Venti didn't mind Chen Luo accepting his commissions—after all, it was a fair trade: wishes for alcohol. No issues there.
But intentionally farming commissions? That was crossing the line.
The occasional sudden threat to cut off his alcohol supply, even knowing Chen Luo wouldn't actually do it, still gave him a scare.
"Of course, no problem. But are you sure you don't want to try wine brewed from the Anemo Archon himself? Opportunities like this don't come twice—once it's gone, it's gone forever." The moment Chen Luo agreed to Venti's request, he immediately started promoting his special stock.
"...No."
Venti had just issued a commission, but Chen Luo didn't accept it.
As if I'd give up such a useful tool for just 10 Primogems!
Remember how you treated me like a tool during the Stormterror quest? Now you get to experience it firsthand!
"A'Luo, that Dr. Mobius seems to be thinking about buying snake meat from you. A snake buying snake meat—sounds hilarious, doesn't it?" The Herrscher of Sentience's voice echoed in Chen Luo's mind.
"Want to buy snake meat? Perfect, because I want to sell it. After spending so much to acquire it, all I got was an ingredient that only works in Hell." The thought pained him.
Not that Chen Luo would reflect on the fact that what he'd "spent" was just a trivial collectible set and less than one Primogem's worth of materials.
"Dr. Mobius, if there's something you'd like to discuss, why don't we head upstairs?" Chen Luo suddenly produced two drinks, offering one to Mobius.
"Don't worry, it's not alcohol. Given your... memorable drinking capacity, I wouldn't dare discuss business with you under the influence."
The wary look in Mobius' eyes almost made Chen Luo laugh.
"...Fine." Mobius ultimately accepted the drink.
Just as she sometimes couldn't refuse investor banquets, alcohol during negotiations was probably standard practice—even if Mobius considered it a terrible custom.
After settling his other guests, Chen Luo led Mobius to the second floor. The upcoming discussion promised to be significant.
"Last night when I was drunk, I came here..." Mobius began after taking a seat at a table upstairs.
"You did indeed visit while intoxicated. At your insistence, we served you several drinks. Given your state, we added some special sobering ingredients."
"Did I... do anything inappropriate?" Mobius pressed.
"Of course not, Dr. Mobius. You merely clung to my arm while calling me Klein, sang and danced, and insisted I play drinking games with you. Nothing beyond that." Chen Luo smiled warmly.
"..." Mobius fell silent.
She knew her drunken behavior all too well. But why had she mistaken this boy for Klein?
"Enough digressions. Since you brought me upstairs, you must have guessed my intent. Name your price—what do you want in exchange for a portion of that snake meat?" Clearly, Mobius had no interest in "friendly" discussions about her drunken escapades.
Only a ghost[1] would be willing to talk about their black history after getting drunk?
"Oh? You're here to buy snake meat? Not to delete the incriminating footage? My mistake." Chen Luo feigned surprise.
"Footage?!" Mobius' expression darkened.
"Ah yes, I forgot to mention—this bar has full 360-degree recording capabilities. Your rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star was particularly moving." Chen Luo gave a thumbs-up.
"Delete. That. Recording."
[Ding! New commission received!]
"Of course." Chen Luo nodded—then declined the commission.
As if I'd erase such precious footage for a measly 15 Primogems!
Adult Mobius singing, dancing, playing drinking games, and performing nursery rhymes? That blackmail material was worth far more. Chen Luo would not do business at a loss.
"But you wanted snake meat, correct? The thing is..." Chen Luo hesitated.
"What's the issue?"
"Let me be frank, Dr. Mobius. While this bar is just part of my talent with no special restrictions, I don't want cross-world transactions disrupting destined futures."
"I'll pay any price." Mobius' gaze bore into Chen Luo's eyes.
"Any price?"
"Any price."
[Ding! New commission received!]
[Mobius' Oath]: Mobius is willing to pay any price for snake meat that's only useful in Hell—or for making soup.
Reward: 500 Primogems + Special Reward (Guaranteed Mobius-related item/skill)
Difficulty: 3-star
"..." Chen Luo fell silent.
The reason? Mobius' offer was too generous.
Her determination to obtain this otherwise useless meat was staggering.
If she finds out this "special" meat is just ordinary snake flesh outside the Demon Realm, will she try to murder me?
"Dr. Mobius, I must warn you—due to cross-world rules, this Jashin meat might be completely inert in your world."
"That's not your concern. I've accounted for that possibility." Mobius shook her head.
Hearing this, Chen Luo retrieved the one-meter-long tail segment and sliced off roughly half a kilogram of meat. After packaging it in a bar-provided container, he set it aside without handing it over.
"In that case, what do you want? Money? Power? Knowledge? Or... perhaps me?" Mobius' stare intensified.
She was fully aware of her physical appeal.
To Mobius, the body was merely a prison for the mind—though Klein (currently downstairs) strongly disagreed.
"How about a handshake?" Chen Luo extended his right hand.
"...What?" For a moment, Mobius doubted her hearing.
"You heard correctly. Just a handshake." Chen Luo maintained his benign smile.
Time to boost that favorability rating—maybe I'll get a discount on her skills later.
Chen Luo had realized: the higher the favorability in the [Friends & Family] list, the steeper the discounts.
How could I forget to shake hands yesterday while busy farming her for commissions? Such a blunder!
TL Note:
[1]: It usually implies no one in their right mind would do it, or it's unthinkable—so ridiculous or undesirable that only a ghost would do it.