The girl selling goods at the market had never seen money before.

Bai Jinxuan found it somewhat amusing; the last person who said she was a good person was still lying in the treasure chest.

The girl realized she hadn't been serious, so she said dejectedly, "I just knew that your demeanor made me feel very at ease, so..."

"Alright, alright, you don't even know who I am. Judging a person based on feelings will make you suffer a lot in the future."

Without wasting any more words with this dull-witted girl, Bai Jinxuan left those words and strode toward the gate leading to the flower-and-moon pavilion.

The brothel owner must be a decent person to have protected that girl so well.

Volume 1: Chapter 100: Girls Who Were Also Orphans

Pushing open the door to the flower-and-moon-themed area, I found that the furnishings were slightly different from when I last visited; there were more rooms and the space was larger.

It seems the owner acquired more land, hence the expansion.

Bai Jinxuan walked in while scanning her surroundings.

The pink lighting casts a purplish-black hue on the walls, creating a somber, cramped atmosphere.

A little girl dressed in a bunny girl bodysuit, wearing high heels, carrying a terrible prop, gently knocks on the dark door.

Luxury, indulgence, decay...

For the wealthy, this is simply the best place for entertainment. They no longer need to think about complicated interpersonal relationships, identity, family background... All those worries are abandoned the moment they enter the romantic setting.

They are now just guests who come to enjoy themselves. They can speak freely, eat and drink excessively, without anyone watching over or restraining them. They can do whatever they want.

Therefore, as they gradually lower their inner defenses, their rationality often leans more and more towards madness.

The girl's cries were also part of their amusement.

This made Bai Jinxuan frown, but that was all.

She's a businesswoman, so her discomfort stems from personal factors; she feels aversion to hearing unpleasant voices for no reason.

If someone offered her 100 million yuan to listen to this for ten minutes, she would gladly accept and be very happy.

Unfortunately, there is no such good thing.

She gained nothing and suffered torment, so naturally she wasn't in a good mood.

Just as Bai Jinxuan was thinking of complaining to the boss and then using the excuse of emotional distress to lower the price of the medicine, a middle-aged man in uniform walked in and tried to stop the customers' excessive behavior.

"Hello, please don't be too rough with them. They are all property of this store, and you have no right to damage them."

The man was clearly drunk, and he blurted out, "What's it to you?! It's just money, name your price!"

"I'm sorry, the girls in this shop are not products, so I cannot offer a price."

As soon as he finished speaking, several disheveled girls hid behind him, huddled together trembling, and cast fearful glances at the man.

Feeling insulted by this treatment, the man picked up a wine bottle from the table and smashed it on the ground.

"Snapped!"

Glass shards flew everywhere, and one of the fragments even splashed towards Bai Jinxuan's face.

After dodging to the side, Bai Jinxuan's face was gloomy.

You got ambushed while just eating some melon seeds? You're doomed.

She tacitly placed a mark on the other person, then took two steps back and continued to watch the drama unfold.

The middle-aged man was a man of strong character. When he saw the guest start throwing things, he went up and beat him up, dragged him by the leg and threw him out the door. In the end, he even made the front desk put him on a blacklist.

Judging from his gestures, one could roughly tell that his strength was above average at level 3, which would be considered quite good in a metropolitan area.

After all, this is probably the limit for an ordinary person's lifetime. People like Bai Jinxuan, who are qualified to enter No. 1 Middle School, are a very small minority in Star City.

A month ago, she also thought that she might be a level 1 or 2 mage until she died, spending her days going back and forth between the city and the black market, acting as a ghoul, selling slime, and turning into a black guy to earn a little bit of money.

And now, without realizing it, I have already broken through barriers that I could not have imagined in the past.

She arrived in the Upper City District, became a student at No. 1 Middle School, and challenged the Level 3 Exploration Certificate Exam. She could earn ten million in just one day. Zhou Kai sacrificed his classmate to defeat the Evil Heaven Tree. She killed ten trees in one hour, and she did it all with her bare hands.

I am already in the upper-middle class in the city.

To be honest, Bai Jinxuan was a little dazed.

