The weapon refiner is not doing her job properly

Chapter 177 Gifts and Insights

Su Ninglong paused in her movements.

Qingling Tea was only officially launched last year, and initially, due to its price, it was indeed very unpopular and had a very low demand.

Later, thanks to word-of-mouth recommendations from Tong Zi and Yun Fei's high-end circle, and the fact that Principal Yan, a big shot, spent a fortune to buy up all the inventory, the situation was finally turned around.

She set this year's price with a "take it or leave it" attitude, not expecting to sell many, since it was ridiculously expensive. She was even prepared to be taught a lesson by the market and then only sell to hunters.

Who would have thought things would go so smoothly?
She subconsciously pulled up the sales data in the backend and glanced at it.

On the screen, the number that originally displayed the inventory had suddenly changed to "0".

The stock that was put up, really... sold out completely?
A lot of money!
“Okay, then I’ll give you another five pounds,” Su Ninglong readily agreed, “to give to Teacher Doug and his generous colleagues.”

In her mind, while star coins were tempting, they were clearly more valuable and irreplaceable resources compared to the scarce parasitic materials.

At least, on her value scales, the material weighs much more.

"As for Uncle Lei," she thought for a moment, then added, "let's give him an extra pound too."

"I've taken a lot of money from him over the years, so we need to think about sustainable development. We can't just fleece him until he's bald, can we?"

Although Su Ninglong is usually too lazy to deliberately cultivate interpersonal relationships, she is by no means ignorant of social etiquette.

She understands the principle of reciprocity; appropriate feedback can often maintain a stronger relationship and even open up unexpected information channels to obtain crucial help.

Since she had started planning the gift list, Su Ninglong simply gave two packets of the tea she had packaged in front of her (each a small, exquisite packet containing one tael of tea) to each of her friends in the workshop: Song Liu, Lian Xinyi, Lei Qingya, Ge Wei, and others.

The workshop workers, however, did not receive this extra gift. There was a portion available for them to sample within the manor, but Su Ninglong's rules were very clear: products containing special energy, such as tea and spirit rice, were absolutely not allowed to be taken out of the manor.

Lian Xinyi held the two small packets of tea, her eyes shining with emotion. She opened her arms, wanting to rush over and give Su Ninglong a bear hug. "Sister Su, you are the best little Su Su in the world. I will follow you to the death."

Drinking Qingling Tea can reduce discomfort after entering a polluted area, purify the mind, and make it feel much easier to break through strength.

Su Ninglong nimbly dodged to the side, coolly reminding him, "It's not too late to talk about following me after you return 'Echoes of the Abyss'."

"Sister Su, are you allergic to romance?" Lian Xinyi immediately covered her chest, pretended to cry twice, then quickly slapped away Song Liu's outstretched hand, hid the tea leaves in the safest pocket in her bosom, and looked around warily, looking like she was protecting her food as if "no one can take it away from me."

Su Ninglong ignored Lian Xinyi's antics and carefully packed the gifts to be given out. She took out the custom-made, exquisite gift boxes and began preparing the portions for her important partners.

The person she was to send the gift to quickly became clear in her mind.

Yun Fei and Tong Zi, two friends in high-end circles who helped her open up sales channels, were naturally indispensable.

General Ji's situation is a bit special; we can only send loose tea, without putting those outrageous price tags on it, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble for this soldier.

Next up is Principal Yan, last year's "major client".

Needless to say, Zou Shuyi and Xingyuan are both business partners and friends, so they must be given more.

Uncle Cha and Aunt Cha have solved all her clothing problems over the years, saving her time and effort. This kindness should not be overlooked.

Also, there's Wu Mo, Teacher Yang, Fu Ni, Ling Fei, the Alice and Ailiya sisters, Yun Fei's two capable assistants, Hai Yu, the Song family...

Looking back, the number of people she knows and needs to maintain relationships with isn't huge, but it covers all aspects of her life and career. Behind each name lies a cherished connection and necessary interaction.

After carefully preparing all the gifts, Su Ninglong called over her two special "deliverymen," Qirui and Aoli.

She crouched down, ruffled the two fluffy heads, and smiled as she stated her terms: "Help me deliver these gifts to these people accurately. After the mission is complete, I'll come back and make you a delicious bowl of meat spirit rice!"

