Chapter 357: Ye Xiangting is Shocked

[99 Huachang Street]

Roughly twelve kilometers from her home.

Should she wear a mask tomorrow when she goes?

Although Qiao Sang had never won a prize herself, she'd seen others claim their winnings online. Most wore masks or even used voice modulators. Some relied on their pet beasts to claim the prize for them. Few exposed their real identities.

Part of this was about protecting privacy; another was avoiding unwanted attention from criminals.

She recalled a story from Yanfu City, where a businessman won 2.8 million yuan. While this amount was insignificant to a company owner, he hadn't bothered to conceal his identity.

Unfortunately, his luck ran out soon after claiming the prize, just one street away, he was robbed. While he survived, he lost the money and ended up in the hospital for a month.

Her unlimited-limit prize card was much more tempting than that 2.8 million yuan. If her face were revealed, she'd surely attract attention. Better safe than sorry.

Shifting her gaze to Little Treasure, she smiled.

"Xun?" Little Treasure blinked curiously under her scrutiny.

Qiao Sang grinned.

"I have an important mission for you tomorrow."

"Xun!" Little Treasure puffed up his chest, ready to rise to the occasion.

Ah, being a beast tamer had its perks. Qiao Sang thought with a sense of satisfaction.

Unlike ordinary people who had to disguise themselves, beast tamers could simply send their pets to claim prizes. With so many tamers contracting the same type of beast in a region, it was near impossible to trace the winner.

While others worried about meeting their pets in a secure location to retrieve the prize, she didn't have that concern.

Her eyes settled on the circular ring adorning Little Treasure. She silently praised her foresight when picking him at the pet beast base.

As she mused, her mother emerged from the kitchen carrying a dish.

"Dinner's ready."

At the Dinner Table

"Mom, what's on your mind?" Qiao Sang noticed her mother mechanically eating rice without touching the dishes, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.

Ye Xiangting, her head still lowered, smiled.

"I'm thinking about how accomplished my daughter has become."

Caught off guard by the sincere praise, Qiao Sang felt awkward.

She wasn't used to such earnest compliments.

"You're just realizing this?" She teased with a grin.

Ye Xiangting fell silent, resuming her meal with a mix of pride and worry.

Yes, her daughter was extraordinary, so extraordinary it was almost frightening. At just 15, she had far surpassed her peers.

She recalled those with privileged upbringings, abundant resources and optimal environments since childhood. By contrast, Qiao Sang had grown up with minimal resources. Even affording a basic Bubble Bell beast had been a challenge back then.

Yet, despite such constraints, her daughter was already ahead of most on the path of beast taming.

Ye Xiangting had quit her stable job to open a pet beast nurturing shop, hoping to secure enough income for her daughter's future needs. But now, she realized her efforts might still fall short.

As beast tamers advanced, their resource requirements skyrocketed. Supporting a prodigy like Qiao Sang might demand unimaginable sums.

Anxiety weighed heavily on her as she contemplated this.

"Mom, let's check out the shops on Wendan Street tomorrow." Qiao Sang suddenly said, breaking her mother's train of thought.

Wendan Street, Hanggang City's most bustling commercial hub, spanned 1,290 meters and housed numerous renowned brands. Renting a 30-square-meter shop there cost upwards of 500,000 yuan per year.

"Sure." Ye Xiangting agreed. Worry about the distant future could wait; for now, her daughter's current needs took priority.

"What are you planning to buy?" She asked.

Qiao Sang sipped her soup.

"A shop."

Ye Xiangting froze.

"What?"

"A shop." Qiao Sang repeated calmly.

"Buy a shop?!" Ye Xiangting's voice shot up several octaves.

Her previous anxieties vanished in an instant, replaced by the urge to keep reminding herself: She's still a kid. She's still a kid.

After a deep breath, she forced herself to speak evenly.

"We don't have that kind of money."

"Doesn't matter. I do." Qiao Sang said, unfazed.

Ye Xiangting: ???

"Where did you get money?" She asked, deeply skeptical.

"Little TRreasure picked up a lottery ticket, and it hit the jackpot." Qiao Sang said casually, taking another bite.

