Chapter 1: I Went Bald! And Got Stronger?
"Socks, shorts, hair ties, and hairpins! Everything's cheap! The bastard factory owner ran off with his sister-in-law, selling at a loss!"
Jiangnan was wearing a white T-shirt with a Hello Kitty cartoon pattern on the front. On the bottom, he wore shorts and small slippers, sitting on a small stool as he shouted passionately and fervently. He was full of fiery enthusiasm!
"Hey, little sister! Want to buy some shorts? Super cheap, two for ten bucks!"
The passing girl hesitated for a moment and glanced at the stall. On a 2-meter by 2-meter vendor cloth, various goods were neatly arranged.
"Take a look, we've got all kinds of styles!"
"Bow ties, blue-and-white stripes, Pikachu, bikini..."
The girl glanced at the pile of shorts, her face turning red. Then she looked at Jiangnan—he seemed around eighteen or nineteen, sunny and handsome, a refreshingly clean-cut guy, looking at her with anticipation. Her face grew even redder.
"Hmph! Pervert!"
Jiangnan was stunned and quickly called out, "Little sister, don't go! If you don't want shorts, how about checking out the hair ties and hairpins?"
How am I a pervert?
I'm just selling shorts, aren't I?
Since when is selling shorts not a legitimate business?
Jiangnan felt like crying. He'd been shouting for over an hour, and his throat was hoarse!
Still no sales!
If he didn't make a sale soon, he wouldn't be able to put food on the table, and rent was due soon.
Jiangnan was nearly worried to death.
"Oh! Isn't this the honored Nan Shen from our Jiangcheng No.1 High School?"
"The great genius who awakened a space-type ability! Why are you setting up a street stall here in Jiangcheng Night Market?"
Jiangnan looked up and saw a girl in a crop top with a bob haircut, holding the arm of a tall guy, laughing as she teased him.
He frowned.
Li Muyan?
Bad luck! Running into a classmate!
"Damn! Space-type? Honey, you're kidding, right? I recall that out of the only three Dao Heaven-level experts in our Huaxia, one has a space-type ability! This guy?"
Li Muyan curled her lips. "Isn't that right? When he first awakened his space-type ability, it caused a sensation throughout Jiangcheng!"
"That Dao Heaven-level space-type expert even came to see him personally and wanted to take him as a disciple!"
Wang Lin was stunned. "Then why is he still selling at a street stall here?"
"Heh heh, you don't know. Although the ability Honored Nan Shen awakened is the rarest space-type, his talent test was the lowest grade—E-rank!"
"That Dao Heaven-level expert was dumbfounded and left in disgust. With such garbage talent, he'll never even reach Bronze rank in his lifetime, right?"
Wang Lin's expression was priceless. "Damn, what a freak!"
Jiangnan rolled his eyes impatiently and said, "Are you two buying anything or not? If not, hurry up and leave! Don't waste my business!"
Wang Lin sneered, kicked the socks on the stall with his foot, leaving clear shoe prints.
"What's this? We didn't say we weren't buying! Is this how you do business?"
Jiangnan looked at the shoe prints on the socks, his frown deepening, but he smiled brightly. "Buy a bikini for your girlfriend. You'll need it tonight!"
Li Muyan's face flushed red. She stepped forward and kicked the items on the stall into a mess.
"Watch your mouth! Do you know who my Brother Wang is? A power-type awakener from Jiangcheng Lingwu University!"
Jiangnan sneered. "Scared me to death! I thought his dad was Wang Gang!"
Wang Lin said coldly, "You're just a lousy street vendor, what are you so cocky about? A waste!"
"What's wrong with being a street vendor? I earn my own living!" Jiangnan was unafraid.
"Earn a living? Today, I'll make sure you don't even get to eat!"
With a sinister laugh, he threw a punch at Jiangnan's head. The force was so great it stirred up a gust of wind.
Jiangnan's surroundings rippled with spatial fluctuations, and he instantly teleported half a meter backward!
He barely dodged the punch.
But he was completely drained, drenched in sweat, as if all his strength had been sucked out.
This startled Wang Lin.
