"Archaic Peak Appraisal Firm." Huang Xiaolong read the name under his breath.
Supervisor Lin maintained a cordial smile on his face, "That's the one, Archaic Peak Appraisal Firm. This Archaic Peak Appraisal Firm is our South Oblast City's largest appraisal firm. All of our Aowu Shop's pill refinement ingredients have gone through strict appraisal from Archaic Peak Appraisal Firm's appraisers, which is why there is absolutely no error in the age and quality of the ingredients."
Another silent sneer sounded in Huang Xiaolong's heart, "Really?"
It was a fact that this Wind Bison Blossom stalk didn't exceed a hundred and fifty years, but this so-called Archaic Peak Appraisal Firm verified it as double the number of years,there could be only one explanation—this Archaic Peak Appraisal Firm was not a good thing either.
In the pill refinement ingredient trading market, in order to make a little more profit, some shops would cooperate with appraisal firms to deceive buyers by raising the ages of ingredients. In fact, this kind of practice was more common than not.
However, daring to bluff a one hundred fifty year pill refinement ingredient as a three hundred year one like this Aowu Shop was rare. The difference between a one hundred and fifty-year-old ingredient and a three-hundred-year-old was ten times the price.
Ten times!
Clearly, this Aowu Shop had quite the large appetite!
Huang Xiaolong returned the stalk of Wind Bison Blossom to Supervisor Lin, commenting without missing a beat, "It seems your relationship with Archaic Peak Appraisal Firm is very good."
Supervisor Lin took the stalk, his expression blanked for a second at Huang Xiaolong's comment, but he quickly covered it with a harmless chuckle, "What Little brother said is correct, our Aowu Shop does have a good relationship with Archaic Peak Appraisal Firm. Because of our frequent business liaison, it's normal for our relationship to be good."
Huang Xiaolong merely nodded, showing no interest to pursue the topic further.
Zhao Shu and Zhang Fu stood behind Huang Xiaolong, neither of them spoke. Both of them could tell with a glance that these ingredients' ages differed, not to mention, the quantity was greatly shortchanged.
At this time, Huang Xiaolong walked over to a pile of ingredients that looked like black sand, saying, "Supervisor Lin, this Black Water Sand, I requested for one hundred of them, meaning one hundred catties, are there a hundred catties here?"
With Huang Xiaolong's sharp eyes, a single glance and he could determine that there were only eighty catties at most. Black Water Sand was an ingredient used to refine grade ten spirit pellets, so the price was quite high. The regular market price was around five thousand gold coins for one catty, a difference of twenty catties was equivalent to one hundred thousand gold coins!
Supervisor Lin approached smiling, "Little Brother, rest assured, our Aowu Shop looks heavily on conducting honest transactions, there are definitely one hundred catties of Black Water Sand in here. If Little Brother is still doubtful, I will order my people to weigh it in front of you." Finished saying this, his eyes signaled towards Iron-Skinned Dog to bring the scale over.
Iron-Skinned Dog responded, hurried off to bring the scale at a corner of the hall, and placed the pile of Black Water Sand on it. When the pile of Black Water Sand was put on the scale, it indicated the number one hundred and two, representing a hundred and two catties.
Supervisor Lin grinned at Huang Xiaolong, "Little Brother, see, I was right, our Aowu Shop is really an honest shop. You can see for yourself, this Black Water Sand not only has one hundred catties, there are even two extra catties. Since Little Brother is a big customer, take it as these two catties as a little token, free of charge for Little Brother."
Watching Supervisor Lin 'declare' things in such a pompous manner, Huang Xiaolong snorted with disdain inside. That scale must have been fixed long ago, but he did not burst Supervisor Lin's bubble yet.
Huang Xiaolong continued, stopping in front of a grade nine spirit pellet ingredient that was soft pink in color. Although these ingredients, whether it was judging from color or shape, closely resembled Redblood Buds, Huang Xiaolong could still tell that they were definitely not Redblood Buds.
