Chapter 87
Chapter 87: Sleepless Shangguan Yingxue
[ “It has nothing to do with this. I want to borrow 10 Train Coins from you.” ]
[ “?” ]
Zhao Lin rubbed her eyes, wondering if she had misread. Ten Train Coins? Although she and Shangguan Yingxue were relatively familiar with each other in the same sector and occasionally chatted at night about their experiences at stations, they weren’t close enough to borrow money from each other, right?
Zhao Lin hesitated for a moment, still not refusing outright.
She felt that Shangguan Yingxue shouldn’t be someone who would easily ask for help. If she brought it up with her, she must have run into some trouble.
[ “10 coins is a lot, though. What happened to you?” ]
Shangguan Yingxue breathed a sigh of relief. Not being directly rejected meant there was a possibility of success.
After pondering for a moment and concealing Ye Qiyan’s name, she told Zhao Lin her purpose truthfully.
[ “I ran into an unscrupulous merchant who is selling a Flame Stone to me for the price of 30 Train Coins, and the deadline is right before entering the next Platform. But I didn’t find any Treasure Chest at the last station, so I had to sell all the resources I could sell. In the end, I only managed to gather 20, and I’m still lacking the last 10… I can’t think of any other way to gather them, so I can only ask you.” ]
A Flame Stone.
Zhao Lin felt a bit envious.
Although she had always followed behind Ye Qiyan in the City of a Thousand Stars, she still knew the value of a single Flame Stone.
If it were her and she couldn’t gather enough Train Coins, she would definitely find a way to borrow from others.
Hmm… If it were her, who would she borrow from?
Ye Qiyan’s appearance surfaced in Zhao Lin’s mind, and she immediately shook her head, muttering softly to herself.
“He definitely wouldn’t lend it to me, that stingy guy…”
Pulling back her thoughts, she tapped on the Light Screen.
[ “I can lend it to you, but you need to find something as collateral, and I’ll charge interest. 10 Train Coins, and you return 13 to me in the end. How about it? If you agree, find an item that can be used as collateral.” ]
[ “…” ]
This was a reasonable request.
Shangguan Yingxue looked around her Train and finally let her gaze fall on the Japanese flip phone in her hand.
“It can only be this…”
It wouldn’t lower her survival and combat abilities, and it was enough to serve as collateral.
Gritting her teeth, she sent a screenshot over.
[System-operated flip phone]
[Usable outside the Train, features the system’s Trading Platform / Chat Room]
[ “This was an upgrade reward from one of my upgrades. I’ll use this as collateral. If I haven’t repaid the money after the next station ends, this phone is yours. As for the interest… that’s fine.” ]
“To think you can use system functions outside the Train, huh? What a good item!”
Zhao Lin’s eyes lit up when she saw the phone description in the screenshot.
Back in the City of a Thousand Stars, she had already noticed that Ye Qiyan seemed capable of operating the Train’s system outside. She had been green with envy back then, but simply didn’t voice it out.
[ “Alright, we can trade right now. If you don’t redeem it after the next station ends, I’ll only charge 3 Train Coins of interest. Right, could you introduce the unscrupulous merchant who sold you the Flame Stone? I also want to buy a Flame Stone.” ]
[ “Forget it… He should be pretty busy.” ]
Zhao Lin got the phone, and Shangguan Yingxue got the Train Coins she wanted.
Yet, she inexplicably felt a pang of heartache over the loss.
That phone was her favorite item, and taking it out as collateral was truly a last resort.
“It’s fine, as long as I can gather enough Train Coins at the next station…”
That was easier said than done.
But if she failed to find a Treasure Chest at the next station, could she really still gather 13 Train Coins?
Furthermore, upgrading to level 4 also had upgrade options.
That’s right, the things in the advanced options were all worth more than their price.
Just like that phone, she had only spent 6 Train Coins on it back then.
Shangguan Yingxue sighed, opened her friend list, looked at the very first name at the top, pressed her lips together, and pressed it.
[ “Flame Stone, let’s trade.” ]
[ “Hello?” ]
[ “???” ]
No response was received, which was an inevitable outcome.
Because at this moment, Ye Qiyan was sleeping and had turned off all chat notifications. Unless it was something like Shaya’s ability, no one could hope to wake him up in the Chat Room.
―――
The next morning.
Having slept his fill, Ye Qiyan stretched lazily, casually took the warm water handed over by Wall-E to drink down, and after washing up,
skillfully pulled out sliced White Forest Fruit, paired it with bread and some vegetables, cracked two eggs on top, and leisurely began eating breakfast.
“Hmm? Who is messaging me so late?”
Summoning the system Light Screen, he saw the private chat background flashing constantly. Puzzlingly, he clicked into it and saw those friend conversations.
He flipped directly to the last message.
Shangguan Yingxue: [ “I sold all the things, and the money is enough. We can trade when you have time.” ]
The time was 03:06 in the morning.
“Good grief, not sleeping this late; she sure is anxious for the Flame Stone.”
Ye Qiyan scratched his head and chuckled lightly.
“But at this time, she should be catching up on sleep, right? Hmm… Whatever, I’ll just send one message.”
[ “You there?” ]
Originally thinking the other party should be resting and preparing to continue eating, who would have expected that Shangguan Yingxue’s message came right back instantly.
[ “I’m here. Can we trade right now?” ]
Shangguan Yingxue had not slept all night.
She couldn’t sleep, couldn’t sleep at all!
Having expended so much mental effort and even mortgaging her favorite item, who could have guessed that Ye Qiyan would go to sleep so early?
She was resentful. Until she got the Flame Stone into her hands, she truly wouldn’t be reconciled.
[ “Of course. Did you gather enough money?” ]
[ “Of course.” ]
The trade request was sent over, and Ye Qiyan took that Flame Stone into his hand.
Pressing the trade option, 30 Train Coins replaced the Flame Stone and appeared in his arms.
He counted them, bit them, and there was completely no problem.
“Counting these thirty, that makes seventy-six Train Coins. Hmm, I can perform Sublimation on the Train now.”
Seventy-six Train Coins dealing with the upcoming upgrade options—no matter how he thought about it, it would boil down to that phrase.
“The advantage is mine.”
Eating breakfast in a pleasant mood, Ye Qiyan casually opened his personal interface. Suddenly, his movements paused as he slightly froze while looking at a line of attributes.
[Mental Power: 130]
[???]
Why had the upper limit of his Mental Power increased once again?
Did he do anything?
Reviewing the Memory of the events of the past few days, it seemed nothing had happened that could increase Mental Power, right?
Except for yesterday’s impromptu Sublimation?
Was it because of this? Or could it be that he ate too many White Forest Fruits?
Ye Qiyan leaned more towards the latter.
After all, the former had no reason.
