https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-482-The-Seven-Great-Saints-of-the-Demon-Race-Immortal-Device-Update-and-the-Start-of-a-Mo/12968866/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-483-Membership-Scalpers-and-Distributors-Part-2-/12968869/
Chapter 483: Membership, Scalpers, and Distributors (Part 1)
Chapter 483: Membership, Scalpers, and Distributors (Part 1)
November 18, 2024
Bang!
A burly man with a full beard slammed ten Spirit Stones onto the counter, "Sign me up for a membership!"
"Damn, it's so crowded."
"Why are there so many people?"
"Hey, can't you guys at the Celestial Pavilion make this Pocket Universe Array a bit bigger?"
"..."
While complaining, he urged the others.
The new clerk at the Celestial Pavilion could only smile politely, "The update came suddenly, we just received the notice, and we're not fully prepared. Please forgive us."
"But the Celestial Pavilion is constantly upgrading, and it will definitely provide a better experience in the future."
"May I ask, sir, are you sure you only want a one-month membership?"
"Do you want me to sign you up, or do you want to recharge your account at the Money House and then pay and activate it yourself?"
"Oh?"
The bearded man was taken aback, "What's the difference?"
The people behind him in line were all listening intently.
Is there a difference?
Some of them were here to buy Immortal Machines.
Others were preparing to become honored members.
Ten Spirit Stones, although not extremely cheap, was still reasonable. It would allow them to show off to their friends. Ten Spirit Stones was worth it!
But now, it seemed there were other details to consider.
"It's like this, sir," the clerk said with a sweet smile. "The membership service is divided into regular and annual memberships. If you sign up for twelve months at once, you become an annual member and enjoy a 10% discount."
"At the same time, you'll also have a more prestigious annual membership badge."
"However, if you recharge your account at the Money House and open it yourself, you can control the timing of the membership."
"In other words, you can recharge first and open it whenever you want."
"If I open it for you, it will be activated immediately."
These were the sales pitches she had learned overnight, so she didn't feel nervous at all and explained them fluently.
But...
Damn, it had only been a short while, and she had already explained it hundreds of times...
Her tongue was about to get tied in knots!
And...
She had to keep smiling, which was exhausting.
"Oh?"
The bearded customer stroked his beard, "I think what you said is great."
"Also, do you think my beard is magnificent?"
"Tsk tsk, just for that, sign me up for an annual membership!"
"I'll recharge the money myself!"
He took out his Spirit Stones...
Suddenly, he remembered something and said, "By the way, if I deposit more, in other words, if I recharge more money, aside from the membership, are there other uses?"
"Yes."
The clerk smiled, "You can transfer money to friends, send red envelopes, buy items, and more!"
"I can understand the money transfer, but buying items is nonsense."
"As for sending red envelopes..."
The bearded man was confused, "What's a red envelope? Why would I send one?"
"Sir, everyone has different needs, so I can't give you an exact answer. But think about it, if you have a group with your family."
"The group name is 'Loving Family'."
"In the group, there are your elders, peers, and juniors..."
"On special occasions, like birthdays and such, shouldn't it be lively and festive?"
"Send a red envelope, which contains 'Spirit Stones for online payments', essentially the same as real Spirit Stones, with a 1:1 exchange rate."
"Then, everyone can grab the red envelope. It's not about the amount but the joy of the celebration, right?"
"For example, if you're in a group with fellow cultivators, and one day, you break through and are in a great mood, you can send a red envelope. Everyone grabs it, and they're curious why you sent it."
"You..."
The bearded customer's eyes lit up, "It's nothing, I'm just in a good mood."
"Why are you in a good mood?"
"I broke through!"
"Ahhhh!"
Brilliant!
At that moment, he slapped his thigh.
Damn, this red envelope feature allowed him to show off with the least amount of money!
Sending red envelopes to friends and family would make him look good, right?
And on special occasions like breakthroughs, sending red envelopes would be a subtle way to show off.
Not showing off?
If one doesn't show off to their friends and family, what's the point of living?
"I understand."
