Prodigal System in the Flourishing City

Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Wealth Allows Caprice (First Update)

Lu Xiaobu looked at the nearly crying Li Xide in front of him: ”Since Qianmin says it’s my fault, then it must be. I’ll apologize to you first, sorry. You can calculate the medical expenses and compensation. I’ll pay you.”

At this statement, the whole room was shocked.

”Xiaobu, you!” Wu Qianmin was feeling a mix of emotions and for a moment didn’t know how to respond.

Her heart, which had been utterly disappointed in Lu Xiaobu, suddenly saw a glimmer of hope.

”Ouch.” The phone shop owner almost threw out his back.

Li Xide was dumbstruck, his jaw nearly hit the floor.

What the hell is this?

This extravagant fool is apologizing to me and offering compensation?

But before he could get excited, he heard Lu Xiaobu speak again: ”But, you have to clearly explain the whole story right now, or else this money will be considered your funeral expense.”

”Uh...”

The whole room was shocked.

Wasn’t it just a beating just now? How did it turn into murder all of a sudden?

”Young Master Bu...” Li Xide was somewhat confused and more afraid.

”Speak!” Lu Xiaobu said ’ferociously.’

”I’ll speak.” Li Xide quickly straightened his body: ”Actually, I’m an inventor...”

Phone shop owner: ”Heh, a single geek.”

Li Xide’s face turned red: ”At that time, I wanted to ask Young Master Bu for a sponsorship...”

Phone shop owner: ”Clearly you had no money for food and were hungry.”

Li Xide: ”Maybe I misspoke...”

Phone shop owner: ”It’s because you’re too smelly and dirty.”

Li Xide: ”And then I got beaten.”

Phone shop owner: ”That’s correct.”

”It’s understandable.” Lu Xiaobu nodded. He understood the behavior of his predecessor.

After all, such a scruffy guy coming up and clinging onto someone, it’s easy to react excessively.

Lu Xiaobu said: ”Li Xide, considering you keep visiting the phone shop, your invention is probably a phone, right?”

The phone shop owner immediately chimed in: ”Young Master Bu is insightful, it is indeed a phone. This guy is neglecting his proper job of repairing phones and is instead working on some ’new era’ phone, but what he made is just trash.”

”It’s not trash!”

Li Xide, who had been constantly ridiculed by the phone shop owner and didn’t dare to retort, suddenly stiffened his neck and yelled at him.

”It’s just trash. It’s not waterproof, not durable, it breaks as soon as it’s slightly knocked. Who would buy such a phone?” The phone shop owner said dismissively.

”It’s not trash!” Li Xide’s voice grew louder.

Phone shop owner: ”It is...”

Li Xide’s face turned red from holding his breath: ”It’s! Not! Trash!”

The phone shop owner was stunned for a moment, rolled his eyes and conceded, ”Okay, okay, it’s not trash.”

”He he.”

Li Xide, like a child who’d been acknowledged by an adult, calmed down in an instant. He truly had an innocent temperament.

The phone shop owner was speechless.

”Interesting.” Lu Xiaobu was smiling at this scene, thinking these two were really funny, like a comedy duo. If they formed a team, they’d definitely make it big. He chuckled: ”Li Xide, show me your invention.”

”Uh...” Li Xide looked at the box in his hand, then at the Angel Brand 8888 phone that Lu Xiaobu had just smashed near the trash can. He shuddered and then clutched the wooden box tightly: ”No!”

”Damn, I can’t have a proper conversation with you, huh.” Lu Xiaobu was annoyed, pointing at the phone shop owner: ”Go, snatch that box for me, and don’t break it.”

The phone shop owner, seeing Li Xide guarding his invention like a hen with her chicks, hesitated: ”Young Master Bu, this...”

Lu Xiaobu didn’t want to waste time arguing, there were plenty of others willing to act.

He gestured to the crowd at the entrance enjoying the show: ”Whoever can snatch the box without damaging it, I’ll reward them with five thousand bucks, and remember not to hit anyone.”

At this statement, the entire space was filled with heavy breathing.

Li Xide felt like he was being targeted by a pack of wolves.

”Young Master, leave it to me!”

The phone shop owner, who was closest to the action, saw money and his eyes turned red. He swiftly lunged at Li Xide.

”Boss, that’s not cool.”

The spectators were startled and also charged at Li Xide.

”What else can I say?”

Wu Qianmin was falling apart. This extravagant son—there goes another five thousand. Did he really think money grew on trees?

However, she found some consolation in that special phrase he had said—don’t hit anyone.

”Clang, bang, bam!”

The victor emerged.

”Young Master, here’s your box.”

A burly guy came forward with the box, a look of expectation on his face.

”Not bad.” Lu Xiaobu nodded with satisfaction, reached for the box and opened it. His face immediately lit up with joy: ”Wow damn, this is fantastic! This is the phone I’ve been looking for. Li Xide, how much? I’ll buy it.”

