Chapter 46. Treasure hunting in the gambling market, obtaining...
Many teams that participated in the S-level dungeons (the Rock and Flame Realms) returned feeling they had suffered a huge loss, as the rewards from this mission were far too meager.
Of course, there are also individuals/teams who reap great rewards, but they remain hidden in the shadows for a short period of time without being exposed.
An auction house called [Wanbaofang] in the capital city announced that a batch of rare materials and equipment will be auctioned in three days, along with three (diamond-grade) pet eggs as the grand finale.
Many people tried to find out who owned these resources, but unfortunately, the person in charge behind Wanbaofang suppressed the investigation with force.
After the auction, those in the know could roughly guess who had won the prize.
Xiao Weizhi then used some clues from the information he found to make inferences and, combined with the anomalies he had experienced in the secret realm, guessed who the real beneficiary of the beast tide in the northern region was.
He sneered and tossed the paper documents in his hand onto the table. Sure enough, it was her again.
Whenever someone suffers misfortune, that person always inexplicably gains something in return.
Furthermore, during the subsequent investigation, Mei Mei was found to be invisible. If Xiao Weizhi hadn't experienced similar things several times, he wouldn't have connected these events to her.
Lin Xiaoxiao, who was sitting to the side reading a book, was attracted by the sound of folded paper being slammed on the table. She looked up in confusion and asked, "What's wrong?"
Xiao Weizhi took off her glasses, raised her right hand and gently rubbed her brow, her tone somewhat irritated and puzzled: "Do you think there really are people in this world who can absorb other people's luck?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaoxiao put down the book she was holding, thought for a moment, and said with a hint of uncertainty, "I think so?"
After all, even gods exist in this world, so it's normal for there to be people who can absorb fortune, right?
Xiao Weizhi suddenly looked up at her, his eyes showing a hint of surprise, his handsome mouth slightly open, and his expression looking somewhat shocked.
If even Lin Xiaoxiao believes that people who absorb luck exist, then this is very likely not an illusion, but probably a real phenomenon.
Lin Xiaoxiao met Xiao Weizhi's surprised gaze, shifted her body slightly uncomfortably, and unconsciously lowered her voice: "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
Xiao Weizhi took a deep breath to calm herself down and made up her mind that no matter whether the matter was true or false, it would be better to stay away from that person in the future: "I didn't say anything wrong. Maybe I'm being too sensitive."
Lin Xiaoxiao was unaware of Xiao Weizhi's thoughts, only feeling that his behavior was a bit strange.
Somewhat bored, she picked up the juice from the small table next to her, took a sip, held the glass in her hand, and carefully observed the fruit pieces floating in the juice.
In the few days since they returned to the capital, apart from wandering around the house, T has been squatting in the study with Xiao Weizhi. He works and she reads, and the days are very boring.
Xiao Weizhi keenly sensed that Lin Xiaoxiao's mood was off. He paused, his hand reaching for the documents, and suggested gently, "How about we go out for a walk later?"
Lin Xiaoxiao looked up in surprise upon hearing this: "Where should we go shopping?"
Xiao Weizhi handed the choice to Lin Xiaoxiao: "Where would you like to go?"
Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up, her gaze expectant: "Anywhere is fine?"
Xiao Weizhi nodded, turned on the communicator in his hand, and quickly typed, rescheduling the video conference that was scheduled for that evening to tomorrow morning: "Yes, anywhere is fine."
Lin Xiaoxiao immediately opened the recommendation app on her communicator and looked at the ten most 'recommended' (not recommended for out-of-towners) places in Beijing that she had saved. She had wanted to go there ever since she saw them before.
Back then, we were under someone else's roof, so we couldn't make demands recklessly.
Once their relationship progresses further, it's time to bring it up when they return.
But since Xiao Weizhi came back, she has been busy from morning till night every day, and she felt embarrassed to say that she wanted to go out at this time.
An hour later, a black flying car drove out of the Xiao family's gate and headed towards a special market in the eastern part of the city.
Sitting inside the flying car, Xiao Weizhi smiled gently, but her tone was somewhat puzzled: "Why would you want to go to the gambling market in Dongcheng?"
Based on Xiao Weizhi's 25 years of understanding of women, shouldn't going out for fun involve visiting amusement parks, high-end shopping malls, auction houses, beauty salons, etc.? Why would she want to go to such a remote gambling market?
Lin Xiaoxiao chuckled and replied, "I've never been there. I saw someone recommend it, so I thought I'd go check it out."
In fact, ever since she obtained the Eye of Divine Insight, Lin Xiaoxiao had already planned to visit the most famous gambling markets to see if she could find any good items.
After a two-hour drive, the car successfully arrived at the bustling gambling market on the very edge of the suburbs.
