Chapter 109: Who Else!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The next day, the coffee shop outside school.
MCMAU was closed during the weekends. However, for its students, it was up to them whether they wanted to rest or not.
...
Li Chengze was waiting for Fang Ping.
When Fang Ping arrived, Li Chengze quickly got up and smiled. “CEO Mr. Fang.”
Fang Ping shook his hand and smiled. “Don’t call me that, it makes me feel awkward. Just call me Mr. Fang next time.”
His company was only a small one, and he was embarrassed to hear himself being called CEO this, CEO that.
A company that was worth millions could be considered a company in a small city. However, in Magic City, such a company didn’t mean anything.
Throughout the past few days, Fang Ping had been busy with registration, faculty assignment, breaking through, and cultivation. Hence, he did not have the time to take care of his company. Thus, during that time, it was taken care of by Li Chengze.
Since it was the weekend, and Li Chengze had things to report to him, Fang Ping decided to invite him out for coffee.
After Fang Ping had sat down and ordered his coffee, Li Chengze said softly,
“Basically, the company’s platform has been built. I’ve also assigned people and completed the website as you instructed.
“Regarding sales...
“Some fast-food sites and restaurants have reached an agreement. However, as for delivery services, there are already a few established delivery companies in this university centered city before us.
“Distance Ltd is still quite unheard of. Therefore, students usually don’t look for us when they need something delivered.
“As for the e-commerce side, we’ve only received a few business offers. After all, we’re only doing it within the city and not in other places.”
The delivery business had only been carried out within the city, a university city at that. Hence, the amount of business they got was limited.
They were unlike other franchise courier companies. This was because those franchises could use the shared channel network of the courier company.
Fang Ping nodded slightly. He was not surprised.
“Let’s start the fast-food business first and then the e-commerce logistics can come slowly. There’s no need to rush.”
Fang Ping said again, “Are funds tight?”
“Yeah, a little bit.”
Li Chengze did not deny it. Fang Ping had not given him enough money, and most of it had been exhausted after the website was set up.
“Do you have any channels for selling pills? There aren’t many...” Fang Ping thought for a bit. “I have 10 Normal Vitality Pills on hand, and I don’t need them for now. We can use them to raise some funds.”
When Li Chengze heard his words, he immediately said, “Pills have always been in short supply, so it’s not difficult to sell them off.
“However, if one sells it off personally without going through official channels, its price may end up being cheaper.
“In Magic City, the maximum price to sell Vitality pills is 90,000 yuan...”
“If it’s 90,000 yuan then so be it. 900,000 yuan in funds should be enough to last us for a while.”
Li Chengze was hesitant. “Mr. Fang, when it comes to business and martial arts, martial arts should come first. It should be supplemented by business, not the other way around.
“If the resources for martial arts are cut off because of the business...”
Would it not be the reverse of how things should actually be?
Only when you have strength, will you have a good foundation. Without strength, the business will not grow big.
Fang Ping laughed. “It’s no problem. I don’t really need them since I broke through Rank-1 recently. There’s a limit to the effect of a Normal Vitality Pill.
“Not to mention, my instructor usually supplies a few pills so my demand in that respect isn’t too much.”
“You’ve broken through?”
“Yeah, just recently.”
“Congratulations!”
Li Chengze was filled with both envy and joy. He admired the fact that Fang Ping had become a martial artist at such a young age, and he was happy because with Fang Ping being a martial artist, it meant that a lot of things would be easier to manage.
After all, even if it was not much, the newly opened company had been snatching the business of other companies.
If Fang Ping was still an aspiring martial artist, it would prove to be a bit more difficult.
However, Fang Ping was now a martial artist. Not to mention, he was a student of MCMAU. Since it only occupied a small and insignificant part of the university city, everyone was tolerant of it.
Li Chengze did not say anything, but Fang Ping definitely knew there was pressure on him.
By revealing the news of his breakthrough, he had helped reduce the amount of pressure on Li Chengze.
The two chatted for a while, and Fang Ping shared some of his opinions. “Call me if something goes wrong. If you can’t reach me through my phone, come look for me at MCMAU. It’s alright if we don’t make money in the early stages. However, the stalls have to be rolled out.
“Try to open the university city market quickly. Its catering and distribution is much simpler. Moreover, there aren’t many people doing it at the moment.
“In the case of logistics for e-commerce, it’s without a doubt difficult since we’re in the early stages. But we still need to lay down the channels first before anything else.
