188: Chapter 187 Go to the store

Lin Feng had already pushed his cart past, but when he saw those few words, he backed up.

He had actually forgotten; back in the Secret Realm, he had killed over a hundred foreign Explorers and looted many storage items from them, including rings, bracelets, and belts.

The quality wasn't high—most were blue quality, with a few being purple.

However, Xiao Guang had always been using his pocket.

A thirty-centimeter golden person huddling in a palm-sized pocket all day meant he couldn't even stretch his legs.

Several times when he looked down, he found Xiao Guang curled at the very bottom of the pocket, sleeping with his neck crooked; when he woke up, he was always rubbing the back of his neck, complaining it was sore.

"Let's take a look."

He pushed the cart toward that counter.

Behind the counter stood a middle-aged man in a suit vest, his hair combed slick and shiny, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. When he saw Lin Feng pushing a shopping cart over, his expression faltered slightly.

He had stood at this jewelry counter for over a decade and seen all kinds of customers, but one pushing a shopping cart full of snacks to buy storage equipment was a first.

"Sir, would you like to see some storage equipment?"

He quickly adjusted his expression into a professional smile.

"Yeah. Do you have the smallest kind?"

"The smallest ones are these."

He took a tray out from the counter, displaying several rings and bracelets, all in very compact styles.

"These models all have one cubic meter of space, suitable for daily use. Prices range from 120,000 to 180,000."

"Too small. Do you have anything bigger?"

The middle-aged man's eyes lit up.

"We do. Five cubic meters, blue quality, for 250,000. Ten cubic meters, purple quality, for 650,000."

He brought out two more trays from under the counter; the ring styles were more exquisite, some inlaid with tiny gemstones.

Lin Feng glanced down at the reaction in his pocket. Xiao Guang's eyes were nearly popping out of their sockets, but he held back from speaking, only quietly poking Lin Feng's chest with a finger—the meaning was: 'Too expensive, don't buy it.'

"Too small. Do you have anything even bigger?"

The middle-aged man pushed up his glasses, his lips pursing slightly as if making a judgment.

A young man pushing a shopping cart, wearing an ordinary white T-shirt and black casual pants, didn't look like a wealthy person.

But there was an indescribable temperament about Lin Feng that made him decide to bring out one more item.

"We have a gold-quality ring with 120 cubic meters of internal space. It comes with an automatic organization function, and the time flow is one-twentieth of the outside world, meaning food put inside won't spoil for twenty days. The price is—"

He paused, seemingly weighing whether or not to quote this price.

"9.8 million."

Lin Feng didn't even blink.

He pulled the s-rank explorer badge out of his wanxiang ring, placed it on the counter, and said calmly, "How much of a discount do S-Rank Explorers get?"

The moment the middle-aged man saw that silver badge, he looked as if he'd been hit by a bolt of electricity.

He had stood in this jewelry store for over a decade and seen many S-Rank Explorers, but he had never seen a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy pull out this badge.

He hurriedly picked up the badge to examine it closely—it was authentic, the serial number was clear, the Association mark was complete, and there were no signs of forgery.

"Sir, please wait a moment! I'll go get it right away!"

His attitude did a complete 180-degree turn, and his voice even rose half a pitch as he turned and walked quickly toward the safe in the back.

Xiao Guang poked his head out of the pocket and lowered his voice: "Lin Feng! It's too expensive! Let's not get it! It's fine living in your pocket, I've gotten used to it!"

Lin Feng looked down at him.

"Do you really think living in a pocket is fine?"

Xiao Guang opened his mouth to nod, but his neck stiffened.

He remembered the discomfort of curling up in the pocket every day with his legs unable to stretch, the times he was tossed about when Lin Feng walked too fast, and the close call yesterday when he almost fell out of the pocket and into a sewer.

"It's... fine..."

His voice grew smaller and smaller, until the last word was almost inaudible.

Lin Feng didn't speak, just looked at him.

His gaze was calm—neither pitying nor disdainful—just looking at him steadily, waiting for him to tell the truth.

Xiao Guang lowered his head.

After a moment, he said softly, "I want it. But it's too expensive."

"Whether it's expensive or not is my business," Lin Feng said.

Lin Feng said.

"Whether you want it or not is yours. If you want it, nod."

