Chapter 140

Chapter 140

"What? No longer selling with gold coins?"

"Then what will be used to purchase? Crystals?" The professionals murmured in surprise.

This was something unheard of for them.

Gold coins were essentially a currency specifically designed for professionals. For ordinary people, the amount of gold coins was too large and difficult to use in daily life.

Therefore, gold coins had always been widely used, unless it was some extremely high-grade material that was too scarce to be simply valued, in which case professionals would choose barter.

In other situations, the status of gold coins remained unshakable.

"The Animal Pet Shop is really raking in the profits, to the point where they disdain even gold coins!"

"Who could have thought! I believe the shop owner has grand ambitions." Merchants also chatted among themselves; their understanding and demand for animal pets differed from those of professionals.

While professionals viewed animal pets as important training companions, merchants saw them more as valuable commodities.

If the Animal Pet Shop hadn't explicitly prohibited resale, these scattered professionals would have no way to compete with the organized merchants.

At that time, professionals would likely have to buy second-hand animal pets at high prices from these shrewd merchants.

Regardless of what everyone below was thinking, Lorant didn't care at all. When he made this decision, he was already fully prepared.

Lorant smiled and continued, "This time, we will use the Blue Star Trading Platform's points to exchange for the final batch of Dream Weavers."

"Blue Star Trading Platform?" Everyone looked at each other, shock evident in their eyes.

Even though Lorant hadn't elaborated, just the name alone was enough to astonish everyone.

What a trading platform meant was clear even to professionals who usually didn't concern themselves with matters outside their training.

There were only two existing announcement trading platforms: the Adventurer Guild and the Professional Union.

Without their own supply chain, most merchants would post related tasks on these two platforms to obtain raw materials.

The Animal Pet Shop was no different; Lorant's information about acquiring live exotic beasts had not yet been removed from the Professional Union's platform.

Although the Knights of the Thorns provided a relatively stable supply, Lorant would never complain about having too many exotic beasts. Having one or two delivery tasks wouldn't hurt.

To establish their own platform meant that the Animal Pet Shop intended to shift from being a supplier to a 'channel provider.'

In simpler terms, they were moving from the position of the service provider to the client.

It was also Lorant's formal declaration to the world's 'capital' that he was ready to step out of the game and become the one holding the pieces.

"That's right, the Blue Star Trading Platform." Lorant smiled and waved his hand, and a holographic image appeared before everyone. "This is the interface of the Blue Star Trading Platform. Similar to the task platforms you are familiar with, the Blue Star Trading Platform also allows you to post your own tasks after verification."

"Whether you complete tasks on the trading platform or post tasks, you can earn points. Depending on the points, you can exchange for different styles of personal seals we have prepared."

Lorant smiled and waved the personal 'seal' in his hand. It was a delicate and small ring, with a radiant stone set in the band, intricately carved with complex magical arrays.

Each gemstone ring was incredibly expensive, so such rings naturally couldn't be given to everyone entering the platform. Only those who reached a certain number of points would qualify to own one.

Lorant believed that in the future, this ring would become a symbol of status.

Only the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world would have the privilege to wear it.

For ordinary members, Lorant had prepared gemstone cards. These cards served the same function as the personal symbols of the Adventurer Guild and the Professional Union.

Compared to the ring in Lorant's hand, while both recorded personal identity, the craftsmanship of the cards was much simpler.

Emma wore a pure white dress today, with pearls and crushed gemstones adorning her arms, sparkling brilliantly.

Hearing Lorant speak, she waved her hand, and two beautiful young girls walked to the front of the hall with trays.

On the trays were a large number of gemstone cards, each the size of a credit card, perfect for holding. The white gemstones on the cards reflected an enchanting glow under the hall's lights.

"These are the personal gemstone cards of the Blue Star Trading Platform. We will update your cards annually based on your points on the platform," Emma glanced at Lorant and continued her introduction.

Emma held up five types of cards to display to everyone: "The most basic is this card with a white gemstone face. Anyone registered on the Blue Star Exchange and paying five gold coins can obtain this entry-level card. With it, you become a member of the Blue Star Trading Platform and can freely trade tasks on the platform."

Next, she singled out the red gemstone card for everyone to see: "The second type is this red gemstone card. When your points on the Blue Star Trading Platform reach 100,000, you can upgrade your white card. The upgraded gemstone card will provide more membership services."

"When your points reach 500,000, you can exchange for this purple points card. Once you reach one million points, you can own this black crystal card." Emma displayed these two cards to everyone.

These two cards were clearly different from the previous white and red gemstone cards. Though they were the same size, they were entirely different in quality and craftsmanship.

These two cards were like exquisite works of art, instantly revealing their immense value.

However, compared to the last card, these two cards seemed somewhat dull.

The last card was studded with fine 'starlight stones.' This mineral gemstone was quite rare, emitting a faint golden light and containing unique energy. From its appearance alone, it was incredibly beautiful.

Moreover, starlight stones had unique properties; wearing them made one less susceptible to curses and other hidden spells.

