Chapter Eight: The First Sum of Cash

Yuhua Village remained as bustling as ever, with a constant stream of people passing through. At the entrance to the village stood a massive stone platform engraved with a Taiji Bagua design. At its center, a crystal-like rhombic gem suddenly burst into a brilliant display of seven-colored light, as though countless rainbows danced within it.

This was the village's resurrection point, known as the Stone of Three Lives. Every village, town, or city had such a stone.

The rainbows quickly converged before the stone, and as they intertwined, they traced out the outline of a human figure. From this mirrored form, Zhang He strode out with an air of confidence.

Others might return saying, "Twenty years later, I’m a hero once more," but he was even more dramatic: after only a morning, he could declare, "I, Hu Hanshan, have returned!"

Just before leaping from the tree and hitting the ground, he had deftly snatched up two pieces of equipment. No matter how green a novice might be, if he couldn’t manage such a feat, he had no business playing "Dynasty." If he insisted on playing anyway, he was destined for a life of poverty in the game.

When Zhang He returned to his stall on East Street, Duck Neck felt a gentle sense of warmth and familiarity.

Sometimes he wondered about Zhang He. Despite his usual taciturn and icy demeanor, Duck Neck had to admit Zhang He was a true master of dealing with people and business. He had witnessed Zhang He’s trading skills firsthand—on several occasions, Duck Neck believed the transactions could easily serve as textbook cases for new players in "Dynasty."

So when Zhang He hadn’t logged in for several days, Duck Neck would feel a pang of disappointment. After all, sharing daily life inevitably bred some attachment.

He knew this wasn’t necessarily a good thing. From a behavioral perspective, theirs was the relationship of old neighbors, but if not careful, it could easily blur into that of close companions.

In this day and age, it wasn’t the tough guys you feared—it was the oddballs.

Nevertheless, Duck Neck couldn’t help but admire Zhang He. Take now, for example: the money manager from Yuhua Pawnshop had hurried over and was greeting Zhang He with enthusiasm.

Usually, you could beg on your knees at the pawnshop and Manager Qian would either brush you off or put on airs, always with a "I’m busy," or "Go talk to the old man at the front desk."

But now, seeing the sycophantic smile plastered on Manager Qian’s face, you’d think Zhang He was his own father. Whatever spell Zhang He had cast, the manager’s attitude was as though the emperor himself had come to inspect the shop—completely defying common logic.

That was something Duck Neck knew he could never pull off.

"Let’s talk inside. Please, this way!" Manager Qian bowed and scraped.

Zhang He had never known the meaning of modesty. Under the astonished stares of the surrounding vendors, he swaggered through the pawnshop’s doors.

Yuhua Pawnshop was quite famous in the village. Manager Qian was actually a player himself. Early in the game, he’d poured in large sums of real-world money to buy out the official rights to operate the shop for three years. Rather than calling it a thriving business, it was more accurate to say he made a living squeezing every last copper from the struggles of new players.

If Zhang He hadn’t been desperate for cash, he wouldn’t have come here to sell good equipment for a pittance. The equipment dealers outside simply didn’t have the funds to buy quality gear in bulk.

In a poverty-stricken beginner’s village, even a pair of ordinary whiteboard grass sandals would be considered a stroke of dogged luck. Imagine the sensation a rare piece of equipment would cause in Yuhua Village!

Though "Dynasty" had been online for three years, and quality gear flooded the Central Plains, it was all concentrated in the big cities. Once novices grew up, they’d leave Yuhua Village behind, taking not only their stylish figures but also raw materials, martial arts manuals, and better equipment. The village itself remained unchanged, ever impoverished, as the next wave of newcomers was born.

Zhang He had once asked Manager Qian why he didn’t move to a bigger city like Yizhou. Manager Qian had replied that competition out there was cutthroat and risky; sticking to fleecing new players was a safe and steady income.

Zhang He could only admire him. As a knockoff "farming sim" player, Manager Qian was a true profiteer.

When the rare yellow short sword landed in Manager Qian’s hands, he fixed his gaze on its attributes, his face calm but his heart in turmoil:

Luminous Sword (Rare Grade)

Requirements: Level 30, Strength 30

Attack: 40 + 20, Bonus: Agility +15, 10% chance for a critical strike

This sword, when wielded in darkness, emits a shimmering light capable of greatly disorienting opponents, making for unexpected opportunities.

Such a sword wouldn’t fetch even a single tael of silver in Yizhou’s capital, but here in the starting village, thirty taels would be the absolute minimum.

"Fifteen taels," Manager Qian squinted, but his eyes never left the Luminous Sword.

Zhang He couldn’t help but smile. "Twenty taels, and it’s yours."

"Oh?" Surprised, Manager Qian finally tore his gaze from the sword to Zhang He’s faintly smiling face. He’d offered fifteen taels, expecting Zhang He to counter near twenty, after which they’d haggle up to twenty-three or twenty-four taels. Both sides would profit, and everyone would be happy. But Zhang He’s direct counter of twenty taels left him briefly at a loss.

"Do you have any special conditions?" Manager Qian knew there was no such thing as a free lunch.

Zhang He nodded. "My request is simple. I don’t want twenty taels in silver—I want cash."

"Cash" was in-game slang for converting to real-world money. Like most games, "Dynasty" didn’t officially allow exchanging game currency for real cash, but players often made such trades under the table. Dealers who specialized in this were called "illegals."

Never underestimate these dealers. A pawnshop owner like Manager Qian had at least four or five such connections or he couldn’t stay in business. A major dealer could move thousands of gold at a time, enough to spark bloody turmoil in the game’s underworld.

Hearing Zhang He’s request, Manager Qian couldn’t help but smile knowingly. Zhang He understood that for such a small sum, not even the smallest dealer would bother finding a buyer.

Zhang He said earnestly, "I’m just short on cash at the moment. Do me this favor, and if you refuse, I’ll have to look elsewhere."

Every word struck Manager Qian’s weak spot. Give up? This sword was top-notch. Don’t give up? The request was a hassle.

After a moment’s hesitation, Manager Qian nodded reluctantly. "All right, I’ll do you this favor. But cash won’t be possible today. Write down your account info and I guarantee, by the morning after tomorrow at the latest, you’ll have around 400 yuan deposited. You’ll need to cover any transfer fees yourself."

"Thank you, Manager Qian!" Zhang He was overjoyed; three days was well within his limit. Problem solved—what could be better?

"All right, you’re done here. I’ve got work to do!" Manager Qian waved him off, his impatient tone a complete reversal from only moments before.

Zhang He couldn’t help but smile. Now that was the true style of a merchant—the kind of person he enjoyed dealing with.