Her mother's gaze darted toward Little Treasure, who was munching on an energy ball.

"Xun~" Feeling her stare, Little Treasure scratched his head sheepishly.

"... Is this for real?" Ye Xiangting's voice trembled with doubt and tentative hope.

"Absolutely." Qiao Sang confirmed.

"It's an unlimited-limit prize card valid for a year. With it, we won't need to rent a shop anymore, we'll buy one outright. Let's look at larger houses too. Faithful Owl shouldn't have to stay cooped up in the beast tome all the time. Oh, and it's about time for Fat Dove to evolve."

She had Little Treasure pull out the lottery ticket for her mother to inspect.

As Ye Xiangting read the ticket and verified it online, her hands trembled. Thirty seconds later, she sat frozen, staring blankly.

It was true.

A whirlwind of emotions surged within her. On impulse, she opened her phone's contacts.

Qiao Sang noticed and quickly said, "Don't tell anyone about this."

After a moment of hesitation, Ye Xiangting put her phone down and replied solemnly, "Don't worry. Your mom can keep a secret."

The Next Morning

Qiao Sang woke earlier than usual, tidied up quickly, and headed for the subway.

Half an hour later, she stood ten meters from 99 Huachang Street.

"Did you remember everything I told you?" She asked, her tone serious.

"Xun!" Little Treasure nodded earnestly. After their long talk last night, he knew the family's happiness for the next year rested on his tiny shoulders.

"Go!" Qiao Sang patted his head.

Donning a pair of black sunglasses once belonging to Yabao, Little Treasure floated toward 99 Huachang Street, exuding a don't mess with me vibe.

One minute later, after it had gone inside, Qiao Sang followed at a leisurely pace.

Yang Yingfei, Male, 45 years old, Security Guard at the Hanggang City Lottery Center.

That day, as usual, he was leisurely sipping tea and watching the news.

"Xun Xun!"

Suddenly, a voice called out in front of him.

Yang Yingfei looked up and saw a Treasure-Seeking Demon...

Hmm? Where's its Beastmaster?

He glanced around but didn't see anyone.

"Xun Xun!"

Little Treasure crossed his arms and let out a commanding call, acting like a boss.

He remembered his Beastmaster's words clearly: Register as soon as you enter!

Another jackpot winner trying to stay anonymous... Having worked as a security guard for over a decade, Yang Yingfei was no stranger to this kind of situation. He spoke up:

"Information card or Beastmaster emblem."

"Xun~"

Little Treasure instantly dropped his boss-like demeanor and handed over ihis Beastmaster emblem, which he had been clutching in his paws.

Yang Yingfei tapped a specific part of the emblem, and a virtual screen about five inches wide popped up.

Usually, verifying this kind of information didn't require much scrutiny. All he needed to do was match the photo of the spirit beast in the records.

But as soon as he saw the first page of the records, he froze.

The photo on the first page of the beast's profile was a Flame Hound!

He continued scrolling up to check the Beastmaster's details more carefully.

A moment later, he pressed the call button to summon the top-rated reception expert, Flash Mouse, to handle this situation.

Once the Treasure-Seeking Demon and Flash Mouse left, Yang Yingfei sat in stunned silence, unable to calm his thoughts.

A 15-year-old Beastmaster with three spirit beasts... Their city, Hanggang, actually had someone like this!

"Hello, I'd like to register." A crisp voice broke through his daze.

Yang Yingfei looked up and stared blankly at the young girl standing before him.

Seeing no response, Qiao Sang pushed her information card closer and said, "I'm here to register."

Startled back to his senses, Yang Yingfei waved his hand hurriedly.

"No need, no need. Your spirit beast already registered for you. Go right in."

Qiao Sang: !!!

How did they know it was me?

So what was the point of deliberately staggering the entry times with Little Treasure?

Wendan Street.

At 10 a.m., under the bright morning sun, the street was bustling despite being a weekday.

In front of a pet spirit clothing store:

"Did you get it?" Ye Xiangting asked, her face filled with anticipation.

"Of course." Qiao Sang pulled out a black-and-gold card, grinning as she waved it.

