Chapter 42: No.42: Money Laundering {2}
Checking out his reflection, it was undeniable that he was attractive, yet his current hair just wasn’t speaking to him anymore.
It felt too... common.
"But going back to the barber shop would be such a drag, not to mention having to renew the colour every time."
Hesitant, as he didn’t like the idea of stressing himself unnecessarily every time simply because of his hair, another idea popped into his mind as he pondered an alternative to escape his predicament.
"Hmm! That might work."
Pulling up the System once more, he enquired if there was a way to change his hair colour permanently without having to worry about dyeing it again once it faded.
[Processing...]
+----------------+
[Lifestyle Items...]
{High-Grade Permanent Hair Color - 150RC}
{Mid-Grade Temporary Hair Dye - 70RC}
{Mid-Grade Contact Lens - 50RC}
{High-Grade Eye Color Change - 130RC}
{High-Grade Skin Tone Change - 270RC}
{High-Grade Facial Reconstruction - 500RC}
{High-Grade Hairstyle Change - 340RC}
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The list of options went on, with even more things Bruce didn’t know were possible.
His eyes lingered on the Facial Reconstruction option longer than he’d like to admit.
"Damn! Didn’t know that was even an option. Probably would’ve considered it if I didn’t already look like this."
Were it not for him already admiring his current facial features, Bruce might’ve been tempted to try it out.
Prying his eyes away from it, he selected the option he originally asked for.
Upon doing so, a mini model of his face and hair appeared on the screen, displaying the different colours available to him.
Ranging from blonde, to gold, to emerald green, and so on.
"Wow! Wasn’t expecting that."
Pleasantly surprised, Bruce found this much more convenient, as he didn’t have to rely on his imagination and hope the end result didn’t look weird.
Browsing through the various hair colours available, his eyes soon settled on one that seemed attractive, yet not too flashy at a glance.
"Perfect!"
Not wasting any more time, he quickly purchased it from the System, upon which a soft golden-white light gleamed atop his palm as an object materialised before him.
Once it had fully materialised, the soft light subsided, followed by a notification informing him that 150RC had been deducted from his Rebate Coins.
Intrigued by what had appeared this time, he was a bit disappointed upon realising it was just a small toothpaste-like tube.
Opening it, he found the scent refreshing.
Applying it to his hair, he decided against using it on the undercut section to create a contrast.
After finishing the contents within the tube, Bruce waited for a while, but nothing happened.
Wondering if there was something else he was missing, a refreshing sensation suddenly spread across the top of his head, as though an ice block had been placed on it after staying in the scorching sun all day.
The feeling remained for a while before eventually subsiding.
Taking another look in the mirror, Bruce couldn’t help but stare at his reflection a while longer.
Tracing a finger along his jawline while checking himself out from different angles, a smile slowly crept onto his face.
"Damn. So this is how narcissists feel? No wonder they carry a mirror wherever they go."
Admiring himself in the mirror, he felt this could easily become a habit if he wasn’t careful.
After the soothing sensation subsided, his hair had changed into a striking violet colour with magenta highlights on top, while the undercut remained dark.
The combination gave him a somewhat edgy, yet confident appeal.
His overall look created a strong, eye-catching appearance that was bound to keep one’s eyes fixed on him far longer than they initially intended.
Eventually tearing his gaze away from his mesmerising face, Bruce decided to check his Stats once more.
***********
[Personal Profile]
{Name: Bruce Wade}
{Age: 20}
{Level: 1}
{Main Ability: Rebate Lord}
{Account Balance: 55,897,582KPT}
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[Personal Stats]
{Strength: 40 » 60}
{Agility: 15 » 35}
{Stamina: 7 » 27}
{Charisma: -23 » 37}
{Endurance: 29} (New)
{Mana: 60/60 » 80/80}
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[Rebate Profile]
{Rebate Stage: Wimp Stage}
{Bonded Targets: 2/2 (Kindly upgrade to the next Rebate Stage to unlock additional Bonded Target slots.)}
{Rebate Coins: 567.75 » 417.75}
{Rebate Gifts: Diamond Skin}
**************
"I can get used to this."
Pleased by the sight, Bruce was relieved that none of his Stats were in the negatives anymore, as they were now all above what normal people were capable of.
"Hmm! I guess the +20 and +40 boosts for Base Stats and Charisma respectively applied to the initial Stats, not the Enhancer itself. Interesting."
Upon reading the notification earlier, he’d thought the additional boost meant another +20 and +40 would be added to the Enhancer’s effects themselves, making them +30 and +50 added to his initial Stats.
Despite that, Bruce remained pleased, as it was still better than what he’d originally planned for when he first took the pills.
Returning his gaze to the notification screen, he noticed the Endurance Stat that had been added to his base Stats as well.
"I’m surprised it’s this high despite not using a pill to boost it yet. Or does the Base Stat boost also apply to Stats that aren’t currently accessible to me?"
The thought was exciting to say the least, and considering it was around the same range as most of his current Stats, he suspected that was likely the case.
Absent-mindedly, his eyes drifted toward his Account Balance.
Despite having spent about two hundred thousand Kepto converting it into Rebate Coins, the amount remaining was still a lot.
"Damn! I’m practically a hidden millionaire at this point."
Glancing around his rundown apartment, the contrast between the amount he possessed and the lifestyle he was living was like night and day, making Bruce realise he might seriously have to consider getting a new place.
As he was processing this, a notification suddenly appeared before him.
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[Main Task (3) has been initiated]
[Task Title: Money Laundering]
{Description: Digits in Account Balance have exceeded the limit for the average citizen. Money generated via Rebate is untraceable and inexplicable, which may lead to problems with the authorities later on.}
{Task Requirements:
~Come up with a suitable source of revenue to clean your money.
~Ensure funds generated from the source of revenue match the absurd amount of displayed wealth.
~Avoid getting thrown in the slammer in the process.
~Ensure the explanation cannot be easily refuted by acquaintances.
~Avoid causing unnecessary suspicion towards family or close associates.
~Successfully convince at least a dozen third-party individuals of the explanation’s authenticity.
~Maintain consistency in every explanation.
~Do not implicate innocent people in criminal activities.}
{Time limit: 72 Hours}
{Rewards:
~System Upgrade.
~Unlock Lottery Feature.
~Random Gift.}
{Punishment: Max Erectile Dysfunction}
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"What the..."