Qian Zhong was the appraiser at this shop, where a constant stream of energy cubes flowed in and out daily.
Moreover, many of these energy cubes had dubious origins. Without a careful inspection by an appraiser, if a sold cube turned out to be defective, it would spell big trouble. Checking the quality of the cubes brought in by others was precisely Qian Zhong's duty—only by properly assessing their quality could a fair price be set.
Before Wen Qi even entered, the front staff had already informed Qian Zhong of his arrival. The moment Wen Qi laid eyes on Qian Zhong, he found the man pleasantly plump, exuding a cheerful vibe that instantly made him likable.
The room wasn't just occupied by Qian Zhong; beside him, an Arbok lay lazily sprawled out. Wen Qi took a look through his system and noticed this Arbok was quite formidable—level 40 with a deep yellow aptitude. He figured this Arbok wasn't just there to ensure Qian Zhong's safety on behalf of the boss behind the scenes, but also to keep an eye on him. After all, if an appraiser made even a slight mistake, the losses could be enormous.
Wen Qi only glanced at the Arbok before dismissing it. As long as he didn't stir up trouble, there was basically no danger.
On his end, Qian Zhong saw Wen Qi and, well-versed in the black market's rules, said nothing more and didn't ask for any of Wen Qi's details. He cut straight to the chase: "Sir, what do you need appraised here? While our main business is buying and selling energy cubes, if you have other valuable items, we take those too."
Wen Qi wasn't surprised by Qian Zhong's all-accepting attitude. After all, in business, as long as there's profit to be made, anything goes. Without wasting words, Wen Qi pulled a box from his spatial backpack and placed it in front of Qian Zhong, opening it.
Qian Zhong hadn't expected much from what Wen Qi brought out. Judging by the low-level Venonat beside Wen Qi, he assumed the guy wasn't a particularly impressive trainer. Slowly opening the box before him, Qian Zhong's vision was instantly flooded with a sea of emerald green.
To his astonishment, the box was packed to the brim with grass-type intermediate perfect-quality energy cubes. These cubes gleamed like jade, each one emitting a faint, refreshing scent of grass that lifted the spirits just by smelling it. Qian Zhong knew full well how rare perfect-quality energy cubes were. On the market, they were almost priceless and unavailable, each one brimming with incredibly rich grass-type energy. For training grass-type Pokémon, they were practically invaluable treasures.
Qian Zhong excitedly grasped one of the cubes, feeling the warmth and immense power it radiated. His heartbeat quickened, as if the entire world had stopped spinning in that moment. He even fantasized about secretly keeping a few—his grass-type Pokémon would undoubtedly grow stronger and more outstanding after absorbing these cubes. He nearly burst out laughing, the joy and thrill surging like a tidal wave, threatening to drown him completely. But mindful of the setting, he held it in.
Glancing at the Arbok nearby, Qian Zhong's fleeting schemes vanished without a trace. Carefully, he placed the cube back into the box. Though he'd been stirred up moments ago, Qian Zhong didn't forget his duty and quickly calmed down.
Meanwhile, Wen Qi had secretly noticed Qian Zhong's shift in expression, thinking to himself that the cubes he'd brought were worth far more than he'd anticipated. Just then, Qian Zhong spoke: "Sir, I won't pry into where these came from. But how much are you looking to sell them for?"
Recalling Qian Zhong's earlier excitement, Wen Qi replied, "Five thousand per cube."
"What? Five thousand per cube!" Qian Zhong exclaimed, startled by Wen Qi's offer. He immediately countered, "Impossible, that price is absolutely out of the question. Sir, don't you know that on the open market, intermediate perfect-quality cubes go for just two thousand each? Plus, as a buyer, I need some profit margin. Even at two thousand, that's steep. How can you start at five thousand? Some cheap high-grade perfect-quality cubes on the market only go for five thousand—your price is nearly matching those."
Wen Qi knew full well he'd overpriced them, but hey, a man's got to have dreams. What if Qian Zhong agreed? That'd be a huge score. Unfazed by the rejection, Wen Qi said, "So, boss, what price can you offer? If it's too low, I'm not selling. Don't think I don't know—while these cubes are officially priced at two thousand each, they're basically unavailable on the market. Regular folks can't get their hands on them. Other quality cubes might be cheaper on the black market, but perfect-quality ones should command a higher price."
Hearing this, Qian Zhong realized the man knew the market and couldn't just throw out a random lowball offer. If he pissed this guy off and lost the deal, it'd be a huge loss. But if he priced too high, he'd take a hit himself, and he'd been hoping to pocket a little extra on the side. Qian Zhong mulled it over, fingers tapping lightly on the table, before saying, "How about this, sir? Don't stick with five thousand—that's just not realistic—and I won't insist on two thousand. Let's meet in the middle: three thousand five hundred. Does that sound fair enough?"
Wen Qi considered the offer. He knew perfect-quality cubes were valuable, but he wasn't sure of the exact black market price. Still, it probably wouldn't go much higher than this. Worried that pushing for more might stir up trouble or get him ripped off, he thought it over and nodded in agreement.
Seeing Wen Qi's nod, Qian Zhong knew he'd secured the deal on this batch of cubes. Truth be told, if it weren't for the fact that Wen Qi's box was packed with grass-type cubes in such large quantities—a rare sight all at once—taking them wouldn't yield huge profits. But as long as he didn't lose money, securing them was a win. After all, these perfect-quality cubes were excellent for resale, building connections, or boosting Pokémon strength.
With the price settled, the rest of the transaction went smoothly—cash for goods, no fuss. Once the deal was done, Wen Qi didn't linger and hurried off.
As Wen Qi left, Qian Zhong slowly emerged from behind an elderly man. "Boss, about that guy just now—should we…" He made a gesture suggesting a rip-off.
The old man gazed at the contents of the box before him, pondering for a moment… "Let's forget it. That guy looked like a young man from his build. Who knows if he's backed by some big shot? If we provoke the wrong person, it'd be a huge headache. In business, it's best to keep the peace. If he comes back here in the future, we'll leave a good impression."
Qian Zhong found the boss's reasoning sound. Since his commission wouldn't suffer, he dropped the matter.