Bertram was momentarily stunned but quickly understood. This matter involved the Olson Family, and Officer Nelson wanted to take all the credit for himself.
As the police chief, if he could seize this opportunity and get close to the Olson Family, his career might take a significant leap forward.
In the political arena, sometimes all it takes is one breakthrough to pave the way for a smooth ascent.
Bertram's mind began to race. He could either accept Officer Nelson's proposal and receive a reward or refuse and have some of the credit fall on him, bringing him into the Olson Family's radar.
If he were an ordinary student, he might not agree. But who would pass up the chance to connect with the Olson Family?
"So, Chief, what kind of reward can you offer me?" Bertram asked.
Officer Nelson's eyes lit up. There was hope!
"Young man, at your age, your martial arts skills have already reached F-level. Your talent must be at least E-level. But judging by your clothes, you don't come from a wealthy family. So, I am willing to offer you 10,000 Dawn Coins as hush money," Officer Nelson said sincerely.
Wow! Is this what a city police chief is like? Rich indeed! Bertram was surprised.
He had scrimped and saved for over a decade and only managed to gather 2,000 Dawn Coins. Yet, Officer Nelson was talking in thousands as if it were nothing.
But this was definitely not the chief's limit.
"30,000 Dawn Coins!" Bertram countered.
With the Dawn Coins and the insights from the life simulation, his cultivation would improve rapidly.
"Deal!" Officer Nelson said with a straightforward smile.
Bertram: "..."
These old foxes, it seems my limited perspective has constrained my imagination of wealth.
Officer Nelson pulled out three ten-thousand-dollar bills from his pocket and handed them to Bertram. Bertram also noticed two more ten-thousand-dollar bills in Nelson's pocket. The upper limit should be fifty thousand.
I'm still too young.
Bertram made a mental note of the two ten-thousand-dollar bills.
"Pleasure doing business!" Officer Nelson said with a smile.
"Young man, just come to the station and report that you lost 30,000 Dawn Coins. Coincidentally, a kind middle-aged man found and returned them today. You can now retrieve your lost money and go home!"
"Thank you so much for your help, Officer Nelson. You guys are truly the guardians of the people!" Bertram said with a smile, pocketing the 30,000 Dawn Coins before leaving the police station.
On his way home, Bertram felt a surge of excitement.
Not only had he resolved the future crisis and reshaped his destiny, but he had also unexpectedly gained a large sum of money.
Spending this money on his martial arts and supernatural abilities would undoubtedly lead to significant improvements.
As for the idea of losing a small amount to gain a larger benefit and giving up the credit for connecting with the Olson Family...
First of all, as a mere informant, how much credit could he really claim? It all depended on how others saw it, meaning any benefits would be at their discretion.
Secondly, and most importantly, these were kidnappers bold enough to abduct the daughter of the Olson Family. Who knew what kind of background the mastermind behind them had?
Officer Nelson might not fear those guys, but that didn't mean Bertram, an ordinary student, could afford to be fearless.
Bertram didn't want to see in his next simulation: "The mastermind behind the Olson Family daughter's kidnapping, resentful of your tip-off, took you out on a dark and stormy night!"
Although it was just a simulation, don't forget that the experiences and insights gained from it could be reflected in his real life after reshaping his fate.
The longer he lived, the more experience and insight he would gain.
This would accelerate the improvement of his current abilities.
So, in the face of such danger, it was better to let Officer Nelson take the lead while he quietly developed his strength in the background.
Bertram returned to the shop where he had previously purchased the flesh and blood essence of extradimensional creatures.
"You're back? How was the blood essence last time?" The shopkeeper greeted him warmly.
"The blood essence was great last time, so I want to buy more this time!" Bertram, now flush with cash, went straight for the blood essence.
"Oh?" The shopkeeper was slightly surprised. In his impression, Bertram was just an ordinary student. He thought Bertram had spent all his money yesterday to make a final boost to his strength before leaving this doomsday city.
That was a common practice among many graduates.
But now it seemed that might not be the case.
"Just in time, I have a new batch of blood essence. This batch is of exceptional quality, coming from an F++ level Golden Moses. It's more expensive than the regular blood essence, costing ten thousand Dawn Coins per unit!" The shopkeeper held up one finger.
Even with Bertram's newfound wealth, hearing the price made his heart skip a beat. A standard complete blood source cost only 5,000 Dawn Coins, but this one was double that.
However, excitement quickly followed. An F++ grade Golden Moses, not just the highest grade within the F category, but also a creature with metallic attributes as its name suggested.
Absorbing such a blood source would not only rapidly enhance martial prowess but also benefit the practice of swordsmanship, bladework, and other weapon arts.
Especially for those with a special martial physique related to metal weapons, it would be incredibly advantageous.
The shopkeeper had recommended this Golden Moses blood source immediately upon seeing him. Could it be that the shopkeeper had noticed something special about him?
Bertram stared at the shopkeeper, who smiled mysteriously.
Probably not, he thought. The shopkeeper was just an ordinary store owner. It was likely just a coincidence.
"Do you have any White Source besides the blood source?" Bertram asked cautiously.
White Source was a mental energy cluster produced by extradimensional beings, the best supplement for psychic training.
"Oh? White Source, I didn't expect you to be training in both martial arts and psychic abilities!" The shopkeeper looked surprised.
Bertram thought it must be a coincidence.
"As for White Source, I do have one. It comes from a Moonwatching Ape. You should know, the Moonwatching Ape is adept at mental prowess, known for its ability to control its mind and meditate under the moon," the shopkeeper continued.
"But, the price for this White Source is quite steep, 13,000 Dawn Coins!" the shopkeeper said with a smile.
What?! Bertram thought he had a lot with the 30,000 Dawn Coins he got from Officer Nelson. However, when aiming for high-quality blood and White Source, it seemed his money wouldn't stretch far.
"How about this, one Moonwatching Ape's White Source and two Golden Moses blood sources for a total of 30,000 Dawn Coins?" Bertram, feeling the pinch in his wallet, tried to negotiate.
"Negotiating won't work; this is already the lowest price!" The shopkeeper said with a slight smile. "But you can put it on credit. You owe me three thousand Dawn Coins!"