Chapter 653, Rich People Aren't That Bright
"The potion from the auction? You could say I organized and funded its development," Wu Heng replied.
"Any left? I'm willing to buy at the auction's final price," Virgil said seriously.
Wu Heng glanced at him and shook his head. "It's very difficult to make. We spent half a year just to make five bottles."
"Not even one left?"
"Not a single one. We used some earlier, and the rest were all auctioned," Wu Heng confirmed.
"I can't stay on Gold-Silver Island. So... next time maybe..." Virgil dragged out his words.
Wu Heng paused, then said, "I only organized and funded the research. Others were involved too. All I can do is write you a letter in advance when I get news. Help you prepare."
Virgil hesitated. Whether Wu Heng was telling the truth or not, the message was clear—he wasn't getting a potion.
As for using status to pressure him—
With how much attention this kid's getting, he might not be easy to pressure.
If things escalated, he could end up like that duo from Luan—utterly humiliated.
Besides, the explanation made sense. This kind of potion couldn't have been developed by him alone.
Either he had a skeleton skilled in alchemy, which was one of the freakiest things about necromancers—
Or, he really did collaborate with others and couldn't decide everything by himself.
Since the approach wasn't working, best to let it go.
"Let me know before the next auction."
Wu Heng nodded. "Alright."
With the potion talk done—
Virgil took a sip of tea and said, "The main reason I came this time is because our Hongwen Society's leader, 'Claudio,' is quite impressed with the pens and watches sold on Gold-Silver Island. He asked me to procure some. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
With even the Hongwen Society leader's name brought up, it was hard for Wu Heng to say no.
Clearly, this request had been planned in advance.
Turning down the potion request was one thing. But if he also refused this, it'd seem a bit much. Pens and watches had been on sale for a while—no way he couldn't produce any.
Besides, he was part of the Hongwen Society now.
Wu Heng raised an eyebrow, glanced at Minnie, and said, "Minnie, go check with the factory. Find out how many pens and watches we can spare. I need an exact number."
"Yes, Master."
Minnie nodded and quickly left.
Wu Heng turned back. "Please wait a moment while we check."
Virgil nodded. "No rush."
While they waited—
Wu Heng took the chance to say, "Could you report to the Hongwen Society and ask them to favor us a bit more when it comes to Professional scrolls?"
Within the Guild, Professional scrolls were engraved by scholars from the Hongwen Society, then distributed to local branches.
Gold-Silver Island had always received a limited number for some reason.
Now was a good time to bring it up.
Virgil replied, "That's easy. I'll coordinate with the Guild when I return and make a few adjustments."
"Also, could we hold some literacy or alchemy/mechanist courses on Gold-Silver Island? Most of the locals were pirates before. Education's pretty low. Some classes would really help."
"I'll bring it up. With how safe and developed Gold-Silver Island is now, I don't see any issue," Virgil agreed easily.
Wu Heng was a bit surprised by how quickly he agreed.
He smiled and thanked him, "Much appreciated, Mr. Virgil."
"These are standard arrangements—no trouble at all," Virgil said politely.
After a bit more chatting, Minnie returned in a hurry.
She whispered a few words into Wu Heng's ear and then stepped aside.
Wu Heng said, "I can spare 500 pens and 20 watches for the Hongwen Society. But I need you to keep this quiet. These were diverted from other merchant orders. If word gets out, it could hurt my credibility."
Virgil nodded. "No problem. I'll just bring them back to the Guild. Gold-Silver Island won't be affected."
"Good." Wu Heng glanced sideways.
Minnie stepped up again, pulling neatly packed pens and watches from her space ring.
Wu Heng smiled, "Mr. Virgil, please check."
Virgil nodded and took out the corresponding amount of gold coins from his space ring.
They began inspecting the goods and counting the coins.
Once everything was confirmed, both sides stored the items.
Virgil stood up. "I won't take up more of your time. I should head back."
Wu Heng stood as well. "When I get news about the potion, I'll write you first."
"Great."
