Granting Value

Feng Xue's so-called discovery of a trick is actually quite simple; the key lies in the [worthlessness] element of that water-skimmed stone.

Although it's unclear whether this element was spontaneously generated or inherent to the coin she engraved, Feng Xue gained a clue from it.

Money, in essence, has "value".

Whether it's value in terms of credit or value in terms of metals, it is first and foremost a "value" that is recognized by people, and it is precisely because of this value that it can become currency.

It's not just currency; even arcade tokens have value because they are used to play games. The same applies to virtual items in online games.

Especially in this world, where cognition equals power, the principle that "what people deem valuable has true value" is likely ingrained in the underlying rules.

In other words, does a coin only possess true value if it is considered "valuable"?

After having this idea, Feng Xue immediately prepared to put it into practice.

The simplest way is to use precious metals such as gold and silver as the raw materials for manufacturing. In this way, the "value" inherent in the precious metals will be converted into the value of the coin itself.

However, this approach, which is clearly lazy, is unlikely to succeed, because for a currency to be accepted, it must first be "circulated"; otherwise, it is just a precious metal with value, not a currency.

Moreover, this world isn't completely ignorant of Weird Tale. He's just buying everyday items, fruits, and vegetables at the supermarket, which is fine. But if he were to sell large quantities of precious metals, it would easily attract the attention of relevant departments. Even if it's not an official department, it would be troublesome enough if it were someone like Jeston who tries to profit from Weird Tale.

After careful consideration, Feng Xue abandoned the idea of achieving success overnight and decided to try a different approach.

A more fitting approach to the concept of "Weird Tale".

However, to realize his idea, these inferior products re-engraved from coins would certainly be unsuitable. Feng Xue decided to first obtain some raw materials.

Fortunately, Victoria has a fairly good DIY culture, and you can get equipment like spray guns, small furnaces, and gas cylinders at hardware stores, which makes his metalworking projects much easier. As for the fact that ordinary gas stoves can't reach the temperature to melt a penny... Feng Xue has Internal Force!

And so, Feng Xue's days became more and more regular. Around eight o'clock in the morning, she would go to the most chaotic and poorest East District of Bekeland to get her daily allowance from the ATM and call an ambulance to solidify her existing base.

At noon, he would seek out warehouses that had been unused for a long time, or villas that were vacant for most of the year, to carry out his metal smelting work, melting and casting low-denomination coins into easily processed metal strips, and incidentally using the owner's internet to fuel the flames of his "Demon Chef" legend.

After four o'clock, he would go to the supermarket to find the day's Housewife, spreading Urban Legend while also getting himself a sumptuous dinner. When night fell, he would return to his residence and cut and carve the metal strips he had melted during the day into exquisite coins with a wonderful feel.

Peter Lyle is a 15-year-old Victoria boy born into an ordinary working-class family. His parents spent a lot of money to send him to an expensive private secondary school, and he was well aware of the expectations his parents had for him, so he devoted all his time to his studies.

However, this style of behavior created a considerable gap between him and many of his classmates from wealthy families. He was considered an unsociable nerd and was often subjected to passive-aggressive behavior, which gradually escalated into school bullying over time.

For the teacher, students from wealthy families, or even those with considerable connections, were naturally more worthy of his efforts to please than this poor boy.

However, for the sake of his parents' expectations, he ultimately endured everything, but the consequence was only that his classmates became even more ruthless...

The less-than-pleasant day finally came to an end. Peter walked home, gently brushing off the dust and dirt that had settled on his clothes. Although the school had a boarding system, he still chose to commute, partly to save on the expensive boarding fees and partly to get some breathing room.

Bekeland hasn't been very peaceful lately, and Peter was walking very fast, but as he passed through his usual alleyway, he suddenly froze—

He saw that a person was lying in the alley!

His clothes looked very expensive, but they were covered in dust. The setting Setting Sun was cast into a thin line by the buildings on both sides, which fell on him. Although the slight undulations seemed to prove that he was still alive, he didn't look very well at all.

At that moment, Peter's first reaction was to walk away immediately, but for some reason, he suddenly felt that this dusty appearance was somewhat similar to his own when he was being bullied.

After a brief struggle, he finally made up his mind, approached, but didn't immediately make contact. Instead, he stood two or three meters away and asked softly:

"Sir, would you like me to call an ambulance for you?"

"..." The man seemed to say something, but the noise from the street made it difficult for Peter to hear what he was saying.

"Sir, what did you say?"

"Light... block it for me..."

Peter finally caught the intermittent, weak voice, but he didn't react immediately. However, perhaps by coincidence or fate, the setting sun reached a delicate position, allowing his not-so-tall figure to just barely envelop the man in front of him.

Soon, something incredible happened. In Peter's eyes, the dust, dirt, and damage on the man's clothes were slowly disappearing in an unbelievable way, as if time were flowing backward.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Peter didn't know how long he had been standing there, maybe only a few seconds, or maybe a few minutes. But in the end, the man seemed to regain his energy and stood up again, a smile appearing on his face, which was much gentler than that of Victorians.

"Thank you, child. I owe you a favor." The man's tone was elegant and rhythmic. Although Peter hadn't yet recovered from the shock of witnessing the supernatural phenomenon, his good upbringing still allowed him to speak:

"No, I didn't do anything..."

"No need to be modest, child. Equivalent exchange is my motto," the man said with a gentle smile.

"Is there anything you want? Some money? A toy? Or maybe you want to teach that annoying kid a lesson?"

"Um, that..." Peter hesitated, unsure how to answer. Seeing this, the man didn't show any impatience. Instead, he thoughtfully took a finely crafted coin from his pocket. Seeing Peter didn't reach for it, he proactively took Peter's right hand and placed the coin in his palm.

"It's okay, it's alright if you can't think of anything right now. Once you've decided what you want, you can wrap this coin in a piece of paper with your wish written on it and put it in Storage Box number 13 at Princeton Station. I'll make it come true for you, but only once."

"I..." Peter wanted to say something, but the man in front of him suddenly opened his arms and then disappeared before his eyes...

As for skipping stones, they are indeed sold, for about two for a dollar each. There's practically no chance of them being recycled; it's truly throwing money down the drain. So, is making money really that easy these days?