Gengxin City is one of the main cities of the Star Luo Empire, located in the southwest of the empire. The city itself is only in the middle-to-lower tier among the major cities, and it cannot be considered a famous place.
Douluo Continent is a world of Soul Masters. As a city of metal, it is quite normal for it to be overlooked. Blacksmiths are currently considered a commoner profession. The influence of the Blacksmiths' Association only holds some status within this specific city, and it is completely incomparable to Soul Masters. At least, that is the case for now.
In the original timeline, the status of blacksmiths only changed because of the further development of Soul Guidance Technology in later generations. As the requirements for metal quality increased and the demand from Soul Masters rose, their status improved, and they even adopted a more elegant professional title: Forging Master.
Yun Ming came here to look for rare metals. Because the current Douluo Continent lacks an understanding of the value of metals, mineral development is not very advanced. Furthermore, rare metal deposits on the Douluo Continent are inherently scarce, which led to the situation where Yun Ming could not find good raw materials whenever he wanted to forge something. Thus, he had no choice but to try his luck in this so-called City of Metal.
Yun Ming successfully entered Gengxin City. As soon as he passed through the city gate, the rush of metallic scent immediately gave them a unique sensation.
Gengxin City itself is not very large, and it did not take long for Yun Ming to follow the directions of passersby to the central area of Gengxin City.
Standing before a tall building, Yun Ming looked up. This massive structure was at least thirty meters high and occupied a vast area. Being able to occupy such a large space in the city center shows its importance to this city. Overall, the architectural style is somewhat similar to the Great Soul Arena in Heaven Dou City. Hanging directly above the building is a dark black iron plaque; it has no words on it, only two raised patterns: a hammer and a chisel.
Without needing to ask, Yun Ming knew what this place was. Beyond a doubt, this is the headquarters of the Blacksmiths' Association.
This massive building looks somewhat rugged, without any ornate decorations, and there are not even any guards at the main entrance. However, the flow of people coming and going is endless. The three main gates are wide open, and one can see the bustling crowd inside from the outside.
As Yun Ming watched the bustling crowd, there were those among them with keen eyes who noticed that Yun Ming was clearly not in the same league as everyone else here. Just as Yun Ming was walking and looking around, searching for raw materials that caught his eye, a short-haired, spirited woman with wheat-colored skin and looking to be in her twenties stepped forward to greet him.
"Is this Young Master here at the headquarters to buy something? I wonder what you are looking to purchase? If you don't mind, this young lady can help you!"
Regarding this enthusiastic woman who suddenly approached, Yun Ming glanced at the work badge with her name engraved on her chest, understood her situation, and nodded in agreement.
"Then I will trouble you, Miss Mi."
Seeing that this handsome and wealthy young brother did not refuse, Mina was very happy. If her luck was good, she could probably make a big profit today. As for how she knew Yun Ming was wealthy, it was evident from both the Phoenix Cry Ring on his hand and his clothes, which looked simple but were actually made of expensive materials.
Having received Yun Ming's consent, the professional Mina immediately began to introduce the situation here to him.
"Looking at your appearance after entering, Young Master, this must be your first time at our headquarters, right? Let me first introduce the general situation of our headquarters to you."
"The headquarters here is divided into five floors. The first floor is the trading area, where blacksmiths bring their proud works or some metals to trade. Of course, there is no shortage of merchants specializing in selling various metals. The second floor is the high-end trading area, where rare metals are generally traded. The third floor is the blacksmith registration and examination area, specifically for blacksmith rank assessments. The fourth floor is the VIP area, which is also the auction area. Some particularly precious and rare forged items are auctioned there periodically. As for the fifth floor, it is the office area for the Blacksmiths' Association."
"So, is it convenient for you to tell me your requirements now, Young Master?"
Yun Ming nodded and said.
"Of course, I want to buy rare metals. Whether it is raw ore, primary processed blanks, or finished objects, I want them all."
As he spoke, a metal list appeared in his hand, which he handed to Mina.
Mina glanced at the metals included on it: Nether Mysterious Iron, Mithril, Deep Silver, Blue Bearing Copper, Titanium Crystal, and a long list of other expensive metal names. Their only common characteristic was that they were not cheap, which made Mina exceptionally surprised.
She had previously thought it might be a big order, but she didn't expect it to be such a massive one. Even without mentioning the total volume, just these categories alone, calculated by the smallest unit of sale, would amount to no less than fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins. She was going to make a fortune this time.
Just as Mina was thinking this, Yun Ming added another sentence.
"How much your headquarters has, I want it all."
'Huh?!!'
How much they have, he wants it all? Was this a procurement for some major power! Buying in this manner, just how many tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins is this business worth! She couldn't quite fathom it.
Mina swallowed hard. She didn't know if the young man in front of her understood the market, so she spoke up to remind him, while also confirming.
"This Young Master, the unit prices for these metals are not cheap at all. If you buy like this, I'm afraid it will cost at least this much."
In public, it was inconvenient for her to speak directly, so she gestured with her hand.
Yun Ming glanced at the number she gestured and fell into silence. Sixty thousand Gold Soul Coins—is it really that cheap?
Coming from later generations, Yun Ming had seen all kinds of outrageous pricing for rare metals. Some ultra-rare ones were priced at tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins per gram, and they were often unavailable even if you had the money. Suddenly seeing something so cheap, he was a bit unaccustomed to it.
Seeing Yun Ming suddenly fall silent, Mina's restless heart felt like it had been doused with a bucket of cold water.
Great, he's just a young master who doesn't know the industry. I was happy too soon. Just as Mina was thinking this, feeling her motivation wane, Yun Ming came back to his senses and said solemnly.
"If this is the price point, I think I need to sign a long-term cooperation agreement with your headquarters. From now on, we will take as much of these metals as you have."
Originally, for this acquisition, he had specifically gone home and brought five million Gold Soul Coins. Now it seems he might not even use one-fifth of it. This is truly a good deal; it must be finalized.
Mina was still immersed in the grief of her commission being greatly reduced and didn't react for a moment, subconsciously saying.
"Okay, no problem, let's see exactly how much you need."
Wait, Mina seemed to have discovered something wrong. What did he just say? Not only does he want to buy this time, but he also wants to buy long-term?!! Mina was stunned. It's over. This isn't a pie falling from the sky; this is a golden mountain falling from the sky—the kind that could crush her.
This time, she no longer had any thoughts of doubt, and with a flushed face, she said to Yun Ming.
"Young Master! This order is too big; I cannot make the decision. Please follow me to see the supervisor."
Watching Mina, whose eyes had turned into the shape of Gold Soul Coins, Yun Ming nodded calmly and followed her upstairs.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader