A huge thanks to GreenKitea and NyxVervaine for the kofis. Enjoy the bonus chapters!

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

As the president of the Borg Chamber of Commerce, Sean is extremely busy, so it was no small feat for him to set aside so much time today. 

Upon learning that Qiyu wanted to purchase some goods this afternoon, he casually asked his youngest son, Leslie, to stay behind and ensure that Lord Qiyu was well taken care of.

Neither of them had eaten lunch yet.

Qiyu had originally planned to just grab a couple of rice balls to tide him over, but as soon as Leslie heard this, he thought, “How could that be acceptable?”

So he took Qiyu to a restaurant owned by the Borg Chamber of Commerce, and before Qiyu could refuse, he enthusiastically ordered several dishes.

“These are all our house specialties, Lord Qiyu. Please give them a try.”

The dishes Leslie recommended were bound to be delicious, but what surprised and delighted Qiyu the most was that there was actually a steamed fish among them.

Qiyu seemed to really enjoy it, and Leslie said with a smile, “You like this cold pool snow fish too? It’s a specialty of the Black Rock Mountain Range.”

The fish flesh was as translucent as snow, tender, and completely boneless. It was even more fragrant than the most delicious piece of fish he had ever eaten. 

Qiyu ate the entire fish in one go.

Leslie was about to ask for more, but Qiyu refused: “We won’t be able to finish all the other dishes.” Leslie immediately replied, “Even if we can’t finish it, nothing will go to waste—I’ll pack it up to take home.”

Qiyu tilted his head, as if looking at himself. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he whispered, “Does that make me seem petty? If my father ever found out I dared to waste food, he’d have me hanged and flogged.” 

“I have several little beasts at home, so I’m not worried about not being able to finish all this.”

Qiyu was silent for a moment, then shook his head. “They’re not small at all. Your little beasts have really good appetites.”

Food this good—in the post-apocalypse, one wouldn’t even dare to dream of it, and even in survival games, it might not be available. And yet, here it was being used to feed pets. He buried his head in his meal and, under Leslie’s stunned gaze, single-handedly polished off more than half of the large spread of food on the table.

“Actually, you’re not just a mage, are you?” Leslie murmured. “I’ve only ever seen martial artists eat this much.” Because they need to strengthen their bodies, martial artists consume and require a great deal of energy, so their appetites are astonishing. Qiyu asked if the fish was for sale; his high-level storage backpack had a long-term preservation function.

So Leslie took him to a seafood shop.

It was the first time Qiyu had seen such a wide variety of fish.

Apart from the cold pool snow fish they’d just eaten, he didn’t recognize a single one.

He stood there observing for a moment, then decisively turned to the person beside him for help: “Which ones are good to eat?” 

“You’ve come to the right person!” Leslie patted his chest. “Food? I’m an expert!” 

In addition to the cold pool snow fish, he recommended two other varieties, both native to the Black Rock Mountain Range. Qiyu cautiously inquired about the prices.

Although he now had a huge sum of nearly 90,000 gold coins, there were still so many things he wanted to buy. If the fish recommended by this Young Master turned out to be too expensive, he would have no choice but to buy a little less.

The merchant told Qiyu that these items were all quite rare, with an average price of nearly 2 silver coins each.

2 silver coins.

“How many gold coins is that?”

Leslie：“……”

Realizing that this was the reclusive mage who still used emerald crystal, he relaxed: “One gold coin is worth ten silver coins.” 

“That cheap?” Qiyu was surprised.

Setting aside his mutant plants for a moment, the Borg Chamber of Commerce purchased his wood at a rate of 1 gold coin per 10 units. In other words, cutting down a single tree would net him 10 silver coins—enough to buy five fish.

He was a bit confused by the prices in Gold Hole City.

Leslie wasn’t the least bit surprised to hear this: “Compared to what you mages spend, everything here really is quite cheap.”

He told Qiyu that fish priced at 2 silver coins each were already on the expensive side; for over 90 percent of Gold Hole City’s residents, the most they’d do was buy a little on major holidays.

Qiyu was given a brief overview of Gold Hole City’s currency system: the most common were gold coins, silver coins, and copper coins.

