Chapter 55: If Something Goes Wrong, the Big-Headed Wang Yulou Will Take Responsibility |
Watching the messenger pigeon fly away, Yulou carefully considered his words before speaking.
"Clan Uncle, I have a somewhat immature idea, and I was hoping you could offer me some guidance."
Wang Rongsheng nodded in surprise. "There is no need to be so polite, Yulou. Feel free to speak your mind."
Yulou was a junior whom even the Patriarch thought highly of, fully deserving the title of the Wang Clan's Qilin child.
Therefore, even though Wang Rongsheng had a higher cultivation base and was older, he still valued Yulou greatly.
This was the respect Yulou had earned step by step by revealing his intelligence.
"It is still unknown whether my plan to promote Hundred Treasures Pavilion through the horse racing will go smoothly, so I have come up with a new idea."
Hearing that Yulou had yet another new idea, Wang Rongsheng felt a wave of resignation.
The path of business emphasized genuine goods at fair prices and building long-term trust. Even when employing unconventional tactics, one should rely primarily on orthodox methods. Only by minimizing surprises could one maintain stability.
In truth, this was not surprising. For Yulou, in this prison-like world of cultivation, the best path of development he could currently envision was to closely align himself with the clan.
Only when the clan prospered could he reap the benefits.
If the clan suffered, someone of his meager strength would have a hard time surviving in this cruel environment.
Thus, the sooner Hundred Treasures Pavilion began turning a profit, the better the Wang Clan would fare.
And Yulou's own future would be broader and smoother.
Because of this, he was eager to change the current situation, preparing for a future filled with uncontrollable variables.
Wang Rongsheng had his reservations about Yulou's urgency, but he was reluctant to speak them aloud.
After all, there was no conflict of interest between them, so he simply smiled and asked, "Oh? What kind of idea?"
Yulou did not notice the resistance in Wang Rongsheng's eyes, assuming his clan uncle still valued his input highly.
"Clan Uncle, I plan to run a special 'mystery box' gambling event at Hundred Treasures Pavilion to stimulate customer desire."
Hearing the word "gambling," Wang Rongsheng grew even more wary.
"Gambling? Gambling is no good. Our Wang Clan does not lack that bit of petty cash, so we must be cautious. Besides, what exactly is this 'mystery box' you speak of?"
"It works like this. Among the customers in Clear Stream Market, even those with the highest cultivation bases are only at the Qi Refining stage.
Furthermore, most are rogue cultivators or members of minor clans. Overall, they are quite strapped for cash.
Yet they frequently watch the horse racing at the racetrack, and many have even developed a habit of placing bets.
Therefore, I thought of a unique sales method I call the 'mystery box gamble.' We simply need to—"
As Yulou explained, Wang Rongsheng came to understand his intentions. He hesitated, pondering for a long time before speaking.
"Yulou, did you think of this yourself, or did some shady cultivator put this in your head?"
Hearing his clan uncle's words, Yulou was slightly taken aback.
He realized that his clan uncle did not believe him.
"Clan Uncle, this idea is a bit unorthodox.
But from the customers' perspective, the items inside Hundred Treasures Pavilion's mystery boxes will be worth at least half the spirit stones they pay.
This provides a psychological sense of security. Beyond that, if they manage to buy a mystery box containing high-value goods, they can make a massive profit.
Although this sales method is called the mystery box gamble, it is fundamentally different from the kind of gambling where one can lose everything.
Naturally, I would not associate with shady cultivators. The mystery box idea was entirely my own."
Having been appointed by the Patriarch, Wang Rongsheng was currently the Wang Clan's steward in Clear Stream Market. He had a say in all of the clan's properties there.
If his plan failed to gain Wang Rongsheng's approval, it could not be implemented in Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
Therefore, Yulou's answer was careful and comprehensive.
"Yulou, of course I believe you. But how can you guarantee that the mystery box plan will not result in a loss?
You must understand, if we make a profit, it means the customers are taking a loss.
Once they lose once, twice, or at most three times, they will stop buying. The sales would not be sustainable.
If we do not make a profit and instead concede the benefits to the customers, the sales might boom, but it would be meaningless to us."
Wang Rongsheng's understanding was simple. Yulou's plan sounded plausible, but it was a double-edged sword; one side was bound to suffer a loss.
"Clan Uncle, that is why I am discussing it with you. Business always involves profits and losses. If you disagree, then pretend I never brought it up,"
Yulou said helplessly.
Do less, make fewer mistakes; do more, make more mistakes. The saying truly applied everywhere.
