C8 A Huge Sum of Money

Stepping out of the bustling market, Tang Tianyuv found the sun high in the sky and fatigue setting in. He took a moment to rest on the steps outside before spending his last two hundred yuan on a saw blade and indulging in the luxury of a ride home.

The landlady was nowhere to be seen on the balcony, allowing Tang Tianyuv to carry the stone into his home undisturbed. Once inside, he secured the door and expertly set to work sawing the stone.

A delicate scent lingered in the room, reminiscent of a young girl's perfume. Thoughts of Xiaoyu filled Tang Tianyuv with warmth. She had only just started at East Hall University and would return home on weekends. With the weekend over, Xiaoyu was back at school, and it would be another week before he could see her again. Tang Tianyuv resolved to gather enough money to surprise her with a brand new Virtual Cabin upon her next visit.

The stone split open easily, revealing the anticipated blue glow. Tang Tianyuv skillfully extracted the crystal nestled within. It was the size of a grain of rice, just like yesterday's find, but the energy it emitted was noticeably stronger. This indicated a slightly superior quality to the previous day's crystal.

Taking no chances this time, he swiftly secured the crystal in a box and concealed it on his person. After a quick tidy, he stepped out into the world again.

Xiao Mi was on her nineteenth viewing of a hit idol drama, her hair in disarray from a fit of frustration. The drama on her Holo-Brain had subsided; the woman had stopped shouting, the man had settled, and the heartthrob Yun Feiyang was now gazing into the sky at a 45-degree angle, his deep voice proclaiming to his followers, "My journey is to the stars and the sea!"

It was then that Xiao Mi caught sight of that annoying kid who had called her crazy for the second time. She let out a shrill scream and leapt to her feet, ready to unleash a tirade. But she halted mid-tirade when she heard him say, "I'm here to sell an Energy Crystal."

Frozen with her hands in the air, Xiao Mi stood there, poised like a cat ready to pounce, and asked incredulously, "You're selling an Energy Crystal?"

"Yeah," Tang Tianyuv set the box down on the counter, "didn't you tell me that once I got my hands on an Energy Crystal, I could only sell it to you?"

Xiao Mi snatched the box with lightning speed, then cautiously pried open a sliver of a gap. A glint of light escaped, casting a blue streak in her pupils.

"Is this a dream?" Xiao Mi whispered to herself, "It's actually an Energy Crystal."

Tang Tianyuv chimed in, "You can open it up for a better look. I wouldn't deceive you."

"Idiot!" Xiao Mi gave him a scornful look. "You know the Energy Crystal evaporates, so why spout such nonsense? The longer I keep the box open, the more its value plummets. Got it?"

Tang Tianyuv just nodded blankly, thinking to himself, I'm not going to argue with a nutcase. Just as long as she doesn't freak out when it's time to pay up.

Xiao Mi secured the Crystal Box inside a sizable transparent device and locked it down. She then hit a switch, and the device lit up. The box inside popped open with a click, revealing the blue crystal to their gaze. The device hummed softly, followed by a beep, and a synthesized mechanical voice filled the air: "Low-level Energy Crystal detected. Purity level three, strength two, endurance one, weight 0.538 grams. Analysis complete."

"Another low-grade one," Xiao Mi grumbled under her breath, then looked up at Tang Tianyuv with an odd glint in her eyes. "Kid, where did you get this crystal?"

"I extracted it from a stone I just bought," Tang Tianyuv replied earnestly.

Xiao Mi's eyes widened as she fixed her gaze on him. "You struck it lucky on your first buy?"

"Guess I'm just fortunate." Even though he was dealing with someone unstable, Tang Tianyuv thought it best to keep the peculiarities about himself under wraps.

Xiao Mi's mouth hung open for a moment, her thin lips and pearly white teeth forming a surprisingly delightful sight. But Tang Tianyuv was in no mood to admire her; he was more concerned about the business at hand. "So, how much for the crystal? You still haven't paid me."

Xiao Mi snapped back to attention and nodded vigorously. "Oh, right, the price of this crystal... Let me check. One million credit points. Here, hand over your card, and I'll load the credits for you."

Tang Tianyuv hastily fished out his card, his hands trembling slightly as he passed it to Xiao Mi.

One million!

This was one million credit points! It signified that he could afford twenty Virtual Cabins, cover a hundred years' worth of rent, buy half a million dry loaves of bread, or even rent a top-tier hovercar for a few laps around Tamaris Planet. And now, this staggering amount, far beyond anything he'd anticipated, was his?