The gambling market is located in the eastern suburbs and consists of hundreds or even thousands of single-story and small two-story houses. Originally, this was a small village of farmers. Later, by chance, several self-proclaimed gambling masters and swindlers came and transformed it into the gambling market it is today after decades of operation.
Most of the items in this market are defective, a small portion are discarded props and resources, and very few are truly good items.
Some of those good things were passed down from ancestors, unknown to the younger generation, and sold as scrap; some were sealed treasures left behind in certain secret realms; and some were pure stones, with a very low probability that good things might be hidden inside.
Xiao Weizhi helped Lin Xiaoxiao out of the car. Looking at the bustling alley, which was packed with stalls and crowds, the ground under their feet was damp and the soles of their shoes were sticky.
He pursed his lips and subconsciously asked the woman beside him, "Are you sure you want to go in?"
Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes sparkled with curiosity. Without the slightest hesitation, she nodded quickly: "Yes, let's go in and have a look around."
There's an old saying that goes, "Since you're already here, why not go in and take a look? You might just find something good!"
Redtail perched on Xiao Weizhi's shoulder, curiously turning its head left and right, its large eyes brimming with obvious curiosity. Since leaving the secret realm, it had either stayed at home with Lin Xiaoxiao or gone down into the secret realm with her, never having had a chance to come to a place like this.
The treasure-hunting mouse lay in Lin Xiaoxiao's pocket, its two little hands gripping the edge, standing on tiptoe to look out. DouDou's eyes were filled with joy, a treasure-filled look.
The Treasure-Hunting Rat was bound by a contract with the Black Panther (Terra), and its talent was restricted until the contract was fulfilled, which is why it couldn't help Lin Xiaoxiao find good items in the S-rank secret realm.
However, after the contract was completed, the energy chains that bound the treasure-hunting rat disappeared, and for it, the treasure market was like a fish returning to its home.
Xiao Wei put his hand on Lin Xiaoxiao's shoulder, protecting her as they walked inside: "Let's go then."
As the two of them stepped into one of the alleys in the gambling market, the shouts of the roadside vendors grew louder:
"Sir, madam, come and have a look at my things, I have lots of good stuff."
"These are some great finds that just arrived. You won't regret coming to see them."
"These things here are all family heirlooms, come and take a look."
...
For the shrewd stall owners in the gambling market, they could immediately tell that the clothes Xiao Weizhi and Lin Xiaoxiao were wearing were made of high-end fabrics. If they could just trick these two greenhorns into buying one item from their stall, they would definitely have enough for six months' worth of expenses.
Several times, Lin Xiaoxiao was attracted by the shouts of a certain stall owner and wanted to stop, but Xiao Weizhi pinched her chin and turned her face from the side to face the front.
Lin Xiaoxiao's chin was being pinched, and her tone was somewhat displeased: "Why didn't you stop and take a look?"
Xiao Weizhi spoke calmly, placing his hand on Lin Xiaoxiao's shoulder and pulling her forward: "Most of the people in these alleys are scammers. Besides, the roads are too narrow to squat down easily. Once we're inside, I'll accompany you to see whatever you want."
Lin Xiaoxiao glanced at him, her gaze falling on his slightly furrowed brows, before she realized that Xiao Weizhi, this young master, was probably having a Schrödinger-like obsession with cleanliness.
As for why it's Schrödinger's obsession with cleanliness, it's because when Xiao Weizhi is fighting, he doesn't care whether he gets dusty or bloody on his body... but after the battle, when he's in a safe environment, he'll dislike the environment and his clothes...
Having guessed why he was unwilling to stop, Lin Xiaoxiao was no longer angry. Instead, a cheerful smile appeared on her lips.
Xiao Weizhi caught a glimpse of Lin Xiaoxiao's smile out of the corner of his eye, but didn't slow his pace at all: "So happy?"
Lin Xiaoxiao nodded: "Yes, I'm happy."
A few minutes later, the two walked through the dimly lit alley and were about to enter the spacious gambling market.
The slightly anxious voice of the treasure-hunting rat rang in Lin Xiaoxiao's mind: "Left, left, master, there are good things on the stall on the left."
Lin Xiaoxiao paused, grabbed Xiao Weizhi's wrist, turned a corner, and walked to the last stall on the left side of the alley.
This stall had fewer items than the previous stalls, only about thirty pieces upon closer inspection. There were statues, gemstone bracelets that looked like they were made of plastic, and even some animal teeth that were half the size of their original size.
Lin Xiaoxiao tucked in her skirt, half-squatted down, and tentatively asked the stall owner, "How much do I buy these things?"
The stall owner was a young man wearing a straw hat and with an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth. His voice was somewhat muffled: "The price of each item is different. If you see something you like, I'll give you a price."
