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 pa.s.sed 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 cla.s.ses, and discount information on famous brands. Each chat room had a theme. Alternatively, one could also do what Scarlet did—create an encrypted s.p.a.ce 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. n.o.body 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 a.n.a.lyzing 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 swordsmans.h.i.+p, 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.