Xiao Guang was silent for a good while.

Then he buried his face in his arms and gave a slight nod.

The movement was very light, as light as a falling leaf.

The middle-aged man returned carrying a black velvet tray.

On the tray lay a ring with a silver base, its surface engraved with intricate dark-gold patterns that shimmered with a soft light under the lamps. It looked understated but had excellent texture.

"This is the latest model, gold quality, with 120 cubic meters of space. It features automatic categorization and cleaning, plus a special design—"

He tapped the dark-gold patterns on the ring's surface.

"This ring can automatically adjust its size according to the wearer's finger."

"The price is—"

Lin Feng pushed the Explorer badge toward him.

The middle-aged man glanced at the badge, then at Lin Feng's young face, swallowed hard, and quickly flipped through the price list.

"S-Rank Explorers enjoy a 30% discount. Since you are S-Rank, the price after the discount is—"

He pressed a few buttons on a calculator.

"6.86 million."

"Charge it."

Lin Feng handed over his points card.

The middle-aged man's eyes were fixed as he took the card with both hands. His hands trembled slightly as he processed the payment—not because of the 6 million plus being spent, but because even after this massive transaction, the balance on the card of this boy with a shopping cart still showed seven figures flashing.

He rapidly corrected all his previous judgments in his mind; this was no ordinary youth, this was a walking mountain of gold.

Lin Feng took the ring and looked down at his pocket.

Xiao Guang climbed out of the pocket and cautiously reached out a hand toward Lin Feng.

The ring automatically shrunk to fit his pinky perfectly. The dark-gold patterns on the surface lit up briefly before returning to a soft luster.

"The size is right."

Xiao Guang looked down at the ring on his pinky, which shimmered with dark-gold light, turning his hand over and over to inspect it.

The ring fit snugly around his golden knuckle, as if it were meant to be there since the day he was born.

He pressed the Storage Ring against his face, rubbing it repeatedly, then took it off to hold it in his palms, admiring the dark-gold patterns under the light before sliding it back onto his finger and clenching his fist tight, as if afraid it would vanish if he let go.

"I have 120 cubic meters now."

Lin Feng didn't say anything.

He took the potato chips, shrimp strips, cola, juice, yogurt, and beef jerky—all the snacks Xiao Guang had chosen in the supermarket earlier—and put them all into Xiao Guang's Storage Ring.

With 120 cubic meters of space, these snacks only occupied a single corner.

Xiao Guang stood beside the ring, watching the snacks being stored one by one, something sparkling swirling in his eyes.

Leaving the jewelry section, Lin Feng went upstairs and bought several sets of female Explorer combat suits and several pairs of short boots—three sets of clothes and three pairs of boots, with sizes estimated based on the builds of Pan Jingjing, Li Xiaoyu, and Li Xiaoyu—then hailed a taxi and headed straight for the market.

The taxi stopped at the market entrance. As Lin Feng walked in carrying large and small bags, he could see from a distance a long queue in front of the Fusion Workshop.

The line stretched from the shop entrance all the way to the end of the street, at least thirty or forty people. They were sweating profusely under the hot afternoon sun, but not a single person left.

"Boss!"

Li Xiaoyu was sharp-eyed and was the first to see him from behind the counter; the rag she was holding dropped straight to the floor.

She was wearing a capable black work uniform with sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing forearms slightly reddened by the sun. Beads of sweat she hadn't had time to wipe off hung on her forehead, clearly showing she had just finished organizing the shelves.

"Boss, you're finally here! If you hadn't come, the customers would have torn the shop down!"

She ran out from behind the counter, but before she could finish speaking, another figure had already dashed out.

Li Xiaoyu rushed from the back door to the front of the shop, still holding an empty shelf divider—the last divider from the stock she had just finished replenishing, which she hadn't had time to return to the warehouse.

"Boss! Equipment! Fast! It's a Jianghu emergency! Yesterday, an uncle almost smashed our counter, saying he wouldn't leave until we restocked. He even said he knows our boss! I told him the boss wasn't in, so he sat at the door and waited for three hours!"

Her ponytail swung high, her voice filled with the excitement of a survivor.

