Above the mage

Chapter 66 Win-Win

In fact, Gaode did not find the house deeds and land deeds in the secret box left behind by Master Seda.

It's highly likely that Master Seda didn't place too much importance on the house and land deeds and didn't put them in the magic box.

So they turned to ashes along with the explosion.

This is also the biggest hidden danger after Gaode took over the Saida Pharmaceutical Garden.

Without official contracts like land deeds and house deeds in hand, there is a lot of room for manipulation once it gets to the attention of someone with ulterior motives.

It even affected the buying and selling of medicinal herbs.

Like this moment.

"What?" Oliver frowned upon hearing this.

Without the land title and house title, even if he valued Gaode's potential, he would not be willing to pay the 300 gold.

"Don't tell me he took the house and land deeds with him when he went back to his hometown to visit relatives."

Oliver squinted at Gao De, his eyes revealing a dangerous glint, and even a hint of anger.

Based on the information he currently possesses, he believes that the monk Seda is already dead.

That is indeed the case.

Oliver had no idea that the mage Seda did not die of old age, but was killed by God.

In any case, he had already accepted that Master Seda was no longer alive.

In Oliver's view, the current negotiations are a tacit understanding between Gaode and the company.

I know that Master Seda is no longer here, but I won't say it.

You know I know that Master Seda is no longer alive, but you don't tell me.

Essentially, Oliver valued God's potential and paid him to work for their potions shop for at least twenty years.

What do you mean by telling me now that there are no land deeds or house deeds?

Trying to outsmart me?

If they really don't appreciate your kindness, then don't blame them for being impolite.

"That's not how it is," Gao De said, seemingly noticing Oliver's dissatisfaction and looking troubled.

Finally, as if making some difficult decision, Gao De gritted his teeth, reached into his pocket, pulled out an exquisite wooden box, placed it on the table, and showed it to Oliver.

"What's this?" Oliver looked at the wooden box in surprise.

Helpless, Gao De told the truth: "Master Seda put the house deeds and land deeds in this wooden box that was enchanted with an [secret lock], but he did not leave behind the unlocking spell when he left."

"so."

Oliver's eyes lit up when he heard what God said and saw the wooden box God had taken out.

"I see," he laughed. "Then it's not a big problem. Give me the magic box, and I have a way to open it."

"Once I unlock the secret lock and obtain the house and land deeds, we can sign the transfer contract."

As he was saying this, he reached for the magic box, but Gao De grabbed it even faster and pressed it to his chest.

"Cash on delivery. The transfer contract hasn't been signed yet, and I haven't received the money. I'm giving you the wooden box now. What if you deny it later?" he said "warningly."

Oliver paused for a moment, then laughed:

"With such a big store like mine here, you don't trust me at all?"

"No, cash on delivery." Gao De acted like a stubborn fool, shaking his head obstinately, stuffing the wooden box into his arms, and heading out.

This made Oliver a little anxious.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute." He chuckled dryly and called out to Gao De.

"How about this? I'll pay you 200 gold first, then we'll sign the transfer contract. After you sign the contract, give me the wooden box. Once I unlock the secret lock and retrieve the house deed and land deed, I'll give you the remaining 100 gold."

"how?"

"After all, I'm not sure if there are any house or land deeds in the magic box," Oliver said, his words making perfect sense.

"No, 300 gold is fine, it must be settled in one lump sum."

Gao De, however, wouldn't listen to a word and stubbornly said, "You're a big businessman, a big shot, with power and influence in Hogan City. If you don't acknowledge the remaining 100 gold coins later, there's nothing I can do."

"Furthermore, if you find that there are no land deeds or house deeds inside the secret box after you open it, I can refund all 300 gold to you and void the transfer contract. This can be written on the contract."

"Aren't you worried that I might try to cheat you out of my money?"

Oliver was genuinely surprised by the stubbornness of his young apprentice, and wondered where he got his confidence from.

However, what they said is indeed true.

He didn't believe Gaode had the ability to cheat him.

He did indeed consider denying the debt afterward and insisting that the 300 gold coins had been paid in full when the contract was signed.

That kid has a great eye for people!

Forget it, this kid does have some potential. At such a young age, he's already skilled at concocting two kinds of potions: a basic stamina potion and a basic spider venom potion.

The money I spend on him today, he will earn back for me sooner or later. I won't lose out no matter what, at most I'll earn a little less.

"Alright, let's sign the transfer agreement tomorrow, and I'll pay you a visit then!" Oliver's voice was slightly cold, expressing his dissatisfaction while agreeing.

"Then I'll be waiting for you in the herb garden tomorrow," Gao De said with a forced smile when Oliver agreed.

After watching Gao De leave the room, Oliver, who had been looking angry just moments before, immediately changed his expression and revealed a smug smile.

"As expected of an apprentice who came from a beggar's background, no matter how talented he is, he can't change his short-sightedness."

"For a mage, a wooden box protected by an arcane lock wouldn't just be used to store land deeds and house deeds, would it?"

"There must be something more precious stored inside."

"What could a third-rate mage apprentice possibly possess that warrants such a grand display?"

"It should be all the potion recipes that the old mage possessed, including the first-tier potion recipe and related records he's researched over the years."

"Although he didn't succeed before he died, he persisted for so many years. If he hadn't achieved something, he wouldn't have persisted until now."

"If we can get our hands on this incomplete prescription, and with the combined power of all the potion masters in our shop, we might be able to complete it."

"If that's really the case, with just Tier 1 potions, my Phil Potions Shop could even expand its business to Bremen City."

"What a pleasant surprise! What a pleasant surprise!"

"We need to sign the contract as soon as possible and get our hands on this secret box."

Stepping out of Phil's Potions Shop, Goddard, who had been stubborn just moments before, immediately changed his expression and revealed a relieved smile.

He breathed a long sigh of relief.

"We finally managed to fool them."

The reason why Gaode was unwilling to sell the medicinal herb garden was not only because the other party's offer was too low, but also because he really couldn't produce the house and land deeds.

Without these two things, the herb garden cannot be considered his at all, so how can he talk about transferring it?

"The two most common ways to unlock arcane locks are striking and dispelling magic. Dispelling magic is a 3rd-level spell, so we don't need to consider it."

"Then we can only rely on the Striking spell. Striking is a first-circle spell, and it's an unpopular spell. Even if Phil's Potions Shop has money and connections, it will probably be difficult to find a first-circle mage in Hogan City who has mastered this spell."

"If he could really find it, Oliver would have gotten someone to unlock it on the spot, instead of giving me this nonsense."

"So, he must be in the same boat as me, with the only options being to buy spell scrolls in Bremen or find a high-level mage to unlock them."

"Even at the fastest speed, it would take at least ten days to make this round trip."

"Ten days is enough."

"But we can't be careless; we need to start preparing now."

Thinking this, Gao De raised his head, identified the direction, and quickly walked away.

(End of this chapter)