My Romance Game Updated – Chapter 47

VIP Member

“Still, that lightning-system esper charges so much. Is he the only person in the base we can buy electricity from? If they’ve already modified a generator for a lightning-system esper, don’t they have any solar generators?” Jian Dan added her own question.

“They can be modified, sure, but most of the solar panels were collected by the base to power their important security and administrative systems. We can’t find many solar panels on our own, and if we really used solar power, it would be slow and insufficient. Besides… since the apocalypse, there haven’t been many sunny days after autumn began. Sometimes, when we get long stretches of overcast or rainy days, even the base has to buy electricity from that lightning-system esper!”

            

Wu Tong shook her head helplessly and continued, “And modifying a solar generator would definitely be very expensive. The one generator we have now is enough, so for the time being, we have no plans to modify a solar one.”

Hearing that modifying a generator was very expensive, Ren Chenxi subconsciously asked, “Then how many crystal cores did it cost you to modify this one?”

“Sixty thousand 1st-order crystal cores,” Mu Ning answered for Wu Tong.

            

“…” Sixty thousand 1st-order crystal cores. Big Sis, for you to say that in such a flat tone, are you trying to flex on me? You’re definitely trying to flex on me!

Ren Chenxi’s face was wooden. She numbly opened the Apocalypse Mall, which she hadn’t looked at in a long time, and searched for generators. Hah, what’s 60,000 crystal cores? If you’ve got the guts, can you afford the generators in my mall? Look at this hand-crank generator, it costs… huh? Only 5,000 crystal stones??? Original price 10,000, crossed out, VIP price 5,000! When did I become a VIP member???

Ren Chenxi hurriedly switched the virtual panel to her personal information. Sure enough, her name, which had just been plain white, had transformed into a shimmering, bolded, enlarged golden name with a cool border! At the same time, a similarly shimmering suffix was attached after her name—50% Off Honored Grand Member!

            

A 50% discount???

Seeing those four glittering golden words, Ren Chenxi’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly opened the card-drawing panel. As expected, where it once cost 1,000 crystal stones to draw a card, the number 1,000 was now crossed out, replaced by the VIP price: 500!!! Only 500 crystal stones for a single draw, and 5,000 for a 10-draw. Suddenly, Ren Chenxi felt that her path to power had become much smoother!

So… how on earth did she get this “50% Off Honored Grand Member” status? Based on her past online gaming experience, you had to pump money into a game to become a VIP member! But this damn game didn’t even have a top-up channel. Besides, the amount of money she had left before the game update hadn’t decreased at all! So this membership…

            

Suppressing her excitement, Ren Chenxi tried clicking on the shimmering “50% Off Honored Grand Member” title to see if any useful information would pop up. And with that one click, she truly understood the origin of this “Honored Grand Member” status. In the end… it was because of Mu Ning…

[50% Off Honored Grand Member: Achieved “First Intimate Contact” with your beloved goddess, earning a 50% discount on all purchases. (If you can achieve “Further in-depth, a union like milk blending with water, you in me and me in you,”​¹ you will receive a 90% discount on all purchases~)]

After reading the small text in the parentheses, Ren Chenxi whipped her head around to glare at Mu Ning, her cheeks burning uncontrollably. That “Further in-depth” achievement was expressed euphemistically, but! Thanks to the tutelage of a group of ‘old driver’​² netizens back when she used to play games, she could still understand what it meant! It wanted her and Mu Ning… and Mu Ning to…

            

Fuck!

“What’s wrong?” They had been talking just fine, and now she was suddenly being glared at again. Mu Ning was a bit baffled, but seeing Ren Chenxi’s flushed cheeks and the trace of shyness hidden in her wide, glaring eyes… honestly, to see such an angry yet bashful expression on a face identical to Ren Muhui’s was… strangely cute.

What’s wrong! The hell do you mean, what’s wrong! Why is it that even in the apocalypse, some of this mother’s achievement rewards are still tied to you, my initial capture target!​³

            

Ren Chenxi, mortified and furious, rolled her eyes at Mu Ning before switching the panel back to the Apocalypse Mall. The product page from her generator search was still there. She skipped the first few options, then the hand-crank generator, the solar generator, and the wind, hydro, and tidal power generators, finally locking her target on the Crystal Core Generator, which was listed at 100,000 crystal stones but would only cost her 50,000 with the VIP price.

