Chapter 13 Shopping

Chapter 13 Shopping

Starfield Frontier

Garrison of the Federal Second Legion

Dormitory

Baby-faced Alpha Navis, seeing Ye Qiming return with a package, couldn't contain himself. He pestered Ye Qiming, wanting to take the package from his hands to see.

"Brother Ye, Brother Ye! Hurry up! I want to see!"

Ye Qiming couldn't handle him and shot a look at Li Zhi to hold Navis back, to keep him from falling.

Li Zhi got the message, stepped forward, and seized Navis's flailing hands. "Don't rush. There's no rush, we can see it after Qiming opens it."

Navis was a bit afraid of Li Zhi. Once restrained, he became instantly obedient, but his eyes sparkled as he looked at the Energy Tank in Ye Qiming's hand, his invisible tail practically spinning and taking off.

Freed from the pestering, Ye Qiming opened the package. The outer shell label was from one of the most common brands on the market, indicating this Mech Energy Tank had only 1500 units of energy storage.

All four roommates saw those large four digits. Although they knew this was likely the shop owner's self-modification without repainting or altering the label, they still felt a bit doubtful and anxious.

Taking out the energy scanner already placed on the table, Ye Qiming began measuring the internal energy content.

Da Anli watched him test it. "Are you sure the energy inside is full?"

Ye Qiming shook his head. "Don't know, but the shop owner said it was full."

Navis tilted his head, voicing his confusion. "Doesn't he worry about it leaking?"

Generally, the energy inside an energy tank is attached to specially made components since it's invisible, so some leakage is inevitable—roughly one unit lost every three days. It's not much, but energy is still somewhat expensive!

The three of them didn't know how to answer and could only wait for the result.

A minute later, the measurement was complete.

Everyone crowded around Ye Qiming to look at the display screen on the energy scanner.

"Tested Content: 3500 units"

Simultaneously, their faces lit up with joy, especially Navis, who jumped up cheering. "It really is a mech energy tank with 3500 units of storage! Finally, we have a place to buy energy tanks when they break!"

Ye Qiming, Li Zhi, and Da Anli weren't as overly excited as Navis, but the joy in their eyes and their hands touching the mech energy tank all showed their excitement.

Ye Qiming walked to the side, letting the other three be excited for a while.

He opened the intranet, entered the transaction page with the shop owner, clicked to confirm completion of the transaction. After confirmation, a three-month countdown automatically started. If there were no issues within three months, the chat channel would automatically close.

"DawnDay: Shop owner, received the goods. Hope you can contact us again if you have more later. We'll take them all, price definitely higher than official stores."

Ye Qiming waited a few minutes, but there was no reply. Probably busy. Thinking of those frenzied research-type personnel at the school, Ye Qiming didn't disturb further.

Navis and the others also calmed down and looked at Ye Qiming.

Ye Qiming knew what they wanted to ask and shook his head. "No reply."

The three were a bit disappointed, but only slightly.

Having it at all was good enough. As long as the shop remained open, they weren't afraid of not finding the person.

...

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Academy Planet

Ji Anzhi was up at the crack of dawn the next day, already awake by six o'clock.

Having woken up too early and with no military training, Ji Anzhi simply went to Fashion City in the full-immersion virtual world.

Because Fashion City was purely full-immersion, it had fabrics and accessories of almost all styles and materials. Ji Anzhi spent the entire morning selecting fabrics in the textile stores within Fashion City.

Ji Anzhi matched the colors one by one against his collected color cards, finding the corresponding colors.

For materials, Ji Anzhi chose polyester, celestial cotton, and moon silk, buying three bolts of different materials for each color. These three materials were all resistant to pilling and had high comfort.

Except for the first one not being very skin-friendly, the latter two contained protein fibers, making them comfortable and skin-friendly.

Not a fan of busy patterns, about sixty percent of the fabrics Ji Anzhi bought were solid colors. The remaining forty percent were fabrics with subtle patterns or gold/silver threads.

Because he ordered so much, Ji Anzhi even signed up for a membership. The membership status gave a twenty percent discount, and purchasing a Space Bracelet here would also enjoy the member price.

Ji Anzhi did a mental calculation and found that with the membership, the total money spent was about five hundred thousand star credits less than without it. He decisively signed up for the membership.

After the shopping assistant calculated the approximate total volume of the fabric bolts, Ji Anzhi bought another fifty-square-meter Space Bracelet.

The shopping assistant beamed as he saw Ji Anzhi out of the fabric shop. Ji Anzhi then went to a gemstone shop.

In the interstellar realm, most beautiful gemstones weren't expensive. The expensive ones, Ji Anzhi wouldn't consider anyway.

So, Ji Anzhi picked and chose again at the gemstone shop, mainly looking at brooches and small gemstones that could be used as clothing accessories, successfully spending one million star credits in the end.

Ji Anzhi told the shop owner to pack these gemstones and the fabric shop's bolts together into the Space Bracelet, then continued to the next shop.

It wasn't until eleven at night that Ji Anzhi finished purchasing everything he needed.

Fabrics, gemstones, needles and thread, dress forms, marking pins, sewing machines...

