Song Shi Cheng was currently examining the result of his accomplishment with great interest. Although he was only rewarded with a single Destiny point for retaining Ye Wen Cheng, the system had given him a pleasant surprise by unlocking the [Mall] function!
The character has successfully passed a minor trial, the [Mall] function is now being unlocked. Please exchange Destiny points for the items.
Song Shi Cheng pressed the [Mall] icon and three categories appeared on the virtual screen that he could choose from.
[Permanent-Effect]: Items that grant a permanent effect.
[Skills]: Items used to gain skills.
[Temporary-Effect]: Items that grant a temporary effect.
Unfortunately, his fervor to shop was dampened soon after as if he had been splashed with cold water. The items he could buy across the three categories could be counted with his two hands.
"Can this even be considered a mall? You can't even call it a small stall," he said.
Song Shi Cheng frowned obviously discontent. A window popped up with an explanation. The items available for purchase are restricted to only items the character can afford to pay for with their Destiny points.
Even the menu options were discriminatory! After all the effort he had put in, the only items he was allowed to view were those which had a price of 8 Destiny points or less. He wasn't even qualified to view any of the items which were priced higher than 8 Destiny points.
On a positive note, at least, he wouldn't end up yearning for things he couldn't afford. After Song Shi Cheng corrected his mindset, he started to review the items he could afford. He eventually managed to pick out two items which had piqued his interest.
The first item was from the [Temporary-Effect] category. Its name was Wang Ba [1] Jelly and it was priced at 2 Destiny points.
"Isn't this Guilinggao? [2] If that's the case, why give it such an appalling name then?" Song Shi Cheng asked.
He was staring at the square-shaped jelly on the screen. He could only smile bitterly after reading the item's introduction. He had an idea of how the appalling name came about now.
[The main ingredient of Wang Ba Jelly is the shell of a thousand years old Wang Ba turtle and hallowed ground smilax china [3]. The shell of a thousand-year-old Wang Ba turtle allows the user to exude the aura of a Wang Ba. For a short period of time, the user will have a huge boost to his charm and clout. The hallowed ground smilax china helps to purge the filth from one's body. For a short period of time, it will allow the user to leave a favorable impression and establish a sense of intimacy with others. This essential medicine will be your best friend during business negotiations.]
Song Shi Cheng was speechless. It made him think about the standard plotlines in some novels. The protagonist would be idolized by all his younger brothers while attracting the hearts of all the beautiful girls in the surroundings because of this so-called Wang Ba aura.
Simply put, he would be able to enjoy the privileges of a protagonist for a short period of time after eating the Wang Ba Jelly. Song Shi Cheng couldn't help but curse such a cheating system while he was browsing through the rest of the items. The system had only shown him items that were currently useless to him.
The [Skills] category was totally empty. It was pretty obvious the cheapest item in that category required more than 8 Destiny points. As for the [Permanent Effect] category, there was only one item inside. However, this item had made Song Shi Cheng's heart race. He felt like he had just picked the winning lottery numbers.
[Golden Scale Tonic is made from an ancestral recipe of the Zou family. After consumption, the user won't feel tired regardless of how much intercourse he has. If used consistently, the item can even strengthen the body and prolong the user's life. This is an essential item for those who intend to start a harem.]
Fuck! He thought.
He could finally sleep soundly. He had been anxious all this time after being rendered impotent by the protagonist, Ye Tian. The [Mall] had offered him a great tonic and it was an item tailored just for him. The keyword here was Golden Scale. It made him recall his research on sex back when he was a teen. Was this the miracle drug used by the important supporting characters during sex?
No matter what, the most important part was that it could cure his current illness. When he was about to press the Redeem button, Song Shi Cheng turned stiff. He had finally looked at the number of Destiny points required to exchange for the item.
It was plain ludicrous! The tiny bottle of medicine actually required 8 Destiny points! Song Shi Cheng was suddenly in a predicament. He wanted the item but at the same time, he feared the misfortune that might befall him in the future if he used all his pathetically limited Destiny points.
He had nearly died when he had only 7 Destiny points. One could imagine what might possibly happen to him once he no longer had any Destiny points at all. Before he could even become the world's most successful celebrity, he would have been struck dead. He wouldn't even be able to embark on this journey.
After staring at the screen for a very long time, Song Shi Cheng's head was hung low when he finally closed the screen with a sigh. What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over.
He just had to let it be for now. It was not like he was in a hurry to do those sorts of things. He should just compliantly complete the missions given to him, accumulate Destiny points and slowly filled up the large hole he had dug for himself.
Since Song Shi Cheng was wallowing in his sorrow, he didn't notice the door being pushed open gently or the beautiful lady arriving in front of his bed.
"What? Has Young Master Song lost all his vigor after the fall?" she said.
Song Shi Cheng lifted his head when he heard the taunting voice. He was petrified when he saw who it was. The woman standing in front of him had well-defined, delicate facial features. She was wearing a professionally tailored office suit that fit her body well. Beneath it was a white shirt. The top two buttons had been left unbuttoned and revealed her fair skin.
She gave off the appearance of a beautiful, young, and charming urban lady with a slight hint of maturity. Song Shi Cheng was not scared because she was beautiful but because he was attempting to make a quick guess about which female character she was in his novel.
"Could it be what they said was true? The concussion caused some brain damage?" She said smiling playfully.
She was wearing a pair of crystal high heels. She walked towards the sofa in an elegant manner and sat down.
"I'm doing quite well. It's just that my reactions are still a bit slow. Oh yeah, my mom just left. Didn't you bump into her outside?" Song Shi Cheng said.
He could only test her carefully to try to figure it out.
"I did see her, but I didn't greet her since she was walking fast as if she had somewhere to be," she said.
She crossed her legs and casually took out a pack of ladies' cigarettes from her handbag. She lit one for herself and it seemed she planned to light another for Song Shi Cheng.
"Right, you never got used to smoking a ladies' cigarettes," she said knowingly.
Song Shi Cheng was speechless for the second time today. He had already concluded this woman was not the novel's heroine. It needed to be said that all the heroines in his novel were conservative and possessed the three positive values. This also meant she wouldn't have a smoking habit.
"At any rate, we're in a hospital ward. Don't you think smoking is inappropriate?" Song Shi Cheng asked with a bitter smile.
"Oh, I didn't expect you to be so conscious about the rules," the woman said with an odd smile.
She exhaled and a puff of smoke filled the area in front of her.
"I'm just worried we'll get reprimanded if a doctor drops by to check on me," he said.
From the conversation they were having, he could at least determine that she was a friend of Young Master Song. The woman burst out laughing after she heard those words as if she had heard the funniest joke ever. She leaned back after she stopped laughing and took another drag of her cigarette.
"Reprimanded? Why don't you try finding someone in this hospital who will dare reprimand me? I would like to know who would have the courage to do so. After all, this hospital belongs to my family. What's there to fuss about if I smoke?" she said confidently.
What type of situation was this? She's Chen Guo Tao's daughter too? He thought.
There was such a character in his novel. Not only that, but she was also the woman Young Master Song was engaged to!