Chapter 477 Pirated Books
Hu Xiner followed with doubts.
Mu Qing was helpless: "Xin'er, slow down!"
The young man was wearing a bulky fur coat with a thick fur collar around his neck, which almost concealed half of his face.
The brown hat on his head also covered half of his face, so that only a pair of eyes were exposed.
He looked very mysterious and didn't look like a good person. Hu Xiner thought as she ran, this should be a character similar to a pirated bookseller.
He was about 1.7 meters tall. If it weren't for his clear voice, Hu Xin'er would have almost thought he was a creepy old man.
In the alley, the young man didn't immediately take out the comics. Instead, he looked at Hu Xin'er with his eyes rolling around. "Madam, are you a merchant from out of town? I don't think I've ever seen someone as beautiful and elegant as you before!"
Hu Xin'er naturally didn't have a good face towards the pirated bookseller: "No need to flatter me! Do you know where that comic book store is?"
The young man smiled and said, "Madam, you look like you are from the capital, right?"
Hu Xin'er's heart skipped a beat, worried that he was a spy sent by the Crown Prince, so she said, "No, I came from Cangzhou."
The boy asked, "There's no comic book store in Cangzhou. Why are you so interested in this, madam?"
"Why are you asking so many questions?" Hu Xin'er had already become wary of him.
The young man bowed and smiled, "Don't be angry, Madam. I have many enemies, and this line of work requires careful screening."
"That means if my answer doesn't satisfy you, you won't give me directions?" Hu Xiner asked back.
"Well, hehe." The boy smiled without saying anything.
Seeing Hu Xin'er's bad face, he said calmly, "Madam, please be patient and answer my question first. I guarantee that apart from me, you won't be able to find a comic book store even if you search the streets for another half an hour."
Hu Xin'er said speechlessly, "You're just a bookseller, why are you acting so high and mighty? That comic book shop is so famous, even if it's open, it must be in a good location. How could I not find it?"
"So, ma'am, you came here because of the reputation of the comic book shop?" The young man was not angry when she said that, but just asked with a smile.
Hu Xiner was about to retort, but she held it back and decided to take advantage of the situation.
She replied, "Yes, I'm a big fan of the comic shop. I was lucky enough to buy a comic once, so I plan to stock up on some to sell."
When she said she wanted to stock up on a batch of goods, the boy's eyes immediately lit up, and that light made Hu Xiner feel very familiar.
That is the aura that only belongs to unscrupulous businessmen!
The young man said impatiently, "Stocking up? Great, great! Madam, which one would you like to choose?"
After he finished speaking, he pulled his belt, and the bulky fur coat unfolded, revealing that the pockets inside were full of books!
This scene was just like the one Hu Xiner had seen selling CDs in her previous life.
The books on it are also dazzling and very complete, even the latest publications "Mermaid Love" and "Arrogant Dad" are listed.
"Our books are divided into regular edition, hardcover edition and collector's edition. It would be better for customers to stock up some of each type and sell them back. I'm from the capital, and comics like this sell very well there!" The young man began to talk incessantly.
"Are you from the capital?" Hu Xin'er was not in a hurry to read the book, but looked at him. She found that although the young man looked dusty, his skin was extremely smooth. He did not look like someone who had been working outside for a long time. Instead, he looked like a noble young man whose family had fallen on hard times.
The young man praised the book in his hand vigorously: "Yes, sir, everyone in the capital knows me. I am known as the Jade-faced Little Scholar. The books in my hand are safe and sound!"
Hu Xin'er had never heard of the jade-faced young scholar in the capital. The cold wind blew on her, and the passion that had just followed him into the alley cooled down. She did not immediately refute the young man, but reached out to take the book.
"Hey! What are you doing, guest?" The young man took a step back cautiously, as if she was going to steal.
Hu Xin'er was baffled. "What else can I do? Isn't it just reading a book?"
"How can you read it if you haven't bought the book yet?" The boy acted as if she was being unreasonable.
Hu Xin'er said unhappily, "If I don't read, how can I decide whether to buy it?"
The young man said, "You are just quibbling! If you only buy without looking, it's fifty cents per visit."
What? Hu Xin'er was dumbfounded. Even in the capital, 50 wen could buy a comic book, but from this young man's mouth, it was only enough to read?
What kind of brand of profiteer is this?
She scolded: "You are blackmailing me!"
"Hey, sir, please don't accuse me wrongly." Unexpectedly, the young man immediately showed an angry expression when he heard it.
He said confidently, "You're from Cangzhou, so you don't know. This cartoon of mine was created by a famous artist. The fee alone is worth a fortune. And it was shipped from the capital, which cost countless manpower and resources."
The young man actually opened his mouth and spoke a bunch of words, which sounded very logical, making Hu Xiner frown.
If she was just an ordinary person, she might have been deceived by the young man, but she was the real original author!
A fee worth a fortune? How come she never received it?
The young man babble on and on, then concludes, "Fifty cents is a very fair price. Take it or leave it."
Hu Xiner waved her hand and said, "Forget it, I won't buy it."
She turned and left, pulling Mu Qing with her.
Mu Qing naturally had no objection, and he gently and carefully reminded her to walk slower.
Just as they were about to leave the alley, the young man showed a pained expression and said, "Wait, I'll charge you 45 coins!"
Seeing that Hu Xin'er didn't listen, he changed his tone and said, "40 wen, okay? No less!"
Hu Xin'er turned around and walked back: "I want to watch it for free."
The young man had never seen such bargaining before and was stunned, but he subconsciously protected his book with his hands.
Hu Xin'er scoffed rudely, "Why are you hiding? I can tell from the cover of your book that it must be a low-quality pirated copy. How dare you ask me for a price?"
She turned to look at Mu Qing: "Go ahead, grab the book for me!"
Mu Qing acted as fast as lightning and put the book into Hu Xiner's hands before Hu Xiner could react.
Hu Xin'er picked up the book and flipped through it. "The paper is thin and rough, the print is terrible, and even the ink is broken and blurry. How dare you sell it with this quality? It might as well be thrown into the waste paper pile."
Seeing his books being snatched away, the young man shouted, "Help! Help! Someone is trying to kill me for my money!"
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