Chp 26: Freebies, spare me!

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Night.

A crescent moon reigning the sky.

On earth, crackling firewood, lit the dark forest.

Around the fireplace, the homeless had organized a farewell party. As it turned out, Yun Zhi had asked her 'granduncle' to let her stay for one more night, just to bid them a proper goodbye. With the assistance of Mo Hong and the gang, they managed to smuggle chickens and meat into the park for a barbeque. It seemed elder Fang had given old Li more than enough money for the party…

Meat!

Chicken!

Juice!

Potatoes!

Noodle soup!

Since Yun Zhi was there, no alcohol was allowed. Everyone was toasting juice for her, bidding her their farewell. Fatty Qian was crying, with snorts coming out of his nose. As she gave him back the folded clothes belonging to his daughter, she patted the clothes with much care;

“Uncle Qian, hope you’ll meet your daughter again, as a family,”

“Hu huu, wuu wuu, wooo—”

What she had said should shut him up, but it turned out the crying became worse. The others had to scold him, reminding him to mind his age. As she already told them she wanted to travel light earlier, they all prepared small-sized gifts, befitting her request.

The aunties gave her their small gifts... girl ornaments, just something for her to remember. The uncles did the same, with some giving her some of their works… Crafts from the tree branches, portrait drawings of her, and little ornaments. There was even a portrait of her sleeping, with her cheek on a tree, drooling. It was colored well too, giving it life.

Who the creep?!

Embarrassed, she slapped the four-eyes uncle at least a dozen times before the others stepped in. He didn’t die, just twitching, half-conscious. He should be suffering, but his expression… was a little sus.

Dang otaku!

At least, ask for permission!

“Uncles and aunties, little Yun won’t forget all of you… It’s been fun… I hope we’ll meet again,”

She didn’t know what else to say.

As it turned out, she just said what she wanted to. While it might not seem all touching, that was what she felt. Nonetheless, the old-timers still shed tears. At the end of it, they opted for a photo together. Thanks for the good camera from the phone ‘borrowed’ from Mo Hong, they at least had something to remember with. It was a night photo, so the view was a bit blurry. However, everyone’s expression was clear for her to see…

She did not know how to comment on it, but…

Those expressions, did not lie.

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Early morning, it was still dark.

All of them sent her off, with her following the lead of her grandpa.

She didn’t want to cry, but…

“Let’s meet again, later…”

There’s dust in the damn eye.

Right. It’s not the final goodbye. All she was doing, was changing her residence. There would be no one stopping her from returning for a visit. Walking away, she reminded herself not to worry about them. She had instructed Mo Hong and Don bro to control thugs in the area, to never to harass the homeless, or anyone for that matter.

...

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“Please stop,”

The luxury Mercedes came to a stop by the roadside.

A young lady came out. With a grey sweater and long pair of black trousers, she looked like a modern-day girl, except for her shining black hair and brightly-lit pair of black eyes. They were out of this world, clearly showing her exalted status.

That pair of eyes pierced through the horizon, reaching the sight of a palace…

A golden palace.

“I know I ask for a nice place, but…”

Yun Zhi uttered, directing it to the person still inside the car.

Another door of the car opened. Elder Fang came out. With a wide smile, he seemed satisfied with his own arrangement. Standing beside her, he asked;

“Well, no complain right?”

“Elder… This palace, a 7-Star hotel? Isn’t this a bit…”

The elder had just pointed out the place over the horizon, seemingly covering the whole area. While they were still a distance away, there was no problem for Yun Zhi to scrutinize the whole place. Zooming in as if a powerful binocular, her eyes examined the details.

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In front of the golden palace, was a small lake.

This small lake had a canal leading to a much bigger lake, one which covered a significant part of the city. She could see a boat moving through the canal, bringing in some people… This early, perhaps the hotel’s staff. There was a pier on the small lake, with four boats moored.

As for the golden palace itself, it had multiple green domes and minarets, as if following either Arabic or Turkish design. Palm trees covered the whole palace’s perimeter, as though royal guards, loyal to its master. Two other buildings stood high by the side of the palace, welcoming the master.

