Returning to the Modern World

Modern World.

Xiao Tianhao stood inside a familiar yet unfamiliar rented room with sunlight spilling over his body. Outside the window came the steady stream of various vehicles, the persistent blaring of horns, and endless noise.

After a brief moment of daze, he reacted, realizing he had returned to the Modern World from the Tales of Demons and Gods world.

He had not experienced the modern environment in nearly two months, and it took a moment to register.

He checked the time; it was around nine in the morning, and the longing for his parents surged within his heart like a tidal wave. He took a deep breath, pulled out his phone, and dialed home.

"Beep... beep..." After the phone rang a few times, his father's familiar and rustic voice came from the other end. "Hello, Tianhao? Whatever made you think to call home?"

The corners of Xiao Tianhao's mouth curved upward, his eyes filled with warmth. "Dad, I just missed you guys. How are you and Mom feeling?"

His father laughed heartily. "Your mother and I are doing great. How are things with you out there? Is your work going smoothly?"

Listening to his father's caring words, Xiao Tianhao felt a warmth spread through his chest. "Mm, I'm doing quite well, and the work is alright, too. Dad, don't work too hard at home, and take care of your health. By the way, has little sis been in touch with you lately?"

He was the eldest in the family, with a younger sister who was only two years younger. She had attended a junior college, had already graduated, and was likewise looking for a job.

His father said, "She's been in touch. She said her job hunt is going smoothly, too, so we shouldn't worry. Tianhao, don't just dwell on us-make sure you eat and drink well out there, and don't be afraid to spend a little money."

Xiao Tianhao nodded as if his father could see him. "I know, Dad. Oh, how was our harvest this year?"

His father sighed on the other end of the line. "The harvest was all right, but prices have gone up quite a bit. After subtracting costs, the grain money didn't leave us with much. But hey, we farmers don't have any major problems as long as we have enough to eat."

A bitter ache squeezed Xiao Tianhao's heart, and he said, "Dad, you and Mom shouldn't be so frugal. Spend money when you need to. From now on, I'll make more money so you guys can live a good life."

His father smiled and comforted him. "We know. It's enough that you have this heart, Tianhao. It's not easy out there for you either, so don't put too much pressure on yourself."

After chatting with his father for a good while, Xiao Tianhao exchanged a few intimate words with his mother before finally hanging up the phone.

He gazed up at the sky, silently swearing in his heart that he would definitely let his parents live a better life.

Xiao Tianhao had brought back dozens of catties of gold and seven large gemstones from the Tales of Demons and Gods world.

He needed to sell the gold and gemstones quickly to improve his family's living conditions.

To avoid drawing attention, he first divided the dozens of catties of gold into more than a dozen portions, packed them separately into over a dozen unassuming bags, and set out to find suitable gold shops in the city.

The first gold shop he entered was small, with simple decor and a slightly weathered sign hanging at the entrance.

The lighting inside was somewhat dim, and a few display cases lined the wall, exhibiting some ordinary-looking gold jewelry.

A boss with somewhat graying hair sat behind the counter, reading a newspaper in boredom.

Xiao Tianhao walked into the shop. The boss raised his head, looked him up and down, and asked, "Young man, looking to buy some gold jewelry?"

Xiao Tianhao felt a bit nervous, but still put on a calm facade. "Boss, I have some gold I'd like to sell. Do you buy it here?"

The boss frowned slightly, put down the newspaper, and said, "We buy, but do you have a receipt for this gold? Nowadays, receipts are required when buying gold."

Xiao Tianhao's heart sank, and he said helplessly, "Boss, this gold was all passed down from my family, so there's no receipt. Can you make an exception?"

The boss hesitated. "Without a receipt, the risk is a bit high. How about this-seeing as you're a young man and things aren't easy, I'll take it at a price slightly lower than the market rate. How does that sound?"

Joy flared in Xiao Tianhao's chest, but he kept it off his face and asked, "Boss, how much can you offer?"

The boss thought for a moment and named a price. Xiao Tianhao calculated it in his head; although it was considerably lower than the market rate, it was still decent, so he nodded in agreement.

After the boss carefully inspected the purity of the gold, weighed it, and paid him, Xiao Tianhao collected the cash, excitement in his chest and light steps as he walked out of the shop.

After leaving that shop, Xiao Tianhao sought out several similar small shops one after another.

Some shop owners were kinder; although they still pressed down the price, it was fair enough. Others were rather tricky and pushed the price down very low, requiring Xiao Tianhao to use plenty of persuasion before a deal was barely struck.

Throughout this process, Xiao Tianhao walked the streets and alleys, looking at the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar city with a rush of mixed emotions.

He had come here to find a job, and he hadn't stayed for long. Pedestrians hurried along the streets, vehicles flowed in an endless stream, and the shops on the roadside dazzled the eye-everything was so real.

He noticed the aroma drifting from a roadside snack stall, which reminded him of the times he used to eat snacks with his parents and sister when he was young; seeing elderly people playing chess by the roadside brought a fresh wave of peace and warmth.

After handling the gold, Xiao Tianhao began setting about selling those seven special gemstones.

He first looked up information online on several reasonably sized yet reputable auction houses, then set out for their respective locations one by one.

The first auction house was located on the upper floor of an office building. Xiao Tianhao walked into the building and took the elevator to the designated floor.

