Chapter 98: Buying Combat Mechas for Hu Yan
Bai Zhi suspected it might be allergic bronchitis. But she was no doctor, so she couldn’t be sure. What’s more, she didn’t have any medicine. Still, she could at least suggest they move.
So she proposed, "Have you ever thought about moving somewhere else?"
The female was confused. "Move somewhere else?"
She believed the root of her illness stemmed from childbirth. Her Beast Husband had passed away around that time as well, and her grief had left her even weaker. The cough wasn’t fatal, and the shortness of breath was only intermittent.
It was just that her condition seemed to have worsened in the years since they had moved in here.
Bai Zhi nodded. "That’s right."
She wasn’t sure what the allergen was, so getting away from this place was the safest bet. Out there, they could at least find a Healer and use a Treatment Chamber.
The female shook her head, coughing violently. "His father is here. I’m not leaving."
Saye patted her back worriedly. He wanted to say something, but he was a slow speaker, so he opened his mouth only to press his lips together again.
Then the female added, "You should go. I don’t want you to catch what I have."
Seeing her mind was made up, Bai Zhi left a bottle of medicine that could restore one’s vitality. "Drinking this will help you feel a bit better."
’Even if it can’t cure her, restoring some energy will at least keep her from feeling completely drained. When her spirits are up, going for a walk would be much better than staying cooped up in this room.’
Saye walked them out. Even though his mom hadn’t been cured, he still said, "Tha-thank you."
Bai Zhi shook her head. "I didn’t really help at all."
Saye’s fingers fidgeted awkwardly at his sides. "Just... now... that bottle... of medicine... how... much... is it?"
His family didn’t have much money. He had originally planned to sell those Crystal Stones to take his mom to a doctor, but they were nearly stolen. Then, to thank Bai Zhi for saving him, he had given the stones to her. There wasn’t much left at home now.
Bai Zhi said, "Didn’t we already make a deal? You’re going to lead us to the Crystal Stones."
Hearing this, Saye let out a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his face. He then walked ahead with a lighter step. "Th-this way."
Saye led them in another direction. After walking for ten-odd minutes, they came to a fenced-off area with a hole cut into it, just large enough for a person to crawl through.
From the outside, they could see that many areas inside had already been excavated, revealing brown Crystal Stones that shimmered faintly in the sunlight.
Saye pointed at the hole. "Th-this is... it. Y-you guys... go in. I’ll... help you... keep watch."
Bai Zhi looked at the Crystal Stones and asked the system, ’Can I exchange these Crystal Stones with you for money?’
System: "..."
’It was always the one issuing money-spending tasks. This was the first time it had run into someone wanting to trade *for* money.’
With a completely straight face, Bai Zhi started trying to con the system. "I’m only trading for money so I can scrape together enough to buy a star system. Look at my Beast Husbands—they’re following me around, homeless and displaced. We have nowhere to live and nothing here. Even if you gave me a mission, I couldn’t complete it, right? Unless you give me a mission that lets me buy this star system outright. Then they’d be the masters of this whole system, wouldn’t they? We could build any kind of house we want. Tell me I’m not right."
The more Bai Zhi spoke, the more self-righteous she sounded. "As the Beast Husbands of the Godly Rich System’s host, how can they be homeless? If word of this got out, think of how much face you, the Godly Rich System, would lose! So, to protect your reputation, either you convert these Crystal Stones for cash so we can go buy an Unowned Star System next door, or you just give me the money to buy this one! That way, we’ll be the masters of an entire star system! That’s the only way to not bring shame upon the Godly Rich System! Otherwise, imagine the rumors: ’There’s a host with a Godly Rich System who can’t even afford a single, ordinary star system.’ How utterly humiliating would that be, right?"
The system thought about it. ’She’s not wrong.’
’If other systems found out that it let its host live without even a roof over her head, it would indeed be a bit shameful.’
System: "I can’t actually do an exchange. However, I can consolidate your recent missions and issue a super-mission for you."
[Super-Mission: Spend one billion Star Coins for five Beast Husbands within seventy-two hours.]
[Mission Reward: One Unowned Star System and one hundred million Star Coins.]
Hearing the system’s mission announcement, Bai Zhi mentally let out a low whistle. She kept her expression nonchalant as she asked, "Can I pick the star system myself?"
She’d just had a new idea, and this mission was the final push she needed.
System: "I can provide you with a few Unowned Star Systems to choose from."
Bai Zhi pressed her lips together. ’Well, having a choice is better than nothing...’
’Spending a billion Star Coins... there’s still hope of pulling a hidden prize from this blind box.’
Bai Zhi immediately turned and ran to find Hu Yan.
She asked Hu Yan a series of questions. "If you were going to war, what would you need most? If I gave you a billion to buy combat supplies, what would you get?" and so on.
Hu Yan was stunned for a moment, then he gave her a complicated look before finally answering her questions one by one.
Military equipment and enhanced military-grade nutrient liquid.
The equipment meant Mechas for soldiers on the battlefield. As for the nutrient liquid, a billion would only be enough to supply a few hundred thousand soldiers for a couple of days.
’I can’t buy military-grade nutrient liquid, but for the equipment... I can have that shop owner custom-make it!’
So Bai Zhi immediately contacted the shop owner from before.
Bai Zhi: [Can you get me some Mechas? I have a budget of one billion. How many can I get?]
Shop Owner: [??? Are you asking about that thing we discussed last time? I already asked for you. He’s busy right now, so you’ll have to wait a bit.]
Bai Zhi: [You mean the companion stone? Waiting isn’t a problem.]
Bai Zhi: [But that’s not why I’m contacting you this time. Can you get me Mechas? How long would it take to get a billion’s worth of Mechas ready?]
Shop Owner: [Are you serious?]
Bai Zhi: [Of course.]
Shop Owner: [If you need combat-ready Mechas, new ones are pretty expensive. A single unit costs at least several million, up to tens of millions. I happen to know someone who can get you a batch of decommissioned Mechas. I can refurbish and reassemble them for you. I’ll even give you a discount. For one billion Star Coins, I’ll do my best to get you five hundred units. It might take about half a month.]
Bai Zhi, a lifelong haggler: [Make it 560 units!!]
The shop owner replied after a moment: [528 units is the absolute maximum. I can’t do any more than that. These decommissioned Mechas have a lot of parts that need to be replaced, and that costs a pretty penny. I’m not going to swindle you with inferior quality, so another 28 is the best I can do. Any more is impossible.]
Bai Zhi: [Deal!]
’An extra 28 is still an extra 28!’
’An extra 28 units means 28 more people can have a Mecha!!’
And so, Bai Zhi placed a one-time order for one billion Star Coins’ worth of Mechas.
Because the order was so massive, the owner even threw in an extra thousand bottles of medicine.
The instant Bai Zhi’s payment was successfully processed...
System: "..."