Lin Xiaoxiao nodded, her fingers gently brushing over the items on the stall.
[An unknown sculptor's practice piece from twenty years ago (no grade)]
Plastic imitation gemstone bracelet (no grade)
[The Mammoth's Broken Mammal Tusk (No Level)]
...
He picked up several items in a row and found that they were all ungraded.
Just as Lin Xiaoxiao was filled with doubt, the Treasure-Seeking Rat's voice rang in her mind again: "Master, buy the stone that the man is standing on."
Without leaving a trace, Lin Xiaoxiao followed the clues from the treasure-hunting rat and glanced at the stone where the young man's size 44 left foot was standing.
The stone is shaped like an oval pebble, about the size of two basketballs, bluish-gray, with a very rough outer skin, looking like a stone picked up randomly on the roadside.
Her lips twitched uncontrollably for a few seconds. What reason could she possibly have to buy a stone that others use as a stepping stone?
Seeing Lin Xiaoxiao pause, Xiao Weizhi lifted the hem of his suit trousers, knelt down on one knee beside her, and asked in a low voice, "What do you want?"
Lin Xiaoxiao didn't know how to tell Xiao Weizhi that she had taken a liking to the stones the stall owner used as stepping stones, and said awkwardly, "No, I don't want anything."
Seeing that Lin Xiaoxiao hadn't made a move, the treasure-hunting mouse anxiously jumped out of her pocket, landed on all fours, and hopped towards the rock, clinging to it tightly.
The stall owner was so startled that he pulled his leg back, and because his movement was too exaggerated, he lost his balance and fell off his small stool.
Lin Xiaoxiao looked awkwardly at the stall owner sitting on the ground and whispered to the treasure-hunting mouse, "Mouse, come back."
The treasure-hunting mouse completely ignored her and continued to cling to the rock.
Lin Xiaoxiao chuckled awkwardly and asked, "Um, are you selling stones? My pet seems to really like them."
The stall owner's anger vanished instantly upon hearing this, replaced by a hospitable smile: "Of course I'll sell it. I brought this stone back from a certain B-grade secret realm with great effort. It's been with me in the treasure market for years, and I've developed an attachment to it. I won't buy it for less than 30,000 gold coins."
Upon hearing this explanation, Lin Xiaoxiao's lips twitched uncontrollably.
Is there affection involved? Or is it stepping on someone's foot as a stepping stone? It's clear that the feelings involved are quite complex.
Before she could speak, the owner of the stall next door couldn't help but complain: "You're really shady, kid. This piece of junk is clearly something you picked up on the roadside to use as a stepping stone. How did you come up with it as something you brought back from a B-level secret realm?"
The stall owner, his lie exposed, blushed slightly, then roared back, "What business is it of yours how much I sell for, you bastard? You've already driven away three of my customers today, do you want to fight?"
The stall owner next door sneered, rolled up his sleeves, and stood up from his stool: "Come on, hit me, or I'll beat you up, you little bastard."
Just as the two stall owners were about to fight, Lin Xiaoxiao spoke up weakly: "Um, boss, don't rush to fight. Give me a fair price, and if it's right, I'll take it. I really love my hamster."
The young stall owner, who was rolling up his sleeves, froze. He hadn't expected that he'd been exposed, yet the young girl in front of him still wanted to buy this broken stone.
The stall owner waved his hand: "10 gold coins, take it or leave it."
Lin Xiaoxiao immediately took out a money pouch from her spatial storage, counted out ten gold coins, and handed them over: "Thank you!"
These gold coins were exchanged with Butler Jiang Bo, because most of the small stalls in the gambling market only accept cash, and only the larger stalls have card readers.
The swift transaction left Xiao Weizhi, who was standing nearby, completely bewildered. What kind of operation was it to spend ten gold coins to buy someone else's broken stone as a stepping stone?
But as the stall owner moved the stone, he subconsciously frowned, took the stone and the treasure-hunting rat, and handed them to her: "The stone is heavy, I'll hold it, you keep it."
When Lin Xiaoxiao touched the stone, information about it popped up:
[Ice Shard Encased in Stone (Diamond Grade)]
[Ice Soul Fragment (Diamond Grade): Legend has it that within the millennia-old ice layer, there is a one in ten thousand chance of creating an Ice Soul. Uses of Ice Soul: After forging, it can effectively enhance ice-type attributes; it can also be used to refine potions, weapons, armor, etc.; when given to ice-type pets, it can improve their aptitude...]
A series of analyses appeared before her eyes.
As expected of a diamond-grade or higher resource, even its analysis time is much longer than that of silver-grade or gold-grade resources.
As the stone was stored in her spatial dimension, the analysis also disappeared from her sight. Lin Xiaoxiao took the treasure-hunting rat, stuffed it into her pocket, and slowly stood up with Xiao Weizhi's help.
