Era of Mist

Chapter 176: Chapter 175: Struck It Rich

’How did I end up mixed up with this group of people?’

’Flashy and utterly degenerate. No, no, I can’t keep messing around with these guys. It’s a complete waste of time. I just got here, so my main priority is to lay low. But once I’ve settled in, I have to find a way to go straight. Getting my life together is what really matters.’

Just as he was thinking this, two young men approached him. Looking closer, he saw they were the two workers in blue who had been towing the cars.

”Big Bro, you were incredible!” one of them exclaimed. He wasn’t tall, just a hair over 170cm, with a stout, honest-looking face that seemed simple and sincere. ”That was so damn impressive! You taught the Hongshun Society a lesson, from their elders down to their grunts!”

Memories dissolved into his mind. Shi Tiexin knew this sincere-looking young man was nicknamed ”Guobing,” one of his most capable men. His strengths were his honesty, stability, obedience, and willingness to endure hardship. His weakness was that he wasn’t always the sharpest tool in the shed.

Guobing was about to say more, but the tall, skinny man next to him cut him off with a laugh.

”Boss, that was quite a show! How was it? Did you get a kick out of impersonating the Police Headquarters?” This young man was 180cm tall, with long, curled, and dyed hair. A pair of sunglasses was tucked into his hairline. He had fair skin, large eyes, a high-bridged nose, and a handsome face. Though he also had permed and dyed hair, he looked much more stylish than the other grunts.

This pretty boy was named Ah Fei. Most people called him Handsome Fei, but those who knew him well called him Lanzai Fei. He was another one of the top lieutenants. This Lanzai Fei had a silver tongue, but he was also their information broker, the one with the best intel.

Ah Fei had cut Guobing off, seemingly not wanting him to broadcast something. Shi Tiexin observed quietly, saying nothing and letting them be. He walked over to the bar on his own, hoping to find something to eat.

’Being a thug was never my intention. In this timeline, what path should I even take?’

As he was pondering, a small side door behind the bar opened, and a tough-looking kid with fierce eyes and bleached-blond hair walked in. Many people greeted him, calling out ”Brother D,” their expressions tinged with fear. Shi Tiexin glanced at him, recognizing the fierce kid as Ah D, nicknamed ”Volatile D.” He was one of what could be called his Four Heavenly Kings.

Ah D gave a few perfunctory replies to the grunts, then shot a look in their direction.

Ah Fei leaned in and whispered, ”Boss, looks like Mai Ba took care of things. Let’s go check out the spoils.”

’Spoils?’

Shi Tiexin already had a good idea of what was going on.

’Might as well take a look.’

”Let’s go, you blockhead!” Ah Fei jabbed Guobing with his elbow. Guobing belatedly let out an ”Oh,” and the group slipped through the small door Ah D had opened. Ah D blocked the other grunts from following, slammed the door shut with a CLANG, locked it, and sidled up to Shi Tiexin, his voice a low rumble.

”Bro, we’re rich.”

Ah Fei immediately crowded next to Ah D, asking eagerly, ”Really? How much? Is it enough for us to go live it up?”

”Don’t ask me, I can’t explain it. Go ask that money-pit.” Ah D forged ahead without looking up. Shi Tiexin remained silent, and Guobing just chuckled happily. Ah Fei gave up for the moment and hurried forward.

It was a long, narrow passageway, no more than one and a half meters wide and two point two meters high. The paint on the walls was peeling and mottled, and the overhead lights were dim. For someone of Shi Tiexin’s height, walking through here felt incredibly oppressive.

But the passage wasn’t long. After about thirty meters of twists and turns, they reached the end. There was another small door. Ah Fei, taking the lead, hurriedly threw it open. Then, feigning the air of a European gentleman, he swept his arm out and bowed. ”Gentlemen, please~~”

A loud shout immediately came from the other side of the door. ”Is Lanzai Fei speaking that foreign gibberish again? Ignore him! Come on, over here! Everyone, come look! We’ve struck it rich!”

Shi Tiexin ducked through the small door and found himself in a place that resembled a garage. It was spacious and fully equipped, but everything was a cluttered mess. A young man was shouting excitedly. This was the last of Shi Tiexin’s Four Heavenly Kings, known on the streets by his nickname: Mai Ba.

He was called Mai Ba, or ”Sell-Dad,” because the guy had the reckless air of someone who’d ”sell his family’s land without a second thought.” He spent money like water with little restraint. Volatile D often called him a money-pit. However, Mai Ba had one talent no one else could match: even as he was spending money, he had a knack for making it, always finding some unorthodox way to get his hands on cash.

And this time, the plan had been Mai Ba’s idea.

Several cars were parked in the garage. Shi Tiexin found them very familiar; they were the very same illegally parked vehicles they had ”confiscated” today and brought back to the ”station” for processing.

The first one he saw was the very first car they had ticketed today, the one with the three-pointed star emblem.

”Whoa, just look at it! The shine, the paint job, the design!” Mai Ba circled the car, a look of pure obsession on his face. ”A Mercedes OMG! It’s unbelievably luxurious!” (In reality, however, no such car exists.)

Ah Fei and the others also gathered around, appraising the car from every angle with endless praise.

”Look at these doors! Check out this interior! And this steering wheel, the paddle shifters!” The thugs seemed to know their cars, rattling off details as if they were listing family heirlooms. ”And this chassis, this suspension... incredible! It’s gorgeous!” ”It’s an OMG, all right. Truly, oh-my-god!”

Shi Tiexin looked at the car, unimpressed at first. His past life had been too far removed from personal vehicles like this. ’Did a boy who ran everywhere he went have the luxury of paying attention to car brands?’

At most, he’d heard of a few car brands and glanced at their pictures. For instance, the Five-Prism Rainbowlight S-Class, which was said to be a legendary car.

’So this three-pointed star is called a Mercedes? It sounds a little familiar, like an ancient car company from the Old Era. A company whose history spanned the entire century of the Mist Era, and apparently a luxury brand.’ But Shi Tiexin had never seen such a car in Tumu Castle, so he didn’t recognize it at all.

’So, this is a Mercedes.’

He leaned in for a closer look. ’Hmm, it actually looks quite nice. The style is a bit old-fashioned and outdated—not even as good-looking as the new Five-Prism Rainbowlight CLS that just came out this century of the Mist Era. But a luxury car is a luxury car.’ On closer inspection, the craftsmanship was indeed excellent. It gave off the feeling that ”an old luxury car is still a luxury car.”

Shi Tiexin suddenly found himself interested in this type of vehicle and asked, ”How much is this one?”

’It couldn’t hurt to dream about a brighter future. Maybe I could buy one someday?’

Mai Ba did a quick estimate and gave a firm number. ”Over three million.”

—’My family’s broke. I’ll see myself out.’

”This OMG isn’t even the best one! C’mon, the main course is over here!” Mai Ba excitedly led them through a gap between cars and pointed at a massive, gleaming luxury vehicle. ”Look! The ten-million one is right here!”

Shi Tiexin was overcome with emotion.

’These tin boxes on four wheels cost over three million, over ten million? Besides being able to sit in them, what else are they good for?’

’Oh, right. You can sell them for money.’