Chapter 72: Drag the Boss Back to Play Games

"Ah, so it is Brother Fang!" within the Jinyu Tower, a young master clad in yellow raised his clasped hands. "I am Huang Xuan. Our shop boasts no small number of fine spiritual artifacts. What is Brother Fang looking for? Please, step this way for artifacts suited for martial artists!"

"There are artifacts specifically for martial artists?!" Fang Qi was utterly astonished.

"Not strictly so," Huang Xuan explained. "Certain specially crafted artifacts can be activated using martial qi, meaning they aren't restricted solely to cultivators. Though, naturally, such pieces do command a heftier price."

"To think such a thing is possible," Fang Qi muttered, his interest piqued. "Do you have storage artifacts that martial artists can use? What about communication jades?"

"Of course!" Huang Xuan led Fang Qi directly up to the second floor. "Storage pieces are all premium-grade artifacts. I hadn't expected Brother Fang would have need for such items."

Fang Qi replied, "Let me have a look first."

To Fang Qi, the belongings of cultivators were still quite novel; after all, as a transmigrator, these things had previously existed only in legends. Now, beholding the dazzling array of spiritual artifacts with his own eyes and having the chance to use them filled him with a profound sense of freshness.

"By the way." Fang Qi tested a storage artifact for a moment. By merely channeling the qi within his body to activate it, a rocket launcher nearly as tall as a man was instantly drawn inside. While experimenting with the artifact, he casually inquired, "Brother Huang, do you happen to know the typical rent for a shop in a location like this?"

"Rent?" Huang Xuan's face immediately filled with surprise. "Forgive my bluntness, but renting a shop in the heart of Jiuhua City is by no means cheap. Leases start at ten years minimum, and the rent is at least several thousand spirit crystals. Could it be that Brother Fang harbors thoughts of opening a shop?"

Fang Qi nodded. He wasn't particularly surprised by the price; in the metropolis of his previous life, the property values of the city center and the suburbs were worlds apart, to say nothing of this alien realm populated by cultivators and martial artists.

At such a price, Fang Qi would need to earn money for at least a while longer before he could afford it. It seemed that when it came to the shop, he couldn't expect to grow fat off a single bite.

For Fang Qi, there were two ideal locations for a shop: one was the city center, and the other was near his own current establishment. Only if neither could be considered would he look elsewhere. "Perhaps I should look around the vicinity later?"

Seeing that Fang Qi did not press further, Huang Xuan produced several brocade boxes.

"These are all top-quality communication jades. See which one suits you, Brother Fang. Though you are a new customer, I, Huang, will personally guarantee you a discounted price." Huang Xuan open the boxes, adding, "A range of a thousand li is guaranteed, and the higher-grade ones can even reach five thousand li without issue."

"A thousand li? Five thousand li? Isn't there any satellite communication covering the entire globe?" Fang Qi offhandedly complained.

"..." Huang Xuan caught a wave of awkwardness and laughed, "Brother Fang must be joking. Our shop doesn't sell mobile phones."

Fang Qi froze slightly, almost failing to react: an inhabitant of an alien world actually understood his complaint, and was calmly discussing mobile phones with him?!

However, he quickly realized that Resident Evil was currently taking the place by storm. Anyone who had watched the movie would know what a mobile phone was.

Moreover, Huang Xuan was clearly a Resident Evil fan.

"Give me a five-thousand-li one then." Fang Qi waved his hand grandly, finally indulging in a moment of extravagance. "And a storage artifact too, fetch me a better one."

"Right away!"

...

While Fang Qi was out on his shopping spree, back at the Origin Internet Club.

"Ah—! How are the six hours already up!" An Cheng, who had finished his six hours early, slumped dejectedly in his computer chair, growing increasingly bored. Every short while, he would ask, "Is the boss back yet?"

"No!" It was already past one o'clock, and Jiang Xiaoyue replied while taking bites of her meal.

"Where is the boss?! He should be back by now, shouldn't he?!" Lin Luo, Song Qingfeng, and the others had rushed over in a frenzy the moment their class ended, looking left and right inside the shop. "Is the boss still farming Duriel today?"

"The man isn't even here, how can we farm Duriel." An Huwei had just returned to the City Castellan's estate to handle some affairs before hurrying back, only to find that Fang Qi had yet to return. He had been sitting here for a good while now.

"Ah...!" Ouyang Cheng wailed. "What is wrong with the boss?! How are we supposed to pass the next dozen or so hours?"

"Why isn't the boss back yet?" Ye Xiaoye was also getting anxious. "My six hours are up too! What should I do? I want to watch the boss fight Duriel!"

"Can't you watch your old man play?" Ye Songtao said with a dark expression. "Why do you keep watching that brat?"

"Father, your level is lower than mine, and you still have to ask me for equipment!" Ye Xiaoye said bluntly. "What fun is there in watching you play?"

Ye Songtao's face twitched violently once more...

This was too much of a blow to a father's pride, wasn't it?!

"Don't even talk about it, I haven't even started playing yet! At least you all have finished your hours!" An Huwei slapped the table in frustration. "What has he gone out to do for so long?"

"Should we... go look for him?" Ye Songtao was also utterly vexed. He was, after all, the master of a sect, yet today he had actually waited for a small shop owner for an entire morning?!

No one would believe it if it were told!

Of course, while they claimed to be waiting, they had actually spent the morning playing games with a flock of disciples!