There were too many things to do, and she hadn't had a chance to properly reflect on the past until she saw these third-tier kings at the bottom. Only then did she remember what kind of place the lower city where she used to live really was.

If I were to lose all my credits and be expelled from No. 1 High School because I didn't have enough money to buy magic crystals, that would probably be the scenario I would face then.

To be safe, you could work like Xiao Wang from the real estate sales office. To be more dangerous, you could go to the black market, the underworld city, or mine deep in the underground city like your parents. But the most dangerous thing is when the explorer continues to fight monsters.

Solo adventures are extremely dangerous, with a near-certain death rate.

Bai Jinxuan took a deep breath, turned around and walked towards the second floor. At the same time, the group of frightened girls and the security guards followed her.

"Xiaozhu, are you alright? Go upstairs and rest for a bit. I'll go talk to the boss and ask for a day off for you."

"Wait...wait a minute, Dad, I can do it, no, I don't need to ask for leave."

"But......"

The man's voice was hoarse, his eyes slightly red, and he finally forced out the words through gritted teeth: "It's because Daddy is so useless, making Xiaozhu..."

"Didn't we agree not to say so much? Let's work hard these next few weeks, so that we can cover my sister's tuition and mom's medical expenses..."

Upon hearing their conversation, Bai Jinxuan unconsciously stopped in her tracks.

They were actually father and daughter. How could a martial artist who was close to level 4 end up in such a miserable state?

No, that's not right. It's hard to say. My parents are also Tier 3. They've been mining underground for so long and only managed to save up for a house worth 100 million. Their combined monthly salary is probably only around 5.

Moreover, they can't go down into the mine every day. Besides, they also need to have regular health checkups, pay for their tuition, eat, borrow money from other miners... After all that, they don't have much money left at the end of the month.

No wonder they had to borrow money from Yao's parents.

Bai Jinxuan sighed inwardly, wondering what her parents' expressions would be when they found out that these coworkers hadn't paid back a single penny and had all run away, leaving her with the bills but nowhere to be found.

The only family that didn't run away was the Murong family, who were actually owed money by the Bai family. Despite this, they were still willing to pay for their schooling for free...

"Ugh--"

"Eh? You're... the lady who came to the store before?"

Seeing Bai Jinxuan stop at the top of the stairs, the girls recognized her.

Immediately, everyone's attention was drawn to her, and after a brief silence, someone asked, "Sister, what are you doing standing here?"

"Um... I'm thinking."

In reality, Bai Jinxuan wasn't much older than these people; it's just that the cleaner's face looked a bit more weathered, and she didn't quite get used to being called "sister" all the time.

"As Mother just mentioned, if you come, please remember to let us show you the way. The shop has been renovated and looks very different from a month ago. This way, please."

A slightly mature-looking young woman came out and took on the task of leading the way, guiding Bai Jinxuan to the second floor.

Seeing this, she nodded and followed.

Soon, at the end of the corridor, Bai Jinxuan arrived at her office, which was still as simple as ever.

The madam sat quietly in the chair, waiting for him.

"Please take a seat."

Upon seeing her arrival, she gestured for the girl who had led the way to leave, smiled, and pointed to the chair across the table.

Bai Jinxuan didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly.

"I heard you have new arrivals, Miss?"

Perhaps because they had dealt with each other before, the madam knew her own personality well and got straight to the point without saying anything unnecessary.

No wonder he can survive in a metropolis; his emotional intelligence is exceptionally high.

After a moment of reflection, he took a bottle of gender-changing serum from his bag and gently placed it on the table.

"Sex-changing drugs, fresh, 10 yuan a bottle, quality guaranteed, I have more than 100 bottles here."

Upon hearing this, the madam reached for the medicine, uncorked it, and wanted to smell it.

Bai Jinxuan, quick-witted and agile, immediately reached out to stop her.

"You can't smell the sex-changing agent. If you need to test its properties, I have the equipment here. You can take a few drops to test it."

However, the madam smiled, put down the potion, and said calmly, "Miss, you're overthinking it. It's just a minor issue and nothing to me."

"If the dosage exceeds a certain range, you will be locked at level 2 and will no longer be able to advance."

"Miss, you really are the eldest daughter of some family, aren't you?"

