C2 The Opportunity to Make a Fortune

After getting home and quickly satisfying his hunger with some instant noodles, Wang Xiaochuan settled into a cross-legged position and began practicing the Myriad Forms Body Tempering Art, a cultivation technique bequeathed by the Universal Sage.

The Myriad Forms Body Tempering Art is a foundational cultivation technique pioneered by the Universal Sage. It's designed to refine both Qi and the physical body, offering a comprehensive approach to cultivation that establishes a robust foundation for any cultivator.

Wang Xiaochuan's ability to fend off the aggressive dog was a direct result of the progress he had made with the Myriad Forms Body Tempering Art over the past two weeks.

However, he had noticed something during his fortnight of practice: the spiritual energy on Earth was exceedingly sparse, which significantly slowed his advancement in the Myriad Forms Body Tempering Art. After two weeks, he had barely reached the initial stage of a cultivator.

On the bright side, Wang Xiaochuan had also gained a wealth of knowledge in various other domains, including the Universal Sage's compendium of alchemy and pill formulas. With the right medicinal ingredients, he could concoct potions that would supply the necessary spiritual energy for his cultivation.

"I need to make money," he realized. "Without it, I can't hope to achieve anything significant in my cultivation with Earth's limited spiritual energy. And the herbs I need for alchemy certainly won't come cheap. Starting tomorrow, I'll have to devise some strategies to earn more."

Realizing further cultivation was yielding no additional benefits, Wang Xiaochuan paused his practice. Having set a new goal to make money, he promptly fell asleep.

The following day, before dawn, Wang Xiaochuan was up and on his way to the food delivery company to check in.

"Xiaochuan! You okay? Can you handle the workload?" Lai, his boss at the delivery company, greeted him with an enthusiastic embrace.

Lai, the delivery manager, was a good decade older than Xiaochuan and had also started as a laborer from a rural area.

"I'm fine, Lai. No need to worry; I'm in great shape," Wang Xiaochuan assured him, tapping his chest confidently.

"You look it," Lai agreed, giving a nearby electric scooter a friendly pat. "I charged your scooter for you since you left it here last time. Today, you'll cover the new city district as usual. Breakfast rush is about to start, so you'd better get moving!"

"Alright, thanks, Lai!"

Wang Xiaochuan nodded with a smile at Lai, then pushed his electric scooter onto the road, hopped on, and headed towards the new district.

The new district was a recently developed area in Drison County, home to many business buildings and upscale residential complexes. The white-collar workers and wealthy residents who lived and worked there often ordered takeout online to save time.

As such, the new district was the prime spot for the takeout business in the city. Lai's decision to keep Wang Xiaochuan in charge of this area was a way of looking out for him.

Before long, it was past nine in the morning, and Wang Xiaochuan had already delivered over ten breakfasts.

This time, he rode his electric scooter into Sunken City.

Sunken City was one of the most prestigious residential areas in Drison County, inhabited by the affluent and influential.

Wang Xiaochuan dismounted and checked the order on the plastic bag.

"One cup of bird's nest porridge..." Recognizing the familiar breakfast item and considering the location, Wang Xiaochuan had a hunch. "This has got to be Sister Qianyi's order!"

He glanced at the bottom of the slip, and sure enough, the recipient was Lin Qianyi.

Sister Qianyi, whose last name was Lin, was a regular customer of Wang Xiaochuan's. She was young, beautiful, and shrouded in mystery. Barely in her twenties, she had moved to Drison County from another region and managed to establish the county's most renowned high-end restaurant. City officials and local tycoons alike were frequent patrons of her establishment.

Over time, Lin Qianyi had become something of a local legend.

Lin Qianyi typically went to her restaurant around noon, preferring to sleep in and order takeout during the morning.

Before Wang Xiaochuan's hospitalization, he would deliver takeout to Lin Qianyi every few days. Their repeated interactions, coupled with Wang Xiaochuan's memorable name, meant they had become acquainted.

Upon arriving at the building, Wang Xiaochuan pressed the intercom at the entrance.

The walkie-talkie crackled to life, and Lin Qianyi's voice, still thick with sleep, came through with a hint of languor, "Who's there?"

"Sister Qianyi, your delivery has arrived."

"Is that you, Xiaochuan? Alright, bring it up quickly."

With a beep, the door's access control clicked open, and Xiao Tang dashed into the building with the takeout in hand.

He rode the elevator to the ninth floor and navigated the familiar turns until Lin Qianyi's apartment came into view.

After ringing the doorbell, Wang Xiaochuan was greeted by a rather provocative sight.

A curvaceous woman, clad only in a lace nightgown, opened the door. The sheer fabric revealed generous swaths of soft, pale skin, and the overflow of flesh at her chest sent Wang Xiaochuan's mind reeling as if a surge of blood had rushed to his head.

