A Familiar Face Gets You a Discount

Hiss!

With a loud whistling sound, a large plume of steam burst out instantly.

The Crystal Energy Car's four wheels locked up in an instant, and the vehicle came to a stop by the roadside.

This type of vehicle used an air-pressure braking system, so it gave off a shrill blast of escaping steam whenever it started or stopped.

Cheng Han came from another time and space and was used to advanced hydraulic brakes. Naturally, he found this design extremely outdated, and the piercing noise was truly unpleasant.

But the common people of this world did not mind it.

Those who owned Crystal Energy Cars even wished they could be louder.

Cheng Han greeted Qian Qingqing. "See you tomorrow."

The young girl answered with a sweet smile, "See you tomorrow!"

Cheng Han waved his right hand at the driver in the front seat, the girl's father, Qian Yiqing. "Goodbye, Uncle Qian."

Qian Yiqing returned his smile. "Goodbye!"

Cheng Han pushed open the door and quickly got out.

Behind him—

The Crystal Energy Car started up, gradually picking up speed.

Through the window, Qian Qingqing watched Cheng Han until the night completely swallowed his figure.

Qian Yiqing caught sight of his daughter's expression through the rearview mirror and could not help shaking his head. "Qingqing, no wonder you suddenly became so interested in cooking half a year ago.

"Why do I get the feeling that you know this deskmate's preferences like the back of your hand? You probably don't even know your own father this well."

Remembering how his daughter would rush into the kitchen as soon as she got home to discuss cooking with his wife, the father felt a powerful wave of sourness in his heart.

A youth was enjoying treatment that he himself did not dare imagine.

This was outrageous!

Qian Yiqing wore an expression of deep grief and indignation. "You only let me taste a few of the pastries you make. If I eat a few more, you look unhappy. Are you afraid Cheng Han won't get enough?"

This middle-aged man sincerely felt that he had raised this daughter for nothing.

No.

He should say he had raised her for that brat named Cheng Han.

Qian Qingqing could no longer hold it together and quickly placated her father. "All right, all right. I'll make you a plate of Lin Flower Cake tonight."

She promptly found an excuse. "Didn't I tell you yesterday? Cheng Han has just formed his Source Sense Imprint and will soon begin body tempering."

"During that process, he needs a great deal of nutrition to achieve better body-tempering results. You know Cheng Han is an orphan, and as his deskmate, I thought I'd lend him a hand."

The explanation sounded quite reasonable.

But the middle-aged man immediately spotted the flaw in it.

Qian Yiqing curled his lip and teased, "I never knew you had Prescience. You started helping your deskmate half a year in advance."

Qian Qingqing replied righteously, "Cheng Han's living expenses were limited. Back then, I was only helping him improve his quality of life. That's just helping others!"

Qian Yiqing immediately refuted her. "There are so many students in your class, and more than one or two of them come from poor families. Why did you have to help Cheng Han?"

The father and daughter bickered like this all the way.

But bickering aside, Qian Yiqing secretly felt that his daughter had a very sharp eye.

Just like me!

After getting out of the car, Cheng Han did not go straight home.

He walked several dozen meters and entered a Firewood Store, a shop specializing in Fuel Blocks, firewood, and similar goods.

Throughout Qinglin City, Firewood Stores like this could be found almost everywhere. The shops even delivered goods to customers' homes, and their service was quite attentive.

Because he had received a substantial sum of money today, and with the long winter approaching, he planned to order a batch of firewood.

Fuel Blocks were easier to use—just toss them into the stove. They were convenient, quick, and provided a very steady flame. But for heating, burning firewood was more economical.

After discussing it with the shopkeeper for a while, he purchased three thousand jin of White Ke Wood. Even if he burned firewood around the clock, it would last him over two months.

It was not that he did not want to buy more.

The problem was that his home was too small to store that much.

The Male Shopkeeper calculated silently for a moment before quoting a price. "White Ke Wood burns longer, so it costs a little more. One Copper Coin buys two jin. Three thousand jin comes to fifteen Silver Coins, plus fifty Copper Coins for delivery."

His former self would never have been willing to spend so much money. But Cheng Han now earned over a hundred Silver Coins each month, an unquestionably high income in ordinary people's eyes. To him, this amount was pocket change.

Just then—

A ponytailed girl hurried into the shop and called out brightly, "Dad, Mom wants you to—"

She stopped halfway through.