Following Lu Xiaobu’s gaze, there it was, a touchscreen phone.

Li Xide was squatting in a corner drawing circles and cursing the prodigal Lu Xiaobu. Hearing this, he was stunned for a moment, his mouth hung open, incredulously looking at the delighted Lu Xiaobu.

While he was stunned, someone else was not—that person was the owner of the mobile phone shop.

The mobile phone shop owner became anxious: ”Young Master Bu, how could you settle for this piece of junk?”

He knew the math clearly. If Lu Xiaobu, this wastrel, bought this thing, then to whom would he sell his Angel Brand 8888 phone?

And this sentence ’piece of junk’ opened Li Xide’s ’switch’.

”You’re the piece of junk!” bellowed Li Xide.

”Psh, tell me, does this piece of junk have any special functions?”

The mobile phone shop owner sneered coldly, his interests at stake, he was not going to indulge this guy.

”Uh... no.”

Li Xide clenched his teeth. Though unwilling, he couldn’t refute.

”Does it have the Angel Brand phone’s waterproof feature?”

”No!”

”Does it endure falls like the Angel Brand phone?”

”No!”

”Does it have...”

”No...”

”...”

A barrage of questions ensued.

The mobile phone shop owner became increasingly arrogant.

Li Xide’s spirits sank lower and lower.

The onlookers shook their heads one after another: ”If it has nothing, what kind of invention is it? It’s just junk.”

”Does it look as beautiful as the Angel Brand phone?”

The mobile phone shop owner asked again, feeling like he was holding the winning hand, confident that he could sell another Angel Brand 8888 phone to this wastrel today and make a nice profit!

”Yes!” It was Lu Xiaobu who spoke this time; he looked at the mobile phone shop owner: ”What are you blabbing on about? If I, Young Master, find it good-looking and want to buy it, so what if I have money to burn? Is it any of your business? You talk too much.”

He turned to Li Xide: ”Name your price.”

”Young Master Bu, if you really like it, I’ll just give it to you. I was overreaching,” said a disheartened Li Xide.

He no longer cared for sponsorship. He just wanted to give his only work to the person who truly liked it, as validation for his efforts.

”Cut the crap. I’m talking about your price, not the phone’s price.” Lu Xiaobu rolled his eyes: ”So, how much do you want to work for me?”

He had seen it before; although this phone had the makings of a smartphone, it had only the form and lacked the substance. Many things still needed to be perfected, and it wouldn’t do without a professional to maintain and upgrade it.

”Me?” Li Xide was stunned once again.

”Stop dilly-dallying. Ten thousand a month, tips extra. You’ll maintain and upgrade the phone for me, deal or no deal?” Lu Xiaobu made a definitive offer.

”Deal, deal, deal! Thank you, Young Master Bu. From today on, my life is yours!” said Li Xide, nodding eagerly, thrilled beyond measure. He knew such fortune wouldn’t come by again.

What excited him the most wasn’t the ten thousand yuan, although that was also thrilling. What truly exhilarated him was the fact that Young Master Bu genuinely appreciated his labor of love.

A warrior dies for those who appreciate him—for someone with a pure heart like his, that statement was not just a show of loyalty, but a vow.

Everyone was stunned.

”Man, this piece of crap is actually worth ten thousand a month?”

”Prodigal son, truly a prodigal!”

”I think it’s not about being a prodigal but a fool. What’s the difference between this and paying ten thousand for a beggar?”

”...”

”Lu Xiaobu, you!” Wu Qianmin wanted to say something, but she couldn’t speak ill in front of Li Xide, so she just huffily stomped her foot and muttered under her breath, ”Prodigal! That’s another ten thousand, and it’s recurring too.”

Lu Xiaobu just shrugged his shoulders, not bothering to argue. He liked using this kind of smart phone, and it was just ten thousand yuan, no big deal.

When you have money, you can do what you want.

And who’s to say who the fool is, really.

A smart phone inferior to an old button-operated device?

Hilarious.

Ten thousand for an inventor ahead of his time, that’s a big win. He reckons he’d be laughing himself awake tonight.

The mobile phone shop owner, on the other hand, looked as if all life had drained from him—done for, completely done for. The phones won’t sell, and now this jobber’s salary is higher than his, how depressing.

”Don’t be downhearted, you’ve contributed today. Here’s a reward, five thousand.” Lu Xiaobu, generous and carefree, waved his hand magnanimously, and another five thousand was on offer.

”Thank you, Young Master Bu. Greetings to Young Master Bu.”

The mobile phone shop owner’s mood went from cloudy to sunny in an instant, almost kneeling to pay his respects.

”Young Master Bu, you see...” And then a hesitant voice spoke up.

”Oh, right, there’s another five thousand to squander.” Lu Xiaobu smacked his forehead as if he just realized.

The crowd fell over themselves––even you admit it’s squandering!