...

"This shopping spree actually feels quite relaxing...? Could this be the lighthearted and pleasant activity the system spoke of?" Fang Qi had browsed many shops and bought many things over the course of the morning, and he did feel a sense of mental and physical satisfaction. "No wonder there were so many impulse buyers in my past life. Should I become a proud member of the chop-hand clan too?"

"Azure Treasure Clothing Pavilion?" Fang Qi pondered whether he should buy himself a few sets of clothes, and stepped inside. "Mm, after buying clothes, I'll head back to look at shops..."

"Honored guest, what kind of attire are you looking for?"

"Just browsing." Next to Fang Qi hung a treasure-blue robe. He reached out to touch it; the texture was soft, carrying a faint, cool sensation.

"This garment is made of ice silkworm silk, warm in winter and cool in summer, and it is inscribed with a Dust-Cleansing Array..." The attendant meticulously introduced the piece.

"The clothes in this world are quite convenient. A Dust-Cleansing Array? Doesn't that mean it never needs washing?" Fang Qi took a few glances. "I'll pick a few stylish ones! I'll give you a positive review!"

"Uh... positive review?" The young salesgirl blinked in confusion.

...

"What time is it already?! Why isn't the boss back?!" Sitting in his computer chair, An Cheng could no longer contain his impatience.

"Is the boss back now?!" An Huwei had run back to the Castellan's estate to manage affairs for a period, and seeing that several hours had passed again, he hurriedly came to the internet cafe to check.

"Back? Not a ghost! We've been sitting here all day!" Ouyang Cheng let out a howl. The Origin Internet Club had raised everyone's standards for entertainment too high; their past pastimes could no longer even serve to kill time. Now that their game hours were depleted, the days felt like years!

The same held true for the others. Given An Huwei's status, this hour should typically be spent sipping wine and resting.

But now: not using leisure time to play games?! What wine was there to drink?! It was an absolute waste of time!

Ye Songtao naturally couldn't travel all the way back to the Cloud Ocean Sect, so he had been sitting in the internet cafe all day.

It was fine when there were games to play, but now that they were finished, he could hardly sit still. He was not a man of leisure. "How about we go out and search for him ourselves?"

"Search?!" An Huwei slapped his thigh. "Jiuhua City is so vast, where would we even begin to look?"

"You, the Castellan of Jiuhua City, are asking us where to find someone?" Ouyang Zhen burst into laughter upon hearing this. "If you deploy the City Guard, are you afraid you won't find a single person?"

"C-City...?!" Ye Songtao nearly tumbled off his computer chair. This middle-aged uncle, who came here every day to joyfully play games, was the Castellan of Jiuhua City?!

Then the other few individuals...?!

Though he had guessed their statuses were not low, he hadn't imagined it reached the level of the City Castellan himself!

"Let's go, let's go!" An Huwei said. "How could I forget that. But... is it appropriate to make such a grand fuss?"

"Forget it, forget it! Dispatch a few patrol squads! As for the high-end locales, we shall go ourselves." An Huwei was a Castellan after all; was he to wait here in vain without finding the man? "How can we not demand a clear explanation! We have waited for so long!"

The proposal to find the boss instantly stirred up a massive wave of agreement!

Nalan Hongwu had also finished his six hours by now. As the oldest veteran otaku of the Nalan family, there were very few things that could catch his interest. Now that he had finally found something engaging, the man had actually run off?!

How could this be tolerated?!

"Finding someone? Count this old man in! Why is he running around all day? Is it so hard to stay here and play games properly?"

"Very well." Ye Songtao stood up from his seat. "Let's bring the boss back!"

"Count us in too!" An Cheng and the others had been sitting in the internet cafe until their mouths tasted like dust. They were already idle, and now that the games were over, they were idler still!

"I'll go too!" Ye Xiaoye raised her hand.

"If everyone is going, then count us in as well!" Bai Lang and his companions, along with Song Qingfeng and his group, all stepped forward to join the commotion. A large crowd instantly gathered at the entrance of the internet cafe.

Many of them had already finished their six hours, clearly waiting to watch Fang Qi play! Since Fang Qi had been gone for so long, they naturally couldn't sit still any longer!

Within the internet cafe, Lan Yan stood beside Nalan Mingxue, watching the scene in utter bewilderment: "Are they going to drag the boss back just to play games...?!"

Jiang Xiaoyue stared, completely dumbfounded: "They actually kidnapped someone just to watch them play games?!"

A faint, knowing smile played at the corners of Nalan Mingxue's lips: "Shall we go look for them too?"

Jiang Xiaoyue was entirely rooted to the spot in sheer disbelief.

Meanwhile, Fang Qi, whose spatial storage artifacts were filled to the brim and who was idly carrying several extra bundles, finally stepped out of the Tianfu Market, stretching lazily: "Time to go check on the shop..."

He was entirely oblivious to the fact that his internet cafe had nearly turned upside down.

Postscript: Seeing many readers asking if there is a group chat for this book, the author is planning to create one...

Once it is set up, it will be posted in the announcements.

To those who mentioned that there are too few games right now—

Xiaoye assures you it is impossible to release everything all at once; the denizens of this alternate world wouldn't be able to handle it anyway, nor could it be written compellingly. The path must be walked one step at a time.

Finally, words fail me—since you have read this far, if you haven't added this to your collection yet, please do so. Thank you very much!

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