Shortly after, a man named Fang Yue messaged Gu Ning.
"Hello, boss!"
"Hm, I'm interested in your item. Name your price."
"Boss, this item sells for 200 white stones in the personal marketplace. Would 240 work for you? It's pretty rare," Fang Yue said bluntly.
Gu Ning began to bargain.
"It is rare, but it only lets you grow plants. By the time I can eat the crops, it'll be at least two months. Maybe I'll have found an island by then."
Fang Yue thought it made sense but didn't want to sell too low. He tossed the question back: "Then what price do you offer, boss?"
"I won't lowball you—220, a 10% premium over the marketplace. How's that?" Gu Ning proposed a reasonable increase.
After a moment, Fang Yue decided to accept the deal.
"Alright, done. Boss, you're straightforward to trade with. I'll come to you first for good items next time," he flattered slightly before ending the chat.
Gu Ning smiled faintly. He'd grown immune to excessive praise in the chat channel—such flattery rarely stirred him anymore.
Alas, losing the ability to enjoy such trivial pleasures early in life...
After the transaction, Gu Ning received a box: 1 meter long, 0.5 meters wide and tall, entirely black. Opening it, he found the planting space inside was a spacious 100 square meters.
He added all the fertile soil, then planted cabbage, greens, and chili peppers. Cabbage and greens took 60 days to mature, while chili peppers needed 80 days. With the fertile soil's 10x growth speed, they'd be ready in about a week—acceptable.
After placing the box in a corner of the room, he slid back under the covers, hugged Windsor, and let his hand glide over her smooth skin beneath her clothes.
Now that he'd used the fertile soil, what should he use his Versatility talent on next? The window blueprint?
His eyes fell on an apple by the bedside. Why not try food? He'd never used his talent on edibles before. It might yield something interesting.
Versatility.
The apple in his hand remained unchanged. Puzzled, Gu Ning wondered if the talent couldn't affect food. He'd already tried it on people and pets—did plants count too? He used Spiritual Vision.
Yuan Apple (White): When consumed, randomly increases 1–2 attribute points.
"Wow!" A delighted grin spread across his face. An attribute-boosting treasure! He popped the apple into his mouth. Before he could save a seed, it dissolved into white energy and vanished, leaving nothing in his hand.
Guess that idea was too optimistic.
Thankfully, he gained 2 attribute points, both added to Strength.
If I could get attribute fruits every day—even white-tier ones—I'd skyrocket! Who needs leveling?
But he quickly dismissed the fantasy as a daydream...
Browsing the chat channel, he saw more deaths from attacks. Need to stay alert.
Eventually, he drifted to sleep抱着Windsor, dreaming of a prosperous territory, a luxurious palace, and... intimate moments with Windsor and other beauties, including a beast-eared girl...
Day 5.
Waking up, Gu Ning recalled his dream—then froze. Expressionless, he bought underwear from the trading channel and changed out of his damp pair.
"Pfft." Windsor turned red at the sight but couldn't hold back a laugh.
Embarrassed, Gu Ning pounced on her, peppering her face with kisses before claiming her lips, his hands wandering. After a playful tussle, he got up, ignoring Molly's急促呼吸 (rapid breathing) as she cooked, and headed outside, leaving Windsor flushed and breathless in bed...
In the fishing gallery, Huohuo ran to greet him. Two commoners were already at work with their rods. Gu Ning hugged Huohuo, took out the Resource Rod, and handed her an amethyst. She happily accepted it and kissed his chin.
Soon, Windsor joined him, avoiding eye contact.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh," she murmured weakly after a pause.
Gu Ning scowled. Way to bring that up. "I'll 'consume' you tonight," he threatened playfully, though he had no intention of acting with Molly around.
Windsor panicked, unsure if he was serious. Should I stop him? But Molly's here!
"No—Molly is still here!" she protested, attempting a fierce glare.
"Oh? So it's okay if Molly isn't around?" he teased.
Caught off guard, she huffed, "Hmph! I won't let you succeed."╰_╯
"Just kidding. Don't look so terrified," he reassured her. He knew their intimacy level (85/100) wasn't yet ready for deeper advances—likely needing 90 for that.
Windsor relaxed but stayed pouty. Gu Ning smiled and said no more.
Just then, the first catch of the day came in.
Hope it's a good start.
Commoner Summon Card (White): Summons a commoner when used.
A summon card—not bad. Gu Ning used it immediately. A male commoner appeared, blank-faced and classless.
Gu Ning handed him the last fishing rod. Time to work.