Chapter Eight: Miraculous Applications and the Sale of Gold

Since the download was complete, it was only natural to test it out. Imagining the wondrous abilities these applications possessed, Tang Zhen couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

“What should I try first... Let’s start with the basic map!”

Having made up his mind, Tang Zhen tapped to launch the basic map.

At that very moment, a remarkably clear live image appeared on his phone screen. Upon closer inspection, it was the terrain near his home.

The image looked as if someone was broadcasting live from high above with a camera; the picture was crystal clear, though the view was limited to the streets and outdoor scenes—indoor visuals were beyond its capability.

Even so, this map’s power was formidable!

Tang Zhen didn’t get greedy. Just these real-time visuals alone would significantly enhance his safety.

He examined the map carefully and discovered it could be upgraded, though the cost was staggering. Upgrading from a basic map to an intermediate one required 100,000 gold coins, but it expanded the visible range to a full kilometer.

Compared to the basic map, the intermediate version offered much stronger functions.

Additionally, plugins could be added to the map—features like friend-or-foe identification, vertical strike, artillery barrage, teleportation, and more. Tang Zhen was utterly amazed!

Setting aside whether these plugins were as powerful as claimed, the exorbitant download fees alone were jaw-dropping. For example, there was a plugin called “Terrain Modification” that, according to its description, could alter the map’s terrain for one minute per use, usable once daily, but it cost a million gold coins!

Who knew when Tang Zhen would ever save up a million coins—that was equivalent to 100,000 level-one brain beads! Imagining 100,000 monsters gathered together was enough to send chills down his spine.

After familiarizing himself with the map’s features, Tang Zhen opened the eye-projection function.

A translucent phone screen image appeared directly before his eyes, identical to what was on his phone, including the active map display.

These images didn’t obstruct his vision; when he diverted his attention away, the images faded automatically. When he wanted to view them again, they reappeared instantly.

Moreover, the screen responded to his thoughts, allowing him to operate apps, zoom in and out, and switch functions at will—truly a magical tool.

This feature was immensely helpful for Tang Zhen. After all, constantly holding a phone was inconvenient, especially in combat when both hands were needed. With the eye-projection function, it was as if his hands were freed from bondage.

He placed the phone into a case and tried it out; it was extremely convenient, though the operation speed was a bit slow.

Tang Zhen then used the eye-projection function to continue exploring the remaining apps.

He opened the basic monster detector, but it reported that it couldn’t be used in the current area. It suggested merging it into the basic map for a fee of 10,000 gold coins.

Once integrated, the monster detector would mark red warning points on the map whenever monsters entered the display range. However, it only detected monsters of the same level as the basic detector; higher-level monsters remained hidden.

Tang Zhen scoffed at this—he couldn’t afford 10,000 gold coins to upgrade the map, so he skipped it.

Next was the application that thrilled Tang Zhen the most: the miniature storage space, also known as the “portable warehouse.”

However, upon opening it, a prompt appeared: “Due to low configuration and version, this device can only run four applications simultaneously. This limitation can be lifted after an upgrade. To upgrade, please pay gold coins!”

Gold coins, gold coins—this thing was a money pit!

Tang Zhen had no mood to complain and didn’t pay much attention to the message; after all, he was out of gold coins. By his reckoning, four running apps were sufficient for now. As for upgrading, he’d tackle that once he had enough coins.

As expected, this storage space was incredibly useful—accessing items required only a thought.

After a few trials, Tang Zhen confirmed that even if other apps failed, as long as this one worked, he could still manage quite well.

After several more tries, he emptied the storage, stashed away the cash and precious metals, then stored some rice, flour, oil, and salt from his home inside.

He wasn’t carrying these to eat but planned to sell them and see how many brain beads he could exchange for.

Though he’d earned well from weapons, having an additional income source was preferable.

He brewed a bowl of noodles to fill his stomach, pulled out two packs of cigarettes from the cabinet, took a deep drag, and then activated teleportation again. As expected, after a brief dizziness, he was back in the cramped room of the inn.

Tang Zhen sighed in relief, lit a cigarette from his pocket, but after a few puffs, Qian Long caught the scent, opened the door, and came over. After some playful banter, Qian Long took a pack of cigarettes, lit one quickly, and returned inside to enjoy it.

