Perry walked up to the stall and looked at two long-haired crabs. Their glossy shells shone brightly, and the long hairs on their bodies swayed gently like soft water grass. Pointing at the crabs, he said to the vendor, "I'll take these two long-haired crabs. I'll pay with gold coins."
The vendor's face broke into a wide grin, and he responded enthusiastically, "Of course, of course! You've got great taste. These were just caught, fresh as can be!"
As he spoke, the vendor swiftly picked up the two long-haired crabs and skillfully tied them together with thick rope, ensuring they wouldn't wriggle free. Even after being tied, the crabs continued to wave their claws aggressively, looking very lively. Handing the bound crabs to Perry, the vendor said, "Here you go. That'll be 1,600 gold coins in total."
Perry nodded and took out a pouch of gold coins from his bag. His magical backpack was incredibly convenient, not only was it spacious, but it could also separate out the exact amount of coins needed. When Perry opened the pouch, it revealed exactly 1,600 gold coins. Seeing this, the vendor's grin grew even wider.
Perry simply smiled faintly without saying much. He took the tied crabs and held them in his hand while glancing around cautiously. The last thing he wanted was another encounter with Lionel. Thinking to himself, I'd better leave quickly to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Without hesitation, Perry hurried away from the stall, weaving through the crowd and taking less conspicuous side paths out of the tent. His pace quickened, though he made an effort to appear calm so as not to draw attention to himself.
Soon, Perry arrived at the small boy's stall. The boy was busy arranging bright red blood clams. Perry pointed at the clams on the stand and said, "I'll take 300 grams of blood clams."
The boy immediately stopped what he was doing. Recognizing Perry, he quickly grabbed a sheet of paper, packed 300 grams of blood clams, and carefully tied the package with clean string before handing it to Perry.
"You're back! That'll be 700 gold coins," the boy said, looking up with a shy smile.
Perry took out a small pouch containing 700 gold coins from his bag and handed it to the boy. He then asked, "Do you know where I can buy rice, red garlic and cheese?"
The boy tilted his head thoughtfully before replying, "You can go to Miranda's store. The prices there are cheaper than around here. Just walk straight to the town center, and look for the shop with a sign that says Daily Maria Store."
Hearing about a cheaper option, Perry's eyes lit up, and his mood immediately improved. He smiled and thanked the boy. "Thank you, that's very helpful."
After securing the blood clams in his bag, Perry made his way through the crowded market, heading in the direction the boy had pointed out. As he walked, the bustling noise of the market began to fade, replaced by a quieter, more tranquil atmosphere. The small town seemed much calmer compared to the lively marketplace, exuding a simple and peaceful charm.
On both sides of the street, small, neatly arranged shops displayed various goods, and some homes had laundry fluttering in the breeze. The area radiated a sense of daily life and community. Perry observed that most of the customers here appeared to be local residents, with only a few outsiders passing by, far less chaotic than the market.
After walking a short distance, Perry spotted a blue shop up ahead with a sign reading Daily Maria Store. The shop's exterior looked particularly refreshing and unique, with blue-painted walls and window frames that gleamed under the sunlight. Small flower pots filled with colorful blooms sat near the entrance, exuding a faint, pleasant fragrance that created a welcoming atmosphere.
Perry paused to confirm the sign's name and smiled in satisfaction. Looks like I've found the right place. Let's hope the prices here really are better, he thought.
Adjusting his backpack, he pushed open the door and stepped inside to begin the next phase of his shopping.
Miranda, the shopkeeper, greeted him with a bright smile. "Welcome!"
Perry nodded politely and replied simply, "Hello." He then got straight to the point. "Do you have rice, red garlic, and cheese here?"
Miranda's smile widened as she nodded. "Yes, we do! How much would you like?"
Perry considered for a moment before answering, "I'll take 100 grams of rice, three red garlic cloves, and one piece of Grade D cheese."
"Sure, please wait a moment!" Miranda responded cheerfully, turning to the shelves to gather the items for him.
Miranda nodded and explained, "Well, it is Grade D ingredients, and items of this grade are naturally expensive. Actually, my prices are the lowest in town. Most other places would sell this for around 3,400 gold coins."
Perry thought it over. Although he wasn't very familiar with the market prices for high-grade ingredients, he considered how steep the prices at the stalls typically were. Miranda's claim seemed plausible. Besides, her warmth and the recommendation from Broen made him disinclined to go elsewhere to compare prices.
Gritting his teeth, he took out some gold coins from his magic bag, counted out 2,730, and handed them to Miranda. "Alright, I'll take it at this price."
Miranda happily accepted the gold coins, her face lighting up with gratitude. "Thank you for your business! I hope to see you again!"
Perry nodded politely, carefully storing the purchased ingredients in his magic bag. He then said to Miranda, "Alright, goodbye!"
"Take care!" Miranda waved him off with her signature enthusiastic smile.
