Lin Shi arrived at the appliance store. He bought twenty of each: rice cookers, induction cookers, washing machines, dryers, hairdryers, air purifiers, and electric kettles. For electric heaters, electric blankets, warm air blowers, and water filters, he purchased thirty of each. Next, he went to a nearby store to buy pots, pans, and utensils, all made of alloy or stainless steel.
On the 10th, Lin Shi headed to the largest mall in Haishi. Although he already had cold-weather gear for hunting and scavenging, he needed everyday clothing and additional warming items. First, he visited a home goods store, where he bought twenty sets of down comforters, twenty sets of cotton quilts, twenty woolen blankets, and twenty sets of bedding. Then, he went to a well-regarded brand store known for its high-tech insulation materials, which were said to be used by Antarctic expedition teams. The insulation properties of these garments were second only to military-grade cold-weather gear.
It was nearly spring, so winter clothes were on sale. Most of the racks had been replaced with spring collections. Lin Shi went straight to the winter section. Two sales assistants in the store were chatting idly. Since the store sold high-end products, with jackets costing thousands or even tens of thousands, it didn't see many customers. Seeing Lin Shi head directly to the discount area, both sales assistants gave him a dismissive look and continued their conversation.
After browsing for a while, Lin Shi couldn't tell which garment was the warmest, so he asked one of the sales assistants, "Which one is the warmest? I need something that can keep me warm at minus fifty degrees."
The sales assistant, who had her back to Lin Shi, rolled her eyes and turned around, saying, "All these down jackets and parkas are pretty warm."
This wasn't the answer Lin Shi was looking for. "I mean, which one is the warmest, able to withstand minus fifty degrees?"
The sales assistant muttered under her breath but walked over and pointed to a few items. Lin Shi pointed to one of them, "Can you get me an XL size to try on?"
The sales assistant, now annoyed, went to fetch the jacket. At that moment, Xu Feifei and a tall, thin man entered the store. They seemed to be regular customers, and the other sales assistant greeted them warmly.
"Mr. Li, welcome. We have some new arrivals; please take a look."
The contrast in the sales assistant's attitude was stark. The sales assistant near Lin Shi, seeing her colleague about to make a big commission, looked even more disgruntled. Xu Feifei noticed Lin Shi and called out, "Lin Shi, you're here too?"
Lin Shi nodded and asked the sales assistant to bring him the XL size. The sales assistant reluctantly went to get it. As Xu Feifei kept staring at Lin Shi, the man with her, Li Duoyu, became irritated. "Feifei, who is this guy?"
Xu Feifei, as if just realizing, replied, "He's my high school classmate."
Although Lin Shi had left them behind at the club, Xu Feifei believed that Zhao Zhi had offended Lin Shi, leading to their mistreatment. Lin Shi was wealthy and handsome, and in her mind, such men deserved tolerance. The incident where Lin Shi was kidnapped at the bank and his purchase of 25 million worth of gold bars had spread among classmates. Everyone assumed that someone who could invest 25 million in gold must have a fortune of at least a hundred million.
Xu Feifei's eyes sparkled as she looked at Lin Shi. The sales assistant brought the jacket, and Lin Shi tried it on. Xu Feifei glanced at Lin Shi again and noticed that his physique had improved, with his chest muscles faintly visible under a thin undershirt. This made her cheeks flush. She looked at the lean and lanky Li Duoyu beside her and suddenly felt that Lin Shi was more suitable for her.
She walked over to Lin Shi and complimented, "Lin Shi, you look great in this jacket."
Li Duoyu's face darkened. Lin Shi nodded and pointed to a few more jackets, asking the sales assistant, "Can you also bring me those in XL to try on?"
The sales assistant, with a sour face, reluctantly fetched three more jackets. Lin Shi tried them on, checking the fit and flexibility, as he would be wearing these for years, possibly decades. But the sales assistant thought Lin Shi was being overly picky, buying discounted items and trying them on repeatedly, which she despised.
If not for the other customers in the store, she would have been rude. Xu Feifei kept praising Lin Shi, but he found her presence annoying and was about to ask her to leave when Li Duoyu, who had been ignored, finally snapped.
"Feifei, if your classmate can't afford the clothes, I'll pay for them. Don't make things difficult for the sales assistant," Li Duoyu said, and the sales assistant shot him a grateful look.
Xu Feifei's expression was complicated. Lin Shi wasn't poor; he had invested 25 million in gold. Though she didn't understand why he was focused on discounted items, she saw it as a sign of frugality.
"Li Duoyu, don't be ridiculous," Xu Feifei said.
Seeing Xu Feifei defend Lin Shi, Li Duoyu looked at him with disdain, no longer holding back. "Ridiculous? A poor guy who can only afford discounted items."
Xu Feifei frowned, "Lin Shi isn't—"
Lin Shi interrupted, turning to Li Duoyu, "Are you saying you'll pay for me?"
Li Duoyu's disdain grew, and he gave Xu Feifei a "see, I told you" look before condescendingly saying, "Yes, I'll buy all the discounted items you like."
Lin Shi sized up Li Duoyu, "Do you have the money? Are you sure about this?"
Li Duoyu, feeling like his pride was stepped on, raised his voice, "Of course! Even if you pick more, I'll cover it!" With a monthly allowance of 300,000 yuan, a few discounted clothes were nothing. To maintain his image as a rich heir in front of the girl he liked, he could afford this.
The sales assistant, sensing Lin Shi's intention to have the wealthy customer pay, looked at him with contempt.