stjorthotic Chapter 352 Is this how you rip people off?
Chapter 352 Is this how you rip people off?
Chen You waved his hand with great enthusiasm and clicked to buy.
[System notification: Your gold coin balance is insufficient. Would you like to recharge now?]
"Oh, this..."
Chen You smiled awkwardly and chose to recharge.
[Ding! Congratulations on your successful recharge! You have received 200000 gold coins!]
[Ding! Payment successful! 99,800 gold coins deducted.]
As the crisp, pleasant system notification echoed through the spacious Supreme Tower hall, Chen You's newly recharged gold coins instantly dwindled.
But he didn't even flinch; money spent is money.
The virtual panel in mid-air, reminiscent of a cheap web game, transformed into a shower of golden light, which then coalesced into a magnificent treasure chest radiating seven-colored light, landing steadily on the greasy countertop.
"The boss is so generous!" Hill gripped the edge of the counter with both hands, his eyes gleaming, and his voice rose eight octaves.
"Open it now! Look at how amazing this cobbled-together... cough, carefully prepared limited-edition gift package really is!"
Chen You glanced at her but did not expose her clumsy attempt to change her story.
He rubbed his hands together, with a hint of the devotion unique to gacha players, and placed his hand on the treasure chest lid.
"Click".
The treasure chest was opened, but instead of the expected golden beam of light shooting into the sky, there were only three items lying quietly inside.
Congratulations! You have obtained: 100 Heavenly-Rank Rejuvenation Pills
Congratulations on obtaining the unique title "Wealth Can Move Gods"!
Congratulations on obtaining: Unknown Item x1
Chen You first picked up the bottle of Heavenly-Rank Rejuvenating Pills.
The jade bottle had a warm, lustrous sheen. When the stopper was removed, a dense, almost tangible, spiritual energy rushed out, even forming a miniature cloud of spiritual energy at the bottle's opening.
"It's alright," Chen You said, pursing his lips.
Although his mana bar is so high that ordinary pills can't replenish it, he has never lacked mana in actual combat.
If you can't even eliminate a monster when you're out of mana, then you're just too weak.
Then, he opened the title panel.
[Title: Wealth Can Move Gods (Mythical Level, Unique)]
[Effect of Wearing: Enjoy a 9.9% discount on purchases made at all neutral and friendly NPCs in the Origin Realm.]
[Additionally, when encountering non-boss-level hostile units, there is a 0.01% chance to trigger "Money Temptation," which allows you to directly bribe the enemy to work for you by paying double their value in gold (lasts for 10 minutes).]
[Note: Money makes the world go round; if it doesn't, it just means you're not rich enough.]
Chen You stared at the "9.9% off" sign for a full five seconds.
"Hill." Chen You took a deep breath, his tone eerily calm.
"Huh? I'm here, boss!" Hill was busy counting the gold coins that had just arrived and didn't even look up.
"A gift pack worth 100,000 gold coins, and you're giving me a 9.9% discount?" Chen You shoved the title panel into Hill's face.
"I'm bad at math. Can you help me calculate how much money I need to spend to earn back the 100,000 gold coin difference?"
Hill coughed twice, adjusted his goggles, and explained in a serious tone.
"Boss, you can't do it that way. This is a unique Mythic-level title! The key is that hidden mechanic of 'bribing enemy units'!"
"Imagine, on a battlefield with thousands of troops, you casually throw money at the enemy's elite forces and make them defect. How impressive would that be?"
"The emotional value this provides far exceeds 100,000 gold coins!"
"With a 0.01% probability, I still have to pay double the price," Chen You sneered. "I don't want this emotional value; give me my money back."
"No returns or exchanges once goods are sold! This is an ironclad rule of the Origin Realm!" Hill immediately clutched his pocket and took two steps back warily.
"Besides, isn't there still this 'unknown wonder'? That's my most prized possession, absolutely worth every penny!"
Chen You snorted coldly and turned his gaze to the last item at the bottom of the treasure chest.
It was a black iron block about the size of a fist.
The surface was covered with pits and rust, and there were a few pieces of dark brown dirt of unknown composition stuck to the edges, emitting a faint smell of engine oil.
Chen You reached out and picked it up. It felt cold to the touch and heavy.
[Name: A lump of iron covered in unidentified grime]
[Rank: None]
[Description: Hill picked up a piece of scrap metal from a junkyard to level the broken leg on the left rear of the vending machine.]
Because it has been living in a dark and damp corner for many years, it has become perfectly integrated with its surroundings.
Perhaps... it really is just a piece of scrap metal?
The air in the hall suddenly became quiet.
Chen You slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed on Hill.
Hill's gaze began to dart wildly between the ceiling, the floor, and the view outside the window, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Well... the weather's nice today, sunny and breezy."
"A stepping stone?" Chen You slammed the metal lump onto the counter with a "bang".
"Ten thousand gold coins, and you're going to give me a stepping stone in a vending machine?"
"I told you to rip me off, and this is how you do it? Do you think I'm easy to bully because I just reached the Foundation Establishment stage?"
"Boss, let me explain!" Hill jumped up in a panic.
"The system has identified it as an 'Unknown Oddity,' which means it's definitely not an ordinary stepping stone!"
"The system of the Origin Realm is absolutely fair. Since it was included in a gift pack worth 100,000 gold coins, it must have some value!"
"Okay." Chen You nodded, pointing to the lump of iron.
"Now show me what the value of this thing is."
"If you can't demonstrate it, I'll tear down your 'Supreme Building' today and expose you for selling counterfeit goods."
Hill swallowed hard and cautiously approached the metal lump.
She first took out a magnifying glass and examined the iron block.
"How would I know what its value is..." she muttered softly.
Then he took out a device that looked like a Geiger counter and scanned it.
No response.
"This...this might require special triggering conditions." Hill wiped his sweat.
"You're a cultivator, why don't you try channeling some spiritual energy into yourself?"
Chen You stretched out his finger with some skepticism, and a wisp of pure spiritual energy flowed from his fingertip into the iron block.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
The iron block remained completely still, and its temperature did not even change.
"It's no use." Chen You withdrew his hand, his eyes growing increasingly dangerous.
"Then... call me Dad?" Hill suggested an extremely old online novel trope.
Chen You looked at her expressionlessly: "Do you want to hear what you're saying?"
Hill scratched his head awkwardly.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up.
"Boss, the Origin Realm definitely recognizes money, that's for sure. Since this thing is a rare item as determined by the system, will it also only recognize money?"
Chen You was stunned for a moment.
Although it seems outrageous, upon closer examination, it appears to be extremely reasonable.
He opened his backpack, casually pulled out a hundred gold coins, and threw them directly at the metal lump.
The pile of gleaming gold coins around the rusty iron block created a striking visual contrast.
Quiet.
"Look at this..." Chen You was about to mock him, but his words stopped abruptly.
Suddenly, the pile of gold coins began to tremble slightly.
Immediately afterwards, the surface of the gold coin emitted a soft light, transforming into wisps of pure golden energy, which were absorbed into the black iron lump like rivers flowing into the sea.
In just two seconds, one hundred gold coins vanished into nothingness.
Then, a series of system notifications appeared in front of Chen You.
[Experience points +1000!]
[Experience points +1000!]
[Experience points +1000!]
……