Xia Tian's perception was now several times sharper than before. He caught every trace of disdain and mockery in the eyes of those around him and fully understood what they meant.
The clothes he wore were cheap, and to these people, he didn't look like someone who could afford a cell phone at all.
"I'd like to buy a phone with a full set of features," Xia Tian said. He was about to graduate, and a good, fully functional phone would be very useful.
"There are plenty of phones with complete features. What price range are you considering? I can recommend one," the saleswoman replied with a sweet smile and a polite tone.
She was an intern—her uniform tag still bore the word "Trainee." She hadn't made a single sale since she started, because every customer who came in would be taken by other salespeople.
"Around 5,800 yuan," Xia Tian said. He had just won 5,800 yuan and had no intention of saving it, so he decided to buy a quality phone.
"5,800?" The intern was momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected him to be a serious buyer; she'd only meant to practice her sales pitch. But he had just asked for a 5,800 yuan phone without hesitation.
The other saleswomen nearby also heard the number and froze. One of them—an older woman—quickly put on a wide smile. Beneath her thick makeup, however, the wrinkles deep enough to trap mosquitoes betrayed her age.
"Student, let me show you a model I'm sure you'll like," the older woman said ingratiatingly, stepping in front of Xia Tian. Up close, he could clearly see the pockmarks on her face.
"Please step aside. Your face looks like a car crash—you scared me," Xia Tian said bluntly. He despised people like her. A moment ago, they had looked down on him because of his worn clothes, and now that they heard he had money, they were scrambling to serve him.
"You… You dare to talk to me like that? Do you know who I am?" the woman shouted, furious. She had never been humiliated like this.
The people nearby gave Xia Tian pitying looks. The woman was known locally as a bully—not because she was powerful herself, but because of her lover, a man nicknamed Biao Ge, who controlled several nearby streets and had a nasty reputation.
Though nearly fifty, she dressed like she was thirty, caking on powder so thick it cracked when she smiled. None of the other salespeople dared to offend her. Whenever a customer came in, she would rush over, steal the sale, and take the commission. Everyone tolerated her because she was trouble.
But today, a mere student had dared to insult her.
"You brat, just you wait. I'll make sure you regret this," she hissed, pulling out her phone and dialing a number.
"Master, 5,800 is enough to buy a P5. You should go with that one," Huo Lazi said coolly, not even sparing the woman a glance. In her eyes, the old hag wasn't worth her attention.
"P5?" Xia Tian had heard of it. Someone had once sold a kidney to buy that model, earning it the nickname "Kidney Five." "Alright, I'll take it. Miss, please set it up for me. Here's the money—I'll go top up my SIM card."
The intern quickly snapped out of her daze and hurried to process the sale.
"Master, if you want a better phone, I can buy you one," Huo Lazi said, trailing behind him. "Consider it my apprenticeship fee."
"I don't want other people's money," Xia Tian replied, glancing at her. "And I haven't agreed to take you as my disciple yet."
"Then what would make you accept me as your disciple?" Huo Lazi asked eagerly, skipping beside him.
"I'll teach you two moves later. If you learn them well, we'll talk again. I still need to observe you first," Xia Tian said.
After topping up his card, which only required showing his ID, the intern handed him the P5. Xia Tian inserted his SIM and tested it—it felt smooth and responsive.
Compared to his old Nokia brick phone, this one was leagues ahead. His old phone's only virtues had been its ability to call, text, and survive a fall.
Just as Xia Tian was about to leave, two men appeared at the entrance. One was shirtless, a dragon tattoo curling over his shoulder. He had a buzz cut, narrow eyes, and a belly so large it looked almost pregnant.
"Biao Ge, thank goodness you're here! This brat bullied me!" the old woman cried, clutching his arm and shaking it dramatically.
"Damn it, you dare touch my woman? You're asking for death!" Biao Ge roared, his shout drawing the attention of everyone around.
Xia Tian turned to look at them.
"Who are you calling a brat?" he asked evenly. He hated being insulted—especially in a way that reminded him of his parents. Though he'd never met his mother, he knew she must have had her reasons for leaving him.
"The brat, of course, is you," the old woman snapped. "Biao Ge, he's bullying me!"
"Who are you calling a brat?" Xia Tian repeated.
"The brat is you!" she shouted, stamping her foot. "Biao Ge, teach him a lesson!"
Biao Ge's expression darkened as he lumbered toward Xia Tian. "You dared to bully my woman? You're courting death."
"Huo Lazi, I'll only strike once," Xia Tian said calmly. "Watch closely, then go home and figure it out for yourself."
The two men were vastly different in size, but Xia Tian didn't retreat. Instead, he took a step forward.
Biao Ge moved first, aiming a kick at Xia Tian—a move he had perfected. He relied on intimidation first: his physique, his voice, and then a sudden attack when the opponent hesitated. It had never failed him.
But as his kick came in, Xia Tian moved. Supporting himself with his right hand, he swung his leg out and struck Biao Ge's left knee. The big man's body flipped backward and slammed into the sales hall's glass door.
"Master, that was incredible!" Huo Lazi exclaimed.
"Biao Ge!!" the old woman shrieked, rushing to his side.
"Damn it, you dare fight back?" Biao Ge growled, struggling to his feet. He was scraped and bruised, but not seriously hurt. Still, he couldn't afford to back down—he lived off the old woman, and if he lost face now, he'd lose his meal ticket too.
Just then, Xia Tian's new phone rang. The ringtone, "You Are My Big Apple," was one the intern had downloaded earlier.
"Hello, Cousin," he said after answering. "Yeah, my phone got lost, so I just bought a new one and topped up the SIM."
"Do I really have to go tonight?" he asked. Then, after a pause: "Alright, send me the address."
While Xia Tian was still on the call, Biao Ge tried to take advantage of the distraction and kicked again. But Xia Tian's movements were quicker—he stepped forward, slammed his shoulder into Biao Ge's, and swept his leg once more. Losing balance, Biao Ge flew nearly two meters before crashing heavily to the ground.
"Master, you're so handsome!" Huo Lazi cheered, practically bouncing with excitement.
"It's nothing. See you tonight," Xia Tian said into the phone, then hung up. He cast one last glance at the fallen Biao Ge before turning to leave.
"Master, wait for me!" Huo Lazi called, hurrying after him.
"Stop following me. I already showed you those two moves—practice them well. If you keep trailing me, I'll never take you as a disciple," Xia Tian warned.
In truth, he didn't know any formal martial arts at all—those two moves were ones he'd secretly picked up from Fan Lao earlier that morning.
Reluctantly, Huo Lazi stopped following.
Xia Tian hailed a taxi and headed straight to Jianghai City's famous Gu Wan Street—a hotspot for antique and curiosity trading. It was known as a treasure hunter's haven. Legends told of people buying items for under a hundred yuan and later selling them for over a million.
Of course, Xia Tian knew most of those stories were just hype created by the shopkeepers to attract crowds. Still, he wanted to see the place himself. Now that he possessed X-ray vision, this was the perfect opportunity to test it and maybe uncover a real treasure.
Because of those who came chasing fortune, the street was always bustling. In this world, dreamers and gamblers never ran out.
Xia Tian's real reason for coming, however, was that tonight was his cousin's birthday party. He had completely forgotten about it until she called earlier to scold him. So now, he intended to buy her a valuable gift.
More troublesome still—his cousin had asked him to pretend to be her boyfriend for the night.