A peculiar aroma of garlic suddenly drifted through the markets and wards of Chang'an—not coming from any eatery, but emanating from the Chamber of Commerce's pricing oversight team. Huwa was riding a wooden ox cart hung all over with abacuses, holding a loudspeaker made of garlic that was playing on a loop: "Pricing must be transparent, and violators will be 'garlicked' and held to account! Report unjustified price hikes and claim your reward!"
First Battle: The Sogdian Merchant's "Digital Magic"
The spice stall of Ali, a merchant from Persia, was surrounded by a crowd. Huwa squeezed his way in and was almost blinded by the sight—the shelves were filled with gold-rimmed price tags, with saffron priced at "13.14 strings of cash" and rosewater marked at "5.20 strings of cash." "Uncle Ali, are you selling spices or matchmaking?" Huwa asked, inspecting the price tags through a magnifying glass.
Ali stroked his beard and chuckled, "Young folks don't understand; this is called 'romantic pricing'! When lovers buy saffron, it signifies a lifetime together; when young maidens buy rosewater, it symbolizes 'I love you'!" Before his voice even faded, Su Wanyue appeared carrying a ledger: "Last month's import cost was clearly ten strings, and the markup exceeds thirty percent. According to the rules..."
Huwa immediately pulled out a penalty notice made of garlic skins, illustrated with a green ox crushing a black-hearted abacus: "A fine of thirty strings of cash! Half goes to the Yi Sc…
Chapter 560