“Of course I know we should split everything in half…”
Bai Xia watched the powerful expert beside her, who wore an expression that suggested she was an idiot. Naturally, she understood the concept of splitting things equally. However, with so many disparate items, none of them could simply be folded in half; their values varied, and they couldn’t be easily separated, making any method of division feel inherently unfair.
“Just let me finish, alright?” Tian Zheng rubbed his forehead, a hint of exasperation in his voice. “After we split them equally, I hope you’ll consider selling your half to me.”
“Huh… sell them to you?”
This proposition left Bai Xia momentarily stunned. She scrutinized Tian Zheng, baffled by his intentions.
Tian Zheng offered no immediate explanation, merely letting the corners of his mouth curve into a wider smile. “Well?”
After a moment’s consideration, Bai Xia realized that his suggestion was indeed viable.
If a perfect division was impossible now, then transforming the items into a more easily distributable form made perfect sense, and currency, clearly, existed precisely for such situations.
“That works, but you’re not talking about in-game currency, are you?”
“Cough…” Tian Zheng choked, a flicker of exasperation crossing his face. “You can have in-game currency if you wish, but I believe actual, genuine Huayuan (TL Note: Chinese Yuan, referring to real-world currency) would be more appropriate for this transaction.”
“In that case, it’s certainly feasible. I don’t really have any use for these things right now anyway.”
Of course, they weren’t entirely useless, but at this moment, Bai Xia found herself in far greater need of real cash to fill her stomach than a pile of game items.
Rather than enduring the hassle of reselling them herself, Tian Zheng’s proposal to buy them directly was considerably more convenient.
Thus, Bai Xia didn’t mince words, nodding in agreement.
However…
“Selling them to you, Great Expert, is perfectly fine, especially since I recall you mentioning you’re a tycoon. So, Great Expert, seeing as I’m so poor I’m practically considering selling myself for money (TL Note: ‘Yuanjiao’ is a slang term, often a euphemism for prostitution or escort services), could you perhaps… *oof*, why in the world did you hit me?!”
Before she could even finish her sentence, a heavy smack landed on her head. Bai Xia, who had been poised to feign pitifulness, immediately bristled and flared up again.
The man withdrew his hand, his expression uncharacteristically serious.
“Constantly talking about ‘selling yourself for money’—are you truly a girl, you rascal?”
Bai Xia fell silent for two seconds, then let out a noncommittal hmph. Although she longed to retort, ‘Great Expert, you truly have a discerning eye, seeing through to my very essence at a glance,’ she held her tongue, sensing Tian Zheng’s displeasure and wisely choosing to keep quiet.
Seeing her seemingly aggrieved expression (at least, in her own estimation), Great Expert Tian Zheng’s composed demeanor finally broke. He sighed shortly. “Fine, as a friend, I’ll make a big sacrifice this time. How about this price for you, Bai Xia?”
Before his words even faded, he had already raised two fingers, holding them up in a gesture commonly used for photographs.
Bai Xia blinked. “Two hundred?”
“…Am I truly that stingy?” Tian Zheng’s face darkened slightly. “It’s twenty thousand.”
Upon hearing the price, the young woman showed no immediate reaction. She simply reached up to dig at her ear, then patted it with her hand, before looking over with a bewildered expression.
“I think I misheard just now. How much did you say?”
“Two hundred.”
“Get lost! You clearly said twenty thousand!”
‘So, you *did* hear clearly, didn’t you?’
Tian Zheng’s demeanor seemed far from a joke, and Bai Xia was utterly stunned. She had no idea how much these items were truly worth, but she knew for certain that she could never sell them for twenty thousand, especially just half of them.
So… was this man trying to hit on her?
Indeed, Bai Xia’s first thought wasn’t about why these items were so valuable, but rather, ‘Could this Great Expert be a loli-con?’ After all, nothing unusual ever happens without a reason, and at present, her physical appearance seemed to be the only thing someone might covet. However, Tian Zheng didn’t seem like that kind of person. So what was he playing at? Was he pitying her?
Of course, Bai Xia harbored no dissatisfaction whatsoever. She secretly wished his brain would ‘twitch’ a few more times, prompting him to give her several more hefty red packets (TL Note: Red envelopes containing money). Her only dilemma was, if he truly was pursuing her, should she simply give in… or struggle a little before ultimately giving in?
