novelraw Chapter 289
Chapter 289
Chapter 289: Striking it Rich!
Day 5 back in the other world.
Xia Li had ‘exchanged’ all those classic fashion junk items into gold coins.
As the Brave Hero, it was naturally inconvenient for him to show up at the black market.
Therefore, he found a merchant he had frequently collaborated with before.
Back when Xia Li was still working as the Brave Hero, because there was no payment in gold coins, he would exchange all the valuable magic items and spoils stripped from his prey into money.
Because he frequently went to the same shop, he gradually became acquainted with the merchant of that shop.
This time, the merchant was even more straightforward and bought all the ‘otherworldly goods’ Xia Li brought in one go.
He also gave a very agreeable price, totaling 4000 Lachlan coins.
It is known that one Lachlan coin weighs 20 grams. So, 4000 gold coins weigh a hefty 160 pounds.
It was even heavier than Xia Li himself.
The current gold coin exchange rate on Earth is very high, even if the gold is not of pure quality, it is still a rather terrifying figure.
Considering the risks involved, Xia Li only planned to exchange a small portion symbolically.
As long as the money was enough for him to open a shop and buy a house… and then buy Lucia a Lamborghini sports car she particularly liked when she first came to Earth. She said that the sound of that car was loud and very comfortable for dragons to listen to.
As for the rest, he would use it to make a bed for Lucia.
Since she loved being with gold coins so much, Xia Li would fulfill her wish.
After purchasing enough pure crystals and bizarre magic items,
the dragon and human returned to Earth.
When they left, Xia Li didn’t inform anyone.
He had already bid farewell to his former teammates and mentors.
He came quietly when he arrived, and left without a trace.
“Xia Li, I think, if we go back to Azure Continent every now and then to get goods… we wouldn’t even have to do any work! We can just lie flat at home!”
After returning to Earth, Lucia returned to her young girl appearance.
Maintaining the appearance of a mature woman consumed magic power. In Earth’s natural environment, her true appearance was that of a young girl.
Moreover, she had already gotten acquainted with Xia Li’s parents, relatives, and friends in this form, and it was impossible to suddenly change her appearance, as that would scare them.
“As expected of the lazy dragon race.”
After hearing Lucia’s evil dragon speech, Xia Li couldn’t help but touch her dragon head.
A few days ago, this dragon was patting his head like a big sister, and now it was his turn to pat her back.
“This idea of lying flat works in Azure Continent, but it doesn’t work on Earth.”
Xia Li carried the 160-pound money bag with both hands and placed it on the ground with a thud.
He continued, “Think about it, if we have endless money to spend every day just by lying at home, what would others think of us? What would our parents think of us? It would be hard to explain to them where the money came from, and even harder to explain it to the police uncles.”
“In this modern age of digital economy, every flow of funds is controlled by the bank. Our method of buying and reselling is strictly speaking, taking advantage of loopholes. If we are caught, we will be taken in for questioning, so it can only be done occasionally, not frequently.”
After Xia Li finished, he changed his perspective.
“Besides, lying around every day will make people useless. On Earth, we are just one of many ordinary people. We not only need to manage our own lives, but also our careers… or rather, our social value and social status. Doing so is to give our parents an explanation, and also to give ourselves an explanation.”
“Hmm…”
Lucia more or less understood what Xia Li meant.
She actually didn’t want to be lazy!
It was just that Lucia had a lot on her mind at this stage.
She preferred to stay in her nest and not go out… that way, she could minimize the risk.
Rubbing her lower abdomen, Lucia still asked with some concern,
“…Then, what about eighty years later?”
One hundred years old was already the limit of human lifespan in this world.
If eighty years later, Earth didn’t have cyborgs like those on TV, and there was no such thing as mechanical ascension, then she and Xia Li wouldn’t be able to live in this society with legitimate identities.
They could use magic to disguise themselves and pretend to be aging.
But after aging, they would face death.
They couldn’t really die, could they?
And at that time, it would only be harder to get a new identity to live on Earth.
