Chapter 529: Chapter 345: Buying Insurance, Choose ’Ping An’! [End of the Month, Asking for Monthly Tickets!]_2
"Back Street is one of the most chaotic and dangerous neighborhoods in East City, filled with all sorts of illegal activities and underground transactions. It is a gathering place for the lowest echelons of Lower City and a hiding spot for many resistance groups and crime syndicates."
"You could look at Back Street as a microcosm of Red Moon City."
Wang Zhengyi and Yan Chuan walked through the dim, narrow alleys, with shop fronts that were either bright or shadowy, and cheap housing on both sides—some high, some low. People glanced out from narrow windows along the alley, observing passersby, either on guard against enemies, sizing up clients, or simply picking out target sheep for the slaughter.
Yan Chuan relaxed and looked around, seeing many young men passing by who appeared to be local gang "hooligans," with those of a higher rank referred to as "thugs." They, together with the Patrol Office officers, formed the district’s black and white sides, opposing but also involved in various shady dealings, ultimately forming a strange balance.
Ahead.
A few hooligans entered a shop with an extremely small storefront; each person came out holding one or two small cards, then sat against the wall on the street, scratching the cards with metal objects like iron rings.
"This is—"
Yan Chuan had a strong sense of déjà vu.
Wang Zhengyi, having some knowledge, explained to Yan Chuan: "’Red Moon City’ once had an Artifact Refiner fond of crafting all sorts of strange Exotic Treasures, called ’Fu Cai.’ This refiner had no other flaw but a penchant for gambling, often losing the money before it even warmed up. One day, he whimsically invented an Exotic Treasure capable of producing various small cards. The patterns and text on these cards could be set via the Exotic Treasure and covered with a special material, making each card identical before the coating was scratched off and hard to differentiate..."
Yan Chuan understood!
These ’small cards’ were just like the ’Scratch Cards’ of his previous life!
This ’Fu Cai’ was truly a genius!
By issuing ’Scratch Cards’ through an Exotic Treasure—known in ’Red Moon City’ as ’talisman treasures’ or small cards—it was akin to privately manufacturing and issuing ’Scratch Cards,’ guaranteeing a win with no loss!
The premise is—
The law of this world must allow it.
Of course, Earth in the previous life did not.
As for this world, in Red Moon City—
"Wealth stirs people’s hearts!"
"Fu Cai, a mere gambler, yet possessing such an Exotic Treasure, how could he have met a good end?"
"Details of Fu Cai’s demise are unknown, but after he quietly vanished, various urban districts of Red Moon City began to have shops specializing in the sale of ’talisman treasures’; the big bosses behind them might be district gangs, the police station, or even the ’Generals’ and ’Leaders’ of major districts."
"In short, personal issuance is absolutely not allowed."
Wang Zhengyi introduced it, smiling at Yan Chuan: "Do you want to try your luck?"
He really could!
Yan Chuan was quite interested; he took a twenty-coin bill from Wang Zhengyi’s hand and bought a ’talisman’ from the ’talisman shop’—
’Talisman treasures’ in Red Moon City weren’t flashy and colorful like ’Scratch Cards’ of his former life; they were gray on both sides, with one side having a hammer pattern and the other a sickle pattern, these being the coatings.
Beneath the coatings on both sides were eighteen images each, including a knife, gun, sword, halberd, axe, yataghan, hook, fork, trident, staff, spear, club, whip, mace, hammer, claw, cudgel, and meteor. Wherever a pattern matched, it was worth twenty coins; match two, forty coins; match three, eighty coins; and if all matched, it was 5 million coins!
Get rich overnight!
Yan Chuan held the ’talisman treasure,’ not hurriedly scratching it, but repeatedly examining it, conceding, "The material, the craftsmanship, and the anti-counterfeiting measures on it—"
Yan Chuan shook his head, realizing that ordinary craftsmanship could neither break nor replicate it.
Moreover—
"With black and white dual control, private issuance of ’talisman treasures’ is prohibited. Upon discovery, family destroyed and people dead; who would dare to mess around?"
While Wang Zhengyi was tempted, he did not expect to issue ’talisman treasures’ in Red Moon City, but to take them back to Tan Valley Royal City, back to Great Yan, and legally replicate the process. As long as the winning probability was set moderately—for example, selling 10 billion worth of ’talisman treasures’ while setting prizes at only 100 million—a single attempt could earn 990 million!