Ji Anzhi confirmed there were no omissions before feeling relieved to log off. He didn't want to do things a second time if they could be done once.

Just after logging off, he noticed a message from his small shop on his personal terminal. Ji Anzhi clicked to see—the other party had confirmed receipt and asked him to contact them later if he had more goods.

Ji Anzhi replied with an "Okay," then turned to look at his intranet account. 9999 credits had already been deposited.

It felt a bit unreal...

Looking at that four-digit balance starting with a nine, Ji Anzhi felt dazed.

On the second day of military training, he already had 9999 credits, and the formal semester hadn't even started yet!

Ji Anzhi felt he might have misunderstood the value of credits. To avoid causing big trouble like with the mech energy tank, Ji Anzhi opened the general channel and decided to ask there.

"Zhu Yue: Asking, is ten thousand credits a lot within the military academy?"

"Clarks: Freshman?"

"545: Probably. Only freshmen ask such questions. First-years asked long ago."

"Zhu Yue: Yes."

" : But I remember freshmen are all in military training, right? Are you the department top who gave up training?"

"Zhu Yue: ...Yeah."

"Clarks: Holy shit! No way! I actually ran into a living, breathing privileged class cadet!!!"

"ScumbagSeerA: OMG!!!"

"RedSaltedFish: Holy shit!!!! Wasn't the last time a privileged class spoke in main chat like a year ago?"

"Gai Tianling: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! All hail the academic god! I'm about to break down from these tasks."

"BHJCD: OMG! Alive! A real one!"

"…………"

Ji Anzhi: ...If I weren't alive, how would I be texting?

Seeing the hysterics of the seniors in the main channel, Ji Anzhi wondered if he'd made a mistake asking in the channel.

And that "privileged class" probably referred to all the department valedictorians.

With dozens of consecutive messages being pointless freaking out from the seniors, Ji Anzhi had to repeat his question.

"Zhu Yue: Can someone just answer? Is ten thousand points a lot in the military academy?"

" : The privileged class is asking a question, everyone be quiet, answer properly, don't make us plebs look bad."

"ScumbagSeerA: Wait! You don't already have ten thousand points in your account, do you?"

Ji Anzhi felt a chill down his spine. If he weren't sure others couldn't see his account balance, he'd think someone had hacked into his account.

As expected of First Military Academy students—their deduction skills are top-tier.

Ji Anzhi was dead set on denying it.

"Zhu Yue: No, I'm just curious about the value of military academy points."

"RedSaltedFish: ScumbagSeerA, what are you thinking? Didn't a freshman ask this same question last year?"

"Windsor Is So Beautiful: Anyway, for a second-year like me, ten thousand points is already a fortune."

" : Depends on the major. For those in communications, ten thousand points can cover you for two years."

"Ogbot: Let's put it this way: even the most dangerous S-level mission only gives 3,000 points upon completion, and missions are usually done in teams. Of course, the loot from such missions generally goes to the team members themselves."

"Jia: Folks in the Mecha Department, Energy Department, and Pharmacy Department are always strapped for points, especially the Mecha Department. Ten thousand points still leaves you 4,000 short for an A-class mecha."

"Kitten Is the Cutest: But the people in these three majors can earn points pretty easily too. Besides, mechas don't have to be bought at the academy. Most combat majors in the Mecha Department already have their own mechas. If they don't, the school will let them choose a B-class mecha for free from the official store. The school also has public Energy Tanks you can use for free."

"WorldHealer: Anyway, overall, ten thousand points is considered a huge sum. Excluding the expensive items related to mechas, energy, and potions, ten thousand points can set you up worry-free for at least a semester. Moreover, many fees are directly waived for the privileged class."

"Zhu Yue: Thank you."

"Kitten Is the Cutest: No problem, feel free to ask if you have any more questions!"

"..........................."

Ji Anzhi now had a rough idea about those 9,999 points.

9,999 points was indeed a lot, but not much when it comes to the more expensive majors.

However, he would only spend a lot on buying second-hand mecha energy tanks and energy crystals, so 9,999 points was more than enough to cover his expenses for the next two years.

And that was just from selling *one* mecha energy tank. Selling the other four modified ones would bring it to around fifty thousand points...

He'd never be able to use it all...

Ji Anzhi had a sudden realization—he could exchange points for star coins!

Since he didn't plan to join the military, they'd just sit there unused. But points could be exchanged for star coins on the intranet. That way, he'd have money for his post-graduation wanderings!

Moreover, the military academy is much safer than the black market or the StarNet. Even if someone noticed him on the intranet, aside from the principal and vice-principal, who had the authority to check his identity, no one else had the right to view the specific identities of students on the intranet!

Ji Anzhi's face flushed with excitement as he picked up Xiaoxue and gave her several kisses!

"Xiaoxue, Daddy has found a safe way to make money!"

Xiaoxue was frightened by his strange behavior yet again. Her fur puffed up as she meowed, trying to escape.

Ji Anzhi planted a few more enthusiastic kisses, rubbing his face against her disdainful little face, before letting her go.

Xiaoxue: Has this human gone mad?

