Chapter 54

Chapter 054: Light Body Nine-Segment Guiding Technique

Of course, it could also be seen as a fair transaction.

After all, this was essentially a high-priced purchase.

In truth, she would have preferred to supply it directly for free.

But unfortunately, there was no channel for that.

However, no matter how the Chief ultimately interpreted it, at least the attitude and impression had been conveyed.

The primary goal of Yu Jing's arrangement was originally just that.

A positive, goodwill-building initial contact.

Even if it was only a one-way display.

As for the possibility that the Chief might not have noticed this intention at all...

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

A series of eight "State Banquet Restaurants," all with highly uniform labeling formats, and just happening to cover the most famous of the traditional Eight Great Cuisines...

It was almost blatantly signaling a carefully planned arrangement.

She had made it so obvious precisely to convey that signal.

So, how could he possibly not see it!

Given the Chief's usual low-key and unassuming style, he was likely a cautious and thoughtful person.

Encountering such an anomaly, he would inevitably feel puzzled.

With the authority of the Master of the Fate Net, it would be easy for him to investigate thoroughly.

Besides, the entire group chat of the Special Task Force might have been under surveillance all along.

And this morning, aside from Chef Song, the other seven restaurants all received that distinctive anonymous large order within a short time...

Wasn't this a kind of silent response?

It could even be considered, in a sense, an acceptance of this goodwill!

Yu Jing was very confident about this.

Compared to the thumbs-up emoji Chef Song received, which was being solemnly interpreted by the task force members with all sorts of inexplicable meanings.

The act of ordering from all eight cuisines right in front of them... was clearly a more distinct positive signal.

In Yu Jing's view, this was undoubtedly the Chief's response and tacit approval of the Special Task Force.

This slightly eased the furrow in her brow, which had been tense due to the "debut" plan of the People's Union Association.

At least on the Chief's front, there was some progress.

But regardless, goodwill was goodwill, and impression points were impression points.

The most important thing, after all, was still to find the Chief himself.

That was the core mission of the "Special Task Force," and the foundation for all future possibilities.

Otherwise, this kind of remote interaction was ultimately just scratching the surface.

As for why not use the backend order information of the culinary masters to try contacting the anonymous buyer directly?

This simple and crude method had been considered, but it was quickly dismissed by her.

Yu Jing didn't think it would be wise to rashly disturb the Chief in an official capacity without knowing anything about him.

If it backfired and caused resentment, all the groundwork laid before would be wasted.

It was far safer to understand the situation first before formulating a corresponding plan.

By then, when visiting in person, she might even be able to bring a suitable "gift."

"Maintain presence, provide value, wait for the right moment."

This was the action guideline Yu Jing had set for the current phase.

As for the next opportunity, it would naturally have to wait for the results from the information team.

Thinking about these things, she stirred her mind slightly and closed the leaderboard interface of the Trial Ground.

The numbers game above no longer required excessive attention for now.

At the same time, she temporarily set aside thoughts related to the Chief.

She focused her attention on the Supply Box that had just refreshed alongside the leaderboard and was now quietly lying in her Fate Net Space.

With a thought, the plain box was placed on the ground before her.

She reached out and touched the box's surface.

A dim light flowed and quickly transformed into the most ordinary Black Iron hue.

Yu Jing was slightly disappointed as she opened it.

At the bottom of the box lay a pack of ordinary Sanitary Napkins.

Seeing this, her slightly furrowed brows relaxed instead.

A hint of relief even flickered in her bright eyes—"At least it's not useless."

Compared to the stockings she had gotten two days ago, this was indeed far more useful.

At the very least, it was a practical consumable, avoiding the trouble and potential risks of using other materials as substitutes.

However, the result still being a Black Iron Chest shattered her previous fantasies.

"It seems luck hasn't improved with higher contribution points..." Yu Jing mused inwardly.

Since opening that fate-changing Golden Chest on the second day, she had opened three Black Iron Chests in a row.

So far, she had only opened five chests in total.

