Chapter 370: The first riot in black market history (2/2)
“If you want to see all the excitement, it’s best to pick a high vantage point.” He sat down while still hugging her above the crowd teeming with people. His words had a certain logic, because they certainly could see everything from the rooftop here. They could also pinpoint the centers of activity without being caught up in the hustle and bustle themselves.
The scramble sale had already formally begun with Wu Shu heading up the rally. Atop a high platform lay a tall pile of grain sacks, turning the entire area into a sea of grain. As soon as Wu Shu raised his hand, the hubbub stilled. The crowd was composed of three separate rings, each filled with all sorts of people. Some of the more well-known merchants stood at the head of the crowds, such as the Ouyang Clan head. Others preferred to be more low key and hide themselves in the midst of the crowd. They’d also brought many pageboys with them. Though no one knew the exact details of the scramble sale, the fact that they’d have to ‘scramble’ was enough to make everyone feel nervous.
Getting 10,000 dan of grain like this was a huge deal!
The silence of the crowd belied the anxiety in their hearts. Everyone was curious and expectant for the terms of the sale. Most of them had discussing it the entire day as soon as the news went public. These 10,000 dan of grain were part of a one-time offer, so how would we scramble for it? Finally, someone spoke up before Wu Shu could explain.
“Shopkeeper, how are we scrambling for this grain? Hurry and tell us the details!”
Immediately, the crowd grew noisy at his words.
“Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen! Don’t be impatient! Hear my terms!” Wu Shu quickly took control of the situation. He wasn’t in a rush to explain the terms, but wanted to announce something else equally important. “Ladies and gentlemen, today is a cause of celebration. Our little store has been in business for five years, so as a token of thanks for the kindness of our patrons, we’ll be selling a total of 30,000 dan of grain. They’ll be divided into husked rice, wheat, and millet and sold over the course of three successive days. Each 10,000 dan will be up for grabs only once. Delivery will be made on the same day at no extra cost to the buyer!”
Once again, the crowd fell into an uproar at his words–because there was more than one chance! They could buy the grain over the next two days as well! Moreover, they were all different types of grain. This grain store had always been a low-key establishment, so why were they so passionate now?
Amidst the discussions, Wu Shu shouted, “Ladies and gentlemen, set your worries at ease. This store will keep to its word. My establishment might be small, but I have grain aplenty. If any buyers or sellers wish to do business after these three days, I’ll be happy to discuss prices with them!”
Most of the people who’d come for the show didn’t pay attention to Wu Shu’s words, but the merchants who did big business immediately picked up on his message. This shop not only had grain stores, but also favorable haggling conditions! The Ouyang Clan Head told his pageboy right then and there, “Go to the Lin Clan’s grain store and tell them that I’ll be busy tomorrow. We can discuss terms after a few more days.”
The Ouyang Clan Head had originally planned to just take a peek here before going to discuss grain prices at the Lin Clan’s shop after midnight. As things stood, it’d be better if he waited to see the grain prices here instead. Yucheng’s Lin Clan and Yuzhou’s Wang Clan did the same thing, but with slightly varying excuses. One claimed that he didn’t have enough funds at the moment and needed a few days to get the cash, while the other said he was suddenly feeling unwell, so he’ll talk business when he recovered in a few days.
Han Yunxi and Long Feiye watched the trio’s actions from their perch on the roof. Han Yunxi smiled and said, “Your Highness, it looks like everything’s going smoothly so far.”
Long Feiye nodded.
Han Yunxi broke into a mischievous giggle. “Your Highness, if we settle things here, will you reward chenqie?”
Long Feiye was very generous. “I will.”
“What will you reward me with?” Han Yunxi asked hastily, forgetting decorum in her rush.
Long Feiye glanced at her before he replied, “We can discuss it once everything’s finished.”
Currently, Wu Shu was about to announce the guidelines for the sale. Everyone was waiting with bated breath, afraid to miss a single word. Even Chu Xifeng and Wu Shu’s own men were curious and expectant. They had all worked the entire afternoon without knowing a single detail. But Wu Shu simply took out a single ball made out of colored silk and raised it high in the air.
A silk ball? What’s…the meaning of this?
“Are we scrambling for the silk ball?” someone shouted. There was no laughter at his words, only silence.
“Exactly! Ladies and gentlemen, whoever retains possession of this silk ball after an hour will get the chance to buy today’s grain! There are only two rules: 1) you cannot use martial arts and 2) you cannot harm human lives!” Wu Shu said loudly.
Everyone was dumbfounded. Chu Xifeng couldn’t help but glance in Han Yunxi’s direction. What kind of brain does this woman have? Scrambling for a silk ball? There’s at least 500 people here. If they fight over the ball for an hour, it’s not a scramble, but an all-out riot!
Actually, Han Yunxi was pretty dumbfounded, too.
She’d thought up the scramble sale, but she hadn’t come up with a way to make them scramble. So really, the silk ball was all His Highness Duke of Qin’s idea. He had said that he wanted a reason to meet the administrators of the Sky Domain Black Market, so he wanted to take this chance and cause a riot. Meanwhile, Wu Shu had already tossed away the silk ball. Immediately, the crowd flocked towards the target from all sides, each of them scrambling, snatching, kicking, pulling, tearing, punching and stepping on each other!
Naturally, the big merchants all backed away from the chaos, but their attendants and page boys they had brought along weren’t idle at all. All of them took the first chance they found to rush over and fight for the ball. Soon enough, the chaos spilled onto the streets as the entire situation fell hopelessly out of control.
At last, Han Yunxi understood why Long Feiye said they needed a high vantage point to see all the excitement…