It was still early, and the sunlight was still shy, so the palace still had its lights on.

In front of her eyes, the golden lights changed to purple. Its intensity went up and down, vibrating the whole atmosphere. Soon, it changed into green. It was like RGB lighting on a PC, but it was slower, and that PC covered the whole horizon…

Bringing a feeling of constant change, and the liveliness of the palace.

Worthy of being an asset of Shen nation.

“Wow… Rich people really know how to spend money… and there’s still homeless in the city…”

“What? Aren’t you from a rich family yourself? Should you really speak?”

“W-well…”

She criticized without looking in the mirror.

Since coming here, she was getting more and more familiar with her former memory of being a normal person, so she forgot. As the heir to the Jade Qilin Sect in a higher cultivation world, she actually had wealth even more than this whole planet… Perhaps a hundred times more.

Criticizing the wealthy? Talk about hypocrisy!

Awkward, she admitted;

“Erm, right… You’re right elder… I shouldn’t criticize so nilly-willy,”

“It’s grandpa. You already forgot your role?”

“Fine, grandpa, but isn’t this place too overboard. How much does it cost?”

“Well… not much,”

“How come? Did you abuse your power,”

“Watch your tongue,”

“Ops— sorry, m-my bad…”

The elder might be kind and shameless at times, but there were certain things he would not tolerate. Abuse of power was one of them, even as a joke. As soon as she mentioned it, his eyes turned sharp. Knowing this was his red line, Yun Zhi immediately apologized, calming his nerve.

“Hmph. What do you know? One of the hotel’s board of directors…”

“Your friend?”

“Me,”

“Owh, nice…”

Standing still in silence, both of them seemed to be in sync with each other.

The hotel, aptly called the Golden Sultan, captivated their view.

One girl, one grandpa.

Looking through the horizon, like it’s nobody’s business…

Thinking about it, will she really be living there for free?

Free stuff is dangerous…

“You know, this isn’t good for business.”

“Mind your own.”

“Elder… Erm, grandpa, I’m shameless. If you ask me to do some work to pay for this…”

“What? Do I look so stingy to you? Besides, you’re not staying in the luxury hotel,”

“Eh? You clearly pointed out…”

“It’s one of two there, the East Guard Residence,”

He pointed out.

It was one of the two high buildings which accompanied the palace, the one called East Guard Residence. While the palace itself was a 7-Star hotel, these buildings were not. They were designated as luxury residences, with the rating of a 5-Star residence. They had a similar design to the palace, though with higher floors. On top of the East Guard Residence, she could see there was some kind of tower and a water park, with slides and waterfalls…

Dang, a water park on top of a building?

Rich people really know how to waste… Opss…

She really ought to stop criticizing.

People who earned their money legally, let them do what they wish with it. As long as it was nothing criminal or morally-degraded… One’s freedom should be respected. Well, she still believed a portion should go to the less fortunate, but criticizing people without limit, would just bear bad results.

No one likes a blabbermouth, after all.

“Take this,”

“…?”

The elder handed her a thick leather envelope.

She grabbed it, checking the inside. Within, was a purse, a flip phone, a passport, some money, and a platinum card. Seeing the money with 100 dollar bills, she counted…

One, two, four…

Ten, twenty, thirty…

“So annoying, stop counting. It’s just 10k,”

“Elder… I mean, grandpa… What’s the meaning of this?”

“You’ll need some spare change just in case. What, not enough?”

“Spare change…”

The value of things in her mind got a bit off-track.

No, train-wrecked. This elder was too shameless! 10k… Isn’t that ten grand… 10,000? Since she had been living with the homeless, she learned to be frugal with things. Even a hundred-dollar bill could last the thirty of them a few days of breakfast, since they cooked themselves. And it was the healthy breakfast too, not the plain, torturous one.

Seeing her flabbergasted, the elder had a teasing smile…

“And that platinum card… One million, per year. Use it whenever—”

“Please, take them back!”

“Huh??”