Faster than robbing banks!
But unfortunately: "Red Moon City relies on Exotic Treasures to manufacture and issue ’talisman treasures,’ immune to replication and breaking, impossible to learn."
The ’talisman treasure’ may look simple, but it also harbors an ’Core Technology’ difficult for outsiders to discern and an unimaginable ’technology barrier.’
Wang Zhengyi just thought about it.
But Yan Chuan was different—
"If ’Fu Cai’ could create such an Exotic Treasure, I have ’Treasure Rock,’ and as long as I find the right direction, trying and reinforcing it repeatedly, it might work!"
Yan Chuan’s eyes brightened slightly.
If he could enhance a treasure similar to ’talisman treasures,’ he needn’t exploit ordinary people’s hard-earned money; he could entirely issue ’Essence Stone Version Talisman Treasures,’ control the probability, and rake in essence stones!
"Once I grasp the manufacturing process, I can entrust distribution entirely to various contractors and merchants, for instance, the court owning seven king cities, and each of the Six Great Sects has one or multiple king cities; every king city is a massive ’talisman treasure market,’ I can entirely sell production ’talisman treasures’ to them in bulk at 9.3 or 9.2 discounts, letting them sell in all the king cities."
"They earn the small head!"
"I earn the big head!"
"Overflowing with riches!"
Yan Chuan was excited.
Fifth-Rank Treasure Basin yields 3,000 jin of essence stones per month!
A single Earth Gate could earn thousands in price difference!
But, compared to the ’talisman treasure’ capable of scouring the pockets of an entire populace, it was all petty in comparison, all far off the mark.
"Talisman Treasure!"
"Scratch Card!"
"This is the real ’Gathering Treasure Basin,’ the ’money printer,’ the endless ’Refined Stone Vein’!"
Yan Chuan was about to make a fortune!
...
"No win!"
Wang Zhengyi craned his neck to watch Yan Chuan scratch the ’talisman treasure,’ seeing no pattern aligned, he couldn’t help but grin.
Though the odds of a jackpot with ’talisman treasures’ were extremely low, the odds for smaller prizes were attainable; Yan Chuan didn’t even win a small prize, indicating his luck was quite average.
Wang Zhengyi laughed.
Just then—
"Ahhh!"
"I won! I won!"
"Five million!!!"
Yan Chuan and Wang Zhengyi quickly turned their heads at the sound to see a disheveled young man gripping a ’talisman treasure’ and shouting like mad.
He won!
Five million!
Both Yan Chuan and Wang Zhengyi, with sharp eyes, indeed saw that the young man’s ’talisman treasure’ matched all the images of the eighteen weapons on both sides.
It was indeed the first prize!
It was indeed five million!
But—
"This young man hasn’t practiced martial arts, just a commoner; sudden wealth might not be a good thing." Yan Chuan looked around, seeing streets, alleys, and residential buildings and inns up and down, casting greenish glances.
Five million in riches!
A child carrying gold through the city!
How could this end well?
Yan Chuan did not think it would end well for him.
But he hadn’t thought it through—if winning ’talisman treasures’ meant danger, how many ordinary people would foolishly be willing to spend money to buy more?
"Hey!"
"I am ’Liu Hong,’ senior consultant of ’Taiping Association,’ here’s the ’Guardian Package Meal’ from Taiping, available in nine high to low levels, any of them catch your eye?"
Liu Hong, with the back of a bear and the waist of a tiger, walked with the agility of a dragon.
Yan Chuan, with a glance, discerned: "At least Limit-breaking Fourth Grade!"
This ’Taiping Association,’ what’s its deal?
Yan Chuan was about to inquire Wang Zhengyi.
Suddenly.
Another gentle voice chimed in, as a woman gracefully swooped in, brightly smiling at the winning young man: "Among first-line security organizations, my ’Life Insurance Association’ charges the least and offers the best service, little brother, interested in hearing more?"
Bam!
Before the woman’s words had even fully left her lips, a rumbling sound echoed, as yet another burly man descended from the sky—
"Liu Hong!"
"Sister Hui!"
"You guys sure arrived fast!"
The burly man was bare-topped, his voice booming as he introduced himself: "I’m Lei Meng, senior consultant at ’Ping An Association’!"
He looked at the winning young man, grinning: "Buy insurance, choose ’Ping An Association’!"
...