As soon as Wang Haoyu confirmed his return to reality through the system, his vision blurred. When he could see clearly again, he found himself back in his rented apartment.
"Could it be that after getting electrocuted in the kitchen, someone brought me home?" Wang Haoyu wondered to himself as he looked at the familiar surroundings of his rented house.
He pulled out his phone and turned it on, discovering that the battery still had about half its charge. Shortly after powering it up, a few missed call notifications appeared.
Among the notifications, there were two from friends, one from his mother, and one from the head chef.
He called his mother first, reassuring her that he was doing well and there was no need to worry.
Wang Haoyu came from a poor family in a rural area under T City. He had given up on going to university after high school and instead came to T City to work, hoping to support his family. He also had a younger sister who was still in high school. Wang Haoyu had taken up a job as a chef to ensure his sister could continue her education.
Afterward, Wang Haoyu called the head chef, his mentor, to let him know he was safe. From the conversation, he learned that after he was electrocuted a few days ago, he had been taken to the hospital. However, due to the restaurant being busy, everyone had hurried back. When they returned to the hospital later, they found he had disappeared, and his phone was unreachable.
"It seems I might have accidentally traveled to the apocalypse from the hospital," Wang Haoyu thought to himself after hearing the head chef's explanation.
The head chef, who had also been his mentor, had treated him well. When Wang Haoyu first started in the kitchen and the head chef learned about his difficult family situation, he had helped him a lot. That's why, after calling his mother, Wang Haoyu immediately thought of his mentor.
The reason Wang Haoyu was so eager to return from the apocalypse was that he was anxious to find out whether the system was truly useful. Only by confirming this could he set his goals for the future.
Wang Haoyu's family was poor, and even with his current job, he wouldn't be able to make them wealthy. But now, he had the ability to travel to the apocalypse and possessed the *My World* system. This gave Wang Haoyu, who had been living a dull and monotonous life, a glimmer of hope and motivation.
His thoughts shifted, and Wang Haoyu took out a few magic crystals from the system's storage space. It wasn't until he held these crystals in his hands that he felt the apocalypse was no mere dream.
Technology in the apocalypse was far more advanced than in the real world. If he could bring that technology back to reality, Wang Haoyu knew his future would be bright.
But there was a problem—how could he acquire that high-level technology from the apocalypse? In the end, he would need to secure resources, and those resources required a significant amount of magic crystals. With his current strength, there was no way he could obtain the enormous quantity of crystals needed.
And what was the apocalypse most lacking? Supplies!
Food, medicine, luxury items...
In short, any consumable was in short supply in the apocalypse. Now that Wang Haoyu had the ability to travel between reality and the apocalypse, these shortages were no longer a concern.
However, when he thought about his bank account—after sending money home the previous month, he only had about a thousand yuan left—Wang Haoyu shook his head. These funds weren't enough to buy much, even in the real world, let alone in the apocalypse. If he wanted to bring a large amount of supplies to the apocalypse, he first needed a stronger financial base in reality.
He paced around the room, and eventually, his gaze fell back on the magic crystals in his hand. As he stared at the brilliant blue crystals, a spark of inspiration lit up in his mind.
...
Jace Jewelry was one of the top three jewelry chains in T City. Half an hour later, Wang Haoyu stood in front of one of Jace Jewelry's branch stores.
"Welcome to Jace Jewelry, sir. Is there anything specific you'd like to look at? I can help you with an introduction."
The female clerk at the entrance greeted him with a polite smile as she saw him enter.
Jace Jewelry, known for its premium selection, was one of the most prestigious chains in T City. Its products were expensive, and the store was quite empty due to the high prices.
The clerk's enthusiasm visibly faded when she noticed Wang Haoyu's plain and slightly dirty clothes. Her initial excitement was replaced by disappointment, as she judged him to be someone who couldn't afford anything.
"Do you buy jewelry here?" Wang Haoyu asked after scanning the store.
This was his first time entering such a high-end jewelry store, and as he looked at the dazzling pieces on display, he couldn't help but marvel at the extravagance of the wealthy. But he had a purpose for being here, so he didn't linger on the jewelry.
"We do, but we only accept items from legitimate sources." The clerk's tone became more condescending, her disdain barely concealed.
"Is she seriously treating me like a thief?" Wang Haoyu thought to himself as he glanced down at his worn-out clothes and chuckled wryly.
His time in the apocalypse had left his clothes tattered and dirty, and he hadn't had the chance to change them after returning to reality. These clerks, who were used to serving the rich and powerful, clearly looked down on him.
"Is the manager here?" Wang Haoyu asked again, not bothering to get upset with the clerk.
"Our manager isn't someone just anyone can see, especially looking like this," the clerk muttered under her breath, though Wang Haoyu heard her.
Upon hearing this, Wang Haoyu was ready to leave. There were three major jewelry chains in T City, and if this one didn't work out, he'd simply try another.
"What's going on here?" A man's voice interrupted.
Wang Haoyu turned to see a man walking out from a door behind the counter. The man, dressed in a suit, approached upon noticing the situation.
"This man said he wanted to see you," the clerk said, casting a disdainful glance at Wang Haoyu.
"Alright, Xiaoli, you can assist other customers. I'll handle this one." The man in the suit waved the clerk away and sized up Wang Haoyu.
"How can I assist you, sir?" He asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice after noticing Wang Haoyu's appearance.
"I'm here to sell some jewelry," Wang Haoyu replied, getting straight to the point now that the manager had arrived.
"Oh? What kind of jewelry do you have? Let's take a look," the manager said, slightly skeptical.
"Here, please have a look at this." Wang Haoyu took out a magic crystal.
"This is..." The manager inhaled sharply as he stared at the crystal in Wang Haoyu's hand.