I am destroying the protagonist in the fantasy world!

Shopkeeper Zhao deliberately prolonged his voice, his eyes revealing a cunning look. "A young man like you probably can't even tell the difference between copper coins and spirit stones, right? I don't accept copper coins here."

Lei Yi's heart trembled. As expected, this world was not what he had imagined. "Spirit Stone?" He asked in feigned confusion, "What is that?"

Shopkeeper Zhao slammed the rag on the table as if he had heard some ridiculous joke, pointed at Lei Yi's nose and laughed, "Hahaha, what a playboy! He doesn't even know what a spirit stone is. I'm afraid he popped out of a crack in a rock, didn't he?"

The diners around him also laughed. Lei Yi felt his face burning, but he suppressed his anger. He knew that now was not the time to lose his temper. He pretended to be humble and asked, "Shopkeeper, you are joking. This is my first time out. I am not very knowledgeable. I hope you can enlighten me. What exactly is this spirit stone?"

Seeing him yield, Shopkeeper Zhao stroked his beard proudly and then slowly explained, "Spirit stones, as the name suggests, are stones imbued with spiritual energy. They are the universal currency of this world. One low-grade spirit stone can be exchanged for one hundred copper coins, and one mid-grade spirit stone can be exchanged for one hundred low-grade spirit stones..."

As Lei Yi listened, he secretly observed the transactions taking place in the tavern. He noticed that most diners paid with copper coins, with only a few using spirit stones, and those were low-grade spirit stones. It seemed that there weren't many "rich people" in this world. He noticed that a burly man bought a jar of wine, paid a low-grade spirit stone, and received seventy or eighty copper coins in return. This made him wonder, could the wine have cost less than twenty copper coins?

He was lost in thought when the door curtain of the tavern was lifted and a rough voice came in: "Manager Zhao, I killed a wild boar today. What's your price?"

It was Sun the Hunter who came in, his face flushed with ruddy glory, evidently having made a good catch. Behind him followed two burly men, who, working together, were carrying a massive wild boar, practically blocking the entire entrance to the tavern.

"Hey, Hunter Sun, you're lucky today!" Shopkeeper Zhao greeted him with a smile, but his eyes were fixed on the wild boar. "Such a big one, I'm afraid it must be two hundred pounds, right?"

"Two hundred pounds? Manager Zhao, you are looking down on me, Sun Lao San. This pig weighs at least three hundred pounds!" Hunter Sun laughed heartily and threw the wild boar to the ground with a muffled "bang" sound.

The diners around cast envious glances at him. A wild boar weighing 300 kilograms could be sold for a lot of money.

Shopkeeper Zhao rubbed his hands together, his smile growing wider. "Okay, okay, 300 kilograms is 300 kilograms. Tell me, how much do you want to sell it for?"

"This pork is fresh, so it should be at least fifteen copper coins per pound, right?" Hunter Sun stretched out five fingers and asked tentatively.

"Fifteen copper coins?" The smile on Shopkeeper Zhao's face suddenly disappeared. "Hunter Sun, you're asking for too much, aren't you? Pork in town is only ten copper coins a pound right now. No matter how fresh your wild boar meat is, it can't be this much more expensive than domestic pig, right?"

"Manager Zhao, you're an outsider here. This wild boar meat is firm and delicious, and it's incomparable to those domestic pigs raised in captivity." Hunter Sun argued, "Fifteen copper coins, not a cent less!"

"No, no, it's too expensive, ten copper coins at most!"

"fifteen!"

"Eleven at most!"

……

The two of them were arguing back and forth, neither willing to give in, and it looked like they were about to get into an argument. Lei Yi had been observing quietly from the side, and he noticed something: when Sun the Hunter proposed fifteen copper coins per pound, many of the diners around them showed signs of interest, and some even whispered that if that was the real price, they would be willing to buy some to try it out.

Lei Yi's heart skipped a beat; he knew his chance had arrived. He walked between the two men and said with a smile, "How about you two listen to me?"

Shopkeeper Zhao and Hunter Sun both stopped and looked at him in confusion.

"Who is this young man?" asked Manager Zhao.

"My name is Lei Yi. I'm new here, but I've heard a lot about you two." Lei Yi smiled and said calmly, "I just overheard your conversation and am quite interested in the price of this wild boar meat. Could you please let me know a few words?"

Seeing that he spoke in an extraordinary manner and did not seem like an ordinary person, Shopkeeper Zhao nodded in agreement.

Lei Yi cleared his throat and said slowly, "In my opinion, the price of this wild boar meat should not be too high or too low..."

His opening remarks were bland. Shopkeeper Zhao was about to mock him when Lei Yi continued, "Scarcity makes things valuable. Hunter Sun's wild boar meat is delicious and rare, so its price is naturally higher than ordinary pork. But it can't be ridiculously high, otherwise no one will be willing to buy it."

He paused and continued, "I suggest setting the price at twenty copper coins per pound..."

"What? Twenty copper coins?!" Before Shopkeeper Zhao could say anything, Hunter Sun jumped up and said, "You kid, are you here to cause trouble on purpose?!"