He quickly averted his gaze, bowing his head.

The woman before him, seemingly oblivious to his discomfort, stretched languidly and massaged her temples.

Wang Xiaochuan's cheeks flushed even deeper. He handed over the takeout, deliberately turning his head to avoid the revealing view.

"Sister Qianyi, here's your delivery."

Noticing Wang Xiaochuan's discomfiture, Lin Qianyi glanced down and realized her state of undress, her face coloring slightly.

Yet, the experienced Lin Qianyi was far from the shy, fresh graduate she once was, and wasn't easily flustered. Instead, she found the delivery boy's bashfulness amusing.

Taking the takeout with a playful laugh, Lin Qianyi asked, "Xiaochuan, it's been a while since I've seen you. Where have you been lately?"

"I had an injury and spent some time in the hospital. I was just discharged yesterday."

"Oh?" Lin Qianyi gasped, surprised. "Injured? Xiaochuan, what exactly happened?"

"It's nothing, all behind me now. I'm perfectly fine."

Wang Xiaochuan glanced down again, catching another eyeful that he found overwhelming. Struggling in the presence of this alluring woman, he abruptly turned on his heel, leaving her with a parting remark.

"Sister Qianyi, I must be going now!"

Wang Xiaochuan turned on his heel and fled, leaving Lin Qianyi standing there, stunned and clueless about what had just transpired.

He hopped onto his electric scooter and didn't slow down until he was well out of the neighborhood. That's when the rush of emotions he'd been feeling began to subside.

At just eighteen, Xiaochuan had never been in a relationship. The intense moment he'd just experienced left him struggling to keep his impulses in check.

He'd seen his fair share of disheveled women while delivering food, but none of them held a candle to Lin Qianyi.

To Xiaochuan, Qianyi was breathtakingly beautiful, like a fairy meant to be admired from a distance, not desecrated.

He clutched the jade pendant at his chest, reflecting on his past self who would never have been good enough for Sister Qianyi. But he was different now. He was confident that with some hard work, he'd soon become a man who could match her.

Once he'd collected himself, Xiaochuan checked his phone and noticed a new order: "Porridge again... And back to Sunken City? Building 19... Odd, why is there no apartment number?"

Without an apartment number, he couldn't complete the delivery. Puzzled, Xiaochuan reviewed the order details and saw the customer's name.

"Oh, it's Bao Fan."

Bao Fan was a well-known local businessman with several factories. His residence was on the eighth floor of Building 19 in Sunken City.

Despite his wealth, Bao Fan had simple tastes and often ordered food. Xiaochuan had delivered to him several times before, usually to his office. Delivering directly to Bao Fan's home was a rarity.

After picking up the porridge, Xiaochuan made his way back to Building 18 in Sunken City and pressed the intercom.

"Hello?"

A woman's voice answered, likely Bao Fan's wife.

"Good day, I'm here with your delivery."

"Delivery? No one here ordered delivery."

With a beep, the call abruptly ended.

Wang Xiaochuan was baffled. What was this all about? Had he delivered to the wrong address? No, that couldn't be it.

He glanced up to double-check the door number, which was correct, and was about to press the intercom button again when a rotund figure in pajamas emerged from the building, looking as if he were made entirely of buns.

"Bao Fan? Why are you down here? What was that phone call about?"

Bao Fan's expression darkened as he sighed, "Ah, never mind, Xiaochuan, just give me the food. I'm famished."

Wang Xiaochuan handed over the takeout to Bao Fan, his face full of curiosity, yet he refrained from asking any questions.

Just then, he heard a woman's scolding voice from behind Bao Fan, "Bao Fan! Who said you could order delivery? Get back here!"

Bao Fan's face went white as he clutched the takeout and scurried back into the building.

A heated argument ensued from within.

"I told you no delivery! Who gave you permission?"

"Honey, I've been in the hallway all night. I'm freezing and starving. Please, just let me eat something, or I'll really starve!"

"You deserve to starve! You've been spending your energy on other women!"

"No, honey, I've just been really weak lately. I'm getting older and just don't have the strength anymore!"

"That's a lie! You must be using all your energy on those young girls! Tell me, which one is it? Is it that secretary of yours, Ma?"

Wang Xiaochuan chuckled to himself and turned to leave.

He didn't need to hear the whole story to guess what was happening. It seemed likely that Bao Fan had failed to 'deliver the goods' the previous night, leading his wife to suspect an affair.

A few steps later, Wang Xiaochuan paused as an idea struck him.

"Feeling weak? Of course, kidney-reinforcing drugs! At least seven or eight out of ten men need them. If I can produce them, I'm sure to make a fortune."

A gleam appeared in Wang Xiaochuan's eyes. He sensed that his opportunity to strike it rich was just around the corner.