Thus, starlight stones were extremely expensive. Just this card studded with starlight stones was worth tens of thousands of gold coins.

Seeing the card gleaming under the lights, everyone held their breath.

Emma raised her arm so everyone could see clearly: "This starlight card is available to those with over five million points."

"It was crafted by ten goblin jewel masters over a month, with all starlight stones magically embedded on the card. It also features a temperature regulation array, ensuring you remain cool even in the hottest summer."

Honestly, anyone who could own this card wouldn't lack such a feature, but what did that matter to Lorant?

His goal was to elevate the prestige of these cards.

"At the same time, the Blue Star Trading Platform will arrange a dedicated one-on-one service personnel for you. As long as you have a need, we can meet it at any time."

"Whether it's wanting to see the song and dance of merfolk on the other side of the continent within an hour, or enjoying a meal prepared by a top chef in the middle of a desolate wilderness, as long as you need it, the Blue Star Trading Platform will fulfill your wishes." Emma tried to control her excitement, speaking as calmly as possible about these words that always stirred her passion.

Lorant had yet to understand the kind of power and resources required to meet such demands.

However, this star card symbolizing status was not something anyone could obtain easily in a short time.

He was confident that by the day he handed over the star card to someone else, he would have the strength to honor his promises.

Everyone's breathing became heavy.

The unmasked allure of the Blue Star Trading Platform completely drew them in.

The sense of privilege that money brought made them unable to resist fantasizing.

This was Lorant's adaptation of the various VIP systems offered by banks in his previous life, such as the Centurion Card and Black Gold Card.

However, this kind of corrupting influence was unprecedented in this world.

It seemed to be working well; even the breath of Archbishop Frank beside him grew heavier.

Emma's vivid description of the future was so appealing that although people couldn't help but doubt whether this platform, which had yet to be fully established, had the capability to deliver, they still found themselves getting excited.

Who cares!

"And above the crystal card is our 'Blue Star Ring.' As for what privileges the Blue Star Ring offers, you'll find out when you receive your crystal card," Emma smiled, leaving a hint of mystery.

After Emma left with the two girls, the entire venue remained eerily quiet.

Lorant cleared his throat to draw everyone's attention: "Alright, you've seen some of the membership levels of the Blue Star Trading Platform. Next, those interested can go to Emma to complete the membership procedures and receive their crystal cards."

"Oh, and just a reminder, the points on the Blue Star Trading Platform are not limited to personal use. For example, if you want to acquire a Dream Weaver worth three thousand points but don't have enough points, you can trade for points on the Blue Star Trading Platform. Your crystal cards have this functionality."

This was the result of Lorant's careful consideration. Since the Blue Star Trading Platform was just launched, forcing the exclusive use of points might make the platform seem too self-contained.

Therefore, he decided to link the platform's points to gold coins. In the future, as people gradually got used to using points directly, they would naturally become staunch supporters of the Blue Star Trading Platform.

"Lastly, the Blue Star Pet Shop and all its branches have now set up permanent stores on the Blue Star Platform. Points from the Blue Star Platform can be used to purchase items from all resident stores. Just bring your crystal card to make purchases."

"In the afternoon, Emma will demonstrate the operation of the Blue Star Trading Platform in the conference hall. Please don't miss it." Lorant walked to the center of the stage: "The first pet lecture co-hosted by the Blue Star Pet Shop and the Church of the Goddess of Light has come to an end. I hope everyone enjoyed it."

Whether it was enjoyable or not was a matter of personal opinion, but shock was the unanimous reaction of everyone present.

The Blue Star Trading Platform was like a bomb, instantly exploding among those who attended the lecture.

Before Lorant announced this, no one expected the Animal Pet Shop to have such grand ambitions.

A shop that had been open for less than a year was attempting to enter the trading platform market!

The Animal Pet Shop almost openly declared to all professionals that if they wanted to own a pet, having gold coins alone wouldn't suffice; they also needed to become members of this platform.

Even if they didn't want to spend time accumulating points, they would still need to become members to privately purchase points from others with gold coins.

Moreover, the exchange rate between points and gold coins was not fixed. If someone urgently needed points and didn't have any, they might have to pay several times the market price to get them.

Who would willingly be a fool?

This was a blatant form of coercion, leaving everyone helpless.

The Animal Pet Shop had a monopoly on pet products, with no other shops offering the same. If one wanted a pet, this platform was an unavoidable obstacle.

Although Lorant currently stated that only this batch of Dream Weavers must be traded through the Blue Star Trading Platform, who could guarantee that he wouldn't gradually include other pets in his exclusive platform in the future?

These decisions weren't made on a whim.

So even those who didn't plan to buy pets had to consider whether they should start accumulating Blue Star points in case of future needs.

Merchants were far more perceptive in this regard than professionals.

Lorant invited them to the lecture precisely to bring them into the platform.

Merchants were actually the backbone of both the Adventurer's Union and the Professional Union.

While professionals completed the tasks on these platforms, most of the tasks were posted by these wealthy merchants.

To develop a platform, relying solely on the irreplaceable nature of the Animal Pet Shop and its branches was not enough. Lorant needed more merchants to join the platform.

