9: Chapter 9 Earning 150,000 with Tears and Blood

"Eighty thousand! This last box is mine!"

The one shouting the price was a burly bald man with a gold chain as thick as a finger around his neck, his eyes as red as if they had just been fished out of a dye vat.

He shoved aside the people blocking him and slammed a thick stack of cash onto the cardboard in front of Lin Fan. His stance didn't look like he was buying something, but rather like he was fighting for his life.

"Deal."

Lin Fan didn't even look up. He pocketed the cash with lightning speed and pushed the last wooden box over.

Just a few seconds ago, the second-to-last blind box had already been snatched away at the high price of sixty thousand by that burly mercenary who had previously threatened to buy them all out.

At this moment, the atmosphere in front of the stall reached its peak, as if even the dust floating in the air was burning.

Those who didn't get one beat their chests and stamped their feet, looking at Lin Fan with eyes full of both envy and jealousy, wishing they could rush up and rob him.

But after seeing Fatty beside Lin Fan, whose body radiated a rocky luster and who was currently brandishing a steel pipe, everyone rationally withdrew their inappropriate thoughts.

The deterrent power of a C-Rank Talent was plainly displayed right there.

"Open it! Open it quickly!"

Someone in the crowd shouted, and all eyes instantly focused on the two lucky ones... or the two suckers.

The mercenary who spent sixty thousand took a deep breath, his hands trembling as he lifted the lid. There was no pillar of light soaring into the sky, nor any suffocating anomalies.

Only a faint smell of blood wafted out. At the bottom of the box lay a bottle of dark red liquid.

[Item: Rot Wolf Essence Blood]

[Description: Extracted from the heart blood of a mutated Rot Wolf. Consumption can slightly strengthen the physique, with certain side effects.]

[Valuation: 12,000 alliance coins]

"Fuck!"

The mercenary looked at the bottle in his hand, his face instantly turning as black as the bottom of a pot. For something worth twelve thousand, he had spent sixty thousand. This was a net loss of forty-eight thousand.

Immediately after, the burly bald man who spent eighty thousand also opened his.

Click.

The lid flipped open, and a cold, glinting dagger about seven inches long lay on the red velvet. The handle was polished from wolf bone, and the blade was serrated.

[Item: Wolf Fang Dagger]

[Rank: Common Iron Rank (Martial Apprentice Exclusive)]

[Valuation: 9,000 alliance coins]

"I'm not convinced!!"

The burly bald man's mentality collapsed. He spent eighty thousand just to buy a dagger worth less than ten thousand? The discrepancy was so large it made him want to vomit blood.

The image of Fatty opening a C-Rank Talent was still lingering in his mind. How could it turn into this pile of junk when it was his turn?

"Boss, this isn't right, is it?"

The burly bald man suddenly looked up and glared fiercely at Lin Fan. "Is that Fatty your shill? Why can he get a talent while we only get this trash? Give me my money back! Refund! Refund!"

"Yeah, refund! This is simply a scam!" the mercenary joined in the commotion, clutching the bottle of essence blood tightly. His muscles were tensed, as if he would strike at the slightest provocation.

The surrounding crowd suddenly fell silent. People loved to watch a scene; this conflict between the 'seller's showcase' and the 'buyer's reality' was always the most exciting recurring program in the night market.

Lin Fan remained sitting cross-legged, not even lifting an eyelid. He methodically organized the cash at his side, stacking it neatly and stuffing it into that worn-out canvas bag.

Only after finishing all this did he slowly look up, his gaze calmly sweeping over the two enraged customers.

"What did I say just now?"

Lin Fan's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. "One cut to poverty, one cut to wealth. Once the deal is done, no returns or exchanges. You agreed to these rules yourselves, didn't you?"

"Cut the crap! That's because..." The burly bald man tried to argue but was interrupted by Lin Fan.

"Because you were greedy."

Lin Fan stood up and brushed the dust off his pants, his tone as sharp as a blade.

"My price was ten thousand. If you bought it at the original price—ten thousand for essence blood worth twelve thousand, or for a dagger worth nine thousand—would you lose out? Not only would you not lose, you'd even make a small profit. It was your own gambling fever that drove you to hike the price just to chase that one-in-a-ten-thousand chance. Now that you've lost the gamble, you're blaming me?"

These words were like a slap in the face, hitting both of them hard.

The logic was impeccable.

According to the original price of the blind boxes, the output of these two boxes was indeed worth more than the cost. Lin Fan hadn't used false advertising, nor had he sold inferior goods.

One could even say that for all three blind boxes, the return rate of each exceeded the cost line.

"This..." The burly bald man opened his mouth, his face turning the color of pig liver, but he couldn't find a single word to retort.

"It seems... that makes sense."

"Indeed, the boss originally sold them for ten thousand. They were the ones who shouted eighty thousand themselves."

"Speaking of which, this god and demon blind box really has something to it? None of the three boxes were empty, and even the worst one returned ninety percent of the cost?"

The direction of public opinion shifted instantly. In this black market full of fraud and fake goods, a merchant who could guarantee a return of the base cost was practically the conscience of the industry.

Lin Fan's words just now didn't offend anyone; instead, they established his persona as someone who 'followed the rules' and 'had a bottom line.'

"god and demon blind box, interesting!"

"Boss, when will you set up the stall tomorrow? I want to reserve one!"

"Me too, I'll bring my own stool to line up tomorrow."

Those who didn't get to buy weren't annoyed anymore; instead, they surrounded Lin Fan as if they were looking at a living god of wealth.

In this desperate era, nothing moves people more than a real, high rate of return.