He had merely proposed a plan and was immediately questioned by Wang Rongsheng.
Trying to accomplish things was never easy.
The risk of failure and the pressure from superiors were unavoidable.
But perhaps one of his phrases had moved Wang Rongsheng; this clan uncle, whom Yulou was not yet very familiar with, ultimately approved his idea.
"How about this? I support you using Hundred Treasures Pavilion's spirit stones to run a trial for the mystery box gambling event.
If the results are good, we will continue.
If the results are poor, we will stop after one try. What do you say?"
Yulou had no choice but to agree.
In reality, he didn't know that when making the decision, Wang Rongsheng wasn't thinking about whether the event would succeed, nor whether Hundred Treasures Pavilion would make a profit or suffer a loss.
The success or failure of the event and the profit margins of the pavilion had nothing to do with him.
Yulou was the shopkeeper. If something went wrong, the big-headed Wang Yulou would take responsibility.
Wang Rongsheng's true consideration was that Yulou seemingly wanted to use Hundred Treasures Pavilion's public funds to purchase the Purple Copper Spell-Breaking Pestle he held.
Therefore, he had come up with a new gimmick, attempting to persuade him.
As for this matter, Yulou was the head shopkeeper of Hundred Treasures Pavilion. Purchasing the Purple Copper Spell-Breaking Pestle would be billed between Hundred Treasures Pavilion and Forge Peak Residence. Procedurally, it was perfectly reasonable, so why should he, Wang Rongsheng, stop it?
The Wang Clan had already given him enough resources to cultivate to the Peak Qi Condensation realm. Wang Rongsheng's most urgent priority right now was cultivation; he had no need to offend anyone.
Haven't you heard the saying? You can bully the old, but never the young!
—
The next day, Clear Stream Market, Wang Clan's Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
"Are you sure this method will work?"
Bai Lu, who had been roped in by Yulou, looked at the wooden boxes on the counter, her voice full of doubt.
As an adopted orphan, she naturally didn't have the courage to question Yulou.
The reason she asked was simply out of concern that Yulou's attempt might fail.
As noble scions of the Wang Clan, Yulou and Yu'an had never looked down on her. Instead, they treated her as a friend.
From the perspective of a friend, Bai Lu was extremely worried.
"The difference between cultivators and mortals is vast, but when it comes to human nature, many aspects are universal.
Mortals can be greedy for beauty, wealth, and status...
Cultivators also have delusions, dreaming of being blessed by fortune and achieving eternal life...
As long as there is an opportunity, everyone is capable of believing they are heaven's chosen."
With thousands of cultivators in Clear Stream Market, and over a hundred thousand within its sphere of influence, could there possibly be a shortage of greedy fools?
Hundred Treasures Pavilion's mystery boxes cost twenty spirit stones each. They contained at least four different talismans, which were worth ten spirit stones at market price.
If some clever fellow got lucky and bought one hiding a Purple Copper Spell-Breaking Pestle, they would easily make a massive profit.
After the harvest by the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, the prices of all artifacts had surged significantly. A Purple Copper Spell-Breaking Pestle with four layers of restrictions was worth at least eighty spirit stones.
Buying it meant quadrupling their money!
(For a Purple Copper Bead with five layers of restrictions, Wu Jinyan had offered sixty spirit stones. However, he was lowballing the purchase price, and bead-type artifacts were less prestigious, so the price was lower.)
Yulou believed that since so many people were willing to bet on horse racing, there would definitely be people willing to buy mystery boxes!
If they couldn't sell them within ten days, once the next horse race started and Yang Qi's advertisement went up, the accumulated inventory of mystery boxes would easily be cleared out by the gamblers who loved betting on horses.
This was exactly why he had the confidence to propose the mystery box plan to Wang Rongsheng!
Wang Yulou wasn't an idiot; how could he launch an event blindly?
"Then do you consider yourself heaven's chosen?"
Bai Lu didn't understand how thoroughly Yulou had prepared. She was simply curious about how a scion of the Wang Clan viewed himself.
Yulou froze for a moment, then smiled bitterly.
"Heaven's chosen? Hahaha, what kind of heaven's chosen loses both parents at a young age, only to grow up in such a terrible era?
Perhaps the disciples of the Wang Clan seem very fortunate in your eyes, but in the face of true power, the Wang Clan is nothing more than a slightly larger ant."
Wang Xianmao worried that Yulou's extreme intelligence would lead to his ruin, but his worries were unnecessary.
Yulou knew exactly where he should go and how he should act, so he would never lose his way.
Since this world was so cruel, and the control of the Immortal Alliance and the Ten Sects meant exploiting everyone ruthlessly...
