Chapter 2: The Price of Survival

Lu Xiaolou hesitated, retracting his outstretched hand. As the passing cars ignored him, he realized that the method of hailing a taxi had likely changed.

Just as he was contemplating walking away, a shadow descended from the sky, moving so swiftly that he barely had time to avoid it.

Lu Xiaolou's face darkened as he looked at the black car that had nearly collided with him. Taking a deep breath, though he couldn't see any traffic lights, the reckless and almost mad driving had nearly sent the massive vehicle crashing into him! Filled with anger, he stormed over, intending to demand some compensation for his mental distress.

The black car's side door slid open soundlessly, and a girl dressed in an elegant gown poked her head out. With a sweet smile and a playful wink, she asked, "Where are you heading?"

Not one to be rude, especially to a woman, Lu Xiaolou hesitated for a moment, suppressing the sarcastic remark on his lips, and controlled his temper as he replied, "I was heading to the mall and trying to hail a cab. But I must say, your driving skills—"

The girl glanced inside the car, made a graceful gesture, and said, "Hop in. I'll take you there."

Lu Xiaolou froze for a moment. Well, even though he might be rather charming, and this lady might be interested in him, he wasn't about to get into a stranger's car. Besides, if Qiao Sha found out, she'd certainly put a gun to his head!

"I'm sorry, but I think I'll manage on my own—hey, there's no need to—"

Before he could finish, the girl pulled him inside with surprising strength, much greater than his own. Once in the car, Lu Xiaolou quickly realized that he had misunderstood the situation.

From the outside, the car had looked nothing special, but inside, it was vast and luxurious, with several handsome young men leisurely lounging around. They exuded an air of effortless nobility, much like the young master of the Luo family he had just met. It was the type of man who was especially attractive to women.

Now, all their attention was focused on Lu Xiaolou. He felt exceedingly uncomfortable, his mind racing through possibilities—robbery, kidnapping, dismemberment... He quickly dismissed the last one. Remaining cautious, he carefully observed the passengers, subtly inching toward the back of the car, doing his best to blend in.

A young man with striking green eyes in the middle observed him keenly, then smiled politely and asked, "What brings you to the mall?"

"Just buying some things," Lu Xiaolou replied, confused. What else would he be doing there? Since he couldn't return to his original time and place anytime soon, he had to settle in and figure out his living arrangements.

Laughter echoed around him, and the young man blinked in surprise before turning to the driver. "Quite a rare sight. Driver, take him to the mall."

Lu Xiaolou quietly exhaled in relief; at least, for now, he seemed to be safe. He had a vague sense that these people knew the owner of this body, but no one showed much warmth toward him. After their brief exchange, they all returned to their previous conversations. As long as there were no problems, things were fine. He quietly sat in the corner, keeping a respectful distance from the others and observing the world outside the car.

The entire ride, the young men and the girl continued their lively chatter, occasionally casting strange glances his way.

When the car stopped at the mall entrance, Lu Xiaolou quickly expressed his thanks and exited.

Inside the car, someone asked the young man with the green eyes, "Lin Xin, isn't that your master's new toy? Why did you bring him along?"

Lin Xin, with his watery green eyes, blinked and corrected, "It's an abandoned toy. I just wanted to see his reaction."

The lone girl beside him leaned in, affectionately draping herself over Lin Xin's shoulder, and scoffed, "Boring. He didn't even react. His clothes and behavior are so out of date."

The others in the car echoed her sentiment, "Yeah, a real country bumpkin. Who personally goes to the mall to buy things?"

Lin Xin silently watched Lu Xiaolou walk away, then nodded at the driver, signaling to leave.

Inside the grand mall, Lu Xiaolou found it surprisingly empty, though the transparent displays were filled with dazzlingly exquisite products.

"Good day, esteemed guest. Welcome to the Xinghe Mall. I am your concierge. Xinghe Mall is the largest mall on An Sai planet, with ninety-nine chain stores offering various high-quality goods and services. Please let me know if you need anything," a sweet-faced young woman greeted him warmly.

Lu Xiaolou hesitated for a moment, then took out the card from his jacket pocket and asked, "Excuse me, I was wondering where I can check the balance on this card?"

The concierge blinked in surprise but quickly smiled. "It's quite simple, actually. You just need to place the card on the communicator on your wrist."