Damn, so he really did awaken a space-type ability?
So what?
"You dare dodge?"
He threw another punch, landing squarely on Jiangnan's chin. Drained by the teleportation, Jiangnan was too weak to resist and was knocked to the ground, his head spinning.
"Pfft!"
He spat a mouthful of bloody foam onto the vendor cloth.
[bUi! Blood elements detected. The World's Greatest Stall System begins to integrate!]
[Integration successful! Awarding stall owner one piece of vendor cloth, one small stool, and one ten-pull draw!]
[Do you wish to draw?]
What the hell?
Jiangnan, knocked flat, had his head buzzing.
Since when does running a street stall come with a system?
A ten-pull draw? Is it going to give me an SSR Onmyoji little sister or something?
[Do you wish to draw?]
...
[Asking again: Do you wish to draw?]
...
[Are you gonna draw or not, dammit?]
Jiangnan: "???"
Since when does it get impatient? Fine, I'll draw! What choice do I have!
[Lucky Wheel: Ten-pull draw begins!]
[Thank you for your patronage!] Consolation prize: Basic Strength Potion ×1!
[Thank you for your patronage!] Consolation prize: Basic Strength Potion ×1!
...
After nine consecutive "Thank you for your patronage," Jiangnan's face turned black. Sure enough, ten-pull draws are always a scam!
[Congratulations! You won!] Marrow-Washing Spirit Fruit ×1.
[Item inventory unlocked!]
Jiangnan saw nine bottles of Strength Potion and one Marrow-Washing Spirit Fruit in the system inventory.
[Strength Potion]
Effect: Increases the user's physical attributes tenfold for three days and three nights!
[Marrow-Washing Spirit Fruit]
Effect: Cleanses the marrow and refines the essence, improving the user's talent and aptitude.
Jiangnan's eyes lit up. That consolation prize Strength Potion sounded pretty powerful!
He took one out of the inventory.
"dUang!"
A water dispenser bucket full of water suddenly appeared on the stall.
Jiangnan was stunned.
Damn! Is this what they call a "bottle"?!
Does the system have a different understanding of the word "bottle" or what?
Seriously, strength comes from miracles!
"Hmph! Space-type? Is that all? A waste who can't even take one punch from me, and they call you Nan Shen? What a joke!"
Wang Lin was arrogantly cursing at Jiangnan, who was sprawled on the stall, enjoying the thrill of crushing him.
The sudden appearance of the "bottle" also startled him.
"Hold on, let me do something first!"
Jiangnan unscrewed the "bottle" cap, picked up the bucket with authority, and chugged directly from the mouth.
Wang Lin: "???"
What's happening? In the middle of a fight...
What, bro? Got thirsty from getting beaten?
Drinking from a bucket?
After the Strength Potion went down, Jiangnan felt a coolness on the top of his head, and a surge of power erupted from deep within his body.
His physical attributes increased tenfold!
Jiangnan put down the bucket, his fist shot out like a dragon, and he punched Wang Lin in the stomach!
The force was so great it produced a series of sonic booms.
Wang Lin had no time to guard.
"Bang!"
Wang Lin's face twisted, his eyes bulging. He felt as if he'd been hit by a truck, and he spat out a mouthful of sour liquid!
After Jiangnan's punch, Wang Lin's body curled up like a shrimp.
"Σ_(꒪ཀ꒪」∠)Ugh! Wh-what kind of monstrous strength is this?!"
Li Muyan was stunned, forgetting about the shrimp-like Wang Lin.
Because what was happening right in front of her was too... too... rare.
"Jiang... Jiangnan, you! Why are you bald?"
Jiangnan was startled and instinctively reached up to touch his head.
Smooth as a whistle...
Damn!
Where did my hair go?!
My! Hair! Where!
Bald? Not a single strand left?!
"System! Where's my hair?"
[Please don't mind the small details, stall owner!]
Details?
Are you kidding me? My luscious, flowing hair is just a "small detail" to you?!
What kind of crappy Strength Potion is this? The effect is indeed powerful, but it causes baldness after drinking?
So...
I went bald! And got stronger?