Chapter 111: The Golden Secondary Position

Hastily, Ye Chen sent a message to his elder sister, Jian Qingcheng, informing her about the intercity transaction. As expected, it drew her serious attention. Given the gravity of the matter, she ordered all members to immediately log off and convene a meeting to devise a strategy. Being the only person privy to the incident, Ye Chen was naturally the first to log off.

He exited the game, removed his VR headset, and went straight from his bedroom to the living room. Jian Qingcheng and the others were still en route back to the city, so it would be some time before they arrived. His stomach rumbled; when he went to the kitchen, he found only cold steamed buns. Feeling flush with newfound wealth, Ye Chen promptly called for delivery—red-braised pork and crystal pork knuckles. No more boxed lunches for him now that he was flush with cash.

The girls from the studio hadn’t logged off yet, but the delivery arrived first. Ye Chen, unusually generous, ordered enough for fifteen people, leaving the delivery guy gasping for breath. He paid with a flourish, tossing three hundred gold coins as if they were thirty thousand, leaving the delivery guy stunned by his grandeur.

Just as Ye Chen was about to indulge his appetite by placing the dishes on the table, a dozen girls swarmed out in a frenzy. Upon seeing the spread, they cheered exuberantly, barely sparing Ye Chen a glance, and immediately launched an assault on the pork knuckles and other dishes. Even Jian Qingcheng and the second sister were no exception. Seeing the plate in front of him snatched by the second sister, Ye Chen quickly snapped back to reality and joined the fray. The sumptuous dinner was devoured completely in just over ten minutes, leaving Ye Chen marveling at the voracious appetites around him.

“Hmm, Ye Chen, where did you get the information you mentioned just now online? Is the source reliable?” Jian Qingcheng asked with poise, wiping the corner of her mouth and sipping water. She no longer bore any trace of the gluttonous expression she had earlier when devouring the crystal pork knuckles.

“Yeah, yeah,” the second sister muttered, biting hard into an apple and mumbling indistinctly. After swallowing, her speech cleared: “If the information isn’t trustworthy, selling all our gold coins would be problematic.”

“The source is very reliable. It was Ling Tong, the chief auctioneer of Night Hua Liujin, who personally told me. And I also...” Ye Chen began.

“Ling Tong? How do you know that sly fox? Hmph, stay away from her. That little vixen only knows how to seduce men. There have been countless men who’ve been duped by her,” the second sister interrupted sharply as soon as Ye Chen mentioned Ling Tong.

“Hehe, second sister, you’re just sour grapes because you can’t get any. You’re jealous that your idol fell under her spell, aren’t you?” Li Yuetong teased from the side.

“Nonsense.”

“I’m not lying, it’s that so-and-so.”

“If you say one more word, I’ll tear your mouth apart.”

...

Ye Chen watched as the topic spiraled further away, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Fortunately, Jian Qingcheng was present to maintain order. Seeing the situation, she immediately interrupted their bickering: “Silence! Listen to Ye Chen—this is a matter concerning the studio’s future. If the news is true, we might even capitalize on it to improve our lives. And neither of you will have a share.”

Jian Qingcheng held absolute authority in the studio. The second sister and Li Yuetong obediently fell silent, though they continued shooting glances at each other.

“Ye Chen, continue,” Jian Qingcheng said, placing her hand on her forehead, signaling him to proceed.

Ye Chen nodded and went on to explain the details of the intercity transaction. Naturally, all sources pointed back to Ling Tong; he wasn’t foolish enough to mention 2058. Before finishing, he added a warning: “Within three days, the gold coins must be sold off. It’s best to act quickly. Longteng and other families will surely get involved soon, and unexpected changes could occur.”

Jian Qingcheng frowned lightly. “Night Hua Liujin is backed by Mingzhu International. This group has close ties with the Shenlin authorities, so it’s not surprising to get such insider information. But why would Ling Tong share this with you? Could there be some hidden agenda?”

“No!” Ye Chen shook his head firmly. “If it were only Ling Tong’s information, doubts might arise. But the news from 2058 is definitely accurate. Since I can’t disclose 2058, I have to rely on Ling Tong. As long as you believe that Ling Tong wouldn’t deceive me, it’s fine. Besides, Ling Tong’s auction house needs my elixirs as the highlight items. They’re trying hard to curry favor with me and telling me any false information would only harm them.”

“Ling Tong’s faction trying to befriend you? Little Ye, you wouldn’t have sold the Ghost Soul Elixir, would you? Or has she taken a liking to you?” The second sister gave Ye Chen a strange look that made him uneasy—there was something odd about her expression.

“Not the Ghost Soul Elixir. I wouldn’t dare sell something that dangerous; I might end up harming myself. All I sold were products from the third-level alchemy technique,” Ye Chen explained.

“Third-level alchemy? As far as I know, advancing in secondary professions is very difficult. Your progress is quite rapid,” Jian Qingcheng praised.

Ye Chen gave a wry smile. It was all due to throwing money at it. Without funds, this money-burning profession would be impossible to sustain.

“What kind of products come from third-level alchemy? The items showcased at the auction must be quite extraordinary, right?” Ling Yue asked curiously, along with the other girls turning their eyes toward Ye Chen.

