The current situation was that most of the examinees attending the specialized subject examination had eaten Shangfu Chicken made by Master Yuanzhou or other spiritual cuisines with comparable effects.

Essentially, most people were starting from the same baseline.

At this moment, if one could partake in a superior spiritual cuisine, wouldn't that give them an edge over the others? Wouldn't their chances of getting into a cultivation university increase?

The more they thought about it, the more excited they became, quickly whipping out their phones to contact their parents.

Minutes later, one student, who came from a wealthy family, was the first to spend money: "Su Mu, give me a box. Should I scan your WeChat QR code to pay you, alright?"

"Sure." Su Mu opened his WeChat to display the QR code. After the student scanned and made the payment, Su Mu handed him a box of Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken.

The student immediately opened it and devoured it in a few bites, closing his eyes to feel the effects.

"How is it?"

The students from No.7 High School in Yongfang City surrounded him, anxiously inquiring.

After a moment, the student opened his eyes, his face beaming with joy and his eyes shining with excitement, babbling, "Su Mu wasn't lying. I've had the Shangfu Chicken made by Master Yuanzhou before, but now, I feel my condition, whether it's energy, memory, or anything else, has significantly improved! This Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken really is awesome! It's just that there's a bit too much chili in it. Does anyone have water to spare a sip for me..."

Hearing this, the students from No.7 High School immediately crowded around Su Mu, eager to buy Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken.

Although they all praised its effectiveness after eating it, many regarded them as perhaps shills for Su Mu and just watched with skepticism.

Yet, a few discerning examinees noticed the improvement in their condition and decided to try a box for themselves.

Anyway, with a ten-to-one refund policy, if anyone eats it and finds the effects aren't as promised, they could immediately grab Su Mu and demand compensation. He wouldn't dare to renege on the deal right at the entrance to Qingcheng Mountain!

As business came knocking, Su Mu wasn't in a rush to sell anymore. Shaking his head, he said, "Sorry folks, the price has gone up. It's now one hundred thousand yuan per box."

"What?!"

The few people in front of him were stunned.

On the square, the onlooking examinees were also taken aback.

The price just went up in a matter of minutes? And by twenty thousand? What kind of trick was this?

Su Mu explained, "I've only brought thirty boxes of Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken today. With each box I sell, the rarity increases, and as each minute ticks closer to the start of the cultivation examination, the importance rises. Naturally, the price must go up too."

What the heck?!

All the examinees were shocked.

This method of price hiking was no different from those money-grabbing mobile games that jack up the prices of limited-time items and gift packs as an event approaches!

What a profiteer, truly unscrupulous!

Aren't you afraid of being caught, put in a sack, and beaten up?