While Bai Xia was caught in her internal ‘brainstorm,’ Tian Zheng remained unhurried. Observing the girl’s constantly shifting, adorable expressions, his smile grew even brighter. “What’s wrong? Do you feel the price isn’t right, and you don’t want to sell?”
“Sell! Why wouldn’t I sell?!”
At this, Bai Xia immediately sprang up. Why would she pass up an opportunity for money? Moreover, there was no telling if such good fortune would ever come again. So, regardless of whether Tian Zheng was trying to hit on her or simply had a screw loose, she would agree first. After all, she couldn’t lose out, no matter how she looked at it.
Seeing Bai Xia agree, Tian Zheng chuckled and nodded slightly, then stored all the items in his backpack. Naturally, he had no interest in the gold coins, so he simply gave them all to Bai Xia.
This gesture nearly made Bai Xia hug his ‘golden thigh’ (TL Note: A metaphor for a wealthy or powerful benefactor) and rub against it a few times. Her gaze was now filled with utter adoration. “Great Expert, do your legs need a charm attached?”
Tian Zheng, who had been inspecting the equipment’s attributes, paused for a moment. He smiled, then repeated the same three words as before.
“I need a wife.”
This time, Bai Xia didn’t immediately tell him to get lost. Instead, a conflicted expression crossed her face. After he finished reviewing the general attributes, she tentatively asked, “Do you… need a wife who doesn’t have to fulfill any obligations?”
“Doesn’t need to fulfill any obligations?”
“Exactly! Like, a couple where no intimate acts are allowed. No kissing, no touching chests, no touching legs, and absolutely no intimate acts. Not even holding hands… well, maybe that occasionally. Anyway, it’s a wife who doesn’t need to fulfill any ‘wifely duties,’ but you still have to give her money, and you always have to think of her first when it comes to good things. Great Expert, do you need someone like that? If you do, I think I could totally handle it!”
Tian Zheng: “…”
‘A wife? That’s an ancestor!’
The Great Expert was speechless for a long moment, then pointed to himself. “Bai Xia, do I look like such a sucker to you?”
“Alright, alright, I was just kidding.”
Yet, her utterly disappointed expression hardly seemed like a joke. Watching Bai Xia, Tian Zheng felt as if his stomach had been hurting more and more ever since he met her.
Unwilling to continue their absurd banter, he composed himself and spoke earnestly. “Alright, give me your card number and contact details. I’ll transfer the money to you once I log off. Furthermore, these twenty thousand aren’t just for buying equipment…”
“Hmm?”
Bai Xia, in the midst of sending her card number and contact information, tilted her head. Although she had seemingly become a small rich woman overnight, she clearly hadn’t let it go to her head.
While she had realized Tian Zheng had other plans, she hadn’t expected him to reveal them so quickly. Of course, she didn’t forget to immediately state her stance.
“Great Expert, I was truly just joking earlier! I sell my talent, not my… *Pah!* I sell my art, not my body!”
“It is your talent I want you to sell.”
What? The man wore a half-smile, but Bai Xia hadn’t understood at all, though her bewildered expression was rather endearing.
However, Tian Zheng had no intention of keeping it a secret. He explained with a smile, “Because I’ve found this game to be quite interesting and full of potential, I’ve decided to develop it further in the early stages. I’ll probably form a guild later on, and I hereby declare that from now on, Bai Xia, you are the sole member besides me! Consider what I just gave you as your recent salary, all paid at once.”
“…I haven’t agreed yet, have I?”
“Ten thousand a month.”
“From this day forward, you are my boss! Whoever you tell me to cut down, I’ll cut down! If you tell me to go east, I’ll never go west!”
Bai Xia instantly drew her weapon, striking a pose of such unwavering loyalty that suggested she would slit her own throat if ordered, leaving Tian Zheng with no choice but to let out a wry laugh.
The man shook his head, then suddenly traded back some of the equipment that the Lava Giant had just dropped. “Here, take these. As a member of the organization, you naturally need to grow strong quickly. Consider this my initial investment in you as your boss.”
Bai Xia accepted the items and glanced at them, discovering that, although they were level 15, they were all perfectly suited for her. She was instantly overwhelmed with emotion, looking at the man as if he were God himself.
Though it would later be proven that the man before her was not God, but a genuine ‘devil,’ she wouldn’t realize this truth until much later, by which time she would have already sold herself so thoroughly that not even her underwear remained.