“I don’t wanna freebies! Elder, please take them back… No, please take me back!”

She was horrified.

Seeing the golden palace in the distance, she dreaded it even more. It looked like heaven on earth, but… the hell… Freebies? Free residence? Free lunch? Free my ass! A classic baiting the needy strategy… You’re baiting me in for something sinister! Mofo, you think I’m easy to trick?

Like I don’t know you old fossils, always scheming!

Kneeling while crying, she pleaded;

“Elder… No, grandpa, please spare me… Little Yun is wrong,”

“W-what nonsense is this? Why are you like this!”

“This is a carrot, right? A bait… You clearly want my kidney…”

“What the heck I want your kidney for?!”

The two had a fierce exchange.

One was pleading for her life, one was scolding her that he didn’t want her sorry life. By the roadside, people looked on. A grandpa was scolding his granddaughter this early morning? How bizarre. It went on for at least five minutes, before he finally understood what she was dreading, assuring her;

“Fine, fine! I won’t ever ask you to pay back… No matter what,”

“Ehh,” Holding in her snort, she asked, “You sure, grandpa?”

“I’m sure. So stop worrying so much, haish… You worry too much for your age,”

“Fine, I’ll trust you, but… tell me your plan, grandpa. Otherwise, I won’t accept this, nor will I check-in,”

She still erred on the side of caution.

An oral promise was cheap, after all. She had wanted to ask for a written, legally-binding promise, but… she was still considered an illegal immigrant here, so what right she has to ask for that? With her asking him for his plan, the elder had no choice but to admit;

“Well… Nothing specific, really. Just say I want to sponsor you,”

“Sponsor? Like, academic sponsorship?”

“You can say that, but it’s not legally binding, so stop worrying.”

“…I see, but,” She fidgeted, worried if she might incur his wrath, “I want to decide my own future, is that wrong?”

“Aii, as I said, there won’t be any legal binding, just consider this a whim of an old man,”

“So… if I don’t want to help you if you ever ask, it’s fine? I’m a bit of a salted fish, actually…”

“Of course, of course… I’ll be bitter, but it’s fine… I guess,”

Fine, my ass! Like hell that’s fine!

How shameless can this old man be?

Eyes looking at him as if she was bullied, he sighed.

“Look, if I ever ask you something you don’t want to do, just say so. I won’t ever make it difficult for you, just cause you say no,”

“Grandpa… Are you serious this time?”

“Of course, I’m happy just having a brilliant girl like you, calling me grandpa.”

“…No lie, no tricks, no hidden clause?”

“I vow to the Heavens that I’m serious,”

He raised his hand, taking a short vow.

“Ehh, grandpa, you shouldn’t vow to the Heavens so easily… how cheap,”

“What other choice do I have? My new grandniece is a worrytart,”

“You mean, worrywart? Tart is a food,”

“Whatever, you get my message.”

Hearing his reason, she tried to calculate the possibility.

Was he telling the truth? He was attracted to her talent, her potential. And having her pose as his grandniece, calling him grandpa instead of granduncle, to show that they had some familiarity with each other… What was it called? Feeding the vanity? Making his nose and cheeks inflated? Ah, inflating the ego, was it?

Was it just because of that?

Considering his age and status, he pretty much had everything already.

But, having someone as brilliant as her, calling him grandpa, probably fed his vanity more than anything else. It was a sort of entertainment for him, pleasing him. Then, what does that make her? His sugar-grandniece?

Ugh, must I endure this humiliation?

Well, it’s nothing morally wrong, or law-breaking, so…

It’s just my pride… it hurts…

Ah right, he’s an ally…

Remembering yesterday’s notification that she had gained him as an ally, Yun Zhi sighed.

Well, having a good connection in this world where she was just a small fry, might not be so bad. Moreover, it had no downside, only upside… for now.

Remembering the side mission’s result, she still needed to redeem the mysterious gift and bonus. A private place would be nice, as there might be some colorful light or sparks coming with it. Well, who knows?

Looking at the golden palace in the distance, the view didn’t seem so bad, after all.