"Woof!" Ollie was so excited that his tail almost wagged like a propeller. He happily spun around in place several times, and then affectionately nuzzled his fluffy head into Su Ninglong's arms.

Qirui, on the other hand, was more composed. It nuzzled Suninglong and then the excited Ollie before picking up the assigned gift box and setting off first, showing exceptional dedication.

The packing and shipping work continued until nightfall, finally managing to pack all the exorbitantly priced Qingling Tea into specially made express boxes and send them to various parts of the star field.

After receiving the two extra packets of tea from Su Ninglong, even Xin Yi and the others felt a little guilty, thinking that their boss had lost out big time.

Before leaving, Lian Xinyi patted her chest and assured her, "Don't worry, we'll find the rarest local ingredients for you every time we go to a new place."

Su Ninglong chuckled and quickly waved her hand, "I appreciate the thought, but don't buy anything indiscriminately. If you see anything new or interesting, just bring me a small sample to look at."

She truly loved the world's abundant resources, especially the materials for crafting weapons, finding great joy in exploration.

Soon after, Qirui and Aoli completed their mission and wagged their tails as they returned to claim the promised "delicious" meal.

At this time, Suninglong's personal terminal also received a series of thank-you messages from various parties.

Charlie's parents' gratitude was the most heartfelt; in addition to sending a text message, they also "incidentally" had Qirui bring back a large bag of carefully selected new clothes.

The design is simple and classic, and the fabric is comfortable and exquisite, which is exactly the style that Suninglong has always preferred.

A thank-you text message from her godmother, Ms. Zou, made her eyelids twitch: "My precious daughter's ability to make money is getting better and better. Can I have some? Mom will save it for you, it's safe."

Su Ninglong decisively chose "read but do not reply".

The star coins handled by this godmother are always gone forever; she uses them all to buy real estate. She has quietly hoarded two plots of land in the core area of ​​the main star. Moreover, she took a large sum of money from her earlier, saying she wanted to build a high-rise building, but it is unknown whether it has been completed or not.

The money kept flowing, and Su Ninglong could only pretend not to see Zou Shuyi's text message.

Principal Yan's message had a slightly business-like tone. He expressed his desire to purchase another 200 jin (approximately 100 kg) of Qingling tea in his personal capacity and inquired about a "friendly price." (The last purchase was made in bulk on behalf of the school.)
Without hesitation, Su Ninglong readily replied, "Okay, I'll give it to you at the same price I paid the school last year." However, she added a small condition: "You have to promise me that you won't resell it at a higher price, nor will you use it as a favor or gift."

On the other end of the screen, Principal Yan, stroking his long beard, smiled with satisfaction. He immediately replied, "No problem!" He remembered Su Ninglong's kindness in giving up such a huge benefit for him. He could naturally agree to this small request.

"Let's go, Xingyuan is already cooking. I wonder if we'll receive a thank-you gift from Teacher Yang today. The lamb pilaf is delicious." Su Ninglong led the two lead dogs back to the Hunter's House.

……

After receiving the two jin of Qingling tea sent by his beloved daughter Lei Qingya, Mr. Lei couldn't contain his pride. He carefully brewed a pot and then "casually" invited several old friends who also loved tea to his home for a tea tasting.

When the antique-looking tea canister was taken out, the eyes of the knowledgeable friends immediately lit up.

The three characters "Xiuzhen Garden" are now the hard currency for social interaction among the wealthy.

"Old Lei! Where did you get this?" a friend exclaimed, his voice filled with incredulous envy. "I pulled so many strings and spent a full three million star coins to finally 'dig' back a pitiful ounce from an old friend. This tea is harder to find than digging out a top-tier Starry Sky Eye."

He marveled at Su Ninglong's ruthless methods, noting that she only sent the products to the Gemini Galaxy and blacklisted most of the black market and scalpers.

Otherwise, those guys would definitely hoard goods and drive prices sky-high.

Mr. Lei's smile was practically overflowing, and he straightened his back a bit: "Haha, this is nothing! My daughter got it back for me."

His tone was full of fatherly pride, "My daughter is a close friend of Mr. Su at the manor. If I want some tea, Mr. Su is willing to give me that much face."