As the two left the alley, all the stall owners simultaneously began to complain: 'Where did this idiot come from? He spent 10 gold coins on a broken stone he picked up by the roadside just because his pet liked it.'
The next part of the journey involved the Treasure-Hunting Mouse reminding Lin Xiaoxiao to go and take a look, while Xiao Weizhi stood beside her looking completely bewildered.
Because the things Lin Xiaoxiao bought looked like junk: a piece of dead wood the size of a bowl, a bronze horse figurine with all four legs missing, and a brooch that looked filthy...
Some were bought smoothly, while others were difficult to ask for. The treasure-hunting rat would leap out of the bag and pounce on the item, clinging to it tightly and refusing to let go.
To outsiders, it seemed that Lin Xiaoxiao had no choice but to spend money to buy the 'junk' that the hamster liked because of this little hamster.
The same operation was repeated several times in a row, and all the stall owners in the gambling market knew about it. Today, a well-dressed couple came in, and several times, because their pet hamster refused to leave, they ended up buying a lot of junk.
Therefore, wherever Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Wei passed by, many vendors took out nuts, fruits and other food items, trying to tempt the treasure-hunting rat in her pocket.
Xiao Wei put his hand on Lin Xiaoxiao's shoulder and teased her in a low voice with a smile: "All the stall owners are tempting the little mouse in your pocket."
Lin Xiaoxiao rested her head on his collarbone, laughing like a little mouse that had stolen oil: "Not a mouse, a hamster."
Xiao Weizhi pulled her aside to avoid an oncoming passerby, and nodded with a smile: "It was a slip of the tongue. Have you named this hamster yet?"
Lin Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and nodded firmly: "Let's call it Treasure Hunt."
The full name of the mouse is Treasure Hunting Mouse. The name Treasure Hunting not only shows its professionalism but also indicates its species. Perfect!
Xiao Weizhi chuckled, his eyes crinkling with laughter, and the corners of his mouth curving upwards: "Not bad!"
Lin Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes at him, not knowing that he was mocking the name she had chosen, thinking that the mouse was unworthy of the name "treasure hunter".
If it weren't for the fact that the rat had told him not to reveal its full species name or abilities to others, he would have told Xiao Weizhi and seen if he would still think that the name "Treasure Hunt" was unworthy of the rat.
Two and a half hours later, the tired treasure-hunting mouse, no longer as energetic as before, lay sprawled out in the pocket and fell asleep.
Before long, evening arrived. Lin Xiaoxiao randomly found a relatively large stall, half-squatting down to look for something. As she picked up an ancient coin, a notification popped up that she had gained a skill:
Congratulations on acquiring the skill: Money Critical Strike (Diamond Level)
[Money Blast (Diamond Level): Every coin you throw out turns into a money bomb. Explosion power: depends on the value and quantity of the coins; the more coins thrown out at once, the bigger the explosion.]
Upon acquiring this skill, Lin Xiaoxiao's first reaction was to examine the ancient coin in her hand from all angles, but no matter how she examined it, it was just an ordinary coin.
[Ancient coins from 200 years ago (no grade)]
It might be worth money in the antique market, but by all accounts, it doesn't seem like a special coin that can store a skill.
So why did she suddenly gain a skill?
Just as Lin Xiaoxiao was examining the ancient coin in her hand...
Xiao Weizhi thought Lin Xiaoxiao liked it very much, so he took out his money and spent 150 gold coins to buy the coins in her hand (ps: Xiao Weizhi found an ATM halfway through and exchanged several thousand gold coins, as he doesn't usually carry gold coins).
Xiao Weizhi asked in a low voice, "Put the coins away. Is there anything else you want to see?"
Lin Xiaoxiao put the ancient coins in her hand into her spatial storage, intending to study them slowly when she got back. She gently shook her head: "They're gone."
Xiao Weizhi reached out and helped her up: "Then let's go home."
With the help of Xiao Weizhi's hand, Lin Xiaoxiao slowly stood up. Her knees ached slightly, a reminder that she had squatted too many times today and that her knees might be worn out.
Seeing that she kept bending over and rubbing her knees after getting up, Xiao Weizhi guessed that her knees were hurting and asked in a low voice, "Shall I carry you out?"
Lin Xiaoxiao gently shook her head: "Let's go outside, there are so many people here."
It's currently the closing time of the gambling market, and there are a lot of people there.
Lin Xiaoxiao felt embarrassed to be carried on his back in front of so many people.
As they were walking back, discussing what to eat for dinner, a gentle male voice suddenly came from beside them: "Captain Dragon Fang, can we talk?"
Turning around, I discovered it was Xu Yilang, the S-rank mage from the Tide Squad whom I had encountered in the secret realm before.
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