These three had a 1:10 exchange rate, which was easy to remember. That is, 1 gold coin could be exchanged for 10 silver coins or 100 copper coins. 

Qiyu was puzzled: “Why is my wood selling for such a high price?” 

He could understand why the emerald crystal peach sold for such a high price—Duo Ju had told him it came from the Star Forest and was truly delicious. There were also good reasons why other mutant plants with special effects commanded high prices.

But why was ordinary wood so much more expensive than such a delicious big fish?

“Ordinary wood?”

Leslie gave him a puzzled look: “Lord Qiyu, the wood you’re selling clearly contains faint magical elements.”

“To be precise, the Star Forest is, after all, the legendary ‘Forest of Magic.’ How could anything originating from the Star Forest possibly be ordinary?”

His father certainly wanted to build a good relationship with this nobleman, and the price he offered was indeed quite generous. But his father was, after all, a merchant—he would never buy at a loss.

Leslie wasn’t aware of the specifics, but he knew his father had already instructed the family butler to prepare everything—including the wall paneling—to be replaced with wood from Qiyu’s supply.

A subtle sense of reassurance.

He’d never believed in free lunches; if something was his, he’d have to work for it. A straightforward transaction like this was much more reliable.

Once he had a clear understanding of the market prices, he was completely at ease.

“One hundred of each.”

Three hundred fish, at an average price of 2 silver coins each, came to a total of no more than 60 gold coins. 

Qiyu felt as though he were frighteningly wealthy at that moment. 

After confirming with Leslie that food prices were generally around that range, he immediately perked up and asked him to recommend more delicious dishes.

Shrimp from distant waters to the south—due to high shipping costs—cost as much as 1 silver coin per jin; he ordered 100 jin. A crab with a pink shell, which Leslie enthusiastically recommended as both beautiful and delicious, cost 2 silver coins per jin; he ordered 100 jin.

A certain odd-looking mollusk—Leslie said it was delicious no matter how it was prepared, whether boiled, grilled, or stir-fried, with a uniquely springy texture. 1 silver coin per jin; 100 jin, please.

Leslie：？？？

He couldn’t help but ask, “Even if you have a storage item, are you planning to stay in the Star Forest for a whole year once you get back?” 

Qiyu: “Hard to say.”

Delicacies from the seas—a total of 40 gold coins spent.

Buying all these delicacies actually cost 100 gold coins.

Gold Hole City really is a great place.

Qiyu watched as the merchant packed these vibrant, delicious foods into individual boxes and placed them inside a strange silver chest. When he took them out, the lively fish, shrimp, and crabs were encased in a layer of transparent ice.

“What is this…?”

The owner said proudly, “This is a custom-made alchemical product I paid a fortune for—the best quick-freeze refrigerator in Gold Hole City. When seafood goes through it, its vitality is instantly frozen along with it. In this state, the seafood isn’t considered a living creature, so it can be stored in storage items at will. When it’s time to eat, just take the ingredients out of the storage item, and they’ll thaw and regain their vitality in just a few minutes. I guarantee our guests can enjoy the freshest ingredients at any time.” 

Qiyu was thoroughly intrigued: “Is this for sale?” He wanted one.

Then, the merchant quoted a staggering price: 50,000 gold coins.

Qiyu, who just a moment ago had felt he was terrifyingly wealthy: “…Never mind.” 

Leslie, watching from the side, couldn’t help but laugh heartily. He really liked Qiyu.

Not just because Qiyu had saved his life in the Black Rock Mountain Range.

Qiyu was unlike any mage he’d ever met—reserved but not arrogant, and his lack of common sense made him seem a bit clueless. 

He was fun.

It was a shame he didn’t seem likely to stay in Gold Hole City for long; otherwise, even if he had to beg, he’d make sure to befriend him. After stowing all the seafood in his storage backpack, Qiyu headed to another shop selling food.

Rice, oil, flour, seasonings…

These items were much, much cheaper than the seafood; for 20 gold coins, Qiyu could buy enough food to fill an entire warehouse.

Fortunately, he had upgraded to a high-level storage backpack; otherwise, the basic backpack’s 10-slot capacity wouldn’t have allowed him such extravagance.