“One is a mid-level Strength Pill that adds 30 points of strength, another is the Spirit Awakening Pill that instantly restores 300 magic points, and the last is the White Tiger Elixir, which grants 1.5 times experience for those below level 25.” There was no need to hide these. Ye Chen had even kept a few as souvenirs for them.

As his words fell, the living room suddenly fell into silence. Ye Chen lowered his head, idly spinning a glass cup on the table. The only sound was the glass rotating quietly.

“What are you all doing—” Before Ye Chen could finish, a pale hand gripped his arm tightly, causing him pain. It was Jian Qingcheng, the cold beauty now utterly devoid of her usual aloofness, her face brimming with excitement.

“Ye Chen, you can create such incredible elixirs with just third-level alchemy?” Jian Qingcheng’s voice trembled.

“Didn’t you get a title that boosts your alchemy success rate when you crafted new elixirs before?” Drunken Scent asked, cheeks flushed.

“How do you know that?” Ye Chen asked, puzzled.

Jian Qingcheng and Drunken Scent exchanged a glance, both wearing expressions of delight.

“It’s the Golden Hidden Secondary Profession. Only those with the Golden Hidden Secondary Profession receive additional titles when crafting new products,” Ling Yue answered excitedly on their behalf.

“Golden Hidden Secondary Profession? What does that mean?” Ye Chen was momentarily stunned.

“Golden Hidden Secondary Profession manifests in two ways. First, the items produced have extraordinarily powerful attributes. Second, and most importantly, when crafting new products, the Golden Hidden Secondary Profession grants title bonuses that significantly boost success rates. This advantage becomes especially pronounced after level four, making it the king among hidden secondary professions,” Jian Qingcheng explained solemnly.

“Little Ye, tell us—how much did you sell those elixirs for? There must have been some big sales at the auction,” Drunken Scent asked with a smile.

“Forty-five White Tiger Elixirs sold for 1,500 gold, fifty mid-level Strength Pills went for 2,000 gold, and four hundred Spirit Awakening Pills fetched 3,200 gold.”

The hall fell silent again, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“What about costs? How much did they cost you?” Jian Qingcheng’s tone grew a bit urgent.

“The White Tiger Elixir costs 9.5 gold each in materials, the Strength Pill is the same, and the Spirit Awakening Pill costs 3.5 gold. Let the data girl calculate it for you,” Ye Chen said, pointing to a bespectacled, intelligent-looking girl beside Jian Qingcheng.

The data girl, Zhao Ruocheng, was the studio’s ace at calculations. To Ye Chen, she wasn’t just a brain; she was like a quad-core computer. As expected, the moment Ye Chen finished speaking, Zhao Ruocheng adjusted her glasses and quickly said, “The costs for White Tiger Elixir, Strength Pill, and Spirit Awakening Pill amount to 1,400 gold, 1,400 gold, and 455 gold respectively, totaling 2,255 gold. The total profit is 4,445 gold.”

Hearing those numbers, especially the total profit, all thirteen girls, including Zhao Ruocheng, gasped. Four thousand four hundred forty-five gold equated to nearly ninety thousand yuan. In just half a month in the game, the studio’s total income hadn’t even matched what Ye Chen earned from one round of alchemy.

The second sister’s eyes sparkled with stars. She looked at Ye Chen as if he were a giant gold coin. Suddenly, she crossed her arms, pressing her ample chest forward, blushing, and shot Ye Chen a flirtatious look. “Little Ye, why don’t you marry your sister? I can play games, keep you warm in bed, and have a great figure. You only need to give me a casual 100,000 gold in pocket money every month. How about it? What a bargain!”

Ye Chen shuddered at the thought of 100,000 gold and quickly shook his head. “No, no, second sister, please spare me.”

Seeing Ye Chen resist the temptation, Drunken Scent huffed indignantly, lowered her arms, and quickly regained her usual demeanor. She flipped from affection to coldness faster than turning a page—truly a witch.

Ye Chen ignored her and turned to look at Ling Yue, who was beaming with joy, her cheeks flushed and utterly adorable.

Jian Qingcheng had by now regained her composure. She ignored the flirtatious glances exchanged among the girls and pondered seriously for a moment. “Given this, Ling Tong’s information is likely accurate. This matter will be entrusted to the data girl. But to be safe, we should sell eighty percent of our gold coins and keep twenty percent in reserve. Even if prices drop, they won’t plummet immediately. We can sell the remaining twenty percent later, minimizing losses. Furthermore, if the intercity transaction really happens, it might be an opportunity. Data girl, please conduct an evaluation on this over the next few days to see if we can make a profit.”

No one objected to Jian Qingcheng’s decision. Seeing the studio was preparing, Ye Chen refrained from further comment. Once everyone dispersed, he returned to his room. It was still before nine o’clock, so naturally, he logged back into the game to continue his efforts. Besides, he had a dungeon run planned with Longteng and Zhanxing at midnight.

…

The auction segment has now concluded. Although this transitional chapter may not have been very thrilling, the new arc, the Southern Wilds Demon Domain, will begin soon.

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