Make money by hiding in the interstellar battlefield!

A warm, pulsating sensation came from my chest.

Jian Sheng slowly opened his eyes from his light sleep and subconsciously looked down—the little Bai Sheng in his arms was kicking his short legs restlessly, rubbing his nose against his palm and making soft humming sounds.

It was already daylight.

The lights at the currency exchange had long been extinguished, and the morning light of the Sixth Ring Road city shone through the gaps in the distant city walls, spreading a pale white in the damp air. Overnight, the little guy had clearly regained his vitality; his originally dark reddish-gray fur had turned pink and tender, and his little belly was swollen like a water-filled balloon, which softened Jian Sheng's heart.

"Hungry again?"

He gently poked Bai Sheng's little head, his tone tinged with a helpless yet doting affection.

Without a moment's hesitation, Jian Sheng drew a dagger from behind his waist and skillfully sliced ​​his left little finger—the wound that had healed last night was reopened, and a few drops of bright red blood immediately oozed out.

As if smelling the sweet dew of life, Bai Sheng immediately leaned in and frantically sucked. A few seconds later, it let out a satisfied burp, then collapsed into Jian Sheng's palm, sleeping like a little dumpling.

"On Earth, you absolutely need to get vaccinated. Unfortunately, here, the poor are cheap, and they don't even have the right to get treatment when they're sick."

Jian Sheng looked at the bloodstains on his fingertips that had not yet dried and sighed silently.

After a brief moment of warmth, he quickly calmed down. In his mind, a plan of action for the next two days had quietly begun to unfold.

First, energy management.

With nearly 160 million kilocalories of energy remaining in his body, his life is temporarily safe. However, when going out of the city for missions, he can only sustain the use of his probability statistics ability about 150 times at most. This is his trump card for survival, and he must not squander it; every use must be used wisely.

Second, the preparation of supplies.

We'll depart in two days for the Southern Valley, a journey expected to last two months. Changes of clothes, survival supplies, a simple sleeping bag for Bai Sheng… these are all necessities. With only a little over 200 blue crystals left, we must be extremely careful with our money, stretching every penny.

Third, human relationships and responsibilities.

He had borrowed Xiao's body, so he had to see Xiao through to the end. That woman—Yagri, though not exactly his mother, was, after all, Xiao's nominal guardian. He had to settle the debts with her and make arrangements for her future safety.

"The initial accumulation of capital is never achieved overnight. The first step is to survive."

Jian Sheng carefully placed Bai Sheng inside his clothes, covering it up like a true "kangaroo mother." Then, he got up and walked towards the Sixth Ring Road.

Speechless all the way.

Because he had no luggage and Bai Sheng, the creature in his arms, was a common, non-aggressive star beast, he passed through the city gate security check smoothly. The streets of the Sixth Ring City were wide and orderly, with the pure black asphalt pavement divided into neat grids, exuding an artistic feel of the industrial era. However, as far as the eye could see, the roads were only occupied by bicycles and handcarts—pure metal, unpowered vehicles. Electric vehicles were extremely rare, only seen on the distant city walls.

"The lack of industrial mineral resources has reached this point."

As Jian Sheng walked and observed, he gained a clearer understanding of the difficulty of surviving in this world.

More than an hour later, he finally returned to Building 45.

Standing in front of Yageli's door, he took a deep breath and knocked.

According to Xiao's memory, she should still be asleep at this time.

Yagri, a woman whose brilliance has been worn away by war and poverty. Relying on the policy of rewarding 1 blue crystals for each boy she gave birth to, and on Xiao's "identity," she has managed to get to where she is now. But she has long since squandered the inheritance left by Xiao's father, and even borrowed money from loan sharks, owing Anxin Loan 5000 blue crystals.

In this woman's world, survival always takes precedence over family ties.

"Squeak—"

The door opened.

Yagor was disheveled, her eyes still sleepy, and a hint of annoyance at being woken up was in her gaze. She probably didn't even know that Xiao hadn't come back last night.

Jiansheng entered the house, his gaze quickly sweeping over the one-bedroom apartment—much larger than Xiao's small room, and with a separate bathroom. This was the fruit of Xiao's father's hard work years ago. But now, it had become this woman's playground.

Jian Sheng didn't waste any words; he got straight to the point, his tone calm to the point of being almost indifferent.

"I found a job. Two days later, I'm going to the southern valley with the outreach team. If I die, you might get some resettlement money."

As soon as he finished speaking, he stared intently at Yageli's face.

Her expression instantly became complex: first, she was startled, her eyes widening; then, a barely perceptible hint of joy crept onto her lips; but soon, this joy was overshadowed by worry.

What is she thinking?

Jian Sheng knew perfectly well what was going on.

She was happy because "she would get money after she died," which would allow her to pay off the high-interest loans and maintain her comfortable life; she was sad because she had lost a man who could provide her with money and "services."

As for maternal love? Not a trace of it.

Jiansheng saw through the truth of this world very early on.

Not all parents deserve the title of "mother".

"Why didn't you discuss it with me first!"

Yagoli finally realized what was happening, raised her voice, and tried to adopt a motherly demeanor.

"Are you going to stop me from going?"

Jian Sheng raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile curving his lips.

The air froze instantly.

Yageli's face flushed red, then turned pale, and she was speechless for a moment.

"Son, you've changed. You never used to talk to your mother like this..."

She looked like she was about to cry, lowered her head, and put on a wronged expression.

"Alright."

Jian Sheng interrupted her, his tone completely flat, "Stop acting. I'm not dead. The people from Anxin Loan will come knocking on my door sooner or later. If I'm not going, then you will."

Another deathly silence fell.

