The man in the black coat dared not ask further and turned to leave.

……

Unknowingly, time passed to March 15th, International Consumer Rights Day.

Henry Parker spent a hundred million and enjoyed the rights of a consumer.

He stood up!

Chapter 7 Upgrade: Starting with Hotpot

Jincheng is filled with fireworks, everywhere red buildings selling wine.

Sitting and watching drifting clouds cross the Jade Fortress, walking and watching flowing water ripple over golden sands.

The Jincheng described in the poem is also called Rongcheng, the capital of Western Sichuan, the number one city of Shu Mountain.

This metropolis, with a population of over twenty million, is exceptionally prosperous, full of beautiful women, and its cuisine is second to none.

In this era, food has a new definition, usually referring to those foods that, after absorbing spiritual energy, are rich in energy.

Henry Parker, who hadn’t eaten or drunk for seven days, survived solely on the spiritual fruit that opened his meridians.

He had been starving for a long time, so the first thing he did after being discharged from the hospital was to have a hearty meal.

He hailed a cab and went to Ling Yi Guo.

This hotpot restaurant keeps up with the times, and its food is anything but ordinary.

Every evening, all eight branches of Ling Yi Guo in the city are packed with people.

Some of the ingredients in this restaurant are supplied through special channels, making it hard for ordinary people to buy the same ingredients, so they have to come here to eat.

The customers who come to Ling Yi Guo are not only cultivators who absorb spiritual energy, but also ordinary people chasing their dreams.

Experts on TV have long said that if ordinary people eat spiritual meat and spiritual fruit for a long time, they might awaken a spiritual root.

And it’s true—every year, a few lucky people at Ling Yi Guo awaken their spiritual roots while eating.

The fat guy often comes to eat at Ling Yi Guo, hoping for luck to strike, but every time, fate is not on his side.

Now that he has overcome his difficulties, he can finally experience what it feels like to improve his cultivation by eating hotpot.

There are fewer customers at noon, so the fat guy didn’t need to queue for a number and found a seat by the window.

He borrowed a charger, plugged in his phone, and first checked his friends’ messages.

Among them, the one from Alice White was the most straightforward: “That blood demon, the reward is fifty thousand. The rat demon was particularly nasty, so I got you a hundred thousand reward. The money’s been sent, take care of yourself. I’ll call you if there’s another mission.”

Henry Parker opened his online banking and, sure enough, there was an extra 150,000.

The bonuses from the Public Security Bureau are all tax-free.

The fat guy’s little stash now had 285,000.

So far, no department had come to investigate the source of his wealth.

Feeling relieved, the fat guy scanned the code and ordered his meal with the confidence of a rich man.

He ordered a serving of spiritual beef, a serving of spiritual beef tripe, a serving of spiritual duck blood, a serving of spiritual goose intestine, a serving of spiritual pork belly, a serving of spiritual rice, and a serving of spiritual spirit-channeling fish.

With everything done, he sent a group message to several friends, acting all high and mighty: “Friends, I’ve awakened! I’m going into seclusion for a while. Wait for my glorious return.”

Soon, Alice White sent an excited voice message: “You finally awakened! Have your old injuries healed?”

Henry Parker replied even more boastfully: “A complete rebirth, like a brand new body—never been injured at all.”

Alice White replied instantly: “That’s great! Take me with you in the future.”

The fat guy became modest: “I’m just a one-star spiritual root. It’s safer if you lead me.”

Alice White replied: “No need to be modest. Even when you were an ordinary person, you were already stronger than anyone. Now that you have a spiritual root, you’re bound to do great things.”

Henry Parker said happily: “Brother Shan Feng, you really are my talent scout. I just can’t say no to a man with such good judgment.”

Alice White sent an angry emoji holding a kitchen knife: “Say that again!”

The fat guy, desperate to survive, replied: “Slipped hand, typo! I can’t say no to a woman with such good judgment.”

Alice White finally let him off the hook. They chatted a bit more, expressing encouragement and expectations.

Soon, another friend, marked as 【Old Carter】, sent a message: “When you come out of seclusion, let me witness your terrifying strength.”

Henry Parker replied: “Old Carter, I often can’t keep up with your thinking. How did you figure out I have terrifying strength?”

Old Carter typed back: “After knowing you for so many years, I’ve often wondered—without a spiritual root, you were already so unreasonable. Now that you have one, how high will your ceiling be?”

What Old Carter meant was pretty much the same as Alice White.

Every cultivator has their secrets. None of his friends asked Henry Parker what kind of spiritual root he had, nor did they inquire about his cultivation techniques. They sent their blessings and encouragement in their own way.

Henry Parker felt warm inside. There were still a few people in this world who cared about him, even though he was all alone.

At this moment, Alice White sent another message: “By the way, after awakening, did you lose any weight?”

The fat guy boasted: “I checked when I was discharged—I lost eight jin, and now I weigh exactly 100 kilograms.”

Alice White sent a disdainful emoji: “A two-hundred-jin fatso, what are you showing off for?”

The fat guy showed off even more: “The doctor said my hypothyroidism is cured. As long as I keep exercising and lose the fat I’ve gained over the past six years, I can return to my peak.”

Alice White replied: “Keep it up! When you succeed in losing weight, I’ll buy you a drink.”

The fat guy couldn’t keep up: “What does drinking have to do with losing weight?”