This Is a Good Sign!

"...Is this the place?" This was already the twentieth time today that Sier had checked the address on the slip of paper to make sure he had come to the right spot. Standing before him at that moment was a storefront currently undergoing renovation, with the sound of sawing wood and clattering banging coming from inside. No matter how one looked at it, this place did not look like an inn. "Is there someone named Xu Shun here?" "No, no! How many times do you want me to say it?" the man doing woodwork by the doorway replied impatiently. Refusing to give up, Sier pressed on, "Then who is the master of this place? I have an important customer who wrote down this address, and I have to find a way to reach him." *What does that have to do with me?* Without even lifting his head, the carpenter said, "The owner went out and won't be back until before dark. If you want to find him, just wait." *Before dark...* Noon was before dark, and so was the afternoon! Just because of that bullshit phrase, he had been standing here for a whole day! Now, watching the sky already turn black, that guy was still telling him "before dark"! Just as Sier was on the verge of giving up, a figure walking over in the distance instantly wiped away the regret and frustration from his face. Like someone who had just spotted a purse dropped on the ground, Sier shouted in pleasant surprise, "Hey! Mr. Xu Shun!" Even as he yelled, he did not forget to wave his hands, signaling his presence. "An acquaintance of yours?" Shuyu looked in surprise at the guard beside him. Xu Shun made a helpless expression. "The shelter residents left some goods on consignment with him and signed my name." Pinching his chin, Shuyu nodded thoughtfully. "I see." "Looks like there are results." Before the group could even reach the entrance, Sier had already rushed forward to greet them, speaking with a radiant smile plastered across his face. "My friend, you're finally back!" Before Sier could finish exchanging pleasantries, Xu Shun cut in directly, "Did the goods sell?" "Sold!" Not minding the interruption in the slightest, Sier continued with beaming excitement, "My customer absolutely loved your... er, artwork. In fact, he even said that if there are more, he wants to buy several more to add to his collection. I remember you had a big bundle of them, right? If you haven't found a buyer yet, you might as well sell them to me." Reading the subtitles, the players' eyes instantly lit up. Ye Shi's eyes practically beamed. "Holy shit, a kindred spirit!" Sell! They had to sell to him! Lao Bai wore a subtle expression. "Looks like the wasteland has its share of degenerates too." Kuang Feng cleared his throat softly and said, "...Regardless, they sold." Fang Chang nodded. "And at a pretty good price. At least we have something to report back to Tengteng." To tell the truth, after asking all around the market earlier and finding no takers, they had essentially abandoned all hope. Who would have guessed that after coming back from the talent market, the situation would take such a dramatic turn? Sure enough, there were people who appreciated fine goods. Kuang Feng tried to make a rational analysis. Those evening gowns with long flowing hems certainly wouldn't be bought by mercenaries to wear. Commoners had zero spending power, so they could be ruled out immediately. To be able to afford so many chips, the buyer was almost certainly a noble from the inner city. Regardless of who bought them, Fang Chang took the money pouch from Sier's hands and counted the chips inside. The total face value added up to exactly 480 chips. Sier had already deducted his twenty-percent cut—a total of 120 chips. As for whether that fellow had secretly marked up the price to make extra on the side, that was his own business; the agreement between both parties had only been a percentage split based on the tag price. There were still three evening gowns left, and quite a few stockings—around twenty pairs. At 500 chips per gown and 100 chips per pair of stockings, these clothes actually fetched an "astronomical" sum of 3,500 chips. Even Shuyu, standing to the side, couldn't help but click his tongue in awe. *Good grief.* *This single transaction is enough to pay four months of rent!* Of course, what the players had their eyes on were the exoskeletons and other equipment on the shop shelves. Half of these 3,500 chips belonged to them. Factoring in what they had earned earlier, they could now scrape together a massive fortune of 2,000 chips. Converted to silver coins, it was only 1,000, but if they used it to buy KV-1 exoskeletons or other equipment to take back and resell to other players, it would be worth far more than 1,000 silver coins. A Miner Type I sold for 2,000 silver coins; selling a KV-1 without any level restrictions for 1,000 silver wouldn't be unreasonable at all, right? Three KV-1s were worth 1,800 chips, and selling them would yield 3,000 silver coins—that was an absolute killing! Of course, that was just an example. There were plenty of things far more profitable than the KV-1, as Boulder City offered many items that the outpost shop did not carry. Fang Chang planned to make another forum post the moment he logged off, acting as a purchasing agent and taking preorders while also asking the wealthy miss Tengteng if she needed anything brought back. "Wait, why 3,500 chips?" After hearing Xu Shun translate the negotiation, Sier stared wide-eyed at the shelter residents before him, saying indignantly, "Did you forget that I still get a twenty-percent cut?" "That was for consignment, friend, but this isn't," Fang Chang, who was busy outlining his commercial empire in his head, couldn't be bothered to entertain him. Mixing the few words he had just learned with Chinese, he brushed him off, "If you want to buy, then pay up." Xu Shun translated the sentence. In truth, it was completely unnecessary. Even having caught only a few words, Sier instantly grasped what these fellows meant. *Damn it!