The Programmer Cultivator

To set up a stall here for one day costs the exorbitant price of a single Spirit Stone.

Well... it’s only during these few days that the price is so exorbitant, and only now are people willing to pay it.

This was another business the Wugong Sect had casually set up, and it had turned out to be remarkably successful.

Of course, finding a hidden treasure here was next to impossible. One could only hope to buy something slightly cheaper, because anything truly valuable had already been set aside by the in-house Appraisers.

The auction house didn’t pay them for nothing!

In other words, the best items out here were merely those that were just shy of being worthy of the auction itself.

Zhang Deming strolled through the stalls in the plaza for a bit, but finding nothing of interest, he gave up on the idea of striking it rich.

He turned and left the plaza, making his way to the numerous appraisal windows.

The setup resembled the service windows from his past life. A single window, and inside, a low-level Appraiser sat waiting for Loose Cultivators to bring their ”treasures” for appraisal. These windows were lined up in a long, continuous row, much like bank teller counters.

With the auction just around the corner, many Loose Cultivators were driven by wishful thinking. Believing their belongings might be genuine treasures, they flocked here for an appraisal.

As a result, this area was exceptionally busy. Even though the auction house was a massive building with plenty of windows, the staff was still overwhelmed.

A line of one or two people had formed at every window, but very few items were ever approved. Instead, a countless number of appraisal fees were handed over to the auction house.

Oh, right. This ”improvement” was also the Wugong Sect’s doing.

Previously, the appraisal section had operated at a loss. But now...

While it wasn’t a huge moneymaker, it still generated a respectable income, because an appraisal at the window cost one Spirit Stone.

Zhang Deming waited for a moment. After the two or three hopeful Loose Cultivators ahead of him each lost a Spirit Stone, they took their assorted junk and went to set up stalls over in the plaza.

And so, harboring hopes of scamming some sucker, they would, in turn, eagerly pay the one-Spirit-Stone fee for a stall with unusual enthusiasm.

After all, they would occasionally see a fellow cultivator get an item successfully appraised, or run into a sucker at their stall and make a small profit.

Even if it was only one success story out of dozens, these were Loose Cultivators—most of whom lived among Ordinary people—and many were shortsighted. They came here fueled by wishful thinking, so from the very beginning, their eyes were fixed only on those who succeeded.

They rarely noticed the dejected ones. By the time they came to their senses, they’d find that the three or five Spirit Stones they had saved up over half a year had been drained away, bit by bit. And throughout the process, they had been the ones eagerly handing the money over.

And because they had handed it over so willingly, there was little resentment, despite the painful loss. They would likely do the same thing again next time. It was people like them who formed the lowest rung of Huayue’s Loose Cultivator community.

’After taking it all in, Zhang Deming, as a modern man who had experienced a thriving and sophisticated commercial world, couldn’t help but feel a little impressed by the auction house’s methods.’

’It took skill to use capital to make a fortune, but it took even greater skill to coax the very last coin from the hands of penniless Loose Cultivators, and make them do it willingly.’

As Zhang Deming was lost in his thoughts, it became his turn.

The Cultivator in the window didn’t even turn his head. He mechanically held out a hand and said, ”Item, plus one Spirit Stone.”

It was clear they had all been run ragged over the past couple of days.

Zhang Deming glanced at the man and said coolly, ”Arrange for a private appraisal room. This isn’t something you can handle.”

The man paused and whipped his head around, only then realizing he was speaking to a Tai Chi Great Cultivator.

His tone became much more respectful. ”Senior, I must remind you, if your item is not valuable enough to be listed in the auction, you will be responsible for the appraisal room fee. It starts at five Spirit Stones.

”Of course, if the item is of sufficient grade but ultimately doesn’t make it into our auction for reasons on our end, we will not charge a single Spirit Stone.”

Zhang Deming nodded. ”Arrange it. I’m aware of the basic rules.”

Upon hearing this, the man quickly tapped on a Light Screen, which then displayed a ”Service Suspended” message.

He then left the booth, emerging from behind the counter. He bowed respectfully to Zhang Deming and said, ”This way, Senior. The private appraisal rooms are not in this area.”

Zhang Deming nodded. ”Lead the way.”

With that, the two of them walked past the long row of windows, one leading and one following, until they arrived at a large door.

The attendant presented his identification, swiped a card, and led Zhang Deming directly through the door.

Behind the door was a massive hall, surrounded by numerous rooms.

”Senior, we have three tiers of service here. What level of appraisal do you require?” the attendant asked.

Zhang Deming’s eye twitched. ’So, you have different fees for different tiers of service, is that it?’

’It seems the Huayue Auction House really has a genius pulling the strings. They nickel-and-dime you at every turn, just like some of the schemes from my past life.’

’If they start offering installment plans, then damn, they’d truly be something else.’

’Completely crushing the competition with tactics that are several eras ahead of their time!’

Zhang Deming said coolly, ”Give me the top-tier service. It’s free if the item qualifies, isn’t it?”

The attendant hesitated for a moment before replying, ”That is correct. However, if it does not qualify, or if you decide not to auction it, the fee starts at twenty Spirit Stones. The final cost will depend on the results of the appraisal.

”Of course, for certain items, if we fail to reach a satisfactory agreement, you are free to decline the auction. We have specific provisions for such cases. The process is very fair, you can rest assured.”