pjbooks Chapter 153 Shopping Spree
Chapter 153 Shopping Spree
Chapter 153 Shopping Spree
The Beetle came to a stop in front of everyone, and a short, elderly white woman got out of the car.
She looked to be over 70 years old, wearing a bright rainbow suit, a playful wide-brimmed floral hat, and white lambskin gloves, exuding a distinctly British style.
In Ma Jieke's memory, the Queen of England always seemed to dress like this, as did the First Lady and the richest woman, all of whom liked to wear brightly colored clothes to highlight their noble temperament.
After getting out of the car, the other person gave Fiona a warm hug, with an incredibly bright smile on their face.
This woman really knows how to please older people: "Madam, you look radiant today, even younger than last time."
"You're such a smooth talker, always saying things I want to hear."
Elizabeth then looked at Majerke and the others, and seeing that they were all young people, she seemed quite pleased: "Come in, kids, come and see your new home."
Upon entering the house, the interior was largely the same as in the photos, complete with sofas, furniture, air conditioning, and a refrigerator—everything you'd expect. There was also a soft carpet on the floor, making it a move-in ready place.
The first floor consists of a huge living room, an open kitchen, a guest room, a bathroom, and a storage room.
Accessible via a spiral staircase to the second floor, which provides the main living space, consisting of a master bedroom and two secondary bedrooms. The master bedroom has its own ensuite bathroom, and each room also has a balcony.
At the end of the stairs, there is a small staircase leading to the top attic and roof.
This is a traditional four-bedroom, one-living-room house, with three rooms for the owner to live in and an extra room for guests to stay temporarily.
However, with five people sharing the apartment, there's no way the space will be vacant. If guests do come, they'll either have to share a blanket or sleep on the sofa.
For Ma Jieke now, living in a house like this is better than anything else; it's a hundred thousand times better than a tent.
Moreover, you no longer need to hitch a shower with Max's RV, avoiding the hassle of watching the water level drop and calculating the time, which makes showering unpleasant.
More importantly, we can now buy groceries and cook our own meals, making our own food more delicious and healthier. Fast food will stay far, far away from us.
"So, kids, if you think this house is pretty good, let's sign the contract now. I still need to talk to another tenant about renewing the lease later."
After the tour was nearly over, Elizabeth asked for everyone's opinions.
Another unit? Holy crap, this house would cost at least 1.5 million, since it's in a high-end community. And with renovations and property tax included, it'd be at least 1.8 million.
And she actually owns more than one property; adding the one she lives in, she has at least three properties.
What kind of family background does this woman have... Rich lady, wanna date? Age doesn't matter too much.
"I have no objection, it's up to you."
Ma Jie collapsed onto the sofa, feeling as if he had fallen into a pile of cotton.
I'm too lazy to get up, but let me make this clear from the start: I am at odds with capitalism. I'm just staying here critically to see firsthand how capitalism corrupts people's hearts.
Since the guild leader had no objections, what else was there for everyone to hesitate about? They simply had Fiona sign the contract on their behalf.
The standard procedure is to pay six months' rent upfront, plus a deposit for one month's rent.
The remaining option is tenant insurance, a mandatory $200 per person per year. In the event of a burglary, the landlord won't have to argue with the tenant, as the insurance company will cover the costs.
Since Ma Jie also owns a dog, he has to pay an additional pet hygiene management fee of about $80 per month.
After paying all the rent and surcharges, the landlady took Fiona to the property management office to set up the water and electricity meters, while Jimmy called the internet provider to ask them to install broadband.
Moving? What's the point of moving this? The tent is pointless now. We can just use old bedding and a sleeping mat inside. Whoever wants it can take it.
As for daily necessities, I buy all new brand-name products. That's how extravagant I am!
For the next two days, Ma Jie did not do any tasks; he spent his time decorating the room and shopping online and receiving packages.
He previously participated in "Warehouse Treasure Hunt King" and won a $100,000 voucher. He generously gave each of his friends a $10,000 voucher.
After all, the game rules state that the vouchers are team rewards, but most of the popularity votes are earned by the players themselves. If they are split equally, it would be too unfair for them to lose out.
With the remaining $60,000, I first bought an iPhone 16 Pro Max 1TB for $1599.
Although the AR panel can control the phone interface with air, its main function is still to serve tasks and activate skills.
The key issue is that there's no sound either; you still need a physical device to make calls and watch short videos.
Next, I spent a whopping $6500 to build a top-of-the-line DIY desktop PC for my ocean-view room, equipped with a Core Ultra 9 processor.
285K with an RTX 5090D graphics card.
They're all top-of-the-line configurations available on the market. For men, a computer is like a second wife, so you have to be ruthless with it.
Adding in the ROG monitor, high-end keyboard and mouse set, and peripherals such as speakers, the final cost was a whopping $10,000.
Besides that, there are some practical items like bedding, clothes and shoes, razors, and men's skincare products.
