Chapter 145: Send Me 50 to Prove Your Strength

“Well… Dad, just this once. Whether I win or lose, it’ll be the last time,” Zhang Yang said with an awkward laugh in a voice message.

“You said the same thing last time,” Zhang Zhaohai replied, clearly unconvinced. “Forget it. It’s your money. How you use it is your business. We can’t control it anymore.”

“Don’t worry. This time I’ll definitely open something even better,” Zhang Yang said.

“You really think you’re going to cut open some top-grade treasure? Fine, I’ll wait and see. I hope you can give your old man a proper slap in the face,” Zhang Zhaohai replied.

Zhang Yang blinked and didn’t argue with his father any further.

The reason his father reacted so strongly was because he thought Zhang Yang was simply addicted to gambling and didn’t believe he could really open something valuable.

How to solve that?

Just open something valuable.

The ticket said it was to Ruili, but the direct flight actually landed at Dehong Mangshi Airport, over a hundred kilometers (~62 miles) away from Ruili. As for the flight, Zhang Yang had booked business class on China Eastern Airlines, with a total flight time of a little over four hours.

That night at home, Zhang Yang carefully researched everything about going to Ruili.

For example, the jade trading market there was called Delong Jewelry City. Jadeite rough stones from the eight major mining areas in Myanmar were gathered there. The place was extremely prosperous, with tens of thousands of people trading in the market every day.

Of course, many legendary stories about rough stones had also been born there.

Theoretically, it was entirely possible for Zhang Yang to cut open top-grade jade there.

“I don’t even need top-grade jade. If I can open a batch of high-ice jade, I’ll already be satisfied. And if I manage to get glass-type jade, that would be perfect,” Zhang Yang muttered to himself.

“Oh right, keep a low profile.”

It wasn’t about safety. It was simply that sellers priced stones according to who they were dealing with. If he dressed too flashy, wouldn’t people just quote him higher prices?

Zhang Yang looked at his closet, which didn’t contain a single cheap piece of clothing, and shook his head.

A moment later, he drove out.

Inside a sports brand store at a nearby mall, Zhang Yang casually picked out a couple of athletic outfits.

With his physique and build, the moment he put on sportswear he instantly became a bright, athletic male god.

“Sir, this outfit looks amazing on you.”

The ponytailed shop assistant, who looked fresh and clean, couldn’t help hovering around him once she saw how handsome and energetic he looked.

With that appearance alone-

Compared with Zhang Yang, the advertising model posters hanging all over the store walls looked completely inferior.

“Alright, I’ll take these two sets. I’ll alternate between them,” Zhang Yang said with a smile.

Not long after, he left the store carrying the shopping bags.

Late at night, in the master bedroom.

Zhang Yang checked his RedNote account.

As the popularity continued to rise, the speed at which likes and comments were increasing was also skyrocketing. Private messages were flooding in so quickly that he couldn’t even read them all, let alone reply.

Naturally, some people began making sarcastic remarks.

“So after becoming a male god, do people automatically become aloof and stop replying?”

Zhang Yang found it a little ridiculous.

There were hundreds-almost thousands-of private messages. How could he possibly reply to them all? And besides, why should he? It would be meaningless.

Since many of the messages were asking about whether he would continue updating the account, Zhang Yang decided to respond to that question in one unified statement.

I have never been satisfied with the present. But I think my story can temporarily come to an end here.

Many people suggested I take advantage of this wave of popularity and operate this account seriously. Honestly, everyone has their own ambitions. If this account can encourage more people, then that is its true meaning. Using it to make money-I neither want nor intend to do that.

Farewell for now. I hope that when I appear again someday, it will be with a completely new identity.

And that was it.

Zhang Yang officially drew a full stop on his RedNote account Little Yang.

Soon afterward, a flood of comments poured in.

Don’t leave! How can you just say goodbye like that? I’ve gotten used to waiting for your updates.

I finally raised a cloud boyfriend and watched you transform into a male god, but why does it still end with you being unreachable?

A new identity? I can’t quite explain it, but your current image already feels perfect. Does the blogger mean his career or something else?

The comments were all kinds of reactions.

But it no longer mattered.

Zhang Yang closed RedNote and fell into deep thought.