As expected of the Apocalypse Mall, even its products were closely tied to this apocalyptic world. To think it could even produce a generator that used the energy from crystal cores to generate electricity! And looking at the crystal core consumption rate…

Ren Chenxi turned her head to look at Mu Ning again. Hah, I can’t afford 50,000 crystal stones, but this rich woman right here… she didn’t even bat an eye at a mere 60,000 1st-order crystal cores, so 50,000 crystal stones should be even less of a problem, right? In that case, couldn’t I be a middleman, sell this Crystal Core Generator to this rich woman, and pocket the difference?

            

“What is it you want to say?” Mu Ning could see the hesitation in Ren Chenxi’s eyes and couldn’t help but press her.

“Um… it’s just… if I said I had a generator that uses crystal cores for power, would you buy it from me?”

“A Crystal Core Generator? One that uses crystal cores for power? How would you have a generator like that?” Mu Ning looked at Ren Chenxi strangely. It wasn’t that the professional technicians at the base hadn’t discovered the energy contained within crystal cores, but apart from espers who could absorb it, no one else had found a way to extract and utilize that energy. So, how could this Ren Chenxi have a generator that could run on crystal cores alone, a technology that even the experts hadn’t figured out?

            

“None of your business where I got it!” Ren Chenxi snapped back at Mu Ning, annoyed. But then she remembered she was waiting to make a profit off this rich woman. So, she softened her tone and began to earnestly spin a tale. “I passed through a city before and saved a group of people. They gave me this Crystal Core Generator as a gift. It was probably something they modified themselves. So, do you want this generator?”

“What’s the crystal core consumption rate on your generator?” Mu Ning stared at Ren Chenxi, feeling that she was lying. But if she really was lying, and Mu Ning actually wanted this so-called Crystal Core Generator, what would she have to sell? She couldn’t just be fobbed off with any old thing, right?

“Well, it’s definitely cheaper than buying electricity from that lightning-system esper. One 1st-order crystal core can be converted into 10,000 mAh of electricity.” Ren Chenxi had gotten this data from the item’s description.

            

“Ahhh! One 1st-order crystal core can be converted into 10,000 mAh? In that case, if we wanted to fully charge our two mobile power supplies, we’d only need 100 1st-order crystal cores?”

Before Mu Ning could speak, an excited shriek came from the doorway. It turned out that, at some point, Chen Gu and a few of the other guys had gathered at the entrance of their new building. Clearly, they had overheard Ren Chenxi’s offer to sell the generator to Mu Ning.

“Xi-jie, Xi-jie! How many crystal cores are you planning to sell this Crystal Core Generator for?” Zhang Tongqi, on the other side, asked impatiently. If this generator was really so efficient with crystal cores, the girls wanted to buy one too. Then they wouldn’t have to be so frugal with electricity at night, and they could also use some electronic entertainment devices to pass the time.

            

“Hmm…” When Zhang Tongqi asked about the price, Ren Chenxi hesitated for a moment before finally, a little uncertainly, naming a price. “How about 60,000 1st-order crystal cores?” Your modified lightning generator also cost 60,000 1st-order crystal cores. For my more advanced Crystal Core Generator, I’m only charging you 60,000. That’s a real friendship price!

“Sixty thousand, huh?” As expected, Zhang Tongqi didn’t refuse or show any surprise. She just turned her head to look at Mu Ning.

Mu Ning stared intently at Ren Chenxi for a long while before finally shaking her head. “We don’t need a new generator.”

            

“Ah! Boss—”

A chorus of mournful wails came from the men at the door, and Zhang Tongqi and the other girls also looked disappointed.

