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Chapter 97: The Real Fixed Price
Chapter 97: The Real Fixed Price
Upon hearing the figure mentioned, Jiang Cheng gasped and then sighed, "Brother Shi, you're giving me too much credit. Even if you sold me, I couldn't come up with 100,000 yuan."
By his rough estimate, he had a little over 30,000 yuan on him.
Even if he took it all out, it would still be a significant difference.
Shi Yan had anticipated this and calmly said, "Little Cheng, I'm not asking you to pay this amount all at once. You can pay in installments, just give me 5,000 yuan each month."
Before coming, he had made thorough inquiries and even went to the streets to calculate Jiang Cheng's profits.
From his observations, Jiang Cheng earned around 400-500 yuan per day, which amounted to about 15,000 yuan in monthly net profit.
Even after deducting the 5,000 yuan he paid to the martial arts gym each month, there would still be 10,000 yuan left. Considering Jiang Cheng's personal expenses and fluctuations, Shi Yan felt that asking for 5,000 yuan per month was quite reasonable.
"Installment payment, huh?"
Jiang Cheng suddenly realized.
"That's right."
Shi Yan smiled and said, "Don't think it's expensive. Before a hundred years, a human martial art would cost several tens of thousands. With the strict regulations now, ten thousand yuan is already a bargain. Go to other martial arts gyms, and you won't necessarily get access to secret martial arts for ten or even twenty thousand yuan."
"That's true."
Jiang Cheng nodded in agreement.
Take Lin Quan Liang, for example, who had been a premium member for over three years, paying 5,000 yuan per month. In three years, he had spent 180,000 yuan, yet his hopes remained slim.
Of course, this money had other benefits, and one shouldn't solely consider this aspect.
But this didn't mean the request from the person before him was reasonable.
"Brother Shi, I'd like to ask you something."
"Go ahead, Little Cheng."
Shi Yan smiled broadly.
"I've heard that secret martial arts are great, but not everyone can cultivate them, right? Out of a hundred people, if two or three can enter the door, it's already impressive. Is that so?"
Shi Yan's smile froze.
"Yes, that's right."
Take himself, for instance; he hadn't succeeded in cultivation.
That was why he was seeking Jiang Cheng's help.
"If I spend ten thousand yuan to buy it and can't enter the door, wouldn't I have bought a pile of useless paper? Brother Shi, ten thousand yuan is no small amount." Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes.
He had his proficiency to rely on, so he wasn't worried about failing to enter the door of cultivation.
But to haggle, he had to say this.
Shi Yan bit his lip, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "How about this, Little Cheng. I'll sell you the first part for 50,000 yuan. If you can enter the door, I'll sell you the second part for another 50,000 yuan. What do you think?"
Seeing that Jiang Cheng didn't respond, Shi Yan grew anxious and quickly explained, "Little Cheng, it's not that I don't want to split it further, but I can't. Cultivating secret martial arts incorrectly is no joke. It's not a small matter if it ruins someone's cultivation."
"Too expensive."
Jiang Cheng uttered two words.
"Is it still expensive?"
Shi Yan widened his eyes, wanting to say, "Where's it expensive? This has been the price for years, hasn't it?"
"If I buy it and encounter something I don't understand, will you teach me?"
"Well..."
Shi Yan felt embarrassed but quickly said, "Don't worry too much. I have my ancestors' cultivation notes. You can copy them later."
Jiang Cheng shook his head. "Even you, Brother Shi, with all these resources, couldn't enter the door. I'm no better than you."
"Shi Yan heard these words and felt something was off.
"I also heard that to cultivate Secret Arts, one must have a compatible Secret Medicine to match. With the medicine, cultivation can be twice as effective. Without it, progress is as slow as a snail's pace. I assume you don't have the Secret Medicine either, right?"
"I have some leftover dried medicinal ingredients that can make a few doses of Secret Medicine. But you'll need to pay extra for it, Little City," Shi Yan whispered.
Jiang Cheng couldn't help but laugh.
Okay, okay.
So, I should just wait here for you?
"Brother Shi, do I need to pay separately for the Secret Medicine recipe?"
"Yes."
Shi Yan's face turned red, and he stammered, "Little City, don't get the wrong idea. One Secret Medicine can correspond to several Secret Arts, and the principles are similar. That's why it's priced separately. Moreover, the Secret Art I'm selling you includes not only the martial techniques but also the Secret Inner Strength Techniques. Everything you need is there."
Jiang Cheng's eyebrows furrowed.
He raised a finger, "One price, ten thousand. I want the entire Secret Art and the Secret Medicine recipe. That's my offer."
"What? Ten thousand!"
Shi Yan stood up from his chair in disbelief.
A hundred years ago, this was the standard price for Secret Arts.
But the past is the past, and the present is the same!
The risk of keeping this secret was more than just this amount.
"Little City, you're not bargaining; you're clearly showing your ankle. Ten thousand is too little. How about this, I can give you a discount, nine thousand. With that, you can take the entire Secret Art and my ancestors' cultivation insights. It's all yours."
Jiang Cheng remained unmoved.
The insights of his ancestors would be of great use to others, but for him, the benefits were limited.
"Brother Shi, I'm not as rich as you think. How about this, you go back and think about it. When you're ready, come back to me, and it won't be too late. Rest assured, I'll keep this matter confidential and won't mention it to anyone."
"You!"
Shi Yan stared at Jiang Cheng, trying to discern something from his eyes.
Unfortunately, there was nothing to be found.
"Brother Shi, there's no need to keep staring at me. I've made my intentions clear. I'm not sure if I can even enter the door. What if I spend tens of thousands and all I get is a pile of waste paper? Even in the outer borough, not many people can afford to spend tens of thousands at once, right?"
Hearing Jiang Cheng's words, Shi Yan deflated like a punctured balloon and plopped back onto the chair.
Who knows when the Iron Fist Gang will show up? And who knows how much they'll charge?
Jiang Cheng could afford to wait, but Shi Yan couldn't.
Moreover, Jiang Cheng's words made sense. Spending tens of thousands for a glimmer of hope was too expensive for people living in the slums.
But he couldn't bear it; such a thing could only be sold for ten thousand.
Neither of them spoke, and the room became so quiet that only their breathing could be heard.
Jiang Cheng's gaze remained fixed.
Now was the time to keep a level head.
Moreover, he didn't feel like he was taking advantage of the man's voice echoed in the room.
After an unknown amount of time, a long sigh echoed in the room.
"Okay, you're right; it does make sense. But wanting to take the entire book for just ten thousand is too harsh. I can give you the first half. If you can't enter the door, the second half won't be of use anyway. This is my bottom line; if you disagree, then forget it."
By the end, even Shi Yan himself lacked confidence.
(End of Chapter)
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