Chapter 53 - The Conscientious Merchant

After finalizing the Spirit-Channeling Runes, Su Mu added a similar paragraph to the descriptions for both the Brilliant Peach Blossom Fragrance Pellet and the Multi-functional Precision Hammer.

On second thought, he decided to also include the Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken to diversify his product range.

Of course, without the bonus from the cultivation examination, the price of Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken could not possibly remain around one hundred thousand.

Based on Su Mu's experience, the normal price for a portion of Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken in a restaurant is about twenty thousand. It would be a bit more expensive if prepared by a famous chef, but not by much.

So he set the price for Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken at twenty-five thousand.

The same principle applied: if the price is too high, it would scare off customers. It's better to wait until the Online Shop's traffic increases before raising prices.

You have to nurture your leeks1 first, after all.

After finishing all the descriptions, Su Mu checked for any typographical errors.

Those paragraphs, while seemingly describing the uniqueness of each treasure, would reveal upon closer inspection two words—no, scratch that, the concept of "pay-to-win."

To obtain the highest quality treasures, one must spend money.

Although miracles could happen with Single purchases, one would need the luck of a King of Europe.

For someone with the fate of an African chief, as unlucky as can be, don't even dream of miracles. Such things are a lifetime away from you; better to just reliably pay-to-win with Tenfold buys.

Satisfied there were no typos, Su Mu nodded with contentment and then sighed lightly, "I've really become conscientious now. If this were the past, when would I have ever implemented a guaranteed Tenfold buy?"

It was true, the mobile games he had planned in his past life never featured a guaranteed draw with Tenfold buys.

Playing his games, those with black face2 could go through 50, even 100 buys, without drawing an SSR.

Thinking a Tenfold buy would yield results? Dream on!

No, it was even less likely than a dream!

Of course, they would never admit their low draw rates and how they milked money from players.

On major forums, an army of paid posters would set the narrative.

One would claim they struck gold with their first draw, snagging an SSR of the highest tier.

Another would boast about pulling two SSRs in a Tenfold buy, with artwork to drool over and voice acting to get excited about.

Leading many who didn't know any better to believe these games had great drop rates, they would join the game one after another, becoming like fish on the chopping board3...

Those leeks, harvested batch by batch, were ruthlessly exploited!

Compared to his past life's methods, Su Mu's implementation of a guaranteed Tenfold buy this time did seem a lot more conscientious... right?

After sorting out the Online Shop, it was already past three in the morning.

Su Mu checked in at Dujiangyan at three o'clock in the morning and then pulled the curtains closed to sleep.

At seven o'clock in the morning, the recruitment teachers who had returned to their respective schools began to see the messages sent by Su Mu.

Just as Su Mu had guessed, when he sent the messages, these teachers were either asleep or cultivating and hadn't seen them.

Now, upon seeing Su Mu's messages, their hearts skipped a beat.

"Su Mu sent me a message? Does he want to consult about our school? Is he interested in our school? Is he going to apply to our school?"

With hearts pounding and hands trembling, the recruitment teachers opened the messages from Su Mu.

When they read the message's content, their excitement quickly diminished by half.

"It's not about coming to our school; he's launching an Online Shop and asking for my help with certification?"

"Why is he getting into online retail? He should be focusing all his energy on his spiritual practice. Only then will his talent not go to waste!"

"However, the treasures he's produced are indeed of high quality with remarkable effects. It's actually a good thing that he's willing to sell them, as it benefits the public."

Regardless of what they said, all the recruitment teachers clicked on the link attached to Su Mu's message, which led to the certification page. There, they saw the treasures Su Mu intended to sell.

They were quite familiar with the effects of these treasures and noticed that Su Mu's pricing was similar to the market rates for comparable items, without any markup. This elevated their opinion of him further.

Some teachers projected their own values onto Su Mu, believing that he opened the Online Shop not for profit but to allow more people to purchase better products at fair prices.

This was seen as beneficial for both the country and its citizens, something to be supported!

They had not expected that Su Mu, though young, had such grand ambitions and was doing commendable work that impressed and humbled them.

The recruitment teachers kept expressing their admiration, enhancing their esteem for Su Mu.

Having talent, knowing etiquette, being honest and hardworking, and having concern for others… He was truly the kind of promising individual they all sought!

