159: Spending millions is my thing!

At the bar counter.

Chen Du held a Black Gold Coin between his fingertips and gave it a light flick against the solid wood surface.

With a pleasant hum, it eventually landed on the back of the manager's hand.

"This one is a tip for you. Wipe your sweat."

He didn't look the manager in the eye, his gaze lazily sweeping over the neon lights outside the window.

"Pack the rest according to the shares. Be quick about it, my patience is limited."

"Yes, yes, yes! Please wait a moment, sir! It'll be ready right away!"

The manager looked at Chen Du now as if he were looking at a living God of Wealth.

He operated the terminal with lightning speed, wishing he had eight hands to serve him.

Ten minutes later.

Ye Qiu led the women into the room.

Before they could even speak, Chen Du grabbed a stack of black gold cards from the table and handed them to Ye Qiu.

This scene caused the "elite" at the surrounding tables, who were cutting steaks, to look over one after another, their eyes full of disdain and jealousy.

"Housekeeper Ye, take these."

Chen Du sank into the soft leather sofa, crossing his legs: "This is a million. Distribute it to everyone to go shopping."

When Ye Qiu heard the number, she was a bit dazed.

"A million? Pocket money?"

She pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of her nose, her voice rising an octave: "Chen Du, are you crazy?"

"Even though the prices here are inflated, a million is enough to buy a lot of supplies! And you want us to use it for... shopping?"

"In the apocalypse, money is just scrap metal. It only becomes a resource when spent and turned into pleasure or equipment."

Chen Du exhaled a smoke ring. "Don't be stingy, this is also a mission. Gather more information about this place while you're shopping."

"Fine, you're the Captain, so you have the final say."

Ye Qiu understood instantly.

She didn't act coy either, efficiently distributing several supplementary cards.

"Wow! Fifty thousand black gold coins!"

Lin Keke held the card, spinning in place with excitement: "Wuhu! This young lady is going to buy that 'Limited Edition Magical Girl Staff'! I was practically crying with envy when I passed the display window earlier!"

"Have some dignity."

Tang Ran curled her lip and swiftly tucked the card into the neckline of her sports vest.

"I'm going to check out the weapons area. Xia Xin, want to come? There's a type of high-explosive arrow there that the black-hearted shopkeeper refused to lower the price on."

"This time we'll act like tycoons and just crush him with money."

Xia Xin gave a gentle smile and nodded: "Alright, I also want to see if there are any high-tenacity bowstrings."

Even Xiao Ai, who had been lingering on the sidelines, had a card with a twenty-thousand-coin value stuffed into her hand.

She stared blankly at Chen Du, seemingly unable to process how such a good thing had fallen into her lap.

"Take it, just don't fall behind."

His gaze moved past the crowd and landed on a corner.

A figure was huddled there.

Zhou Qian was still wearing that tattered tight-fitting dress; it had been washed until it was faded, and the hem was full of holes.

In the magnificent Upper City District, she was like an ugly duckling that had wandered into a flock of swans.

She hunched her shoulders humbly, wishing she could hide in a crack in the floor.

Watching her former female classmates looking glamorous one by one, holding huge sums of money and discussing how to squander it,

Zhou Qian bit her lip hard, not saying a word.

Was she jealous? Of course.

But more than that, she had accepted her fate!

She was a slave, a sinner who had made mistakes.

Being alive was already Chen Du's mercy; how could she dare to dream of pocket money?

"Hey, Zhou Qian."

The indifferent voice fell, and Zhou Qian shuddered reflexively.

Her knees went weak, and she was about to kneel: "Mas... Master..."

Just then.

A hand grabbed her back collar, forcibly stopping her from kneeling.

Chen Du stuffed a black card into her palm, his gaze calm: "Take it. Go wash yourself clean and get a few changes of clothes."

"Remember, although you are a slave, you are my, Chen Du's, slave."

"Dressing so shabbily, are you trying to slap my face?"

Zhou Qian was stunned.

She held the card as if she were holding a fragile sacred relic.

Ten thousand... Before the apocalypse, she might not have even picked it up if it fell on the ground, but at this moment, this thin card felt heavier than a thousand catties.

"Thank you... Thank you, Master! Wuwu..."

She pressed the card tightly to her chest, tears washing away the dust on her face.

