“Socks, pants, hairbands, hairclips! Cheap as chips, the bastard factory boss ran off with his sister-in-law, we’re selling at a loss!”
Jiangnan was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt with a Hello Kitty cartoon pattern on the chest. Below, he had on baggy shorts and small flip-flops, sitting on a low stool, shouting with passionate fervour. His enthusiasm was like a blazing fire!
“Hey! Miss, fancy some pants? Dirt cheap, ten quid for two!”
The passing girl hesitated, glancing at the stall.
Then she looked at Jiangnan, around seventeen or eighteen, sunny and handsome, a proper fresh-faced lad, staring at her expectantly. Her face flushed even more…
“Pfft! Shameless!”
Jiangnan was stunned, quickly calling out, “Miss, don’t go! Even if you don’t want pants, check out the hairbands and hairclips!”
How was he shameless?
Was selling pants not a proper business?
Did selling pants make him less of a respectable trader?
Jiangnan felt like crying, having shouted for over an hour, his throat hoarse, and still no sales!
If he didn’t make a sale soon, his family wouldn’t even have enough to eat, and rent was due.
Jiangnan was practically dying of worry.
“Yo! Isn’t this the South God from Jiangcheng No.1 High School?”
“Awakened with spatial powers, the great genius! How’s he ended up setting up a stall at Jiangcheng Night Market?”
Jiangnan looked up to see a girl in a crop top with a bob haircut, arm-in-arm with a tall boy, mocking him with a smile.
He frowned.
Li Muyan?
Just his luck, running into a classmate!
“Blimey! Spatial powers? Love, you’re not joking, are you? I heard one of the three Heavenly Path powerhouses in our country has spatial abilities! Him?”
Li Muyan smirked, “Exactly! When he awakened his spatial powers in Year 10, it caused a right stir in Jiangcheng!”
“That Heavenly Path spatial powerhouse came to see him in person, even wanted to take him as a disciple!”
Wang Lin was gobsmacked, “Then why’s he here running a market stall?”
“Heh, you don’t know. South God’s awakened ability may be the rarest spatial type, but his talent test came back as the lowest E-grade!”
“That Heavenly Path powerhouse was stunned, totally put off, and left. With that rubbish talent, he’ll never reach Bronze level in his life!”
Wang Lin’s expression was priceless, “Bloody hell, what a weirdo!”
Jiangnan, fed up, rolled his eyes and said, “Are you two buying anything? If not, bugger off! Don’t mess with my business!”
Wang Lin sneered, kicking the socks on the stall, leaving a clear shoe print.
“What’s that? We didn’t say we weren’t buying! That’s no way to do business!”
Jiangnan stared at the shoe print on his socks, his frown deepening, but he flashed a bright smile, “Get your girlfriend some sheer silk pants, perfect for the evening!”
Li Muyan’s face turned red, and she stormed forward, kicking the stall’s goods into a mess.
“Watch your filthy mouth! Do you know who my Wang Bro is? A strength-type awakener, from Jiangcheng Spiritual Martial University!”
Jiangnan scoffed, “Ooh, I’m terrified! I thought his dad was Wang Gang or something!”
Wang Lin snapped, “What’s a stinking stallholder like you acting cocky for? Useless git!”
“What’s wrong with running a stall? I’m earning my keep!” Jiangnan stood his ground.
“Earning? Today, I’ll make sure you can’t even eat!”
With a sinister grin, Wang Lin swung a fist at Jiangnan’s head, the force so great it stirred up a gust of wind.
Ripples of spatial energy surged around Jiangnan, and he teleported half a metre back, barely dodging the punch.
But he was utterly drained, sweating buckets, as if all his strength had been sapped.
This startled Wang Lin.
Bloody hell, he really had spatial powers?
But so what?
“Still dodging?”
Another punch flew, smashing into Jiangnan’s jaw. Weakened from the teleport, Jiangnan collapsed to the ground, head spinning.
“Pfft!”
A mouthful of blood splattered onto the stall cloth.
[Bui! Blood detected, Ultimate Stall System initiating fusion!]
[Fusion successful, granting stallholder one stall cloth, one small stool, and one ten-draw lottery!]
[Would you like to draw?]
What the heck?
Jiangnan, knocked flat by a punch, was dazed.
Since when did running a stall come with a system?
A ten-draw lottery? Would it give him some SSR-level shrine maiden or something?
[Would you like to draw?]
…
[Asking again, would you like to draw?]
…
[Are you bloody drawing or not?]
Jiangnan: “???”
Why’s it getting stroppy? Fine, I’ll draw!
[Lucky Wheel, ten-draw lottery commencing!]
[Thank you for participating!] Consolation prize: one Junior Strength Potion!
[Thank you for participating!] Consolation prize: one Junior Strength Potion!
…
After nine “Thank you for participating” messages, Jiangnan’s face darkened. As expected, ten-draw lotteries were a scam!
[Congratulations, you won!] One Marrow-Cleansing Spirit Fruit.
[System inventory unlocked!]
Jiangnan checked the system inventory: nine Junior Strength Potions and one Marrow-Cleansing Spirit Fruit.
[Junior Strength Potion]
Effect: Increases user’s physical strength tenfold for three days and nights!
[Marrow-Cleansing Spirit Fruit]
Effect: Purifies essence, enhances user’s talent and aptitude.
Jiangnan’s eyes lit up. That consolation prize Strength Potion sounded impressive!
He pulled one out from the inventory.
“Duang!”
A water dispenser bucket filled with liquid appeared on the stall.
Jiangnan blinked.
Bloody hell! That’s a “bottle”?
Did the system misunderstand the concept of a bottle?
Truly a miracle of strength!
“Hmph! Spatial powers? Big deal. Can’t even take one punch, South God? What a joke!”
Wang Lin was smugly taunting Jiangnan, sprawled on the stall, relishing the thrill of domination.
The sudden appearance of the “bottle” caught him off guard.
“Hold your gob for a sec!”
Jiangnan unscrewed the “bottle” cap, boldly lifting the bucket and chugging it.
Wang Lin: “???”
What’s going on? Mid-fight…
What, mate, you getting thirsty from the beating?
Drinking from a bucket?
As the Strength Potion went down, Jiangnan felt a cool sensation on his scalp, a surge of immense power erupting from deep within.
His physical strength increased tenfold!
Setting the bucket down, Jiangnan threw a punch like a dragon, aiming straight for Wang Lin’s stomach!
The force was so great it caused a sonic boom.
Wang Lin, unprepared, took the hit.
“Bang!”
Wang Lin’s face contorted, eyes bulging, feeling like he’d been hit by a lorry. He spewed a mouthful of bile!
Jiangnan’s punch sent him doubling over like a prawn.
“Σ_(???」∠) Urgh! What kind of freakish strength is this?”
Li Muyan was stunned, ignoring Wang Lin, who was curled up like a shrimp.
What she’d just witnessed was too… too bizarre.
“Jiang… Jiangnan, you! How’d you go bald?”
Jiangnan froze, instinctively touching his head.
Smooth as a cue ball…
Bloody hell!
Where’s my hair?!
My hair!
Bald? Not a single strand left!
“System! Where’s my hair?”
[Please, stallholder, don’t fuss over minor details!]
Details?
My glorious locks are a detail now?
What kind of dodgy Strength Potion is this? Sure, it’s powerful, but it makes you bald?
So…
I’m bald, but stronger?