Then he would climb to the very peak—a peak where no one could ever oppress or control him.
He would cultivate. He would cultivate in the mundane world, in the midst of danger, and in the depths of solitude.
Since he had come to this world where one could become an immortal and an ancestor, Wang Yulou naturally had no desire to waste his life at the bottom.
He wasn't sure if he had grand ambition, but he possessed the courage to climb head-on.
That was enough. It was enough for him to set out.
As for how to set out?
He would start by managing Hundred Treasures Pavilion well and solidifying his position in the Wang Clan!
"A slightly larger ant? How is that possible?"
Bai Lu couldn't see the ageless Danri, nor could she understand the cruelty of Patriarch Mangxiang draining the Red Lantern Illumination Sect dry just to prove his Dao and achieve the Golden Core.
In her eyes, not only was the Wang Clan not an ant, but they were also one of the strongest pillars in Clear Stream Market—a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan in the eyes of rogue cultivators.
"Hahaha, let's not talk about this anymore. Come, put all the mystery boxes on the shelves in front of the counter, and open the doors. Let's hope we get more customers today."
At Yulou's command, Bai Lu and the clerks busied themselves, some opening the doors, others arranging the goods.
The morning sunlight streamed in through the main doors of Hundred Treasures Pavilion, casting a golden glow over the white jade floor as customers began to trickle in.
Yulou didn't step forward to actively push the mystery boxes, instead watching Bai Lu and the others handle the reception.
He was the shopkeeper; he couldn't do everything himself. Appropriately delegating work to others was the only way to leave himself enough time to cultivate.
Although the daily cultivation limit of the Qi Drawing realm had been locked by the great cultivators, there were still many other areas Yulou needed to study beyond just raising his cultivation base.
To Yulou's surprise, there were actually even more customers today than yesterday, and once they entered Hundred Treasures Pavilion, they didn't leave.
They didn't browse the goods, nor did they call for the clerks. They simply stood in front of the limited-time auction stands, staring at the items on display and refusing to leave.
It turned out that these customers had long had their eyes on Hundred Treasures Pavilion's limited-time auction event, but they hadn't wanted to bid early, specifically waiting until the final day to come.
How to put it? Such behavior had the peculiar charm of wandering a supermarket and waiting by the seafood section for the fish to turn belly-up.
The unease in Yulou's heart dissipated as well.
Since he had taken over as the head shopkeeper of Hundred Treasures Pavilion, the two events he launched—the "three-person ten-percent discount group" and the limited-time auction—had both been successful.
Just looking at the crowd squeezed in front of the auction stands, the foot traffic it brought in was visibly excellent.
With such a response, Yulou felt even more confident in his mystery box event.
Regarding this matter, Yulou was the head shopkeeper of Hundred Treasures Pavilion. Purchasing the Purple Copper Spell-Breaking Pestle was a transaction between Hundred Treasures Pavilion and Forge Peak Residence. Procedurally, it made perfect sense. Why would Wang Rongsheng stop it?
The Wang Clan had already provided him with enough resources to cultivate to the Peak Qi Condensation realm. Wang Rongsheng's most urgent priority right now was his own cultivation; he had no reason to offend anyone.
Had he not heard the saying: bully the old, but do not bully the young!
The next day at Clear Stream Market, inside the Wang Clan's Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
"Are you sure this method will work?"
Bai Lu, whom Yulou had dragged over, stared at the wooden boxes on the counter, her voice full of skepticism.
As an adopted orphan, she naturally didn't doubt Yulou's courage.
She only asked out of concern that his attempt might fail.
Despite being noble sons of the Wang Clan, Yulou and Yu'an had never looked down on her; instead, they treated her as a true friend.
And from the perspective of a friend, Bai Lu was extremely worried.
"There is a massive difference between cultivators and ordinary mortals, but in terms of human nature, many aspects remain exactly the same," Yulou explained.
"Ordinary mortals succumb to greed, lust, wealth, and status...
"Cultivators also have their delusions, dreaming of being blessed with fortune and enjoying eternal life...
"As long as there is an opportunity, everyone harbors the possibility of believing they are favored by the heavens."
With several thousand cultivators in Clear Stream Market and over a hundred thousand more in the surrounding area, could there possibly be a shortage of greedy fools among so many people?
The mystery boxes at Hundred Treasures Pavilion cost twenty spirit stones each. Inside, there were at least four different talismans with a combined market value of ten spirit stones.
If some lucky fellow bought one containing a Purple Copper Spell-Breaking Pestle, they would easily make a massive profit.