Lin Fan slung the canvas bag over his shoulder. Looking at the fanatical crowd around him, a smile finally appeared on his cold face, one that befitted his age. However, hidden within that smile was a hint of craftiness.

"It depends on fate."

He waved his hand, acting like a transcendent master. "Come early tomorrow."

On the periphery of the crowd.

Wang Teng stared fixedly at Lin Fan, who was being treated like a star, his teeth grinding audibly.

That originally handsome face was now distorted like a demon's. Just ten minutes ago, he was the ruler of this place, the Young Master Wang whom everyone flattered.

And now, he had become a complete clown, the background for Lin Fan's rise.

The ten thousand yuan on the ground was still scattered in the mud, ignored by everyone. It wasn't just money; it was Wang Teng's face, shattered all over the floor.

"Lin Fan..."

Wang Teng squeezed these two words through his teeth, his venomous gaze like a poisonous snake tightly coiled around Lin Fan's back. "Just you wait. For today's grudge, I'll make you spit it all back out with interest! And that damn Fatty..."

"Young Master, we..." the lackey beside him asked cautiously, fearing he might trigger his master's temper.

"Get lost! Haven't we lost enough face already?"

Wang Teng slapped the lackey's face and turned into a dark alley, his back looking exceptionally pathetic and desolate. But the look he gave before leaving was filled with an undying, murderous spite.

The crowd gradually dispersed.

The hustle and bustle of the night market continued.

Half an hour later.

At the edge of the West District Ruins, inside a collapsed, unfinished building.

This place was far from the night market and very quiet, with only the occasional sound of insects. Lin Fan and Fatty were huddled in a corner like two thieving rats, using the faint light from a phone to... count money.

"Ten thousand, twenty thousand... fifty thousand... Holy shit, Brother Fan, we're rich, we're really rich!"

Fatty held the pile of colorful banknotes, his fat shaking with excitement. In all his life, he had never even dreamed of having this much money, let alone seeing it.

One hundred and fifty-one thousand two hundred.

Except for Fatty's twelve thousand which wasn't touched, the rest was all here. For two poor students still in school, this was a massive fortune.

Lin Fan leaned against the wall, watching the excited Fatty. The nerves he had kept taut all night finally relaxed. He let out a long breath, and the heavy stone that had been crushing his chest finally shifted slightly.

One million.

One-seventh completed on the first day.

And...

With a thought, Lin Fan called up the system panel. That was the real harvest of tonight, a trump card more precious than the 150,000 in cash.

[Ding!]

[Transaction settlement complete.]

[Customer A opened Rot Wolf Essence Blood (F-Rank), triggering a fifteen-fold return... Obtained: High-Quality Beast Blood x2 (E-Rank). Description: Purified exotic beast blood containing violent energy, an excellent product for tempering the body.]

[Customer B opened Wolf Fang Dagger (Common Iron Rank), triggering a twenty-fold return... Obtained: Alloy War Saber (E-Rank). Description: A standard-issue war saber forged with rare metals; it cuts through iron like butter and is enough to break the defense of Martial Artist Level exotic beasts.]

Awesome!

Lin Fan clenched his fist. This was the terrifying part of the myriad races blind box system. Not only could it make money, but it could also obtain a continuous stream of cultivation resources and equipment out of thin air.

As long as the blind boxes sold well, he, Lin Fan, would be the world's greatest arms dealer and the strongest martial artist!

"Brother Fan, here."

Fatty suddenly divided the counted money into two piles, pushing the thick stack of cash entirely in front of Lin Fan, leaving only his original twelve thousand in capital for himself.

"What's this for?" Lin Fan raised an eyebrow.

"Dividends." Fatty scratched his head, sounding as if it were only natural. "You made these blind boxes, you set up the stall. I just provided the capital and even got a C-Rank Talent for free. I can't take this money."

"Take it."

Lin Fan pulled out fifty thousand from the pile and stuffed it into Fatty's arms. "Even brothers keep clear accounts. Without your twelve thousand, the stall would have failed tonight. Besides, I'll need you, my 'shill,' to set the pace for future sales. This is your labor fee and investment share."

"No way, no way!"

Fatty threw the money back as if his hands were burned. His round face turned bright red, and his attitude was frighteningly resolute. "Brother Fan, what kind of person do you take me for? If I were in it for the money, I should have grabbed that dagger too!"

He grabbed Lin Fan's hand and pressed it firmly onto the pile of money, his eyes showing a rare sense of seriousness and stubbornness.

"Brother Fan, I know you're in urgent need of money. Xiao Ya's surgery fee... that's one million! You must keep this money, all of it! Talk to me about splitting money once you've cured Xiao Ya!"

"Now that I have this C-Rank Talent, I can earn money just by being a sparring partner at any martial arts hall. I won't go hungry, but Xiao Ya can't wait!"

Lin Fan looked at Fatty's sincere eyes, his throat suddenly feeling a bit tight.

In this dog-eat-dog world, some people would sell their souls for a few thousand yuan, and some would backstab their brothers for a vague opportunity.

But there were also people who foolishly pushed away over a hundred thousand just so their brother's sister could live.

This kind of friendship was ten thousand times more precious than a C-Rank Talent.

"Fine."

Lin Fan didn't act pretentious anymore. He patted Fatty's shoulder heavily and swept all the money into his bag. "I'll consider this money a loan from you. As for interest... I'll pay you back with an S-Rank Talent in the future."

"Hehe, that's great! I want a flying one, the kind that can take girls flying!" Fatty instantly returned to his playful, slightly lecherous self, rubbing his hands together.

The two looked at each other and smiled. In this cold corner of the ruins, a warm current was silently flowing.

"Let's go, let's get a meal and celebrate!"