Shopping and Tinkaton

Is this bastard planning to rob me? Or has he set his sights on the Pokémon Egg in my hands? Thinking this, Lu Li looked at Eike with obvious wariness.

Still on guard, Lu Li probed, "Why did you come to me?"

Eike smiled confidently and said proudly, "Because I knew you'd definitely be interested in Muk."

Lu Li asked, "Why?"

"Because there are no adults in your Home. Only orphans like us don't care about Muk's flaws. After all, it's one of the few hopes people like us have of becoming stronger."

There was bitterness in Eike's voice. If he had any other choice, who would want to spend every day in the company of Grimer?

Eike said with utmost seriousness, "No matter how many Muk Eggs we obtain, you can take one as payment."

For the Wildfire Gang's Companions, they had spent a full three years planning around the Grimer colony. It wasn't as if Eike had never considered approaching other civilian Trainers.

But even those civilian Trainers from ordinary families had no interest in Grimer.

It couldn't be helped. The threat of losing one's right to choose a mate was simply too great. If they had a choice, who would choose foul-smelling Grimer?

Lu Li nodded, then said, "My Pokémon will need at least three more days to hatch. Adding the two-week Beginner stage, it would be best to act a month from now."

"No problem! Let's add each other on Feixin." Eike took out his phone as he spoke.

Eike's phone looked extremely battered. Even its screen was covered in cracks, clearly a secondhand phone that had passed through several owners.

Lu Li made no comment. He took out his phone and scanned the QR code Eike offered. After successfully adding him as a friend, Lu Li put his phone away.

Civilian technology in this world was highly advanced. Normally, everyone in this world could simply lie flat and live comfortably.

Take Eike and the others, for example. Though they were orphans, the League provided them with three meals a day, including vegetables, meat, and even fruit.

Productivity in the Pokémon world was frighteningly high, but the chances of Pokémon-related accidents were equally terrifying. Most orphans had become orphans because their parents had met with accidents.

After parting with Eike, Lu Li did not return to Qingfeng City. Instead, he headed to Qingyun City's largest Berry Wholesale Market.

After arriving at a Berry store named Guoranxiang Fruit Store, Lu Li directly called over the owner and asked, "Hello, how much do your Berries cost when bought wholesale?"

"Our Guoranxiang..."

The owner introduced the prices of the Berries in his shop.

Lu Li then asked, "If I place long-term orders, do you provide delivery? Can the price be discounted?"

The owner politely replied, "That depends on how much you need."

Lu Li said, "At least a thousand Berries every month."

The owner's eyes lit up at those words. It was not a major deal, but if it could truly continue long-term, it would still be a considerable source of income.

"What Berries do you need?" the owner hurriedly asked.

"Oran Berries, Sitrus Berries, Wiki Berries, Pinap Berries, Haban Berries..."

Seeing Lu Li list a whole string of Berry names, the owner asked in surprise, "Are you a Breeder, young man?"

Lu Li nodded modestly. "I haven't gotten certified yet."

The owner was even more stunned upon hearing that. Lu Li looked only sixteen, yet he could already independently make Energy Blocks.

What kind of genius Breeder was this?

The owner did not suspect Lu Li of being some errand runner. After all, what errand runner carried a Pokémon Egg around with him?

The owner said excitedly, "Ahem! Forty percent off! Any Berries you buy from our shop will be forty percent off."

Lu Li looked at the owner in surprise when he heard such an enormous discount.

Could it be... that I have some hidden ability with heaven-defying luck? Why do all the people I've met since my cultivation succeeded seem to be good people? Lu Li thought in bewilderment.

For a Berry store like this, the cost of the Berries was probably around half their selling price. The discounted price the owner had offered could truly be called generous—one might even call it charity.

Never mind his monthly order of only a thousand Berries; even someone buying ten thousand a month probably would not get such a discount.

"Um... Boss, isn't this discount a little too steep?" Lu Li looked at the owner nervously.

As the saying went, unwarranted kindness hid either treachery or theft. As a transmigrator with a mature mind, Lu Li did not believe in free lunches falling from the sky.

Even if this was not a trap, the owner definitely wanted something from him.

The Berry shop owner smiled and explained, "It's fine. I simply want to make friends with a genius youth like you."

Hearing that, Lu Li nodded in sudden realization.

At that moment, Lu Li realized that he seemed to be kind of awesome. After all, this Berry shop owner was a wealthy man who earned millions a year, yet someone like that was currying favor with him.

"Alright, Boss. I'll gladly be your friend." Lu Li laughed heartily and extended his right hand.

The owner reached out and shook it. "Pleasure doing business with you!"

After bidding farewell to the owner, who wanted him to stay for lunch, Lu Li took a ride to find a blacksmith shop.

Although technology in this world was highly advanced, many traditional crafts had not declined, including blacksmithing.

Many Trainers needed custom-made training equipment, so they generally went to blacksmith shops to have it forged.

After finding the blacksmith shop owner, Lu Li took out the Alchemy Furnace design he had drawn before.

However, in order to keep up with the times, the Alchemy Furnace Lu Li had drawn looked more like a pressure cooker.

The owner, with a Snuff bottle clenched between his teeth, looked at the blueprint in his hand and asked, "Is high-temperature resistance the only requirement?"

Lu Li added, "It must withstand high temperatures, and it must conduct heat well."

"We can make it here. As for the price, your pot has stricter requirements than an ordinary pot, and its shape is more unusual, so it'll cost eighty thousand," the Blacksmith shop owner said.

Lu Li's heart abruptly skipped a beat when he heard the price. His entire Net Worth was only forty thousand right now.

Though it pained him greatly, Lu Li still forced himself to accept the price.

The Blacksmith shop owner gave Lu Li a deep look. He had not expected Lu Li to truly accept the price, much less pay so decisively.

Did I misjudge him? Puzzled, the owner said, "Fine. Pay a twenty-thousand deposit first, then come pick up your pot in a week."

Lu Li naturally had no objections. Led by an apprentice, he scanned the code and paid, then left the blacksmith shop with a receipt in hand.

Watching Lu Li's departing back, the blacksmith shop owner chuckled. "An interesting kid."

Nearby, Tinkaton, holding a massive hammer, looked at its Trainer in confusion.

"Haha, I just found it interesting. Tinkaton, it's time to work." The owner laughed.

Upon hearing its Trainer's command, Tinkaton excitedly swung the giant hammer in its hand. What Tinkaton loved most was forging iron.

To others, this might have been work, but to Tinkaton, it was play.

What could be happier than playing together with its Trainer?

After leaving the blacksmith shop, Lu Li could not help complaining, "Using Tinkaton to forge iron... this blacksmith shop owner really knows what he's doing."