NOVEL WEB Chapter 3: Selling and Buying Items
**Chapter 3: Selling and Buying Items**
On the other side, Hu Zhang calmed the beast's body and then approached Lei Xiao, saluting respectfully. "My lord, the investigation within a one-kilometer radius of the camp has been completed. No traces of demon beast nests or other hostile forces were found."
After a brief pause, he added, "Oh, and I encountered these two little reptiles blocking the path, so I took care of them."
Lei Xiao glanced at the "little reptiles" Hu Zhang was referring to and was momentarily stunned.
Lying on the ground were a massive black hexagonal bull, the size of a baby elephant, and a blue giant python thicker than a hundred-year-old tree!
The blue python, in particular, though lifeless, still exuded an intimidating aura. Its shimmering scales and half-meter-long fangs were clear indicators that this creature had been a formidable predator in its lifetime.
"My lord, do you have any further orders?" Hu Zhang asked, seemingly unfazed, as if he had just returned from a casual stroll.
Lei Xiao, seeing that Hu Zhang wasn't even out of breath, didn't hesitate. "Expand the investigation radius a bit more. I want a clearer picture of our surroundings."
"As you command!" Hu Zhang clasped his fists, then vanished like a phantom, speeding off into the distance.
Once Hu Zhang was gone, Lei Xiao rolled up his sleeves and retrieved a wooden box from the cabin. This box was the lord's exclusive storage container, accessible only to him and those he authorized. Essentially, it was a unique storage space.
Although it currently had only 100 slots, similar items could be stacked within it. Additionally, the box had another function: it could instantly and perfectly decompose selected items, including the corpses of the two monsters before him.
After transferring the items, Lei Xiao focused his mind, and the corpses turned into beams of white light, automatically entering the storage space.
"Decompose!"
Without hesitation, Lei Xiao initiated the process.
[You have decomposed the first-order five-star monster, Hexagonal Ground Bull, and obtained beef x1400, beef tendon x50, cowhide x20, and horns x6!]
[You have decomposed the first-order eight-star monster, Bluestone Mystic Python, and obtained snake meat x1600, snakeskin x30, and rare poisonous fangs x2!]
Sensing the sudden influx of items in his storage space, Lei Xiao couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. This was his first harvest in this new world!
Aside from the 3,000 units of processed meat, the other items were valuable materials for crafting equipment, which would undoubtedly prove useful in the future. The two rare poisonous fangs, in particular, had the potential to create exceptional weapons.
After some experimentation, Lei Xiao discovered that his "Golden Finger" ability didn't react to food or basic materials.
"It seems this talent only works on functional items," Lei Xiao mused. "If that's the case, then weapons and equipment should be compatible as well. I wonder what kind of effects they'll produce?"
While pondering this, Lei Xiao opened the function interface again. This time, instead of entering the chat channel, he navigated to the trading center.
Through this feature, lords from all over could conduct real-time transactions, exchanging the items they needed. Currently, a significant number of lords were already active, each with their own demands. Most were trading basic resources like wood, stone, and thatch in exchange for food. Even wild fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms were in high demand, often snapped up as soon as they were listed.
Notably, no one had yet listed meat for trade.
Combining this observation with the earlier chat content, Lei Xiao began to piece things together. Due to their low combat power, most lords were confined to safe zones, struggling to secure enough food.
"Does this mean I can use my surplus food to exchange for others' resources?" Lei Xiao thought.
He currently had 3,000 units of meat, each weighing about half a kilogram. Moreover, Knotweed could be dispatched at any time to replenish his supply.
"Food is a consumable, but resources are essential for building and upgrading the lord's mansion. If I can secure enough food, doesn't that mean everyone in the early stages is essentially working for me?"
Having made up his mind, Lei Xiao couldn't help but smile—a smile reminiscent of a shrewd capitalist.
From his earlier browsing of the chat channels, he had estimated the resource-gathering efficiency of most lords. With the right tools, a tier-one peasant could gather an average of 5 units of stone, 10 units of wood, or 20 units of thatch per hour.
Using this data as a baseline, Lei Xiao decided to list 1,000 units of snake meat on the trading center anonymously.
But his plan wasn't as simple as a direct exchange of resources.
[Trader: Anonymous]
[Trading Item: 1,000 units of snake meat (1 unit per exchange, 0.5kg each)]
[Required Item 1: Stone (50 units)]
[Required Item 2: Wood (100 units)]
[Required Item 3: Thatch (200 units)]
As soon as the listing went live, the chat channels exploded.
"1,000 units of snake meat?! Am I seeing this right? Anonymous boss is a legend!"
"But this guy's demands are outrageous! Who has that many resources to spare?"
"Exactly! My peasants can only gather 5 units of stone per hour. This guy wants 50 units for just half a kilogram of meat? That's daylight robbery!"
"Are there any other big shots out there? I'd rather starve than trade 10 hours of work for a pound of meat!"
"Hey, if it were 5 hours of work for a pound, I might consider it!"
"Please, someone else step up and save us from this greedy anonymous trader!"
Lei Xiao smiled as he read the chat. This was exactly the reaction he had hoped for.
By playing the role of the anonymous "villain" and setting an exorbitant price, he had lowered everyone's expectations. Now, it was time for him to step in as the "hero" and offer a more reasonable deal.
This way, he could maximize his gains while also earning the gratitude of the other lords—a win-win situation.
After letting the outrage simmer for a while, Lei Xiao reopened the trading interface. This time, he listed 100 units of beef under his own name.
[Trader: Lei Xiao]
[Trading Item: 100 units of beef (1 unit per exchange, 0.5kg each)]
[Required Item 1: Stone (20 units)]
[Required Item 2: Wood (40 units)]
[Required Item 3: Thatch (80 units)]
The moment this new listing appeared, the chat channels erupted once more.
"Good news, everyone! A new boss has appeared! The meat prices are super fair—head to the trading center now!"
"Thank you, boss! I managed to grab a unit! My starving peasants can finally get back to work!"
"Same here! My peasants' loyalty was down to 30, but now they're happy again. The boss is a lifesaver!"
"This is amazing! We finally have meat! The boss is a legend!"
"Everyone, save some for me! I only need one more unit of wood... Damn it, it's gone already?"
"Boss Lei Xiao, you're our savior! Lead us to victory against that greedy anonymous trader!"
As Lei Xiao had anticipated, the 100 units of beef were sold out in seconds. In exchange, he received 2,000 units of wood, 1,600 units of thatch, and 600 units of stone.
The resources needed for the first upgrade of his lord's mansion were now within his grasp—effortlessly.