* *These backstabbing blue moles!* Though his heart bled with agonizing pain, Sier still fished a pouch from his pocket and, with great reluctance, shoved it into Fang Chang's hands. "This is all the liquid cash in my shop... 3,500 chips in total." Ye Shi turned to look at Kuang Feng. "Do you believe that? His shop's cash flow just happens to be a nice round number?" Kuang Feng gave him an odd look. "You nitpick details like that in a game?" Ye Shi said, "No, I just think the way this game's AI lies through its teeth is frighteningly realistic." Kuang Feng: "..." There was no need to be polite with a profiteer. Without hesitation, Fang Chang took the pouch from Sier's hands, counted it carefully twice, and after confirming everything was in order, tucked it into his belt. With a sunny smile on his face, Fang Chang said in a cheerful tone, "We are delighted that you appreciate our art." "The goods are inside. Please follow us." *For art's sake!* Suppressing his burning annoyance, Sier followed his footsteps into the storefront undergoing renovations. Though the process had been full of twists and turns, he had finally gotten what he wanted. Gazing at the fine goods packed into the bundles, Sier made up his mind that he would squeeze every last drop of this money out of his old friend. Just as he was about to leave, however, Shuyu, who had remained silent the entire time, suddenly called out to him. "Please wait a moment." Pausing at the doorway, Sier turned around and sized up the young man before him. "Is there anything else?" Shuyu shook his head. "No, I'm just curious. Who on earth is buying such expensive clothes? Would you mind satisfying my curiosity?" *Heh.* *Do you think I'd tell you?* Though he didn't write his sneer across his face, Sier made no effort to mince words, stating bluntly, "Naturally, those who can afford such sums are big shots. As for who it was sold to, I obviously cannot disclose that. That is customer privacy, and I hope you can understand." Cash on delivery. The deal was already done. Having said that, Sier was just about to turn and leave, but the young man spoke again. "So you have connections to do business with big shots." Sier said proudly, "Of course. The Gray Squirrel Clothing Store has patrons all across the wasteland. I'm not boasting." "Is that so?" Shuyu pondered for a moment before continuing, "In truth, we have quite a few similar products back where we come from. If you have the sales channels, we could consider a partnership." "You have a lot more?!" Sier's eyes widened, and he stepped right up to him in three quick strides, speaking in a rapid burst. "How many more do you have? I'll take them all!" That urgent posture and frantic movement completely betrayed the desperation in his heart. The corners of Shuyu's mouth curved upward, yet he kept his composure and said calmly, "When I said 'quite a few,' I didn't mean inventory, but production capacity. Crafting these things naturally takes time. Leave an address with me, and when necessary, I'll have someone seek you out." "The Gray Squirrel Clothing Store, right at the entrance of the adjacent bazaar!" Sier tore a slip of paper from his pocket, hurriedly scrawled the address on it, and courteously handed it to the young man before him. Watching the young man take the note, he chuckled and added, "If you get more stock, please be sure to contact me! Whether it's consignment or some other form of partnership, the Gray Squirrel Clothing Store will gladly be at your service!" Shuyu nodded gently. "I'll consider it." ... The official website forum. Today was as lively as ever. [Announcement: The Shelter 404 Boulder City Liaison Office has officially been established! The person in charge is a handsome young man named Shuyu. Go harass him, everyone! In addition, the outpost's Chamber of Commerce is also being organized and has entered the recruitment phase. Please stay tuned!] Indebted Big Eye: [Xiao Qi wrote this announcement, right?] Lao Bai: [Must be. Doesn't look like Brother Guang's style.] Lone Wolf: [Speaking of which, what is Brother Guang's style? (curious)] Kuang Feng: [Indeed, what could it be? Kuang Feng wants to know too. What does everyone think? (side-eye)] Lone Wolf: [???] Jieyan: [Holy shit, that impression is way too spot-on!] Ye Shi: [Guang: Why don't you just say my ID directly and get it over with? (funny)] Edge Paddler: [Where's Fang Chang? Where is your Fang Chang? How come I don't see him?] Commander Spring: [Yeah! Get your lucky ass out here, dog!] Speak