“We’ll talk about that when the time comes.”
Xia Li brought a plastic bag and poured the Lachlan coins from the sack into the bag like he was pouring rice.
After filling a bag of gold coins, Xia Li felt it was enough.
The time it took to return to Earth was about what Xia Li had expected.
Less than an hour had passed on the clock.
This meant that the 156:1 time flow rate was real.
After thinking for a while, he added to Lucia’s previous question,
“Our lives are actually only sixty years or so.”
“When we are around eighty or ninety years old, our parents and friends will be gone, and I will leave this place too.”
“Hmm…?”
Lucia was a little curious about Xia Li’s answer.
“Are you going back to Azure Continent to retire?” Lucia blinked and said, “Didn’t you say that Earth is your home?”
“Earth is my home because my parents and friends are here. I always feel that the place where my parents are is where I should settle down. But when they are gone, I won’t have any attachment to Earth.” Xia Li replied.
Lucia thought for a moment and asked, “Then what about the remaining thousands of years?”
“The remaining thousands of years will be a long dragon life for me,” Xia Li said.
“We will live in a different way, whether it’s going back to Azure Continent or finding an uninhabited area on Earth to lie flat. If you want, we can even build a crystal palace under the sea… In short, wherever you want to go, we will go, and I will always be with you.”
Lucia felt inexplicably moved when she heard him say these words.
Yes, companionship is the most affectionate confession.
Using thousands of years to complete a confession… This should be the most romantic thing in the world.
“There is still a long way to go!”
Having received a satisfactory answer, Lucia smiled sweetly.
Life is short.
Lucia wanted to experience life in these short sixty years.
Not only to be a good wife, but also to be a good daughter-in-law to her parents, a good best friend to her friends, and a good mother to her daughter!
“I’m going to do the laundry!”
Lucia took off her coat with a swish.
After this trip back, there were still many things to wash, and it was estimated that it would take several large tubs to wash them all.
Xia Li helped her soak the dirty clothes in water and stuff them into the washing machine. After tidying up, he prepared to go out.
He still had things to do today.
Before going out, Xia Li specifically called out to Lucia and said he was going to buy her a small cake.
But to Xia Li’s surprise, Lucia, who usually clung to him, was unwilling to go out today.
Xia Li looked at the expression on her face and judged that she must be tired, so he didn’t say anything more. He packed up his things and went out by himself.
As soon as he went downstairs, Xia Li called Qin Chuan.
Qin Chuan had been taking leave to rest at home for the past few days, and his daily task was to take Saint Yivni out shopping to familiarize herself with the environment.
The advantage of working in a small restaurant like this was that it was easy to take leave, even though it was usually busy.
As long as the boss was easy to talk to, taking leave was just a matter of saying hello, unlike those large companies with many rules, where taking leave was as troublesome as applying for a world record.
Qin Chuan answered the phone, changed his clothes, and immediately went out.
Whenever Xia Li needed him, he would always be there right away.
Xia Li told Qin Chuan about the gains from this trip back to Azure Continent.
The two of them drove around Qingcheng City all day.
Because he had to report anything over a certain weight, Xia Li didn’t exchange too much cash, just a few tens of thousands of yuan scattered around him.
He first transferred 20,000 yuan to Qin Chuan to help him solve his current living problems.
When Saint Yivni first arrived, Xia Li himself had to tighten his belt, and the immigration procedures for Lucia had emptied his savings, so when facing Qin Chuan’s problems, he could only offer a little help.
But this time he was well prepared, and Xia Li could help him.
Qin Chuan, as usual, wanted to refuse Xia Li’s help.
Men at this age were the most competitive and had a strong sense of self-esteem.
Xia Li finally used Saint Yivni to suppress him, telling him that Yivni needed the money to maintain her life, and that the money was just an advance payment for her salary because Xia Li valued her ability to get close to small animals. Only then did Qin Chuan accept the money.
Qin Chuan had simply gone through too many hardships.
Coupled with the ten thousand times he had faced desperate situations and death, he took every step cautiously.