Lu Xiaolou looked down at the silver-white device on his wrist. He had noticed it earlier and thought it was just a watch. It turned out the phone he had been searching for was right on him all along.

The concierge, a bit surprised by his unfamiliarity, kept her questions to herself. On An Sai, every citizen, except for criminals or vagabonds, was required to carry a communicator from a young age. It stored all of a person's information, much like an identification card.

Noticing the youth's unfamiliarity, she gently guided him, pressing a round button on the communicator and sliding the card through the slot. A screen lit up, displaying a number.

Lu Xiaolou counted the zeros—one hundred thousand. Not a huge amount, but considering his relationship with the Luo family, it was still a considerable sum. Not sure of the current market, he turned to the concierge and asked, "What's the current housing market like? Or perhaps you could just tell me the going rent prices?"

The concierge, seeing the communicator, stifled a smile and said, "For information on housing prices and rentals, please follow me to the eleventh floor. But personally, I would recommend buying a property. With this amount of money, you can easily afford a home that suits your needs."

Lu Xiaolou was taken aback. The mall even had real estate transactions!

When he saw the prices, his excitement grew. He could actually afford it! Forget the prime locations—ordinary areas offered one-bedroom apartments for just fifty thousand Federation credits. The future housing market was truly a dream come true.

His face flushed with excitement. He was about to join the ranks of property owners! He could cut down years of struggle—Lu Xiaolou unconsciously thought in terms of his old life's logic.

As he marveled at this, the concierge spoke again, "Given your age, you must be a newly independent student. You might want to consider temporary housing near your school."

Student... Yes, Madam Luo had mentioned arranging a school for him. Lu Xiaolou quickly calmed himself and took out the enrollment documents from his pocket.

Before he could even locate the school's address, the concierge suddenly gasped, "Saint Miros Academy! That flowered Miros emblem—it's definitely Saint Miros Academy! Oh my, it's the most prestigious school on An Sai, and it's a military academy too, one of the top-ranked in the Federation!"

The female receptionist, her face flushed with excitement, tightly grasped Luo Xiaolou's hand and, shyly twisting it, said, "Ah, if it weren't for work, I would love to take a photo with you. The Mecha Department of Saint Miro Academy has produced several generals, and students from such a renowned institution are the pride of Ansei Planet!"Luo Xiaolou, recalling the unfamiliar terms in his enrollment materials, suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure. Subtly withdrawing his hand, he cleared his throat and said, "In that case, please help me select some suitable areas."

The receptionist, doing her best to control her excitement, led Luo Xiaolou back to the projection device, pointing to the location of Saint Miro Academy and indicating the surrounding areas. "You can choose according to your preferences. However, due to the academy's prestige, the housing prices around here are quite high. After all, many students prefer not to live on campus, as it's not very convenient." She smiled and winked at Luo Xiaolou.

Luo Xiaolou, looking at the exorbitantly high prices that could rival those in aristocratic neighborhoods, reluctantly began searching further out. Eventually, in the midst of towering upscale residential areas, he found an inconspicuous little complex with much lower prices."Ah, this one? It's because the Home Garden Complex was built a few years ago, and its management and facilities aren't as advanced as the newer garden-style complexes around it, which is why the prices are cheaper. Moreover, the residents here are mostly retirees without children to care for them, so students and young people generally don't choose to live here."

"Perfect, I'll take it," Luo Xiaolou said with a smile. He certainly didn't have money to waste. After spending the hundred thousand, whether he could find a job was still uncertain. Compared to starving, the fact that his neighbors were mostly elderly care home residents was hardly worth worrying about."If you don't mind, of course," the receptionist said. "And since this place has been on the market for so long, it just happens to be on sale this month."

In the end, Luo Xiaolou happily purchased a three-bedroom apartment for sixty thousand. Although it was a bit larger than he needed, he had always viewed owning property as a symbol of wealth and security, a viewpoint that had been ingrained in him. With the circumstances he faced, he simply couldn't resist."Here's your key. I'll now sync it with your communicator. You can use it to open the door directly, or, of course, you can also use the fingerprint or iris scan system. Now, this fully furnished three-bedroom apartment is yours." After completing the payment with his card, the receptionist tapped a few times on the device and handed him the key that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"...This is so convenient," Luo Xiaolou murmured as he looked at the screen displaying his new home—equipped with a fridge, kitchenware, a sofa, a comfortable bed, a wardrobe, and other furniture. The study even had a computer."Such a complete set of furnishings?" Luo Xiaolou was taken aback.

