Chapter 361: Store Dispute

Inside the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps' shop, an argument was taking place.

The dwarf with the big beard stood at the counter, straining to look up at the snow elf shop assistant, his eyes wide with anger, "What, you're out of stock?!"

The shop assistant hurriedly apologized, "It's true. Sir, you're too late. I can't deceive you. Look at the shelves in the store—they're all empty. Where would there be any dragon rider potions?"

But the dwarf with the big beard was different from the other customers.

He raised his hand: “This is impossible!”

"Even if you don't have stock for others, you must provide it to me!"

“I made a reservation with your store manager a day ago.”

“The pickup slip is right here, and the time is now.”

"Now that I've come, you tell me there's no stock?! Even if this is Commander Long Fu's business, I demand an explanation!"

The snow elf clerk's face paled slightly, and he hurriedly said, "Sir, you are indeed a special case. I’ll go get the store manager right away!” 

Meanwhile, the store clerk who had just made the private deal turned ashen faced. He suddenly realized that the potions stored in the warehouse were meant for the dwarf with the big beard. 

But now, he had already sold them all to his uncle in private. 

With this commotion, his scheme was about to be exposed. 

This was terrible!

The dwarf with the big beard didn't wait for the store manager but saw two female magicians walking into the store together.

It was Bu Quan and Zi Di.

Seeing the two female magicians, the dwarf with the big beard paused, suppressed his anger, and greeted them proactively: "Magician Yao Ma, Magician Bu Quan, hello. I didn't expect to see you two in the store."

“This is great!”

"I had already ordered the goods but was told they were out of stock. Not only did I make a wasted trip, but does the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps have no credibility in business?"

“Magician Bu Quan, we're old friends. You must help me with this matter.”

The dwarf with the big beard was a well-known figure in Snow Bird Harbor, owning numerous fishing boats and a large business empire. 

Back when the dragonman youngster first began his challenges, Bu Quan, the dwarf with the big beard, and the human elder had all watched the dragonman youngster from afar at the dock. At the time, there had been some discussion. 

In Snow Bird Harbor, Bu Quan indeed had a closer relationship with the dwarf with the big beard, and the human elder.

The three of them frequently collaborated on various matters.

At that moment, the shopkeeper approached.

The shopkeeper was a snow elf. He looked at the dwarf with a big beard and smiled, "Your goods are in the warehouse behind the shop. The regular staff are unaware of this matter. I will have someone fetch them for you immediately."

The shopkeeper was unaware that the magic potions specifically reserved in the warehouse had already been sold.

The store clerk who had been selling them privately felt as though he had fallen into an icy abyss.

But the next moment, Zi Di said, "There's no need to fetch them; the warehouse is empty. His order has already been purchased by someone else." 

"What?!" The store manager was startled and looked at Zi Di, wanting to ask but dared not. 

Zi Di could tell from his expression that he had misunderstood.

The ghost girl chuckled softly and turned her gaze toward the clerk. 

The clerk, seeing Zi Di's gaze, broke out in a cold sweat and stepped forward to admit to the matter. 

The store manager glared at him and scolded, "I told you to take the inventory, not to do such things! I thought you were a clever fellow, but I never expected you to be this foolish..."

“Quickly, tell me who you sold the potions to?” 

“Go get it back immediately!” 

“Those are all this gentleman's goods!” 

“I sold it to my uncle,” the clerk finally revealed the truth. 

The store manager asked again, “Who is your uncle?” 

The clerk then explained his uncle's identity. 

The store manager stood there speechless.

It was because the store clerk's uncle and the dwarf with the big beard were of similar status. If he wanted to curry favor with the dwarf with the big beard, he would have to offend another powerful figure in high places.

The snow elf store manager hesitated for a second or two, then turned around and approached Zi Di, bowing and scraping: “Magician Yao Ma, how should we handle this matter?”

Zi Di gave him a faint glance but did not speak.

The dwarf with a long beard looked at Zi Di.

He wanted to purchase an adequate supply of dragon rider potion. However, forcibly demanding it back would offend someone of his own status.

This was something he did not want to see.

However, he also did not want to compromise, so he could only continue to formally demand an explanation from the shop.

Inside the shop, there were still many dissatisfied buyers, who were watching the scene with curiosity, casting their attention toward Zi Di. 

Zi Di smiled slightly, then turned her head to ask Bu Quan beside her, “Magician Bu Quan, what do you think we should do about this matter?” 

Bu Quan looked deeply at Zi Di and understood her meaning.

Bu Quan thought for a moment and said to the dwarf with the big beard, “You ordered 50 portions of the dragon rider potion. You’re a fisherman—what do you need so many for?” 

They were business partners and friends, so Bu Quan didn’t sugarcoat her words. 

The dwarf with the big beard actually liked this bluntness. 

It meant that their relationship was very close.

The dwarf with the big beard said, “Magician Bu Quan, are you looking down on me again?” 

“Although I use a boat for fishing, after using this potion, I found that having the fishermen control the butter sailfish mounts to coordinate net casting resulted in a harvest more than twice as large as before.” 

“Many times, we could even catch rare fish species.”

“If the dragon rider potion is supplied long-term, I'll definitely be your biggest customer here!”

Butter sailfish mounts were a common type of fish mount; fishermen often kept one or two at home.