Even when faced with a better future, he was always apprehensive.
Because he was too accustomed to ‘loss’, he became afraid to possess anything.
◈◈◈
Next, Xia Li spent half a month negotiating the purchase of the shop.
He ultimately bought a storefront in Wuqian District, south of Qingcheng City.
◈◈◈
This area bordered the newer district further south, had good development prospects, better supporting facilities than the still-developing new district, and many young people living nearby.
More importantly,
Lucia had taken a fancy to a ‘dragon’s lair’ （referring to a house） here.
So, the location was simply decided here.
This storefront in Wuqian District had an area of 560 square meters, was for urgent sale as a whole floor, and came with basic renovations.
According to the landlord, if they didn’t take out a mortgage and paid in full, the price was 12 million yuan.
The location Xia Li had his eye on was definitely a prime location. The unit price of several nearby shops was over 30,000 yuan per square meter, and the smaller ones even sold for over 40,000 yuan per square meter.
He happened to have this amount of money on him, and it was in cash, so it was a bit of a bargain.
Therefore, with the help of the agent, the deal was finalized.
As for the origin of this money…
The process was a bit tortuous. Xia Li and Qin Chuan made several trips abroad using two-way teleportation magic and spent more than ten days to get it done.
The details were inconvenient to disclose, and the journey was arduous, but the final result was satisfactory.
Only on the last day of the shop purchase and transfer of funds did Xia Li inform Fang Xia about it, like an afterthought.
Fang Xia was very supportive of buying a shop for Xia Li from the beginning.
They believed that this could reduce the pressure on Xia Li’s future entrepreneurship…
However, their plan was just a small shop of about 100 square meters, with a total budget of two million yuan.
Xia Li wanting to buy an entire floor really scared Fang Xia.
You know, even if you counted her and Old Xia’s two houses, their car, and the teahouse, it wouldn’t add up to this figure, and this was what they had worked hard for most of their lives to achieve.
Xia Li had just entered society and was already aiming for something worth over ten million yuan.
To put it nicely, it was a lofty ambition, to put it bluntly, it was being unrealistic.
However, when she heard that Xia Li was partnering with a rich second-generation friend named Qin Chuan to start a business, Fang Xia breathed a sigh of relief.
The old couple almost went to borrow money from their relatives, and they even made some calls before Xia Li explained everything to them.
As for the two million yuan that Fang Xia had saved for Xia Li, he chose to accept it.
It would be unreasonable not to accept any of it.
Even if he was investing in a business with a friend, he still needed some start-up capital.
Not to mention, Xia Li was also planning to upgrade his ‘dragon’s lair’. Accepting the money the old couple had saved for him now would make both parties feel more at ease.
When the old couple really got old, Xia Li would take out more to show his filial piety.
The sun was shining brightly today.
The basin at the end of August was extremely humid and hot. The ground in Qingcheng City was like a giant steamer, steaming every pedestrian on the road until they were damp outside and soft inside, their faces flushed red.
Coming out of the government service center,
the weight on Xia Li’s heart lifted.
The property ownership certificate for a shop purchased in full could be obtained within three months.
During these three months, he still had to go through various procedures and purchase equipment.
Three months after that, Lucia’s identity card could be obtained, and the pet hospital would also be initially formed.
It was a double blessing.
“You brat, you didn’t even discuss such a big matter with your family. You called me yesterday, and today you bought it without saying a word. I think you’ve gotten bold!!”
Xia Li happily calculated his plans. In order to reassure his family, he took a photo of the purchase list and sent it to Fang Xia, deliberately covering the name on the signature line of the contract.
Fang Xia saw that he had actually bought it and immediately called him.
She was also afraid that Xia Li would be deceived, so her tone was a little anxious.
“Mom, actually, I won some money from the lottery.” Xia Li said calmly.
“Bah!” Fang Xia obviously didn’t believe it.
“Don’t brag! You don’t usually buy lottery tickets. How could you win out of the blue! Besides, lottery tickets are all fake. Ordinary people won’t let you win!”