Pan Jingjing walked out quickly from the warehouse, holding a tablet. The screen was densely packed with out-of-stock lists: purple gear was sold out, blue gear inventory was hitting bottom, green gear had serious size shortages, and the accessory shelves had been empty for two days.

"Boss, inventory has dropped below the warning line. If more stock doesn't arrive, we'll only be selling air tomorrow."

She pushed the rimless glasses on the bridge of her nose. Her tone was steady, but there was a hint of relief in her eyes that had finally settled.

Pan Jingjing wore a well-tailored deep blue professional suit with her hair tied back. Standing in the March spring breeze, she looked so capable she didn't seem like a girl who had just reached adulthood.

Her gaze met Lin Feng's, and the two nodded slightly without redundant words.

Lin Feng placed the bags in his hands on the counter.

"This batch of goods will be enough for you to sell for a while."

He unzipped his backpack and began taking out the previously fused equipment one by one: eight Shadow Daggers, five Flame Longswords, five Frost Shortswords, six Void Realm Scale Armors, eight Shadow Bracers, six pairs of Flame Boots, six Frost Leggings, four Thunder Rings, as well as Guardian Necklaces and Spirit Wind Bracelets.

The counter was packed with various equipment, with purple and blue glows flashing alternately. This caused the customers queuing at the door to crane their necks to look inside, and some had already pulled out their phones to take photos for their social circles.

Lin Feng then took out three sets of women's Explorer combat suits and short boots he had bought today from the wanxiang ring and handed them over.

"These are for you. Try them on to see if they fit."

The three women were stunned for a moment before taking the clothes.

Li Xiaoyu had the sharpest eyes; she flipped the collar label to take a look and immediately gasped. This was the Explorer line from that high-end outdoor brand in the mall; the price of one combat suit was worth two months of her salary.

"B-Boss! I know this brand of combat suit. I tried it on once while shopping before, but I couldn't bring myself to buy it."

She held the clothes in her arms, her eyes a bit red.

"Boss, how did you know I wear size S..."

The rest of the sentence went unsaid; this was the first time the boss had bought them clothes, and he had even specially remembered their sizes.

Li Xiaoyu had already spun around several times holding the combat suit and boots, muttering "I want to wear it, I want to wear it, I want to change now." On her third rotation, she suddenly stopped and stared at a certain logo on the boots, her voice rising an octave.

"Aren't these the boots I've been eyeing for half a year but couldn't afford!"

Pan Jingjing took the combat suit, her fingers lightly brushing over the fabric.

As a former luxury store sales consultant, she recognized the fabric composition and craftsmanship level at a glance. It had hidden padding at the wrists, adjustable velcro at the waist, and the fabric was a cut-resistant material blended with a special fiber. A combat suit of this level would have a market price of at least eight thousand points.

She didn't cry out in excitement like the other two girls; she just carefully folded the clothes, placed them on the cleanest spot on the counter, then looked up and gave Lin Feng a soft smile.

"Thank you, Boss."

She said.

"Try them on."

Lin Feng leaned against the counter with his arms crossed.

Li Xiaoyu rushed into the cubicle behind the back curtain to change, with Li Xiaoyu following close behind; the two almost got stuck in the door frame.

A rustling sound came from inside, and Li Xiaoyu poked half her head out to shout: "Boss, no peeking!"

Li Xiaoyu also revealed an eye through a gap in the curtain: "That's right! No peeking!"

Lin Feng turned his head speechlessly; he hadn't been looking in that direction at all.

Few minutes later, the three of them walked out in their new combat suits.

The navy blue fabric was well-tailored, the cuffs were neatly gathered, and there was hidden padding at the waist. The fabric didn't make a sound when they walked, and the soft, non-slip soles of the boots made a slight squeak on the shop floor.

Li Xiaoyu kept spinning to see her own reflection, nearly knocking over the potted ivy next to the shelf.

Li Xiaoyu leaned against the wall, stretching her legs to test the boots' grip. She stepped on a rag forgotten on the floor and slipped half a step, only steadying herself when Li Xiaoyu grabbed her arm.

When Pan Jingjing came out after changing, she picked up the tablet and silently began planning according to the inventory list on the screen: how to arrange the new batch of goods, which purple items needed to be displayed in the dust-proof cabinet, and what copy to post on the shop's social media accounts for promotion.

