Master of Kaidan
Chapter 105: The Store

Chapter 105: Chapter 105: The Store

As it turns out, the woman in the black leather suit wasn’t trying to scam Feng Xue. The remaining few also quoted prices around 30,000 to 50,000 Tower Coins, there was even one who quoted 80,000, which came as a surprise to Feng Xue. He thought maybe this person had some unique Absolute Skill that could give him an unexpected surprise, so he asked,

"Why is your quote so expensive?"

Upon hearing Feng Xue’s question, the woman with the golden wavy hair immediately adjusted her front armor, revealing a charming smile as she said,

"Boss, my service is very personal, up close and personal!"

"Alright then..." Feng Xue remarked to himself in silence, at least confirming that there was indeed a woman beneath that leather suit. However, that was irrelevant. He waved his hand and pointed at the "Broker" tag, saying,

"I’ll take you then. How do we pay? Directly through a contract?"

When the other guides heard Feng Xue make his choice, although they had anticipated it, some were still disappointed. Only the golden-haired woman threw Feng Xue a seductive glance, but upon realizing his lack of reaction, she could only walk away in frustration.

The selected guide, however, beamed with a bright and radiant smile, speaking in a crisp and lively voice,

"Well, Boss, we can do a contract too, but in the South District, most still prefer transactions in Tower Coins. I, as a middleman, can manage, but shops dealing in Phantom Objects, for instance, would barely make a profit if they ran on contracts. Not to mention mercenaries. In short, though signing contracts and transferring funds is convenient, if you plan to visit some more special places, it’s better to have some cash ready. Of course, I can accept direct transfers through a contract without charging you any transaction fees or exchange taxes."

As she spoke, she seemed to remember something additional and added,

"If the Tower Coins in your work card are running low, Boss, we also provide currency exchange services with ’Identity’ here. At the stores I recommend, you can push the transaction fee down to 1%, whereas the usual rate is around 3%."

Feng Xue thought about the tens of thousands of Tower Coins he had in his work card, which he had saved up back when he was tagged as a Corpse Collector by hauling corpses. At that time, he had felt it was quite a bit, but in the landfill area of Infinite City, it was hardly enough.

Feng Xue immediately signed a contract with the guide, and as his Survival Time diminished by a thousand days, the legally-binding contract of Infinite City came into effect. Although losing more than two years of lifespan seemed rather dramatic, thanks to his inexplicably surging "Demon" tag, his earnings hovered between sixty and seventy thousand a day. Despite occasional dips, the overall trend was growing.

Although Feng Xue wasn’t quite clear about the complicated details, he knew that at least for the short term—before rumors surrounding the Ambulance Demon were forgotten—he wouldn’t be short on cash.

Seeming to have received the transfer notification, the woman in the black, straight, long-haired leather suit immediately showed a sweet smile, quickly saying,

"Boss can call me Huo Mu, my contact details should have already been entered into your address book. If you need anything, you can reach me anytime, I’m available 24/7. Um, do you need anything right now?"

"Indeed, a man in sheep’s clothing," Feng Xue muttered under his breath after hearing the other’s name but didn’t dwell on it and said directly,

"Take me to exchange for Tower Coins... Hmm, let’s check the magic items shop first. By the way, is there a place here that sells storage tools?"

Feng Xue glanced at the small trailer behind him, which was actually full of miscellaneous items. His main issue was that he simply didn’t know how to conveniently carry this cardboard box.

"Storage tools are generally quite expensive, and they can be hard to come by; even the most basic kind, which stores items in grids, starts at ten million at least. However, I know a shop that sells a special type of storage bag. It’s not as convenient as the regular storage tools, but if it’s just portability you’re considering, it’s quite useful. Still, if you transact at an unconventional shop I introduce, you’ll need to pay an extra five percent of the total transaction as my introduction fee, as stated in the contract. Of course, you can choose to go with me and take a look, and after the contract expires in a month, you can shop then too."

Huo Mu’s business model was impeccable; he even taught Feng Xue hands-on how to exploit loopholes in the contract and freeload off him. Although Feng Xue wasn’t particularly concerned about such things, he still signaled Huo Mu to lead the way. But once they left the main road, Feng Xue remained on high alert, ensuring that if they encountered an ambush, he could disappear on the spot like a ghost.

However, the contracts of Infinite City were apparently reliable, and Huo Mu, with his various industry labels, wasn’t someone to be thrown away. After rounding a couple of alleyways and crossing a rising suspended pathway, Feng Xue arrived at a platform under Huo Mu’s guidance, unsure whether to consider it the second level, third level, or perhaps just a pedestrian overpass.

The platform had about seven or eight shops with an "old dad’s antique store" vibe, all two or three stories high. While differing in height and decorative style, they all shared a similar weathered patina, indicating that they had been situated there for many years.

Following Huo Mu’s lead, the two made their way to the second shop from the left. The sign over the shop read "The Owl’s Tailor Shop."

"Uncle Owl, you’ve got a customer!" As the shop door swung open, a pleasant chime sounded, and along with Huo Mu’s shout, a "female" with an air of mature charm—appearing to be in her early forties, with messy hair and wearing a rather awkwardly styled outfit—emerged from a corner,

"What would the guest like to buy?"

"I heard you have storage bags?" Feng Xue cut right to the chase. The "auntie," distorted by the Feminization Filter, nodded, took out a piece of wrapping cloth from behind the counter and laid it on the table.

"These wrapping cloths here can shrink any item that can be wrapped to the size of a lychee (note: not necessarily the fruit, just a description translated by Infinite City for Feng Xue’s understanding), but the downside is that they require packing and unpacking, so it’s not as readily accessible as ordinary storage tools. Besides that, it can’t reduce weight either. However, it can be used in conjunction with storage tools. Prices vary depending on size; the largest can pack an item of one cubic meter and costs five million, the smaller one of five hundred cubic decimeters is two million, and the smallest one of one hundred cubic decimeters is only five hundred thousand. As for smaller than that, this one I have is a demonstration tool, and I suppose no one would bother packing such small items, right?"

Listening to the sales pitch from the so-called Auntie Owl, who was likely a man, Feng Xue narrowed his eyes and aimed his Golden Finger on the wrapping cloth. Information soon appeared before his eyes:

Name: Phantom Object·Extraordinary Convenient Wrapping Cloth (S)

Elements: [Storage], [Shrink], [Tool]

Description: A storage tool created by a man called Owl, based on his own capability, capable of shrinking the packaged items into irregular spheres with a diameter of two centimeters without affecting any factors beyond the volume. This piece of wrapping cloth can contain items up to one cubic decimeter in size.

Note: Beware of thieves!