of Fang Chang, and Fang Chang appeared. Just as the players began tagging him, Brother Fang Chang's ID popped up on the forum. "I'm back! I was busy drafting a post just now! Today's haul was astonishing—our transaction volume had an extra zero compared to yesterday! Not only did the clothes consigned at the clothing store sell out, but the works from Tengteng Cottage were also snapped up clean by the locals! We have a huge pile of chips on hand now. I've compiled a price list for local goods; if anyone needs purchasing agent services, hit me up! Transparent pricing, fair and honest! (grinning)] Tail: [Holy crap! Those spicy clothes actually sold out!] Sisi: [Is this the adult world? (o°ω°o)] Jieyan: [Tengteng is awesome!!] Elaina: [Sure enough, the driving force behind societal progress is perverts. (funny)] Kuang Feng: [That might not be entirely accurate. After all, clothes with three-digit prices aren't something ordinary people can afford. A rational analysis suggests that inner-city nobles bought them.] Proud Grandpa What Can You Do: [Lmao, who can't afford three-digit clothes? In the clothing store my family runs, the cheapest clothes cost 999, and the expensive ones go well into nine figures. All I can say is you guys are too young and haven't seen real tycoons. This world is far more complex than you think.] Lao Bai: [...Are we even talking about the same dimension?] Tengteng: [!! Will the evening gowns I designed appear at noble ladies' balls?! (☆▽☆)] Ye Shi: [Definitely! Who knows, maybe before long, Tengteng Cottage will become the trendsetter of Boulder City's fashion world!] Elaina: [Sweeping the whole city is just around the corner. (funny)] Yaya: [Sigh... As expected of the wasteland, the culture is way too open. I really can't bring myself to accept clothes like that. (′‐ω‐)] Ye Shi: [Is it because they wouldn't cover enough? (funny)] Yaya: [(＊·ω·)×╰ひ╯] Elaina: [(funny_terrified_limited_edition.jpg)] Tengteng: [What the heck, what are you guys thinking! Those clothes aren't what you think, okay? Besides, your figure wouldn't fit them anyway. That kind of high-class vibe requires... well, you have to be slender to pull it off, okay!] Yaya: [Hold on, I can't just pretend I didn't hear that. Are you calling me fat?!!! (σ｀д′)σ] Tengteng: [No, no, that's not what I meant at all! QAQ] Tail: [Tail can testify! Master isn't fat at all, just rather big! (///ω///)] Yaya: [!??] Sisi: [Let's invite the designer to speak. Who does Tengteng think would look good wearing them?] Tengteng: [For example... Boss Xia?] *Boss Xia?* Chu Guang, who was lurking on the forums, felt that Xia Yan probably wouldn't accept clothes like that either. Her wages were far from low, and if she liked them, she would have bought some long ago. Mercenaries were fond of leather goods, whether leather jackets or short leather coats. Compared to woven fiber fabrics, animal leather offered far better resistance against bites and slashing attacks, and wearing it in rainy weather wasn't too uncomfortable either. Besides... He couldn't picture it at all. That rough, ill-mannered girl wearing an elegant, dignified evening gown... Chu Guang visualized it for quite a while, but all he could conjure was the image of someone clumsily tripping over the dress's train, and he couldn't help but chuckle aloud. Reading a book not far away, Xia Yan glanced over suspiciously. "What are you laughing at?" Chu Guang cleared his throat. "Nothing, just thought of something amusing." "Something amusing?" Hearing that it was something amusing, Xia Yan instantly perked up. Setting down her book, she waited expectantly for him to continue. Listening to stories was far more interesting than staring at these little tadpole characters! However, Chu Guang had no intention of going into detail. "Once you finish reading that study material in your hands, I'll tell you." Xia Yan rolled her eyes and picked the book back up. "Tch, stingy!" Ignoring Boss Xia, who was busy learning Chinese, Chu Guang turned his gaze back to the computer screen. The topic among the players seemed to have strayed from how much a dress should sell for to culturally conquering an "otherworld." Someone proposed producing Hanfu and Lolita dresses, but others quickly pointed out that they required too much fabric, making the cost impractical. Soon, someone else suggested that regardless of what was sold, they could first introduce a balance-payment pre-order system to harvest the wastelanders like chives. Though their imagination was wild and the creativity was decent, Chu Guang still felt they were overthinking it. The NPCs in *Wasteland OL*, while classified as NPCs, were only designated as such relative to the players. These people were not foolish in the slightest. Chu Guang could even assert with certainty that once someone found a substitute for devil silk, a flood of knockoffs would surface in no time. There was no trademark law or patent system on the wasteland. Everyone used things thoroughly researched by pre-war civilization. Even if something novel popped up one day, who would dare claim they had invented it? "Someone will definitely realize that polyamide can serve as a substitute." The stuff was simply a thermoplastic resin, produced through the polycondensation of adipic acid and hexamethylenediamine. Its uses extended far beyond making stockings; it was utilized in all kinds of mechanical and electrical components, including bearings, gears, pulley pump impellers, blades, high-pressure sealing rings, and more. The outpost's chemical plant also produced small amounts of it, with biomass oil provided by Cam trees serving as excellent raw material. It went without saying. If even Brother Mosquito knew how to make the stuff, Boulder City could certainly produce it as well; at most, nobody had yet developed this specific market. *Who would have thought the clothes made by Tengteng Cottage would successfully penetrate Boulder City's high society?