This wasn't just money; it was a life-saving medal, a proof that the Master acknowledged her as his property!

As long as the Captain was still willing to spend money on her, she wouldn't be thrown into the corpse pile outside!

This twisted sense of happiness made her want to crawl down immediately and kiss the tops of Chen Du's shoes.

"Alright, don't stand here crying like it's a funeral, it's bad luck."

Chen Du waved his hand, "Wang Jia, you take her to buy clothes."

"Sure thing, Boss."

Wang Jia pushed up her thick glasses, a glint flashing in her eyes, "The Black Swan Ready-to-Wear shop up ahead is having a sale! It's the best value for money right now. Let's go, crybaby!"

Watching the two of them walk away, Chen Du withdrew his gaze and lit another cigarette.

This was a necessary tactic.

The carrot and the stick! This was the most stable way to train a beast!

"You really have a knack for training, don't you?"

Xia Mo stood beside him, watching the scene with a half-smile, "The way Zhou Qian looks at you has changed—from fear to... adoration? She's almost like Mao Mao now."

"As long as a human creature has fallen on hard times, give them a little charity and they'll be eternally grateful."

Chen Du shrugged, not denying it.

"Let's go. Let them go paint the town red; we've got serious business to attend to."

Half an hour later.

A strange sight appeared on the streets of the Upper City District.

A group of stunningly beautiful women with different temperaments shuttled between various shops, leaving nothing behind in their wake.

They were generous spenders, never asking the price of anything they liked, just swiping their cards.

Those haughty shop assistants were now bowing and scraping, wishing they could kneel down and call them 'Grandmother'.

However.

Beneath the prosperity, shadows were always writhing.

"Ah—!!!"

On the street originally filled with fragrance, a scream tore through the elegant facade.

The gold-embossed doors of "Eternal Beauty Skin" were burst open!

Xiao Ai rushed out, stumbling!

Her face was still covered with half a layer of crystal-clear pink face cream, but she was frantically using her fingers to claw at the layer of paste.

Red marks had been scratched onto her cheeks.

"What's wrong? Seen a ghost?"

Lin Keke, who was picking out stockings next door, was startled and hurried over to support her.

"Don't touch me! Blegh..."

Xiao Ai retched, her eyes staring in horror at the pink grease on her fingertips, "The sales clerk said... this is virgin..."

She pointed toward the direction of the slums below, her teeth chattering: "That's human oil... it's fat... sucked out alive from those young girls down there, mixed with brain matter..."

"She said that way... it has vitality... it has that youthful feel..."

"Blegh—!"

After hearing this, Lin Keke's face turned pale, and she almost threw up all the milk tea she had just drunk.

"These perverts! They're simply not human!"

"Wait... hearing you say that, could the milk I drank be made of breast milk? I was wondering why the taste was so weird!"

The two girls looked in horror at the glamorous noblewomen all over the street and the milk tea in their hands,

Suddenly feeling that the perfume scent filling the city was all corpse oil extract.

On the other side.

Chen Du and Xia Mo did not join this shopping spree.

The affectionate couple walked arm-in-arm, slowly strolling to the northernmost part of the Upper City District.

The lights here gradually became sparse.

Cold searchlight beams became more frequent, like swords piercing the darkness.

A ten-meter-high electric fence wall stood across the path, completely sealing off the area.

And behind the wall, that massive black shadow was quietly suspended in mid-air.

The Inverted Pyramid!

Seeing it up close, the sense of oppression was even more suffocating.

Its apex was stabbed deep into the earth, like a straw sucking the blood of this planet.

The surroundings were full of private soldiers armed to the teeth.

Several armored vehicles glowing with red light were patrolling back and forth, their engines roaring continuously.

"The defense is very tight."

Xia Mo narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the infrared probes, "There are twelve hidden sentries alone, plus thermal weapons... if we try to force our way in, we'll probably be blown to bits."

"Who said we're going to force our way in?"

Chen Du reached out and put his arm around Xia Mo's waist, pulling her into his embrace.

"Are you ready, Teacher Xia?"

"Even if it's a dragon's pool or a tiger's den inside, I'm not afraid!" Xia Mo hooked her fingers back into his, frost slightly condensing on her fingertips.

Chen Du looked at the black pyramid that seemed capable of swallowing light, a demonic smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Good! Let's go pay a visit—the uninvited kind!"