Buying a Mech

"What kinds of transactions are available?"

Before coming here, Zhou Yi had already looked it up. The official price for a Primary Crystal Stone was ten thousand Star Coins per raw stone—the kind that had not yet been cut.

What other transaction methods were there besides that?

"The first option is for the merchant house to purchase your crystal stones at ten thousand Crystal Coins each. The second is to register you as a merchant house member and convert the two hundred thousand into purchasing credit."

Zhou Yi understood. The second option was basically getting a card—a membership card. She was familiar with those.

"With two hundred thousand in credit, you can directly upgrade to our Star Card membership. You'll receive a 5% discount on all store products and a 10% discount on mech products."

Xiao Yin roughly explained the membership benefits to Zhou Yi. The lowest tier was the Star Card; once the credit reached one million, it became a Moon Card, and at ten million, it became a Sun Card.

The higher the card level, the greater the discount.

"I'll get one! Put the money into it for me."

She had intended to spend the money right away anyway. Zhou Yi quickly did the math in her head. It was worth it!

"Certainly. Please follow me to the main hall counter to complete the registration."

Xiao Yin led Zhou Yi out of the small room and over to a counter for payments and paperwork.

Calling it a counter was not quite accurate. It was really just a row of machines half a person tall.

After Xiao Yin operated them a few times, she had Zhou Yi hold the personal homepage on her Star Brain near a small opening in one of the machines, and the process was complete.

When Zhou Yi checked again, an Alliance Merchant House membership symbol had appeared beneath her Star Brain account balance, followed by a string of numbers: 200000.

"I also want to look at mechs. Take me there."

Zhou Yi was very satisfied with Xiao Yin, the pretty saleswoman, and asked her to show her the mechs.

"Certainly. Please follow me to the second floor."

The mechs were all on the merchant house's second floor. Because of their size, the ceiling there was extremely high.

After climbing the stairs, Zhou Yi saw only a single door.

Xiao Yin opened it with her Star Brain and led Zhou Yi inside.

Beyond the door, the entire second floor was one vast, open space. It was extremely spacious, but there were not many mechs inside.

"Since mechs are relatively valuable, the merchant house provides one-on-one service."

Perhaps noticing that it was Zhou Yi's first time here, Xiao Yin thoughtfully explained things to her.

Once they entered, another pretty woman was already inside, introducing mechs to a customer.

As Zhou Yi passed them, she casually glanced at the mech they were examining. It was a B-Class Mech, one she had seen before on the Star Net.

The real thing looked far more imposing and majestic than the images on a Star Brain. Zhou Yi's eyes showed her admiration.

Back in Huadun, the highest grade of mech she could see was a C-Class Mech, and even those were kept in display cases. This was Zhou Yi's first time seeing so many mechs of such quality.

Sure enough, mechs were something you had to see in person.

"Your merchant house really accepts any customer these days. You'll even bring people up here whether they can afford anything or not."

The person examining that B-Class Mech was a young man in his twenties. Seeing Zhou Yi look at the mech he had chosen, he mockingly voiced his displeasure.

"I'm sorry, sir, but this young lady is one of our Star Card members."

Xiao Yin politely smiled as she defended Zhou Yi.

"A Star Card? Don't tell me she got it by using her young, pretty face to fool some man. I'd advise you to buy yourself a couple of outfits first if you have money, country bumpkin."

!!

When the man first started mocking her, Zhou Yi had not taken it to heart.

But when he said that second sentence, Zhou Yi was stunned.

Young, pretty face?

Who? Her?

Zhou Yi instinctively touched her own face. Ever since coming to Huadun for school, her appetite had greatly increased, and she had put on quite a bit of weight.

Her face did seem as though it had filled out. It had become rounder and fairer, and her previously somewhat gaunt features had suddenly grown more refined.

Though Zhou Yi did not dress up at all and wore drab, dusty clothes, her tall, muscular, well-proportioned figure was impossible to ignore.

"Am I pretty?"

Zhou Yi asked Xiao Yin beside her.

After thinking about it, she felt that a saleswoman would never say anything bad about a customer.

So she turned to the man who had picked a fight with her. "Am I pretty?"

Zhou Yi tried her best to give him a fairly standard smile.

That move left the young man completely at a loss.

"Are you insane? You little vixen!"

After saying that, he turned away, no longer wanting to pay Zhou Yi any attention.

Zhou Yi was extremely pleased to receive the title of "vixen."

She understood now. She was beautiful.

"Let's go look at this mech, shall we?"

Zhou Yi showed Xiao Yin the mech she had previously bookmarked.

Only when she saw the image did Xiao Yin snap back to her senses.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'll take you to see it right away."

Xiao Yin apologized for her lack of professionalism.

"It's fine, it's fine," Zhou Yi said cheerfully. She was happy today.

When Zhou Yi saw the mech she had long dreamed of owning, she was still dazzled by it.

She had looked at its pictures several times every day, but upon seeing the real thing, she still could not help marveling at how amazing Mech Masters were.

The mech Zhou Yi had chosen was considered relatively small among those here, standing only a little over two meters tall and under three.

Its body was woven from pale blue and silver, and beneath the lights, it seemed to shimmer faintly all over.

"You have excellent taste. For an A-Class Mech, this is the finest Light Mech we have. It's just one step away from being an S-Class Mech."

Xiao Yin praised it sincerely. Whether in practicality, value for money, or appearance, this one was the best.

"Does it come with an energy unit?"

That was what Zhou Yi cared about most.

"Yes. This mech's energy unit is made with High-Grade Crystal Stone, which is why it isn't an S-Class Mech.

"The energy units of S-Class Mechs are all made with Attribute Crystal Stone. High-Grade Crystal Stone isn't enough."

Crystal stones of a higher grade than High-Grade Crystal Stone were all one hundred percent pure and came with innate attributes. They were called Attribute Crystal Stones.

Every Attribute Crystal Stone was incredibly difficult to obtain. When used in a mech, it could not only serve as the mech's energy unit, but also grant the mech the crystal stone's attribute and increase its power.

Only a mech fitted with an Attribute Crystal Stone as its energy unit could be considered an S-Class Mech.

The only thing Zhou Yi's chosen mech lacked was its energy unit.

"I'll buy it."

After seeing the real thing, Zhou Yi wanted it even more. Without the slightest hesitation, she immediately decided to pay for it and make it hers.

Even wealthy people would usually think over such a large purchase, yet the little girl before her did not hesitate at all. She did not look the least bit pained, and even Xiao Yin was somewhat surprised.

"Certainly. I'll call a staff member up right away."

Customers did not need to go downstairs to pay for a mech. A professional staff member could be called up to settle the transaction directly, which was very considerate.

"Okay."

Zhou Yi reached out and touched the mech that would soon belong to her, excitement filling her heart.

"From now on, you'll follow me."