Chapter 66: Gains and Losses
Chapter 66: Gains and Losses
After discussing with Wangcai, Fatty Lei had Wangcai activate the trading procedure. Then both entered their trading space and arrived inside their shop.
It remained unchanged—extremely bare and humble.
Seeing the fine splendor of Rogue’s Shop, then comparing it with their own pitiful shop, Fatty Lei could only sigh helplessly. After all, he was a newcomer and could only work hard step by step.
Wangcai approached the old computer and observed it.
“Master, our shop has enormous traffic!”
Only now did Wangcai notice that nearly three million merchants had already visited Odin Shop.
Unfortunately, not one merchant left a message indicating any interest in business.
Fatty Lei quickly walked over and looked down at the old computer.
“Did any merchants show interest in buying our goods?”
Wangcai shook his head, causing deep disappointment in Fatty Lei.
“What’s really going on? How could traffic surge like this?” Fatty Lei remembered clearly that before, traffic to his shop barely reached double digits.
Within just a few days, such a massive explosion in visitors seemed impossible.
What Fatty Lei didn’t realize was that this was entirely due to the Integrity Value.
Shops with a high Integrity Value enjoyed dramatically increased chances of appearing in other merchants’ search results. It was precisely this reason that boosted his shop’s exposure.
Sadly, Fatty Lei didn’t offer any truly impressive goods. Only three items were available: technologically primitive laser rifles (which were limited due to low Military Outpost inventory, including Fatty Lei’s own needs and wear), combat suits, and those sand tortoises.
So, most merchants lost interest after viewing.
“Master, the goods we can sell are simply too few. If our shop had more variety, such heavy traffic ought to lure at least one genuinely interested buyer.”
Fatty Lei sighed deeply. “Yes, in the end, it boils down to our weak foundation and monotonous product line. Facing this situation is just… unavoidable.” He fully recognized his shop’s weakness.
“Master, what if we were to secretly sell off a few of those sweet potatoes?”
Wangcai made the suggestion. In his view, as long as they did it secretly, Mr. Andrew wouldn’t know. They just needed to sneak out a small amount for sale and let Andrew buy the bulk of the crop—problem solved.
Hearing this, Fatty Lei’s interest stirred. It seemed like a feasible plan.
Yet, a sense of guilt nagged him. It felt wrong, somewhat dishonest.
So his resolve began to waver; he was torn on the decision.
Unbeknownst to Fatty Lei, while he hesitated, the Integrity Value marker beside his profile in the Trading System flickered wildly.
+1…… -1……
The shift between plus and minus was incredibly rapid.
Naturally, Fatty Lei remained unaware of this change.
“Wangcai’s idea sounds good; only I know the true harvest count. If we gather a hundred sweet potatoes, letting Andrew buy eighty leaves him none the wiser. That means keeping twenty back. Those twenty I can quietly sell through the trading device.”
Still, Fatty Lei felt uneasy about it. Doing this would open a door—a path leading down a potentially dark and irreversible road.
“Master, what have you decided?”
Fatty Lei offered no answer; he was still weighing the pros and cons.
“True, this would bring benefits. My Credit Points would rise… but what about my character?”
Screw character!
“Every man for himself, or heaven and earth will crush you.” Only with Credit Points could he buy what he truly needed.
Fatty Lei slapped his thigh mentally, psyching himself up.
He turned to Wangcai. “If we secretly list sweet potatoes for sale, is there a chance Andrew might find out?” Worry tinged his voice. Holding back potatoes to sell in secret—if Andrew discovered it, who knew what consequences might follow?
Wangcai thought for a moment. “It’s hard to say, but the odds must be small. Given the sheer number of merchants in the Trading System, encountering Andrew seems unlikely.” Wangcai considered the probability miniscule.
Being found out by Andrew amidst countless billions of merchants? What kind of ‘luck’ would that require?
Fatty Lei’s Integrity Value froze at -1, still flickering, reflecting his unresolved inner conflict.
Having heard Wangcai’s perspective, Fatty Lei found his worry increased rather than eased.
After all, he was contemplating something sneaky; concerns were unavoidable.
“Worldly matters are strange, indeed. Good deeds go unseen, but bad ones always come to light.” Fatty Lei recalled experiences from his old world and sighed.