Meanwhile, Ren Chenxi, who had been certain that this rich woman would buy the generator, was stunned by Mu Ning’s refusal. What? The rich woman who could casually spend 60,000 1st-order crystal cores on modifying a generator, the tuhao​⁴ who could afford to pay 10,000 1st-order crystal cores a month for electricity, is actually turning down my generator that costs a mere 60,000 1st-order crystal cores? Buying such an economical generator would obviously make her electricity use much more affordable in the future! She wouldn’t have to spend so many crystal cores getting ripped off by that lightning-system esper anymore!

            

Could it be that this rich woman is just so loaded with crystal cores that she enjoys paying exorbitant prices for electricity?!

Ren Chenxi unhappily pursed her lips, glaring right back at Mu Ning.

Seeing Ren Chenxi’s smile instantly vanish, Mu Ning couldn’t help but smile again. “I think selling me a generator that’s so efficient with crystal cores for only 60,000 1st-order crystal cores would be too much of a loss for you. My suggestion is, why don’t you sell this generator to the base? I think… if you sell it to Qi Sheng for 100,000 1st-order crystal cores, he’ll definitely take it!”

            

The moment Mu Ning’s words fell, Ren Chenxi gasped. One hundred thousand crystal stones! With one transaction, I’d make a profit of 50,000 crystal stones! And the crystal stone balance I’ve painstakingly saved up from killing zombies and mutated beasts since the very beginning isn’t even over 10,000 yet! No wonder… no wonder there were so many unscrupulous merchants before the apocalypse… Ah! There are definitely plenty of them after the apocalypse too!

Seeing Ren Chenxi remain silent for a long time, Mu Ning thought she didn’t believe Qi Sheng would buy the generator, so she added an explanation. “Don’t worry, Qi Sheng definitely has the crystal cores, and even more than I do. Just from the monthly rent collected in the base, think how many crystal cores he takes in! Of course, the main expenditure for those crystal cores is on the base’s construction. The base is still constantly building new housing and various facilities. They definitely need this generator!”

In truth, even without Mu Ning’s lengthy explanation, Ren Chenxi had been wildly tempted the moment Mu Ning suggested selling the Crystal Core Generator to the base for 100,000. Now, with Mu Ning’s assurance, Ren Chenxi wasn’t an idiot. Besides, she urgently needed crystal cores to draw cards and improve her strength. Naturally, selling the generator to the base was her best option right now.

            

“Alright then! I heard from Chen Gu and the others that you have a pretty good relationship with Qi Sheng, so could you take the lead and negotiate with him for me?”

“Me, negotiate? Hmm? Actually, you just need to tell Qi Sheng about the Crystal Core Generator and demonstrate it in front of him. It would be a simple matter of handing over the generator for the crystal cores. Do you really need me to step in?” Mu Ning was a little confused. “If you’re worried he’ll haggle, don’t be. He won’t. After all, this generator will save him even more crystal cores in the future.”

“I’m not worried about him haggling…” Ren Chenxi was in a bind. If she could buy the Crystal Core Generator right now, she really wouldn’t need Mu Ning to help negotiate. But the problem was, she didn’t have nearly enough crystal stones to buy the generator! And if she couldn’t buy it, how was she supposed to do a simple transaction of handing over the generator for the crystal cores with Qi Sheng?

            

“Then what are you worried about?” Mu Ning didn’t much like seeing Ren Chenxi looking so conflicted and took the initiative to ask again, “What do you need me to do?”

“Um… I… I… okay, I’m still a bit worried about whether Qi Sheng will hand over the crystal cores readily. So… could you please help me negotiate, to get half the payment as a deposit first? Then I’ll give the generator to Qi Sheng in exchange for the remaining half?” As soon as the request was out, even Ren Chenxi herself felt embarrassed. What is this? I haven’t even shown them the machine, and I have the gall to ask for half the payment as a deposit? What if they suspect I’m trying to scam them out of their crystal cores? Ugh! Isn’t the whole reason I’m asking Mu Ning to step in because I figured I’d be seen as a scammer? For making such an unreasonable request, I’m really too thick-skinned!

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The author has something to say:

            

Wooden-head: Do you want to become a 90% Off Honored Grand Member?

Xixi: ……

Wooden-head: I can help you~

            

Xixi: …… (Must not be tempted, must not be tempted. I have my pride! I will never sell my body for a mere 90% discount!!!)

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