After buying all that, he went into another store.

Vegetables—green vegetables, eggplant, potatoes, carrots… whether he recognized them or not, he bought a little of everything. Then there were fruits: strawberries, melons, pomegranates, longans…

He bought some fresh flowers—roses, moonflowers, plum blossoms, daffodils…

Leslie couldn’t help but say, “Some of these don’t seem to be in season.”

Qiyu looked puzzled: “Aren’t they all grown on farmland? They can be harvested in as little as 24 hours or as long as two or three days. What does that have to do with the season?” He said, “It doesn’t matter. Let’s just stock up on some for now.”

Hearing this, Leslie fell silent.

After all, he was dealing with a mage—perhaps mages were different from ordinary people and had some special cultivation techniques?

A large bag of seeds cost less than five gold coins. 

After buying all this, Qiyu finally let out a satisfied sigh.

He couldn’t help but start imagining the scene when God Has No Form would be startled by him. 

For the next items on his shopping list, he would need Leslie’s help.

“Do you know what ‘Brocade Flame Feathers’ and ‘Cashmere Flowers’ are?”

While he was still in the newbie protection period, he stumbled upon a battle between a brocade flame bird and a phantom color snake and managed to snag some loot.

At the time, he collected quite a few brocade flame feathers, as well as the corresponding blueprints. Unfortunately, he was missing a Cashmere Flower, so he’s never been able to craft the item. 

Now that it’s getting cooler in the Star Forest, items like the brocade flame quilt, pillows, and decorative ornaments will finally come in handy.

“Brocade Flame Feathers, Cashmere Flower.” Leslie thought for a moment, then took him to a shop.

It was another opulent shop. Compared to the few everyday stores in the area, the scattered customers here—as Qiyu could see—were almost all wearing badges.

This was a shop catering to professionals.

A staff member approached them: “Young Master Leslie, and you, esteemed mage, is there anything you’d like?”

Without a doubt, this was also one of the Borg Chamber of Commerce’s establishments.

“Do you have any ‘brocade flame feathers’ or ‘cashmere flowers’ in stock?”

“Yes, we do.” The staff member led the two to a display case.

The brocade flame feathers looked exactly like the ones in Qiyu’s backpack.

Qiyu glanced at the price: 2 gold coins per 10 units. 

The Cashmere Flower’s pattern resembles clouds, and when you touch it with your fingers, you can feel a warm energy. 1 The price is also 2 gold coins per 10 units.

Just as Leslie said, items intended for professionals—or rather, materials with special effects—are in a completely different price league compared to ordinary items.

His brocade flame quilt and pillow set requires a total of 15 brocade flame feathers and 15 cashmere flowers each. There is also a brocade flame ornament, which requires 10 brocade flame feathers to craft.

The entire set costs 8 gold coins—enough to fill half a warehouse with food. Qiyu ordered 100 sets outright, spending 800 gold coins.

He also asked the merchant to throw in some Cashmere Flowers for him. After all, he already had 30 units of brocade flame feathers. Leslie smiled as he decided to give him 30 Cashmere Flowers as a gift.

“You’re the first mage I’ve ever met who haggles over prices,” he teased.

Qiyu：？

He didn’t think there was anything wrong with that at all: “Is it that easy for mages to make money?”

Leslie laughed again; in a way, that statement seemed quite accurate. He concluded, “Perhaps it’s just that it’s too easy for you mages to earn gold coins.”

Anything related to magic is valuable, and so are magicians themselves. Thinking of the endless rain in the Forest of Stars, Qiyu went back to a store that sold raincoats. The most basic plastic raincoat could be bought for 10 copper coins. 

1 gold coin could buy 10 of them. 

Qiyu bought 2,000 of them, spending a total of 200 gold coins.

Based on his understanding of the survival game, the likelihood that players would later obtain the relevant blueprints and materials would certainly increase.

He could sell these 2,000 raincoats to those in need when the time came. 

After buying these items, his backpack was much fuller, and his savings hadn’t really taken a hit.

He asked if there were any items that could help cool him down.

“Preferably something of good quality that can withstand high temperatures.”

