Chapter 2572: Then You'll Have to Pay Extra
The Painting Woman didn't understand, because although she hadn't followed the conversation, she also didn't want to hit anyone.
Xu Huo didn't bother explaining further and went to look at some shops run by Artificers to check out the items and instruments.
Since they placed such high importance on time, District 001 naturally had no shortage of items and instruments featuring dials and clock faces as their main characteristic. In fact, many item and instrument names even had something to do with time, but in reality, they possessed no time attributes at all.
This resulted in many items and instruments looking rather flashy. The dials placed on them at most served as a countdown tool, useless and a waste of materials.
Most of the ready-made items displayed on the shelves were like this.
However, what was interesting was that Xu Huo saw Instance Authorization documents in one shop. To be precise, they were blank Instance Authorization documents, and there was more than one. They didn't look like they had been taken from an Instance.
He called over a staff member to ask and found out that these Instance Authorization documents were fakes, commonly known as counterfeit goods.
"Fake Instance Authorization documents?" This truly broadened Xu Huo's horizons.
"What's so strange about fake Instance Authorization documents?" A little old man with his hands clasped behind his back happened to walk in at that moment. He snorted and said, "Instance Authorization documents aren't some precious thing. What's so surprising about counterfeiting them?"
Xu Huo smiled. "Generally speaking, wouldn't you say only precious things are worth counterfeiting?"
The old man choked for a moment, then waved his hand dismissively. "What do you know? Instance Authorization documents don't require high technical skill. They can be made casually, and the cost is negligible. Selling one for a thousand, you'd still make nine hundred ninety in profit!"
"So how much is this fake Instance Authorization document?" Xu Huo asked.
"Two hundred thousand White Notes," the old man replied.
The air fell silent. The staff member wiped non-existent sweat from his brow, came over, and pulled the little old man aside while apologizing to Xu Huo. "This is our shop's master craftsman. He's old and likes to talk nonsense. The cost of an Instance Authorization document is definitely more than ten notes. To create a fake that's ninety percent identical to the real thing requires a considerable amount of Subclass Stone and an experienced Artificer to focus on making it for at least half a year to produce just one."
"Although the counterfeit Instance Authorization document doesn't come with an Instance, it can almost pass for the real thing. When an Instance opens, the Authorization document must be placed within the Instance grounds. With this counterfeit Authorization document, you can maximize risk-sharing, especially for Instances with smaller grounds. It's particularly practical."
Simply put, it was prepared for players who temporarily held an Instance.
"Is it easy to damage?" Xu Huo asked.
"A counterfeit, a counterfeit. Do you even understand what a counterfeit is?" The little old man spoke up again. "A counterfeit means that aside from not having the official stamp, it's identical to the real thing in every other way. And this counterfeit even comes with after-sales service. Selling it for two hundred thousand is a loss!"
"Identical in every way? Then does it have an Instance?" Xu Huo turned back to ask.
The little old man glared at him. "Do you even understand what an 'official stamp' means?!"
The staff member covered his mouth and shoved him into the back room, closing and locking the door before turning to Xu Huo with a smile. "The materials used for the counterfeit Authorization document are nearly identical to the real one. Ordinary items are hard to damage, and it won't be destroyed by water or fire."
Xu Huo paused. "Can't fire burn it?"
"Of course not. Otherwise, you could just set a fire inside the Instance," the staff member said.
Xu Huo examined it for a moment, then turned to the old man, who had his ear pressed against the door, and said, "Let me try to see if I can burn it. If it doesn't burn, I'll buy it."
The little old man snorted coldly. "I'll tell you this: even if the game-issued Authorization document gets burned to a crisp, mine won't!"
Xu Huo was just talking; he didn't actually intend to set it on fire. He asked the staff member to take out an Authorization document, held it in his hand for a moment, and then said, "What kind of Instance Authorization document can be burned? I've heard of people setting fires in Instances to destroy them."
The little old man suddenly yanked the door open. The automatic lock on the door kept blaring an alarm, and the staff member had to hurriedly turn it off.
"Come here, I'll tell you," the little old man beckoned to him.
Xu Huo walked over as instructed, only to have the old man suddenly raise his voice. "Kid, are you looking for trouble?!"
Xu Huo stepped back a bit. "Not looking for trouble. I've really seen it happen."
The little old man squinted, and after realizing he wasn't lying, he lowered his voice. "If it can really be burned by fire, then it's most likely a non-compliant Instance Authorization document."
"Instance Authorization documents are born alongside Instances. But some people want to exploit loopholes in the game. They want what Instances have, and they also want what Instances don't have. That's how non-compliant Authorization documents came about."
"Those kinds of Instance Authorization documents can't pass game review. Usually, after an Instance is established, some tricks are played on the Authorization document through special means. But they won't make it too sturdy; otherwise, it would be a losing business."
Xu Huo raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is that possible?"
"Why wouldn't it be? I can make counterfeits, so why can't others?" the little old man said with utter confidence.
Xu Huo smiled and nodded, then humbly asked about the after-sales service after purchase.
The little old man said smugly, "With Instance Authorization documents, you can basically tell if they're real or fake just by holding them. But my Authorization document is different. When you get it, you can't open it. Putting it into the Item Slot will only show 'Instance Authorization Document Upgrading,' which buys a lot of time. Anyone who isn't quick on the uptake won't figure it out for a while!"
Xu Huo was slightly surprised. "Can the game authenticate an item like this?"
"Why wouldn't it?" The little old man started his sarcastic mode again. "What, is game authentication some precious thing?"
The old man perfectly embodied the contradiction of "looking down on it but being an expert at it."
Xu Huo haggled a bit and paid to buy an Authorization document.
Seeing that he was actually buying, the little old man's expression changed slightly. "I can see it now, young man. With a mouth that sharp, I didn't expect you to actually have an Instance. I've had these few Instance Authorization documents on display for years without anyone buying them."
The staff member couldn't cover his mouth in time and could only stare blankly as he sped up the order entry. After a few seconds, confirming he didn't hear Xu Huo asking for a refund, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Could it be that your indiscriminate attacks are the reason the Authorization documents aren't selling?" Xu Huo asked.
The little old man scoffed, his rebellious nature flaring up. "Then give it back to me."
Xu Huo had no intention of returning it. After thinking for a moment, he said, "But even if this item can show 'upgrading,' when the Instance Authorization document changes hands and the Instance is still running normally, most people would know the Authorization document is fake. Is there any after-sales service that can circumvent this risk?"
The old man glared at him. "You might as well be dreaming!"
Xu Huo feigned a sigh. "Looks like you can't handle it."
The little old man immediately jumped up, ready to throw a punch. The staff member, quick as lightning, held him down and said with a hint of threat and warning, "Think about my unpaid salary. Think about the instrument you want to buy."
With a bit of reluctance and grievance, the little old man said to Xu Huo, "Then you'll have to pay extra."
It's almost the new year. Hai Yanshan wishes all readers a happy and healthy new year, full of good fortune! ^_^