That night, occasional howls of monsters echoed until dawn, when the sounds finally ceased.

Tang Zhen rose early to stretch, the hard bed having made for a restless sleep.

He handed the rice, flour, oil, and salt he’d retrieved from the storage to Qian Long, telling him to keep some for food and sell the rest to see what price they could fetch.

He also told Qian Long he would be away for a few days and asked him to guard the place until his return.

Qian Long was quite surprised by the quality of the food—unlike the usual grain he’d seen, these had no sand or mold. Such food was rare among wanderers, especially with precious oil and salt included—scarce commodities indeed. At market prices, these items were worth hundreds of level-one brain beads.

For any wanderer, goods worth hundreds of brain beads were a fortune. Yet Tang Zhen entrusted them to Qian Long without hesitation.

Though their acquaintance was brief, they had an easy rapport and mutual trust, which was rare.

Qian Long stared at the food for a long moment before looking up at Tang Zhen and saying, “Stay safe.”

Tang Zhen smiled and nodded, then turned and left the town gates. After walking along a narrow path through the wild grass for half an hour, his figure quickly vanished into the undergrowth.

In fact, as soon as Tang Zhen entered the grass, he activated teleportation again, instantly returning to his own home.

Sighing deeply, he glanced around his bare surroundings, and suddenly his eyes shone with an inexplicable light. He knew that from this moment on, his life would follow a path filled with both wealth and peril.

He looked out the window, then drew the curtains and turned on the light before beginning to sort through his spoils from the other world.

First, he counted the cash—true currency in circulation—totaling about 480,000, equivalent to ten years’ wages without spending a penny. In the city where he lived, this sum could buy a decent house.

Next came gold and silver jewelry. Unfamiliar with their market value, Tang Zhen separated out the jewels and set them aside. Then he gathered the gold, retrieved an acetylene gas cylinder from home, melted the gold down, and poured it into molds made from aluminum-titanium alloy grooves, casting them into gold bars.

Looking at the dazzling stack of bars before him, Tang Zhen felt a profound sense of achievement.

After finishing, he stretched, lay down to rest, but his mind was a chaotic mess—stirred by the shock of newfound wealth, sleep eluded him.

After freshening up and tidying, Tang Zhen took the gold bars and left home, heading to a nearby jewelry shop by car.

Near the pedestrian street, he entered a store named Prosperity Pawnshop. After inquiring about the details, he decided to sell there.

Appraisal and sale went smoothly. The gold was of very high purity, weighing over 1,200 grams. Though the selling price was considerably lower than that of a jewelry store, the total still converted to nearly 320,000 Federation credits.

Confirming he now had another 300,000, Tang Zhen felt a dizzying rush. In just a few days, he had acquired close to 800,000 in cash—a staggering sum for someone who had always lived at the bottom of society.

Such enormous profit was a powerful motivator to take risks and strive forward. Tang Zhen was stunned by the money, his heart pounding, but his resolve to get rich in the other world grew stronger than ever.

People from the lower rungs of society usually lacked grand ambitions; their daily struggle was simply to have enough food and clothing.

Dazed as he exited the jewelry shop, Tang Zhen looked out at the bustling street and felt, for the first time, a surge of confidence and pride. He firmly believed he would one day become the wealthiest person in the city, living life on his own terms.

Lost in thought for a moment, Tang Zhen shook himself free and took a car to the bus station, preparing to travel to the provincial capital where his younger sister attended school.

The money from selling the gold was meant for his sister. He knew she was beautiful and sensible, never wasting a penny. Their bond was close, and they shared the same feelings about their foster father.

Though the foster father had been neglectful in raising them, he still had a duty as their guardian. Thus, despite some mild grievances, Tang Zhen never hated him and even worked tirelessly to help pay off his debts.

Growing up in such a family, Tang Ya Jie—his sister—was far more mature than others her age and valued family and kinship deeply. To ease household burdens, she had long worked part-time while maintaining top grades.

Tang Zhen had always admired her diligence. Now that he had the means to change their plight, he was determined to do everything he could, even if it meant risking everything willingly.