Chapter 187: The Makings of a Shrewd Merchant

Yun Qimu glanced at the three crates of energy blocks stacked in the back of the hovercar, raised her eyebrows, and her mood visibly brightened.

Although the person who delivered this ship clearly had ulterior motives, at least the goods themselves were genuine.

She had no intention of touching the three hovercars—who knew what tricks might be hidden inside?—but the energy blocks could come in handy. After all, the hovercars she confiscated from Mu Tong were missing just those.

Yun Qimu pulled aside Wu Xingyu, who was about to go check the goods, tilted her face up to look at him, her smile dazzling and her pretty face outshining even the most delicate flowers.

Wu Xingyu’s dark eyes shifted away, the tips of his ears turning slightly red. He hesitated, his expression wooden, and asked, “What… what do you want?”

Yun Qimu flashed a bright, pearly smile at him. “Hehe, aren’t we still friendly and united business partners?”

That tone…

Wu Xingyu’s beautiful brows furrowed instantly, and he grew wary, his dark eyes snapping back to meet her cunning gaze. He mumbled, “Why are you asking that?”

Yun Qimu nudged his arm with her elbow, winked at him, and gestured with her eyes toward the warehouse a few times before turning back to him with a sly smile.

She didn’t say it outright, just grinned and said, “I trust you’re smart enough to know what I mean.”

Wu Xingyu’s mouth twitched as he looked away. He didn’t really want to understand.

But when he met those clear, black-and-white eyes—dark as precious black pearls—he could only surrender, his face heavy as he asked, “How much do you want?”

Yun Qimu shot him a “now you’re talking” look, her lips curving into a radiant smile as she held up five fingers. “Just fifty percent.”

Wu Xingyu narrowed his eyes, his handsome face growing serious as he protested, “I spent three hundred thousand and one energy coins.”

Yun Qimu shrugged. “But you haven’t paid me yet. We’ll split it fifty-fifty, and you don’t need to give me those three hundred thousand and one energy coins.”

Wu Xingyu frowned deeply, clearly reluctant, but Yun Qimu looked at him meaningfully and spoke first, “If I hadn’t nearly coughed myself to death just now, do you really think you’d have had a chance at these?”

Wu Xingyu fell silent.

In the end, their negotiation concluded with Yun Qimu getting exactly what she wanted.

Still, for Wu Xingyu to get half just for playing the role of a middleman—he was making a killing.

Next, Yun Qimu didn’t bother looking for a place to sell the goods; she simply set up shop right there.

She handed a loudspeaker to Wu Xingyu, her dark eyes sweeping over him as if to say: Go on, start shouting.

Wu Xingyu took it expressionlessly, then, with a deadpan face and monotone voice, began to call out, “Big sale on nutrient solutions in Warehouse One! Line up to buy, first come first served! Noble attire for sale in Warehouse Two, you can try them on…”

It sounded exactly like those old men hawking soon-to-expire goods on the street, and Wu Xingyu did it without a trace of embarrassment.

Yun Qimu had thought that someone as proud as him would never stoop to something so down-to-earth, but she was proven wrong.

No wonder he had the makings of a shrewd merchant and managed such a fortune!

He could swallow his pride, haggle ruthlessly, and showed not a hint of noble arrogance or wasteful habits. If he didn’t make money, who would?

Yun Qimu once again affirmed her confidence in her business partner’s work ethic and handed over all the shouting duties to him without a second thought.

She, meanwhile, headed over to a group of girls who had come over to watch the excitement. With a tone full of regret—“How can a girl not have a few beautiful, presentable outfits?”—she successfully talked them into going to Warehouse Two to pick out clothes.

Inside were genuine noble-exclusive garments, with gemstone buttons and brooches still attached. They looked far more luxurious and beautiful than anything designed by Dailisi.

No girl could resist such temptation.

Sure enough, the girls who had initially eyed her with some hostility were instantly dazzled by the gorgeous dresses in the warehouse. They happily began picking out clothes, chattering with excitement.

Some even came over to ask Yun Qimu if there was a fitting room and if they could try things on.

“Of course you can,” Yun Qimu replied, her lips curving in a bright smile. “Though the conditions aren’t ideal right now, please bear with me, beauties. I’ll hang up two curtains in the corner for you to try things on. If you’d rather not, you can take them home to try. I promise, as long as you return the clothes undamaged within a day, I’ll give you a full refund.”

“That’s great! I’ll take this home to try!” a pretty girl’s eyes lit up as she hugged a bejeweled dress, nodding happily. “I’ll get my Haozi-ge to buy it for me.”

Then, she lifted her chin at Yun Qimu, saying with a proud little huff, “For the sake of these beautiful dresses, I’ve decided not to be mad at you for trying to steal my Haozi-ge.”

Yun Qimu raised her eyebrows slightly, guessing that this “Haozi-ge” must be one of those pig-headed guys.

But she didn’t get mad at the girl. Instead, she cheerfully suggested, “Then you should pick out a few more! After all, your Haozi-ge is paying.”

“But then people will say I’m too much of a spendthrift…” The pretty girl looked conflicted, her eyes wide.

Yun Qimu comforted her, “But you were upset today. Women shouldn’t always be too generous and forgiving—otherwise, men won’t cherish you. Sometimes you have to show a bit of temper to keep things interesting and strengthen your relationship. That way, your Haozi-ge will treasure you more. Besides, he made you angry over this ship’s goods today, didn’t he? Shouldn’t he buy you a few more things to make it up to you?”

“Only if he really splurges will he remember this lesson. Next time, he won’t dare leave you behind for something else.”

The pretty girl’s eyes grew brighter and brighter as she listened, and the other girls who had gathered around, eavesdropping, all looked as if they’d had a sudden revelation.

One by one, they looked at Yun Qimu with admiration. No wonder Miss Yun had all the young talents of Chaos City head over heels for her, willing to bash their heads against a wall for her. She wasn’t just beautiful—she really understood men!

Better remember this! They’d have to try it out on their own husbands (or boyfriends) when they got home.

So the girls returned to the racks, picking out clothes with abandon. Not a single one left the warehouse with fewer than eight or ten items.

The men who came in after them to pick out clothes looked at their behavior and grumbled in frustration. These spendthrift women had no idea how expensive nutrient solution was. One nice dress was enough to keep up appearances—why did they need so many?"