Giving Myself a Small Goal

The energy cost of cultivation was a little high.

After doing a quick calculation, Xu Tui started to panic.

Of the ten E-grade Energy Potions his dad had given him, only two were left.

And from last night until now, Xu Tui had used up five E-grade Energy Supplement Potions.

At market prices, that came to 25,000 yuan.

Of course, he'd used so many because he'd had time on his hands today and had slept during the day to recover his mental strength.

But even after classes started and he only cultivated for one or two hours at night, Xu Tui estimated that he'd still go through two or three E-grade Energy Supplement Potions every evening.

Three a day—that was 15,000 yuan.

At that rate, he'd run out in about two months.

Xu Tui had managed to save a little money.

Between his two merit awards and Yuan Shu's compensation, he now had a whopping 950,000 yuan.

There was also the 50,000 yuan his dad, Xu Jianguo, had given him.

But he'd spent almost all of it.

Tuition, insurance, and accommodation had cost him over 42,000 yuan. He'd spent a little here and there on miscellaneous things, leaving him with just over 6,000 yuan.

That was for living expenses and emergencies. He couldn't touch it.

The only money Xu Tui could use for cultivation was his 950,000 yuan. Of course, he also had the benefits that came with his school rank.

At that moment, Xu Tui really missed Yuan Shu.

After the sort of clash they'd had at the Limitless Academy, Xu Tui wouldn't have minded if it happened another eight or ten times.

If it did, Yuan Shu could cover all his cultivation expenses for the year.

Too bad that was just wishful thinking.

So right then, Xu Tui really wanted to make money.

Yesterday, when he'd learned he'd received D-grade lower authority, he'd come up with a plan to buy and resell supplies.

Among the benefits of personal authority, E-grade Energy Potions were sold at full price to those with E-grade intermediate authority, while those with E-grade advanced authority got a five-percent discount.

With D-grade lower authority, the discount went up to ten percent.

In other words, an E-grade Energy Supplement Potion with a public market price of 5,000 yuan would cost Xu Tui only 4,500 yuan with his current personal authority.

And at Huaxia Gene Evolution University, neither the Limitless System nor the Mysterious Academy had a single student who could do without E-grade Energy Supplement Potions.

Students in the Limitless System needed to keep replenishing their energy with E-grade Energy Supplement Potions as they trained their physical abilities.

For them, the potions didn't just replenish their energy quickly; they also eased muscle fatigue and let them hit the weights more often.

The Mysterious Academy students needed them even more.

Xu Tui going through two or three bottles a day was an exception, but surely other students could get by on one bottle every day or two.

How many students were there at Huaxia Gene Evolution University?

There were nearly eight thousand freshmen, and the total student body—including those who hadn't graduated—numbered over forty thousand.

A huge market of forty thousand people.

He didn't need much. Xu Tui had done the math.

He could buy an E-grade Energy Supplement Potion for 4,500 yuan and sell it for 4,700, making a profit of 200 yuan.

With just a hundred customers, selling one bottle to each of them per day would bring in 20,000 yuan a day!

Getting rich was absolutely within reach!

If he got even more customers, he could save enough for a Repulsion Flying Skateboard over the course of a semester, on top of covering his cultivation expenses.

That was Xu Tui's grand money-making plan.

There was only one problem now.

How many potions would the pharmacy center let him buy?

If he bought in bulk, could he push the wholesale price down by another one and a half percentage points?

At that moment, Xu Tui transformed into a shrewd little shopkeeper, counting every penny.

The pharmacy center at Huaxia Gene Evolution University was a comprehensive center.

It handled potion supplies, the distribution of benefits, and potion research and testing.

Of course, the third function had nothing to do with Xu Tui right now.

He'd come mainly to discuss a big potion deal, and then pick up the benefits that came with his rank while he was at it.

But his big potion deal fell through after just two questions.

"Hello. Could you check whether my authority qualifies me for a discount on E-grade Energy Supplement Potions?"

Xu Tui found a receptionist in the lobby and showed her his D-grade lower authority.

His D-grade lower authority didn't make the receptionist's eyes pop out. She only gave him a second look.

Clearly, she'd seen plenty of people with high authority at the pharmacy center.