As they walked out together, Virgil said casually, "Lately, the Hongwen Society has been excavating a ruin. Shouldn't be long before we start distributing some ancient stone tablets."
Wu Heng raised an eyebrow. "Anything specific?"
"Not really. If you can decipher one, it'll count as a merit. If not, no big deal—just a learning experience. They're super hard to decode," Virgil said with a smile.
"Got it," Wu Heng nodded.
He walked Virgil to the door and waved goodbye.
Virgil boarded his carriage and left.
Wu Heng returned to the house, had the maids put away the money, and went back to the study.
...
Dusk.
Shanaila came back from outside.
With a wave of her hand, a wooden box dropped on the carpet. The lid popped open, revealing gleaming gold coins.
"Proceeds from the auction. There's also some pawned items, property deeds, and ship contracts. Don't lose anything—some folks might come back to redeem them."
Wu Heng had made a fortune from this event.
Five bottles of first-tier corpse core potion had sold for a sky-high price.
Wu Heng rushed forward and hugged Shanaila, spinning her around. "It's so good having you."
Shanaila yelped. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the maids watching, and her cheeks turned red.
"Stop that. They're all looking," Shanaila gave him a light punch.
Wu Heng chuckled and set her down. "You keep the money. Use it however you like."
Shanaila sat nearby. "Better leave it with you. Too much in my vault and it'll be counted as Starflower's assets. That'll be a headache."
"Alright then," Wu Heng nodded. "So when's the next auction?"
Shanaila thought a moment. "Let's wait for feedback. The longer the wait, the more valuable the potion seems, and prices will stabilize. In the meantime, develop new products to keep Gold-Silver Island hot."
The expo and auction had reignited Shanaila's business interest.
Gold-Silver Island was different from Starflower.
Starflower was a race-supported merchant guild with vast lands and rich resources.
But their goods were similar to other guilds'.
Competition came down to volume and price.
Gold-Silver Island, though, offered three revolutionary products—unique, practical, and irreplaceable.
The profits from the last few days matched what major guilds made in a year.
Unless Wu Heng died, Gold-Silver Island would become a commercial hub.
Her status in the business world would rise with it.
Wu Heng scratched his head. "I'll think on it—see what other goods might be popular."
"No pressure. What you've got already is amazing," Shanaila said with a smile.
They chatted until evening.
Wu Heng picked Shanaila up and headed upstairs.
The maids followed behind, teasing them.
Shanaila said, "Stop it. I'm going to rest tonight. I have to go to the opera house early tomorrow."
"We'll wake up early. Won't delay anything."
They entered the bath and soaked together, laughing and splashing.
...
Morning, at the Golden Sail Tavern.
A new young bard took the stage.
After retelling a newspaper story, he slapped the table.
"The merchant took the potion. Black-purple veins bulged all over. The color spread fast. Everyone nearby panicked and stepped back. It was terrifying."
"They figured it had to be poison. The Island Lord had tricked and killed for profit."
"People wanted to gather a crowd, march to the Island Lord's mansion, even report it to the Guild."
"Just as chaos broke out—"
"The merchant who drank the potion stood up and shouted, 'Hold on!'"
"Everyone turned to see him standing. The veins had faded, wrinkles softened—he looked a decade younger."
"Only then did the nobles realize what treasure they'd missed. But it was too late."
"Too late for regrets!"
"And that's what happened after the potion auction."
As the bard spoke—
Everyone could picture the scene: the merchant collapsing, then turning younger.
The potion really worked.
It even made people younger.
So a price in the tens of thousands of gold didn't seem unreasonable.
Those still doubting the Island Lord were seen by locals as ignorant outsiders.
That was a great detective—
The man who saved Miss Beni and stormed a cult for revenge.
Would he lie over something like this?
How dare they doubt the Island Lord!
Rich people really don't have better brains sometimes.
...
Zombie World.
Wu Heng stood outside a classroom, watching a female technician, still wearing a head bandage.
She stood at the blackboard, teaching over twenty gleaming white skeletons.
The scene was a bit creepy.
Her voice trembled constantly as she lectured.