“Once we’ve rolled out the channels in MCMAU, I can then find someone we can collaborate with.
“Since we only have a small market for items as of now, there are too many limitations. That’s why online shops and websites don’t want to get into a contract with us.”
Li Chengze hurriedly nodded. Fang Ping took out a bottle of Vitality pills from his pocket and handed it to him. After a brief thought, he said, “Sell 9 pieces. You can use the remaining one for yourself.”
“Mr. Fang, this...”
The price of one Vitality pill was not cheap. Even if Fang Ping had exchanged them at MCMAU, it was still part of his own finance.
Li Chengze had just started his job, and that one Normal Vitality pill was almost able to stand in as his salary for an entire year.
“It’s nothing. While I did say that you’ll become a martial artist within three years as long as you do well, I actually hope that you’ll become a martial artist much faster than that. After all, the sooner, the better.
“Once you become a martial artist, there’ll be no need for me to appear personally for a lot of things.
“Of course, after you’ve become a martial artist, I hope you’ll continue to work with me for three years to get the platform up. ”
“Of course. Even if Mr. Fang hadn’t said it, I wouldn’t do something like burn the bridge after crossing the river, “Li Chengze said with a serious face.
Not to say whether or not he could do it but rather if he dared.
Fang Ping had become a Rank-1 martial artist very quickly. Judging by his progress in bone-honing, it was very likely that he would reach Rank-2 or even Rank-3 fairly quickly as well.
Even if Li Chengze had become a Rank-1 martial artist, he dared not take advantage of the situation lest he wished to be a dead man.
...
After clarifying a few things with Li Chengze, Fang Ping quickly left.
MCMAU was much busier than he had imagined. It was still the training period for new students. Mainly, they were being taught some rules, and they were given necessary physical training which was similar to that of military training.
Once their training was over, the following week would then be the official start of their lectures.
Fang Ping looked at his schedule. It was almost full.
During the day, he had lectures for cultural studies and general studies. On the other hand, he had cultivation at night. There was not much time to spare.
Regarding matters of his company, he could only leave them to Li Chengze. It would have been best if they were able to earn something. However, it would not be disappointing even if they didn’t make a profit. It was just an investment.
...
Fang Ping ran straight to the logistics department. He had broken through to Rank-1 but had not reported it yet. After reporting it, he would receive 50 credits as a reward. It would have been unwise of him to waste it.
...
At the logistics department.
The moment Fang Ping reached the place, he saw people he was familiar with. Yang Xiaoman also saw Fang Ping. She smiled and said, “Hey, isn’t it the newbie king? Newbie, we’ve been hearing about you everywhere we go recently. The challenge next month, it isn’t just a stepping stone for you to continue and challenge girls next, right?”
Fang Ping laughed lightly and said, “I wouldn’t mind doing so if I could.
“Just because they’re girls, they aren’t martial artists?
“Just because they’re female martial artists, does that mean they’re weaker than most people?
“Student Yang Xiaoman, you’re wrong to think that way. You yourself are a woman, and yet you’re the one who’s undermining them.
“It’s fine for you to bring up equality in front of me. However, if that sentence had been heard by other women, they’d think that you look down on them.”
Yang Xiaoman was stunned for a while before she angrily said, “You’re the one who looks down on women! Don’t put words in my mouth!”
As she spoke, she thought about what to say next. Hence, she continued to speak without stopping, “I was just giving you a reminder, don’t let the fame of being the king of newbies get into your head!
“You managed to score first in the last faculty assignment, but that was merely because we were new students who were focused on cultivating our Vitality before this.
“Rank-1 martial artists and peak Rank-1 martial artists are not the same. People like us are rookie martial artists who haven’t been through anything before.
“Even though sophomore and juniors are Rank-1 martial artists as well, facing them is very different compared to facing us. They have more experience than us, some of them even have experience in killing people.
“If you think they’re like us, you’re clearly wrong!
“Even with the same level of Vitality, we are nowhere near the level of our seniors.”
Fang Ping nodded but replied calmly, “I know. However, it doesn’t change the fact that sophomores and juniors are still Rank-1 martial artists. It only proves my point that the problem is they aren’t skilled.
“In MCMAU, Rank-3 is considered not too shabby whereas Rank-4 is excellent, and Rank-5 are geniuses.
“In a place like MCMAU, one has an adequate supply of resources. The one third exchange rate stops at Rank-1. Hence, I don’t think they’re that terrible.”