"Hello, Mr. Xu. Your personal authority is D-grade lower. Under the rules, you're entitled to a ten-percent discount. Each E-grade Energy Supplement Potion will cost you 4,500 yuan."

"Okay. Then how many E-grade Energy Supplement Potions can I buy at once? A hundred? Or a thousand?" Xu Tui asked excitedly.

"Hello, Mr. Xu. Under the personal authority rules, the total annual limit for E-grade Energy Supplement Potions purchased at the discounted price is 100. The monthly limit is ten."

Xu Tui felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head.

He was chilled to the bone!

His money-making plan had fallen apart before it even got started!

"That's so little?" Xu Tui said, heartbroken.

"Mr. Xu, that's the limit set by the personal authority rules. Anything beyond that must be purchased at full price. I hope you understand."

"Ah..."

Xu Tui let out a long sigh.

"Give me twenty for now. And then let me collect this month's rank benefits, too." After a long pause, Xu Tui said helplessly.

"Of course, Mr. Xu."

Ten minutes later, Xu Tui left the Huaxia Gene Evolution University pharmacy center with thirty F-grade Energy Supplement Pills and twenty-five E-grade Energy Supplement Potions.

Five E-grade potions and thirty F-grade pills were part of his rank benefits.

Ten bottles were discounted, and ten were full price.

He'd paid 95,000 yuan in total.

He'd saved 5,000 yuan.

Xu Tui's wealth had shrunk by a tenth in an instant.

That only made him more anxious.

Finding a way to make money had officially become a priority.

In fact, it had taken precedence over cultivation.

There was no helping it. Cultivation was important.

But without money, he couldn't cultivate.

And a little money wouldn't cut it.

Xu Tui could get a part-time job, work an hour after class, or deliver takeout in his spare time.

No.

Even if he did that whenever he had time for a whole month, he'd only make two or three thousand yuan at most.

It might help cover his living expenses.

But relying on it to fund his cultivation? Dream on.

He needed a way to bring in serious money.

A way that could make him ten or twenty thousand without batting an eye, and wouldn't stop at eighty or ninety thousand.

But Xu Tui wasn't stupid.

A lucrative opportunity wasn't something he could just find whenever he wanted.

If it were that easy, the average salary in Kyoto Prefecture would probably rise by another ten or eight yuan.

Money was hard to earn, just like it was hard to stomach a mouthful of shit.

"I can only look around slowly. For now, I'll cultivate and make myself stronger."

On the way back to the dorm, Xu Tui set himself a small goal.

First, spend all 950,000 yuan!

In about two months, he'd finish unlocking the second layer of the Mind Sea Concentration Gene Forging Knowledge Method, version 4.9.

Having money in the bank brought peace of mind.

But it only had value once you spent it.

On the way, Xu Tui sent An Xiaoxue a message and asked her a question.

"Teacher An, is there any way to recover mental strength quickly?"

"At present, the fastest way to recover mental strength is sleep—deep sleep.

"Some stimulants can boost your mental state, but they usually have side effects, or your body develops a tolerance if you use them for too long.

"They're for emergencies in wartime.

"I strongly advise against using them during regular cultivation."

"Is there any way to recover mental strength without sleeping?"

"Yes!

"High-energy foods can restore a small amount of mental strength, but they can't relieve mental fatigue.

"Dozing, sitting quietly, relaxing, or taking a short nap can all restore some mental strength.

"But none of them are as effective as deep sleep."

"Thanks, Teacher An."

An Xiaoxue's answer confirmed Xu Tui's suspicions.

After waking up at noon, Xu Tui had cultivated for an hour and a half and used up most of his mental strength. He hadn't hit his limit, but he wasn't far from it.

After eating just now, he'd felt a little more alert, but the fatigue deep in his mind was still there.

And during the hour or so he'd spent on the road, that deep mental fatigue hadn't eased. If anything, it seemed to have gotten a little worse.

With his powerful Mental Induction, Xu Tui was acutely aware of every change in his body.

Back at the dorm, Xu Tui had just reached for the door when his eyes shifted toward the corner farther down the hall.

A knowing smile suddenly appeared at the corner of his mouth.

