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nChapter 378: Little White Rabbit, Tidal Surge Core

nTranslator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

nThis was a very basic stall, with a layer of burlap spread on the ground, and some items neatly arranged on the burlap.

nThe location of this stall was extremely unfavorable, as it was neither close to the main street nor nestled in an easily noticeable corner. Moreover, there were no scenic trees to provide shelter, leaving it exposed to the intensifying rays of the already scorching sun.

nFortunately, there was a white sunshade umbrella set up, which provided a bit of relief underneath, making the area slightly more comfortable.

nThe stall owner was a petite female player, not very old. When she saw Ji Chen approaching, her eyes lit up, and she wanted to greet him but seemed a bit shy. This awkwardness, coupled with her slightly chubby cheeks, made her appear somewhat cute.

nSeeing her nervous expression, the chubby player persona that Ji Chen had taken on revealed a friendly smile. “Why did you set up your stall here? The location is quite poor. If 1 hadn’t taken a closer look while passing by, 1 might not have noticed your stall here.”

nThe chubby-faced player with a babyish appearance looked a bit distressed. “1 wanted to secure a better spot for my stall, but I arrived too late. When 1 got here, all the good spots were already taken, so I had to settle for this secluded place.”

n“Haha, but at least you brought a sunshade umbrella. Without it, you’d be suffering in this scorching sun.”

n“I think so too.” The chubby player looked outside the sunshade umbrella at the intensifying sunlight and sheepishly touched her head.

nAs if sensing Ji Chen’s friendliness, she gathered her courage and said, “My forum username is ‘White Umbrella’, but you can just call me Umbrella.

nOh, by the way, have you spotted anything you like?”

nJi Chen nodded, and his gaze scanned the stall, quickly focusing on an irregular, ice-blue crystal in the corner.

nThis crystal was only the size of two fists, but its color was remarkably pure, giving off a feeling of being from the ocean.

nUpon seeing Ji Chen’s interest in the crystal, White Umbrella quickly introduced it.

n“This beautiful crystal was something I stumbled upon while resupplying fresh water on a small island during one of my sea voyages.”

n“There’s nothing particularly special about this crystal other than its exceptionally attractive color. It’s also quite hard and can be used as a decorative piece. However, if you use it for carving, it’s also an excellent material.

nThe price, I’ve already thought about it, 20 gold coins… How does that sound?”

nJi Chen looked at her with a completely open expression and couldn’t help but be stunned.

nWasn’t she being too honest?

nWhite Umbrella was the most innocent player he had ever seen, directly revealing the cost of the crystal.

nOther players typically tend to create a touching narrative about the challenges and difficulties they faced in acquiring a crystal like this.

nSeeing Ji Chen’s stunned expression, White Umbrella thought that the price might be too high, and her face showed a bit of panic. She quickly said, “Is 20 gold coins too much? How about 15? No, 20 gold coins should be enough.

n10 gold coins is the lowest price I can go, or else 1 won’t be able to cover the next voyage’s ship fee.”

nSeeing her on the verge of tears, Ji Chen sighed and directly took out a handful of gold coins from his backpack and put them into a small bag for her. “This price will do.”

nTaking the bag, White Umbrella hesitated for a moment, then opened it to take a look.

nInside were a small pile of round metal coins, the universal Aureus gold coins of this world. She didn’t know how many were in there, but it was definitely more than 20.

n“This is too much…”

nJi Chen waved his hand indifferently. “Take it,” his words carried an air of no refusal.

nWhite Umbrella pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and then put the gold coins into her bag. She immediately handed over the crystal with both hands.

nThen, she earnestly bowed and said with gratitude, “Thank you, big brother.”

nJi Chen nodded and then put the crystal into his bag. Without any further delay, he turned and walked away.

nThere was nothing else here that caught his attention besides this crystal.

nAs he walked on the road, he pondered.

nEven though their interaction had been brief, it was easy to see White Umbrella’s distress.

nShe most likely had lost her territory. Players who lost their territory lost all the privileges that came with it. Apart from retaining some of the system’s limited functions, they were hardly different from the indigenous inhabitants.

nAmong these players who lost their territory, those who managed to adapt well, like Luo Yang, could rely on the properties they acquired through various coincidences to live a somewhat comfortable life.

nThen there were those who adapted somewhat less successfully, like Monkey Gift and Monkey Gift Hair. They could still make a living by taking on missions and tasks, relying on their skills, courage, and adaptability.

nLastly, there were those who lacked both the necessary skills and courage and found it challenging to adapt to their surroundings. This group represented the most disadvantaged players, often struggling day by day just to meet their basic needs.

nSeeing her so grateful for a few gold coins, it was clear that she belonged to the last group.

nThese gold coins might not even be enough for a few drinks.

nBut after some thought, Ji Chen shook his head.

nHe realized that he might have become too accustomed to dealing with large sums of gold coins, causing his sense of value to become unbalanced.

nFor example, the twenty gold coins White Umbrella quoted might seem like a small amount, but in this world, it was already considered quite substantial.

nEven considering the relatively high prices in Maple City compared to other places, if one wasn’t purchasing expensive items but merely using gold coins for their daily necessities, this amount would be enough to live comfortably for half a month.

nBy this standard, the thousand gold coins that Monkey Gift and Monkey Gift Hair had mentioned earning from a reconnaissance mission, split between the two of them at 500 gold coins each, would be enough to sustain them for one or two years..

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