Chapter 31

“Let’s talk to him–first. If his offer aligns with us, we’ll make a deal,” Carlisle tossed the cigarette he had

only taken one puff of on the ground and stomped it out.

“I reckon he’ll go Sean suggested, eager to secure the highest possible price for the Heavenly Sword.

<10 80 thousand dollars at best. Should I reach out to potential buyers on the forums?”

This was a business transaction worth tens of thousands. Ordinary people might not even earn 10

thousand dollars a year.

Carlisle shook his head. “This isn’t a minor deal. I’m not keen on dealing with strangers.”

Though they had limited interactions with the internet café owner, they were at least somewhat familiar

with him. He was more reliable compared to other strangers.

“Here, have some drinks.”

The internet café owner walked in with three cans of Coke. He closed the door with his foot and

handed

a can to each of them.

“Let’s get to know each other. I’m Ivan Sanders, but everyone calls me Mr. Sanders.”

Ivan sat on the bed, popped open his soda can, and smirked sinisterly.

Mr. Sanders?

Carlisle was slightly surprised.

The name Mr. Sanders rang a bell

Back at Rainville High School, Ivan seemed to be the guy several bullies relied on.

Carlisle hadn’t met Ivan before. Unbeknownst to Carlisle, the internet cafe’s owner was the infamous

Mr.

Sanders, whom bullies constantly mentioned.

Sean’s grip tightened on his Coke can at the mention of Mr. Sanders.

“Hello, Mr. Sanders. I’m Carlisle,” Carlisle greeted calmly.

“Hello, Mr. Sanders. I’m Sean.” Sean’s voice trembled slightly, betraying a hint of nervousness.

Observing Carlisle’s composure, Ivan’s expression flickered with surprise. “So, you guys are high

schoolers, huh? Which year are you in? Are you freshmen or sophomores?

Given his influence, Ivan had dozens of lackeys at Rainville High School. He was a widely recognized

figure.

He mentioned his own name in the hopes of instilling a sense of intimidation. Then, he could potentially

negoffate a lower price.

“Im a senior, just finished my SATS,” Carlisle replied calmly, his composure belied his youthful

appearance

ivan grew even more intrigued by Carlisle’s demeanor. He wondered if Carlisle, had a more powerful

backer than he himself.

After taking a sip of Coke, Ivan went straight to the point. “How much are you planning to sell the

Heavenly Sword for?”

After a moment of consideration, Carlisle gestured with nine fingers.

Ivan lit a cigarette and took a couple of puffs. He shook his head and responded, “That’s too high.

Selling the Heavenly for 90 thousand dollars is impossible, in spite of its rarity.”

Sean glanced nervously at Carlisle, fearing he might lower the price further.

On the forums, some big spenders offered starting prices of 100 thousand or more. If they auctioned it,

they might even fetch 150 thousand.

After a moment’s hesitation, Carlisle smiled and proposed, “Everyone knows the value of the Heavenly

Sword now.

“But I’m willing to be friends with you, Mr. Sanders. You can have it for a friendly price of 80 thousand

dollars.”

What the heck?

Carlisle directly reduced it by 10 thousand?

Sean was stunned.

The Heavenly Sword, worth over 100 thousand dollars, would be sold for only 80 thousand dollars?

In Rainville, current housing prices were typically 170 dollars per square foot.

Second–hand houses likely ranged from 70 to 80 thousand dollars.

This equated to the value of an entire second–hand house!

Ivan soon realized Carlisle wasn’t so easy to deceive. 80 thousand dollars was indeed a friendly price.

It appeared that Carlisle genuinely sought friendship with him. But it wasn’t easy to come up with 80

thousand dollars on such short notice.

After a moment of hesitation, Ivan gritted his teeth and said, “Alright, 80 thousand it is. I need to make a

phone call to gather the funds!”

ush, I’ll come back tomorrow” Carlisle stood up with a smile.

When Ivan saw this, he immediately said, “No, I must get it today!”

He feared that Carlisle would seek other buyers.

“Alright. Try your best to be quick then.” Carlisle sat back down on the chair.

“It might take a while. In the meantime, feel free to use the Internet upstairs. I’ll set up two computers

for you,” Ivan said with a cigarette in his mouth.

Carlisle and Sean went outside to use the Internet.

Ivan took out his cell phone and started making calls to gather the funds.

Two years prior, he had a reputation for being a bit of a rogue, but marriage had mellowed him.

The internet café was initially financed by his father–in–law.

He planned to borrow some money from his father–in–law first.