At this moment, Sun Xin and Liu Yuanyuan's group felt truly awkward. Fortunately, the people from the Chen Family did not know, otherwise, they would indeed be the clowns.
Chen Han, upon hearing Zhao Kang inquire about the price, replied with a smile, "Mr. Zhao, this Thunder Bamboo Spirit Tea is made from our Chen Family's traditional secret recipe, and it's quite pricey. The premium price is 50,000 per pound, and the regular is 5,000 per pound."
This price was the result of his careful consideration. He wanted to test the market first, since not everything can just rely on reputation like the saying "good wine needs no bush."
Moreover, since the quantity is limited, they directly packaged it in high-end 500g gift boxes.
There's no need for those 100g or 50g small packages.
Here's a secret: many outside tea shops sell small packages of so-called good tea, which are just 6 to 12 brews per box, each brew being 8-10 grams. They're actually off-cuts of high-end tea or mixed-in materials, or lower grade materials, or promotional downgraded products...
Many understand the purpose: if the tea doesn't sell as it is, they target a lower market, or they are just driven by greed, recycling waste and selling you lower-grade stuff, but fulfilling your psychological needs.
Tea is an industry with deep waters, but the Chen Family doesn't swindle money like this, otherwise, if production was ten times more, they could still sell without a problem.
Of course, since they intend to treat Thunder Bamboo Spirit Tea as a Chen Family secret recipe, the price has to reflect a certain level, and they cannot undersell when testing the market.
Therefore, he set a price of 50,000 per pound for the premium tea, to first let the market know about it.
This price already positions it at a high level, and adjustments can be made once it gains popularity.
Given the effect of this Thunder Bamboo Spirit Tea, as long as its fame rises, there's no need for him to raise prices; the market will do it for him naturally.
Of course, this price also means 99% of people will certainly not afford it, but the regular Thunder Bamboo Spirit Tea is simple to make. As long as the Chen Family keeps growing and harvesting bamboo leaves from their reserved and parcelled bamboo groves, they can continue production.
Regarding the regular Thunder Bamboo Spirit Tea, it is priced at 5,000 per pound.
Many tourists who come out to play can actually afford this price; once the promotion kicks in, sales will undoubtedly not be low. This could create many jobs just from harvesting bamboo leaves within the clan, giving the people something to do.
After all, the father established the Chen Clan Ancient Building Complex tourism to lead the clan to prosper, so more job opportunities need to be created.
However, even at this price, Xiaoyu, Uncle Dagou, and Uncle Shuisheng were shocked.
Isn't this too expensive?
Many people in Shangyuan Village grow tea. Local tea merchants buy them, and after processing, they only sell for over 100 yuan per pound.
Xiaoyu sneaked over to the table, poured a cup of premium Thunder Bamboo Spirit Tea, drank it, and was amazed, instinctively looking at her senior brother.
As expected of the senior brother she has admired since she was young.
Upon hearing the price, Zhao Kang immediately said, "Patriarch Chen, I will buy 2 pounds of the premium, and 10 pounds of the regular, is that alright?"
A pound of Thunder Bamboo Spirit Tea at 50,000 is naturally not something he would drink casually but intended for treating certain clients.
This tea will certainly be very prestigious.
The regular one would then be for daily consumption.
Lin Nan's three families have some capital, but most of it comes from their families. Buying a pound of Thunder Bamboo Spirit Tea at 50,000 makes them a bit hesitant.
However, the three families had no problem collectively buying a pound of premium.
So, after discussing, Lin Nan also said, "Patriarch Chen, we'll buy a pound of premium Thunder Bamboo Spirit Tea and 3 pounds of regular Thunder Bamboo Spirit Tea."
Sun Xin and Liu Yuanyuan's group felt even more embarrassed.
Although they have some freedom in their work, they are just ordinary employees, and they really can't afford Thunder Bamboo Spirit Tea at 50,000 per pound.
The key is that they had just considered someone who casually spends 150,000 as a big spender.
They truly felt like clowns.
Nevertheless, the Thunder Bamboo Spirit Tea is indeed a good product. Having come all this way, they might as well buy a bit, right?
So, after some discussion, they decided to collectively purchase a pound of regular Thunder Bamboo Spirit Tea, which would cost each person just under 1,000 yuan.
"Patriarch Chen, I also plan to buy a pound of regular Thunder Bamboo Spirit Tea." Sun Xin, acting as the representative, felt a bit embarrassed, not to mention that buying collectively was their last act of defiance.
Chen Han, unaware of his inner thoughts, saw that everyone had purchase intentions and said with a smile, "I'll have my junior sister record how much Thunder Bamboo Spirit Tea everyone wants to buy, but the current batch isn't enough to meet everyone's needs. We'll do our best to produce enough by the afternoon, and then my junior sister will find you to complete the formalities."
"Everyone, I have already recorded your needs, and I'll notify you then." Xiaoyu cooperatively noted everything down on her phone.
"Brother, turn this into an apple!" suddenly, a little boy came up to Chen Han, looking at him expectantly.
Chen Han recognized him as the child of Mr. Lin.
"Patriarch Chen, my apologies, the child doesn't understand." Lin Nan awkwardly said.
He could see now that the Chen Family is no simple entity—a patriarch is no street performer, readily turning an apple upon a kid's request.