Bai Jinxuan withdrew her hand, looking puzzled: "Why do you think that?"

"The equipment for testing the drug's effects costs millions, and very few people can produce a hundred bottles of sex-changing drugs. Perhaps you yourself are unaware of it, but your temperament, speech, demeanor, and those sharp eyes all prove that you are no ordinary person."

The madam smiled and continued, "I am quite confident in my judgment. In my opinion, Miss, you come from the Upper City District and are the eldest daughter of a declining family. Your family runs a potion business and also has an expedition team with at least Tier 3 strength under your command."

"..."

Although what the other party said was not entirely accurate, to some extent, my economic situation was indeed similar to what she described.

The resources and money at their disposal were more than enough to support a declining family.

Seeing Bai Jinxuan remain silent, the madam relaxed and handed her a cup of tea.

"The reason I'm saying this is because you have a misconception, miss."

"What misunderstanding?"

"An ordinary person like me, without a silver spoon in my mouth, could never have that kind of equipment. Detecting drugs with my nose is a valuable skill I've accumulated over twenty years in the industry. As for the side effects and class restrictions..."

She smiled bitterly and tapped the table lightly with her fingertips.

"Miss, how do you think I got to where I am today?"

The implication is already quite clear.

Bai Jinxuan pursed her lips. The woman in front of her was said to be a boss who enjoyed romantic evenings, but before that, she was just an ordinary person struggling in the dark.

Just like myself a month ago, struggling to set up a stall in the black market.

No resources, no connections, no money.

What she possessed was the determination to keep struggling. Fortunately, Bai Jinxuan still had the divine weapon, the blade in her hand, and the determination to fight to the death.

Therefore, she can be a ghoul, a killer buried outside the Death Gang, a wanted criminal, a fugitive, and an executioner who licks blood from the edge of a knife.

But the boss, who enjoys romantic evenings under the moon, the female performers under his command, and Miaoyu, who gave up her studies, are different. They don't have the same courage as me. They also struggle and work hard, but they choose a more stable, yet more aggrieved, way of life.

That is surrender.

They abandoned their future in terms of social standing, plunged headlong into the abyss, with no way back.

"You take such good care of those girls because you were one of them once?"

After a long while, Bai Jinxuan, for some reason, gritted her teeth and said some very cold words: "If you don't treat them as expendable resources, it will be difficult to make money. You have been in this industry for so long, you should understand that there are some people you can't afford to offend, and you don't dare to resist them. Even if you get involved with me, it won't be of much use."

"Miss, you're a smart person, but...you probably don't understand. For me, what I want isn't how much money I make."

"I just want to live a good life. I'm already very content to have come this far from the slums."

"Slums..."

Bai Jinxuan was speechless for a moment.

She rarely encountered this word because even at No. 5 Middle School, most people were out of touch with the slums.

Just like the aristocratic birds in the school who don't know what life is like in the lower city, most people in the lower city don't know what the slums are like.

No matter where you are in Star City, there are different levels of status and wealth. For example, in the upper and lower districts, there are No. 1 and No. 2 Middle Schools in the upper district, and No. 5, No. 6, No. 7 and No. 8 Middle Schools in the lower district.

Don't be fooled by the fact that No. 5 Middle School is a piece of shit compared to No. 1 Middle School. It is still the top middle school in the Xiacheng District, and not just anyone can get in.

I was able to get into No. 5 Middle School back then, which was definitely thanks to Murong Yao.

What should she do if the Murong family doesn't help her but instead comes to collect debts, and if her parents leave behind not the house and the magical artifact but a series of debt bills?

This situation is the norm for people at the bottom of society in the lower-class areas.

Orphans, without parents, without support, and with nothing, ultimately end up in the slums.

It's called a slum, but it's actually a ruin, an ancient wasteland left over from before Star City was built. The poorest migrants there don't even have cell phones, they still have to light fires to boil water, and scavenge for a living every day.

Bai Jinxuan had once visited the slum when she was 10 years old. It was winter, and there were people frozen to death or dying of disease everywhere in front of the tents in the slum. Some of their clothes had been stolen, since the dead don't need to wear clothes.