But he pretended not to know and called out,

"Who's there? Come out!"

Cheng Mo, who'd put on a noticeable amount of weight, stepped out from the corner.

"Damn, you scared me! I thought it was your roommate. Turns out you're back."

Seeing Cheng Mo acting so furtively, Xu Tui suddenly said,

"You know about it too?"

"Let's get inside first. We'll talk inside."

Seeing how cautious Cheng Mo was, Xu Tui felt relieved.

"Holy crap, Little Leg, if you tell me you're not loaded now, I'll beat you up.

"A double suite! Man, this is so damn nice!"

"You have no idea. One of the guys in my four-person room snores so loud it could cause an earthquake. I couldn't sleep at all last night.

"I've already ordered earplugs online today..."

After a bit of small talk, they got down to business.

"Little Leg, keep your guard up from now on.

"Yuan Shu's definitely stirring things up behind the scenes to mess with you.

"One idiot in our dorm is already saying he'll give you a taste of the Limitless System's superhuman prowess if he gets the chance!

"But don't worry.

"I looked into all the rules at our school. Private fights are strictly forbidden.

"But three months after the semester starts, you're allowed to challenge people in designated areas on campus.

"Even then, you have to agree to it.

"They can't force you to compete if you refuse.

"As for other school competitions, just avoid entering too many and you should be safe.

"This kind of thing will blow over in half a year or a year.

"Once a new batch of freshmen comes in next year and steals the spotlight, no one will remember you."

Cheng Mo went on and on. Xu Tui couldn't help feeling touched.

The bond they'd formed during their showdown in the woods was no joke.

"I get it. Actually, you're the one in more danger.

"If someone finds out we're friends, they might target you.

"Students in the Limitless System train at high intensity every day. It'd be easy for someone to set you up." Xu Tui said.

"I know. That's why I've been so careful today."

"Besides, didn't Teacher An say we should learn to protect ourselves by using the rules? I've been studying them." Cheng Mo grinned.

"By the way, have you kept at the method I taught you for burning off excess energy?" Xu Tui asked.

"It's only been two days, so there's no obvious effect yet, but I've noticed a little change."

"What kind of change?"

"Since I unlocked the gene point in my stomach five days ago, I've been eating as much as I want every day. For the first three days, I gained four or five pounds a day.

"Over the past two days, I tried your Engine Theory 2.0, and my daily weight gain has dropped to under three pounds."

When he got to this point, Cheng Mo suddenly grew excited.

"Little Leg, do you know what this means to me?"

"With this much weight gain, once my bones heal, I can increase my daily training load, and my weight might stay the same.

Then I won't end up as fat as a mountain!"

Xu Tui fell silent for a long while.

"I'm just worried that once your bones heal and you increase your training load, you'll eat even more, and then..."

Cheng Mo: "..."

Before bed, Xu Tui got another call from Chai Xiao.

"Brother, sorry. Yuan Shu pulled the wool over my eyes too. I called him and asked, and he said someone was just using a clickbait headline. He had nothing to do with it."

"Brother Chai, even if it wasn't your fault, could those idiots from the Limitless System still come to my dorm and pick a fight with me?" Xu Tui said.

On the other end of the call, Chai Xiao's mouth twitched.

Those idiots from the Limitless System.

Damn it.

He was in the Limitless System too!

"If anyone gives you trouble on purpose, tell them my name.

If that doesn't work, let me know. I'll go deal with them." Chai Xiao was a loyal friend.

"Thanks, Brother Chai."

"Get lost! Say 'thanks' one more time and I'm cutting ties with you!"

"Okay!"

After hanging up, Xu Tui took a deep breath.

Tomorrow, classes would officially begin!

He would finally be able to systematically learn all about New Gene Humans and genetic evolution!

He couldn't wait!

But he couldn't stop training, either!

Here's a silly joke: I remember lots of people's birthdays,

but the only ones who remember mine are my mom, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the China Construction Bank, the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, the China Minsheng Bank, China Mobile, China Telecom, Taobao, QQ, and some game development team.

Every damn one of them is a Fortune Global 500 company.

Oh, right, and one lovely, beautiful young lady who reads my work.

Today, I raise a glass of rough wine to myself!