Chapter 280 - Price Increase

Baskets of crayfish, all of them extremely lively.

The ones on the bottom frantically struggled, while those on top stood tall and proud, waving their fiery red claws.

Although Chen Yang had just eaten a lot of crayfish, seeing these still made him very hungry.

“There’s nothing strange about these crayfish, except maybe that they’re lively.”

Chen Yang walked around the basket a couple of times, muttering to himself.

As it happened, a vendor nearby heard Chen Yang’s muttering.

The vendor laughed, then moved closer with a smile that carried a hint of pride.

“Young man, you clearly don’t understand.

My crayfish, known as Wang Lao Si’s crayfish, are famous throughout this night market!”

“My crayfish aren’t just lively, their meat quality is exceptional!”

The vendor, who called himself Wang Lao Si, looked full of himself, as if his crayfish were something extraordinary.

Seeing his arrogant demeanor, Chen Yang couldn’t help but laugh silently before asking, “Good meat quality?

How so?”

Hearing Chen Yang’s question, Wang Lao Si’s pride seemed to increase.

“How so?

Have you seen the business on this street?

The reason this street is so bustling is largely due to me, Wang Lao Si.

If it weren’t for my crayfish, would their business be this good?”

Wang Lao Si spoke proudly, then posed a question, “Brother, have you eaten crayfish at other night stalls here?”

“I have.”

“How was the taste?”

Chen Yang nodded directly, “Quite good, the taste was great.”

“Heh.”

Wang Lao Si smiled slightly, “Of course, the crayfish in those stores all come from my supply!

Otherwise, where would they get such good quality crayfish?”

Wang Lao Si seemed to really enjoy boasting, a true show-off.

Chen Yang was just asking casually, yet Wang Lao Si couldn’t resist spouting all the advantages of his crayfish.

But this was exactly what Chen Yang wanted to see.

“In that case, your crayfish must be something special.

Since they’re so good, I bet they’re also quite expensive, right?”

Chen Yang said with a smile.

“Naturally.”

Wang Lao Si nodded, “Outside, crayfish generally go for thirty to forty yuan per pound!

But my crayfish start at at least a hundred!”

“That’s expensive.”

Chen Yang couldn’t help but comment, while also thinking that the old guy wasn’t cheating anyone; the ingredients were indeed expensive.

“Ah!

Brother!

That’s not how you should see it.

My crayfish may be expensive, but there’s a reason, right?

Otherwise, who would buy my crayfish?”

Wang Lao Si adopted the posture of a conscientious businessman, seemingly aggrieved that his crayfish cost more than double the market rate.

“That’s true.

It’s a matter of willing buyer, willing seller, but I’m just curious, why are your crayfish so good?

Why don’t others taste as good as yours?”

After the discussion, Chen Yang felt it was about the right time to see if he could get some sort of recipe out of him.

But, although Wang Lao Si was a braggart, he wasn’t stupid.

As soon as Chen Yang asked this, he immediately waved his hands.

“Brother, that I really can’t reveal.

That’s my secret to wealth, how could I tell you?”

Wang Lao Si waved his hands repeatedly, refusing to divulge a single word.

Seeing the situation, Chen Yang thought about changing the subject to talk about something else, to avoid discussing these sensitive topics any further.

But before he could start, Wang Lao Si’s gaze had already shifted away from him.

He looked in another direction.

Chen Yang followed his gaze, and it turned out someone had arrived.

“Why did you get here so late?

Don’t want these crayfish anymore?

Next time, if you make me wait this long again, don’t blame me for not showing you respect.”

Seeing those people, Wang Lao Si immediately changed his face, showing a fierce expression.

HIs words were filled with anger.

And those who arrived were mostly the owners of other shops outside, coming here to buy crayfish.

Confronted by the hot-headed Wang Lao Si, that group of shop owners had no temper at all.

“Hehe, Brother Wang, don’t be mad, it’s just that the shop’s been too busy, right?”

“Yeah, Brother Wang, next time come early and sit in our little shop, have a cup of tea.”

“Brother Wang, don’t be angry, we really didn’t do it on purpose, we will definitely pay attention next time.”

The four or five bosses immediately put on ingratiating smiles.

But on Wang Laosi’s face, the irritation did not lessen in the slightest.

“Enough, enough, I can’t be bothered to talk to you all anymore, I just want to notify you, starting today, I’m raising my prices on these lobsters!”

Wang Laosi said with a face full of irritation.

Upon hearing about the price increase, the smiles on those bosses’ faces immediately stiffened.

At the same time, none of them spoke.

Seeing that none of them were speaking, Wang Laosi grew even more encouraged.

“What?

Got a problem with that?

If you have a problem, then don’t buy!

I can’t be bothered to deliver all this way to you guys.”

Wang Laosi acted like he didn’t want to sell to them anymore.

He even started to move, preparing to lift all the crayfish that had been unloaded from the truck back onto it.

The moment the four or five bosses saw this happening, they quickly intervened.

“Don’t, don’t, Brother Wang, please don’t go yet.”

“Yeah, Brother Wang, there are things we can talk about, please don’t leave yet.”

The four or five bosses stepped forward to mediate, and only then did Wang Laosi smugly stop.

“Alright, let’s talk then.

I’ve decided to raise the price, per jin from the original eighty-nine to one hundred!

How about that?”

Wang Laosi said decisively.

The shop owners had already found the initial price increase unnatural.

Upon hearing it would increase by ten yuan per jin, their faces immediately fell.

“Brother Wang, this increase is too much, isn’t it?

You’ve jumped eleven in just one day; you could at least ease us into it.”

One of the bosses wearing glasses said, slightly displeased.

“Yes, yes, Brother Wang, you’re raising it too quickly, yesterday it was still eighty-nine, today it’s suddenly one hundred, that’s too quick…”

As soon as the bespectacled boss spoke up, the other bosses also chimed in.

But Wang Laosi seemed to have anticipated this reaction.

He scoffed, then uncompromisingly said, “Anyway, this is my price, if you want to buy, buy, if not, forget it, I don’t lack customers anyway.”

As he spoke, Wang Laosi pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it up for himself.

He took a deep drag and exhaled a long stream of smoke, his face full of indifference.

Seeing Wang Laosi’s demeanor, the group of bosses knew that Wang Laosi was definitely going through with the price increase.

Negotiating the price, basically, was out of the question.

The bosses were itching with frustration at Wang Laosi, but to maintain their businesses, they reluctantly nodded in agreement.

“Fine then…

one hundred it is…”

The bespectacled boss was the first to concede.

Following him, the other bosses reluctantly accepted the price hike.

Seeing that everyone had agreed to the price increase, the indifference and irritation on Wang Laosi’s face instantly vanished.

“Everyone, it’s not that I want to raise prices, but now it’s peak season for lobsters.

I can’t just disrupt the market equilibrium, can I?”

Wang Laosi, after raising his prices, shamelessly elaborated further.

As Wang Laosi said this, Chen Yang didn’t know what those bosses were thinking.

But as an outsider, he felt enough animosity toward Wang Laosi to want to confront him.

However, since it wasn’t his business, Chen Yang just held it in.

In the end, not only did the group of bosses accept Wang Laosi’s price hike, they even had to keep smiling, utterly humble.