C8 Xin Tianhai Building!

"Uh... could I borrow ten thousand yuan from you...?" Yang Chen's voice came through with a tinge of embarrassment.

In that instant, everyone, including Wild Wolf and the other Ability Users from No. 98, was taken aback. Borrow money? A person capable of defeating an A-class fighter with a single punch was asking for a loan?

The Ability Users were momentarily dumbfounded. To them, ten thousand yuan was as trivial as the cost of a drink—sometimes they'd spend several thousand just on a meal. The idea of borrowing such a paltry sum seemed absurd.

Wild Wolf's expression was one of bewilderment. Ten thousand yuan... What was that to him? At his level, such an amount was virtually indistinguishable from nothing. When he needed items for his training, he wouldn't hesitate to spend hundreds of thousands, if not millions. Ten thousand was a drop in the ocean.

Up in the stands, the quicker-witted Ability Users had already begun pulling out their wallets, and after some pooling of resources, they managed to scrape together the requested sum. In this day and age, carrying cash was a rarity.

Lending Yang Chen ten thousand yuan could potentially bring them closer to him, maybe even earn them a favor. For every Ability User in No. 98, this was an opportunity not to be missed. After all, anyone who could knock out Wild Wolf with a single punch, no matter how supposedly weak, had to be an S-class Ability User. Such beings were akin to deities in a modest city like Hancheng.

Yang Chen accepted the ten thousand yuan, its heft bringing him an inexplicable sense of reassurance. "Let's head out," he said with a smile, then strode from the arena, leaving the No. 98 Ability Users watching his retreating figure. Somehow, they realized, even a beggar's garb could be worn with dignity...

"Alright, enough of that. Don't bother trying to cozy up to him," Wild Wolf advised the others after Yang Chen had left. "Folks like him tend to be proud and aloof. Too much contact might not be in your best interest."

"Get back to your business!" he added, prompting a collective roll of eyes from the Ability Users before they dispersed.

Wild Wolf stood alone in the arena, scratching his head with an awkward chuckle. "Man, talk about embarrassing..."

...

In the heart of Hancheng stood a towering edifice, the New Sky and Earth Tower, its name emblazoned across the front.

Yang Chen stood at the entrance, gazing up at the impressive structure, feeling as insignificant as an ant. He took a deep breath and stepped into the place he'd longed to visit.

He had been here before, but back then, with barely any money to his name, he hadn't dared to enter. Now, with a substantial ten thousand yuan in his pocket, his confidence was bolstered.

Upon entering, it was as if he had stepped into another world. Shops of all sizes came into view, and Yang Chen, undeterred by the onlookers' stares, made a beeline for a men's clothing store and picked out a new outfit.

With the change of clothes, Yang Chen's entire demeanor was transformed. The slouchy sweatshirt and baggy jeans replaced his shabby attire, and he suddenly looked like the boy next door. He spent nearly a thousand yuan on the new clothes and discarded the old—why keep them when he had better?

Next, he found a place to eat on the second floor. The restaurant wasn't large, but the aroma wafting from the entrance was enticing. Curious, Yang Chen walked in, only to find it nearly empty. It smelled so good, why was no one there?

He soon discovered the reason: a group of burly men were intimidating the restaurant's owner. That explained the lack of patrons.

Yang Chen frowned, not in the mood for trouble, but the besieged owner caught sight of him and cried out, "Young man, help me!"

The thugs turned their attention to Yang Chen. "Damn," he muttered under his breath, facing the strong men with a reluctant gaze.

"Just keep doing what you're doing. I'll be on my way," he said, attempting to leave.

But the apparent leader signaled one of his men, who understood immediately and advanced toward Yang Chen with a menacing glint in his eye.

Yang Chen inwardly sighed. He should have known better than to get involved with women—nothing but trouble. He hadn't done a thing, yet here he was, dragged into a mess. It was enough to sour his mood.

"Kid, don't take it personally," the burly man sneered, cracking his knuckles with a threatening air. "You should've minded your own business."

Yang Chen's face grew increasingly impassive.

"What's the matter? You think I can't leave?" he challenged.

"Leaving? You'll be lucky to crawl out of here, let alone walk," the burly man sneered, launching a punch aimed to take Yang Chen down.

The man's eyes brimmed with cruelty as he visualized Yang Chen crumpling to the floor. He wasn't an Ability User, but his strength was formidable—enough to fell a bull with a single blow. Since the resurgence of spiritual energy on Earth, even the constitution of ordinary humans had improved significantly, not to mention a well-trained brute like him.

Yet, he anticipated a grim end for Yang Chen.

But in an instant, the burly man's expression twisted in shock. His arm felt as if it had been seized by a vice of steel, immovable despite his efforts.

His comrades took notice, their attention shifting to Yang Chen. The group's leader furrowed his brow.

"Finish this, will you?" he barked.

Sweat beaded on the burly man's forehead, his heart sinking with bitterness. He wasn't unwilling; the young man before him was just... odd. His own considerable strength seemed insignificant against Yang Chen, who now appeared to be a formidable E-class Ability User.

"Scram!" Yang Chen's voice thundered.

With that, he hoisted the burly man as if he weighed nothing, hurling him aside with ease.

Thud!

The impact echoed, drawing all eyes. The leader's pupils shrank—he'd recognized a real challenge. This newcomer was likely an Ability User; otherwise, his man would have easily handled him.

Approaching cautiously, the leader forced a smile. "Young man, I serve Prince Wang of No.98. I hope you might accommodate us. We'll make it worth your while."

His eyes betrayed his arrogance, confident in the influence of his patron, Prince Wang. Yet, he remained courteous to Yang Chen, not an Ability User himself.

Brushing off his clothes, Yang Chen replied coolly, "I don't know any prince. I just came here to eat. Now that's settled, I'll be on my way."

Though he wasn't intimidated by this so-called prince, Yang Chen preferred to avoid trouble. His current status wasn't officially linked to No.98, and stirring up a major incident could get messy.

"This card has ten thousand yuan on it," the leader offered, attempting to appease Yang Chen with a laugh and a bank card.

Yang Chen's eyebrow quirked, a hint of amusement on his lips. The leader took note, his estimation of Yang Chen's status dropping. He assumed Yang Chen was a newly minted Ability User, easily swayed by money—a common trait among those desperate for funds.

But as Yang Chen accepted the card and turned to leave, a voice called out, "I'll offer a hundred thousand for your assistance!"

​