Chapter 46: Can You Afford It?
Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Can You Afford It?
Shi Feng stroked his chin, gazing at the bustling scene before them. He then said seriously, "This must be one of the prosperous cities on B6 Star."
"So it’s a completely different world from where we’ve been staying."
They knew the wealth gap would be huge, but they never expected it to be this extreme.
Dressed in their slightly worn casual clothes, they stood at the mall entrance, watching people in bright, fashionable outfits come and go.
When these people saw the five of them, expressions of disdain couldn’t help but cross their faces.
Some even whispered behind their backs, "Where did these country bumpkins come from? Can they even afford to buy anything in there?"
"Why aren’t the mall’s security guards kicking them out? They’re really lowering the whole tone of the place."
"What beggars. They could at least change their clothes before coming in."
Hearing this, the group all looked down at their own clothes.
They were a bit old, but still perfectly wearable. The fabric was good quality and felt comfortable.
’This must be what those high-and-mighty rich people are like.’
The arrogance seeping from their very bones threatened to drown the five of them.
It was like they walked around with their noses in the air, completely blind to their surroundings.
They ignored them. In the face of disaster, everyone is equal.
If it weren’t for the First Corps stationed on B6 Star, how could these people possibly enjoy the lives they had now?
Even though they ignored the comments, they still felt a little annoyed.
"They’re all just capitalists," Feng He muttered under her breath.
"Who are they looking down on? When the mutant beasts invade, won’t they be the ones crying and begging for our protection?" Shi Feng shrugged. A bunch of completely helpless capitalists.
They found a place to eat and went inside. It had probably just opened for the day; it was morning, and the restaurant was empty and quiet.
A young woman in an apron was sitting at the front counter, her head propped in her hand as she watched a blue screen in front of her.
She even cracked a smile at something she saw.
The group stood at the counter. The woman glanced up at them before her eyes drifted away again. In a lazy, listless voice, she said, "Find your own seats. There’s a menu on the table."
Hearing that, they didn’t say anything more and found a table in the corner.
Each of them ordered a bowl of noodles and a few side dishes. Just as they finished ordering, the waitress brought over drinks and glasses and set them on their table.
After putting them down, she asked, "Are you done ordering?"
"Yes."
"Mhm." The waitress nodded and walked away.
After she left, the group started whispering among themselves. "Luxurious. This mall really is luxurious."
But Shi Feng’s attention was on the prices. A bowl of noodles cost 30 Star Coins—the equivalent of thirty yuan a bowl.
’So expensive. I have to see what these noodles look like when they arrive.’
The side dishes here were expensive too.
"Good thing we earned some money. Otherwise, the subsidies and that little bit Captain Li gave us wouldn’t have been nearly enough," Gu Kaiwen remarked while munching on a complimentary snack from the side.
After finishing the snack in his mouth, Gu Kaiwen told them excitedly, "This little snack is delicious! You guys should try it."
As he spoke, he grabbed a few and stuffed one into each of their hands.
They unwrapped them and popped them in their mouths. After savoring the taste, they found that they were indeed very good.
"Not bad," Lin Jingjing nodded. She then picked up the wrapper and started looking for the brand, planning to buy some to take back with her.
’I can sneak them during training. That way, my mouth won’t get bored.’
A robot brought their noodles and placed the side dishes they had ordered on the table one by one.
Looking at the rather plain-looking noodles in front of them, they held their chopsticks and felt, for a moment, that it wasn’t worth the price.
Gu Kaiwen couldn’t stand how bland it was. He got up, found a bottle of chili sauce, and wasn’t satisfied until he had dumped two large spoonfuls into his bowl.
"Adding this chili makes it taste pretty good."
After they finished eating, they got up to leave. The waitress might have overheard their earlier discussion.
Before they left, she brought out a large bag of the snacks and handed it to them. "I heard you talking about this snack earlier. Here, have a bag on me."
The group was stunned, staring at the huge, full bag of snacks.
’It’s a brand new, unopened, and massive bag. This young woman is just giving it to us like that?’
Flattered and surprised, they accepted it, repeatedly saying, "Thank you, thank you."
"You’re welcome." After replying, the waitress sat back down and continued watching her screen.
Watching her, the group left the restaurant with the snacks.
"Do you think that girl is having a rough time at work? Is that why she gave us such a huge bag?" Lin Jingjing was shocked. She’d only ever seen things like this in comment sections online.
She never expected to encounter it herself after transmigrating.
"Regardless, we should be really grateful to her," Feng He said with a smile.
They stored the snacks in their Space Rings and began to wander around the mall.
They went into a clothing store, thinking of buying a couple of suitable outfits each. As soon as a saleswoman saw how they were dressed, the contempt and disdain in her eyes were completely unconcealed.
"Can you even afford anything here?" The person who spoke was a woman in a dark gray professional suit. Her hair was tied up, her face was impeccably made up, and her long legs were wrapped in black stockings.
Just standing there silently, she was a beautiful and pleasing sight.
But the moment she opened her mouth, that good first impression was ruined.
"Dressed like that... do you even have any Star Coins in your accounts?" the saleswoman said, raising a hand to her upper lip.
Her light blue eyes stared at them, filled with nothing but disgust.
Hearing this, the five of them were momentarily speechless.
All the things they’d never encountered before, they were running into them all today.
’Unbelievable.’
"We are customers, and you are a salesperson. Your job is to serve us, not stand here asking if we have Star Coins," Lin Jingjing said coldly, standing up to fix her gaze on the woman.
Who would have thought the saleswoman would burst out laughing. "Pfft! With how pathetic you look, you want *me* to serve you? In your dreams."
Feng He ignored her and looked at a dress hanging nearby. Just as her hand reached out to touch it, the saleswoman barked at her sharply.
"Stop!" She strode over in her high heels, slapped Feng He’s hand away, and said arrogantly, "Who said you could touch that? If you get it dirty, can you afford to pay for it?"
Seeing Feng He get hit, her fiancé immediately stood up.
Mo Xuan’s face darkened. He pulled Feng He behind him and stared daggers at the saleswoman, his voice ice-cold as he said, "Apologize."
"Apologize? You’re the ones touching the clothes without permission, I haven’t even gone after *you* yet!" the saleswoman immediately shrieked.
Seeing her vile expression, the faces of the group turned grim.
Mo Xuan looked at her despicable behavior. The thought that she had just hit his fiancée, combined with her current attitude, made his anger boil.
But his good upbringing allowed him to remain level-headed.
"The fact that we walked into this store proves we can afford it. With your attitude of fawning over the rich and scorning the poor, it’s no wonder this shop has no customers."
"If your boss knew you were acting this way, would they be angry?" Mo Xuan asked coldly.
Hearing him mention her boss, the saleswoman’s heart skipped a beat, but after another look at their clothes, she felt reassured.
With the shameless air of someone who has nothing to lose, she said, "Go on then, complain about me if you have the guts. Let’s see who the boss sides with."
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