Beside a street in the seaport town, Wang Zhifan and his two companions approached an NPC man who had been observing them for quite some time from a distance.
He was a shifty-looking middle-aged man with red skin, rough complexion, wearing outdated linen clothes, emanating a salty fishy smell brought by the sea, giving an overall not very good impression.
"See, I told you that I am the only one who knows where that island is, right? As long as you give me ten Silver Coins... no, it must be thirty Silver Coins, then I can tell you its real location!"
The shifty-looking red-skinned NPC, seeing the three approach, immediately showed a somewhat smug expression, and then his gaze quickly swept over Wang Zhifanās extraordinary gear, especially focusing on the four rings Wang Zhifan wore, prompting him to raise the price temporarily.
"Canāt it be a bit cheaper? Thirty Silver Coins is really too expensive."
Wang Zhifan replied with a smile.
"No way! The information I have is unique, and thirty Silver Coins is already very cheap!"
The shifty-looking red-skinned NPC immediately answered uncompromisingly.
"Alright then... itās too expensive; I guess weāll have to leave."
Still smiling, Wang Zhifan turned around with his two companions, leaving without further entangling with this NPC.
"Hmph... youāll definitely come back begging me later, and by then it wonāt just be thirty Silver Coins!"
The sleazy-looking NPC was not at all surprised, crossing his arms and sneering.
But Wang Zhifan seemed indifferent to this remark, leading his two companions straight into the depths of the town.
"Fan, I think we could try selling off some unused gear at a shop for some Silver Coins to exchange for the information. Sometimes, you just have to let him make a bit."
Chen Ming suggested as he walked alongside Wang Zhifan.
But before Wang Zhifan could respond, his older brother, Chen Can, spoke up:
"Ah Ming, just look where Fan is leading us, then youāll understand his intention."
"Huh?"
Chen Ming uttered in surprise and glanced toward the direction they were heading, quickly realizing they were on the route leading to the seaport of this town.
"Oh... Fan, you think that person might be from the port, so weāre going there to ask around?"
Chen Ming immediately understood why Wang Zhifan didnāt pay much heed to that NPC man earlier.
"Yes... but your suggestion also has its merits. It would be more convenient to have some money at hand."
Wang Zhifan nodded slightly in agreement, leading them towards a tavern by the street.
It was a well-decorated tavern, built entirely of solid wood, with beautiful flowing wave patterns carved on the walls. Clusters of flowers were planted on either side of the wooden door, giving off a faint fragrance to those passing by.
Upon entering the tavern, the three found it quite lively. Many NPCs with varying attires were inside, holding wooden mugs, drinking, and chatting. There were only a few unoccupied tables.
"Look, that person is here too, and heās even drinking and eating grilled fish!"
The sharp-eyed Chen Ming noticed that the player who had left a strong impression at the beach today was also in the tavern. He was the long-haired, bearded male player who claimed he only wanted to relax without doing dungeon quests.
"I feel that this person might not be as useless as he appears. Maybe heās a hidden expert."
Chen Can whispered, glancing at the scruffy player lying over a wooden table, drinking and eating fish. Almost instantly, the player seemed to sense something, lifted an eyelid to glance at the three, and then returned his attention to the table.
Only Wang Zhifan seemed uninterested in this peculiar player. He led the two to the tavernās counter, then turned to ask them:
"Do you guys feel like having a meal? Itās on me."
"Iām a bit interested, but my brother and I ate before entering the game, so weāre not that hungry..."
Chen Ming quickly replied.
"You rascal, if Fan wants to eat, of course, weāll join him. But Fan, how are you dealing with the money? Bartering with the tavern?"
Chen Can lightly punched Chen Mingās arm, then curiously asked Wang Zhifan.
"Donāt worry, money is not a problem."
Wang Zhifan replied calmly and walked directly to the tavern counter.
There were two NPCs ordering in front of the counter, so he waited a little while for them to finish, then took out a gleaming Gold Coin and placed it on the counter, saying to the middle-aged Caucasian NPC inside:
"Set up a table with your tavernās best wine and meat for us."
The middle-aged NPC inside was slightly surprised, first glancing at the Gold Coin Wang Zhifan placed on the counter, then smiled and responded:
"Esteemed guest, even the most expensive meals and drinks in our tavern wonāt cost a Gold Coin; ten Silver Coins will suffice."
"Alright, then give us ten Silver Coinsā worth. Besides eating, we would also like to inquire about a place."