Jian Sheng, too lazy to argue with her any longer, cut straight to the point:

"How much money do you have left? Give me 200 blue crystals, I need to buy equipment."

Yagli's expression was ashen. She hesitated for a long time, her eyes twitching between money and desire. Finally, she went into the bedroom, rummaged around for a few seconds, and pulled out a handful of change—exactly 200 blue crystal coins.

Jian Sheng looked at the crumpled banknotes, feeling a mix of emotions.

He was almost certain that the money was earned by her selling her body.

A touch of sympathy quietly rose in his heart.

But he didn't say anything.

She chose this path herself.

"I'm leaving."

Jiansheng took the money and turned to leave. He stopped at the door, leaving behind his last words:

"If the loan shark comes, just say I've gone out to expand my business. I won't be back for three months. The principal of 5000 has grown to about 8000 with compound interest. I'll pay you back 1 in three months. You can decide for yourself."

After saying that, he pushed open the door and left.

Behind her, Yagli was left alone, standing in the messy room, her expression a mixture of joy and sorrow.

Back in Building 45, Jiansheng gently placed the sleeping Baisheng on the bed and covered it with a blanket. Then, he went to the communal washroom and quickly rinsed off—washing away the smell of sweat, urine, and the fatigue from the previous night.

After washing himself, he filled a basin with warm water and wiped Bai Sheng down as well. The little guy was clearly uncomfortable, squirming and whimpering in protest. But Jian Sheng was having a great time, watching it go from being on the verge of death to full of energy, and he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

"Next, let's make money."

200 blue crystals may seem like a lot, but in this world, it's simply not enough.

He made a shopping list:

Backpack, two sets of long-sleeved shirts and trousers, four pairs of socks, a pair of hiking boots, two bottles of insect repellent, toiletries...

Everything costs money.

Jian Sheng gritted his teeth, turned around and walked towards Building 10—the commercial building.

This is the center of the Seven Rings City's material distribution, and it's also the only place where he can obtain resources for survival at this moment.

He walked into a small store selling outdoor equipment and went straight to the backpack section.

At first glance, even the cheapest military backpack costs over 200 Blue Crystals.

"never mind."

Jian Sheng gritted his teeth and gave up. His goal was to make a comfortable sleeping bag for Bai Sheng, and as for himself, he would save money wherever possible.

"Boss, let me see that chest bag in the back."

He pointed to an inconspicuous backpack made of Star Beast leather in the corner.

The shopkeeper enthusiastically handed it over: "This is 100 blue crystal coins. It's Star Beast Soft Leather, breathable and soft, perfect for bringing small pets."

Jian Sheng's eyes lit up.

Yes, that's it.

He touched it; the texture was delicate, indeed suitable for Bai Sheng.

But he only had a little over 200 blue crystals. If he bought that, he wouldn't have any other equipment.

He took a deep breath and started bargaining: "Boss, how about 95? Let's round it up."

The shop owner hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded and agreed: "Okay, it's yours."

After securing the backpack, Jian Sheng began purchasing other necessities.

I spent 30 Blue Crystal Coins to buy the cheapest ordinary backpack;

I spent 40 yuan to buy two sets of coarse cloth clothes that dried quickly after washing.

I spent 8 yuan to buy four pairs of socks;

I spent 20 yuan to buy two bottles of the cheapest insect repellent.

Every expense made his heart bleed.

After buying everything, he only had 7 blue crystal coins left.

They were penniless again.

But he did not get discouraged.

Seven yuan is just the starting point.

That evening, after he finished feeding Bai Sheng blood, the little guy, full and satisfied, immediately let out a contented snore and slept soundly.

Jian Sheng lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to call out "Patch" in his mind.

However, the thing was as if it were dead, offering no response.

"So, after all that, he's the kind of person who won't get anything done without spending money!"

Jian Sheng rolled his eyes in exasperation and had no choice but to give up for the time being.

With his eyes closed, his thoughts drifted back to Earth.

That was a completely different world.

Because of the trust fund, he has never worried about money.

He inherited his father's ruthlessness, womanizing ways, and ability to manipulate people, as well as his mother's beauty and high intelligence. In the eyes of others, he is an impeccable "tall, rich, and handsome" man, but also a rebellious "bastard" at heart.

But no one knows how repressed he was before he turned 16, trying to gain his mother's approval.

He thought that as long as he got good grades and was as outstanding as her, his mother would pay more attention to him. So he studied with all his might, leveraged his father's connections, and was admitted to an Ivy League school at the age of 16.

He believed that if his mother wanted to stand out among his father's many women, he could pave a shortcut for her by demonstrating exceptional earning power and resource integration skills.

He did it.

At the age of 20, he used only two years to achieve his first small goal in life with $500 million from an offshore trust.

What he got in return was his mother's growing disgust and his father's indifference, treating him as a "helper for the legitimate son" or even a "white glove" that could be sacrificed at any time.

"A greedy and lustful hypocrite, and a self-important, arrogant woman."

Jian Sheng sneered inwardly, "They thought I was their pawn, but they misjudged me."

So he abandoned his hypocritical parents and flew away.

However, my memories after the age of 20 are completely blank.

Did I die at the age of 20?

The thought flashed through his mind for a moment, but he quickly dismissed it.

"Thinking so much is useless."

Jian Sheng opened his eyes, his gaze regaining its firmness and brightness. "In this world, I can succeed just as easily. It's just that earning that first pot of gold is indeed difficult."

He looked down at Bai Sheng, who was still fast asleep in his arms, and a confident smile appeared on his lips.

"What's the big deal about starting with these 7 dollars?"

The road has been paved.

Now, let's see how he proceeds.