Evidently, these recruitment teachers had only briefly glanced at the photos and names of the treasures and had not clicked to read the detailed descriptions.

Otherwise, they would not have thought so.

Just as Su Mu had predicted, none of the recruitment teachers rejected his request. They willingly entered their personal information to assist with the certification.

Although helping with the certification involved some responsibility, the recruitment teachers were not at all worried.

On one hand, they had confidence in Su Mu. With his talent and comprehension, it was a foregone conclusion that he would become a cultivator—a sure thing!

Once Su Mu became a cultivator, all this certification and review would no longer be troublesome, and without their help, he could easily manage it.

On the other hand, they were not afraid of Su Mu engaging in any misconduct.

With their own strength and connections, if Su Mu dared to sell counterfeit or substandard products in his Online Shop, they could expose him and hand him over to the authorities immediately. Even if Su Mu fled to the ends of the earth, he could not escape.

...

Just after eight o'clock, the Taobao Online Shop auditors began their workday.

Ruan Jun placed his coffee on the desk, turned on his computer, logged into the backend, and started his daily, monotonous, and mechanical job.

"This store hasn't even completed its information and wants to pass certification? Do they think we're blind? Denied!"

"This store is interesting, huh, selling imported adult runes from Fusang country. All the paperwork is in order, so it can pass. I'll note down this store's address; it might be useful to recommend to friends in need—of course, I don't need these things. Wow, these Overwatch dolls are really well made…"

He took out his phone, opened the notes app, and jotted down the name and address of the store.

Seeing that his colleagues were busy and nobody was paying attention to him, he relaxed and continued with his reviewing work.

A little while later, he came across Su Mu's Online Shop for review.

"What kind of lousy name is this for a store? Pay-to-Ascend Immortal Shop? What's that supposed to mean? Spend money in your shop and become immortal? Talk about overpromising! Alright, let's see which Tom, Dick, or Harry you've got helping you with the certification. If their credentials aren’t up to par, you can expect to be rejected!"

After taking a sip of his coffee, Ruan Jun opened the list of certifiers for the Pay-to-Ascend Immortal Shop, and then he saw a series of names, each followed by their level and title.

"Wen Wubin, level 6 grade B, Deputy Director of the School of Alchemy at Qingcheng Mountain Cultivation University."

"Wu Jian, level 6 grade C, Professor at the Runic Formation Department of Southwest University of Science, Technology, and Cultivation, Ph.D. Advisor."

"Cheng Hao, level 5 grade A, Head of the Artifact Refining Department at Shu Province University of Science and Engineering."

...

Over twenty certifiers, all of them experts, professors, and mid-to-high-level officials currently employed at various cultivation universities in Shu Province.

Anyone representing a cultivation university for recruitment purposes would undoubtedly have impressive skills and status.

Ruan Jun's hand trembled in shock, spilling coffee over his keyboard without even noticing.

He just stared at the screen, speechless.

"Is this... is this list for real?"

"Who is behind this shop, to be able to enlist the help of so many schools, so many big shots for certification?"

"The lowest is a level 5 grade A, a cultivation university professor..."

"Is this really certification for an Online Shop? Or is it some kind of academic conference?"

"Which deity has too much free time and decided to play around in the mortal world?"

Footnote:

Leeks(韭菜): The term "leeks" is often used to describe consumers who are deceived or exploited in commercial transactions. This term originates from the Chinese phrase "割韭菜" (cutting leeks), which means to repeatedly harvest, akin to cutting leeks. It implies that businesses, through various tactics, stimulate consumers to make purchases, and shortly after buying, those consumers find themselves 'harvested' or taken advantage of again.

Black face(脸黑): The meme "Black face" suggests having extremely bad luck, in direct contrast to "White face," which indicates good luck. Originally, this term arose within the esports community. With the growth of the internet, "Black face" became a popular meme to express bad luck, particularly in the context of not getting good equipment in a game or failing to draw valuable cards. It is similar to the meme " African chief," which also evolved from the concept of having a "black face." In addition, there is an extended interpretation that compares Europeans (often associated with good luck) and Africans (associated with bad luck), reflecting the cultural nuances in contemporary popular culture.

Fish on the chopping board(案板上的鱼肉): This is a traditional Chinese proverb that means to be like fish on a chopping board, completely at the mercy of others.