"The equipment in the shop is almost sold out. This is a new batch; you can start selling these. The accessory inventory is enough to last about a week. Prioritize putting the armor and weapons on the shelves; the bracers and boots can be bundled as a set for a discount."

As Lin Feng spoke, he zipped up his backpack and casually placed it on a chair next to the counter.

"Boss, what about tomorrow?"

Li Xiaoyu asked.

"Closed for one day tomorrow."

Lin Feng said.

The three women looked up simultaneously.

"Tomorrow, I'm taking you to see the world."

Lin Feng's gaze swept over the three of them.

"You've been with me for so long, always selling equipment in the shop. Tomorrow, I'll take you somewhere fun!"

Li Xiaoyu's eyes went from red to bright, and her hand clutching the rag trembled slightly with excitement.

Li Xiaoyu slammed both hands on the counter and leaned forward: "Really, Boss! Where are we going, where are we going!"

Pan Jingjing put down the tablet, looked into Lin Feng's eyes, remained silent for a few seconds, then nodded solemnly.

She didn't ask where or if it was dangerous; she just nodded.

She pushed open the cash register drawer, took out the ledger, and placed it on the table, then pulled a pen from the holder and clipped it to the ledger.

"Boss, this is the income and expenditure details for the past few months. I've already calculated the net profit; it can be handed over to finance at any time."

Lin Feng glanced at the ledger.

The cover was a bit worn, the corners were slightly frayed from being flipped through, and small labels with start and end dates were stuck on the spine.

He didn't know how many nights Pan Jingjing had sat alone behind the register checking the accounts line by line; he only knew that this girl, who had jumped ship from a luxury store, had never made him worry about the shop's finances.

"No need to show me."

Lin Feng pushed the ledger back.

"I trust your accounting. Prepare for tomorrow's plans: wear the combat suits I gave you today, bring your respective luggage, and gather at the shop entrance at 7:00 AM. I'll bring breakfast for you."

The three women glanced at each other and didn't ask any more questions.

They just responded in unison: "Okay!"

Their tone was thirty percent the crispness of soldiers accepting an order and seventy percent uncontrollable excitement.

After handling the shop's affairs, Lin Feng went to the liquor store again.

That unassuming liquor store in the old alley had a crooked wooden sign hanging at the door with the words "Centuries-Old Brew" written on it, the paint almost entirely peeled off.

The owner was a thin old man with a goatee. Seeing Lin Feng walk in, he put down the old wine jar he was wiping and brought out two mud-sealed jars of aged wine from under the counter.

"Old Mr. Zhao's apprentice? He called yesterday and said he wanted two jars of thirty-year-old Daughter Red."

The owner carefully put the wine jars into a cloth bag and handed them to Lin Feng.

"Are these two also from his storage?"

Lin Feng asked.

"No, they're from his old friend's stock. He called me yesterday to dig them out, saying there's a distinguished guest tonight—no, he said a kid was coming."

The owner narrowed his eyes to size up Lin Feng, his beard twitching.

Lin Feng took the wine jars and said his thanks.

As he pushed open the wooden door of the liquor store, the setting sun happened to hang on the eaves of the old alley, dyeing the whole lane a warm orange.

Puddles on the flagstone road reflected the golden light, and the moss on the walls, baked all day by the sun, curled slightly at the edges, emitting a dry, earthy scent.

The orange cat at the alley entrance was still lying on the rattan chair, its tail flicking. Seeing Lin Feng, it gave a yawn.

Xiao Jin lay on Lin Feng's right shoulder, holding half a piece of golden Spirit Stone and crunching on it loudly.

Xiao Guang sat in his left pocket, its head nodding, already so sleepy it couldn't keep its eyes open.

"Lin Feng... I want to go tomorrow too..."

It said dizzily.

"Go where?"

"To see the world... You said you'd take them to see the world... I want to go too..."

Its voice grew smaller and smaller, and by the last word, its head tilted, and it fell asleep against the edge of the pocket.

Its two small golden hands still tightly gripped the face of that silver ring, as if afraid it would fly away if it let go.

Lin Feng looked down at it and gently buttoned the pocket.

Then, carrying the two jars of wine, he turned into the depths of the alley.