Jack Ma felt a sense of accomplishment for creating Double Eleven.
After all, Double Eleven each year was more lively than the New Year, having formed a shopping frenzy.
It could drive the development of many small businesses; on Double Eleven day, many shops would achieve a year's worth of revenue.
"Heh heh, I hope to get a piece of the pie with Teacher Ma this year," Lei Ming chuckled.
Lei Ming had started following the trend of Double Eleven years ago with heavily discounted mobile phones.
"You guys create all these gimmicks, but can consumers really save money? Can they really buy discounted items?" Old Wang was very curious.
This was because he had heard that before Double Eleven, many merchants would deliberately inflate prices, and then offer discounts on the day, which would essentially bring the prices back to their original levels.
"Isn't that misleading consumers?"
Upon hearing this, Jack Ma smiled and said, "When a company gets big, there are all sorts of people. The kind of shops you're talking about do exist, but they are very few. Once discovered, we will severely punish them."
"At the same time, we offer subsidies to merchants, and consumers can truly save money. I can guarantee this."
Jack Ma directly answered Old Wang's question, admitting that what he mentioned did exist but was only a minority, and such incidents would be basically eliminated.
"Consumers aren't stupid. They would have been eyeing the goods they wanted a month in advance. If the prices were really adjusted, everyone would notice."
"That's true. It's been going on for over a decade. If people didn't benefit, they wouldn't flock to it," Old Wang nodded with some understanding.
Then he looked at Pony Ma and asked, "Xiao Ma, won't your company offer any top-up discounts? Like half-price top-ups? Anyway, your product is a virtual item, so selling it is pure profit. It's a total rip-off."
Pony Ma: ...
Those words were quite insulting. Damn it, developing the product doesn't come for free.
After a few exchanges, they continued to browse, looking for anything they might want to buy.
The items here couldn't be bought outside at all, and they were good quality goods at affordable prices. If you pass by, you shouldn't miss them.
They browsed for a full three hours, covering every corner of the street and all the merchandise in every shop.
They spent all their spirit stones and everyone left with plenty of gains.
Unlike the brightly lit streets outside, there was no electricity here.
So, they ate dinner early and returned to their rooms.
Cultivators didn't have a strong concept of time; a single meditation session could last for days. For them, having no entertainment was the best entertainment.
This was also the reason why the population of a cultivator sect remained stable; they liked to plant and sow when they had nothing else to do.
The night sky was very dark, with a faint sliver of a moon hanging high above. This place was different from Kunlun Mountain. The barrier within Kunlun Mountain created a separate world, but here, it was part of the same world as the outside.
It was just that it was shielded by the barrier, so the outside couldn't see inside.
"Yuqin, I'm going to take a bath first. It's so dark, and I'm not used to lighting just a kerosene lamp. Kunlun Mountain is better, even though there isn't even a kerosene lamp there, I still prefer it," Qin Wen said as she started undressing.
As her clothes were shed, the expanse of white outshone the kerosene lamp.
"Go ahead, but there might not be hot water," Ma Yuqin said, half-lying on the bed, playing with a necklace she had bought that day.
"I'll go check," Qin Wen replied, feeling her way to the bathroom.
She came out shortly after, putting on her clothes as she spoke, "As expected, there's no hot water, it's ice cold. How can I possibly wash?"
"There's no electricity here, so of course, there's no hot water," Ma Yuqin said with a smile.
"Let's sleep, let's sleep," Qin Wen said, lying down on the bed, preparing to sleep.
The night was very quiet. Everyone was tired from their day of activities, and the two women soon fell asleep.
At this moment, a figure flashed outside the door. The bolt on the wooden door automatically slid open, and a man, completely masked, crept inside, stooping low.
This man was a flower-picking thief, specializing in such illicit acts.
He had seen Qin Wen on the street during the day and had become infatuated with her.
He then left a trace of his aura on Qin Wen and stealthily crept over at night, intending to steal her virtue.
He hadn't expected another woman to be in the room; it was like getting a bonus, truly exhilarating.
The pure scent of the two women made the thief's mouth water.
Then, with a wave of his hand, a mist spread out, causing Qin Wen and Ma Yuqin to fall into a deep slumber.
"Tsk tsk tsk... so fragrant."
The man grinned lewdly, his yellowed teeth gleaming in the darkness.
Not wanting to wait any longer, he looked at Qin Wen on the bed and couldn't control himself. He reached out a grasping hand. As his hand was still in mid-air, he suddenly stiffened, unable to move. A voice echoed from behind him.
"Are the people of the Misty Blossom Palace still in existence?" Xia Feng appeared in the room at some unknown time.
The thief's face contorted in terror, but his body remained immobile.
Xia Feng walked over, directly lifted the thief, and then waved his hand, dispelling the mist from Qin Wen and Ma Yuqin.
After Xia Feng left, the room door automatically closed and locked.
Qin Wen slowly woke up, and just as Ma Yuqin was getting up, Qin Wen said, "I just dreamed that Young Master Xia came to our room."
Ma Yuqin: ...
After Xia Feng carried the thief out, he killed him directly and threw the body away.
Such individuals were targets for all sects; they were like rats crossing the street, hated by everyone, and had harmed countless people.
This small interlude quickly passed, and the night was uneventful.
The next day, more and more people were arriving. The cultivator conference was tomorrow, and today more people had come. The inns were full, so some people had set up tents outside, including the Immortal Fate Sect.
Lin Yuwei looked at the bustling crowd on the distant street and also felt like going for a stroll, but then she gave up.
"I wonder if he's arrived yet?"
"Yuwei, what are you thinking about?" Lin Song asked as he walked over and looked at her.
"Father, your daughter is thinking about what will happen tomorrow," Lin Yuwei replied, turning her head.
"Water will block the earth, and soldiers will block the generals. There's no need to worry too much," Lin Song said seriously.
The path of cultivation is inherently about overcoming obstacles; there's no such thing as a smooth journey. Only by improving one's own strength can one establish a foothold in the cultivation world.
"Father, why are you always so optimistic? Your daughter can't do that," Lin Yuwei said with admiration, looking at Lin Song.
No matter what happened, Lin Song always maintained a calm demeanor.
"Silly child, your father has experienced a lot, so he sees things more clearly. When you go through more experiences, you'll grow up too," Lin Song said with a smile upon hearing this.
After a long silence, Lin Yuwei suddenly asked:
"Father, what is her name?"
Lin Song was not surprised at all. Instead, he felt a surge of emotion, wanting his daughter to meet that person and ask her why she had been so heartless back then.
Lin Song took a deep breath and recalled from memory the name that had caused him sorrow for twenty years.
If his daughter hadn't asked, Lin Song would never have mentioned it again in his life.
Lin Song looked at Lin Yuwei and said earnestly, "Her name is Dongfang Chuxue."