As Long as the Rich Lady Is Happy, Three Generations Will Have No Worries

"Fifty Gold Coins."

Old Jack held out one hand, five withered fingers spread wide as they swayed in the air.

His tone was as casual as if he were naming five copper coins.

Su Li had barely warmed his seat before he nearly slid right off it.

He stared at that hand.

His mind rapidly calculated the exchange rate.

By Grey Gull Port's prices, one black bread cost two copper coins.

A strong laborer could break his back at the docks all day and earn fifteen copper coins.

One hundred copper coins equaled one silver coin.

One hundred silver coins equaled one Gold Coin.

Fifty Gold Coins...

That was five hundred thousand copper coins!

Su Li had carried heavy loads at that godforsaken dock for fifty years in his previous life, yet he had never even seen what a Gold Coin looked like before he died.

Forget fifty.

Five Gold Coins could buy a house with a yard in the Lower District, plus two young, strong slave girls—enough to live like a wealthy landowner.

"Old bastard."

Su Li leaned back against the chair.

"You've got quite the business going."

"Why don't you just rob the kingdom's treasury?"

"There's more money there, and you wouldn't have to waste your breath arguing with me."

Fifty Gold Coins for a legal identity for someone without papers?

The price was inflated by at least ten times.

Old Jack did not get angry at all.

He leisurely picked up the bottle from the table and tipped a mouthful of cheap rum down his throat.

"That's the price for everyone else."

"If it's runaway slaves who stole from their masters, or wanted criminals with blood on their hands, ten Gold Coins will do it."

"But you're different."

Old Jack set down the bottle. His single eye examined Su Li like merchandise, sweeping over him from head to toe.

"You're too clean."

"So clean you don't look like a normal person."

"Getting you an ordinary civilian certificate would only hurt you."

"You need a higher status, one that lets you stand tall before those noble lords on Golden Glow Avenue."

"For example... the descendant of a fallen minor noble?"

"That sort of identity is troublesome to investigate, expensive to forge, and requires connections to smooth things over."

"Fifty Gold Coins—that's the friendship price."

Su Li understood.

This old geezer was tailoring the price to the customer.

He thought Su Li was a fat sheep and wanted to fleece him clean.

Unfortunately.

He was not a fat sheep.

He was an iron rooster—and a broke iron rooster at that.

Su Li stood up.

He dusted off the hem of his tattered long robe.

"Then forget it."

"I'll just go carry loads at the docks."

"This face isn't bad, anyway. Maybe some foreman will take a liking to me and give me half a bun extra."

With that, he turned and left.

His movements were crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

This was called advancing by retreating.

Though he truly needed that identity, even selling himself would not get him fifty Gold Coins.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

Su Li counted his steps.

If the old man did not call him back before he reached the door, he would really have to sleep under a bridge tonight.

Just as his hand was about to touch the door curtain,

a sound of fingers tapping the table came from behind him.

Tap, tap.

"Come back."

The corner of Su Li's mouth twitched.

But when he turned around, his face was completely expressionless.

"What?"

"Did your conscience finally kick in? Planning to give me a ninety-percent discount?"

Old Jack chuckled.

His voice was as grating as sawing wood.

"A discount is impossible."

"I'll never give a discount in this life."

"But I know you don't have any money."

"When you came in just now, I recognized that look immediately."

"It was the look of a poor bastard. No matter how well you pretend to be some down-on-his-luck young master, the sound in your pockets won't lie."

Su Li said nothing.

He sat back down on that battered stool.

Since he had been seen through, he might as well see what this old fox was really after.

"It doesn't matter if you have no money."

Old Jack leaned forward. Half his face had been burned away, making him look especially ferocious under the dim light.

"In this world, besides Gold Coins, there's another kind of hard currency."

Su Li raised a brow.

"What?"

Old Jack extended one finger and pointed at Su Li's face.

"This face."

Su Li froze.

Then he instinctively covered his chest.

"Old bastard, I'm not selling my body."

"I may be poor, but I still have principles."

"And at your age, can your body even handle it?"

Old Jack choked on his breath.

He nearly failed to catch it again.

He coughed violently several times, his single eye widening furiously.

"Get lost!"

"I'm not interested in men!"

"Who said you were selling yourself to me?"

Old Jack steadied his breathing, grumbling as he pulled out a sheet of parchment from beneath the table.

"I'm an honest businessman."

"I'm merely offering you a chance to work off your debt."

"Listen carefully."

Old Jack raised one finger.

"I have a room."

"It's deep in Dark Alley, and no one usually goes there."

"Over the next few days, I'll arrange for some... guests to go there."

"Your task is simple."

"Wash yourself clean, then put on the clothes I prepare for you."

"Put on a mask."

"Sit in the room."

"You're not allowed to speak, ask the guests' names, or take off the mask."

"As long as you receive ten guests,"

"I'll give you that identification for free."

Su Li was utterly stunned.

This procedure...

Why did it sound so familiar?

Wash up? Wear a mask? No talking?

Wasn't this basically a mystery-box service at some midnight male escort club?

"Receive guests..."

Su Li asked cautiously.

"What exactly would I have to do?"

"Keep them company? Drink with them? Or..."

Old Jack revealed a meaningful smile.

That smile was full of lecherous, vulgar insinuation.

"That depends on what the guests want."

"Don't worry. They're all rich noble widows with nowhere to spend their money, or the wives of trading company owners."

"They're lonely all the time."

"As long as you sit there and let them look at you, touch you, and occasionally cooperate a little..."

"I don't need to teach you the rest, do I?"

Su Li fell silent.

He had been an old virgin in his previous life, but he was only eighteen in this one.

Was he really going to enter that line of work already?

Sure, he would not have to carry loads at the docks.

But wasn't this a little too drastic of a career change?