And on the day she crossed over, the first chest had actually been a Bronze Chest.

Although it yielded a Long-barreled Pistol without bullets—which seemed useless at the time—it was still better than Black Iron.

Moreover, under the effect of the Digital Heart, that pistol had directly become a key Big Killer.

If she calculated carefully, her luck was getting worse and worse.

In the following days, her Faction Contribution grew higher, yet the quality of the chests decreased...

So the speculation that "Faction Contribution affects chest quality" was probably unreliable.

At the very least, the influencing factors were very complex and by no means a simple positive correlation.

Of course, there might also be some kind of balance or cooldown mechanism... For instance, after obtaining an extreme item like a Golden Chest, one's luck or Weight might significantly decrease in the short term.

Perhaps it needed time to recover?

Of course, this was just speculation.

Yu Jing couldn't be sure of its truth, so she couldn't help but hold onto hope.

And if even she felt this way, the others on the Fate Net Forum were even more so.

That was why that speculation could spread so widely with just a little guidance.

Setting this aside, she stored the gradually fading Supply Box and the pack of Sanitary Napkins into her Fate Net Space.

Then, her thoughts turned back to a more pressing real-world issue:

The "debut" plan of the People's Union Association!

The momentum that fifty or sixty Prey could create was ultimately still too weak.

"I still need to see if I can find a better opportunity, or... create one."

Leaning against the tree trunk, Yu Jing's gaze was calm.

She sank her consciousness into the Fate Net, hoping to find a more impactful topic.

So, she looked at the most chaotic Public Forum.

Her eyes quickly scanned the front page.

What caught her eye were mostly the routine topics spawned by today's leaderboard refresh: discussions about other factions' ranking changes, elimination analyses, and future predictions.

Among them, a purchase post that stood out and had risen to the top of the hot list caught her attention.

The poster was none other than Yang Dongyao, who had earned nearly 800,000 Fate Points yesterday from selling the [Myriad Manifestation Mirror].

The post was straightforward: he had a huge sum of money and sincerely sought items that could directly and significantly enhance his combat ability and survivability.

This included, but was not limited to, powerful weapons, high-quality armor, practical supernatural abilities or cultivation methods.

As well as rare potions or heavenly materials and earthly treasures that could temporarily or permanently improve physical fitness.

In the post, he admitted that although the Trading House had some weapons, equipment, and basic skill books in circulation, most had low enhancement and came at exorbitant prices.

Moreover, there were no records of any truly game-changing good items being publicly sold.

Therefore, he could only try his luck on the forum.

The replies in the post were quite lively—some were envious, some offered advice, and some joked about "Uncle Dong suddenly getting rich and then pursuing power."

But most were pouring cold water on him, believing the poster would definitely not be able to acquire any good items.

Yu Jing quickly skimmed through a few pages of replies and reached the same conclusion:

"Right now, if you want to buy items that truly enhance your strength, you're bound to have money but nowhere to spend it."

After all, the fixed consumption of Fate Points was only the daily 1-point "internet fee" for the Fate Net.

The main circulating goods on the Trading House were still those survival-related supplies.

Their total value was limited, so they would never require too many Fate Points.

Therefore, items that could truly cause a power leap were almost always kept for personal use or consumed internally within small teams.

Even with a surplus of Fate Points, you couldn't buy good items—this was a deep-rooted situation in the current resource circulation.

"Currently, Fate Point priority is too low."

"It's hard to get people to part with their bottom-of-the-chest items."

"Unless... Fate Points could serve some other greater purpose!" Yu Jing thought calmly.

However, this coincidentally echoed her push for the [People's Union Association] as a channel for converting Fate Points into contribution.

Based on this underlying logic, she actually hoped that Fate Points would maintain this status quo.

But was that possible?

Yu Jing didn't dwell on it further, because it wasn't something she could decide.

Thinking too much was pointless.

Setting aside that train of thought, she didn't linger on the purchase post either.

Yu Jing subconsciously switched to the Trading House interface and filtered by the product categories for skills and mysterious artifacts.