This was the first time the concept of 'residents' was introduced to a trading platform. Previously, posting tasks on a trading platform was a personal action by merchants, but on the Blue Star Trading Platform, one could choose to become a permanent store.

This was equivalent to placing a long-term advertisement for one's shop in a specific location, doing the same work as before. Honestly, as long as the Blue Star Trading Platform had enough users, merchants would be very willing to make the most beneficial choice for themselves.

That's why Lorant thought of using this lecture to bring this group of merchants onto his platform.

Among them, while some were hesitant, others quickly made up their minds.

Mai Qi, as one of the earliest merchants to collaborate with the Animal Pet Shop, stood out without hesitation during a time when many of her colleagues were still wavering, becoming the first official 'resident merchant.'

Lorant did not attend the afternoon lecture, but the enthusiasm in the conference hall did not diminish.

Under Emma's demonstration, everyone quickly understood the simple and smooth logic of using the Blue Star Trading Platform.

With Mai Qi's bold move to join the platform, other merchants, after a morning of deliberation and weighing the pros and cons, also joined the Blue Star Trading Platform.

By then, Mai Qi had already issued the first non-Animal Pet Shop task on the trading platform.

This task was a test of the platform's functionality, offering five points for the acquisition of several types of exotic beast hides.

Based on the current exchange rate where one Blue Star point was worth ten gold coins, merchants could now use gold coins to purchase points on the platform.

A merchant can exchange up to one thousand points at most, after which they cannot use gold coins for direct exchanges anymore.

So, after Mai Qi exchanged her points, she tried out with about fifty gold coins' worth of leather.

The task she posted didn't even have time to stay on the platform for an extra second before it was quickly claimed by someone.

The Blue Star Trading Platform is a cross-regional platform, meaning that a task posted from the Mauplan area can be claimed and completed by someone in Holland, unless there are special requirements that necessitate face-to-face verification. Generally, completing a task just requires delivering the required items to a designated Blue Star Trading Platform store to confirm the point completion.

Moreover, each task can have very specific time requirements set when it is posted, making it more convenient than the Adventurer's Guild and Professional Union in this aspect.

Lorant, after all, comes from a technologically advanced world, where some considerate and convenient services are well thought out.

Such subtle changes may not be clearly articulated by users as to what exactly has changed, but they do make the experience significantly more comfortable.

With an excellent system, combined with unique animal pets and viral promotional campaigns, Lorant believes that his Blue Star Trading Platform will certainly secure a place in this world of magic and swords.

Business is like war; even without bloodshed, it can sometimes be more intense than actual battlefield combat.

Emma and Nia, the two main leaders of the Animal Pet Shop, put aside their previous differences this time and joined forces, red-eyed and fiercely 'battling' in their respective fields.

As for Lorant, the 'culprit' who initiated this war, he retreated to the backyard of his pet shop after giving some verbal advice and enjoyed a 'post-lecture holiday' comfortably.

He took a good break for himself, requesting that no one come to him with business matters during this period, wanting to rest his overworked brain properly.

However, certain responsibilities cannot be avoided even on a self-imposed holiday.

For example, the official opening of the Slime Ranch.

From the start until now, it has been about half a year. With the help of the Beast Tower's large-scale supply of pet slimes, the first Slime Ranch co-operated by Lord Cavendish and the Animal Pet Shop is about to announce its full-scale operation.

This is how the Slime Ranch should truly look.

Today will see the last batch of pet slimes transported from the Beast Tower to the Slime Ranch. Such an important moment means that even Lancelot and Lorant, the two absentee owners, must go to the site to take a look.

The main reason is that Nia, the diligent old workhorse, was temporarily assigned by Lorant to manage the new trading platform, so the matters left at the Slime Ranch had to be handled personally by Lorant and Lancelot.

Returning to the Slime Ranch again, Lorant's mood was vastly different from before.

When he first came here, the Animal Pet Shop was just starting, and Lorant had high hopes for this place.

Back then, standing on this vast, open grassland, he envisioned plump pet slimes bouncing around everywhere in the future.

And this time, the pet slimes have indeed spread throughout every corner of the pasture as he wished.

Thousands of pet slimes are well taken care of here. The Slime Ranch now has over two hundred permanent staff members, many of whom have moved their families to the ranch, building small houses on both sides of the workshops, giving the place a sense of community.

The once empty factory has become bustling, with two types of slime by-products continuously being transported to processing lines.

Each process is carried out in an orderly manner, with rolls of yarn and down jackets constantly being moved off the production line by workers and neatly stacked in boxes, waiting to be transported to several Slime Homes via teleportation arrays after a batch is accumulated.

With the expansion of the number of shops, the daily demand for these goods from the current Slime Homes has also increased significantly.

At its current capacity, the Slime Ranch can still meet the needs of another Slime Home.

However, Lorant is not worried about this. A new Slime Ranch in collaboration with the Church has already selected its location, and once this one is finished, the Beast Tower will begin supplying pet slimes there.

The progress of the Slime Ranch and the Slime Homes will not stop here.