Chapter 90

Chapter 91: The Whole Family Gets Rich!

Yes, he stood while Qian Qi sat. People get tired standing, then anxious, then they compromise, and finally they agree.

At the orphanage gate, Qian Qi crossed one leg over the other and sat on the little stool. With sharp words and steady pressure, she pushed the prices again and again until she reached numbers she liked. Those hours she spent browsing supermarkets weren’t wasted; she knew fruit and meat prices cold, and she could see where the boss had quietly marked things up.

“Boss, don’t send me bottom-of-the-crate junk just because I bargained you down,” Qian Qi warned as she tapped two fingers under her eyes, then pointed at his. “I’ve got sharp eyes.”

“I know, I know. I never deliver bad produce,” the boss said, rubbing his face. He admitted it to himself: this kid could haggle like crazy; he wasn’t going to win. Still, he tried to save face as he muttered, “If I weren’t busy this afternoon, I’d spend more time bargaining with you.”

Hearing that, Qian Qi stroked her chin and asked, curious: “Isn’t delivering to a Combat Zone on a fixed schedule? It sounds like this came up suddenly.”

“More or less,” the boss said, lowering his voice and glancing around as he added mysteriously: “It’s not for the Awakener Warriors in the Combat Zone. It’s for the shops near it.”

“What do you mean?” Qian Qi scratched her head, not getting it.

“Oh come on!” The boss slapped his thigh, impatient that she didn’t know the obvious. “This is basic knowledge. The Dungeon in that Combat Zone was cleared yesterday! Land prices are jumping like crazy. Tons of Awakeners lined up to buy houses. Some have already set up camp there to grind the new Dungeon.”

“More people means more meals. That’s why we’re making deliveries,” he finished with a shrug.

“Whoa!” Qian Qi’s eyes lit up like two little bulbs as she asked: “So when a Dungeon gets cleared, the housing nearby goes up too?”

“Of course. A cleared Dungeon means the area is safe. Then the number of Awakeners explodes, and business opportunities pop up everywhere.” He sighed. “But every clear gets broadcast in real time. Landlords raise prices right away. Hard to grab any deals. Before a clear, houses near a Dungeon are dirt cheap because no one dares to live there. After a clear, boom, the price shoots through the roof. Those landlords get rich fast.”

“If only I could guess a hundred percent which Dungeons will be cleared next…” His eyes filled with daydreams.

Qian Qi listened, hands trembling a little, her excitement hard to calm. What was this? This was just like the old-world path to wealth from demolition. Back then one person’s demolition made the whole family rich; now one cleared Dungeon could make whole blocks rich.

If she could clear those E-level Dungeons and buy houses nearby ahead of time…

Wouldn’t that mean…?

[System: What are you even thinking? Do you think E-level Dungeons today are truly E-level?]

Qian Qi’s face fell. Right, lots of so-called E-level Dungeons now hide D-level or even C-level Magibeasts. One slip, and you’re dead.

Still, the System must know which E-levels are pure E-level.

Just as she rubbed her hands together, the System smiled: [Two million per answer ^_^]

Qian Qi went silent: “…”

[Black-hearted System! It knows I only have two million left. Heh, pfft!] she thought, [Tui.]

With her wallet aching, Qian Qi decided to put real estate on hold. First she’d go to the newly cleared Dungeon and do some market research, so when she did flip houses later, she could maximize profit. She’d also sell more potions to raise cash. Buying property takes money.

“Life is so hard,” she sighed.

Chosen one with a cheat and even three hundred million to collect later, Qian Qi still let out a long sigh about life.

The next day, Qian Qi packed her backpack and went to the site of the newly cleared Dungeon in Lin City. The place was already packed. Awakeners streamed in and out of the Dungeon. Shops nearby hung bright decorations and shouted for customers. It was lively and loud.

“Wow, this is my first time seeing a scene like this,” she said. She usually stayed on campus. Even the few times she went out, she didn’t catch a Dungeon in action. She’d heard that cleared Dungeons inside the city are regulated and placed inside special buildings where Awakeners line up to enter. But this one was a wild Dungeon. A black entrance stood in the middle of the square, and Awakeners shoved and squeezed, desperate to go in first.

“Not bad. I like this crowd,” Qian Qi said, pleased.

She scouted the area and found that all the good stall spots were taken. Only the corners on the edges were left, and they looked easy to miss.

“No good spots,” she muttered with hands on her hips. She glanced at the outer vendors selling weapons and skewers, then turned and marched straight toward the inner circle.

“Free tip on how to make more money,” she said to herself. “When you do business, you can’t care about face. Chance favors people with thick skin. Like me.”

Qian Qi headed straight for the Dungeon entrance. Using her slim build, she squeezed past the Awakeners and finally reached the front. She cleared her throat and opened her voice: “Come take a look! One Second Stop Bleed and long-lasting Defense Fruit, all fresh stock!”

“Move a little, uncle, make room for me,” she said as she firmly nudged nearby Awakeners to carve out a little space for herself.

The ones she pushed aside turned in shock, full of disbelief. Who was this social butterfly who dared set up a stall right at the Dungeon entrance?

After she “created” the perfect spot, Qian Qi unhooked a small stool from her belt, spread a rag on the ground, and lined up the Hemostasis Potions.

With her humble stall ready, she cleared her throat and shouted: “Oh my dear Lord Awakeners, if you’re passing by, come and take a look!”

“Bleeding stops in one second, a pack of potions you’ll fight over, a chance you don’t get every day, so act now!”

“One Second Stop Bleed can handle artery bleeds and even cut-off limbs. It’s as magical as it sounds. Only 998, take it home right away!”

Her cries couldn’t beat the roar of the crowd, but she was right at the entrance and often shouted right by people’s ears. Hard not to hear.

“Brother, buy a pack? If a Magibeast bites you and you’re bleeding hard, sprinkle a little and it stops the blood and saves your life,” Qian Qi said as she latched onto a man hesitating by the Dungeon, pushing her pitch. That, after all, is called targeting the exact customers.