She herself had a genuine need for items that could improve physical fitness, especially optimizing basic physical stamina and endurance.

If it weren't for this body being held back by its endurance, her hunting efficiency would undoubtedly be much higher.

The Fate Points and contribution points she earned from that would also come faster and in greater amounts.

So, she had been keeping an eye on this category of goods in the Trading House.

Unfortunately, the result was the same as described in that post.

In the Trading House, it was always "expensive and useless."

Even if an item that seemed decent occasionally appeared... the number on the price tag would instantly sober you up.

"As for the official logistics system, they might already have some relevant reserves..."

Yu Jing thought with some regret, "But I've accomplished nothing yet, just holding the empty titles of Deputy Team Leader and President—I don't have the face or the reason to ask for it."

As she let her mind wander aimlessly, she continued patiently browsing through the Trading House, one by one, the few skill and Mysterious Artifact items that were listed.

Even though she held little hope in her heart, she refused to skip a single one.

After all, the total number of such items wasn't large, so going through them all wasn't too much trouble.

"Who knows... maybe I'll spot a missed gem or an undervalued treasure?"

This faint glimmer of hope sustained her patience.

Just as Yu Jing was almost mechanically scrolling through the item interface—

The next moment, her brow lifted slightly.

A product description caught her eye:

【Light Body Nine-Segment Guiding Technique (Illustrated)】

【Description: This is a paper book, not a skill book! It uses pictures and text to record nine consecutive movements, along with matching breathing rhythms.

Practicing it feels quite mysterious; according to the appraisal results, long-term persistence can effectively improve physical function. I only followed it twice, and I felt my body was a bit lighter.

Also, the movements are really simple. I learned them completely after just two tries, no difficulty at all, so I'm selling it to earn some Fate Points to spend.

Don't complain about the price! This was just opened from a Silver Chest at noon. As for the effect... it's certainly not as immediate as a skill book, but the price is affordable too—just a fraction of similar junk items!

After you buy it and memorize it, you can also resell it, so theoretically, you won't lose out!】

【Seller: Zhang Tianfa】

【Price: 28,888 Fate Points】

【Status: For Sale】

...

It wasn't a skill book that grants mastery with a single touch, but rather... a book that can be passed around and learned?

Interesting!

That was Yu Jing's first reaction.

But immediately after, a key piece of information exploded in her mind:

"Learned it after two tries..."

"The movements are very simple..."

"Doesn't that mean there's no need for a special medium, no learning barrier?"

"Anyone can learn it!"

Yu Jing's heartbeat, the moment she grasped the meaning behind those lines of description, uncontrollably quickened.

A surge of shock, ecstasy, and urgency washed over her entire body.

Her breath hitched slightly, and with almost no hesitation, she subconsciously moved to purchase it with her mind.

However—

【Insufficient Fate Points Balance!】

A cold prompt popped up, like a bucket of cold water dousing Yu Jing.

She had indeed reserved some Fate Points earlier to acquire any potentially useful items that might appear.

But naturally, it was far from thirty thousand!

Most of the Fate Points she had earned had been converted into Contribution, used for the initial operations of the 【People's Union Association】, or spent on the daily costs of her own hunting and development.

"Now I have to sell the prey in my space..."

Yu Jing forcibly suppressed the urge to curse, reacting instantly.

"Hurry!"

Her mind moved like lightning, instantly switching back to her Personal Space.

She quickly listed all the prey stored in her Fate Net Space—both the portion reserved from yesterday and the new harvest from this morning—which she had originally planned to put up for sale in the evening to create a splash.

She listed them all on the Trading House at the fastest possible speed.

Moreover, to cash out quickly, she had no time for meticulous pricing and even proactively lowered the unit price by ten to twenty percent.

This margin was enough to make these meats highly competitive.

Just as she had feared earlier, yet also hoped to see most at this moment: meat, as one of the scarcest resources on the Trading House, was never hard to sell.

