After half a day of negotiation, the two finally decided that Sun Zhijun would purchase the Qingxin Grass Leaf from An Chen at a price of 115 yuan per gram.
This price was already very high, significantly more expensive than many precious fragrances.
However, both An Chen and Sun Zhijun believed that the efficacy of Qingxin Grass Leaf was worth the price.
An Chen only had two boxes of Qingxin Grass Leaf; the boxes weren't large, but the leaves were tightly packed, with each box weighing about half a catty, so the two boxes together were less than a catty.
“473 grams… that’s fifty-four thousand two hundred and eighty yuan. I’ll add twenty to make it a round number, fifty-four thousand three hundred. You give me the boxes, how about it?”
After smelling the Qingxin Grass Leaf, Sun Zhijun’s calculations became much faster.
The man in white nodded.
“I was going to give it to you anyway. This item must be stored in a wooden box, otherwise, it will wither faster.”
“So, it’s a deal?”
Sun Zhijun extended his hand with a smile.
He was very satisfied with this transaction that was about to be completed.
He was certain that once the miraculous efficacy of this item was understood, people would buy it at prices much higher than this.
Those rich people would not be stingy with such a small amount of money.
Moreover, he heard that many wealthy individuals were trying to purchase Spiritual Plants and Spirit Pills from Kyushu.
There were actually many people with terminal illnesses; while many were poor, there were also many who were very rich. As long as they could see a glimmer of hope for recovery, they would give anything.
Sun Zhijun thought to himself, if only this person in front of him had other Spiritual Plants that could treat diseases.
He heard that Kyushu had many Immortal Pills; any one of them might be able to cure those terminally ill patients who had been pronounced as nearing death.
“How… how do we pay?”
“Cash.”
“Cash?”
Sun Zhijun was greatly surprised.
“Who still carries that much cash nowadays? Everyone uses online payments. You can give me a card number and I can transfer the money…”
“Cash.”
But this person was very firm, leaving no room for negotiation.
“Alright!”
Sun Zhijun agreed.
He actually had tens of thousands to two hundred thousand in cash here.
Mainly, there were quite a few people like An Chen who preferred to receive cash.
They were afraid that others would find clues about them.
As for whether they were fencing stolen goods here, Sun Zhijun couldn't control it, but if he encountered suspicious individuals, he would quietly call the police after receiving the money.
If what he had was truly stolen goods, then he couldn't accept it.
However, more people chose cash for other reasons; the Dao of “playing it safe” was deeply ingrained in the minds of many Chinese people, so everyone was cautious with large transactions, fearing that online payment processes might lead to fraud.
Furthermore, some large transactions had limits on online transfers, and the excess amount was sometimes transferred using cash.
Therefore, Sun Zhijun always kept some cash locked in the safe in his shop.
“Wait, I’ll go get it now.”
“Wait.”
An Chen suddenly stopped Sun Zhijun.
“What is it?”
Sun Zhijun stopped, puzzled, and asked.
“Do you feel there’s anything improper about the transaction?”
“No, it’s just that I have more goods.”
An Chen took out the Qingxin Pill he had prepared from his pocket.
The effect of this item was much better than Qingxin Grass Leaf.
“This… is this a Spirit Pill from Kyushu?”
Sun Zhijun was overjoyed.
It was truly a case of wishing for something and getting it!
“What illness does this cure? Can it treat cancer?”
“No,” An Chen poured a bucket of cold water on Sun Zhijun, saying coldly, “This is a Medicinal Pill refined using those leaves as the main Materials, and its main effect is similar, but the efficacy…”
An Chen brought the porcelain bottle to Sun Zhijun’s nose, then gently opened the lid.
Only a faint medicinal fragrance wafted from the porcelain bottle, causing Sun Zhijun’s spirit to suddenly lift, almost trembling with fanaticism.
“This… this is a Medicinal Pill?!”
“That’s right.”
Sun Zhijun could clearly feel that the effect of this item was much stronger than just smelling the leaves before.
If he took one… he could probably stay energetic all day.
As for his thinking speed… that would likely also improve significantly.
“This… how much is this item?!”
“Ten thousand per pill.”
The man in white shook the bottle in his hand and added:
“This item is limited; I can only get ten of them.”
The implication was that this item was very precious, and therefore, there was no room for bargaining.
Sun Zhijun gnashed his teeth and pondered for a moment, then slammed the table.
“Good!”
But after a pause, he added:
“However, let’s round it off to a total of one hundred and fifty thousand!”
“Okay.”
The man in white also readily agreed, as if he also hoped to complete this transaction quickly.
Sun Zhijun cursed inwardly, wondering if he should have tried to bargain more.
However, the words had already been spoken, and there was no turning back.
He first bent down and picked up a briefcase from under the counter, then turned and walked into the back of the shop, entering a small cubicle. After a short while, he returned with his case.
He opened the briefcase, and inside were bundles of banknotes, each bundle containing one hundred one-hundred-yuan bills.
“Would you like to count them?”
This was actually just a polite remark; most people would glance at it and then say, “No need,” take the money, and leave.
But he didn’t expect that the man in white in front of him would pull the briefcase towards himself, pick up the bundles of banknotes one by one, and then begin to quickly count them.
After counting one bundle, the man in white would set it aside, then count the next bundle.
A few minutes later, the man in white finally finished counting the banknotes. Then he suddenly took out one of the bundles and handed it to Sun Zhijun.
“It’s short by one note.”
Sun Zhijun’s scalp tingled.
“I’ll make it up to you!”
This was still the money the previous seller had given him; he had counted only a few bundles and then got lazy, not knowing if it was the other party’s mistake or intentional.
Sun Zhijun pulled a one-hundred-yuan bill from his wallet and handed it to the man in white.
The man in white nodded with satisfaction, placed all the banknotes into the briefcase, closed the briefcase, and prepared to leave.
“Next time you have goods, remember to come back to me. Take care…”
But before the man in white could pick up the briefcase and turn to leave, another person suddenly entered through the door.
It was a woman dressed entirely in black: a black top, a black long skirt, and even a black mask and baseball cap that covered her completely.
Sun Zhijun felt that this woman and the man in front of him were dressed identically.
The woman even carried a similar wooden box inside.
“Oh, madam, we’re closed for the day. Perhaps you could come tomorrow?”
But the woman ignored Sun Zhijun. She simply placed the wooden box on the counter, opened it, and allowed the clear fragrance inside to waft out.
She said in a hoarse voice:
“I have something good; you’ll definitely be interested.”
Sun Zhijun was confused at first glance.
Why was it Qingxin Grass Leaf again?
He looked at the man in white, opened his mouth, and said:
“Are you two together?”