Chapter 526: 526

Chapter 526 Trade Request

Zhang Heng’s reply became the top comment in Scarlet’s post . After that, new comments kept popping up . After players caught glimpse of his message, someone commented, “Not bad, the good brother of mine . It seems you’ve done something exciting in the parking lot . You can die with no regrets now . ”

This nonsensical reply made for a lousy head start on Scarlet’s post . A few seconds hadn’t even passed before someone already commented . “So what happened in the parking lot? Can you describe it in 800 words?”

Someone then followed suit, saying, “Nah, don’t believe him . I’m the main character here . We did in the garage, not in the parking lot . ”

Fortunately, Crimson Sword reply immediately . Two minutes later, Zhang Heng was invited to a chat room; a new function recently implemented on the forum . Initially intended as a convenient place for players to communicate, it had unfortunately turned into a place where spammers posted their malicious messages .

Hundreds of people opened chat groups—they ranged from celebrity-chasing groups to football star debates, emotion management classes, and discount information on famous brands . Each chat room had a theme . Alternatively, one could also do what Scarlet did—create an encrypted space to talk about private matters .

Seeing Saturn 5 enter the chat room, Crimson Sword went straight to the subject .

[Is the upper part of Mikazuki Munechika with you?)

Zhang Heng raised his eyebrows as he typed .

[So this katana is Mikazuki Munechika? What about the one at the Tokyo National Museum . ]

(That one is a counterfeit . ]

Scarlet had nothing to hide when it came to this . She was somewhat of an excellent communicator, and more specifically, good at talking to people like Zhang Heng . She knew there was no other way to speak to him except for absolute honesty .

Since no one was about to fool anyone, whatever ill intention one had for the other had to be put aside for now . It would also make communication more efficient .

(You treasure the katana a lot . What is its value?] Zhang Heng asked again .

(Grade C)

Scarlet paused, then added,

(But this Grade-C weapon suits me best . I can’t spare you the details, but I can tell you that I’ve been using it for more than a year now… I have a unique ability . The longer I use the sword, the more powerful it becomes, which is why I am so obsessed with finding it .

(Do you want me to return it to you?]

[No . I want to propose a trade . You defeated me in the Whistleblower . The broken katana is your trophy, but we each have a piece of it . Nobody can use it in this state, so instead of the stalemate, it’s better that we make a deal . ]

(What will you pay for it?) [The katana isn’t one of the more popular weapon choices . This Grade-C game item is estimated to carry a market value of 1300 to 1500 points . One thousand game points are all I can pay for the half you currently possess . I can make up for the rest of the points with game items if you don’t mind . )

(Do you have a way to reforge this?]

(That’s a problem I’ll need to solve . ) Immediately after that, she became worried if Zhang Heng might think her offer not good enough . So, she explained again .

(This is the best I can offer you . I’m frank with you here . If you ask for more, then I see no option but to abandon this trade and look for another katana that suits me . ]

She hesitated for a while, saying everything in one go . [I’m willing to tell you one more thing . This sword isn’t that great for ordinary people . I only value it this much because I specialize in wielding the katana . Only I can maximize its value . ]

Zhang Heng, however, gave an unexpected reply .

[I’m afraid I’ll have to say no to you . )

Scarlet wasn’t too pleased by the reply . She had put in great efforts in analyzing Zhang Heng, and supposedly, there was no reason for him to reject the deal . At the very least, he should have shown a little interest in the negotiation . Scarlet began to wonder if Zhang Heng actually hated her due to the previous battle .

At the time, Zhang Heng and Scarlet took sides with different factions in the quest, and it wasn’t surprising that they would fight each other . Besides, the battle caused her to sustain significant losses, where not only was her precious katana broken, but half of it was now in Zhang Heng’s hands . Not to mention how she almost lost her life in the battle . All things considered, she should have been the one holding the grudge, not Zhang Heng .

Seeing communications breaking down, Zheng Heng hurriedly explained his intention .

(I use melee weapons as well . ]

Scarlet was bewildered when she read what he typed . During the previous battle, she marveled at his swordsmanship, only to take out an RPG in the middle of the battle . Then, when they first met, he displayed excellent archery skills . It was why she didn’t know which weapon he preferred, even going as far as to think that something must be wrong with the man . Everyone had a limited amount of energy . Scarlet, being a natural on the katana, occupied most of her day training, and honing her skills . And that was all she was really good at . It was her first time encountering an opponent as skillful as him .

Zhang Heng didn’t appear to reject the deal because of anything personal, and despite the attempts of striking a deal, they were now back at square one .

So, instead of the deadlock volley, Zhang Heng made her a counter-offer .

(I will give you 1,000 game points . I believe it is an amount sufficient to solve our problem . How about you sell me the other half?]

[Can you fix it?)

[This is a problem I’ll need to solve . ]

Zhang Heng used her own words on her . Now, their positions were completely reversed .

Of course, it wasn’t just some random price he came up with . He knew Scarlet wasn’t lying, though she didn’t explain why she was so desperate for the broken piece . Everything else, apart from that, should be fine . The katana carried a value of 1,500 game points, and if he were to buy the other half, he would need to pay her 1,000 game points and spend a further 2,000 to repair the sword . This would mean the katana would be sold at double its market value .

But the problem was that even with a considerable amount of game points, Zhang Heng could not find a melee weapon he really liked . Melee weapons were niche and wouldn’t sell for a good price . Other than that, bladed weapons were a rarity as well . Zhang Heng had been looking for an excellent bladed weapon since he returned from the Black Sail quest, having entrusted Ding Si to look for a good one in the market . Unfortunately, he failed to get what he wanted until today .

And if Mr . Coffee wasn’t lying, the so-called “proxy war” was slated to begin soon . It was probably why Scarlet was so desperate to get her katana back . According to her, she would need a long time to increase her bladed weapon’s combat power, and if she got another one, she would have to raise it from scratch .

What more, according to the bartender, 2,000 game points should get the katana fixed and upgraded . For Zhang Heng, spending 3,000 game points on the katana sounded like a reasonable amount .

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