The bell for the morning class had barely faded when Luo Miu vanished from his seat.
His figure merged into the bustling crowds of the commercial street, launching the “Grand Procurement” he had meticulously planned.
“This one, and these materials—however much you have in your store, I want them all.”
Luo Miu pointed flamboyantly at several alchemy ingredients listed on his note.
He paid no mind to the people around him, nor to the girls who stopped outside the shop to stare at him.
“But I want a 20% discount on top of this price.”
“Oh my, young man, you really have an eye for quality…”
The fat shop owner beamed with delight.
The jeweled necklace around her neck glittered, shaking with every oily movement.
Trying to become a minor noble without thirty years of hard work?
With a face like that, even if he took everything, she’d be happy!
“What’s wrong? Think I’m just here for an easy handout?”
Luo Miu’s gaze swept lightly over her greasy face; his tone was flat, yet it pierced like a blade:
“Boss, do you want me to report these things to the Academy’s Inspection Division?”
“There’s at least thirty percent Magic Stone Frog ingredients in this dust—if I’m being generous.”
“In this Academy, everyone has a reputation to uphold. If word gets out… are you really not afraid to die?”
The fat shop owner’s smile froze on her face. Realizing something was wrong, cold sweat trickled down her forehead.
“N-no, that’s not…”
“Yesterday, my people already bought from you. Right now, we have the receipt and the raw materials.”
Of course, Luo Miu referred to the receipt Ibuki Rei had obtained—this store ranked first on the blacklist:
“Obey, or be ruined. Which do you choose?”
Luo Miu added another line:
“By the way, my mentor is an alchemist. She hates nothing more than fakes.”
“She may not have the highest status, but tearing down you and your little protector? More than doable.”
“…I’ll do as you say.”
After a series of conflicted expressions, the fat woman finally gave in.
Luo Miu snapped his fingers.
He swept all the goods into his Talent Storage, then placed the items he had tagged as fake or inferior right back where they were.
“These are the ‘genuine goods’ you sold me. The total is fifty credits—not a single one less.”
Luo Miu transferred the credits over.
The shop owner was stunned, barely able to catch her breath before Luo Miu’s next words struck.
“And these are the ‘counterfeit goods’ I’m returning.”
“According to Academy rules, selling fakes means triple compensation.”
“If you don’t want me to make things difficult for you, make the whole order free, and compensate me one hundred credits on top. That’s a total of one hundred fifty credits.”
“Right now. Transfer it.”
“M-my… Is this robbery?!” the shop owner screamed.
“No, this is defending my rights.”
Luo Miu smiled faintly,
“With receipts, physical evidence, and witnesses, this is a fully legitimate defense. Of course, you could refuse, and we’ll visit the Inspection Division together. Let’s see how it turns out.”
The shop owner was utterly dumbfounded, her entire body quivering.
But in the end, all she could do was sigh in resignation:
“Yes.”
[Credits +150]
[Item Value +50]
After subtracting the 50 credits used to purchase, Luo Miu had netted a profit of 150 credits.
With his spoils in tow, Luo Miu moved on to sweep the next shop.
Of course, the other stores weren’t nearly as brazen—at worst, some prices were just unreasonable.
But under the standard market prices etched into Luo Miu’s memory from his gaming days, nothing could escape.
With both a list and his memory at hand, Luo Miu’s bargaining was relentless and sharp.
The merchants’ faces shifted from red to pale, then from pale to green, but with that last sliver of profit, they had no choice but to accept, holding their noses.
After all, the faster the goods sold, the lower the storage costs.
With the new semester just starting and demand surging, everything could be sold, so turning goods into credits as fast as possible was the smart move.
Throughout the whole process, Luo Miu never bothered to hide his “charm aura.”
He let his transcendent allure flow freely through the air, fermenting for all to see—making sure every curious glance caught every detail.
Once he’d converted his previous 350 credits and the freshly earned 150 credits into what looked like a mountain of popular alchemy ingredients, Luo Miu once again faded into the shadows at the street corner, disappearing without a sound.
He had just left.
Immediately after, several figures—obviously servants of the Valentin family—rushed into the very shops he’d just visited, sweeping up goods in a frenzy.
“As expected.”
From the shadows across the street, Luo Miu watched with pleasure.
“Hurry up and buy, don’t hold back! The more you buy, the more my goods go up in price…”
Based on intel he’d pieced together from “Personal Story,” Silvia had long been a supplier of dragon materials for the Academy.
Her personal credit reserves likely ranged from 1,500 to 2,000.
That amount could even buy two seventh-tier magi-automata crafted by Academy mentors.
A true rich lady.
With such deep pockets, she would follow Luo Miu’s moves, investing even larger sums to drive up prices, trapping his goods in his own hands.
Monopolizing the market, ensuring that any attempt to resell would lead to losses—utterly inescapable.
What’s more, even if she just hoarded the materials, Academy contracts would convert them into credits at equivalent value.
With the new semester here and everyone seeking strength, there was no risk of losing money on these supplies.
A crushing victory—anyone would think so.
But… who said Luo Miu wasn’t making money?
The more she bought, the more valuable Luo Miu’s first-batch, low-priced materials became!
Besides…
Luo Miu glanced to the far end of the commercial street, where Ibuki Rei was calmly and efficiently visiting every remote shop, gathering order slips one after another.
“Let the bullets fly a while longer.”
Muttering to himself, Luo Miu, carrying the stash of materials he had just “sheared,” rushed straight for the alchemy workshop.
This 150-credit profit was just the beginning.
Since obtaining the workshop pass, Luo Miu hadn’t yet visited Ancat’s Alchemy Workshop.
Now, with Silvia delivering herself to his door, it was the perfect time to pay a visit.
Time to step onto the stage, prove himself worthy of being a Sage’s Disciple, and by the way…
Return the Ring of Veil to its rightful owner, scoring some favor points with his mentor.
After that, he’d see just how much more he could reap.