Following Kvedo's lead, Fulen entered the basement. Compared to the cramped and dim Door and table from before, the scene in the basement was magnificent.
The basement was brilliantly lit by the bright candles on the numerous candelabras above. The vast basement was bustling with people. Fulen had initially seen the desolate scene outside the basement Door and thought that not many people would come to this Beyonder Bazaar. However, looking at the current scene, although everyone tried their best to keep their voices low, their combined whispers still created an exceptionally noisy atmosphere.
Kvedo was right beside Fulen. Seeing his friend so surprised upon entering the Beyonder Bazaar, Kvedo seemed to have expected it. He said playfully, "What, you still thought there weren't many people at the Beyonder Bazaar? That's a big mistake. I also thought that when I saw only a few people at the entrance, and even believed I was the unique invitee, but I quickly realized I was very wrong. Oh, right, Karett was also guarding the Door back then."
Erich turned to Kvedo and asked, "Since this place is so prosperous, and the organizer has spent a lot of money, how does he collect money? Does he rely on the merchants here to voluntarily pay? Also, what if someone buys counterfeit goods, will the organizer manage it?"
Kvedo heard Erich's extremely detailed questions and chuckled, looking very pleased: "Heh, old brother, you truly are a solid Social Scholar. You hit the nail on the head right away. I also had this question initially, but after I heard some rumors, this question was easily resolved."
Seeing his friends gather around him, Kvedo walked to an unoccupied corner and then said, "I heard these rumors at an Extraordinary Gathering. Old Man Saiji collects taxes based on the money from the Beyonder materials sold by each person. That's right, he collects taxes." Then, Kvedo prepared to pique the curiosity of the three people around him.
After waiting quietly for a minute, Kvedo saw that the three people around him were all looking at him expressionlessly, feeling a bit flustered in his heart, so he quickly said, "Hmm, it is said that Old Man Saiji is a member of a Beyonder organization. He has a Beyonder under him who can know how much money those who sold Beyonder materials have obtained, and Old Man Saiji collects taxes based on this to profit. Heh, someone once tried to conceal his money, Old Man Saiji didn't say anything, but that person who falsely reported his money didn't come for a long time, and those who knew him later found out that this person died inexplicably at home. Since then, no one has dared to falsely report their income at Old Man Saiji's Beyonder Bazaar."
Seeing the thoughtful expressions of the three people around him, Kvedo continued, "Don't even mention it, with Old Man Saiji's move, those vendors didn't dare to provoke Old Man Saiji, and instead raised their prices by a small portion, which ultimately fell on us. Basically, those who can come here are wealthy ordinary people interested in the Beyonder world, so people don't have much objection. Of course, even if they did, it wouldn't matter. But it is said, hehe, that those who sell things make a killing, making many people want to become merchants at this Bazaar."
"However, this Beyonder Bazaar only collects money, and if you buy counterfeit goods, the organizer doesn't manage it. After all, most of the people who buy here are not Beyonders, and the materials are half genuine and half fake," Kvedo continued, giving a general introduction to this Beyonder Bazaar.
Fulen saw that Karl still had his usual cold face, and Erich remained silent after asking about the situation here, so he could only say to Kvedo, "This Beyonder Bazaar is so, well, full of the Beyonder world's flavor. So, are we just here to look at the general layout of this Bazaar?"
Kvedo chuckled and said, "Of course not. Although this Beyonder Bazaar won't have completely Beyonder world items, there are quite a few things that touch upon the Beyonder world. For example, if Karl wants to collect all the Beyonder materials he needs, it's mostly not a problem."
Karl only spoke when he heard something related to him: "Then the Beyonder materials at this Bazaar won't have any problems, will they?"
Kvedo, hearing this, didn't answer immediately, but smiled and turned his gaze to Erich. Erich, seeing Kvedo's playful gaze, understood the meaning: "No problem. I know the properties and shapes of those Beyonder materials. The people here can't deceive my eyes. I can identify the Beyonder materials Karl needs."
After Kvedo finished listening, he nodded his head, then pushed Fulen and said, "In that case, let's split up. We'll meet at the Door at four o'clock, don't forget the time."
Fulen saw that Kvedo was determined to go with him and thought for a moment before realizing that Kvedo wanted Karl and Erich to buy the needed Beyonder materials, and not let him know the Beyonder materials for a Reader. He felt quite speechless: Kvedo, although enthusiastic, also knew his limits, understanding that even close friends should be clear about money, and absolutely did not want friends to have grudges over insignificant matters that could lead to disaster. So, he went along with Kvedo's plan and prepared to act separately.
However, Kvedo did not immediately push Fulen into the bustling Bazaar to browse, but instead pushed Fulen to another corner. Instantly, long-sealed memories flooded Fulen's mind. After no longer feeling the push, he turned around with a twitching mouth and said, "Kvedo, we're not suitable."
Kvedo was pulling a scroll from an inner pocket of his clothes. Hearing this, he paused and said, "Huh? What? What's not suitable?"
Fulen looked at Kvedo's bewildered expression and knew that having too much knowledge was also a mistake. Then he said expressionlessly, "No, nothing. Why did you push me here?"
Kvedo was not one to dig into things, and he didn't care what Fulen, the speeding old driver, had said. He smiled and handed the scroll in his hand to Fulen, saying, "Hey, Fulen, you must accept this. This is my promise."
Now, Fulen was the one looking bewildered, but Kvedo still had a smiling face and no intention of explaining. However, after Kvedo opened the scroll and saw "Savant" at the top and a series of Beyonder material names listed below, he understood. Subconsciously, Fulen handed the scroll back to Kvedo.
Kvedo, however, pushed the scroll back, and said to Fulen with a serious expression, "Fulen, I originally promised to give you and Erich the Savant potion formula as compensation. This is my promise. You don't want to see your friend lose his credibility, right? For us, losing credibility is much more serious than losing a Sequence 9 potion formula, right?"
Fulen looked at Kvedo, who had never worn such a serious expression, and felt as if he was meeting this friend for the first time.