[Do you wish to Integrate the Fortune Detection Ability?]
Liu Wei took a deep, heavy breath, then focused his gaze, looking for a quiet, secluded place. Any mistake during the integration process could be catastrophic, and he didn't want to be the focus of anyone's attention.
He hurried into a narrow, deserted alleyway, where the stench of dampness and fermenting garbage bags next to a rusty container hung heavy in the air. The place was perfect: far from prying eyes, with only a few transient passersby.
"System, how do I integrate the Ability?" Liu Wei wondered in a troubled whisper.
[Host, you do not need to speak. Just focus and think about it in your mind.]
Liu Wei closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind, concentrating his entire will on the thought: "Integrate the Fortune Detection Ability."
[Integration of Detection Ability in progress... Please be patient.]
The next moment, an intense, choking headache struck Liu Wei like a sudden, brutal sledgehammer. His body automatically bent over, and he clutched his head with both hands, trying to suppress the waves of agony tearing through his skull.
"Aghh!!... Damn it!" he muttered in a stifled voice, struggling desperately to hold back a loud scream that might attract attention. The pain was unbearable—a sensation as if new, sensitive neural networks were being violently ripped apart and rewired deep within his brain.
A few passersby moved past the alley entrance yards away, hearing the muffled groans. They didn't pay much heed. Some cast fleeting curious glances, but their fear of falling into a scam or getting involved in trouble was greater than their curiosity, so they ignored the matter and moved on.
"Damn you, System! When will the integration be complete?" Liu Wei asked, his voice shaking and choked, barely able to think clearly.
[Integration completed.]
Suddenly, Liu Wei felt a cold, refreshing current pass through his exhausted mind, instantly washing away the sharp headache and leaving behind a strange sense of clarity and purity. He slowly lifted his head, his eyes still blinking from the lingering shock of the pain.
He looked around, and suddenly, the alley was no longer just an alley. He saw faint, milky-white dots glowing around him. These points were non-physical, like an unfamiliar, luminous white haze floating above certain, unremarkable objects.
"So, these are... the Fortune Points?" Liu Wei thought, his heart pounding with excitement and anticipation. "Should I go see what these points are pointing to?"
He rushed out of the alley directly toward the nearest strong glow point. The strongest light was emanating from the dilapidated stall in the open market, where he had previously bought the trivial coin.
The elderly vendor, with a wrinkled face and a look of weariness, sat behind his cluttered table.
"Hello, young man. I repeat: what you buy is non-refundable! Go away and stop disrupting someone else's business!" the man said in a rough, bored tone, assuming Liu Wei had come to return the coin.
Liu Wei completely ignored him. He was mesmerized by the object that was glowing brightly in the far corner of the table: a massive, forgotten Blue and White porcelain vase covered in faded dark blue lines, which appeared to be carelessly discarded.
Liu Wei focused his gaze on the white spot, as if activating his ability fully. The System window appeared only before his eyes:
[Dragon and Phoenix Vase (White)]
[Description: Qing Dynasty (18th Century). Dragon and Phoenix vases were used as Imperial décor, particularly during the reigns of powerful Emperors like Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong. It is a historically significant piece of high artistic importance.]
[Market Value: 600,000 Yuan.]
"My God!!" Liu Wei's eyes widened instantly, and his pulse stopped for a moment. This haggard antique vase, which looked like a dust-covered relic, was worth six hundred thousand yuan! That was a fortune!
"Who would have thought this vase, sold next to cheap junk, was worth all that!" His internal voice was roaring.
"Move along, young man! If you don't intend to buy something, don't waste my time!" the elderly uncle snapped in blatant anger, leaning heavily on his cane.
Liu Wei swiftly shifted his gaze from the vase to the elderly uncle, plunging into a fierce internal moral conflict.
"What should I do? Should I be honest and tell him the vase's real price? Or should I exploit the power I just gained, deceive this old man, and take it for myself?" Liu Wei fell into a deep contemplation, facing the first true test of his new ability.
The struggle didn't last long; the urgent need for money was far stronger than his brittle ethical principles at that moment. Liu Wei made a decisive, cold choice, and a mask of indifference returned to his face.
"Uncle, how much for this specific vase?" Liu Wei said, pointing at it coolly.
The elderly man's expression instantly changed from anger to a mix of subtle joy and greed.
"Ah, young man, you have a discerning eye! I inherited this vase from my ancestors; it has a long and important history—it's... a priceless piece!" The uncle attempted to exaggerate the description with a confident tone.
Liu Wei cut him off with a definitive tone that brooked no argument: "Forget the stories and history. I am just an unemployed student with very little cash. I don't need the exaggeration. Tell me the price, and I'll buy it if I like it!"
The uncle scrutinized Liu Wei closely. Liu Wei was only eighteen, with a lean and agile build that suggested neither strength nor wealth. His appearance was modest: a plain black polo shirt, comfortable jeans, and slightly messy hair. His look did not suggest anything extraordinary or rich.
This appearance encouraged the old man's avarice. He quickly said: "Fine, I'll sell it to you for a symbolic price. Two hundred yuan."
"One hundred yuan, and I will take it now!" Liu Wei pressed, ready to walk away if he refused.
"It's yours!" the uncle immediately conceded, without even a second thought.
Liu Wei felt a fleeting sense of deceit, but the feeling instantly vanished when he remembered the System's appraisal value: 600,000 yuan. He only paid one hundred yuan for this treasure!
The uncle looked at Liu Wei with a scornful, mocking gaze as he took the hundred yuan: "Hah, it's easy to fool these ignorant youngsters!"
Liu Wei quickly snatched the vase, pulled a hundred yuan from his worn wallet, and completely ignored the old man's contemptuous gaze. He didn't want to give the uncle any chance to think or reconsider.
Liu Wei rushed out of the market, walking through the busy street, holding the vase with both hands and embracing it like a newborn baby, terrified it might break or scratch. His heart was racing, filled with excitement and urgent planning.
"It's good that a famous and reputable antique store was located so close to this miserable stall," Liu Wei thought.
He raised his head to see the facade of an elegant shop with a glittering brass sign bearing the name "Tao Hamm." He swallowed hard, adjusted his rumpled clothes, then pushed open the heavy glass door and entered the luxurious reception hall.