Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The taxi pulled up outside Renhe Store, and the three men soon stepped inside its bustling entrance.

“Welcome, gentlemen!” Two hostesses greeted them with synchronized bows, their curvy figures accentuated by crisp uniforms.

“Uh…”

Wang Lei and Wang Teng, usually boisterous and fearless, instinctively ducked behind Chen Mo at the sight of the polished, professional greetings.

“We’ve reserved Private Room Five,” Chen Mo said calmly, ignoring their antics.

Private rooms cost an extra fifty yuan on top of the regular bill—staggering for an era where a bowl of noodles cost three yuan and a full meal barely thirty.

As they followed a waiter down the hall, Wang Teng muttered, “Brother Mo, private rooms are for groups of ten or more. Spending fifty yuan for just the three of us feels wasteful.”

“Exactly,” Wang Lei chimed in. “You can’t throw money around like that! Fifty yuan’s almost our entire monthly bonus!”

Chen Mo smiled. “Relax. Times are changing. Soon enough, we’ll be millionaires—hell, billionaires. This’ll seem like pocket change.”

The two exchanged confused glances.

Inside the private room, Chen Mo flipped through the menu handed to him. “Fragrant bamboo shoot and pork belly, new-style vegetarian roast goose, Renhe abalone, crystal shrimp, goose web noodle soup, and braised ox feet. That’ll be all for now.”

“Coming right up, sir.”

As the door closed, Wang Teng leaned forward. “Bro, those dishes sound fancy. How much will this set us back?”

“Four or five hundred yuan,” Chen Mo replied casually.

“Four hundred?” The brothers recoiled in unison. That was nearly their combined monthly salary!

Wang Lei placed a hand on Chen Mo’s shoulder. “No offense, but you’ve got six grand saved up. Spend it like this and it’ll vanish in a month! You’ll get used to luxury, then where will you be when the money runs out?”

Chen Mo’s chest warmed. These were true brothers—unlike the fair-weather friends of his past who’d vanish the moment trouble hit.

“You’re right,” he said. “Six thousand won’t last long. But what if we had six million?”

The brothers blinked.

Seizing the moment, Chen Mo leaned in. “I invited you here for more than dinner. I want to partner up and make money in Dnf.”

“Dnf? What kind of business?”

“Tortoise Titles,” Chen Mo said, lighting a cigarette. “You saw their HP regeneration stat today—it’s unbeatable. Right now they’re selling for forty thousand Gold Coins, but that’s a bargain. Nobody’s noticed their true value yet.”

His eyes gleamed. “We buy every Tortoise Title at the current price, then sell when the market realizes their potential. Low risk, high reward.”

Wang Lei’s jaw dropped. “You’re right! That regeneration alone’s worth millions! One title alone could net tenfold profits! Multiply that across thousands in the server—”

His enthusiasm died as quickly as it rose. “Wait. Each title costs three yuan. Stockpiling even one server’s worth needs three thousand yuan. For the entire game… we’d need at least thirty thousand! Where’s that kind of money coming from?”

“And how do we even collect titles across all servers?” Wang Teng added. “We’d need characters in every region!”

Chen Mo’s grin widened. “I’ll handle the funds. As for the accounts—” He turned to Wang Teng. “I need you to recruit people. Set them up in internet cafes—I’ll cover the costs. Have them create characters and grind to level forty. I’ll pay forty yuan per account.”

“That’s too generous!” Wang Teng protested. “A max-level Dnf character’s barely fifty yuan. Forty for level forty? Factor in free cafe time, and twenty yuan per account would be fair.”

“Generosity buys speed,” Chen Mo countered. “The longer we wait, the higher the risk of someone discovering the Tortoise Title’s secret. Compared to the profits, this is nothing.”

The brothers exchanged looks.

“You’re right,” Wang Lei admitted. “I hadn’t considered the time factor.”

Just then, the six dishes arrived. Without the appetite for alcohol, Chen Mo poured everyone a glass of 1982 vintage wine.

He raised his glass. “To endless turnover. May our goods move like wheels, turning small investments into massive returns!”

The clink of glasses echoed in the room.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end