Chapter 279: 279, Make money, make money, make money!

The gold shop owner was unaware that Ren Xiaosu no longer cared whether Yang's currency depreciated here, for the palace merely required officially issued currency—whose domain it came from matter ofed not.

It could be said that the devalued Yang's currency now perfectly suited Ren Xiaosu's needs, and should he ever venture to Yang's territory in the future, the exchanged money would still prove useful.

After all, Yang's currency held no less value on Yang's own soil; it was Qing's and Li's money that had depreciated there...

Ren Xiaosu had not anticipated that returning to the Bulwark would yield the spoils of war, leaving him uncertain how to thank the Li family...

Moreover, with chaos reigning in wartime, selling a bit of gold would likely draw no scrutiny—this was precisely the opportune moment to liquidate his gold.

No wonder people often remarked that those who profited from war grew fat as oil, Ren Xiaosu now deeply grasped the truth of those words, for when war descended, many existing orders crumbled.

The owner laughed, saying, "Brother, how much gold do you have? I'll take as much as you offer."

He asked the owner, "How much Yang's currency do you have here?! I'll exchange as much as you have!"

Such magnanimity!

The owner lowered his voice, saying, "I have 240,000 here—now one gram of gold can fetch 8,000 Yang's coins!"

"240,000 is a bit meager..." Ren Xiaosu now looked down upon that sum, bloated with disdain.

After all, the gold in his possession could barely fetch that amount, a mere thirty grams' worth.

Wait, Ren Xiaosu suddenly felt he had overlooked something crucial...

He abruptly recalled something and asked, "What of Qing's currency? I'll exchange that too!"

The owner rejoiced, "Brother, you've done a kindness! I have 310,000 of Qing's coins here!"

"Thanks to Liao Yizhong, +1!"

The palace intoned, "Task completion: one-tenth."

Ren Xiaosu was startled—the palace had mentioned aiding ten Bulwark residents suffering from war, and this gold shop owner was among them.

Upon reflection, it made sense; after all, the man's wealth had kept him awake for days.

Now, Ren Xiaosu understood how to fulfill this task...

This was no war profiteering, he convinced himself inwardly; he was aiding those ravaged by war!

Ren Xiaosu knew this was a stretch, but how could he justify it to himself?

Better to ask fewer questions...

...

Ren Xiaosu did not immediately visit other gold shops but returned first to the military truck, pulling down the canvas to conceal the cargo bed.

He turned to Wang Yuch, saying, "What comes next is absolutely confidential—no one must know, not even your female classmates."

"May we tell Teacher Jiang Wu?" Wang Yuch asked, his wounds still unhealed, merely numbed by the black medicine.

Ren Xiaosu considered, "Teacher Jiang Wu may be told."

Earlier, Ren Xiaosu had conceived a method to treat Wang Yuch and the others' fractures: distributing nanobots among them to self-direct bone realignment and repair.

This was the finest solution available, even superior to hospital treatment.

These students had not betrayed him during Li Dingding's interrogation, which was why he was willing to flee with them—Chen Wudi's intel was infallible.

In the past, Ren Xiaosu would never have revealed the nanobot secret, but circumstances had shifted; now he was willing to let them in on more.

Moreover, his storage space held an excess of nanobots, far more than he could use—Li's forces would be livid, as many soldiers there had yet to receive their allocations, yet this fellow had hoarded so many, even unlocking a full suite of functions!

However, distributing nanobots to Wang Yuch and the others required a 20,000 fee to the palace, hence Ren Xiaosu's urgency to visit the gold shop first—otherwise, he could not afford the cost.

Wang Yuch and the others exchanged glances, saying, "Classmate, even if we die, we shall not divulge today's secret."

"Extend your hands," Ren Xiaosu said, "I shall grant you nanobots!"

Wang Yuch and the others froze—though unfamiliar with nanobots, surely they were not so freely given? Should there not be some encryption protocol?

Yet Ren Xiaosu's expression suggested it was no great matter.

But nanobots were invaluable; Wang Yuch withdrew his hand, saying, "Classmate, you still have use for nanobots—how will you manage if you give them to us?"

Impatient, Ren Xiaosu grasped Wang Yuch's hand, "Why so hesitant? I have more than enough!"

The words left Wang Yuch and the others dazed—how their classmate now carried himself with such affluence.

Truth be told, Ren Xiaosu had roughly calculated his storage's nanobot count; even after dividing among these eight, he could spare plenty for Yan Liuyuan.

Though Yan Liuyuan had already accumulated a full set, he was still young and had growing to do.

It was akin to parents buying clothes for children—long-term considerations were vital, so parents often chose looser fits to prolong usability.

The palace intoned, "Total: eight individuals, 160,000 fee collected."

Ren Xiaosu winced inwardly, thinking, "Use Qing's currency, not Yang's."

After all, he might visit Yang's territory later, so he must prioritize Qing's funds, preserving Yang's.

The nanobots spread through the clasped hands of Ren Xiaosu and Wang Yuch.

By now, Wang Yuch and the others had begun attempting to command the nanobots, Ren Xiaosu asking, "Do you wield them deftly?"

Wang Yuch shook his head, "Each command incurs a half-second delay—it feels most awkward."

"Hmm, your synchronization is slightly lacking," Ren Xiaosu nodded, "but with physical training and honing reflexes, improvement is possible. Once within 0.2 seconds, you should handle ordinary transcendents without issue."

"Hmm," Wang Yuch nodded, beginning to use the nanobots to mend his bones—a process excruciating, as fragments had to be pieced back together.

Yet Ren Xiaosu observed that these students endured the agony in silence, never uttering a cry.