Douluo Continent: Gretchen at the start, empowered by the Star God.

Chapter 23 Outwitting a Shady Businessman

While Langley and Gretchen were shopping, they stumbled upon a dilapidated shop, but the signboard still managed to catch Langley's attention.

"Isn't this the shady inn that Flanders runs in Soto?" Langley thought for a moment, then looked at Gretchen in his arms. "Little Gretchen, shall we go take a look at that inn?"

Greta nodded without hesitation. She knew it was Lang Lei who was interested. Lang Lei had been with her for so long, and she was happy to accompany him to the places he wanted to go.

Seeing that Gretchen didn't mind the dilapidated state of Flanders' shop, Lang Lei felt reassured and led Gretchen into the shop.

"Boss, what does your shop do?" Lang Lei pretended to be a curious passerby, casually looking around the shop.

"Everything on the shelves is for sale, take a look yourself." After saying that, he sat up and then lay back down in the armchair.

Lang Lei couldn't help but want to complain. With this kind of service attitude, an ordinary customer would probably have left in anger.

It can only be said that as a Soul Saint, Flander certainly had the right to be arrogant in this small city of Soto.

It's just not suitable for opening a shop...

Lang Lei's gaze fell upon the shelves, where broken and dilapidated soul tools and a jumble of ores were haphazardly placed without any distinction between categories.

"Let me see..." Lang Lei scanned them one by one, and sure enough, he soon found the crystal that Tang San bought in the original story that could be used to make the Dragon Beard Needle.

However, he didn't make a sound or show any expression. He simply pointed to a tattered soul tool next to the rutilated quartz and asked, "How much for this?"

Flander raised his head, and without even looking, casually said a number: "One hundred gold soul coins."

"Boss, you can't be this cunning in business, can you?" Lang Lei retorted deliberately.

"Now selling for 200 gold soul coins." As if he thought Lang Lei had taken a liking to this tattered soul tool, Flander raised the price again, "This was found in ancient ruins, it's a good item."

"Then you can keep it, boss," Lang Lei replied casually, turning to look at another shelf.

Flanders choked for a moment, then fell silent again.

"How much is this?" Lang Lei casually pointed to another item.

"Fifty gold soul coins." This time Flander didn't quote such a high price. Anyway, these were things he bought for just a few silver soul coins, so he could make a profit no matter how he sold them.

"Can't you make it cheaper?" Lang Lei tried to bargain.

"This is an antique, one of my most prized possessions! I misread it; this costs 100 gold soul coins."

Lang Lei glanced suspiciously at the items casually placed on the shelf, then at Flander.

Flander, however, was thick-skinned enough to remain completely serious without blushing at all.

"Then you should keep it for yourself, boss. I won't take what belongs to someone else." Lang Lei withdrew his gaze and looked at other items.

Flanders was speechless again, his lips twitching.

"Hmm? Boss, this..." Lang Lei was about to ask when Flander interrupted.

"Ten gold soul coins, at a friendly price!" Flander shouted.

"I just wanted to ask the boss why you put the socks on the shelf..." Lang Lei was speechless. Wasn't this a bit too cunning?

Given Flander's attitude, Lang Lei was skeptical about whether the cost of anything on that shelf was even a single gold soul coin.

"Um... these are socks worn by Super Douluo of level 95 or above, so what's wrong with selling them at a higher price?!" Flander awkwardly forced an explanation.

"Could it be..." Lang Lei pretended to be very surprised.

"What is it now, kid?" Flander was a little afraid of the young-looking guy in front of him.

"Senior, are you some kind of reclusive master with a very high level of soul power?!"

"Hmm? How did you know?" Flander was a little surprised. His soul power level was already at the level of a Soul Saint. The previous combination of the Golden Iron Triangle was quite famous on the continent. In Soto City, he could be considered a master, right?

After all, a Soul Emperor could become a teacher of considerable status at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

"Wow! Could it be that you're one of those legendary Super Douluo, the kind who can enter the Soul Master Holy Land, the Douluo Hall!" Lang Lei feigned great excitement. "I was rude earlier!"

"Um, it's nothing, it's nothing..." Flander waved his hand subconsciously.

"Cough cough cough—" But when Flander realized what was happening, he stood up from his seat and choked on his own saliva.

"Kid, you can't just say things like that! What Super Douluo? I never said I was one!" Flander quickly explained. Impersonating a Title Douluo on the Douluo Continent is no easy feat; it's suicidal and impossible to do.

Not to mention Super Douluo, who are among the top in the entire continent.

"But these socks..."

Flander hurriedly looked at the shelf and discovered that the socks on the shelf were the same pair as the ones on his feet, and he was still wearing the other one...

Flander quickly used his soul power to retrieve the socks from the shelf, and Lang Lei instinctively moved far away in disgust.

"Ahem, I was just joking." Flander turned around and put his hands behind his back, pretending that nothing had happened.

"Alright..." Lang Lei feigned regret and pouted, then casually pointed to a broken jar.

"Boss, how much is this?"

"..."

"Five, no, fifteen gold soul coins, the lowest price!" Flander looked more carefully this time before speaking, deliberately understating the amount to prevent the other party from running out of money.

"Um……"

"What's wrong?"

"I don't have enough money..." Lang Lei pretended to be very distressed.

"..." Flander was speechless and could only ask, "How many gold soul coins do you have?"

"One, one..."

"..."

"Fine, I'll reluctantly part with it. Consider it a gift of one gold soul coin," Flander said, feigning generosity.

"No way! Boss, you're a very kind person, I can't let you suffer like this," Lang Lei said righteously. "I absolutely refuse to take this jar, boss, you don't need to try to persuade me anymore!"

"Forehead……"

"Boss, how many gold soul coins is this?" After looking at it for a while, Lang Lei pointed to the gold and asked.

"One gold soul coin!" Flander glanced at it; it was just an ordinary stone, only its appearance was a bit peculiar.

"Deal!" Lang Lei held Gretchen in his arms with one hand, slapped a gold soul coin on the table with the other, and casually put the gold into his storage soul tool. He then left Flander's small shop without looking back.

"..." Flander was stunned. The other party actually had a storage soul tool! How could he not have money on him!

"Oh well, I've made a profit, it's just a stone." Flander muttered, then lay back in his armchair. "These young people nowadays are pretty impressive..."

This humble author is begging for good reviews, monthly tickets, recommendations, feedback, and comments...

Am I being a little too greedy...?

Anyway, thank you everyone! (ω)

(End of this chapter)