After the harvest by the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, the prices of all magical artifacts had surged significantly. A Purple Copper Spell-Breaking Pestle with four layers of restrictions was worth at least eighty spirit stones.
Winning it meant a fourfold profit!
'A Purple Copper Bead with five layers of restrictions was quoted by Wu Jinyan at sixty spirit stones, but he was suppressing the price for his own purchase. Besides, bead-type artifacts lack prestige, hence the lower price.'
Yulou believed that since so many people were willing to bet on horses, there would definitely be people willing to buy mystery boxes!
Even if they didn't sell out within ten days, once the next horse racing competition began and Yang Qi's advertisement went up, the accumulated inventory of mystery boxes would easily be cleared out by the gamblers.
This was the very confidence that had allowed him to propose the mystery box plan to Wang Rongsheng in the first place!
Wang Yulou was not a fool; how could he blindly launch an event without a plan?
"Then do you consider yourself to be someone favored by the heavens?"
Bai Lu didn't understand how thoroughly Yulou had prepared. She was just curious about how a child of the Wang Clan viewed himself.
Yulou froze for a moment, then smiled bitterly.
"Favored by the heavens? Hahaha, what kind of heaven-favored person loses both parents in childhood and then grows up to face such a terrible era?
"Perhaps the children of the Wang Clan already seem very fortunate in your eyes, but in the face of true absolute power, the Wang Clan is nothing more than a slightly larger ant."
Wang Xianmao worried that Yulou's extreme intelligence would bring him harm, but his worries were entirely superfluous.
Yulou knew exactly where he needed to go and how he needed to act, so he wouldn't lose his way.
Since this world was cruel and the Immortal Alliance's control over the Ten Sects could only be described as exploiting them ruthlessly...
Then he would climb to the absolute peak—to a peak where no one could oppress or control him.
He would cultivate. Cultivate in the mundane world, cultivate amidst hardships and dangers, and cultivate in solitude.
Since he had arrived in this world where one could become an immortal and establish a legacy as an ancestor, Wang Yulou naturally didn't want to waste his life struggling at the bottom.
He wasn't sure if he possessed grand ambitions, but he had the courage to face the climb directly.
That was enough. It was enough for him to set off.
As for how to begin?
He would start by managing Hundred Treasures Pavilion well and solidifying his position within the Wang Clan!
"A slightly larger ant? How is that possible?"
Bai Lu couldn't see the ageless Danri, nor could she comprehend the cruelty of Patriarch Mangxiang draining the entire Red Lantern Illumination Sect dry to prove his Dao and achieve the Golden Core realm.
In her eyes, the Wang Clan wasn't an ant at all. They were one of the most powerful backers in Clear Stream Market—a genuine Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan in the eyes of rogue cultivators.
"Hahaha, let's not talk about this anymore. Come, put all the mystery boxes on the shelves in front of the counter, and then open the shutter boards. I hope we get more customers today."
At Yulou's order, Bai Lu and the shop assistants busied themselves, some opening the doors while others organized the goods.
The morning sunlight streamed through the main doors of Hundred Treasures Pavilion, casting a golden glow over the white jade-paved floor as customers slowly began to trickle in.
Yulou didn't proactively step forward to push the mystery boxes, choosing instead to watch Bai Lu and the others handle the reception.
He was the shopkeeper; he couldn't possibly do everything himself. Delegating work to others was the only way to leave himself enough time for cultivation.
Although the daily limit for cultivation in the Qi Drawing realm was restricted by the great cultivators, Yulou had many other areas to study and practice besides raising his cultivation base.
To Yulou's surprise, there were actually more customers today than yesterday, and once they entered Hundred Treasures Pavilion, they refused to leave.
They didn't look at the regular goods, nor did they call for the assistants. They simply stood in front of the limited-time auction counters, staring at the items on display, and rooted themselves there.
As it turned out, these customers had long set their eyes on Hundred Treasures Pavilion's limited-time auction. They had just been unwilling to bid early, specifically waiting for the final day to arrive.
How should one put it? Such behavior had a certain beauty to it—much like wandering around a supermarket and waiting by the seafood section for a fish to turn belly-up.
The lingering unease in Yulou's heart completely dissipated.
Since he had taken over as the head shopkeeper of Hundred Treasures Pavilion, the two events he'd launched—the 'three people for a ten percent discount' group deal and the limited-time auction—had both been massive successes.
Just looking at the crowd squeezed in front of the auction counter, the traffic-driving effect was visibly excellent.
With such positive feedback, Yulou's confidence in the mystery box event grew even stronger.