He paused, then added with a hint of helplessness, "But this is the limit I can give. I really can't ask for more."

"I remember you used to complain every day about how your daughter abandoned the family business to become a hunter in the Star Alliance."

"The past is the past. Young people have their own aspirations. We can't confuse the two, haha!" Mr. Lei laughed and cleverly changed the subject, his face no longer showing any trace of his past complaints.

"Then let me enjoy a couple more drinks, is that alright?" The friend who spoke first darted around, seizing the opportunity to build rapport. "By the way, your daughter's in her mid-twenties, right? My son is three years older than her, and our two families know each other well. How about... we consider becoming in-laws?"

Mentioning this topic, Mr. Lei's smug smile faded slightly, revealing a hint of genuine helplessness: "As for tea, offering you a cup is no problem. But as for establishing in-law relationships..."

He sighed and shook his head. "It's not that I don't want to do this. My daughter's status is different now. She has an extraordinary teacher, and it's her own business. As her father, I can't make decisions for her. Besides, she's already a 'white hunter,' and you all know what that circle is like."

He pointed to the sky above, then to the ground below, "It's quite far from us business people. Trying to match your son with her? It's not appropriate, really not appropriate."

In his mind, the stable and affluent business circle was a hundred times safer than the dangerous world of hunters.

He couldn't see the spirits, and he didn't believe they had much power.

He couldn't help but feel terrified because so many people around him had witnessed it, and their experiences also instilled fear in him.

My friend keenly sensed the barely concealed disappointment in Mr. Lei's words.

The eldest daughter joined the Star Alliance without hesitation, and the youngest son also awakened his superpowers, ultimately embarking on the same path.

This is undoubtedly an unspeakable regret and blow to a father who longs for his children to inherit the family business.

He tactfully patted Mr. Lei on the shoulder and dropped the topic of the marriage alliance.
However, he suggested from a different angle: "The public opinion on the Star Network isn't very friendly to the Star Alliance right now. Why don't you consider letting your youngest son develop in the Star Glory Alliance? You can't put all your eggs in one basket."

"The Star Alliance isn't doing so well online right now. Have you considered getting your youngest son into the Star Alliance? You can't put all your eggs in one basket."

"With Qingya looking after him on the Star Alliance side, Tinghua will be fine." Lei's father waved his hand, a hint of worldly-wise mockery flashing in his eyes. "Public opinion, in the end, is just something hyped up in our circle. The Star Alliance has always only recognized strength and power. Even if they want to allocate resources, they openly throw them at the strongest, never hiding anything. I personally approve of this approach. What good would it do to throw more resources at the 'weak' in their profession? The military also likes to throw resources at special forces and mech soldiers, so why doesn't anyone say it's favoritism?"

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and continued slowly, "Why now, when are so many voices of 'unfairness' emerging? Ha, this sounds all too familiar. It's nothing more than someone trying to use this opportunity to create hype, either to precisely target a certain individual or to cover up something else and divert public attention."

Upon hearing this, my friend nodded thoughtfully and also took a sip of the priceless Qingling Tea in his cup.

Indeed, the foundation of the Star Alliance cannot be shaken by a few online comments.

As long as the Mystic Spirits exist, the Star Alliance hunters will have somewhere to go.

Soon, their conversation naturally turned to the Qingling Tea that had recently stirred up a storm.

The way this tea was sold caused widespread devastation in the black market of the entire Gemini Galaxy.

To make matters worse, the estate has made it clear that none of this year's Lingmi rice will be sold, and even if it goes on sale next year, it will only be available through online auctions with real-name authentication.

This news was like a bolt from the blue for the black market merchants who had previously managed to get insiders to smuggle out the spiritual rice and then triumphantly resell it at high prices.

He was currently huddled in some dark corner, filled with deep regret.

Of course, what he regretted was not accepting that hot commodity of spirit rice, but rather hating himself for being too timid and not daring to raise the price several times over.

Hiding now is a last resort.

He felt like he had become a rat in the street, hated by everyone.

Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents; he and the manor owner Su Ninglong both became targets of public criticism.

But those enraged black market merchants couldn't touch Su Ninglong from the Star Alliance.

To vent his frustration, he turned to deal with this black market dealer.

He prayed that this storm would pass quickly.