Sun Hunter's roar was like a stone dropped into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves. The diners around him began to discuss the matter. Some thought Lei Yi was overestimating his abilities, daring to interfere in other people's business, while others were curious and wanted to see what tricks he was up to.

Shopkeeper Zhao looked at Lei Yi as if he were a fool, and laughed exaggeratedly, "Sir, are you talking in your sleep? Twenty copper coins a pound? Why don't you just go and rob it? Not only me, but no one in Qinghe Town would buy such expensive wild boar meat!"

Lei Yi's expression remained unchanged, his smile still etched on his face. He explained calmly, "Manager Zhao, don't rush to refuse. Listen to me. My suggestion of a price of twenty copper coins isn't just a random suggestion, but one that I've carefully considered."

He paused, looking around, taking in everyone's expressions, before continuing, "Have you ever wondered why pork only costs ten copper coins on the market? It's because supply outstrips demand! Domestic pigs are raised in large quantities, with low costs, so they're naturally cheap. But wild boars are different. They're rare and difficult to catch, making them inherently scarce. Plus, their meat is delicious, far superior to domestic pigs, so the price naturally rises."

Everyone was stunned. Where had they heard such a thing before? In their opinion, buying and selling was nothing more than bargaining, buying low and selling high. Why would there be so many twists and turns?

"Besides," Lei Yi's voice rose a few degrees, "twenty copper coins per pound isn't for everyone. Those with limited funds can naturally choose to buy cheaper domestic pork. But for those who have money and pursue quality, twenty copper coins for a pound of high-quality wild boar meat is absolutely worth the money!"

He finished his words confidently, looking at Shopkeeper Zhao with a burning gaze, waiting for his response. Shopkeeper Zhao opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found himself speechless. Although Lei Yi's words sounded a bit unorthodox, they inexplicably convinced him.

"But... what if we can't sell it?" Shopkeeper Zhao asked hesitantly. He has been running this tavern for many years, but this is the first time he has encountered such a situation. He is unsure what to do.

"That's easy. We can test the waters first," Lei Yi said confidently. "Cut the wild boar into two parts. Sell one part at ten copper coins per pound, and the other part according to my method, divide it into smaller portions and sell them at twenty copper coins per pound. Let's see which method is more popular."

He paused, a confident smile forming on his lips. "I bet it won't be long before you find that wild boar meat, which costs twenty copper coins a pound, will be in short supply!"

Lei Yi's words resonated like a thunderclap in everyone's ears. Everyone stared at him in amazement, as if meeting this young man for the first time. Shopkeeper Zhao pondered for a moment, his eyes flickering as if he were weighing the pros and cons.

"Okay!" He finally slammed his hand on the table and said through gritted teeth, "I'll do as you say! I want to see if you can sell this wild boar meat that costs twenty copper coins a pound!"

Manager Zhao did what he said and immediately ordered the waiter to cut up the wild boar. According to Lei Yi's suggestion, he cut part of the meat into small pieces. After cooking it carefully, he launched it under the name of "special barbecue" and priced it at twenty cents per catty.

At first, the customers were skeptical, considering the price was ridiculous. But the waiter's enthusiastic calls and the aroma of the barbecued meat persuaded many to buy a few pieces to try.

Once you try it, you can’t stop.

"Oh my god! This wild boar meat is so delicious! The meat is tender, fatty but not greasy, and has a special aroma. It's much better than domestic pork!"

"Twenty cents a pound, worth it! Absolutely worth it! Shopkeeper Zhao, two more pounds!"

"I want one too. Give me three pounds!"

The pub, which was originally a little deserted, suddenly became lively, and diners rushed to buy the "special barbecue", fearing that they would miss out if they were a step late.

Shopkeeper Zhao was stunned by the scene. He had been doing business for so many years, but this was the first time he had seen such a booming business. He had originally thought that wild boar meat at 20 wen per pound would be unsaleable, but he hadn't expected it to be so popular!

He looked at Lei Yi with eyes full of admiration and gratitude. This young man was no ordinary person!

Lei Yi simply smiled faintly. He knew this was just the beginning. Coming from a modern society with an information explosion, he was well versed in marketing, and a simple price issue was no problem for him.

However, Lei Yi didn't let his victory get to his head. He knew his situation was still dangerous. The fantasy world he had traveled to was far more complex than he had imagined.

He glanced around calmly and keenly caught a glimpse of something unusual. In the teahouse across from the tavern, a man dressed in black and wearing a conical hat was staring at him intently through the crack in the window.

Lei Yi's heart trembled. He calmly withdrew his gaze, picked up the wine glass, and concealed the expression on his face. He thought to himself: "It seems that my whereabouts have been exposed..."

He put down his wine glass, stood up from his seat, and walked out the door, leaving Shopkeeper Zhao and Hunter Sun still in shock.

"Young man, where are you going?" Shopkeeper Zhao came to his senses and asked hurriedly.

Lei Yi smiled slightly, pointed at the bustling crowd in the distance, and said, "I've been out for a long time, I want to walk around and get to know the local customs and people."

With that, he walked into the crowd without looking back, disappearing around the corner. However, the moment he turned around, a subtle sneer curled up at the corner of his mouth, and he thought to himself, "Want to follow me? Let's see who's playing tricks on whom..."