Leslie：？

He was now genuinely curious about what kind of environment the Star Forest actually was. Why was it one moment about staying warm and the next about withstanding extreme heat?

This time, Qiyu chose a gift for “God Has No Form.” 

Barring any surprises, the edge of Zone 88 is directly opposite Zone 01.

It was raining continuously in the Star Forest, and as the temperature dropped, he’d heard God Has No Form complain that it was getting hotter and hotter on their side. Leslie might be puzzled, but he was still a reliable guy.

He immediately dug out an item:

“An outer robe woven from ice-crystal silk. Wearing it keeps you cool. It’s usually needed in extremely hot zones.”

Qiyu glanced at the price: 88 gold coins. That’s really expensive.

He didn’t say anything, and Leslie mistakenly thought he wasn’t satisfied.

He immediately pulled out another item: “Take a look at this one—it’s made of high-grade magical fabric, enhanced with a temperature-regulating magic array. It keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer.” The price was also quite steep: 288 gold coins.

Qiyu decisively chose this one. 

In addition, he picked out an alchemical product: it was shaped like a puppy lying on its side with its tongue sticking out. When an energy crystal card was inserted, the puppy would continuously emit either water mist or ice mist depending on the heat source, lowering the room temperature.

It was also priced at 88 gold coins.

Qiyu also realized that, in this world, energy crystal cards were practically a universal solution. 

Hearing this, Leslie nodded: “After all, these energy cards are made from energy extracted from the Source, so they’re perfectly compatible with all magical and alchemical products.” 

Among all energy cards, energy crystal cards are the most expensive and the most effective.

Qiyu had originally planned to buy a few universal electricity cards to supply electricity to his shelter, but after hearing Leslie’s explanation, he changed his mind.

A single Energy Crystal Card could cover the energy needs of every item in the sanctuary, making it far more convenient than electric cards. He was now a wealthy farmer; he wasn’t short on gold coins.

Energy Crystal Cards were sold right in the mages association shop for 50 gold coins each, so he decided not to buy them elsewhere.

After buying the gift for God Has No Form, he thought for a moment and felt it wouldn’t be right to show favoritism. 

He continued browsing the shop, and Civil Engineering Brother bought an alchemical abacus. This abacus can be bound to its owner; once bound, it automatically calculates the transaction amount and profit for all transactions involving the owner. 

A must-have for merchants. Priced at 88 gold coins.

Qiyu couldn’t help but remark, “Your shop really likes the number 88, doesn’t it?” 2 Leslie smiled and said, “It’s a lucky number!”

For Still Dare Not Open My Eyes, he bought an Alchemy Cauldron—A Basic Alchemy Item That Increases the Success Rate of Potions by 10%. It cost 138 Gold Coins.

When it was Tranquility Yields Transcendence’s turn, Qiyu looked lost for a moment.

He turned to Leslie beside him and asked, “What do you think would be a good gift for someone who’s a bit older?”

Leslie asked offhand, “By ‘older,’ how old do you mean?” 

Qiyu: “Seventy.”

Leslie：？？？

He stared at Qiyu in shock, even forgetting to use a polite form of address: “You mean, seventy years old?”

Qiyu nodded, puzzled: “Is there a problem?”

“Of course there is,” Leslie exclaimed. “Seventy is the prime of youth—how can that be considered ‘older’?” 

Qiyu：……？

A question mark slowly appeared above his head.

Leslie was puzzled: “You’re a mage—and one who trained in the Star Forest, no less—so why do you think seven is so old?”

Realizing something, he asked in a low voice, “Lord Qiyu, if I may ask, how old are you this year?” 

“……19.” 

Leslie: !! Is he really that young?

He quickly regained his composure: “Even if you’re young, you can’t say that seventy is old. Otherwise, if you talk like that out in the open, even as a mage, you’re likely to get beaten up.”

“My father is seventy-nine this year. Do you think he looks very old?”

Qiyu recalled Chairman Sean’s towering frame, his muscular build, and his face that looked no older than three no matter how you looked at it, and fell silent as well. 

Although they looked similar, it seemed that the people in this world were indeed different from those in his previous life.