He looked deeply at the clerk, "Recharge... one thousand, no, five thousand Spirit Stones."
"Okay."
The clerk's smile widened.
This was all business!
Fortunately, although this customer asked a lot of questions, he wasn't stingy.
After the customer finished recharging, he looked at his five thousand Spirit Stones in the Money House, smiled, signed up for the prestigious annual membership, and then left happily.
Before even leaving the building, he changed the name of the family group he had created to 'Loving Family'.
Then...
He sent a red envelope with a message, "I'm in a good mood today, everyone grab the red envelope!"
Soon, everyone in the group responded and grabbed the red envelope.
"Two Spirit Stones? Hey, not bad!"
"I got six, hahaha!"
"I got fifteen, who can beat that?!"
"Damn, why do I only have 0.1? No, can Spirit Stones be broken into pieces and sent?"
"But, Du Chengcai, why are you sending a red envelope?"
"..., it's not about sending the red envelope. Haven't you noticed? Du Chengcai is now an honored member!"
"Ahh!"
"You..."
"Du Chengcai, you're awesome!"
"Thanks for the red envelope~"
"..."
The originally quiet group instantly became lively, and everyone's topic revolved around him. Some even privately messaged him about his experience as a member.
Tsk, tsk. I, Du Chengcai, am going to tell you all this?
What do you feel? What kind of feeling?
"Actually, I don't feel much, it's just like any other day, yeah, just like any other day~"
"But a lot of people have been asking me, oh, it's really a headache. If I had known, I wouldn't have started this."
Experts~
often show off without even realizing it.
......
Du Chengcai left.
But the other customers continued.
Those nearby, having heard the young lady's explanation, all charged a little money, but most didn't charge much.
If they charged too much, they'd be afraid that the Celestial Pavilion would run away with their money.
So, they all charged less than a hundred yuan.
Until, an old man stepped forward, his eyes narrowed, a gleam of shrewdness in them, clearly very astute: "Young lady, from what you just said, can the Spirit Stones in the Money House be transferred to others?"
"The transfer and red envelope functions can only be used between friends, oh."
"That's simple, just add a friend, I remember, you guys open a membership in the Immortal Machine, and you get unlimited friends, right?"
"Yes, old sir."
"Can the Spirit Stones in the Money House be 'withdrawn' at any Celestial Pavilion branch?"
"That's right, old sir."
"Good."
The old man smiled: "Give me another thousand Immortal Machines."
"Also..."
"Charge a million Spirit Stones."
The young lady: "......??"
The crowd behind: "???"
In an instant, the place was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"Old sir, you... this..."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course, I'm an old man, I'm not here to waste your time. How can I not charge?"
"That's not it, it's just..."
"Then good."
The old man took out a storage bag and placed it on the counter. The young lady opened it and saw the Spirit Stones glowing, almost blinding her.
"Ah, what's this?"
A million? Not a single stone less! The young lady held her breath: "A total of one hundred and three thousand, seven hundred and sixty-four, eight pieces, all to be charged to the Money House?"
"Yes."
The old man: "Boom!"
The crowd was stunned.
"This... is he really charging a million?"
"Over a million!"
"This... isn't he afraid that the Celestial Pavilion will run away with the money?"
"He's so daring!"
"What we see is a million, but he sees both whole and broken stones. He's clearly putting all his assets into it, he's not afraid of being scammed!"
"Amazing!"
"He'll cry later!"
"..."
The crowd whispered.
But the old man didn't care, urging the young lady to complete the transaction. After it was done, he immediately opened an annual membership and left with a flick of his sleeve.
"Huh?"
"It's him!"
"Who?"
"Old Wang, the one who was shouting the loudest for a refund earlier!"
"???"
"Why is he doing this...?"
"How would I know?"
"..."
......
In the ears of the crowd, various discussions arose.
Old Wang had a smile on his lips, almost unable to contain his laughter.
So daring?
He'll cry later?
Yes, I admit, there's an element of gambling, but would the Celestial Pavilion really run away with my million Spirit Stones?
