Shadow curled his lips and said discontentedly, “What kind of talk is that? My sect is known as the Immortal Esoteric School, and just the various secret techniques in the Archive Hall number over ten million. If you can master the pharmacological knowledge I possess, even if you don’t amount to much in the future, you could still become a pharmacist. Excellent pharmacists are extremely rare in the universe, and their income is unmatched by any other profession.”

He lightly tapped the trade button, and moments later, the image of a young man appeared on the light screen. This man looked to be in his early twenties, with features not much different from those of an Earthling, except his eyes were a bit smaller, like two yellow beans.

“May I help you with something?” the young man asked.

“I want to buy that second-hand Wind-Fixing Ring.” Brian Carter deliberately emphasized the words “second-hand”—a psychological hint: “This is used, don’t expect to sell it at a new item’s price.”

“Oh, that ring may be second-hand, but it’s in great condition, not a scratch on it. How about eight thousand starcoins?”

Brian Carter shook his head. “That’s too expensive. At Sulong Trading Company, rings like this only go for nine thousand starcoins, and those are brand new. They’ll even cover the shipping.”

“All right, let’s call this a friendly deal between us—seven thousand five hundred starcoins, and that’s the lowest I can go.”

“Friends should show sincerity. The patterns on your ring are obviously a bit excessive, and who knows how well it actually works? I can offer seven thousand starcoins at most. Any more, and I might as well buy a new one.”

This ring wasn’t actually a Wind-Fixing Ring at all, so naturally the patterns were different. The young shop owner was well aware of this.

The young man thought for a moment, then said, “You really know how to bargain. Fine, as you say—seven thousand starcoins.”

A level-two Wind Eye Ring worth two hundred thousand starcoins was actually bought by Brian Carter for just seven thousand. Shadow couldn’t help but praise him from the side, “I see you have a real talent for being a shrewd dealer. How did you know the new rings at Sulong Trading Company sell for nine thousand starcoins?”

Brian Carter tapped to confirm the transaction, then took out a Hongtashan cigarette and put it in his mouth. “I didn’t know.”

Shadow was left speechless. So it was all made up by Brian Carter.

……

After buying the medicinal ingredients and the Wind Eye Ring, and paying for shipping, Brian Carter had only 1,437 starcoins left in his account.

The official exchange rate between starcoins and Federal credits is 1 to 10,000. So, over 1,400 starcoins is over 14 million Federal credits!

And that’s just the official rate. Rumor has it that on the black market, the exchange rate has reached 1 to 12,000.

Brian Carter decided to exchange all his money for Federal credits. After visiting the most expensive internet café on Earth twice, plus some daily expenses, there was less than 100,000 left on Brian Carter’s credit card.

The Endaro Star System Bank has only one branch in the Earth Federation—the New York branch. To withdraw starcoins, you have to go to New York in person.

Packing a simple bag, Brian Carter headed to Beijing Airport.

Federal A-class citizens don’t need to book flights. All major airlines will arrange immediate boarding for A-class citizens—no waiting, board as you arrive. This is one of the privileges of A-class citizenship.

……

Beijing to New York flight, first class.

Brian Carter sat in a spacious seat, holding a glass of champagne brought by the flight attendant.

This seat was unbelievably wide, and could be fully reclined—no problem even if you wanted to sleep.

There were only a dozen or so passengers in the huge first-class cabin. Next to Brian Carter sat an elderly man of about seventy, his face full of wrinkles, wearing large black-rimmed glasses, exuding a gentlemanly air.

On his left hand was an aluminum alloy briefcase, securely handcuffed to his wrist with a shiny pair of handcuffs. Who knows what valuables were inside.

“Smoke?” The old man offered a delicate pure silver cigarette case.

Brian Carter smiled slightly, politely waved his hand, and pulled out half a pack of the cheapest Hongtashan from his pocket. “Sorry, I only smoke Hongtashan. I’m not used to anything else.”

The old man looked quite curious—clearly, he had never seen such a cheap white-and-red cigarette before.

“Is this cigarette any good?”

Brian Carter handed him one, and lit one for himself. “It’s not a good cigarette. I’m just used to the taste.”

The old man lit up, took a puff, and immediately started coughing. He quickly stubbed it out and took a few deep breaths. “I’m really not used to this taste—rather spicy.”

Brian Carter said nothing, taking a heavy drag and swallowing a cloud of white smoke. The taste of this low-quality tobacco wasn’t pleasant, but Brian Carter was deeply attached to it.

“Young man, what’s your surname?”

“Brian Carter. And how should I address you, sir?”

“Andrew Rockefeller.”

Rothschild!

The Rothschilds are said to be the number one financial family in the Earth Federation, their wealth beyond measure—calling them richer than nations is no exaggeration.

It’s said that in the old days, the founding of Israel was thanks to the Rothschild family, who used their immense influence in finance to persuade the U.S. government to help the Jews establish their own country.