Jiang Ci never planned to grow rich by crushing his peers.
"Conman" was just a title. His real goal was to build something far more powerful—A merchant alliance that could sustain itself in the virtual world, and bring prosperity to everyone within it.
It wasn't ambition.It was survival strategy.
Early morning outside Greenvine Town.Jiang Ci and Mo Bai set up a small folding table beneath an old elm tree on a hill overlooking the fields.
On the table were just three things:
A hand-drawn Herb Collection Map, marked with high-yielding areas.
A blank Vendor Registration Logbook.
A newly made wooden signboard that read:
Greenvine Herbal Alliance (Temporary)— Free access to gathering maps— Stable purchase prices for all herbs— Priority market info for members
Membership requirement: Agree to the three principles:No price wars. Shared supply. Cooperative growth.
Mo Bai raised an eyebrow.
"So… you're forming a guild now?"
Jiang Ci smiled.
"Not a guild. Just a bunch of small vendors who know how to win together."
The first to approach was a player named [Xiao Zhong].He looked skeptical.
"This isn't some price-fixing scheme, is it?"
Jiang Ci shook his head.
"We don't inflate prices.We don't force anyone to sell low, either.We're here for one thing:So you don't have to waste time chasing buyers every day."
"Then how do you make money?"
"We predict future demand. That's our edge.We help you sell faster. You help us scale."
Xiao Zhong thought for a moment, then nodded.
He became the alliance's first official member.
By the next day, they had seven:
Three full-time herb gatherers
Two street vendors
One runner
One player who monitored system forums for update leaks
"We're not a guild," Jiang Ci told them."There's no boss here. But if you follow me, I'll make this fair."
"If I read the market wrong—I'll compensate you.If I say prices will rise—you stock up.If I break your trust—this alliance dissolves."
His words weren't flashy.But they were steady. Reliable.
That's what drew people in.
With the alliance slowly growing, Jiang Ci decided to expand his sales routes.
He and Mo Bai set up a stall at the temporary market along the main road.
That's when he showed up again.
[ShatteredShield].
Clad in the same bulky armor, this time with a smirk.
"Wow, still alive and selling? Even brought a girl this time. Got guts."
"This stall belongs to the alliance," Jiang Ci replied calmly."Not just me."
"Still playing that alliance game? You think a few new faces will protect you?"
Jiang Ci glanced around.
"It's not about protection.It's about the fact that we don't need you anymore."
Other alliance members arrived just then, helping set up tables.One had even brought Greenvine Town's system guards—NPC enforcers of the law.
No threats.No violence.Just paperwork.
Jiang Ci submitted a formal vendor license issued by the alliance, complete with system-registered trading records.He also filed screenshots of [ShatteredShield]'s repeated extortion attempts.
ShatteredShield's expression twisted.
"You dare report me?"
Jiang Ci looked up at him.
"Don't you think… we were too small to report before?"
This wasn't one merchant anymore.
It was a network.A system.An economic body that could stand its ground.
What frightened ShatteredShield wasn't Jiang Ci.It was the Jiang Ci model—Because once it caught on, no one would need to pay protection fees again.
That evening, in a small wooden cabin, Jiang Ci held the alliance's first internal meeting.
He brought out a few simple charts to explain:
Supply & Demand curves
Value chain bottlenecks
Margin-based pricing
The young players stared, wide-eyed.
"Wait... We can make money not just by grinding, but with organization and data?"
Jiang Ci nodded.
"Today we sell herbs.Tomorrow? Maybe ores. Magic crystals.Even quest leads."
"Being a merchant isn't about deception.It's about building circulation."
Silence fell.Then came a slow ripple of applause.
This was the birth of the game's first grassroots merchant guild.
Later that night, Mo Bai stood at the cabin door.
She saw Jiang Ci alone outside, sitting under the moon, ledger in hand.
"You're different, you know," she said.
"In what way?"
"You don't act like a conman."She smiled. "You act like a… teacher."
Jiang Ci laughed softly.
"A conman doesn't always have to lie.Sometimes… we make more by being honest."
He looked up at the full moon, eyes steady.
"This time, I'll make the word 'Merchant' shine—Right up there on the game's honor board."