Time to Learn Something

Even now, Zhang Yuan was unwilling to just find some random agency to analyze the composition of the residual liquid. He might accidentally expose some classified secret.

If things blew up, the loss would outweigh the gain.

He understood the principle of keeping one's wealth hidden. It was enough to enjoy the benefits his father left him all by himself.

"Sigh, forget it, forget it. What I'm meant to know, I'll know eventually. As for what I'm not supposed to know, I shouldn't go poking around... Since Dad was vague and didn't explain the reason, he must have had his own justifications."

Zhang Yuan suppressed his curiosity and pushed the matter to the back of his mind.

There were many shops on the pedestrian street: convenience stores, clothing stores, restaurants, fruit shops, and so on, all fully stocked.

The fruit here was cheap and fresh. There was a type of seaweed-like plant called Pupu Grass, a new species cultivated a hundred years ago, known as "the space gift God bestowed upon humanity."

This stuff tasted sweet, much like grapes, and the pulp was rich in antioxidant B-group vitamins, which were extremely beneficial to human health.

Long-term consumption could even directly increase a person's average lifespan.

Zhang Yuan bought a few pounds of Pupu Grass at 3 yuan per pound, planning to take it home to eat slowly.

Next up were the clothing stores, which lined the street from one end to the other.

Even though logistics were highly developed now and online shopping was very cheap, women still couldn't shake the bad habit of window shopping. To them, online shopping and going to the store were two completely different things.

This was because, in this era, there was no petroleum, so clothes were a bit pricey.

To own a closet full of diverse clothing required a significant financial cost. Because of this, women enjoyed shopping even more; for them, just looking and touching was satisfying enough.

Zhang Yuan walked into an underwear shop and casually bought a few sets of undergarments, briefs, and socks.

"After the twenty percent discount, that comes to 887 yuan!"

"Can you make it cheaper, boss?" Zhang Yuan tried to haggle.

"Sorry, no bargaining!"

The reason there were shop assistants in the store was to increase employment. Even though the Xia Kingdom's productivity and social welfare system could support many idle people, if the overall unemployment rate were high and these people had nothing to do, the crime rate would rise.

Therefore, it was better to increase the number of low-end, unskilled jobs.

So expensive! Four pairs of briefs, three sets of undergarments, and five pairs of socks—and they weren't even brand names—cost over eight hundred yuan. An average person's monthly salary was only four or five thousand, after all.

Zhang Yuan wrinkled his nose, deeply feeling that his haggling skills were truly terrible, or perhaps it was because the other person was a man.

If it had been a female clerk, she might have been swayed by his good looks and offered a discount.

However, expensive or not, these were made of nanomaterials; the quality was excellent, they didn't get dirty easily, and they wouldn't wear out even after years of use. When calculated that way, it was still a good deal.

He planned to take these clothes with him onto the spaceship.

As he walked out of the shop, he caught a glimpse of the latest advertisement from a well-known clothing manufacturer: "Nanoplastic fabric clothing, ice-like texture, a uniquely silky experience..."

He reached out and touched the white, stocking-like garment; it really was cool to the touch.

Ordinary clothes blocked infrared radiation, but this nano-clothing had no thermal insulation at all; the nanopores in the material allowed infrared radiation to pass through, helping the human body dissipate heat.

Of course, because the new material was thin and soft, it looked very flattering on girls. The price was also quite steep, with a single piece costing over two thousand.

Nanotechnology was changing the world, clothing included.

Zhang Yuan touched it a few times; the texture was incredibly good, and he couldn't help but let his mind wander: "It looks a bit like white silk stockings, quite soft."

"Petroleum really was a good thing. Why were clothes in the old era so cheap?"

"They actually burned petroleum as fuel!"

Zhang Yuan sighed.

He then thought of the people in certain countries on Earth who had only just managed to get enough to eat, yet still couldn't afford clothes and were living in dire straits.

He didn't feel much sympathy, as most of these countries were former oil producers.

They were once the wealthiest nations on Earth, but their current situation could be described in only one phrase: eating through their savings until nothing was left.

Flowers don't bloom for a hundred days, and people don't stay lucky forever. Too many nations have fallen throughout history; whether it be an individual or a civilization, everything has its own lifespan.

Rising in crisis and decaying in comfort—this is an eternal truth. If you don't prepare a way out when you are wealthy, you can only suffer the consequences now.

Next, Zhang Yuan walked into a life insurance company, wanting to purchase two additional retirement insurance policies for his aunt and uncle.

Even though their family wasn't short on money at the moment, society was changing, and people face unpredictable misfortunes. What if something happened later on?

Having an extra layer of insurance was always a good thing.

"...Please don't tell the beneficiaries yet, can you wait two years? The fees will be paid in full at once, no installments."

"Of course!"

The beautiful clerk was exceptionally enthusiastic, her face flushed.

Selling insurance came with commissions, especially for a big deal like this, so she couldn't have been happier. Plus, the customer was handsome and spoke with such refinement, giving off a very pleasant vibe.

"The total cost for both... is three hundred thousand. After retirement, each person will receive 2,000 Federal Credits per month. If we don't account for inflation, you'll break even in 75 months."

"Fine!" Zhang Yuan signed the papers readily and paid the fees in full.

He didn't feel the pinch of being a spendthrift; he considered it a small gift for his relatives before he left.

With this finished, there weren't many trivial matters left to trouble him.

Zhang Yuan returned home and organized the tasks at hand.

As for the various memos and certain inconsequential affairs, he decided to simply give up on them; now, he only wanted to study.

Grind until he dropped!

Over the next few days, Zhang Yuan happily devoured all sorts of books, first attempting to review every single university course, including Mathematical Analysis, Real Variables, Abstract Algebra, University Physics, and so on.

The days passed by very quickly.

His greatest wish at the moment was to be able to understand the articles his father had left behind on the tablet.

These articles were somewhat similar to casual notes; they were likely inspirations his old man had jotted down randomly while working, and they appeared somewhat disorganized.

But Zhang Yuan did not doubt their value in the slightest...