Excluding the Spirit Gun purchased from Gades for 2,000 shillings, the base model cost only 500 shillings. During sales, the price dropped to 350 shillings, and it even ca with bonus ammunition. Plus, after every case, there was a 20% discount on replenishing basic equipnt, so a Spirit Gun could usually be bought for less than 300 shillings.
The buyback price for a Spirit Gun with its first rose blood was 1,000 shillings.
That ant tripling the profit.
But no one wanted to make money this way. Most mbers of the three organizations didn't have financial problems. And even if they did, such actions—costly in ti, effort, and Mind Level—were not part of their plans.
To make the first rose bloom required accumulating energy equivalent to at least one vengeful spirit. The energy stored in the first pistol was roughly equal to two vengeful spirits, yet the second rose was only half-blood.
Profiting from Spirit Guns simply wasn't worth it.
After inspecting the two Spirit Guns, the Trader returned them to Lu Li. He found no defects and didn't charge an inspection fee.
In the end, Lu Li paid a deposit of 792 shillings for a cubic ter of Deep Sea Stone and 18 shillings for three old issues of a newspaper, then saw the Trader out.
Lu Li didn't forget to ntion the two expensive suits, but the Trader remained silent, showing no displeasure at being mistaken for a secondhand dealer.
After the Trader left, Lu Li began preparing for the deal, which was set to take place in two or three days.
He picked up the phone and dialed a number.
Soon, a woman's voice answered: "Michael Tesla's residence."
Anna's ears imdiately perked up, and she stared intently at the phone.
"Is Tesla in?" Lu Li asked, recognizing the woman's voice.
"He's at work. If you have a ssage, I can pass it along."
"Is he at the Investigators' headquarters?"
"...Yes," the woman replied, realizing Lu Li was more than a re acquaintance of Tesla's. She added, "He's on duty this week. You can find him at headquarters or call him there."
She then gave Lu Li the phone number for Tesla's office.
Lu Li jotted down the number and, after hanging up, dialed the Investigators' headquarters.
After a few short rings, a familiar voice ca through: "Congratulations on joining the Investigators."
Lu Li had heard that phrase many tis in the past two days, so he skipped the pleasantries and went straight to his proposal: he wanted to exchange investigation points for shillings.
"Right now, investigation points are going for 11 or 12 shillings apiece on the black market, but even that's not a good deal. Investigation points are far more useful than you think. How many shillings do you need? If it's not much, I can lend you so."
"Thirty thousand, at least."
Even without accounting for losses from cutting, it would take four cubic ters of Deep Sea Stone to cover a ten-square-ter area with a layer at least 10 centiters thick.
Tesla was silent on the other end of the line for a mont. "...Let's talk about exchanging those investigation points after all. How many do you have?"
"Three hundred and seventy-three."
"It seems you did well on your qualification mission. I can buy your points for 13 shillings each. How many do you want to sell?"
"All of them."
At a rate of 13 shillings per point, Lu Li would make an extra 400 shillings, which was a decent deal.
"Alright, but are you sure? Investigation points are much more important than these 5,000 shillings."
"Right now, the money is more important to ."
"If you insist," Tesla said, a note of puzzlent in his voice. "When do you need the money?"
"The sooner, the better."
"I'll have my maid go to the bank and bring you the cash. If you change your mind, you can buy the points back for 11 shillings each. Consider the difference a favor from ."
"Thank you."
"Instead of thanks, just watch your Mind Level. As per procedure, you need to get tested tomorrow."
"I'll be there."
Tesla and his maid were efficient. An hour after the call, there was a knock at the door. A woman in her fifties, dressed in a maid's uniform, delivered the cash and said that the investigation points could be handed over to Tesla tomorrow.
Now he was only short 1,251 shillings. Not much at all.
Lu Li buttoned the top button of his shirt, tightened his tie, stepped away from the desk, and walked over to the coat rack.
He had a debt to collect.
Before heading off to find his debtor, Lu Li stopped by a clothing store and sold a shirt and a pair of trousers. The owner offered 200 shillings, but after a brief negotiation, during which Lu Li maintained a deadpan expression, the price rose to 250.
Muttering sothing like, "Why do they sll of toothpaste?" the owner took the clothes into the back room and returned a short while later with the money.
Now he was only short 1,000 shillings.
...
Jingle-jingle.
The bell above the door chid lodically, its sound echoing through the empty, quiet hall.
"Well, look who it is! It's been too long, my old friend!" The figure behind the counter quickly hid a handful of shillings and spread his arms wide as if to welco Lu Li.
Lu Li approached the counter. In the dimness, illuminated only by an oil lamp, he looked particularly imposing. Without a word, he took a badge from his pocket and showed it to Gades.
Gades's gaze fell on Lu Li's hand. His pupils contracted, and he couldn't help but exclaim:
"You beca an Investigator?!"
Along with surprise, a sense of wariness crept in. Gades knew very well that this black-haired man never did anything without a reason. He clearly hadn't co here just to boast about his new status.
Worse, as Lu Li grew more powerful, it beca increasingly difficult for Gades to squeeze shillings out of him.
Could he have co to get back what he'd been swindled out of...
The thought hit Gades like a jolt of electricity. He suddenly understood sothing, and his wariness reached its peak, though he kept a friendly and welcoming expression on his face:
"Then again, it's not surprising. The Investigators simply couldn't have overlooked a talented young man like you. Ha-ha-ha..."
Gades was the only one laughing.
His sense of foreboding intensified. Like a lizard shedding its tail, Gades had to take the initiative and broach the subject himself:
"Rember the Lightfruits? Consider that information my gift to you, in honor of your new status."
"And?"
"What else?"
Gades feigned mild confusion.
"The difference for the Spirit Gun. I've co to collect 1,500 shillings."
Gades's heart sank into an abyss. He had guessed right. And worse, there was nothing he could do about it.
It wasn't just about the difference in status. Although Investigators held a high position, Gades hadn't spent several decades in his business for nothing. The problem was that these seemingly disparate Investigators were surprisingly united.
If they found out one of their colleagues had been swindled out of a large sum, they would start visiting him in an endless stream...
He could return the money, but he had to limit the damage!
Gades clenched his teeth, his eyes seeming to fill with bloodshot veins. "In any transaction, once money changes hands, the deal is done. But you're my friend, so I can return part of the difference. However, as a rchant, I have to make sothing..."
As he spoke these words, Gades felt his heart bleed.
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