At first, he thought the system tasks could only be triggered through RedNote. But everything that happened afterward proved that it wasn’t limited to online platforms.

Offline triggers were possible. So online-opening a new account somewhere else-should also work.

He opened his phone and stopped at the Answerly app.

Answerly was a Q&A website that had existed for more than ten years, with over a hundred million registered users. So far, tens of millions of questions and hundreds of millions of answers had been posted on the platform.

Because many answers were completely fabricated stories, users had to judge credibility themselves. This even led to the joke: “Answerly-make up your story.”

“Maybe I should just open a new account on Answerly,” Zhang Yang suddenly thought.

The more he considered it, the more feasible it seemed.

So he immediately created a new account on Answerly with the ID: Mr. Zhang.

Simple and straightforward.

Since the account was brand new, if he asked questions right away there probably wouldn’t be much attention or many answers.

Zhang Yang thought about it and decided to start by answering questions first-gain some visibility, attract followers, and then plan the next step.

As for topics like astronomy or geography, he knew his limits. He wasn’t capable of answering those.

So what should he answer?

Naturally, the popular, everyday topics people loved.

Things like:

What is the life of a rich person like?
Does driving a luxury car really increase confidence?
Do flight attendants really flirt with you in first class?

Others had to bluff and research carefully to make their stories sound believable.

But for Zhang Yang, he could simply write freely.

Because everything he wrote was real.

For example, under the question about rich people’s lives, he casually wrote:

Honestly, there’s nothing special about it. You still eat three meals a day. It’s just that you casually eat at Michelin and Black Pearl restaurants, casually fly all over the country, drive a Bentley or a Cullinan, and sometimes enjoy the Bund view from home.

His answer was so plain and understated.

Unlike many highly liked answers filled with photos and elaborate stories.

Soon someone commented below.

Rich bro, send me 50 to prove your strength.

“Only one comment. No rush,” Zhang Yang glanced at it and didn’t feel any urge to prove himself. He simply put his phone aside and fell asleep.

Early the next morning, after washing up, Zhang Yang packed lightly and prepared to depart for Mangshi.

Inside the airport VIP lounge, while waiting, Zhang Yang checked his Answerly account again.

“Huh? There are more comments? And new followers?”

Under the question Does driving a luxury car increase confidence?, his answer was:

Yes. Different luxury cars bring different levels of confidence.

When I first drove a Cayenne, the confidence was simple and straightforward.

But when I later drove a Bentley and a Cullinan, I didn’t even need to deliberately feel confident anymore, because my confidence already came from myself-not from external things.

The comments below were plentiful.

You’re really bragging now. From Cayenne to Bentley to Cullinan-aren’t you afraid your lie will explode?

The description feels a little forced.

Others include pictures and details. You just say a few sentences. Not convincing.

“Hmm.” Zhang Yang shook his head. “I’m already answering in the most plain and honest way possible, and people still don’t believe it?”

He looked down at himself.

Right now he was traveling light. He had even taken a taxi to the airport just for convenience.

There really wasn’t anything on him that could prove his claims.

“Forget it. Let these answers attract some firepower first. I’ll prove it later.”

He put down his phone, saw that boarding time was approaching, and headed to the gate.

This trip to Ruili wasn’t urgent. He planned to travel slowly, enjoy the journey, and handle the rough stone purchase along the way.

So his mindset was purely that of a traveler.

Inside business class, after taking his seat, Zhang Yang closed his eyes to rest.

Because he had stayed up late doing research the night before, and although his physical condition meant he could go days without sleep without feeling tired, he might as well catch up on rest.

Besides, he was flying business class, wearing no luxury brands and no expensive watch.

He probably wouldn’t stand out too much.

Thinking that, Zhang Yang relaxed.

That afternoon, in Yunnan’s Dehong Mangshi International Airport.

After getting off the plane, Zhang Yang looked at the small note he had just received and shook his head with a smile.

Waking up with a blanket on him wasn’t strange. A flight attendant checking on him frequently wasn’t strange either.

But repeatedly coming over to chat, and then slipping him a note before landing-

The meaning was obvious.

Unfortunately, he had recently decided to take a break from casual romance. Too much indulgence didn’t just tire the body-it tired the mind too.

“So this is Mangshi?”