“Mom, it’s true, I’m not lying to you,” Xia Li said patiently.
“Qin Chuan, the rich second generation, and I each have a 50% share. He’s not stupid, how could he just give me something worth real money? I only have two million yuan in my hands… Do you think two million yuan can settle such a big shop in a prime location?”
Xia Li’s counter-question directly silenced Fang Xia.
He clearly heard Fang Xia cover the receiver of the phone and ask Old Xia beside her, “Do you believe it?”
Old Xia didn’t say anything, and Fang Xia continued talking on the phone.
“You didn’t do anything illegal, did you?”
“…”
Xia Li only remained silent for a second before Fang Xia became anxious again.
“Xia Li, speak!”
The scariest thing in the world was when your mom called you by your full name.
Even scarier was when your mom’s tone was angry and fiery.
If he hesitated for another second, Mrs. Fang would transform into Superman and fly over from Miyang City to give Xia Li a big slap.
“Mom, I still have to live with Little Lu in the future, how could I do such a stupid thing… I said I won the lottery.” Xia Li said.
He definitely had to make this white lie believable.
In order to avoid being exposed in the future, and also to reassure the old couple, Xia Li had to confess under duress.
He confessed, but not completely.
“…………”
As Xia Li expected, when he brought Lucia out as a shield, Fang Xia fell silent.
Xia Li could be young and reckless, he could be impulsive.
But Fang Xia knew him better than anyone.
Since he was a child, Xia Li had always been a responsible boy.
The old couple had also witnessed his protectiveness towards Lucia.
Fang Xia knew that her son would never joke about such a thing.
After muttering a few words, Fang Xia still said she didn’t believe it and threatened to call Lucia to ask about the situation.
The matter passed with Fang Xia’s grumbling.
Xia Li had already coordinated a story with Lucia, so Fang Xia could ask her whatever she wanted.
Speaking of Lucia…
Xia Li didn’t know what was wrong with the dragon recently, she always refused to go out.
She didn’t even go to work anymore. She stayed at home every day, eating and drinking, and then making all kinds of delicious food for Xia Li to try.
In this hot weather, she always liked to put a blanket on her belly.
When Xia Li asked her why, she said that the pet hospital had to deal with many people every day, and it was unsafe.
The blanket was purely because the ice magic ball at home was too cold, and she was afraid of the cold.
Xia Li felt that the dragon’s body had become very fragile, far from what it used to be.
However, it was also possible that the experience of catching a cold last time had made her learn her lesson, and now she was smart enough to take care of herself.
If she didn’t want to go to the pet hospital, then so be it, Xia Li wouldn’t force her.
After obtaining Lucia’s consent, Xia Li even made a special trip to the pet hospital to tell them that Lucia was not feeling well recently and might not be coming.
Lucia’s former colleagues all looked at him in surprise, with a knowing expression.
Everyone expressed their understanding.
After all, it was very normal for girls at this age…
Xia Li politely thanked them and packed up Lucia’s things from her workstation.
“Two hours earlier than expected.”
Standing at the entrance of the government service center, Xia Li glanced at the time on his phone.
When he left this morning, he told Lucia that he was going to do some errands and would be back around four in the afternoon.
It was only two in the afternoon now.
It was probably because it was the off-season and the hot weather that there were no people queuing at the window, which led to the estimated time being brought forward.
Xia Li decided to go straight home.
Before going back, he would buy half a hand-shredded rabbit and half a sweet-skinned duck for the dragon.
These things were enough to make Lucia happy for a long time.
Summer Dawn: Baby, are you taking a nap?
Summer Dawn: I’m going to buy you hand-shredded rabbit, do you want extra spicy today?
Typing on his phone and sending two messages to the evil dragon, Xia Li went to the underground parking lot to get his car.
After waiting for a long time, Lucia didn’t reply, it seemed she was taking a nap.
Thinking about it, he had been busy with his career recently and hadn’t been intimate with the dragon for a long time.
He had to have some good intimacy with her when he got back.