pjbooks Chapter 18 Skill Choices and Supply Stations
Chapter 18 Skill Choices and Supply Stations
While earning this sales commission, I also completed the side quest of "earning $100 within 24 hours", so I immediately triggered the "Happiness Three-Choice" option.
[American Iaijutsu Lv3]: Permanently improves your draw speed and shooting accuracy when using various firearms. Can be upgraded multiple times.
【Fake Fighter (Active)】: When activated, randomly acquire all the abilities of a legendary fighter for 10 minutes. Cooldown period is 3 days.
[Trade Expert (Passive)]: When trading or negotiating with others, there is a chance to obtain a hint of the other party's psychological price, which can fluctuate by no more than 8%.
Wow... Ma Jieke's eyes lit up at first glance; it seemed like they were all divine skills.
You'll have to learn American-style Iaijutsu sooner or later. Free America, gunfights every day. If you can't handle a gun in this region, it'll be a laughing stock.
The fake boxing champion, in a sense, is like a castrated version of Resurrection Armor. If he encounters danger on the street, as long as the opponent doesn't use American-style Iaijutsu, he can basically be easily defeated.
As for trade experts, they are like gods among gods. When negotiating a deal, they can know the other party's psychological price. What's the difference between that and pulling down someone's underwear? They can even see clearly how many hairs are in that area.
Looking at these three skills, Ma Jieke was very conflicted. It was impossible for him to grab them all quickly, so he could only continue to make his choice based on the principle of practicality.
American-style living requires two prerequisites: a gun license and a gun.
Of course, buying from the black market is a different story, but the problem is, who are you going to fight after you buy it? Even in this initial map, the most powerful elite monsters and beginner bosses might not be able to pull out a real gun.
In the United States, illegal possession of a firearm is a felony, which can carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, plus a fine of thousands of dollars.
The same principle applies to trade experts. How much business can a homeless person like you negotiate? The only NPC you can contact is the owner of the scrap yard.
Considering all these factors, the imposter boxing champion might be the best choice, as it could significantly improve his ability to survive on the streets.
Although there is a 3-day cooldown period and it only lasts for 10 minutes, its value is unimaginable when it comes to a life-threatening situation.
I've decided on you!
[You have acquired an active skill. The virtual AR panel is automatically activated and is fully synchronized with your phone's information.]
The moment you press the selection button, a semi-transparent screen suddenly appears in front of you—this is what's known as augmented reality technology.
The skills section displays three skill icons: [Explorer], [F-Rank Intelligence], and [Fake Boxer].
The first two are grayed out, indicating that they have already been used and cannot be opened again.
The "Fake Boxer" skill is an active skill; as long as you lock the retinal projection onto it, you can immediately transform into a Super Saiyan.
For Ma Jieke, this was surreal; it was like having a miniature AR chip implanted in his eye.
It perfectly replicates the GTA setting where characters can access their phone's interface anytime, anywhere.
Despite carrying a large sum of money, the two did not forget their identities and continued to sneak back to Los Angeles by evading fares at the subway station.
Taking a taxi is out of the question. In California, the starting fare for a taxi is $2.50. A ride from Santa Monica to the back of town would cost anywhere from $80 or $90 to over $100. Jack Ma isn't that extravagant.
After exiting the station, Jimmy introduced us to a supply station specifically designed for homeless people.
It's basically a general store located on a poor street, selling camping equipment such as tents, sleeping bags, portable stoves, and solar-powered lights.
"Hey Jimmy, long time no see." As soon as the two entered, a black woman with a large butt and breasts, wearing denim overalls, greeted him.
This woman looked to be around 40 years old; her lips were as thick as sausages. After the two got closer, they gave each other a friendly hug.
"Oh, let Mommy hold you a little longer, my little cake."
The woman moaned like a cow in heat, and then Jimmy's feet left the ground, his entire head buried in a bottomless black ditch.
Ma Jieke's face resembled an old man's cell phone on the subway, a scene that was incredibly cringe-worthy.
Having finally broken free, Jimmy, his face flushed and panting, exclaimed, "Jessica, this is murder!"
"Haha, if this were murder, I'd really be curious how the police would examine the breasts."
The woman he called Jessica let out a barbell-like laugh, glancing at MaJack: "And this is?"
"Jack! His name is Jack." Jimmy angrily blew into the air, "Yes, you heard right, he shares a name with Leonardo. I originally brought him here to support your business, but now all of that is canceled. Let's go, buddy, to another store. Jessica, this is the price you pay for messing with me. I've already given you plenty of face by not reporting you for sexual harassment."
"Hahahaha." Seeing his "vicious" words, Jessica laughed even more heartily: "Alright, alright, for the sake of our old friendship, just forgive Mommy this once, or I'll give you a discount."
"Nobody cares about your discount. Goodbye to your order."
After saying that, he grabbed Ma Jieke and walked towards the door.
Jessica, in a panic, shouted from behind, "20% off! Oh no, 25% off! 30% off!"
When she called out the 30% discount, Jimmy stopped abruptly, pulled back his right foot that had already stepped out the door, and turned his face to the side, saying, "You said it."
Jessica seemed a little regretful, after all, in the United States, the gross profit margin of low value-added industrial products is very low, and most products are labeled "Made in China".
In addition, with the recent trade war raging, some goods are subject to an additional 25% tariff, further squeezing profit margins, so a 30% discount barely makes any money.
But since the shit has already been taken out, there's no reason to sit back down. All I can do is give them a helpless look.
There's no way around it. This guy is a well-known street succubus and newbie guide in Skid Row. He often introduces newbies to buy gear here. If you offend him, the losses will be more than just this.
Ma Jie didn't stand on ceremony and took out the shopping list he had made on the subway, and began to purchase items one by one.
Forget about the tent; we've already gotten one from Max, the newbie camp manager. It's only about 80% new, but there's no need to spend extra money to buy a new one.
The most crucial item is the sleeping mat; without it, it's practically the same as sleeping on the floor.
On Jessica's advice, I bought a PVC inflatable sleeping mat, which retailed for $18 but was discounted to $12.6.
Next was the blanket. Without the slightest hesitation, I bought the most expensive small ice blanket in the store—paying in full.
With a retail price of $69, it's only $48.3 after the discount, a testament to its strength.
After all, it's equipment that we'll be using for a long time, so there's no need to skimp on it; comfort should be the top priority.
Then there's the portable LED light with a solar charging panel, a portable gas stove and a simple cooking set, and a 1L thermos so you can have a hot bowl of instant noodles if you get hungry in the middle of the night.
Getting water isn't difficult either; the relief station will provide extra-large bottled water. If you're diligent, you can easily get three or four bottles a day.
Finally, there's a sturdy and durable backpack, along with miscellaneous items like toilet paper, mosquito repellent, and a multi-tool.