A mere million, what is that to them?
Their Immortal Device business earns far more than a million in a day!
In other words, even if they were to run away, it wouldn't be now. So, I have time!
As long as I spend these Spirit Stones before they run, isn't that fine?
How to spend it?
Hmph!
Before coming, I never thought that a mere membership feature would be so popular.
And now, with the membership feature so in demand, wanting to sign up meant queuing for at least half a day, and with more people arriving, those at the back might have to wait a whole day or even several days~!
It's too long to wait.
But... the Money House can transfer money to other users!
And users can open memberships online themselves, as long as they have Spirit Stones in the Money House.
So...
I can just transfer money to them, right?
And by doing so, I'm saving them time and solving their problem. So...
There's no harm in me charging a service fee, right?
Ten yuan for a month's membership?
I'll only charge twelve yuan, no waiting, open and go, isn't that wonderful?!
Cry?
Hmph~
I won't be the one crying.
Old Wang, with his head down, walked away. He dared not do this business at the Celestial Pavilion's entrance, not because he feared the Celestial Pavilion, but because if others saw, countless people would follow suit, and how would he make money then?
Even if he can't spend all million, he should try to earn as much as possible, right? So, he went straight to the back of the queue, walked forward a bit, and... smiled.
"This is the place."
Old Wang grabbed a passerby rushing towards the Celestial Pavilion: "Fellow Daoist, may I ask if you're here to charge money for a membership?"
"Of course, why else would I come to the Celestial Pavilion? Let go of me, don't waste my time. That dog is showing off in front of me, as if only he can afford it. How dare he!"
"..."
So, he was provoked?
That's a good relationship.
"Don't rush, don't rush, look, the line is already so long. What's the use of rushing?"
The other person was angry: "Of course I'm rushing because the line is long. Otherwise, it might take forever. Why are you still holding me?"
Old Wang shook his head: "No, no, I'm holding you because I want to tell you that I can let you open a membership without waiting."
"..."
"!"
"Is that so?"
The other person was delighted but remained cautious, "If that's the case, will you tell me?"
"Why not?"
Old Wang smiled, "It's just that I've been in line for a long time and taking a huge risk, so..."
He rubbed his fingers together.
"How much?"
"Apart from the membership fee, only five spirit stones are needed."
At first, it had to be sold at a higher price.
With more people, it's time to lower the price~
Old Wang's abacus clattered as he saw the other person hesitate, and added, "It's not expensive."
"Look at this crowd; you'll have to wait at least a day."
"A day, five spirit stones, is that expensive?"
"Moreover, it will allow you to become a member immediately, letting you vent your frustration and gain instant satisfaction... Compared to that, what's the big deal about five spirit stones?"
"Is that even money?"
"..."
"That makes sense."
The other person felt it made sense; as long as they could immediately put on a show, five spirit stones was nothing!
"You're not tricking me, right?"
"Of course not!"
Old Wang nodded, "We'll do a cash-on-delivery transaction."
"..."
"Come on!"
He took out fifteen spirit stones.
Old Wang immediately added the other person as a friend and transferred ten spirit stones.
The other person was stunned.
What?
Why does this feel a bit off?
I took out fifteen spirit stones, but I only bought ten?
What's going on? Are your spirit stones worth more?
However, as he followed Old Wang's instructions and opened the membership, this doubt vanished, and he was about to turn around and show off. But Old Wang stopped him.
"I see you're also a member. If you go back like this, the effect might not be as good!"
"..."
"Do you have a better idea?"
"Yes! You don't know this, but among members, there's an annual membership with a special badge, and... blah blah blah."
"The regular membership costs five spirit stones, but the annual membership is sixty. However, since you're a returning customer, I'll only charge you ten. How about it?"
"..."
The other person pondered; it made sense. How should he show off like that dog? Why not just follow his lead?
"Alright!"
"I'll do as you say!"
He promptly made the payment.
But this time, it was even more outrageous.
One hundred and thirty spirit stones, and he only received one hundred and eight!
"???"
"There's something you don't know. Annual members get a 10% discount."
