stjorthotic Chapter 27 Is this place proper?
Chapter 27 Is this place proper?
The air in the hall seemed to freeze.
Lord Gaode's refined face was now so black it could drip ink.
The veins on the backs of the hands of the guards holding halberds stood out, and their sharp gazes were like tangible knives scraping against Chen You.
One hundred and eighty gold coins?
How dare he speak up?
This isn't just asking for the moon; it's trying to swallow the entire pride whole!
In all his years of life, Gao De had never seen such a shameless adventurer.
However, faced with this overwhelming pressure, Chen You's smile only grew brighter.
Is he afraid?
Somewhat.
But the thought of the cold, hard numbers in his bank account and Li Guoan's stern face, darker than the city lord of Gaode, instantly dispelled his fear.
pattern!
I now represent the nation!
Why would I lower myself to a mere NPC?
Wouldn't that be a disgrace to Director Li?
"Lord of the City, please don't look at me like that."
Chen You shrugged, his face full of "sincerity".
"I'm doing this for the long-term stability and security of Zhaocheng."
"Think about it, if I had enough talismans, I could easily clean up those monster camps outside the city that harass the trade routes every day, let alone guide the garrison."
"Isn't this a great thing that benefits future generations?"
Gao De's eye twitched violently.
He found that he couldn't see through the young man in front of him at all.
The opponent's strength is undeniable, but their style of doing things is like...
A cunning businessman, a top-tier cunning businessman with enough power to overturn the table at any time.
A deathly silence fell over the hall.
Just as Chen You thought the other party was about to turn on him and was preparing to open the shop to buy a substitute talisman and run away, Lord Gaode suddenly let out a long breath.
The gloom on his face slowly faded, and he forced out a smile that looked even uglier than a grimace.
"Chen You, you jest."
He waved his hand, signaling the guards around him to relax their vigilance.
"The city lord's finances are indeed... a bit tight." Gao De carefully chose his words. "We can't produce any gold coins."
Chen You raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself: Here we go, the wrangling is about to begin.
"However..." Gao De changed the subject, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
"In recognition of your heroic deeds, Zhaocheng has raised your reputation to 'Friendly'."
"You might want to check with the quartermaster."
"With your reputation, you might be able to exchange it for something... that you need."
The implication is obvious.
You don't have money, but you can use the "certificate of honor" that was given to you to exchange for some prizes.
Chen You understood instantly.
It seems that although these NPCs are highly intelligent, they are ultimately limited by the underlying rules of the game.
They cannot conjure gold coins out of thin air, but they can use the "reputation" privileges granted by the system.
That works too.
Chen You's understanding of games far surpasses that of any native inhabitant of this world.
He knew very well that "reputation" was often more useful than gold coins.
Many top-tier blueprints, equipment, and even special items can only be unlocked when your reputation reaches a certain level.
This was a good deal.
"Since the city lord has put it that way, then I shall accept it without further ado."
Chen You's "cunning businessman" smile vanished, replaced by an expression of "deep understanding and righteousness."
"For the sake of peace in Zhaocheng, I am willing to do my part."
[Ding! You have accepted the mission: The Garrison's Trial.]
[Mission Objective: Proceed to the training grounds east of the city and conduct live-fire drills against the garrison, demonstrating your combat skills to them.]
[Quest Rewards: 5000 Reputation Points, Special Title [Friend of Zhaocheng], 10000 Experience Points.]
Chen You was overjoyed when he saw the mission reward.
Ten thousand experience points, five thousand reputation points, and a title!
This deal isn't a loss!
"Very good!" Lord Gaode nodded in satisfaction, his smile becoming more genuine.
"The training ground is in the east of the city. You can go there anytime you're ready. I've already sent someone to notify the person in charge there."
"No rush." Chen You waved his hand. "I'll go to the quartermaster first and replenish our 'supplies'."
Gaode made a "please" gesture, then turned around and returned to his seat, closing his eyes to rest.
He seemed unwilling to say another word to this slippery young man.
Chen You shrugged and, under the "respectful" gazes of the guards, turned and left the main hall of the city lord's mansion.
……
The supply depot of Zhaocheng was located inside a stone fortress on the flank of the city lord's mansion, with two even more burly soldiers standing at the entrance.
This place is less of an office and more of a huge warehouse.
After Chen You revealed his identity, he was allowed to enter.
The person in charge of exchanging supplies was a one-eyed, burly man with a hideous scar on his face, who looked like someone you didn't want to mess with.
When he saw Chen You, he merely snorted and tossed him a rough stone slab.
"See for yourself what you can exchange it for; it's all written on it."
Chen You didn't care about his attitude, picked up the stone slab, and concentrated his mind.
A redemption list immediately unfolded before his eyes.
There aren't many things you can exchange for with Friendly reputation.
Most of them are blue-green quality equipment, potion recipes, and some basic materials.
His eyes quickly settled on the list of materials.
[Wind-milled Copper]: An extremely tough metal, often used to make the joints of armor for elite soldiers. [Reputation required for exchange: 500]
【Sinking Silver Sand】: Metallic sand particles containing trace amounts of energy, which can increase the success rate of weapon enchanting. 【Reputation required for exchange: 500】
This is it!
Chen You recalled the longing look on the face of materials expert Qian Zhonghua.
"Exchange for one unit of Wind-Milled Copper and one unit of Sunken Silver Sand."
As 1000 reputation points were deducted, two pieces of metallic material with different luster appeared in Chen You's inventory.
Get it!
Chen You nodded in satisfaction, turned and left the quartermaster's office, heading towards the east of the city.
The eastern part of the city was Zhaocheng's military and artisan district.
The street was narrower than the main road, and the air was filled with the sounds of forging and the fresh scent of wood.
However, before he had gone far, a building that stood out from all the surrounding buildings instantly caught his attention.
It was an exquisite and beautiful two-story building.
It is made entirely of an unidentified white jade-like stone, which gleams with a warm luster in the sunlight.
With its flying eaves and bracket sets, carved beams and painted rafters, every detail reveals a luxury and nobility that is completely different from the rugged style of this border city.
Compared to the surrounding drab stone and wood buildings, it was like a crystal palace that suddenly appeared in the slums, extremely eye-catching.
Above the entrance of the small building hangs a black plaque with gold lettering, on which three large characters are written in a flamboyant and elegant style.
—The Supreme Tower!
Good guy.
This name doesn't sound like a respectable place at all.
Who would dare call that in a respectable place?
Chen You stopped in his tracks.
He could sense that the building exuded a unique aura.
It had a flavor that was a mixture of wealth, power, and a certain set of rules.
His [Spiritual Vision] skill even allowed him to see a trace of "spiritual energy" much denser than that outside, which was being slowly absorbed and released by this small building.
This is definitely not the business of ordinary NPCs!
Is it the player's?
Or is it some kind of more advanced system store?
Chen You's curiosity was completely piqued.
He checked his gold coin balance: 78 gold coins.
Hmm, 78 million Chinese yuan, that should... be enough to go in and have a cup of tea, right?
Hesitation is only a matter of a moment.
Director Li said that we need to broaden our perspective.
Exploring the unknown is also part of the mission!
He straightened his novice clothes, straightened his back, and tried to look like the successful people on TV.
With steady steps, I walked towards the gate carved from a single piece of white jade.
He wanted to see what secrets this "Supreme Tower" held!