Yang Xiaoman frowned. “Look down on your opponents and you’ll pay dearly for it!”
“Thank you for the reminder. I’ve never been scornful of anyone, but there’s just no need for excessive self-doubt.”
“Suit yourself.”
Yang Xiaoman said no more and turned to leave as she was done settling her own matters.
Fang Ping spared her a look and did not say anything else. They were not close with one another. Hence, Yang Xiaoman’s reminder could have been out of good intentions. However, it might have also been out of malice.
No one could have been sure about it.
Over-emphasizing the strength of the opponent to induce fear in oneself was not necessarily a good thing.
If one doubted themselves before a fight, they would most likely end up being nervous and make mistakes when they were in the arena. Evidently, once a mistake was made, it would all be over.
Yang Xiaoman had brought up the topic out of the blue. Moreover, Fang Ping did not know what was in her mind.
“Students of MCMAU are actually more complicated than I thought they were...”
Fang Ping said to himself ruefully. They were only freshmen. Compared to his previous incarnation, they were only a group of rookies. There was no need for them to think too much.
However, in his current incarnation, he could not help but think a lot.
“I hope I’m just overthinking...”
...
Credit Collection Office.
Fang Ping wanted to collect his reward for achieving a breakthrough. However, he was told that he needed to break through to a specific rank if he wanted to collect his reward; he could not collect it with only a breakthrough.
Rank appraisal, on the second floor of the logistics office.
The process was simple. When Fang Ping got to the second floor of the logistics office, the martial artist in charge of rank appraisal did not say much. Instead, he merely pointed to a steel plate. “Leave a trace and you’re a Rank-1 martial artist.”
“Leave a trace?”
“That’s right. How you want to do it is up to you. Bite, claw, anything is fine as long as you leave a clear trace. It just represents your possession of Rank-1 damaging power.”
“It’s that direct...”
Fang Ping laughed. The steel plate was not thick, and it was not hard to leave a trace on it.
Stepping forward, Fang Ping paused for a moment. Then, all of a sudden, his right leg came slamming down like a shadow onto the steel plate. A bang was heard!
A part of the steel plate had been dented. The rank appraisal martial artist glanced at it for a while.
“That’ll do.”
After saying so, he took away Fang Ping’s martial arts license and did some work on the computer.
“Your information has been updated. You previously had a status that allowed you to get treatment similar to that of a Rank-1 martial artist. Now, you’re a real Rank-1 martial artist. This information in MCMAU has been synched with other places as well.
“From now on, you’ll be Rank-1 at any other place. Please come and take the test again when you breakthrough to Rank-2. Tests for Rank-3 and below will be done here.”
“What about the mid-ranks?”
The person in charge of rank appraisal frowned slightly and said, “Don’t think too far ahead. Come and ask only when you’ve made a breakthrough to that rank.”
Fang Ping nodded. Not wanting to stay any longer, he quickly left the place after taking his martial arts license back.
As he left, a person came in from the side and caressed the steel plate. “There’s a certain level of killing power. However, it’s still lacking in damage because the energy is slightly unfocused. He’s a jack of all trades but a master of none,” he said.
They were almost at the same level as martial artists who had honed a limb. They were stronger than normal martial artists, but there was still some difference between them and peak Rank-1 martial artists.
After passing his judgment, the person left.
The rank appraiser had taken a look at him, but he did not say anything. After that person had left, he merely shook his head and said, “Idiot, who’d use their full power when it’s just a rank test.”
Fang Ping’s Vitality was very high. From what the rank appraiser could sense, it was no less than 240cal.
Fang Ping’s previous outburst toward the steel plate was only around 200cal.
Some MCMAU students knew how to use their brains. They did not look down on their opponents, and they knew how to use the information they had.
However, irresponsible information gathering often brought even more danger.
Showing off after having learned only a little, they would probably end up not knowing how they died.
However, such fights between students were irrelevant to the instructors. Of course, that was only if they did not involve their own students.
Evidently, the rank tester was an instructor. However, he did not have any students who were in a dispute with Fang Ping. Hence, he did not really care about the small matter.
...
Holding his martial arts license, Fang Ping received his 50 credits from the credit collection department.
It had only been one week since he got into the school, and his credits had already reached 252 points!
Not to mention, his financial status had again increased by about 1000000 Yuan!
