[You instinctively launched an attack.]
[You were soundly beaten.]
[The pain cleared your mind, and you recognized the person. It was the little girl who had appeared in the City Defense Officer's house earlier.]
[You asked her why she wouldn't leave you alone and said you didn't want to play with a little kid.]
[Her answer surprised you.]
[The little girl said you had messed up her house. She had to put in a lot of effort to tidy it up and asked how you planned to compensate her.]
[You tried to offer her your long-hoarded lollipop, but she looked at it with disdain.]
[You then took out a genetic potion, and she looked disgusted.]
[You laid your cards on the table: you're completely broke!]
[You died at the age of 21.]
Chen Pingchuan sighed.
I'm finally dead! Just as well. This gives me a break to clear my head. Otherwise, I feel like my simulated self is a bit unhinged!
[This simulation has ended!]
[You may choose rewards by consuming simulation points.]
[Reward options: Hunger Resistance (Talent), Genetic Enhancer (Item), Federation Coin (Item), Assorted Gold and Silver Jewelry (Item), Black Demon One (Pet), Mysterious Black Stone (Use Unknown)...]
[Hunger Resistance]: White Talent. Cost: 10 simulation points.
[Genetic Enhancer]: Green Item. Cost: 2 simulation points per vial. (A genetic modification potion that can repair genetic defects and enhance physical attributes to a certain degree.)
Note: Ceases to be effective after one's physical attributes reach a certain threshold.
[Federation Coin]: White Item. Cost: 1 simulation point. (A pile of worthless junk.)
[Gold and Silver Jewelry]: White Item. Cost: 1 simulation point. (A collection of exceptionally stable metals.)
[Black Demon One]: Pet (Green). A monster formed from a viral mutation that unexpectedly gained self-awareness. Cost: 200 simulation points.
Note: This pet is unique and has the potential to grow. The host should choose carefully.
[Body State Inheritance]: Consumes 100 simulation points. Inherit the strongest human body state achieved in the simulation.
...
Chen Pingchuan repeatedly scanned the list of simulation rewards, but he couldn't find an option for Energy Crystals.
It's over. My hopes are dashed. I was so close to a perfect loop, what a shame.
In Chen Pingchuan's mind, the only thing that would have made this perfect was if Energy Crystals had been offered as a reward.
Then I could exchange Federation Coins for Energy Crystals, Energy Crystals for simulation points, and simulation points for more Energy Crystals, on and on, endlessly.
Looks like I'll still have to properly explore the City of No Night in the next simulation.
His run-in with the terrifying little girl had kept his exploration of the city to a minimum.
Chen Pingchuan pondered for a moment before deciding to postpone choosing a reward. After all, he had a date to get to today.
A little after eight in the morning, Chen Pingchuan arrived at Xia Qingxue's apartment building to pick her up. The two took a taxi straight to a large, well-known trade market in the outer city district.
Xia Qingxue was dressed very casually today, wearing a tight-fitting, short white dress, holding a small leather bag of the same color, and sporting exquisite little boots on her feet. She wore flesh-colored stockings that completed a look that was a tantalizing mix of innocence and allure.
The moment Chen Pingchuan saw her, a single word popped into his head.
Enchantress!
The Tongda Trade Market was located in the southwest of the outer city. It covered an area of tens of thousands of square meters, housing sections for merchandise trading, food and small commodities, and leisure and entertainment all in one. As the largest trading market in the outer city, its trade volume was enormous. The reasons were simple: low prices, a comprehensive variety of goods, and most importantly, the rampant availability of knock-offs.
The poor, though poor, were not without the desire to consume. On the contrary, their desire to consume was often even stronger than that of the rich.
Walking through the bustling trade market, Xia Qingxue's clear, bright eyes never stopped darting around. The goods displayed on the stalls seemed to hold an infinite charm for her.
Thinking about her background, Chen Pingchuan guessed she had probably never seen any of this before.
"Why is that old man selling bricks?"
"Uh... is it possible those are communicators?"
"Does that dark fruit taste good? I'd like to try one."
"That's a cosmetics box. It's fake, you can't eat it. If you want fruit, I'll take you to buy some later."
"Chen Pingchuan, I'm a little hungry."
"My lady, don't tell me you skipped breakfast."
"Um... I didn't eat."
"Alright, I get it. I'll buy you something tasty in a bit."
"That silk scarf is so pretty. Will you buy it for me?"
"I don't have any money."
"About how much would that be?"
"At least a few dozen, I'd guess."
"Okay, I'll give you a thousand. You buy it for me."
"No. And stop asking. That's not normal clothing. It's called lingerie, and it's not for a single girl like you to be wearing."
"How do you know everything? You're amazing."
"Are you a walking book of 'A Million Whys'?"
"Huh? What's 'A Million Whys'?"
...
Five minutes later, Xia Qingxue was taking small bites of a golden-brown smoked meat wrap. The two of them sat on a pair of thirty-centimeter-high stools, enjoying the cool shade of a tree. Watching the passersby sweating profusely under the scorching sun, Chen Pingchuan finally felt the satisfying smugness of having something others didn't.
Well, it couldn't be helped. He had paid for the privilege, after all. For just two small stools and a patch of shade, the manager had dared to charge him fifty Federation Coins. Talk about a rip-off. That was taking extortion to a whole new level.
Based on Chen Pingchuan's usual temperament, he wouldn't let someone squeeze five coins out of him, let alone fifty.
But now?
What? Fifty? That's nothing!
The saying "money makes you bold" was certainly true.
Chen Pingchuan carefully wiped a smudge of grease from the corner of Xia Qingxue's mouth, and the two resumed their tour of the market. Before long, Xia Qingxue stopped beside a small pond.
"Lady, I beg of you, you don't actually want to play this, do you?"
"Can't I?"
Xia Qingxue's bright eyes suddenly dimmed, and Chen Pingchuan gritted his teeth.
"You can, of course you can. But I'm warning you, this is for little kids. If you play this, people are going to look at you like you're an idiot."
"That doesn't matter."
Her eyes were so incredibly clear that Chen Pingchuan felt as if he were being purified. He didn't know how to describe those eyes, but he had to admit, he was captivated.
The game Xia Qingxue wanted to play was a simple one: catching tiny fish with a flimsy paper net. You could take home any fish you caught, but what was the point of taking home fish thinner than a finger? The only reason they let you take the fish was to sell you the transparent fishbowls they had on display.
Xia Qingxue's posture as she sat was like that of a concert pianist from his past life. Her expression was a bit aloof, but an emotion called joy was clearly dancing in her eyes. When one's life is free from material worries, their spiritual life can feel empty.
Chen Pingchuan found himself subconsciously pitying this girl he had only met twice.
The entire afternoon, the two of them repeated similar scenes.
"I want to play this."
"This isn't fun... alright, go play."
"I want to eat this."
"This doesn't taste good... alright, go eat."
"I want..."
"No, you don't..."
When it was time to part, Xia Qingxue seemed as if she hadn't had her fill of fun yet.
"Will you come tomorrow?"
"I'll come to your... place. I'll wait for you downstairs."
Chen Pingchuan swallowed the profanity on the tip of his tongue. The girl's gaze was simply too gentle, making it impossible for him to be harsh with her.