Chapter Sixty-Four: Jing, Breakfast

Thinking of that college student, who could only be considered of average appearance and somewhat flat figure, Susan nodded without hesitation. “Yes, there is.”

“Give her a call. Tell her she completed a transaction at our shop, has qualified for membership, and invite her to come pick up her membership card when she has time. Explain the benefits of the card in detail, and offer a few small gifts as well.”

Susan followed Qin Jing’s instructions and made the call.

Qin Jing’s shop had a membership system. In fact, he had created membership cards and a roster as early as half a year ago, but because business was slow, it had never really taken off. Now, Qin Jing felt the timing was right, and even planned to establish a new membership system, using magnetic cards and computerized registration.

Of course, none of this had much to do with that female college student. What Qin Jing really cared about was the prefix “contaminated” in the diamond ring’s name. Did it mean there were other “contaminated” treasures out there?

Soon, Susan finished her call. Qin Jing had to admit Susan was quite adept at dealing with people. She chatted sweetly with the college student for nearly ten minutes, promising some small gifts and a 5% discount with the membership card, and successfully obtained the girl’s information—and, most importantly, what Qin Jing wanted to know.

“Xu Li is a sophomore at Lenghai Art School. She probably heard about your reputation and came here especially to see you. The ring belongs to her boyfriend. I probed a bit, and she said they broke up, but didn’t reveal any details.”

“Besides that, Xu Li likely has more items of this kind. She wants a discount. The membership card offers a two-way discount: 5% off purchases, and a 5% premium when selling items.”

“I’ve arranged a time with her. She’ll bring the other items tomorrow. I promised her a high price.”

Qin Jing nodded approvingly. “Excellent. This diamond ring can already be considered a supernatural item. Even if we buy it at the original price, it’s a bargain.”

“A bargain? Jing, you’re not being honest. If you sold this to Hathaway, you could easily get several hundred thousand, right?” Susan said with a smile.

“Hmm, more like over a million.”

Qin Jing didn’t hide it. He intended to gradually train Susan into a suitable employee.

“One million?” Susan exclaimed.

“Three million is the base price. If it’s displayed in the shop, the price tag will read eight million.”

Seeing Qin Jing’s calm demeanor, Susan’s eyes widened. An item bought for nine thousand could be resold for three million? And that was the base price for acquaintances like Hathaway. That was almost too easy.

She was, after all, an ordinary person, well aware of the allure of money, and this only made her desire to become a supernatural being all the stronger.

Qin Jing looked at her deeply and offered the mermaid a bait. “After this transaction with Xu Li, I’ll help you refine a piece of magical essence.”

Magical essence was what Qin Jing had once called “blue light.” He had no intention of giving Susan the spectral essence, since that only thickened the soul, and its effects on supernatural cultivation were still unclear.

He planned to replicate his first devouring of Wang Keng, to try and devour some supernatural beings, preferably those from the Western magical system. He had already set his sights on the Eastern spiritual system and needed a subordinate from the magical system for balanced development.

As for loyalty, Qin Jing had no concerns. First, Hathaway had completely handed Susan over to him. Second, only he could make Susan a supernatural being. Given her constitution and experience, even if she did become supernatural, she would likely remain dependent on Qin Jing. As Susan spent more time in the shop, her interests were increasingly bound to his, making any betrayal highly unlikely.

That afternoon, a few more transactions took place in the shop—some buying, some selling, but nothing unexpected occurred.

Time slipped by quickly, and two days passed. In those two days, business improved steadily, and Qin Jing acquired dozens of items. He also spent quite a bit of money; his cash reserves were now down to seven million. In exchange, his g-points grew to 1,019. It could have been higher, but the daily fifty-point consumption was a considerable burden without any major deals.

The miraculous snacks were nearly finished after only two days, and Qin Jing had stopped taking them.

Only two grams of miraculous magical shark fin remained. With continued use, Qin Jing’s body seemed to have adapted to the effects of the miraculous snacks, so his consumption rate increased. He took them twice the first day, and three times yesterday.

However, the more he took, the less effective they became. By the seventh gram of magical shark fin, he felt nothing at all—no impurities discharged, not even a bead of sweat. He stubbornly took another gram, but only felt a hot sensation inside, and gained a bit more spiritual energy.

The other miraculous cookies and mille-feuille were much the same.

During this period, Qin Jing also used his “sales skill” three times to sell some items, but did not encounter another mythic world summoning option. As for Jenny, Qin Jing’s last “peek” had revealed that her “pocket money” was running low, so he planned to wait a bit longer.

What truly disappointed Qin Jing was that Xu Li hadn’t appeared since that day. Even Wan Anxian hadn’t visited the shop. Occasionally, he heard from Hathaway that the supernatural world outside was in turmoil, but for Qin Jing, the days were calm and uneventful. The only thing that pleased him was his increasingly “intimate” understanding of Susan; he had explored nearly every part of her.

Now, at least in terms of physical intimacy, Susan was utterly devoted to Qin Jing. With the miraculous snacks, his physical fitness had grown stronger, with even his muscles showing subtle definition. The saying that the “silver path is the first doorway to a woman’s heart” rang especially true for Qin Jing lately.

“Hmm, Jing, breakfast is ready.”

Early in the morning, Susan, dressed in a maid outfit, woke Qin Jing. The black-and-white uniform was a proper, thick cosplay costume she had bought online and wore every morning for their “good morning bite.” Sometimes, when she felt playful while cooking, she wore it then too.

Qin Jing looked at Susan’s smacking red lips with a mixture of amusement and resignation. “Looks like you’re already full. Where’s my breakfast?”

After some playful banter and breakfast, the shop opened for business. Today was the day Yuan Na was scheduled to come for a price quote. Tomorrow, the shop would close completely for renovations, and Qin Jing would return to school. Now, he had one more task: to search for Xu Li, or rather, to seek out those “contaminated” treasures.

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