These sailfish were large in size, had a stocky build, were easy to raise, and had decent speed.

The only drawback was that they leaked oil.

Once these sailfish engaged in prolonged movement, they would begin to seep fish oil. If not cleaned promptly, a thin layer of butter would accumulate, making it difficult for riders to stay seated. 

The waters near the Ice Sculpture Kingdom were abundant in this type of butter sailfish, but the military never used them. 

The reason for their rejection by the military was not the stability issue, but rather that the leaked butter, carried by seawater currents, left extremely obvious traces, making it easy for enemies to track the military's movements.

While solutions existed, the effort required did not justify the benefits.

Additionally, the military had better alternatives, so this option was not chosen.

After hearing the dwarf's response, Bu Quan paused for a moment: “Since the potion has already been sold, I cannot sell it to you.”

“However, I can personally intervene and expedite production. At the latest, I can provide you with 50 doses of dragon rider potion by 2 PM today.”

The dwarf with the big beard was taken aback by this answer.

He couldn't help but look at Bu Quan with a look of astonishment.

Prior to this, he had collaborated with Bu Quan many times, purchasing numerous alchemy tools from her.

He had never seen Bu Quan act this way before!

Even if there were delays in delivery, Bu Quan would only coldly state that it was due to her alchemy experiments and ask if the items on the order were still needed.

The dwarf with the big beard would say yes.

Bu Quan would then set a later delivery date and mention that such situations might occur again in the future.

The dwarf with the big beard would rub his nose but still placed the order.

After all, the alchemy tools produced by Bu Quan's workshop were of guaranteed quality

Bu Quan had always focused on her own research into alchemy and had never voluntarily paused her experiments to rush orders.

But at this moment, she did just that.

The dwarf with the big beard couldn't help but ask, “So, Magician Bu Quan, you've really joined the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps?”

He had heard the rumors, but he just laughed them off.

Bu Quan nodded, "That's right.”

She admitted it in front of everyone, immediately drawing a slight gasp from those around her.

Everyone was very surprised that Bu Quan would make such a choice.

Bu Quan looked at the dwarf with the big beard and simply explained, “I want to try a new life.”

“Youth is wonderful,” the dwarf with the big beard sighed as a friend, offering his blessings, then remarked, “No matter how your new life turns out, but today, I truly saw a different side of you.”

Zi Di finally spoke up, “Regarding this incident, it was a mistake on the part of our staff.”

“Hereby, I promise you that from now on, whenever you purchase our dragon rider potion, we will sell it to you at a 10% discount!” 

Zi Di's compensation offer brought an unexpected delight to the dwarf with the big beard.

He purchased 50 units each time, so over time, the purchase volume would become enormous. 

A 10% discount might seem small, but when accumulated, the savings would become quite substantial.

The compensation offered by the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was very sincere, and the dwarf with the big beard was so delighted that he immediately flattered Zi Di with a compliment. 

After resolving this minor dispute, Zi Di led Bu Quan, the store manager, and several staff members to the room behind the hall. 

Moments later. 

The staff member who had conducted the private transaction emerged with a grateful expression.

Zi Di only gave him a mild reprimand, making the staff member feel like he had narrowly escaped punishment, while the store manager and other staff members pondered the situation.

Bu Quan watched Zi Di reprimand her subordinates throughout the process and, seeing this approach, gained some insight.

The market influence of the dragon rider potion was rapidly helping the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps establish commercial relationships. The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps had deliberately arranged this store clerk here, leveraging his connections to establish a firm foothold in the shops, which was proceeding smoothly.

“However, even if I give it my all, the quantity of potions I can refine won't be enough for the entire Snow Bird Harbor,” Bu Quan said to Zi Di, "We'll need the assistance of the other three alchemists.”

Zi Di looked at Bu Quan, her smile growing brighter.

In resolving this dispute, she had Bu Quan publicly acknowledge her joining the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, confirming the rumors she had deliberately spread earlier. This further expanded the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ influence and instantly established the shop's credibility in the business world.

After all, Bu Quan had already joined. In the past, the alchemy tools produced by Bu Quan were renowned for their quality.

With Bu Quan stepping forward, the dwarf with the big beard had no choice but to back down out of consideration for their relationship. 

Furthermore, his compromise was compensated by Zi Di. It was a 10% discount, but with such a major customer purchasing regularly, Zi Di might earn less but would definitely not lose out. 

She handled the erring staff member leniently, which also served as a wake-up call for the other staff members, ensuring that there would be many high-quality connections and major buyers in the future.

Good products alone could not build a solid network. 

Zi Di understood this well: one had to mix personal relationships into sales. 

What pleased her most was Bu Quan's performance. She took the initiative to handle the dispute and even proposed the need for manpower. All of this proved that Bu Quan had truly changed her mind set and habits. 

Wasn't this precisely the result of Zi Di's previous conditioning?

In all these aspects, Zi Di was undoubtedly the biggest winner.

After thinking it over, Zi Di responded, "Additional manpower will come, but the exact time is uncertain. If everything goes smoothly, perhaps they will arrive by tomorrow morning."

The corresponding parts of the formation have been constructed on the formation diagram panel.

Only the final combination remained.

This was the most critical step.

If this step was successful, the Bloodline Purification formation would be complete!