Chapter 38: This Is What Life Truly Is!

Lu Ming looked up and realized that the person shouting about buying Soul Stones at a high price was none other than Zhan Shen, Yue!

Moreover, at this very moment, her gaze was fixed squarely on Lu Ming, as if that announcement had been aimed directly at him.

Seeing the group of level 30-plus Zhan Shen players guarding her, Lu Ming initially intended to ignore her. However, as he walked past her, he heard her say, "Ten times the market price. Not going to consider it?"

Lu Ming paused. He looked at her and asked, "How much are you looking to buy?"

Zhan Shen, Yue crossed her arms, seemingly intending to showcase her ample figure right in front of him. Her eyes shone with confidence. "I'll take as much as you have."

Lu Ming opened his inventory and replied bluntly, "1,344 Grade 5 Soul Stones. Since you offered ten times the price, that’s 200 per unit, for a total of 268,800. I also have 142 Grade 4 Soul Stones; at 500 each, that's 71,000. Let's round the total to 340,000 for the whole lot."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhan Shen, Long—the Summoner by her side—began counting on his fingers. A moment later, he asked in disbelief, "Are you sure that’s just rounding off the change?"

Lu Ming shot a cold look at Zhan Shen, Long, who had tried to kill him earlier. "Do you have a problem?"

For some reason, even though Lu Ming was dozens of levels lower, Zhan Shen, Long felt a sliver of fear in his eyes. For a fleeting moment, he even felt a sense of lingering dread that he had almost crossed this Formation Weaver.

Zhan Shen, Yue, however, was remarkably decisive. Full of confidence, she told Lu Ming, "Send me your bank account number."

Lu Ming did not hesitate to provide it. Shortly after, he received a notification that 400,000 had been deposited into his account.

"The extra is a tip for your hard work today," she said, her tone casual, oozing arrogance and generosity. It also implicitly confirmed that she had been tailing him all day.

Lu Ming handed over all the Soul Stones without another word and left with Lin Youwei. His attitude further irritated Zhan Shen, Long. "Damn, this brat is too arrogant! He doesn't even show a hint of gratitude, acting as if he's owed it!"

Zhan Shen, Yue didn't seem to care. Instead, her cold, beautiful eyes revealed an even more intense interest and desire toward Lu Ming.

"Guess why, with his level of strength, he chooses to rot away in the Ghostly Demon Tower instead of farming in higher-level maps?"

"Why?" asked Zhan Shen, Long.

"Because he needs money."

Zhan Shen, Long scratched his head, looking baffled. "But if he needs money, why did he refuse the one-million salary you offered him to join our guild?"

Zhan Shen, Yue replied dismissively, "That just means Tianxuan is giving him even more."

*I thought he was a man of principle, but I overestimated you after all. In the end, you're just another greedy, worldly person.*

Watching Lu Ming’s retreating figure, she let out a cold snort. "I’d be worried if he didn't want money. Since he does, everything else will be much easier to handle."

Nearby, other players who saw her buying at high prices rushed over. "Miss, I have a few dozen Soul Stones here too! Are you really buying at ten times the price?"

Zhan Shen, Yue glanced at them with disgust and said impatiently, "No!"

***

When they were further away, Lin Youwei finally let out a small giggle. "Wow, Brother Youming, you just made so much money!"

Seeing that Lu Ming remained silent and didn't seem happy at all, she awkwardly closed her mouth. Little did she know, Lu Ming wasn't just dissatisfied—he felt it wasn't nearly enough.

He knew exactly what the Zhan Shen guild was up to; it was nothing more than an attempt to buy his loyalty with money. If any other guild had done this, he wouldn't have been so opportunistic. But since it was Zhan Shen, he had no reason to be polite—in fact, he wished he could swindle them even more. Compared to the life he had lost in his previous existence, this bit of compensation was mere pocket change.

*Whatever you took from me, I will make you pay back a thousand, ten thousand times over!*

Lu Ming recalculated. With the 400,000 added to what he already had, his total assets were over 500,000, but he was still short by more than 800,000 for the down payment.

After hesitating, he sent a message to Qing Yan: "Is it possible for me to request a loan from the guild?"