Finally, under pressure from my friends, I bought two more home sauna boxes and an outdoor spa whirlpool that can be placed in the yard.
These two items alone cost over ten thousand dollars. If it weren't for the guild leader's firm stance, we would probably have continued to be fleeced.
As night fell, the living room became lively. Max and Fiona sat in the sauna, pretending to enjoy an indoor sauna without leaving the house, holding paper magazines.
MaJack and Pudding sat cross-legged on the sofa, playing "Double Shadow Wonderland" with a wireless controller. Occasionally, due to miscoordination, they had to engage in real-life combat.
Jimmy, wearing VR glasses, screamed in terror, while Sandy, drenched in sweat, pedaled the stationary bike.
As the doorbell rang, the delivery guy brought over a freshly baked pizza.
Well, they've finally started living a good life. Although they can't compare to the super-rich, they're definitely better off than most people in the lower classes.
However, to maintain this status quo, money is absolutely essential.
So apart from changing residences, everyone's pace of life remains the same as before, with each person fulfilling their responsibilities.
Jack Ma got up very early that day, quickly washed up, and went downstairs for a morning run.
It has nothing to do with self-discipline; it's purely because I was punished by the system.
[Main Quest: Maintain a jogging routine for at least 40 minutes, current progress 0/40] Settlement Value: ★
[Side Quest: Help a shop owner who suffered losses from a zero-dollar purchase offer recover their losses] Settlement Value: ★★☆
The main questline remains as laid-back as ever; as long as you're not lazy, you can complete it no matter what.
The side quests seem a bit difficult, after all, the zero-yuan purchase is an open dungeon, and who knows how many players will participate in a single session.
As for the challenge mission, it is locked due to the [Hibernating Forge] and will remain locked for a week.
For a physical education student who has been practicing for 1 year, 40 minutes of jogging is not difficult at all.
After successfully completing the task, you will enter the "Happiness Three-Choice Mode".
【American Iaijutsu | v1】: Permanently improves your draw speed and shooting accuracy when using various firearms. Multiple upgrades are possible.
【Car Driving Iv1】: Permanently improves your car driving ability; can be upgraded multiple times.
【Wall Running Iv1】: Permanently enhances your street parkour abilities; can be upgraded by selecting multiple times.
No need to think anymore, choose the longest of the two short and one long, continue using American Iaijutsu, and go straight to Iv6 to further improve your shooting skills.
Whether from a theoretical or practical perspective, American-style Iaijutsu is definitely the number one core combat skill for American server players.
There is also an old proverb circulating among the people: "If a gunshot rings out, your parents have raised you for nothing; if you don't draw your gun quickly enough, you'll lose your life." So there's definitely nothing wrong with learning it.
I took a quick shower when I got home, and as soon as I came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, I smelled the aroma of food being cooked.
"Come to Jack, and try Mama Max's loving breakfast."
A young, stylish mother, wearing a floral apron, is placing several freshly made breakfast dishes on the table, each plate sprinkled with chopped parsley and a few cherry tomatoes.
Regardless of whether it tastes good or not, the presentation is quite impressive.
Ma Jie took a careful look and found that it was just ordinary spaghetti bolognese with fried egg and ham, and there was nothing wrong with it from the outside.
"What are you standing there for, kid? Sit down." Seeing him adopting a scouting stance, Max shoved him into a chair.
Then, before everyone else left, they all stayed behind to enjoy the lovingly prepared breakfast.
"Eat up, buddy! Isn't pasta your favorite food?"
Ma Jieke was cautious and suggested that Jimmy eat first, so that if something went wrong, they could cut their losses in time.
"Why aren't you eating?" Jimmy picked at the noodles with his fork, smelling them under his nose again and again, but he didn't dare to put them in his mouth.
There's nothing we can do; it was made by Max, the kitchen biochemistry expert. Others cook for money, but she cooks for life.
Seeing the two of them refusing to yield to each other, the others didn't dare to make a move either. Max glared angrily and said, "What do you mean? I got up earlier than the chickens to make breakfast for everyone, and this is how you treat the fruits of my labor?"
"Mommy, I'm going to be late for school." Little Pudding looked at her timidly, naturally not touching the food on her plate.
As a seasoned victim, she is the most qualified to speak on this matter.
Seeing this, Ma Jieke readily agreed, saying, "Yes, yes, the child is going to be late for school, I'll drive her."
The two exchanged glances, then made a move to slip away.
"You two, stop right there!"
Seeing the two of them working together so harmoniously, Max became even more furious. He put his hands on his hips and blocked the doorway, shouting, "Eat! You're not going anywhere today if you don't eat. You're not going to school, you're not going to class!"
No, sis...you're being way too domineering. You can't bully people like this.
"Never mind, I'll do it."
Seeing that the situation had reached a stalemate, Jimmy volunteered to fork up a clump of spaghetti covered in meat sauce, gritted his teeth, and shoved it into his mouth.
Anyway, whenever something like this happens, I always end up being the one who suffers in the end, so I might as well just give up in advance.