The receptionist smiled. "These are the basic essentials. If you'd like to upgrade to higher-quality items, you can add a small amount to the price and arrange everything online. Our mall offers home delivery, fast and convenient."Now Luo Xiaolou understood why the young people had looked at him strangely when he came shopping by himself—no wonder there were almost no other customers in the store.

"Mr. Luo, is there anything else I can assist you with?""Well, yes, I also need textbooks from elementary to high school... and some food." Luo Xiaolou pondered. School was about to start, and he needed to raise himself out of illiteracy first.Under the enthusiastic guidance of the receptionist, he quickly purchased the books. However, when they reached the food section, Luo Xiaolou was left dumbfounded.

"One potato for a hundred credits? It's large, but that's still—wait, one egg costs a hundred and one?! Are you kidding me?" Luo Xiaolou double-checked the prices to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him.The receptionist's face reddened. If she hadn't verified the prices with other stores that morning, she would have been mortified by Luo Xiaolou's astonished expression. Stammering, she explained, "W-well, naturally, the cultivation of organic crops has become very difficult. Even when available, they grow in highly dangerous areas. So, in recent years, prices have remained high, and we don't dare to raise them ourselves."

"Are meals really that expensive now?" Luo Xiaolou exclaimed with disbelief."No, not at all. If you'd prefer something cheaper, we have synthetic food over here," the receptionist said, relieved, as she quickly guided him to the next section.

Luo Xiaolou turned and followed her to the artificial food area. Large freezers displayed rows of neat white boxes, with one opened box as a sample. Inside was a thick, pale, mushy substance."Don't worry, sir. While synthetic food lacks flavor, it is fully nutritionally balanced according to human needs, and its shelf life is a full year. It's absolutely affordable and practical," the receptionist whispered, praying that Luo Xiaolou wouldn't react with the same astonishment and innocence. For the first time, she felt there might be some irrationality in the store she had once been so proud of.

Luo Xiaolou stroked his chin, reading the price tag—ten credits per box, a very economical option.But... it was extremely unappetizing.Luo Xiaolou sighed and glanced longingly at the natural crops, then turned to the receptionist. "Pack me a week's worth of these meals, and also ten potatoes." He steeled himself, buying some potatoes and a few bottles of beer to take back. He wasn't sure how much longer he could tolerate that gooey substance.

Luo Xiaolou had also considered buying a car, but in contrast to the affordable housing prices, the cost of vehicles was astronomical. The wealthy still reveled in collecting classic cars, and their prices seemed like an unattainable dream.Of course, cheaper and second-hand cars were available, but the receptionist dutifully reminded him that he couldn't drive without a license. Luo Xiaolou gave up. Although he had a license, it was from thousands of years ago, and clearly, it was no longer valid.Moreover, most of his funds had already been spent, and until he had another source of income, he couldn't afford any more extravagant purchases.

Fortunately, public transportation still existed, thank the heavens. Even more satisfying to Luo Xiaolou was that bus rides were free.After confirming the route, Luo Xiaolou prepared to head home. He had just realized that school started on September 10th. His communicator displayed today's date as August 2nd—exactly one month before the start of school.He planned to look for a part-time job. If he didn't want to eat that revolting synthetic food every day, he had to earn money. Even if he wanted to buy natural food, the savings he had left wouldn't last more than two months.

As expected, the Luo family had merely sent him off casually. Luo Xiaolou sighed, hoping his short-sighted mother wouldn't encounter too much hardship.

The bus wasn't crowded, and most people seemed downcast, likely struggling to make ends meet. Luo Xiaolou, however, was in high spirits, admiring the sleek, fast-moving buses.

After disembarking, it didn't take long for Luo Xiaolou to find the humble residential complex amid the numerous upscale neighborhoods.A smile spread across his face as he walked towards his new home. Perhaps, due to this unfortunate reincarnation, he would never return. But with his tenacity, he was confident he could make a life for himself here.

Little did Luo Xiaolou know, his reckless spending would soon catch up with him.