Wang Chen could tell that Wang Luohan was worried about him. He chuckled, trying to ease her concerns. "Today, I got lucky. Found a huge discount, or you think I could afford this? Plus, the honey vendor, Liu Qiang, is an old middle school friend of mine. He gave me a special insider discount."
Liu Qiang was one of Wang Chen's few close friends. His family ran a small monster goods shop, and though they weren't rich, they were comfortable. While they went to different high schools, their bond had remained strong. Liu Qiang, with his cheerful demeanor, would often show up with bags of goods for Wang Chen and his sister. He liked to joke about his dream of awakening into a top-tier healer because, as he would say, "With a body like mine, I'd make the perfect nurse. I'll heal people left and right!"
Wang Chen chuckled at the memory. Liu Qiang had always been a bit boastful about his dreams. But his ambition and optimism were something Wang Chen admired.
Curious, Wang Chen wondered about Liu Qiang's current status. Since the awakening ceremony, Liu Qiang had practically vanished. Wang Chen hadn't heard from him in days. Was it possible that he'd awakened to a disappointing class?
Wang Luohan blinked and said, "Little Fatty? He hasn't come by in a while. I wonder if something happened to him."
"I'll stop by his place later. I've got some errands to run anyway." Wang Chen had to deal with the materials he'd gathered, so he planned to sell them tomorrow. They were stacked up in the storage room downstairs, taking up far too much space.
As he opened a jar of honey, he poured his sister a cup of the sweet liquid. Wang Luohan, carefully holding the cup, took a sip with a serious expression as if it were some sacred ritual. "Mmm! So sweet… Brother..."
Her eyes lit up instantly, her face breaking into a radiant smile. It had been so long since she had tasted something so sweet. After falling ill, their family's finances had been tight, and luxuries like magic honey were a far-off dream.
"Drink more, sis. Your brother's got it now. You want something, just tell me. We'll get it," Wang Chen said, his voice gentle. He couldn't help but ruffle her hair, vowing to give her the life she deserved.
The next morning, after a quick breakfast, Wang Chen left the house. He grabbed the heavy bundles of materials stacked in the storage room and headed straight for the largest merchant hall in Luohai City Jubaoshi Merchant Pavilion. It was the best place to unload such a large quantity of materials.
As he made his way there, he couldn't help but wish for a space ring to make things easier. Unfortunately, those were far too expensive for ordinary people to afford, and only someone like Mo Liuli, with her wealth, could dream of owning one.
Before long, Wang Chen arrived at the bustling Jubaoshi Merchant Pavilion. People moved in and out, and the atmosphere was filled with excitement.
"Hello, how may I assist you today?" A group of young women, dressed in short skirts and black stockings, immediately approached him. Their smiles were warm and professional, each one vying for his attention, though their attire barely concealed their enticing curves.
"I have some materials to sell, from level 10 to level 20," Wang Chen said, tapping the large bundle on his shoulder.
The young women's eyes lit up with surprise. They hadn't expected such a young man to possess such a treasure trove of materials. Their smiles became even more genuine, and they rushed forward, eager to serve him.
"Uh, you, over there," Wang Chen quickly pointed to one of them to avoid being overwhelmed by the attention.
The chosen girl smiled brightly. "Hello, sir! My name is Yue Yue. Please, follow me, and we'll discuss things in the VIP room."
As she led Wang Chen upstairs, he couldn't help but notice two women walking into the hall An Xiao Xiao, with legs so perfect they could steal a man's breath, and Li Meng Meng, whose figure could make heads turn.
They had both reached level 7 after a day of grinding, a testament to the impressive leveling speed of young elites from wealthy families.
As they entered, they instantly became the center of attention, their beauty and presence overwhelming everyone else in the room.
"We're here to sell materials," Li Meng Meng said, flashing a space ring, her voice carrying authority.
"Right this way, ladies." One of the attendants quickly stepped forward to guide them.
But as they were about to head off, An Xiao Xiao stopped, staring at the figure disappearing upstairs. "That looked like Wang Chen."
"Wang Chen? No way, he's in the VIP room? The materials there are level 15 and above. He couldn't possibly afford that." Li Meng Meng dismissed the thought, sure it was just a coincidence.
An Xiao Xiao, however, was hesitant. "I think it was really him."
"Well, maybe you've just got him on the brain," Li Meng Meng teased. "Let's go, I'll make sure you don't lose your mind over him."
With a reluctant sigh, An Xiao Xiao nodded and followed her friend to another VIP room. The distance between her and Wang Chen, she thought, would only grow from here.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Wang Chen unloaded his materials onto the table in front of Yue Yue. The sight of the glowing materials made her gasp in excitement. "Did you really collect all of this yourself?"
Wang Chen nodded casually. "Pretty much. Can you calculate how much it's worth?"
Yue Yue's eyes widened, impressed. "Please hold on while I count."
As she meticulously sorted the materials, she quickly calculated their value. "There are 68 items from level 15 monsters, and 13 from level 20 BOSS drops. We have three whiteboard items, two black iron items, and the rest are materials. All together, that's worth about 490,000. But I'll add an extra 10,000 to make it a neat 500,000."
Yue Yue handed him a sleek black card, her movements graceful and professional. But Wang Chen barely noticed anything except the card itself.
"Thank you," Wang Chen said, his eyes alight with excitement. The card represented a fortune a sum of money that, just a short time ago, would have been unimaginable for him.
"By the way," Wang Chen asked, holding the card, "do you have any space rings available?"
Yue Yue's eyes sparkled, and her smile grew even wider.
And just like that, Wang Chen's fortunes were changing faster than ever. But little did he know, an even bigger opportunity was about to present itself.