Still flushed and warm from excitement, and seeing that it was getting late, he went to the bathroom to take a shower.

After washing, the heat on his face dissipated. He had spent the whole day in the full-sensory virtual world picking out things. He'd been too engrossed to feel tired then, but now, with nothing to do, the mental fatigue hit him hard.

So, Ji Anzhi lay on the bed and fell asleep shortly after.

...

When he woke up the next day, it was already 8 a.m.

Looking at the time, Qi Yanshen and Lu Yan had long since gone to the training field.

Ji Anzhi got up and went to the bathroom to wash up. Today, he planned to go to the official store in the trading city to buy some fruits and vegetables, and on the way, grab a meal at the academy cafeteria.

After finishing his morning routine, putting on his uniform, hat, and mask, Ji Anzhi tucked a full and content Xiaoxue into her small backpack.

The small backpack was worn on his chest, with a transparent, openable window for her to observe the outside world.

Once ready, Ji Anzhi drank a nutrient solution and went downstairs to take the automatic hovercar to the trading city.

It took over an hour to get from the dormitory to the trading city. During the ride, Ji Anzhi watched explanations of star chart knowledge on the StarNet.

Arriving at the trading city, Ji Anzhi realized that last time in the virtual world, he had gone to the official store from his own shop. Today, taking the hovercar, he couldn't find the way.

Ji Anzhi pulled up the map and walked for a long time before finally reaching the official store.

Previously, in the virtual world, he was close to the official store, and he had set his pain sensitivity to the lowest, so he didn't feel much.

But today, walking from the south gate of the trading city to the central official store, he realized just how huge it really was!

Ji Anzhi wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and took Xiaoxue to the food section.

In the fruit section, after picking and choosing, he finally bought one kilogram of citrus, one kilogram of milk grapes, half a kilogram of rouge peaches, and two watermelons, totaling 118 points.

In the vegetable section, Ji Anzhi didn't buy too much, just a few tomatoes, some dudu eggs, and two heads of green vegetables.

After all, he hadn't been eating much lately, and with three other alphas in the dormitory having robots cook meals, it would seem out of place if he cooked for himself.

But we can talk later about me pitching in for groceries, so we can all eat together. Gotta keep the dorm vibe good.

Since Xiaoxue can eat meat now, Ji Anzhi also bought over two pounds of Doudou beast meat.

He also got some snacks—cakes, cookies, that kind of thing.

After putting everything into the shopping cart, Ji Anzhi went to the potions area to grab a few bottles of healing potion and odor neutralizer, handy if something happens again.

He clicked the checkout function on the shopping cart, and after a discount, the total was 140 credits.

Once the payment was completed, he stored all the items in his Space Bracelet. Ji Anzhi then took a stroll around the permanent shops in the outer area.

However, not many shops were open at the moment, and they didn't have much. After browsing a few stores, Ji Anzhi lost interest and left the Trade City.

The trip from the Trade City to the cafeteria took half an hour. By the time Ji Anzhi arrived, there were still over twenty minutes before the military training students could eat.

As soon as Ji Anzhi entered the cafeteria, the serving aunties and uncles noticed him.

The auntie in front smiled and said, "Hey there, young man, you haven't been here the last couple days, have you?"

Ji Anzhi nodded, scratching his head a bit sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm not participating in the military training. Today's my first time in the cafeteria."

The auntie had guessed as much, so she wasn't too surprised. She smiled and pointed upstairs.

"Young man, you can go eat upstairs. On the first floor, there's only one free dish. The second and third floors have tastier food that costs money, but with your special privileges as the top scorer, you can eat for free up there. Just head up those stairs."

Ji Anzhi nodded. "Thank you, auntie."

The auntie waved her hand. "Don't mention it! No need to be so polite, young man! Go on up and order. They make it fresh upstairs, so you might have to wait a bit. Hurry along now, don't go hungry."

Ji Anzhi smiled his thanks again and headed upstairs with Xiaoxue.

As he passed by, the other aunties and uncles greeted him warmly, and Ji Anzhi responded to each one.

On the second floor, Ji Anzhi approached the service window. The chef could tell at a glance he was a freshman and pulled out the menus from all five windows for Ji Anzhi to choose from.

The chef boomed enthusiastically, "Pick whatever you want to eat, don't be shy! Uncle's cooking is absolutely delicious!"

Ji Anzhi gave him a thumbs-up. "I definitely believe you, uncle!"

The chef laughed, reached out, and patted Ji Anzhi's shoulder, saying as he did so, "This young man really knows the ropes."

Ji Anzhi looked over the menus and finally settled on a medium portion of Doudou roasted meat rice with a bowl of green vegetable soup. It wasn't too complicated, meaning a shorter wait.

Remembering Qi Yanshen and Lu Yan, who were still in military training, Ji Anzhi sent a message to Qi Yanshen asking if he should order food for them.

Five minutes later, Qi Yanshen replied, "Okay, thanks."

So, Ji Anzhi ordered two large portions of Doudou roasted meat rice and two bowls of chilled mung bean soup. He also pulled out a watermelon from his Space Bracelet and asked the uncle to help chill it.