Leaving the airport, Zhang Yang looked up at the cloudless blue sky, the distant mountain ranges, and felt the unique atmosphere of this southwestern border city.

He hadn’t eaten much on the plane, so the first thing he did after landing was find something to eat.

Following a taxi driver’s recommendation, Zhang Yang headed straight to a restaurant famous for Burmese crab.

Inside the restaurant, the live Burmese crabs available for selection were incredibly fresh. Cooked in a spicy sauce, the rich savory flavor combined with the heat made the crab meat unbelievably sweet and delicious. It was so fragrant it was almost intoxicating.

“You’re really taking a big risk bringing all your savings to buy rough stones this time,” a conversation between two young men nearby caught Zhang Yang’s attention.

While eating his crab, he casually listened in.

“Fortune favors the bold. Besides, I’ve got plenty of experience. This time I’ll definitely gain something. If I strike it rich with a single cut, that woman Zhao Xiuxiu won’t dare ignore me anymore,” said one slightly chubby young man through clenched teeth.

“You, with that mindset, definitely won’t succeed. That’s classic gambler’s psychology,” the tall, thin man beside him said, shaking his head.

“Forget it. Just listen to me this time. I’ll find a car to Ruili later,” the chubby man replied.

Zhang Yang listened for a while.

These two had the same purpose as him-going to Ruili to buy rough stones-and it wasn’t even their first time.

Since this was Zhang Yang’s first time here and he was unfamiliar with everything, finding companions didn’t seem like a bad idea.

With that thought, he stood up.

“Hey guys, how about we share a ride? I’m heading to Ruili too.”

The two young men at the table paused, looking up at Zhang Yang who had approached them. Their eyes carried a hint of instinctive caution.

“Let me introduce myself,” Zhang Yang said with a smile, unfazed. “My name’s Zhang Yang. I’m also planning to go to Ruili for a look around. I heard you mentioning the rough stone market earlier. Coincidentally, that’s exactly what I’m going for too.”

“You’re going to buy rough stones as well?” the chubby young man asked in mild surprise.

“I’m interested in it and thought I’d learn a bit from experts like you,” Zhang Yang said casually with a bit of flattery.

“Haha, expert is too much. I just have some experience,” the chubby young man said proudly. “You’ve never dealt with rough stones before?”

“No, it’s my first time. I’m just traveling and thought I’d try learning about it-just playing around,” Zhang Yang replied with a smile.

“For beginners, I always suggest just treating it as entertainment,” the chubby man said, looking rather pleased with himself. “How about this-you come along with us. We’ll travel together, and if I have time, I can give you some pointers.”

“That would be great,” Zhang Yang nodded and thanked him.

A moment later, the three of them hailed a car by the roadside and set off for Ruili together.

They were all young, and after chatting along the way, they gradually became more familiar with each other.

The slightly chubby one was named Sun Peng, and the tall thin one beside him was Duan Wei. The two worked at a jade shop in Zhejiang Province and had been in the business for about three to five years. They might not be masters, but they definitely knew far more than someone completely new like Zhang Yang.

But that didn’t matter. Zhang Yang had the Luck Stone buff. When it came time to pick rough stones, that would be the real moment of truth.

“When you get there, remember to bargain hard. Those stall owners quote ridiculously high prices. If you really like a piece and can’t get the price down, I can help you bargain,” Sun Peng said confidently, patting his chest.

“If you’re lucky and manage to open something good, this trip won’t be wasted.”

“Then I’ll take your words as good luck, Brother Sun,” Zhang Yang replied with a smile.

Open something good?

Simply opening something decent wasn’t Zhang Yang’s goal for this trip.

Not only did he intend to open something-he was aiming for a major find.

Otherwise, what would be the point of using a system-produced item?

“Sun Peng, I still think you should take it easy this time. Stop when you’re ahead. Don’t dump all your savings into it,” Duan Wei remained clear-headed and couldn’t help reminding him again.

“There you go again. I, Sun Peng, never do things without confidence. Don’t worry about that,” Sun Peng said casually.

Zhang Yang blinked beside them.

That sounded oddly familiar.

Wasn’t that exactly the same thing he always told his father Zhang Zhaohai when making promises?

The difference was that when Zhang Yang said he had confidence, he actually did.

As for Sun Peng, he had no idea where that confidence and certainty were coming from.