"What bank is this?" Ye Xiangting's eyes lit up as she took the card to inspect it.

"It's from Federal Dingshi Bank." Qiao Sang explained. After receiving the card, she had looked it up online.

Very few banks issued unlimited credit cards, and Federal Dingshi Bank was one of them. The card itself was made of 23-karat gold and palladium, a rare and expensive precious metal. It was said that even melting down the card and selling the metal could fetch a hefty sum.

Federal Dingshi Bank catered exclusively to the wealthy, offering services that extended beyond national borders to other planets. The exact eligibility requirements for this black card remained a mystery; Qiao Sang couldn't find any definitive information online.

"Federal Dingshi Bank?" Ye Xiangting gasped.

"When I first started working, I wanted to open a savings account there, but they required a minimum daily balance of one million yuan."

A daily balance of one million?!

Qiao Sang took a deep breath and changed the subject.

"Mom, did you spot any shops you liked?"

"There's one,." Ye Xiangting said, though her tone carried some hesitation.

"But it's not for sale. The shops that are for sale are all too small, even smaller than the one I currently run. They're not suitable for a pet spirit breeding store."

"Which one do you have your eye on?" Qiao Sang asked.

Ye Xiangting paused, then pointed to a store in the direction to her right.

"It's the one housing the Lisi Spirit Beast Supplies shop."

Lisi was a high-end brand of pet spirit supplies, known for carefully selecting premium locations for their stores.

The moment Qiao Sang heard this, she knew the location was excellent.

"Then it's settled. Let's go." She started walking toward the Lisi shop.

"But that shop isn't for sale!" Ye Xiangting called after her.

Qiao Sang turned back and smiled.

"Then we'll convince them to sell."

Ye Xiangting froze.

Where did her daughter's sudden CEO-like aura come from?

Inside the Lisi shop, Qiao Sang glanced around, nodding in approval.

The shop spanned two full floors with tall, curved bay windows that made the space inviting. It was at least 400 square meters in size, an excellent property!

"Hello, miss. May I help you?" A staff member approached with a polite smile.

Ye Xiangting hesitated, unsure how to explain that they wanted to buy the shop. Surely, they'd be thrown out...

"Is the manager here?" Qiao Sang asked.

The staff member was momentarily taken aback.

"May I know what it's regarding?"

"I might be buying quite a lot." Qiao Sang replied.

"I'd like to discuss it with them."

Hearing this, the staff member's face lit up.

"Of course! Please wait a moment; I'll fetch them right away."

Ye Xiangting glanced at her daughter, already preparing comforting words for when they inevitably got rejected.

Within a minute, a man in his thirties, dressed in formal attire, appeared with a smile.

"Hello, miss. What can I assist you with?" He asked warmly.

"I need the landlord's contact information," Qiao Sang said directly.

The manager's smile froze. He shot a glance at the staff member, then replied politely, "I'm sorry, but I don't have the landlord's contact details."

Qiao Sang pulled out her black card and said calmly, "I'll take everything in the shop."

The staff member's eyes widened in shock.

Is this straight out of a drama?!

The manager stared at the card, his breathing growing heavy. Trembling, he reached out to take it, but Qiao Sang moved her hand away at the last second.

"I want the landlord's contact information."

"I'll give it to you!" The manager quickly took out his phone, fearing she might change her mind.

Ten minutes later, amidst cheers and farewells from the Lisi staff, Qiao Sang and Ye Xiangting left the shop.

"We'll deliver everything to your specified location as soon as possible!" The manager called out, waving excitedly.

Qiao Sang smiled in acknowledgment, impressed by his service.

Dialing the landlord's number, she said:

"Hello, are you the landlord for 123 and 124 Wendan Street?"

"I'd like to purchase your property."

"Yes, purchase. Not rent."

"Don't hang up yet, how about 30 million yuan?"

"Great. Contact me on this number, and we'll finalize the deal tomorrow."

After hanging up, Qiao Sang turned and grinned.

"Mom, the landlord agreed. We'll sign the contract tomorrow."

Ye Xiangting was utterly stunned.