บท 21: An Eye-Opener
บรรณาธิการ: Dragon Boat Translation
Zhao Hao walked to the door and handed over an advanced primeval evolution crystal as per the rules of the Neutral Grounds.
After the young man named Sunny inspected the crystal, he glanced at Big Black and said lazily, "Take care of your pet. If it bites anyone, you will have to bear the consequences."
The young man looked incredibly lethargic. It was as if he had just woken up. However, Zhao Hao felt a cold killing aura sweep across his entire body as if all his secrets had just been seen through.
He suppressed the shock in his heart and walked through the entrance.
After taking a few steps in, a woman with a gentle smile and the bearing of a big sister walked over. She smiled and said, "Mister looks unfamiliar. Is this your first time coming to the Neutral Grounds?"
"Mm-hm." Zhao Hao nodded.
"My name is Snow Lotus." The woman introduced herself and started her pitch. "Mister, if you want to buy food, drink, rent a house, or buy a house, you can come to me."
Zhao Hao did not expect this lady to be one of the F4 of the Neutral Grounds. He did not dare to be careless and asked curiously, "Big sister, you can buy a house in this place?"
"Yes, you see, there are still some empty spaces in the village. Our people call this place a village, and it's also our home." Snow Lotus explained, "Ember is the best builder in the Endless Forest. He used to have a PhD in civil engineering in China. You can even have your house customized to however you would like."
Zhao Hao asked, "How much is a house?"
"On average, they are priced at about 60 advanced primeval crystals per square meter. In rare crystals, every square meter would cost 30 beginner rare crystals, 20 intermediate rare crystals, or only 10 advanced rare crystals." Snow Lotus smiled gently as she explained.
"Oh... I was just asking."
Zhao Hao nearly peed his pants. The sky-high housing prices were even more terrifying than those in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.
Only after arriving at the Neutral Grounds was he truly able to get a better look at the situation in the Endless Forest. He felt that he had lived like a dog in the past.
"Mister, you can also use combat equipment, combat skills, and other things as collateral. Would you like to reconsider?" Snow Lotus was a hard-working salesperson and even more enthusiastic than any saleslady. She was determined to sell him a house.
"I'm sorry, I can't afford it." Zhao Hao smiled awkwardly.
Snow Lotus glanced at Handsome Black and then at Zhao Hao. She smiled and said, "Mister, why do you have to belittle yourself? You're so young, and your future is limitless. As the old saying goes, thirty years to the west of the river, thirty years to the east of the river. Don't bully the young and poor… Good luck, I have faith in you."
"Big sister, I admit that I've never been able to reject someone with such good taste like you. However, I really can't afford it. Let's talk about it in the future." Zhao Hao declined the request to buy a house. He strongly suspected that this friendly lady had said the same things to everyone.
But unexpectedly, Snow Lotus also seemed to have Zhao Hao's indomitable Olympic spirit. She immediately began promoting another business, "Since you don't want to buy a house, are you interested in renting a house? The rooms in our village are absolutely safe. They are the best choice for when you wish to refine crystals or recuperate. I can tell you that even if you offend the three major organizations at the same time, they would not dare to come to the village to disturb you."
This time, Zhao Hao was tempted. "How much does it cost to rent a place?"
Snow Lotus smiled and said, "It depends on what you want. The houses in our village are also divided into three grades: beginner, intermediate, and advanced."
"How much is the beginner grade?" Zhao Hao asked.
"One advanced primeval crystal per day," Xue Lian replied.
Once upon a time, Zhao Hao thought that he was filthy rich with ten advanced primeval crystals in his pocket.
Now, he understood that he was a complete pauper in the Neutral Grounds.
One advanced primeval crystal a day. He could not afford it, he really could not afford it.
"Can I set up my own tent in the village?" he asked weakly.
Snow Lotus smiled apologetically. Guests who do not rent or buy houses have to leave the village before sunset. Otherwise… Hehe, mister, I am certain that you would not want to see that outcome."
Zhao Hao's butthole tightened as he felt an invisible pressure pressing down on his body.
The pressure was similar to that of the white deer by the spring.
Having personally experienced the terrifying strength of this seemingly gentle lady, Zhao Hao did not dare to act rashly. He said politely, "Big sister, may I ask, where is the market here?"
"That street is a free market. All customers can trade there and get what they want. If you want to make a deal with a foreigner, there is a translator on the street. You can talk to them about the fees yourself."
Snow Lotus pointed at the small street where people came and went and then pointed at the two-story building with the words [Evolution House] written on it. She then continued, "The Evolution House is a property of the village. It has a full range of goods. Old Miao is responsible for the valuation of all the goods. Our village has always been fair. If mister is interested, you can go and take a look."
"Thank you. I'll go take a look first. Goodbye."
Zhao Hao turned around and quickly made his way to the free market.
The people in the market were very quiet and seemed to be very cultured. Those who were making transactions were doing so quietly. No one was making a racket, and no one was causing trouble on the street. As soon as Zhao Hao entered the street, he felt the unspoken rules of the Neutral Grounds.
Many people set up stalls and did not shout. In front of them were handwritten signs.
This place was mainly comprised of Chinese, and even some foreigners had hired a translator to make Chinese signs for them.
"Beginner rare axe in exchange for beginner rare armor."
"Intermediate rare combat boots in exchange for an intermediate rare spear or lance."
"Advanced rare two-handed sword in exchange for advanced rare armor."
"Recruiting a strong teammate! The requirement is that you must at least have above 200 points of combat power and possess a D-grade combat skill or above."
"Recruiting a long-range teammate! The requirement is that you must be proficient in archery and be able to pierce through a tree within a hundred steps."
"Looking for a husband. Your combat power must at least be above 250, and you must be able to protect me."
Zhao Hao was dumbfounded when he walked from one end of the street to the other end of the street.
He looked at dozens of stalls, but there were not many selling primeval combat equipment.
Zhao Hao instantly felt inferior, and a sense of inferiority assaulted his senses.
Other people were already playing with rare items, while he was still playing with primeval items.
This was like a young driver who thought he was very awesome driving an Alto. Then, when driving on the highway, he suddenly realizes that the road is full of old drivers driving Audis.
Battle spirit suddenly surged within his body.
"Brother, you must rise up! You will definitely be able to enter the class of the tall, rich, and handsome in the World of Evolution!"
Zhao Hao cheered himself up and walked toward the Evolution House.
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