The girl stared straight at Cheng Han, looking excited and carrying a hint of admiration. "Senior Cheng Han, why are you at my family's shop?"

The Male Shopkeeper froze for a moment, his tone filled with surprise. "You're the student who knocked down a Feathered Beast with one blow?"

Cheng Han was a little bewildered.

He now understood that Ponytail Girl was a student at Fifteen Middle School, but how did even a firewood seller know about what had happened this morning? News traveled far too fast!

The Male Shopkeeper gave him a thumbs-up and said generously, "You're quite something, young man! We'll waive the delivery fee this time."

The girl cut in, "Only this time?"

That single word, "only," fully revealed where her loyalties lay.

The Male Shopkeeper scratched his head, then made another generous concession. "Fine, then. We'll waive it every time from now on."

Faced with this scene, Cheng Han could only say sincerely, "Thank you!"

The girl giggled. "Senior Cheng Han, I'm Luan Yan from Class 8, Grade 2. If my classmates find out that you bought firewood at my family's shop without getting any discount, they'll definitely say my family is too stingy."

This was clearly another child skilled at taking outsiders' side over her own family's.

The Male Shopkeeper glanced at his daughter and shook his head helplessly.

Just for one comment from your classmate, how much money will our family lose? What a sin! Cheng Han found it rather strange.

He had never expected that his face alone could now earn him a discount. No wonder so many people liked being famous.

For a Firewood Store, three thousand jin of firewood was not much. The shopkeeper called over a worker, who swiftly loaded the goods before pulling the handcart out the door.

Luan Yan warmly saw him off. "Senior Cheng Han, please come again!"

Cheng Han waved in response and left the Firewood Store.

Delayed by various matters, it was already nine in the evening by the time Cheng Han roasted a plump Cave Rabbit and finished sharing the meal with Black Cat.

He brought over a piece of White Ke Wood and smiled. "Sheriff, let me show you a magic trick. Want to see?"

Black Cat curiously raised its head. "Meow~"

Cheng Han raised one finger and activated the Fragmented Imprint of True Flame with his mind. A bright little fireball immediately appeared at his fingertip.

He lifted his right hand, grabbed the fireball, and made a pulling motion.

With that movement, a thread as fine as a needle tip appeared between his hands, dark red in color.

Black Cat's eyes widened at once.

It could tell that the Thin Thread seemed to be made of flame.

But how could flame possibly take this form? It was too incredible!

Cheng Han suddenly shouted, "Watch closely!"

He abruptly raised his right hand and made a whipping motion.

The fiery thread flashed through the air and struck the White Ke Wood with precision.

A wisp of green smoke immediately rose.

Cheng Han kicked the White Ke Wood with his left foot.

Bang!

The log, thick enough to require both arms to encircle it, split into two pieces. The broken surface in the middle was charred black, as though it had been scorched by fire.

Cheng Han asked with a smile, "What do you think of that trick?"

This was the new technique he had gained after completing the Fragmented Imprint of True Flame today—Transform Flame to Silk.

"Meow~"

Black Cat's cry was filled with utter disbelief.

Cheng Han smiled happily. "Splitting firewood will be much easier from now on. This move can save quite a bit of effort."

In truth, Transform Flame to Silk was far more than a technique for saving a little effort. It was also an extremely powerful attack.

Just imagine whipping an enemy with a flaming thread and striking their body. What would happen? They would naturally be cleaved in two with a single lash! Although the whip's maximum range was currently no more than five meters, as his strength continued to grow, breaking through thirty or even fifty meters was not some distant prospect.

In short, the future looked bright! Cheng Han rubbed Black Cat's head and brought up another matter. "Do you remember Chen Zhengyang?"

Black Cat flicked its tail. "Meow~"

Cheng Han spoke at length. "Judging from the current situation, Chen Zhengyang should only be a puppet secretly controlled by someone else. The one behind him is probably hiding nearby.

"The authorities have likely uncovered a clue about that person and are quietly pursuing him. He must have sensed something, which is why he has been acting so cautiously."

Black Cat perked up its ears and listened without blinking.

Cheng Han continued, "The White Claw Crow I sent out monitored Chen Zhengyang for the entire day today and found nothing. That happens to support this conclusion."

Pointing at the firewood, he went on, "I thought of a method earlier. Perhaps I can do something with the firewood to test Chen Zhengyang..."

Halfway through, inspiration suddenly struck him, and he gained a flash of insight.

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Fengye Chuixue

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