Don't Force the Slander—Have You Ever Seen a Robbery That Comes with Grilled Fish?

The glittering Gold Soul Coins clattered across the table, gleaming brilliantly in the afternoon sun.

Qian Chaoguang swept them with his Divine Sense. There were exactly sixty-two.

The student could no longer wait. He grabbed the fish and took a huge bite with a crunch.

A thin layer of oil still flowed over the golden-brown grilled fish, while its rich aroma continuously wafted out.

When his teeth met the grilled fish, its crisp, charred skin gave off a faint crackling sound. That crunchy, tempting noise stirred the taste buds of every Onlooker nearby.

After just one bite, his eyes immediately went wide and round. He did not even have time to praise it before he began wolfing it down as well.

"Senior, you paid too much."

"Keep the extra. Can you make me another one? This is just too delicious!"

This student was still immersed in the grilled fish's flavor, but his eyes had already locked onto the four fresh fish Huo Yutong had just taken out.

Qian Chaoguang glared back fiercely, guarding the four new fish with his hands as he shouted angrily, "Get lost! Not for sale! Even if you gave me a hundred Gold Soul Coins this time, I wouldn't sell them! I was kind enough to spare one for you, and now you're eyeing my precious fish!?"

"Junior, if a hundred won't do, how about a hundred and fifty?"

A Shrek Academy student dressed in black squeezed to the front and placed a small, heavy bag of Gold Soul Coins on the table.

The crowd that had been watching from the side for ages had already been driven wild by the aroma. There were always a few rich second-generation kids among them who had both money and cravings.

Clearly, this Black-Clad Senior was one of those wealthy food lovers.

"No. I haven't had enough yet, and I already gave one away," Qian Chaoguang muttered.

"Two hundred."

"I said I'm not selling. Didn't you hear—"

"Three hundred."

"...Well, maybe—"

"Four hundred."

"Fine, then..."

He was simply offering too much.jpg

Qian Chaoguang pretended to be dejected as he put away the four large bags of Gold Soul Coins before him, looking as though selling one grilled fish for four hundred Gold Soul Coins had cost him dearly.

Meanwhile, the Black-Clad Senior wore a triumphant expression, looking down proudly at the surrounding Onlookers like a victorious conqueror returning from battle.

Qian Chaoguang looked helpless on the surface, but inwardly he was already laughing. He was currently chatting with the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, who had been awakened by his laughter.

"You brat, your heart is blacker than black! Four hundred Gold Soul Coins for one fish? Why don't you just rob people? Even if I don't know much about human society, I know you're outrageously shady."

"Don't say that. How could robbery make money as fast as this?"

"This is robbery."

"Then call it robbery. I have principles too—I even throw in a grilled fish with the robbery. How conscientious is that?"

"You're shameless!"

"Thanks for the compliment."

Huo Yutong was focused intently on grilling the fish, with no expression on her face.

She had already gone numb.

Two grilled fish had brought in four hundred and fifty Gold Soul Coins. Excluding miscellaneous costs, the net profit was over four hundred and forty-nine Gold Soul Coins. Could that really exist?

Was this what Brother had called... hunger marketing?

Those two seniors really did look pretty hungry...

While they waited for the second batch of grilled fish to finish, that smug, rich Black-Clad Senior finally managed to provoke everyone else. Another Black-Clad Senior emerged from the crowd.

Bang!

A huge bag slammed onto the small table, nearly smashing the little tabletop to pieces.

Little tabletop: I bore a weight my size was never meant to bear.

The Black-Clad Senior's gaze was icy, and so was his voice. He pointed at the Grill.

"This is one thousand Gold Soul Coins. Those two are mine."

"Fine, fine... I can't afford to offend seniors like you..."

Qian Chaoguang wore a helpless expression as he put away the bag containing one thousand Gold Soul Coins, his face full of bitterness.

"Want Chili?"

"Pile it on."

As he spoke, the cold-faced Black-Clad Senior provocatively looked toward the smug one from before, making the latter furious.

If they had not both been waiting for grilled fish, the two of them probably would have started fighting on the spot.

A group of Onlookers nearby watched this utterly absurd scene.

Two upper-year Shrek students were throwing around vast sums just for a single grilled fish.

Truly throwing around vast sums.

At that moment, several female students in purple uniforms walked out through Shrek Academy's gates.

The moment the breathtakingly beautiful female student at the front appeared, she drew countless gazes.

"She's finally here."

The corners of Qian Chaoguang's lips lifted into a faint smile, which vanished almost instantly as his expression returned to one of displeasure.

The Gold Soul Coins were secondary. The real goal was this unassuming Outer Court Senior Sister... her simp's... Profound Water Pill.

That was the real good stuff.

Sure enough, Jiang Nannan was drawn in by the scent of grilled fish. She cast her gaze toward Qian Chaoguang, who looked as though life had lost all meaning, and Huo Yutong, who was carefully grilling fish.

The Onlookers beside them quickly made way, allowing her and her friends to reach the Grill.

Just then, the grilled fish came off the fire.

The two Black-Clad Seniors ignored everything else and dug in, savoring this hard-won delicacy. Even as they hissed from the heat, they did not stop, and neither gave Jiang Nannan so much as a glance.

Jiang Nannan looked at the two of them in surprise, then looked toward the last fish on the Grill.

"Junior, how much is your grilled fish?"

"Five hundred Gold Soul Coins."

There were still plenty of fish in the Storage Bracelet. He could grill more for Tang Ya later; he was not short one fish.

Jiang Nannan froze and asked again in disbelief, "How much did you say?"

"Five hundred Gold Soul Coins. Do you want it? If not, I'll eat it myself."

"Why don't you just rob people?"

A trace of anger appeared on Jiang Nannan's face.

"Can this grilled fish of yours possibly cost more than three Copper Coins to make?"

Although Qian Chaoguang had some goodwill toward Jiang Nannan, a girl with an unfortunate background who had always strived to improve herself, he would not cut a single part of the act he needed to put on.

After all, he was not a simp, and Jiang Nannan had neither Profound Water Pills nor Gold Soul Coins to give him.

His expression instantly darkened. "Senior Student, before understanding the full story, it isn't a good habit to make rash judgments based on experience. Three Copper Coins? Take my sister's Grill to the seniors and teachers in the Soul Tool Department and ask them. Forget the craftsmanship—ask whether three thousand Gold Soul Coins would even cover the material costs for this Grill."

The "Lucky Guy" who had eaten grilled fish for sixty-two Gold Soul Coins spoke up while sucking the last bits of flesh from his fish bones.

"Senior Jiang, this junior really wasn't lying. I'm from the Soul Tool Department myself, and I know a little about forging. This junior sister's fish Grill is entirely made from a Rare Metal more valuable than Flame Iron, forged into one piece using an unknown method."

Jiang Nannan: "?"

This Lucky Guy, who had inexplicably provided divine assistance, could not help but sigh. "Even a chunk of unrefined Flame Iron this large would be worth over two thousand Gold Soul Coins. I've never seen anyone willing to forge it into a Grill. It's far too extravagant. It would be enough to inscribe ten Core Formations, let alone the fact that this is a Rare Metal of even higher grade than Flame Iron."

"And if you add this junior sister's grilling technique and her specially blended spices, then to a seasoned foodie like me, even five hundred Gold Soul Coins would absolutely be worth it. I never expected to buy one for sixty-two. It was practically free, hehe... Today really is my lucky day."

...Author's Note...

Thanks to Leaves Falling Across the Sky and Osiris Obelisk for the tips.