Chapter 100: Yuuka Must Be in a Good Mood
Haruto skillfully sidestepped any further discussion of his identity, instead pivoting the conversation to the practical matter of conducting transactions between worlds. The other players in the group chat were sharp enough to take the hint and didn't press him for details.
The topic naturally shifted to the product Haruto was selling—the Hakurei Talismans. With the help of a few friendly group members, he quickly grasped the basic rules of trade.
First, the Ghost Phone used a virtual currency called ghost coins. The system managed all transactions automatically, making it impossible for players to manipulate and thus ensuring a high level of security.
Second, players could sell their own ghost artifacts directly to the Ghost Phone system, which would automatically convert them into an equivalent value in ghost coins.
Third, the phone came with a "Ghost Postman" app. This allowed players to summon a spectral courier for deliveries. The service supported both prepaid shipping and cash-on-delivery, but it came with a steep fee: a ten-percent cut of the item's total price. The Ghost Postman itself was not without its own dangers, but compared to the horrors of an instance, the risk was considered manageable. As long as one followed the rules, safety was more or less guaranteed.
As for whether to prepay or pay on delivery, there were no strict regulations; it was simply a matter of agreement between the buyer and seller.
Given the price Haruto had set, the players in the group unanimously agreed to cash-on-delivery. Some even offered to pay a premium. If their initial interest was driven by a bargain-hunter's desire for high-quality ghost artifacts, their motivation had now shifted. More than anything, they hoped to use this transaction to get on Haruto's good side. Perhaps, if they were ever on the brink of death in a future instance, he might remember them and offer a life-saving hand.
Haruto was more than happy to accept the cash-on-delivery terms. As for the offers of a higher price, he saw no need for that at the moment.
He randomly selected a handful of lucky buyers from the enthusiastic crowd. Following the guidance of one player, he opened the Ghost Postman app, filled out the necessary information step-by-step, and finally tapped the "Schedule Pickup" button.
The interface loaded for a moment before displaying a new message: [Pickup in three days.]
It was also worth mentioning that his Ghost Phone account already held tens of thousands of ghost coins. Haruto suspected they were a parting gift from Xie Lin, included when she gave him the phone.
As the numbers in the account balance began to jump, Reimu's eyes grew brighter and brighter. She tugged excitedly at Haruto's sleeve.
"Should we sell more? I can make more! Just give me some time—a week! No, three days! Just one day! If you give me one more day, I can make another hundred!"
"No need," Haruto said, shaking his head. "We'll just sell this batch for now."
It wasn't that he doubted Reimu's ability; on the contrary, he had a little too much faith in it. If he gave her the green light, he knew the girl would work herself to the bone, pulling all-nighters until she was completely exhausted, all for the sake of making more talismans. To prevent her from working herself to death on his account, Haruto decided it was best to let her ease into it.
Hearing his refusal, Reimu instantly deflated like a punctured balloon. But just as quickly, her fighting spirit returned.
"Then what about my money? When are you giving it to me? Ten thousand per talisman, and you sold fifty. That's five hundred thousand in total." She held out both hands, her gaze fixed on Haruto with unwavering expectation.
Haruto propped his chin on his hand, silent for a moment. "Didn't you pay attention just now? Ghost coins can only be used for transactions on the Ghost Phone. You can't withdraw them as cash."
Reimu's heart skipped a beat. "So… my money is gone?"
"How could it be gone? I'll compensate you personally."
Watching the color drain from Reimu's face as her entire world seemed to turn a bleak monochrome, Haruto sighed helplessly. He opened a Gap, reached half his body inside, and rummaged around for a moment before pulling out two large, Kedama-shaped piggy banks.
"This is all I have on me for now. Count it and see if it's enough."
Without a word, Reimu produced her yin-yang orbs. With two sharp thuds, she mercilessly smashed the piggy banks to pieces. Inside the ceramic shards lay neat rows of silver coins, with a few gold ones glinting among them.
She counted quickly. "Four hundred and ten thousand in total. You're still ninety thousand short."
"There's really no more." Haruto stuck his hands back into the Gap, turning it inside out to show it was empty. "How about you do me a favor and round it down?"
"Who in their right mind rounds down by ninety thousand?!" Reimu grumbled, her cheeks puffed out in indignation. "Aren't you the young master of the Yakumo family? Where's all your money?"
Haruto coughed twice. "Well, expenses have been a bit high lately. Plus, I gave most of my savings to Youmu. I don't have much left."
Sighing, Reimu shot him a resentful look. "Fine. Four hundred and ten thousand it is."
With that, she stood up and dragged a heavy, locked iron chest out from a nearby cabinet. She had originally bought it from Kourindou, intending to use it as a new donation box, but had reconsidered and abandoned the idea.
She carefully locked all the coins inside the chest, hefted the heavy safe with a satisfied grin, and stuffed it back into the cabinet. But just as she closed the door, a flicker of unease crossed her face. She immediately reopened it and slapped seven or eight sealing talismans onto the iron chest before she finally seemed at ease.
"Are you even guarding against me?" Haruto muttered, looking dissatisfied. "That's a bit much. I wouldn't steal your money."
"You wouldn't," Reimu retorted, "but what about that person in your house?" A flash of resentment flickered in her eyes, as if she were recalling some unpleasant memory.
Thinking of his sister Yukari's particular personality, Haruto could only offer an awkward yet polite smile.
"How about this…" Haruto felt a slight pang from what remained of his conscience; after all, he had made a tidy profit as the middleman. "No need to round down. Consider the ninety thousand a debt. When I get the money, I'll definitely pay you back."
"It's a deal!" Reimu's face immediately lit up, and she eagerly poured Haruto a cup of cold tea. "I knew you were much better than that old hag Yukari—"
Her voice stopped abruptly. Reimu's eyes darted around the room, her senses on high alert. She had felt a distinct flicker of killing intent, but after a moment, nothing happened. She tentatively finished her sentence.
"—is. Sister Yukari is much better."
Sensing a faint crack appearing in the very air beside her, Reimu decisively changed her tune. A wise person knows when to yield, and she was no Marisa.
Haruto's expression was subtle, but he didn't say anything. He understood Reimu perfectly; his dear sister was not known for her broad-mindedness.
"Speaking of which, where is Marisa?" Haruto only just realized the boisterous magician was nowhere to be seen.
"Didn't you give her that 'Sunflower Field Day Trip' training voucher? She's probably gone to the Garden of the Sun."
"Uh…" Haruto took a sip of tea before admitting awkwardly, "Actually, that voucher was just something I drew up on the spot. I haven't even told Yuuka about it yet."
Hearing this, the corner of Reimu's mouth couldn't help but twitch. The man had clearly come up with the idea of screwing Marisa over at the last minute.
"It's fine," Haruto said with a dismissive wave. "She knows my relationship with Marisa. For my sake, she won't actually turn her into flower fertilizer. Besides, she should be in a good mood right now."
"A good mood?"
"I just brought her some flowers from another world. She should like them," Haruto said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Reimu nodded, a look of understanding on her face.
Given Kazami Yuuka's extreme, all-consuming love for flowers, she would indeed be happy. Factoring in Haruto's influence, Marisa would, at most, be planted in the soil for a few days to get some sleep. She probably wouldn't actually become flower fertilizer.
Probably.
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