Chapter 53 Bargaining Power [Pt 1]
"This is the place."
Rey and Noah stood in front of a massive building—one of the biggest in the area.
Of course, it wasn't more than three storeys, but it was very wide.
It was clear that a lot of activities went on in this building, and it wasn't for the faint of heart.
"You actually did business here?!"
Rey was shocked that someone as timid as Noah had the gall to try out such an intimidating structure.
"W-well, I was approached by an affiliate who brought me here."
"A-ahh… that's true."
According to Noah's story, he was initially just looking for a place to sell the Monster Cores when he was approached by a guy who told him he'd help him sell the goods.
The guy was the one who took him to this establishment and helped him through all the processes.
'That's most likely the one who was involved in the scam…'
The company must have dealt directly with the so-called Affiliate, who in turn dealt with Noah.
He probably pretended to be the seller and got to bargain with the real buyers. As a result, he was able to gain a lot of profit while relaying a smaller price to the gullible Noah.
'That's how those sorts of people make their money.'
"Shouldn't we be looking for the guy, then?" Noah asked Rey.
"Nah! There's no need. People like that are very slippery…"
Besides, it was a waste of time.
There was no real law in this place except the Unspoken Rules. As long as the seller and buyer came to a consensus about the price of an item and it was sold, that was the end of the matter.
Pursuing anything outside that would only be arbitrary.
"Now that we know exactly what we're dealing with, we can make a more informed decision."
The fact that no 'Affiliate' had approached them yet proved his point.
'We look dangerous and capable, so they won't even dare.'
Noah must have seemed like prey to the guy who duped him due to how uncertain and out-of-place he was back then.
"Well, the past is in the past. Let's go."
Rey took the first step, and Noah slowly trailed behind him.
They entered the store, and once again, were made to gawk at its grandiosity.
"Why are you gawking? You've been here before, haven't you?"
"W-well… not really…"
Once again, Rey was told something that Noah conveniently left out when he was explaining himself.
"What?! You waited outside and let the Affiliate do the entire thing for you?!"
"H-he looked reliable! I was also very intimidated by the structure! In hindsight, I can see how bad it was, but back then…!"
Noah did his best to justify his actions, but all Rey saw were excuses.
Pathetic excuses.
'My guy really got played…'
In any case, the main store was very large, and several products were sold—all Magically Enchanted.
'Noah must have gotten his Invisible Necklace from this place…'
Rey didn't even want to ask Noah if he had asked the 'Affiliate' to get it for him because he could already tell that was the case.
'That guy probably lied about the price as well.'
Once again, Rey whispered "The past is in the past." to himself as he walked on.
He quickly reached the counter, while glancing all across the room to study it thoroughly.
There were tons of cashiers, so no one really needed to wait in a line.
Once he got there, Rey placed one hand on the counter while bending slightly to improve his intimidating posture.
"I'm here to… sell some products." He said in a straightforward fashion.
His voice was deep, and his eyes glowed behind the black Orichalcum mask.
"I see. Please proceed to the far end of the counter and speak to the person there."
The woman behind the counter said with such a dull monotone that Rey was convinced his intimidation did not work at all.
'Oof! This is a little embarrassing…'
Workers in this store had seen all kinds of faces—some bad, some ugly, some far worse—over the course of business, so they probably weren't intimidated by Rey's mild efforts.
Besides, the Unspoken Rule existed, so it probably wasn't the wisest thing to stir up conflict in such a high-key establishment like this.
Rey could see his blunder instantly and awkwardly left the counter to proceed according to the instructions he received.
"I want to sell some items. It's very lucrative, so I'd like to discuss with a higher-up if possible—"
"Please state the type of sale. Wholesale or Retail." Rey was interrupted by the man behind the counter.
He had glasses on, and he was busy writing some things down—most likely the details of Rey's request.
"Wholesale." Rey finally added.
"Please note that Wholesale begins with over a thousand pieces. There's Bulk Retail if that's what you are—"
"I know what Wholesale means. Don't insult my intelligence any further." Rey snapped, his eyes glowing behind his mask.
"I-I apologize."
Rey understood that the man was just following procedure, but he had been looking for a way to assert dominance all day.
Right then seemed like a perfect opportunity to do so, and it actually worked.
'Whew! Looks like I'm not the one at the short end of the stick.'
"What kind of items are you selling? Raw materials or finished products?"
"Raw materials."
"Could you specify the—"
"Monster Cores."
"Could you name the Gra—"
"Like I said earlier, I'd like to speak to a higher-up."
Once Rey said this, he folded his arm. This showed he wasn't willing to proceed with further questions.
"This is just due procedure. Please answer the questions you are asked."
'Nah! I don't think so…'
In sale, there was something called bargaining power.
The one with the higher bargaining power got to call the shots and determine the price.
The sale usually benefited them the most.
'If I simply proceed with these questions like this, it's clear I'll lose the small bargaining power that I have.'
In order to be relevant, Rey had to properly exert his importance.
'I don't want to get duped too.'
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