Chapter Forty five - Easy ways to anger the customers
It's not that the guilds didn't have money but that this money could be used for something else. If Artha could not decide what he wanted, he could consider a favour from guild as part of payment too.
It would be better to own a favour from guild. But Artha was not planning on staying long in the game. Maximum would be the free trial period. So he automatically nixed that idea. He wanted to use that favour now itself and it should maximize his benefits.
If the guilds had offered him this option yesterday, he would not have any idea. But now he had tasted and enjoyed the shortcut. This game,
Another round of talks. If you are not used to a corporate culture, this sort of talks is most boring. You talk, he talks, she talks and all pretend to listen, none do. So same thing is said in different ways. Fortunately this was within the game and the representatives of the guilds ( still Sun Lord and Baccara) were not of that type. If there was a transcript of their chat, like a screenplay, it would have looked like this -
SL-DS : (Trying hard to hide the grimace and feel of losing to other team, yet keeping the face). Well, we had a fruitful discussion between ourselves. We decided to concede and purchase only a hundred slot inventory bag while the second party shall buy the two hundred slot bag.
B-BR : (Succeeding in hiding the exhilirating feel of winning) We want to know the minimum base price you are expecting, so as to make arrangements.
A- Tr : ( scratching head to put a value on some thing not available in market and hoping that he is not underselling). Yeah, about that. You see, even you people know that players can't but this item even with huge number of coins in the game right now. It's rare in market and the quality is beyond excellent when compared to 8 or 16 slots bag. But you all have played games before, so you should have a general estimate of the price, right?"
(Awkward pause from customers as the ball was kicked into their court.)
B-BR : Our people have calculated the values at 2.2 million and 1 million credits, mainly due to items' rarity and it's effects. Can we just pay half in credits and half other way, perhaps like a favour?
SL- DS : (chiming in) We too wish to pay half in credits and half as a favour.
Awkward pause while Artha tries to think of a way out. He knew spending money like a river is merely an idiom and no self respecting businessman would do that, unless it was on purpose. Owning a favour of guilds was great thing, a wonderful leverage and a shield. However, he would not play long enough to need that shield. What to do? What to do?
A- Tr : Can I encash those favours now?
Customers dumbfounded.
SL - DS : ....
B- BR : ...
A -Tr : As you can see, I am still low leveled. Not just because, I don't grind long enough but because of certain peculiarities due to my jobs and talents. I need to kill monsters to earn XP in the maps I move around. Please carry me in higher level maps.
B-BR : ....
SL-DS : .....
A- Tr : I am not good enough to run along with your experts. Let me kill monsters with aide of your elite teams. Of course, I will not spend whole day there, this slowing down your progress. Few hours each day.
B-BR : How long?
A- Tr : Huh?
B - BR : For how many days? You can't expect us to carry you forever, you d**ned profiteer!!!
A-Tr : You tell me. How much days of mingling with elite or reserve of your teams, marginally, would be enough to use up the favour?
SL -DS : How about detailing the mingling part first? First of all, we will not be responsible for your life. We'll deliberately not get you killed but we'll not sacrifice our players life to save yours. Secondly, if there is any announcement while you were killing, the announcement should have our guild's name rather than your own.
A- Tr : You think that's even possible?
B- BR: Anything is possible in game. Thirdly, this deal will not include any dungeon runs.
A- Tr : That's fair enough.
B- BR: You will be responsible for your own resources. We shall not ask of drops from normal monsters. However...
SL -DS: We want the elite or higher level monsters drops.
A- Tr: You will not even compensate me nominally? So stingy. Fine. But you can't ask portion from the items I collect in those maps.
(Teeth gnashing sounds)
SL -DS : Fine. We shall reserve the right to add more clauses later on. And you can grind maps along with our reserve team for next 7 days for 2 hours.
A- Tr: I too shall reserve the right to all clauses later on. And don't you think your favour will be considered cheap if it gets exhausted with mucking around low leveled maps for so little time? How about 3 hours grinding with reserve or elite whoever is free and for 15 days.
SL -DS : Not a chance. 3 hours, with reserve for 12 days or till the current batch of reserve leave the village, whichever is earlier.
A- Tr: I wonder how much time Bloody Rose is ready to allot me.
( Even more teeth gnashing. Chat muted as the player is talking to someone else. Chat unmuted.)
B - BR : 3 hours with our elite for 12 days or till the current batch leaves the village, whichever comes first.
A- Tr: They are elites. They will leave first. Sister, you can't chest and honest man like me.
SL -DS: Son, spending some time with any team of Bloody Rose is considered heaven defying luck and honour of highest grade. If you had requested the same when they reached cities, you would be decimated to level 0 by envious players. Just accept the deal. If not, we'll just pay in full and forget the favours.
A-Tr: So you people play so spectacularly. I didn't know that. Sorry. But, can you alter the end so that the period is 12 days or until my co-operation period with Dragon Slayers ends whichever is sooner. This way, I would not feel like having partiality with any of my Tier 1 customers.
( The customers understand that this noob was noob in real life too. He doesn't know the demand for spending some time in vicinity of ladies, much less goddess like in Bloody Rose guild. However, they could not elaborate. That would be too tacky and low class. Burn. On top of it, can't say no to it as the noob is being truthful for once. D**n! Who knew being truthful would also help you. Double burn.)
B-BR : Okay. Fine. Someone will be waiting for you to join our grinding spot at entrance of level 4 map. Don't forget to bring the potions and bag.
SL -DS: I'll send someone for potions and bag soon. Let me know atleast half an hour before you are free to come to our spot.
Customers ended the chat.