Chapter 238: A Clash of Interests
Chapter 238: A Clash of Interests
Upon hearing these words, Jiang Cheng's mind stirred, and he vaguely guessed the identity of the person before him.
When Li Guan Shi went inside to discuss matters, there was no one around except for the people from the Black Market.
And this man before him, even less so.
But how did he know all this?
It was likely that only the Mental Grandmaster, with his psychic energy covering the entire Black Market, could know the actions and words of everyone within it.
Therefore, the man before him was most likely a Mind Master who had not joined the Black Market.
The next moment, Jiang Cheng spoke, "Li Guan Shi invited me to join the Black Market, but I'm not very interested."
"Oh?" The stranger asked.
"Why is that? The conditions they offered should be hard to refuse for you. They even promised to help you reach the level of a Mental Grandmaster, and you're not even a First Rank Mind Master yet." There was a hint of mockery in his tone.
"Their offer is indeed attractive, but first, I don't believe in such good fortune without a price. Second, I'm used to my freedom and don't want to be tied down to a thirty-year contract."
The man's lips curled slightly.
"If that's the case, why didn't you refuse outright? Instead, you said you'd consider it. Were you indecisive?"
Jiang Cheng thought to himself, confirming his suspicions.
This man must be working with the Mental Grandmaster; otherwise, how could he know all this?
"I just felt it would be impolite to reject their enthusiasm directly."
Jiang Cheng shrugged.
"I see. That makes sense." The stranger nodded.
He then asked, "So, you're definitely not going to join the Black Market, right?"
His gaze fixed on Jiang Cheng's eyes.
Jiang Cheng nodded.
He wasn't very interested in joining the Black Market.
In that case, there was no need to offend another group and isolate himself.
Instead, building a good relationship with these people could not only lead to exchanging Secret Martial Arts but might also help him obtain the Visualization Technique he desired.
Indeed, after hearing Jiang Cheng's response, the stranger's tone softened.
"You're right. In this world, nothing is free."
He glanced at the open door and said, "Close the door first."
After Jiang Cheng closed the door, the man continued, "The Black Market's offer seems generous, providing you with free cultivation resources every month. But is there anyone in this world foolish enough to cultivate you for free? In one month, the value you create for them is several times what they offer, not to mention the internal items sold at cost price, which is hardly worth it."
He let out a cold laugh.
"You work for them at least 20 days out of every 30-day month. Where's the time to earn money to buy their internal items? The high-priced ones are unaffordable, and the low-priced ones don't save much. This isn't just an empty saying."
"I see."
Jiang Cheng's face changed slightly.
He hadn't thought so deeply about it at the time.
He just felt that good fortune didn't fall from the sky.
"Yes, originally, we didn't care whether you new Mind Masters joined the Black Market or not. We were too lazy to bother. As long as we didn't interfere with each other, it would be fine. But some people, after joining the Black Market, started to oppose us. This is truly annoying."
"The man's tone was laced with anger."
"Are you going against them?" Jiang Cheng asked curiously.
"Indeed," the man replied, seeming to realize his own outburst and taking a deep breath. "Mentalists are already rare, and even fewer attend the Black Market auctions. As you may have heard, initially, we Mentalists and Primordial Energy Warriors participated in the same auction. Some items are of no use to those Warriors, or their value is far greater in our hands than in theirs. Yet, they still eagerly participate, often leaving us unable to purchase what we desire, or paying much more than expected."
"Fortunately, after our persistent efforts, the Black Market finally agreed to hold a separate auction for us Mentalists. Then, everyone could buy what they wanted at reasonable prices. If multiple Mentalists wanted the same item, we'd discuss it beforehand to avoid unnecessary bidding wars. But, this harmony didn't last."
The man's tone turned cold. "Someone sided with the Black Market, deliberately inflating prices during the auction, causing us to pay much more than anticipated, especially for the final item. At first, we didn't realize it, thinking it was normal competition. It wasn't until several items, already sold, reappeared on the auction list that we understood. They had become the Black Market's dogs."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Cheng understood why the man had sought him out. However, it was difficult to determine who was right or wrong in this matter.
From the Black Market's perspective, higher selling prices were naturally preferable.
Most Mentalists, of course, wished to purchase desired items at lower prices.
As for those who sided with the Black Market, they naturally stood with them, disregarding the consequences and creating difficulties for other Mentalists.
Thinking of this, Jiang Cheng felt a twinge of relief. It was fortunate he hadn't agreed with them. Otherwise, he would have had to do something against his conscience at the upcoming auction.
Could he refuse? It was hard to say no when someone had done him a favor.
"You won't join them, will you?" the man asked again, still concerned.
Jiang Cheng shook his head firmly.
"That's good," the man nodded. "Rest assured, even if you don't join them, we won't make things difficult for you. If there's something you want at the auction, let me know beforehand, and I'll inform the others so you can pay less. However, while we can cooperate, those individuals might not, so be prepared."
"I'll keep that in mind," Jiang Cheng said, glancing at the auction list on the table. He thought that even if he had looked, he probably couldn't afford much with the little money he had.
"It's fine, you can look through it first," the man said, giving Jiang Cheng a look. "I hope you'll keep your word when we enter, and won't sit with those individuals."
Jiang Cheng shook his head, indicating he wouldn't.
He knew that even after hearing his words, the man still seemed half-believing. Only a clear demonstration of his change of heart would convince him.
Therefore, he had to secure a definite change to gain acceptance.
After all, he now had some value as a united front, and it would be a waste not to utilize it before the auction.
(End of Chapter)
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