"Then get some rest early. We'll head back first."
Xu Feng took Xiao Dan from Liu Yu and said with a smile.
"Goodbye, Sister!"
Xiao Dan planted a kiss on Liu Yu's cheek, then happily burrowed back into Xu Feng's arms.
"Goodbye."
Liu Yu affectionately pinched her chubby cheek and waved.
On the way back.
Beneath the streetlights.
"Dad, does Sister Liu Yu want to marry you because you saved her?"
Xiao Dan suddenly asked as she wrapped her arms around Xu Feng's neck.
"Pfft—" Xu Feng nearly choked. "What do you know about marrying someone because they saved you?"
"It's when a hero saves a beautiful woman, and then she marries him! That's how it happens in all the fairy tales!"
Xiao Dan clasped her hands together, stars shining in her eyes.
Xu Feng grinned and asked, "What, you want a mom?"
"Who doesn't want a mom?" Xiao Dan turned to look at Xu Feng.
Xu Feng: "..."
He was momentarily at a loss for words.
He'd thought the subject would make his daughter sad.
But before Xu Feng could comfort her, Xiao Dan added, "Oh, right, Dad. Can I have two moms?"
"Huh?" Xu Feng stared at her, dumbfounded.
Leaning on his shoulder, Xiao Dan counted on her fingers. "I wanted Teacher Lu to be my mom before.
"But then I thought Sister Liu Yu would be great, too.
"Teacher Lu would be the career mom, and Sister Liu would be the homemaker."
As Xiao Dan listed the advantages of having two moms, Xu Feng couldn't help laughing helplessly the whole way home.
That girl was even bolder than he was.
"Forget it. You're getting ahead of yourself. You won't get either of them. And take a good look at your old man. If you were a normal girl, would you marry a forty-year-old man who'd achieved nothing and came with a kid in tow?"
Xiao Dan considered this. "If it were you, Dad, I'd think about it."
"Hahahaha!" Xu Feng doubled over laughing at her. "That's why you're my daughter."
"Hehe." Xiao Dan hugged his neck and mumbled, "How do I find two moms..."
The night passed uneventfully.
After work the next day.
Xu Feng went home first and packed up all his spoils except for the complete Combat Suit.
Then he took his weapons and headed out, straight for a secondhand equipment shop in the Trading Zone.
The shopkeeper was dumbfounded when Xu Feng brought out a pile of gear.
"Mr. Xu, these..."
"Don't worry about where they came from. Just tell me if you'll buy them."
Xu Feng waved a hand.
"I'll buy them! Of course I will!" The shopkeeper nodded.
When he saw the Eagle Alliance combat vest, his gaze shifted slightly. "I'll need to inspect all this equipment. Please wait a moment."
Xu Feng didn't notice that the shopkeeper had switched from addressing him casually to using a more respectful form.
He was actually in a rush, but merely nodded calmly. "Sure, take your time."
About ten minutes later, the shopkeeper returned with the gear.
Smiling, he said, "Mr. Xu, this Eagle Alliance combat vest is a fairly common Iron Dome C-Class Combat Suit. It's in pretty good condition—about ninety percent new.
"A vest like this originally costs sixty thousand. I'll offer you thirty-nine thousand, or sixty-five percent of the original price.
"I've already knocked half a point off for you. How does that sound?"
"Thirty-nine thousand sounds awkward. Make it a round number," Xu Feng said with a grin, haggling.
"Well... all right." The shopkeeper hesitated briefly, then agreed.
Xu Feng's eyes lit up. "What about the rest?"
"This C-Class weapon is in decent shape. It usually goes for around twelve thousand secondhand, but I'll give you thirteen thousand.
"These two Series 6 communicators are worth around seven thousand. As for the shield... it'll be harder to sell, but it is B-Grade Alloy, so it's worth about one hundred and twenty thousand.
"All told, I'll give you one hundred and eighty thousand. How does that sound?"
One hundred and twenty thousand!
Xu Feng had never imagined that the unassuming shield would turn out to be the biggest surprise.
He smiled. "We've done business before. That Star Moon Sword I sold you last time was in worse condition than this, and you gave me eighteen thousand, right?"
"Sixteen thousand!" the shopkeeper hurriedly corrected him. "Things were different then, Mr. Xu—"
Xu Feng cut him off. "Exactly. The base just went through a major battle, and weapons and armor are in short supply. Prices are generally higher now."
After another round of haggling, the shopkeeper finally went back to addressing him casually.
And the price of one hundred and eighty thousand became one hundred and ninety-three thousand five hundred.
Xu Feng figured that if he kept haggling, the shopkeeper was about to start cursing him out.
So he quit while he was ahead.
"Let's call it there. Thanks for looking after me, boss."
Xu Feng gave him a parting compliment as he left.
The shopkeeper's expression finally improved. "Heh, let's do more business in the future."
"Definitely." Xu Feng left with nearly two hundred thousand in his pocket.
Watching him go, the shopkeeper couldn't help picking up the Eagle Alliance combat vest again and muttering to himself:
"So it was him! Who would've thought that poor guy was so capable?
"If my cousin in the Patrol Squad hadn't told me about those two Eagle Alliance martial artists, I wouldn't have known this guy was so fierce.
"I gave up quite a bit of money this time, but if we keep doing business, I'll make it back later."
Meanwhile.
As soon as he stepped out of the shop, Xu Feng eagerly opened his communicator to check his bank balance.
[Balance: 322553.89]
"Damn!"
Xu Feng excitedly pumped his fist.
Then he quickly tamped down his excitement and warily looked around.
Three hundred and twenty thousand!
His balance had finally passed the one-hundred-thousand mark—and tripled in one go!
He'd never had this much money in his life!
It was less than a fifth of what he'd saved in his previous life, but earning it sure hadn't been easy.
He'd basically traded his life for it, which made it all the more precious!
"Stay calm, stay calm. A little wealth isn't real wealth. An ordinary person could live carefree for years on this money.
"But for a martial artist, these savings... are still a long way from a comfortable life."
Of course, a little wealth wasn't real wealth.
That was what he told himself.
But as Xu Feng walked home, he still felt his steps growing lighter.
He couldn't help standing a little taller, too.
There was an old saying in his previous life:
A man's confidence was determined by the money in his wallet.
In this life, strength was what mainly determined a man's confidence.
But money could still give you a little backbone!
"Mr. Xu."
"Hey, Brother Xu!"
"Brother Xu, have you eaten? If not, come by our place and grab a bite!"
"Good evening, Brother Xu! I heard what you did. That was incredible!"
On the way, many residents who'd only met Xu Feng once warmly called out to him.
Only then did he realize that the Shanty Town had filled up again at some point.
And he'd become a minor local celebrity.
But Xu Feng didn't care much about that.
Back home, he shut the door.
He counted the digits on his watch for ages, then happily stretched out on the bed.
"I need to put this money to good use and turn it into strength. That way, I'll have more chances to make money in the future."
With that thought, Xu Feng sat up in one quick motion.
He took out the complete Combat Suit, put it in a basin, and started scrubbing it.
As the pale red water kept flowing out, the smile never left Xu Feng's lips.
Bad luck?
What a joke!
This was spoils! This was killing intent! This was two hundred thousand!
He'd decided: from now on, he'd wear the thing underneath his clothes.
It wasn't even that heavy.
That way, he'd have the advantage from the start and be impossible to defeat!
Xu Feng thought happily.
It's Tuesday, everyone! The big day is here! Please keep reading! Help protect this little seedling and check out the latest chapter! There'll be another update at five this afternoon. Three chapters today! Many thanks, everyone!
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