The other person: "What the..."
"Wait, there's an even better way to show off—send a group red envelope to shame him..."
Moments later, the person left.
But...
He had only planned to spend ten spirit stones, but in the end, he spent over six hundred before leaving, feeling 'extremely satisfied.'
"I knew it~!"
Old Wang's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"This business is definitely feasible!"
"Moreover, even if others start doing this later, I can engage in a price war. If I don't make money, I can still go to remote places and openly 'top-up' for others, and still make a profit."
"Even in the context of cultivation..."
"If I had the authority of the Celestial Mechanism Pavilion..."
"!!!"
His mind was now fully engaged.
"A business genius!"
From a distance, the Fifth Zhuge observed Old Wang's actions and couldn't help but sigh, "To achieve this in such a short time, he's undoubtedly a business genius."
A one-time recharge of a million spirit stones was enough to catch his attention. He had to see what this 'bad business' was about.
But now that he saw it...
He felt relieved.
This kind of money, tsk, was meant for him to earn.
After all, it also required intelligence.
Moreover, their existence would indirectly increase the popularity of the Celestial Mechanism Pavilion and its membership, which was like indirectly sending money to himself and the Pavilion.
Why not do it? The only thing that surprised him was how fast it happened!
He had long anticipated that someone would do this, and he had even considered more advanced schemes, but it was too fast!
They had barely started, and they were already 'operating.'
"As expected."
"There are capable people among the crowd."
The Fifth Zhuge smiled and, no longer interested in this matter, returned to report.
...
Headlines:
First, the Green Robe Sect's Holy Son was beheaded, enraging the sect, which launched a large-scale pursuit, crossing dozens of continents. The Double Pupil suffered severe injuries and fled.
The Qin Clan and Immortal Mountain were also implicated and busy dealing with the aftermath.
Second, the Heaven-Supporting Pillar in Blood River Continent underwent a strange change, turning out to be a heavy treasure obtained by a female monkey. The monkey, wielding a staff, slaughtered Golden Immortals like dogs.
Third, the auction house...
Lin Fan's clone watched the headlines from the Celestial Mechanism Pavilion, intending to update them in the headlines tomorrow. His face darkened.
"This..."
"How did they choose these headlines?"
"Are they messing with me?!"
He was a little dumbfounded.
If I publish these headlines... Am I crazy? Is it that we don't have enough trouble already, or what? Ten headlines, and the first four are all related to our Moon Embrace Sect?
"It's good that we control this 'propaganda' ourselves, and it's good that I'm cautious and will personally review these headlines."
"Otherwise, if the Celestial Mechanism Pavilion directly connects with the Babata Tower... Hiss~!"
The Green Robe Sect was fine, but Shi Hao was destined to walk that path, and he had already changed his name to Huang.
What about Sun Wukong Xia?
She made the Golden Hoop Rod widely known, fearing she wouldn't die fast enough? And there's the auction incident...
If it gets bigger or someone investigates and finds out, what good will it do me?
"No, these headlines can't be published."
"Our Moon Embrace Sect must keep a low profile."
"Just publish the other headlines."
Lin Fan made some adjustments and submitted the modified content to Babata for publication tomorrow.
In fact, it wasn't the Celestial Mechanism Pavilion's fault for collecting these headlines.
Indeed, after all, doesn't know these details. They simply collect news based on what's trending and what's causing a stir, as requested.
"~~~"
"But on the other hand, now that the Celestial Mechanism Tower has brought over the news, I've suppressed the hottest ones."
"It doesn't matter once or twice, but if it happens frequently, they'll surely find some patterns."
"But..."
"Now we're in the same boat, so there's no need to worry too much."
"What needs to be done now is to first put the earned money to use."
Lin Fan has always believed that a saying makes perfect sense.
The greatest regret in the mortal world is that people die before they can spend all their money. Now that they've earned this money, and the number is still growing, it's only natural to put it to good use.
However, for the time being, there's no way to use this money to improve themselves or the Embrace Moon Sect.
(End of Chapter)
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