Perry left the store with his ingredients and quickened his pace along the street, heading toward the café where Fido was waiting. As he passed through the sparsely populated streets of the small town, he reflected on the day's events. This shopping trip went smoother than expected, he thought. Hopefully, the meeting with Fido will go just as well.
Perry pushed open the glass door of the café, greeted by the rich aroma of coffee that immediately put him at ease. As he stepped inside, a server approached him with a polite smile and asked, "Do you have a reservation?"
Perry glanced around the café and quickly spotted Fido seated by the window, casually swirling a cup in his hand. When Fido saw him, he waved to indicate where he was sitting. Perry pointed in Fido's direction and said to the server, "I'm with him."
"Understood. Please follow me." The server guided Perry to Fido's table, handed him a menu, and quietly stepped away.
Fido started speaking in a teasing tone. "You're so slow."
Perry pulled out the chair and sat down, retorting with a hint of exasperation, "This is my first time here. I don't know my way around."
Fido nodded, seemingly accepting the explanation, before getting straight to the point. "So, how much gold did you manage to sell?"
Perry straightened up proudly and answered with confidence, "I sold a total of 5,134 gold coins, and there's still some left."
Fido raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with a hint of surprise and disdain. "Only a little over 5,000? Do you know that those ingredients could actually sell for over 7,000 gold coins?"
Perry froze, his face full of confusion as he asked, "Are you sure?"
Fido nodded without hesitation. "Of course. Don't tell me you don't trust my pricing ability? Looks like you really aren't very skilled in this area. Your performance is pretty much a failure."
Perry's face burned from Fido's words. He lowered his head, reflecting on the details of each transaction from earlier. He couldn't help but feel a bit regretful. Maybe he had been too eager and hadn't properly compared prices before setting the sale price.
"Sigh, alright, I'll be more careful next time." Perry sighed and picked up the menu to cover his embarrassment, casually asking, "What did you order? Any recommendations here?"
Fido flashed a smug grin and casually gestured to his cup. "Start with their signature coffee, it's pretty good. As for the rest, it's up to you. One thing I'll say though, your performance this time is probably failing."
After hearing Fido's words, Perry's eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting such a result. "What? Is that for real? Is it because the ingredients I sold were priced too low?"
Seeing Perry's expression, Fido couldn't help but laugh. "Of course it's true. The price you sold at didn't even come close to the market price. It's ridiculously low," he paused, looking at Perry with a hint of provocation in his eyes. "But don't worry, this is just a little test set by Chef Oliver. It's to see if you can pay more attention to these details."
"A test from Chef Oliver?"
Fido noticed Perry's confusion and explained with a bit of smugness. "Yes, a test. Don't worry, everyone has to go through a series of tests. While you did well in the kitchen, many details showed that you're not familiar with the market. Like this transaction, Chef Oliver wanted to see how much you understand about pricing and valuing ingredients."
Perry fell silent for a moment, a bit taken aback. He had originally thought Fido was just saying something casually, but he hadn't expected there to be such a deeper meaning behind it. He forced a smile, trying to mask his unease. "I see, I really didn't expect to be stumped by such a small test."
Fido looked at him with a knowing smile. "This is just the beginning. Now you get the gist of Chef Oliver's 'style,' right? His tests aren't just about your skills; they're more about your attention to detail and business intuition. After all, that's fundamental for being a chef. What he cares about isn't how much food you can make, but how many hidden opportunities you can spot."
Perry nodded, feeling slightly relieved. Although his performance this time was lacking, at least he still had the chance to improve. He glanced at the menu in his hands, his mood lifting a little. "I understand now. Next time, I'll be more careful with these details. But, Chef Oliver… he really cares that much about details?"
Fido laughed lightly and replied, "More than you think. His standards for detail are almost obsessive. Even when he's making a soup, the amount of salt has to be exact to the gram. It took me a long time to learn how to measure the right quantities." He paused, glancing at Perry with a playful glint in his eyes. "But that's exactly why Chef Oliver has always maintained top-tier standards. Whether it's ingredients or prices, he demands the best. Everything you're going through now is part of what you'll eventually learn."
Perry felt the weight of Fido's words, a slight tremor running through him. It seemed that the business rules in this world were far more complex than he had imagined.
"It looks like I'll have to be a lot more careful from now on." Perry muttered to himself with a wry smile, then looked back at Fido, trying to change the subject. "Alright, enough about this. Today it's your treat, right? I'm going to make sure I really enjoy this coffee you recommended."
Fido nodded with a smile. "Of course, today's on me. Don't worry about it. Enjoy it, because we've got some more important matters to discuss after."
"More important matters?" Perry's curiosity was piqued again, and he quickly asked, "What matters?"
Fido didn't answer immediately, just giving a slight smile. "Wait until the coffee arrives, then you'll know."
At that moment, the server came over with two cups of fragrant coffee. The rich aroma of the coffee filled the air. Perry took his cup, gently sniffed it, and immediately felt himself relax. He knew that no matter what happened next, he would need to be ready.