At that moment, Fang Ping’s status was updated once again:
Wealth: 7500000
Vitality: 240cal (242cal)
Spirit: 218Hz (220Hz)
“I’m close to 10 million yuan in terms of money now. I can’t believe I was able to accumulate so much wealth in such a short period of time in MCMAU.”
Fang Ping felt glad. Enrolling at MCMAU had been the right choice.
If it was another school, they definitely would not have been as generous as MCMAU.
He thought for a while and then headed to the exchange office.
“Instructor, do you have any alloy weapons in stock?”
The instructor who was responsible at the exchange office did not raise his head. Instead, he said, “We have stock for grade E and D weapons. Those beyond Grade C have to be custom made.”
“Instructor, can I have a pair of boots custom made here? The type that has damaging strength and doesn’t feel uncomfortable when worn.”
“Yes!”
This time, the instructor in the exchange office raised his head. He smiled and said, “It’s not uncommon to see such a unique weapon. A lot of people have the same needs.
“Boots, fighting gloves, and brass knuckles, the school can provide all of these.
“As long as you have credit, we’ll help you custom-make whatever you ask for.
“For those in the lower 3 ranks, grade D and E equipment are more than enough. This is especially true for grade D alloy. Even mid-rank martial artists will find them difficult to destroy.
“As for you, since you’re a Rank-1, custom made boots with grade E alloy should be enough.
“You want to custom-make tall boots?”
Fang Ping nodded. “The kind that looks like military boots. I’m worried they might fall off if they’re like normal shoes. My main concern is that they might not be comfortable to wear.”
“Definitely not!”
The instructor of the exchange office shook his head and said, “You’ve underestimated MCMAU’s ability to create things too much. Special leather can be used to make the boots. Its breathability is excellent and so is its toughness!
“Alloy can be used to create the tip, heel, and sides of the boots. Not to forget the base which will help give the boots some durability.
“For your case, one pair of boots will require spending around 20 credits points for 2kg of grade E alloy.
“On the other hand, the leather for the boots will require 10 credit points.
“As for the fee to custom-make them, it’s 10 credit points. The total will be 40 credit points!”
Fang Ping’s mouth twitched. “You’re robbing me!”
40 credit points were the same as 1.2 million yuan outside MCMAU!
Spending 1.2 million yuan on a pair of shoes, Fang Ping wanted to ask if there was anyone else like him.
New students only had a total of 50 credits after breaking through to Rank-1. This meant that none of the new students would be able to afford them!
Even if they could afford to buy them, probably not many of them would do so.
Fang Ping had not learned any weaponry. Hence, his legs dealt the most damage. A pair of weaponized boots would be easier to use compared to unfamiliar swords and sabers.
After thinking about it for some time, Fang Ping said, “Custom-make one pair of boots for me! Also, give me grade D brass knuckles!”
“Straightforward, I like students like you!”
The instructor in charge of the exchange office was very happy. It was difficult to do business, especially when it came to new students.
Even if there had been people coming in to make an exchange, they mostly asked for pills.
As for weapons, not many were being sold at the moment.
Seeing those students spend over half a day weighing the value of merely a few credits was an eyesore for him. The person in front of him was someone who was rich as he had only taken a short while to consider spending two digits worth of credit points.
“Grade E boots take around 1 week and 40 credit points to be custom-made.
“There’s ready stock for brass knuckles. You can try and see which one suits you the best. Grade D is 20 credits per kg, and those that are custom-made are slightly more expensive.
“Some brass knuckles aren’t big, and there are some that only cost 10 credits. It would make a nice 50 credits!”
Fang Ping felt slightly pained. The reward for breaking through to Rank 1 gone just like that.
He picked a pair of brass knuckles that felt comfortable on his hands. The boots still need to be custom-made. Hence, a pretty lady from the exchange office had come to take the measurements of his legs. He was embarrassed even though he felt that his legs smelled nice.
It was a good thing that things were settled quickly. Fang Ping felt relieved and agreed to collect the boots a week later. However, at the end of it all, he was left with the thought of pain and satisfaction.
With 1.5 million yuan, he had bought a pair of shoes and a pair of brass knuckles!
Fang Ping wanted to ask, who else was like him!
The people from the exchange office could not understand Fang Ping’s out of nowhere confidence. Regarding the boots Fang Ping wanted custom-made, they were considered alright to be used in the lower ranks. However, when one reached the mid ranks, who would not have a pair that costs at least 10 million yuan?
Not only boots, would you believe if millions were required for underwear.