These petals in front of him were slightly darker in color. It was actually another kind of pill refinement ingredient called Big Red Flower, and this Big Red Flower was merely an ingredient used for grade three spirit pellets, with a price that was fifty to sixty times cheaper compared to Redblood Buds.
Of course, if Huang Xiaolong were to use these Big Red Flowers to refine a grade nine spirit pellet, there would only be one result—failure!
However, that Supervisor Lin 'kindly' explained, "Little Brother, I'm sure that you didn't know this, these Redblood Buds are something that our shop cultivated in a secret place filled with abundant spiritual energy, using a special nurturing method. That's why the color is a bit darker than normal, but using these special Redblood Buds cultivated by us to refine your pills, the effect would be much better."
"Is that so?" Listening to the other side's 'confident' explanation, Huang Xiaolong once again let the matter drop.
Subsequently, Huang Xiaolong pointed at several different ingredients with problems, however, each of them was tactfully explained by Supervisor Lin.
It could be said that each answer was foolproof.
That Supervisor Lin maintained a cordial smile on his face the whole time. Regardless of Huang Xiaolong's questions, he would answer patiently.
A short while later Huang Xiaolong, Zhao Shu, and Zhang Fu were again seated.
"Supervisor Lin, please calculate the total amount of money needed for these ingredients." Seating down, Huang Xiaolong said.
Hearing this, Supervisor Lin's face beamed with happiness, this was the sentence he was waiting for the entire time! He swiftly waved his hand, and a steward looking old man in his fifties appeared in the hall.
"Assis this Little Brother in calculating the price of these ingredients. Remember, calculate correctly, with accuracy, so that this Little Brother knows that our Aowu Shop is the most honest shop around." As Supervisor Lin spoke, his eyes signaled the old man.
That steward-like middle-aged man complied respectfully, "Yes, Supervisor Lin." He then walked toward the Wind Bison Blossom, saying, "Three hundred year Wind Bison Blossom, ten stalks, each stalk thirty-five thousand and three hundred gold coins. One-hundred-year-old, sixty stalks, every stalk is five thousand one hundred sixty gold coins."
The old steward calculated them one by one. Very quickly, he calculated the total for the hundred stalks of Wind Bison Blossom, amounting to eight hundred and ninety-nine thousand six hundred gold coins.
Huang Xiaolong sneered at the amount, the market price for a three hundred years Wind Bison Blossom was thirty thousand gold coins, whereas this Aowu Shop added another five thousand three hundred on top market price. Same for others of different ages, all of them were priced one to two thousand gold coins higher than the norm.
But, if only it stopped there... Those Wind Bison Blossom that claimed to be three hundred years were nothing more than a hundred and fifty years, whereas those claimed to be one hundred years were only fifty to sixty years old. Those hundred stalks of Wind Bison Blossom, at actual market price, would only be worth approximately three hundred thousand gold coins.
However this Aowu Shop stated eight hundred ninety-nine thousand six hundred!
More than double the price!
Yet, Huang Xiaolong did not interrupt the old man, allowing him to proceed on.
Supervisor Lin furtively observed Huang Xiaolong's expression as he listened to his subordinate's tabulation. Seeing that Huang Xiaolong was calm as usual, he finally relaxed.
A while later, the hundred over pill refinement ingredients that Huang Xiaolong listed were summed up, thirty-one million, six hundred and fifty-six thousand, and three hundred gold coins.
Supervisor Lin chuckled good-naturedly, "Little Brother, since you're our esteemed guest, buying so many ingredients at once, I can bend the rule a little for you, discounting the odd ends, thirty-one million, six hundred-fifty thousand! Again, deducting the one hundred thousand deposit earlier, you only need to pay thirty-one million, five hundred fifty thousand." Supervisor Lin said looked generous as he said so. In his opinion, Huang Xiaolong would definitely feel grateful to him for discounting the odd six thousand three hundred gold coins.