It's a courtesy if he transforms something for you; demanding it is simply rude.
"Oh, no problem." Chen Han smiled, already intending to experiment with prestigious demonstrations in front of Mr. Zhao, Mr. Lin, and others.
Hence, he called the two other kids over, "The two of you, come here, and let brother turn an apple for you too."
This scene also attracted Sun Xin and Liu Yuanyuan's group, reminding them that in Xiaoyu's promotional video Tiao Yin, her senior brother could perform a magic trick, making 10 apples vanish and swiftly reappear.
People haven't a clue where he hid those apples in short sleeves and shorts; most comments suggest it's a special effect, with one top-liked comment pinned saying as much.
Could this Patriarch Chen really perform it now?
Upon hearing Chen Han's call, the other two children excitedly ran over to him.
The kids didn't really understand about drinking tea, but they had a vivid memory of the apple transformation, and their little eyes were full of anticipation.
Chen Han also crouched down and extended his hand to one of the children: "Look, is there an apple in my hand?"
The three kids immediately grabbed his hand and looked at it intently, even though it was clear at a glance that there was no apple.
Even Sun Xin and Liu Yuanyuan's group were staring fixedly at that palm, but in the next moment, they saw the empty hand flip and turn, and a big, rosy apple appeared out of nowhere.
"Whoa!" Sun Xin exclaimed in shock, not having seen how the other person did it. The apple just suddenly appeared.
The three kids were thrilled.
"An apple, Dad, Brother made an apple again."
"He made it appear."
"I want one too, I want an apple!"
Chen Han gave the apple to that child and then extended his two hands to the other two children: "Watch closely, here comes the apple."
With a flip of both palms right in front of those two kids, an apple appeared in each one from the warehouse, and he handed them over amidst the kids' excited applause.
"What kind of trick is this? Impressive!" Sun Xin and his companions were utterly dumbfounded.
With both hands extended like that, there was absolutely no way to perform any unnecessary sleight of hand...
The key point was, there were already three apples, where on earth did he hide them?
Chen Han was already standing up, satisfied with the row of reputation notifications appearing in the game interface in his mind:
[Congratulations, you've gained 1 reputation point by performing magic tricks in front of people!]
[Congratulations, you've gained 1 reputation point by performing magic tricks in front of people!]
[...]
Thirteen notifications in total appeared, bringing his overall reputation to 165.
He counted carefully, with Mr. Zhao and Mr. Lin's group of 7 adults, and the newly arrived group of 6 tourists, totaling exactly 13 people.
But Uncle Dagou and Uncle Shuisheng, being family members, even though they were also amazed, didn't provide any reputation points.
Game system limitations.
However, this proved one thing: tourists could gain reputation by witnessing magic tricks and remarkable spectacles more than once; apparently, it could be refreshed daily.
This was indeed good news.
"Patriarch Chen, I wonder..." Liu Yuanyuan stepped forward at this time, her face full of embarrassment.
She also wanted an apple, mainly to look for flaws, but she wasn't a kid, so a grown-up asking for an apple felt a bit embarrassing, and she didn't have the courage to finish her sentence.
Chen Han saw through her thoughts, smiling as he extended his hand. When his palm reached in front of her, an apple already appeared on it, and he said with a grin, "Welcome to the Chen Clan Ancient Building Complex."
Liu Yuanyuan took the apple with her eyes wide open. It was right in front of her, yet she hadn't noticed any flaws.
The apple just appeared suddenly, the trick was terrifying.
How fast must the speed be to make it unnoticeable to the human eye?
"That's the fourth one." Sun Xin, astonished, said to a companion beside him.
They suddenly realized that in that promotional video by Xiaoyu, Patriarch Chen making 10 apples might not have been a special effect.
If he could make 4 apples appear without any flaws, then making 10 should also be... possible, right?
Suddenly, the group felt that the Chen Family wasn't simple. Not only was the entire building complex rich in traditional charm and full of aesthetics, but they also had the Thunder Bamboo Spirit Tea secret formula, and even the young Patriarch had such a remarkable skill.
Seeing the shock on these people's faces, Xiaoyu couldn't help feeling proud, thinking her senior brother was amazing.
She didn't forget the main task and said to Sun Xin's group, "Everyone, please follow me to handle the check-in procedures. After you check-in, it'll be just about lunchtime."
Sun Xin's group nodded and followed Xiaoyu to the visitor reception center.
Along the way, Sun Xin couldn't help but want to speak up for this Patriarch Chen.
He opened Xiaoyu's homepage, found that promotional video, and saw a comment with many likes claiming the apple trick was a special effect, then typed a comment: "Saw it with my own eyes, Patriarch Chen's trick is really impressive, definitely not a special effect."
To his surprise, as soon as he commented, someone immediately replied: "Idiot, even as a shill, you should have some brains."
On the other side, a fat homebody disdainfully replied and continued browsing Tiao Yin.
If those 10 apples weren't cleverly hidden, even a pig could see through the flaw; if it's not a special effect, he'd eat his hat while doing a handstand.
Nowadays, people don't even know how to be proper shills.
Back at the Chen Family, seeing the response left Sun Xin dumbfounded. Who the heck was being a shill? Special effects, this guy really is ignorant.
Thinking this, he couldn't help but remember he had previously suspected others of being shills, making him feel super awkward.