Plunged back into thought, a sudden fear gripped him.
He wondered what impact this decision could have on his future.
Because right then, Fatty Lei suddenly remembered the recent +1 boost to his Integrity Value given by the System.
If he actually went through with this, who knew what punishment or unpredictable outcomes the capricious System might inflict?
That +1 Integrity Value surge in traffic made Fatty Lei wary of the System’s potential workings.
“I think we should just leave it. True, we’d earn less. But at least it’s steady and sustainable—business we can maintain long-term.”
Fatty Lei finally decided against Wangcai’s suggestion. He resolved to stick with his current cooperative model with Andrew. Having weathered this internal struggle, he felt even more committed to upholding integrity.
Since his master rejected the proposal, Wangcai didn’t press further.
Wangcai remained oblivious to the near-calamity his suggestion nearly provoked. Had Fatty Lei gone through with it, they could have been ruined beyond recovery.
If Fatty Lei were a higher-ranked merchant, the impact might have lessened. But he had no rank yet. If his Integrity Value slipped negative, his future would look bleak…
Who would trade with an unranked, untrustworthy person bearing a negative Integrity Value?
Even merchants already in the negative wouldn’t deal with such a character.
Naturally, Wangcai’s intentions were good: he wanted Fatty Lei to earn more Credit Points. The goal was purchasing a spaceship to escape this place, the deepest wish Wangcai knew Fatty Lei held.
But as an Intelligent Life, Wangcai likely didn’t grasp that well-meant advice could backfire.
Thankfully, Fatty Lei resisted the lure of profit, holding fast to his principles.
Therefore, while Fatty Lei possessed numerous flaws, at least this virtue shone through—a rare quality indeed.
Wangcai’s gaze now held a deepened respect for Fatty Lei.
“This Master truly is unique. If it were my previous Master, such moral considerations wouldn’t even arise. He’d have leaped at the chance joyfully.”
Wangcai compared Fatty Lei with his former master, concluding definitively that Fatty Lei deserved his respect.
Simultaneously, Wangcai’s internal Loyalty Level towards Fatty Lei showed a significant increase.
Previously wavering around 50, it now stood closer to 60.
The existence of Loyalty Levels in Intelligent Life towards their masters was something Wangcai hadn’t disclosed to Fatty Lei.
The Trading System hadn’t informed him either, rendering Fatty Lei entirely ignorant.
Wangcai kept this secret, fearing Fatty Lei might overthink it. Tales of Intelligent Butlers betraying their masters existed within the Dimensional System.
After all, Wangcai himself had subtly guided his former master to destruction.
……
……
Fatty Lei remained entirely unaware of these dark truths. Truly, his foolishness brought him fortune—inadvertently averting a looming crisis.
Meanwhile, within the Trading System, Fatty Lei’s Integrity Value stabilized at +1.1.
It had even increased by 0.1, an unexpected bonus.
“Ding Dong!”
The sharp System Notification Sound suddenly echoed within Fatty Lei’s shop, grabbing his and Wangcai’s attention.
“Merchant Number h90883288, Shop Named ‘Odin’. Due to demonstrated honesty and integrity, the System hereby rewards your Integrity Value by +0.1. Additionally, one level upgrade is awarded.”
The cold, robotic voice repeated three times within Fatty Lei’s shop.
“Huh? What?” Fatty Lei jolted in surprise first. Then immense joy washed over his face—the System said he’d gained a level!
What did this mean?
It meant he was no longer a novice merchant. He now possessed a genuine rank!
Though only Level 1, without any tier…
“Boom!”
Suddenly, blinding, radiant, seven-colored lights exploded from within the shop, enveloping the entire space along with Fatty Lei and Wangcai. Fatty Lei felt transported to a magical realm, surrounded entirely by shimmering, multi-hued light.
In front of Fatty Lei, a three-dimensional figure materialized—none other than Fatty Lei himself.
Beside the avatar, a set of his data appeared.
“What?! This Dimensional Plane of mine… it’s from the Sci-Fi Series?!”
Fatty Lei’s face displayed sheer astonishment upon reading one particular data point.
Wangcai seized the moment, offering effusive congratulations with deeply flattering reverence.
“Congratulations, Master!”