In the Carlos Federation, every citizen was registered at birth and issued a lifelong credit card. In this age of plenty, most had grown accustomed to card transactions, with credit points surpassing the value of the federal dollar as the fundamental currency unit. Only the poorest or the eccentric rich still used cash.

Tang Tianyuv's card had been flush with funds once, but it had been bone-dry for a year. Now, it boasted a million.

The Energy Procurement Department might have been a mere formality, but its payment system, designed according to the military's interstellar networking principles, was top-notch. Despite the department's negligible worth, once the equipment verified an Energy Crystal's grade and value, the system promptly credited the seller's account. Xiao Mi's job was thus not only dull but also stress-free and devoid of responsibility. To use an old phrase from before the 58th century, it was a "no-brainer."

"Don't get too worked up," Xiao Mi said with a grin. "If you keep finding Energy Crystals, you'll be joining the ranks of the wealthy in no time."

"I... I'll do my best," Tang Tianyuv assured her with a determined nod.

After exiting the Energy Procurement Department, Tang Tianyuv made a beeline for Black Stone Lane and returned to the same vendor's stall.

"Ah, young man, back again?" The vendor remembered him well. "What's the matter, looking to try your luck with another stone?"

"Absolutely," Tang Tianyuv replied cheerfully. "Your stones are the best deal around. If I'm going to gamble, it'll be right here with you."

As the words left his mouth, a derisive snicker came from behind. "What a fool. If you're after a bargain, why not head to the mines to buy rocks? You can get a whole pile for a hundred bucks. Why bother coming here for Worm Iron Ore?"

Tang Tianyuv turned to see who had spoken. A young man in his twenties, sharply dressed in a crisp suit and tie, with gold-rimmed glasses, exuded the air of a successful professional. Draped on his arm was a pretty girl, though her makeup was caked on and her clothes were a tad revealing. A wave of her heavy perfume wafted over, almost making Tang want to sneeze.

Shaking his head, Tang stepped back without a word.

The young man, noticing Tang's timid demeanor, sneered even more arrogantly. He nudged the girl forward, taking Tang's former spot. She glanced back at Tang with a look of revulsion, theatrically covering her nose as if repelled by his scent.

Tang, often perceived as frail and easily bullied due to his longstanding physical weakness, was accustomed to sidestepping conflict. Yet, deep down, he harbored a stubborn streak. Now, with his health much improved, he felt an urge to lash out at the couple's condescending attitude. But reason reminded him he wasn't strong enough yet, so he clenched his jaw and forcefully quelled the impulse.

"One day, I'll have ample money and strength. Then, no one will ever push me around again," he vowed silently.

The young man turned back to the vendor and casually pointed to a stone. "Boss, I'll take this one."

His companion clutched her mouth dramatically and asked, "Young Master Wang, you made your choice that quickly?"

"Choose? What's there to choose?" Young Master Wang boasted. "Ever heard the saying, 'buy the most expensive, not the right one'? If I'm buying, I'm going for the priciest one here."

"Wow, Young Master, you're so amazing!" the girl cooed.

A flicker of scorn passed through the vendor's eyes but was swiftly concealed. With a beaming smile, he said, "This stone is eight thousand eight hundred—a very lucky number. Will you be paying with card or cash?"

"Who even uses cash these days? That's just dumb," Young Master Wang said smugly as he pulled out his card. "I'll be paying with this, of course."

But just then, a voice from behind interrupted, "Hold on."

Young Master Wang scowled and turned around to see the very kid he had just ridiculed.

"Got something to say, kid?" The vendor recognized Tang Tianyuv.

"I'll take this stone for ten thousand," Tang Tianyuv declared.

"You!" Young Master Wang was livid. "Are you doing this just to spite me?"

Truth be told, Tang Tianyuv wasn't out to get him. He had come specifically to buy that stone. He had let Young Master Wang's earlier taunts slide, but it was a different story now that they were both eyeing the same stone. Tang Tianyuv wasn't about to back down.

That stone contained an energy crystal, and not just any crystal, but one far superior to the one he had just purchased. Tang Tianyuv could handle a few insults, but he'd be damned if he let someone he despised luck out on such a find. He was determined to throw a wrench in Young Master Wang's plans.

In a way, Tang Tianyuv had a bit of a sly streak—he was the type who'd plot behind the scenes without letting on to his schemes.