"No problem! How much do you need?" she replied almost instantly.

Lu Ming replied, "One million. I will pay it back within a month."

Before he could finish typing out his justification, he received another message: "Send me your card number."

He deleted his draft and sent the number.

In the real world, a young girl wearing rabbit pajamas, curled up on a sofa with her phone, entered 2,000,000 into the transfer page. Remembering how he had returned 90,000 of the 100,000 she had sent him previously, she changed the amount to 1,000,000.

Moments later, Lu Ming received a text: *[Account ending in 649 has received 1,000,000. Current balance: 1,561,258.3...]*

Lu Ming let out a long breath and typed two words back: "Thank you."

At this moment, he truly realized the authority that strength brought him. He knew that Zhan Shen, Yue’s ten-fold price and Qing Yan’s instant transfer were both because they valued his power. He remembered his past life: when Ye Ling'er's father was sick, he had begged everyone for the remaining 20,000 needed for medical fees, and no one would lend it to him—not even 20,000. All because he had been a nobody with only one-star aptitude.

With this, he finally had enough for the twenty-percent down payment. He immediately messaged the agent: "I have the money. Let's finalize it."

A property worth over six million meant a significant commission. The agent sent an excited voice message, filled with the obsequiousness one shows a wealthy patron: "You got it, brother! I'll prepare the contract right away. I'll send someone to pick you up to the office, and we'll sign it!"

After logging off, Lu Ming took a taxi to the agency, finalized the contract, and paid the 1.28 million down payment. With taxes and fees, it cost 1.42 million in total.

Money truly made everything easier. In less than an hour, Lu Ming had successfully moved into his new home. Even his luggage was moved by the agency's staff; he didn't have to lift a finger.

Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, he looked out at the Wanda Plaza directly across the street. The traffic below was bustling, yet not a sound reached him. Bathed in the sunset, the view was beautiful.

He sat in a hanging chair, sipping the Starbucks coffee the agent had brought him. "This," Lu Ming sighed, "is what life is supposed to be."

Just then, Lin Youwei sent a message: "Brother Youming, I've arrived at the location you sent. Where should I meet you?"

It was already past six—dinner time.

***

Lu Ming told her to wait inside Wanda Plaza. He went downstairs and entered the mall, where he spotted a familiar figure. The girl wore a simple white dress, her hair in a low ponytail, with loose strands framing her fair face. There was a pure, natural charm to her simplicity that drew glances from passersby. She was quite pretty, he had to admit—not the kind of beauty that stunned you at first glance, but the kind that grew on you.

She stood there clutching a pink suitcase, looking around nervously in the unfamiliar place. When she saw Lu Ming, her face lit up. "Brother Youming!"

Lu Ming took the suitcase from her. "What do you want to eat?"

"Anything is fine! I'll eat whatever you're having," she replied, not daring to make a choice.

"Hot pot it is."

He took her to Haidilao on the fourth floor. Beside him, Lin Youwei remained extremely cautious. When he let her order, she picked only the cheapest vegetables. She drank three-yuan cola and didn't even want to use the paid napkins provided on the table, opting for her own tissues instead.

*She seems easy to take care of,* Lu Ming thought.

After dinner, they went to his new high-end apartment complex, Jiangshan Wanli. When she stepped into the four-bedroom, two-living-room home, Lin Youwei’s jaw dropped. "Brother Youming... is this your home?"

"Yes, it is." He pointed to the second room on the left. "That one is mine. You can choose any of the other three."

She hadn't expected him to let her live in his own home, let alone such a luxurious one. For someone who had grown up in rented rooms, this was a place she hadn't even dared to dream of. She chose the first room on the right.

"Go unpack," Lu Ming said. "I'll log back in and wait for you. We'll farm the first floor of the Ghostly Demon Tower tonight."

"Okay!" she nodded.

Life was comfortable, but Lu Ming knew he had to work even harder to make money. Excluding the million borrowed from Qing Yan, he was still saddled with a mortgage of over five million, with monthly payments of over 25,000.

"Keep grinding, worker," he muttered.

He went to his room, turned on his computer, and logged back into *Tianyuan*.