Reboot: Mechanic

Chapter 57 Bargaining

Renting an apartment and getting the protection of someone nicknamed Crimson Mage sounded extremely good.

It was to the point that even he was tempted to become a tenant of such an owner. So how was it possible that there was a vacant apartment room for rent?

"What happened to the previous tenant of the apartment room that you suggested to me?" Shi Tian squinted his eyes and asked.

Old Man Chao was stunned for a few moments.

"Haha, isn't it obvious that the previous tenant left so the apartment room became vacant for rent?" He then attempted to laugh it off, clearly unwilling to disclose the information.

"Old Man Chao!" Shi Tian called his name and glared at him.

"Alright fine, the previous tenant was killed by the Crimson Mage even though he didn't seem to have offended her- or at least that's the information we got on the surface. Information regarding the Crimson Mage is simply too difficult to obtain, and some even managed to forfeit their lives in the process when attempting to investigate her." Old Man Chao resigned to his fate and revealed the truth.

"So the previous tenant was supposedly killed because the Crimson Mage wanted to, even though you just told me tenants are protected. What a nice contradiction!"

"You can't blame me for withholding such information, Sir. I am just a poor broker trying to make a living, and besides, it was only that tenant. Hence, I have a reasonable clause to believe he must have done something behind the scene that irritated the Crimson Mage."

Shi Tian clicked his tongue in response.

He would be a fool to believe Old Man Chao was some poor broker. If he was truly a poor broker, then he wouldn't have resorted to opening a small stall to scam people when there aren't many foreigners like him.

Shi Tian could bet that Old Man Chao opening a small stall was a way to pass the time or disguise himself, and not because he truly wanted to earn some money from it.

"1 mid-tier Source Crystal and 10 low-tier Source Crystal." Shi Tian said after remaining silent for quite a while. This was the price he was willing to rent the apartment room for and not any less.

If the previous tenant could be killed by the Crimson Mage, then the possibility would be high that he could also be killed.

So why should he pay 2 mid-tier Source Crystal when his life couldn't even be guaranteed?

"I'm afraid that's too little, Sir." Old Man Chao had a pained expression on his face when he heard the slash cut price.

"Too little?" Shi Tian raised an eyebrow and snorted coldly. "Then how about I pay you 2 mid-tier Source Crystal and you let me slice you a bit in exchange?"

"Ahem, 1 mid-tier Source Crystal and 50 low-tier Source Crystals. This is the best I can offer, Sir." Old Man Chao faked a cough.

"1 mid-tier Source Crystal and 20 low-tier Source Crystals."

"1 mid-tier Source Crystal and 25 low-tier Source Crystals."

After hearing the new price, Shi Tian pondered it over, and seeing the difficult expression Old Man Chao was having, and how he was on the verge of crying, he knew this must have been the limit.

It could also be another act from Old Man Chao, but Shi Tian doubted it. If the rent price were to be lowered any further, then even he would search for another person instead.

After all, the broker's price for finding an apartment room for the buyer would be at the extreme minimum if Shi Tian insisted on lowering the price.

The actual rent price for the apartment room might be what Shi Tian offered initially, but Old Man Chao needed to earn some money as well for the heavy-duty work such as finding a place and completing the transaction on his behalf.

While Shi Tian was thinking, Old Man Chao was anxiously waiting for a response from him.

'I already lowered the price to only earn 20 low-tier Source Crystals. If Sir still refuses then I'm truly making a loss here.' Old Man Chao thought to himself, afraid that Shi Tian was going to slash the price further.

Had he known Shi Tian was such an expert in bargaining, then he would have been honest from the start and explained why there was a vacant apartment room available for rent.

Now it was just great.

Because of his dishonesty being exposed, Shi Tian now had the advantage in this bargaining and he could only grit his teeth and accept it, even if it meant earning the bare minimum broker's price.

'Damn it, the information is way too incorrect. What ignorant person? This Sir clearly knows the price value and the way a broker works.' Old Man Chao cursed inwardly, feeling bitter at his failed attempt to deceive him.

Meanwhile, Shi Tian was silently complimenting himself for broadening his knowledge during the waiting time in room B-3.

There were lots of files contained within the room, and through there, the price value of housing within Gearits City had been listed as well, including the years of the price fluctuating in the past and current time now.

Thus, Shi Tian knew Old Man Chao was trying to deceive him from the get-go, but decided to act ignorant to swindle him instead.

Who told him to be dishonest from the start?

It was only right that Shi Tian would do the same and give him the short end of the stick.

"Sigh, given that you're quite old already and had to walk around to find an apartment room for me, 1 mid-tier Source Crystal and 25 low-tier Source Crystals it is." Shi Tian said with much reluctance, but inwardly, he was laughing heartily.

Such a price was considered amazing already for a foreigner like him, and as for the danger that posed from the apartment complex, Shi Tian simply needed to make sure to not get on the bad side of the Crimson Mage.