Buy a Donkey

Chapter 48

Alex then turned to face the fourth little bear and spoke, "Hehehehe, do you think these trinkets will quell my anger?"

"No, Mr. Russell. However, you can take a few items to help alleviate your frustration," the fourth little bear replied respectfully.

Alex, though seemingly uninterested, started walking toward the crazy old shop. He surveyed his surroundings, casting his divine sense and utilizing the ring's ability to scan the area thoroughly.

After a while of careful scanning, Alex's forehead furrowed as he noticed something intriguing. He began picking up various items around him, seemingly at random.

After selecting ten items, Alex paused and turned to the fourth little bear. "Is it acceptable for me to take these?"

"Of course, Mr. Russell. If you remain dissatisfied, you are welcome to take more," the fourth little bear assured him."

Alex, who heard this, then nodded.

"Okay, this is enough," he said.

"Don't you want to add more, Mr. Russell?" the fourth little bear inquired.

"No, this will suffice," Alex replied casually as if he were simply fetching water from someone else's house.

With that, Alex strolled away from the scene, leaving behind a crowd of gossiping onlookers, the still respectful fourth little bear, and the infuriated old madman.

Observing the old madman's agitation, the fourth little bear felt compelled to explain. After all, the old madman was one of their primary benefactors, contributing substantial funds.

"Old madman, having a high monthly fee doesn't give you the power to control everything! Be more cautious when choosing your adversaries next time. Not even Lord Red Bear could save you if you continue this reckless behavior!"

These words caused the surrounding people to gasp in shock. They had never thought that this situation would become so serious.

"Hey, look! It appears the old madman has met his match!"

"Hehehe, that's right. Who could have predicted such a turn of events for the old madman!"

"This time he's in trouble!"

The group of onlookers buzzed with gossip. Meanwhile, the old madman trembled and swiftly turned around, his fear evident.

Observing this, the fourth little bear ordered his group to move away. He was somewhat displeased by the people mocking them.

Meanwhile, Alex continued to roam the area comfortably. He strolled until he reached the entrance of a stall specializing in medicinal plants. As he got closer, his highly sensitive nose caught the aroma of various medicinal ingredients wafting through the air.

Some scents provided comfort to his nose, along with others that nearly made him gag. Nevertheless, Alex proceeded inside to observe the activity.

Upon entering, Alex was greeted by a man slightly younger than himself.

"Good sir, is there something I can assist you with?"

"Would this establishment accept medicinal materials for trade?"

Hearing this, the man in the neat Chinese suit immediately lit up with interest.

"Might I inquire about the type of medicinal materials this gentleman wishes to trade?"

Alex then casually retrieved an object wrapped in cloth from the pouch he had been carrying.

"I've recently acquired a 30-year-old wild ginseng and would like to inquire about its market value."

The man in the Chinese suit frowned momentarily, but his expression soon returned to normal.

Alex, whose senses were highly sensitive, noticed this, but he paid little attention and continued with his activities.

With practiced ease, Alex retrieved the ginseng from his pouch, a feat accomplished effortlessly despite his single hand.

The neatly dressed man examined the ginseng Alex had presented, studying it for a moment before his expression shifted to one of displeasure.

"Are you trying to play a trick on me, my friend?" Alex's frown deepened as he listened to the man's words.

The neatly dressed man went on, his tone determined. "This is no wild ginseng; it's, at best, a high-quality cultivated ginseng. Don't waste my time with such antics in the future!" With a surge of anger, he flung the ginseng back towards Alex.

Alex intended to clarify the situation, but noticing the other party's volatile temper, he cautiously caught the ginseng and cradled it in his arms.

"Excuse me, sir. This ginseng was freshly unearthed from the forest. Even if it doesn't meet your standards, there's no need to toss it away and intentionally provoke me!" Alex's frustration prompted him to voice his complaint.

The neatly dressed individual remained unfazed, promptly summoning someone with a commanding tone.

"Da Long, escort this person out."

With that command, a person with a robust Oriental countenance stepped forward toward Alex, emanating an imposing aura. Bald and muscular, his presence was striking.

Before Alex could react, the newcomer had already closed in, exuding intimidating pressure.

However, Alex handled the situation with ease, standing his ground firmly.

Seeing that the person before him remained utterly unmoved, Da Long began to furrow his brow. He sneered and directed a flood of his body's reiki toward Alex.

Alex, subdued by the opposing reiki, couldn't help but waver. He had never encountered so many individuals possessing the same strength as him before.

