"Sorry, sorry, I'm moving it right now..."
Huai Shi sheepishly took down his bike, which was chained to the iron gate, and hastily skedaddled away under the gatekeeper's furious gaze.
Hmm, an old-style, triangular steel-frame Forever bicycle... I just bought it off Pinduoduo during a sale. Say what you will, it's actually quite nice to ride, pretty fast too. The life of the rich is truly good. Ride a bike if you feel like it, take the bus if you feel like it...
Enjoying the envious stares from people on the street, Huai Shi whistled contentedly and pedaled his bike towards the Stone Marrow Pavilion.
If it weren't so conspicuous, I would've even considered calling out Brother Ma to give me a pull, saving myself the effort of pedaling. Considering that if I actually said that, not only would this bicycle not remain in one piece, but I might also end up with a few extra hoof prints on my face, I didn't dare discuss the matter in detail with White Horse. That horse... everything about him is great, except for his bad temper and huge appetite...
Now with Uncle Fang's care, serving three meals of fodder a day plus a variety of fruits every now and then, the horse had gotten plump like a blown-up balloon after returning. Uncle Fang's feeding regimen is just too good; he pampers everything he raises as if they were prize pigs. Three square meals a day, plus afternoon tea and a late-night snack—and there's a never-ending supply of desserts and treats in between. Nowadays, when it's mealtime, the horse doesn't even need Huai Shi to call it; it just trots over to the Stone Marrow Pavilion to scrounge food. Occasionally, if it's in a good mood, it'll even snatch a couple of pancakes from Huai Shi.
Now with both White Horse and Raven at home, the place is starting to look like a zoo.
Wait, Raven?
He suddenly had an ominous premonition.
Immediately after, he felt his cellphone vibrating violently in his pocket, like a contained disco party, shaking nonstop.
Another alert. Honestly, those people at the Astronomical Society are always overreacting. An alert for border instability, another if the waves in the Endless Sea get a bit too high, and yet another if someone or other enters the Current Circumstances. It's like all they do is send out alerts all day instead of actual work. Apparently, they're not worried about disturbing the public.
Huai Shi nonchalantly took out his phone, about to see what sort of nonsense those idiots had sent, when suddenly he nearly flew off his bike.
*Your bank card ending in 4444 was charged 170,000 yuan today...*
*Your bank card ending in 4444 was charged 670,000 yuan today...*
*Your bank card ending in 4444 was charged today...*
What the hell?!
A barrage of spending notifications appeared on his phone like a flood, and as Huai Shi watched, they were still popping up, nearly making him crash into a ditch.
"My money!!!"
Pedaling frantically as if his pants were on fire, the chain and gears of his bicycle practically shooting sparks from the friction, he accelerated to an insane speed. The old bicycle shrieked, CREAKING AND SQUEALING, as it instantly blew past an SUV, then a sports car, vanishing from the stunned drivers' sight so quickly it didn't even leave exhaust fumes behind, like a phantom.
By the time Huai Shi charged up the mountain, drenched in sweat, it was already too late.
The deed was done.
Huge trucks, each emblazoned with the "Yesterday Express" logo, were parked one after another outside the Stone Marrow Pavilion. The bounty money Huai Shi had earned just days ago by taking down so many wanted criminals had, courtesy of Raven, sprouted small wings and, with a FLUTTER, FLUTTER, FLUTTER, flown far away.
"Hello, this is the Three-Phase Reaction Kettle from Hermes Workshop. Please sign here."
"Hello, this is a heavy-duty anhydrous compound extraction platform..."
"...A Water-refined Precise Source Substance Balance Instrument..."
"This is the main unit of the Super Precision Optical Engraving Machine and seventeen boxes of accessories..."
"I am a Current Circumstances Engineer from the Frontier Power Grid Group. Thank you for purchasing our ten-year power supply service. Shortly, our construction team will connect you to the special border power equipment..."
One delivery person after another surrounded him, uttering words that spelled the departure of his Money Notes. Then, smiling, they presented signature pads to Huai Shi, awaiting his confirmation. They exuded an unmistakable aura: the payment was processed, and there would be absolutely no refunds.
After Huai Shi, looking like he wanted to cry but couldn't shed a tear, had signed all the delivery receipts, he turned a deathly grayish-white, almost unable to breathe. Only Raven, who had perched on his shoulder at some unknown point, lifted a wing, patted his head, and comforted him in a whisper no one else could hear.
"Don't be sad... You have to look on the bright side occasionally."
She said softly, "From a different perspective, your money hasn't left you, but has transformed into a form I prefer to remain by your side... Thinking of it this way, doesn't it make you feel happier?"
Huai Shi felt despair wash over him.