Not to mention, she had taken the initiative to lower prices for a promotion.

Almost within seconds of confirming the listing—

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

A series of transaction success notifications vibrated in her mind.

Those thirty or forty prey of varying weights were clearly snapped up in an instant.

However, Yu Jing didn't bother to check the details of the transactions.

After listing them, her focus was entirely on the changes in her Fate Points balance.

She watched as that number began to soar!

The moment her Fate Points neared thirty thousand...

Her instinctive thought instantly locked onto the "Light Body Nine-Segment Guiding Technique (Illustrated)" in the Trading House.

She quickly completed the order and purchase...

Payment successful!

[The item "Light Body Nine-Segment Guiding Technique (Illustrated)" has been delivered to your Fate Net Space.]

As this notification appeared, Yu Jing let out an almost imperceptible, slow sigh of relief.

Her tense mind and body relaxed slightly.

That was close!

Just moments ago while browsing, she had noticed that this Cultivation Method had only been listed recently, and its popularity was rapidly climbing.

Yu Jing had worried that during the brief time she was raising funds, someone else who recognized its value would snatch it up first.

In fact, her intuition was entirely correct.

After this Cultivation Method was sold.

At the same time, in different corners of the Trial Ground, at least several people slapped their thighs in frustration.

Most of them were in the middle of urgently scraping together Fate Points, or reporting to their team or organization superiors to request funds for the purchase.

And just like that, the delay cost them the prize.

However, the item was already sold.

The status showed it as sold, so there was no use in regret.

They could only hope that the buyer didn't recognize its true value and would relist it after learning it themselves.

At that point, even if the price was marked up, or even doubled, tripled, or increased tenfold, they would grit their teeth and place an order.

In fact, in the official logistics department's assessment, it was directly valued as "reclaim within a hundred times the price, no need to report."

The reporting process had just caused a delay.

But Yu Jing was certainly not one of those who didn't recognize its value.

In her eyes, this thin "Light Body Nine-Segment Guiding Technique" meant more than just a boost to her personal strength.

It was equivalent to... a massive, sustainable source of Faction Contribution Points.

And it was also a perfect opportunity for the [People's Union Association] to make a splash.

Yes, she planned to make it public.

To share this Cultivation Method for free with all trial participants of the Huaxia Faction.

In fact, some people on the Forum had already reproduced a few complete training methods...

But for the vast majority, learning those was as difficult and obscure as reading a heavenly script.

This Light Body Nine-Segment Guiding Technique was different!

The seller's description, with that line "I only practiced it twice and learned it," along with the fact that it was a paper book... these keywords were far too distinctive.

This meant it naturally had the foundation for universal learning.

A low threshold and ease of use—that was the key to sparking nationwide participation.

Using such a Cultivation Method, capable of benefiting hundreds of millions of compatriots, as a "modest gift" for the debut of the [People's Union Association]...

It was perfect!

Not to mention, she might also gain a massive amount of Faction Contribution from it.

So, after realizing this, Yu Jing decisively abandoned her original, somewhat petty "debut plan."

Snapping up this Cultivation Method was, in her eyes, an unmatched perfect opportunity.

Yu Jing calmed her emotions and used her mind to retrieve the newly purchased book from the Fate Net Space.

A slightly old but well-preserved thread-bound booklet appeared in her hands.

The paper was yellowed, with a peculiar supple texture to the touch.

She focused her gaze.

A few seconds later, its appraisal information naturally emerged:

[Light Body Nine-Segment Guiding Technique (Illustrated): The book records a set of nine specific movements and their matching breathing rhythms. Practicing it once daily can gently and effectively slightly improve physical functions. Long-term adherence yields the effect of strengthening the body.]

"Slightly improve," "long-term adherence"... these words did not disappoint Yu Jing.

Instead, she valued its gentle nature even more.

The appraisal information did not note any need for additional medicinal or dietary supplements, nor did it mention any hidden dangers or conflicts.

That was the biggest surprise.

"This time, I really picked up a bargain..."