As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, he saw a closed door with a sign hanging on it that read "Auspicious Auction".

He pushed the door open to reveal a spacious hall decorated rather simply. Tables and chairs were placed around the perimeter, with an exhibition platform in the middle.

At that moment, the hall was not crowded, and a few staff members were busy setting up the venue.

Xiao Tianhao walked toward the front desk, where a young woman in professional attire asked with a smile, "Sir, how can I help you?"

Xiao Tianhao produced a blue gemstone the size of a chicken egg, deep like the starry night sky, gleaming with a charming luster and dazzling brilliance.

He said, "I'd like to consign this gemstone for auction. Is that possible?"

A flash of surprise crossed the front desk attendant's eyes. She took the gemstone, examined it closely for a moment, and said, "Oh, sir, this gemstone looks very large and special, but we need a professional appraiser to evaluate it before we can determine if it's suitable for auction. Please wait a moment."

Before long, a white-haired appraiser walked over. He took a magnifying glass to observe the gemstone carefully, tested it with several professional tools, and a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face.

"This gemstone is quite unique. Judging from its texture and luster, it must be an extremely rare variety. Sir, if you put this piece up for auction, it will definitely fetch a good price."

Joy stirred in Xiao Tianhao's heart, and he asked, "Roughly how much could it fetch?"

The appraiser shook his head. "That's hard to say. It depends on the bidders' interest and purchasing power. But I estimate the price won't be low."

Subsequently, the staff member and Xiao Tianhao discussed the auction process, commission fees, and other details in depth. Finding the terms reasonable, Xiao Tianhao signed a consignment auction contract with them.

Following that, Xiao Tianhao visited several other auction houses.

Some auction venues were more luxurious, drawing massive crowds of inquirers; others were relatively crude, but their appraisers were equally professional.

At every stop, he patiently communicated with the staff, introducing the gemstone's characteristics.

Throughout this process, Xiao Tianhao took note of the city's changes.

Batch after batch of roadside shops had been replaced, with new shopping malls and office buildings constantly emerging.

People's clothing and styling had grown more fashionable and diverse, and all sorts of novel electronic products and trendy culture could be seen everywhere.

It felt as though he had returned from a fantastical world into a rapidly developing reality, stirring within him both a lingering nostalgia for the Tales of Demons and Gods world and anticipation for his future real-life existence.

After a month of hustle, Xiao Tianhao finally finished offloading all the gold and gemstones.

When he saw the balance of over eighty million in his bank card, his heart overflowed with joy and a sense of accomplishment.

He had long since laid out plans for this money: a portion was kept as capital to start a company, and another portion was set aside as living expenses for his parents, his sister, and himself.

The first thing that came to his mind was to call his parents and share this great news with them.

Once the call connected, Xiao Tianhao said excitedly, "Dad, Mom, I've made a huge fortune! From now on, you won't have to work so hard anymore. Buy whatever you want."

His parents on the other end were stunned at first, then asked suspiciously, "Tianhao, what kind of huge fortune? You didn't go do something illegal, did you?"

Xiao Tianhao hurriedly explained, "Dad, Mom, don't worry. I made 200,000 recently, and this money was all earned legally.

I brought a huge piece of business to a company, and since the company made a lot of money, they gave me a cut of the commission with plenty more business coming down the line later. You guys can just sit back and enjoy yourselves from now on."

Even though he had now made over eighty million, he certainly didn't dare tell the truth, so he had to spin a lie.

His father's voice trembled slightly with emotion on the other end of the line. "Tianhao, you've really grown up and made something of yourself. We don't have any other demands-as long as you're safe and sound, that's enough."

Xiao Tianhao smiled and said, "I know, Dad, Mom. In a couple of years, I want to get you a big house, renovate the place nicely, and let you live a good life."

His mother chimed in from the side, "Tianhao, don't throw your money around. Save it for when you need to marry a wife later on. We're used to living in this old house and don't want to move."

Xiao Tianhao said, "Mom, don't you worry about the money. It's still early for me to get married, so you two should just enjoy yourselves first."

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Tianhao began planning for the future.

He first sent 50,000 yuan to each of his parents and another 50,000 yuan to his sister, which completely confused her into thinking someone had messed up a bank card number and misdirected the funds to her account. She was just about to call the police when Xiao Tianhao fortunately managed to call her back in time to explain.

As for himself, he prepared to use this money to open a pharmaceutical group.

The raw materials for the medicine naturally came from the medicinal liquids he had brewed in the Tales of Demons and Gods world. These were stock solutions that could be diluted, primarily falling into three major categories: one for treating sleep issues, one for hair loss, and a third for beauty and skincare.

These three categories were carefully selected by Xiao Tianhao. Modern people faced heavy work pressure, and many suffered from insomnia and hair loss.

As for beauty and skincare, it went without saying that most cosmetic products on the market were useless, and those that worked even slightly were exorbitantly expensive, completely unaffordable for ordinary people.

His medicine could utterly crush every single pharmaceutical product in this world, and he believed his company would undoubtedly become a behemoth.

Xiao Tianhao gazed out at the bustling city, his heart overflowing with confidence.

(Adjusting the time between the two realms: whichever plane the protagonist is in, that plane's time flow rate is 10, and the other is 1-meaning a 10:1 ratio.)

Thanks to Volcanion, Father Anderson, and Diao Li Shangwu for sending 'Power of Love'.

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