* *This is an unexpected pleasant surprise.* *If this style of clothing can catch on among the upper crust and form a trend, producing a lower-cost substitute to promote in the mass market might actually work!* Devil silk products would take the high-end route, while nylon textiles would capture the mass market! A smile appeared on Chu Guang's face. "I'm practically a genius!" Making clothes and stockings was considered low-end? What did that matter! Using light industry to earn foreign exchange, and using that foreign exchange to subsidize heavy industry—it made perfect sense. As long as they could develop, there was no need to be overly picky about the means. The only thing that needed verification now was the locals' acceptance of such products. Chu Guang's gaze instinctively dropped toward Boss Xia's knees. Boss Xia, who hadn't been reading very attentively in the first place, felt his gaze. Tensing up by reflex, she asked in a low voice, "What are you doing..." "Nothing." Forget it. Relying solely on his own or the players' aesthetic sensibilities didn't carry much weight. Even if Chu Guang thought it was fine, that didn't mean consumers in the wasteland would agree. It was better to let the market test it directly. Chu Guang had ample confidence in his little players. Tengteng's clothes had already conquered Boulder City's upper crust. This was a good sign! Xia Yan: "?" Pulling his gaze back from Boss Xia, Chu Guang opened his VM and was about to draft a mission for the players at the chemical plant, but his fingers paused on the screen. *Ummm...* *Come to think of it.* *What would be a suitable name for this mission?* ... Ten o'clock at night. The darkness was deep. In the dead of night, Qingquan City resembled a silent tomb, yet Boulder City, along the Third Ring Road, had nothing to do with the word silence. Many streets were even livelier than during the day, much like energetic youths raving on top of graves. Stress always required an outlet. Human needs could never be satisfied by merely having a full belly. From watered-down beer at one chip a large mug to three-digit signature cocktails, people always found ways to add a bit of joy to their lives. At the Queen of the Night Bar near the inner city, booming music and dazzling lights filled the venue, which was packed to the brim as usual. On a long purple couch sat a man with an arm draped around a beauty on either side. The leather shoes on his feet were made from the hide of a deathclaw and had been crafted by a renowned master designer from Ideal City, with gold lacquer burnished all the way from the tip to the soles. Would the lacquer on the soles wear off? Was that something he needed to worry about? If the lacquer wore off, he would simply buy another pair. Besides, he didn't need to trek across mountains and rivers to eke out a living like ordinary wastelanders. His name was Yang Kun, owner of the Redwood Timber Mill. He held numerous properties in the south, operated two real estate holdings in the outer city, and maintained both a caravan and a mercenary band under his command. In this bar, he was considered quite a celebrity. "Robo, my little radish, you guys are coming up with more and more novel tricks." The two beauties he held in his arms were wearing the very artworks Sier had obtained earlier from the blue coats. The pure white evening gowns and thigh-high stockings carried a touch of seductive allure within their purity, a hint of superficiality within their nobility—sensual, yet not overly crude. This teasing sensation was simply sublime! Robo's face was plastered with smiles as he said with utmost courtesy, "It is my honor to satisfy your tastes!" Yang Kun nodded, saying in a leisurely drawl, "These clothes are wonderful in every way, except for one flaw." Robo said immediately, "Please do tell, and we will certainly improve on it in the future!" Yang Kun said, "They're too durable." Robo froze slightly, and catching the knowing look in the regular patron's eyes, he understood in an instant. Both men burst into laughter in unison. "Hahaha, you truly have a great sense of humor!" "You flatter me. You're not bad yourself." Arm around the two dancers, Yang Kun stood up and waved the black card pinched between his fingers. "Prepare a room for me. I'm a bit tired and want to take a nap." "Right away!" Watching the esteemed guest head upstairs, Robo's heart surged with excitement, burning with ambition. He had a powerful premonition. Before long, he would become the Queen of the Night of all Boulder City— No, rather, the Emperor of the Night!