Chapter 7 - 7: Rich Boy

"Ugh…"

The heat of the sun caused Yun Hao's sweat to trickle as he strolled in the market. It didn't help that the weight of the bag that he has been carrying for more than half a day now weighed as much as him.

His eyes, which were still half asleep, made him look as if he was dealing illegal drugs and hiding them in his huge backpack. But in truth, the dark circles around his eyes were from not being able to sleep due to his little experiments.

It was real.

He really had the power to duplicate coins, no. He had the power to do more than that. He tested the limits of his powers-- and the result?

One-- he had to be physically in contact with the object that he will duplicate.

Two-- Instinct. There wasn't any learning curve at all, it was as if he could do it naturally with just the snap of his fingers, or just by saying it-- almost like an extension of his limbs.

Three-- The duplicate emerges from the original. It was as if a droplet of water falling on the ground, splitting on impact. Except with his powers, the volume of the object doesn't depreciate at all.

Four-- The more complex the object was, the harder it was to duplicate. He tried duplicating the old lock to his house, but the result was disappointing, to say the least. The lock was not biting and closing at all, and the key did not even fit the keyhole. He presumed it was because of the small intricate parts that were inside of it.

Five, and probably the most important one-- Big objects are a no-go. He tried duplicating one of the big slabs of metal that was near his house, and he almost lost his life in the process, or at least that is what it felt like.

It was as if his whole body wanted to collapse; as if he was hit in the chin cleanly by another boxer. And the worst part of it all?

He wasn't even able to duplicate it.

After that fiasco, it took an hour for him before he could even lift himself up-- he was not doing that again… but it wasn't over.

Six-- his power had a limit, or at least his body has. After he duplicated the large slab of metal, he was only able to duplicate one more coin before his nose started to bleed and he became light-headed enough to almost collapse again.

And that was it, if there were any other considerations to take into, then he would have to discover it along the way. Right now, he had more important things to do-- distributing his money.

Come morning, even without sleep, Yun Hao decided to go to a local bank to deposit some of the coins first. However, as he emptied one of the bags he was carrying, the tellers were already giving him odd looks.

They asked him where he got all of the coins, what his job was, how old he was, and some other questions regarding his personal life. At first, Yun Hao was a bit nervous, but he was assured that it was just standard procedure for those who were creating a new bank account.

And so, Yun Hao just told them that he got it from working and that it was his few years of savings from washing up cars.

And that was that-- he was able to get out of the bank scot-free, with now a bank account of his own. Of course, he still has more coins inside his bag, but Yun Hao thought that it might not be the best idea to deposit it there, he figured it would be best to go to a different branch some other day.

Yun Hao had been looking at his back ever since he got out of the bank, trying to see if anyone was following him-- He thought that the authorities would be after him for suspicious activity, but it would seem that once again, his worries were unfounded.

With the Cultivators roaming around, perhaps Yun Hao was the least bit of their worries. After all, their money came from all over the place, and they don't even ask them too much where it came from. After all, they were either from Beast Cores or from other… underhanded deeds.

And now, Yun Hao proceeded with his other plan-- to exchange his coins with the local vendors for a full bill; and so far, he's been successful. The market vendors were even eager to exchange their bills for his coins as they needed it for change.

The vendors were scared stiff at first because they thought that Yun Hao was some kind of cultivator gangster who was loaning money due to his stature and the scar on his face. But by the end of it, some were even telling him to drop by again if he gets any more coins.

From that statement, Yun Hao could not help but let out a chuckle. What would they even do if they knew that he still had a mountain of coins inside his house?

This was Yun Hao's plan. To go to different branches of his bank and to different markets. It was the most solid plan he could think of, given the current situation. He needed the coins gone as soon as possible...

...he only hoped that no one notices what he was doing.

And finally, with his bag much lighter than it was before, he was done for the day. He rested on a nearby bench, calculating everything he got so far in his head, and the number almost made him choke to death.

Including the one he deposited in his bank-- he should have about $8,000 now. This was more money than he ever had in his life; to think the coins he exchanged today didn't even make a dent towards the mountain of coins he still had left in his house.

It would probably take a month or two before he could clean everything.

$8,000 in a single day.

It was official, he was rich as fuck.

"..."

"Ha… ha… hahahahaha!"

Yun Hao could not help but let out a burst of crazed laughter as he imagined all the money he would have by the end of it. With all the money he will have, perhaps it was time for him to become a cultivator, and maybe even have the chance to recover the sight of his left eye.

The people in the market looked at him as if he was some kind of crazy person. It didn't help that he pulled back his hair, revealing the huge scar that adorned his beautiful face. Without a doubt, he looked like a gangster now.

"Aha, I envy the poor. Even with no money, they find the time to laugh."

Yun Hao's laugh was only disrupted by an annoyingly familiar voice that suddenly passed through his ear. Yun Hao closed his mouth, as he looked in the direction of the voice, only to see some of his classmates in front of him.

The group continued to laugh as they hurled insults upon insults towards Yun Hao. Even the surrounding vendors could not help but click their tongue towards the group's rude display. If only they were Cultivators, then they would have surely killed these youngsters by now for offending them, the poor.

When Yun Hao had heard enough, he quickly stood up. His domineering and towering stature instantly silenced the air as he looked down on his classmates, literally.

With this, the group instantly realized their mistakes-- they weren't at school. Yun Hao could possibly take them into an alley and beat the shit out of them.

"W… wait," the group slowly backed away as they left their stuttered breaths, "We… we're going to be cultivators soon… are… are you sure you want to offend us!?"

"..."

And as soon as they said that, Yun Hao let out a scoff before taking his bag and walking away. That's right, even if they were outside, it didn't mean that Yun Hao would just instantly beat them up, if he did, he would still be expelled if someone reported him.

Knowing this, the group finally let out sighs of relief. And before Yun Hao could fully get away, one of them called for him.

"Hey, champ. I and the boys are meeting girls today, want to come?"

"What?"

As soon as the group heard one of them say that, they quickly pulled him back. "What are you thinking? We can't possibly take someone as lame as--"

The person who offered Yun Hao to come with them quickly covered his friend's mouth. "Sshh… this would be a good chance to humiliate him, remember the video scattering around?"

"...Right!"

And as if a spark ignited in their eyes, the group nodded at each other.

"That's right, champ. It might be a good chance to meet some ladies since your girlfriend just dumped you."

"Pft."

The group once again burst out in laughter as they once again took a jab at Yun Hao. They were going to a very fancy restaurant, and obviously, Yun Hao would not be able to even afford a single drop of water there.

The group's eyes waited in anticipation if Yun Hao was going to take the bait.

"We will treat you to make up for our words here."

"Sure, I haven't eaten yet anyway."

Success! The group all thought as Yun Hao agreed to go with them. This was going to be a fun show, they all thought…

....not knowing that the man in front of them right now had $8000 sitting in his pocket.