Nonetheless, Alex used this opportunity to absorb the aura being emitted by the other party, enhancing his cultivation.

The neatly dressed individual, observing that Alex was still unyielding, promptly urged his subordinate.

"Da Long, let's hasten this. Don't prolong it; our shop is quite busy."

Da Long's initial attempt at using his overwhelming reiki to suppress Alex seemed inexplicably ineffective, as the latter displayed no visible reaction.

In response, Da Long intensified his efforts, channeling all the reiki he could muster in an attempt to subdue Alex.

Despite being enveloped by Da Long's reiki, Alex remained unfazed and even found a degree of contentment in the situation.

After a while, Da Long was sweating from exhaustion. Alex, who witnessed this, also sneered.

In a cheerful mood, Alex left the drugstore on his own accord.

"Huh, with just this, I've advanced to another level!" Alex exclaimed triumphantly as he exited the shop.

Meanwhile, the two individuals who had been in the shop earlier regarded Alex with mixed gazes.

Despite his good mood, Alex still felt a sense of unease.

The reason being, the other party possessed strength that was "similar" to his own. Yet, they seemed oblivious to the valuable items they had in their possession. It was puzzling that they could operate a medicinal ingredients shop but lacked knowledge of their merchandise. There seemed to be a hidden agenda at play.

Additionally, Alex contemplated his encounters with several individuals who possessed powers "similar" to his own. Though labeled as similar, Alex discerned distinct variations among them. His energy differed from that of the red bear, and both energies were distinct from the energy emitted by the recently encountered Da Long. However, Alex had an intuition that these disparate energies shared a common source.

It's like these three energies are processed ingredients from rice, such as porridge, rice, and rice cake. Though different, they all originate from the same source.

As Alex walked while lost in thought, he arrived at a stall selling seeds and plant seeds.

Generously, Alex purchased several seeds for transplanting in his ring room.

After making the payment casually, Alex arranged for the items to be delivered to his farm.

Continuing his stroll, Alex heard a peculiar sound of complaining. Upon looking around, he spotted a figure emitting these discontented noises - a donkey.

Intrigued, Alex approached for a closer look, noting that some of the animals being sold in this location were not in good condition.

"Excuse me, how much is this donkey?" Alex inquired curiously.

The old man, with a standard European face adorned with wrinkles, glanced at Alex and promptly named a price.

"Three thousand dollars."

Alex, upon hearing this, gasped. He had limited knowledge about animal prices as he was contemplating starting a farm once his business stabilized.

Never had he imagined that the old man before him would ask for such a high price, making it seem as if the donkey he was selling was healthy and of exceptional quality.

Faint sneering sounds could be heard from the surrounding area, suggesting that this old man was indeed unreasonable in his pricing.

"Sir, how can your emaciated and unhealthy donkey be worth three thousand dollars? I would consider buying it for three hundred dollars."

The old man, upon hearing Alex's counteroffer, seemed taken aback and feigned indignation.

"Young man, I may have initially thought you were kind-hearted, but it seems you're also quite unreasonable by immediately slashing one zero from your bid!"

"Well, old man, if I were to pass on your sickly donkey now, you might end up with nothing but losses once it meets its demise."

Hearing this, the old man fell silent. Initially, he hadn't wanted to sell the donkey and had even considered slaughtering it. However, his wife insisted that they were old and didn't consume large amounts of meat.

Therefore, he was left with no choice but to contemplate selling it, as he was already quite thin. He feared that if he held on any longer, the donkey might meet the fate the young man in front of him had described.

Gritting his teeth, the elderly man made a counteroffer.

"Not, young man. I'll part with this donkey if you pay 1500 dollars for it, or else I won't sell it at all! I'd rather let it die than sell it for a mere 300 dollars."

Alex, who was listening to this, felt a bit discouraged. It was evident that the other party had set his psychological threshold much higher than Alex's own.

Although Alex had the funds and wasn't concerned about the relatively small amount, he had no intention of being manipulated or taken advantage of in the negotiation.

Seeing Alex's hesitation, the old man immediately raised his voice.

"If you take it for 1500, I'll even throw in some of these crows as a bonus!" the old man tried to persuade.

Upon hearing this, Alex subconsciously looked toward the crows that were mentioned.

As Alex observed the crows, he was taken aback. It turned out that some of the many items in front of him were not crows at all, as the other party had mentioned. Instead, they were other things of extremely precious value.