Chapter 2: Madam, I Don’t Charge for This
1042 Words
As Yi-An Li reveled in his small financial victory, a sudden, startling development froze him in his tracks.
A translucent screen appeared before him, visible only to him. The bustling cityscape of London seemed to freeze in time. Double-decker buses halted in the middle of the street, pedestrians stood still like wax figures, and even the smoke from his recently exhaled cigarette remained suspended in mid-air.
A string of text appeared on the semi-transparent screen:
[First transaction completed. Learning skill 'Commerce' unlocked. Do you wish to learn it?]
A system?
Yi-An Li’s initial shock quickly turned into excitement. Was this the proverbial “golden finger” for a time traveler?
“I knew there had to be some benefits to traveling through time.”
“What is the 'Commerce' skill?”
He didn’t hesitate. If not now, then when?
“Learn.”
As soon as Yi-An Li confirmed, a wave of basic business knowledge flooded his mind.
So it really was a system!
The screen flickered with another message:
[First transaction completed: Sold 12 Camel cigarettes and 1 Zippo lighter. Current black market value: £4.50, premium: 6 pennies. Reward: 2 experience points! Current experience: 7 points.]
Rewards?
“This transaction utilized the buyer’s urgency to drive up the price. Would you like to activate storage space?”
Storage space?
Of course, he wanted to activate it. A new icon shaped like a house appeared in the upper-right corner of the screen.
Testing it out, Yi-An Li found that his heavy backpack disappeared with a flash of white light. A red dot appeared next to the storage icon on the screen.
Finally, his shoulders were free.
This was simply wonderful!
What other functions did the system have?
But now was not the time to explore the system further.
After exiting the system, Yi-An Li, who was now famished, made his way to a nearby restaurant.
He was a man with money now; he deserved a steak!
---
Moments later, Yi-An Li found himself standing on the street corner, having not had a single bite to eat.
“Sir, please provide your food ration booklet.”
What was this?
“Damn it, it’s a food voucher! I don’t have any food vouchers!”
Looking up at the anti-air balloons floating in the sky, the lingering smell of smoke reminded him—this was wartime, and everything was different from usual.
No wonder those cigarettes sold for such a high price.
“No wonder people are willing to pay a high price for cigarettes. Without a cigarette voucher, money won’t buy them…”
Even if there were cigarette vouchers, it wouldn’t get him Camel cigarettes or a Zippo lighter. After all, the UK’s foreign exchange reserves were long depleted. The Camel cigarettes and Zippo lighters on the market were likely bartered from American soldiers by British women.
Clearly, Yi-An Li, who was unfamiliar with the current situation, didn’t know that in Britain… cash was no longer useful. Resources were what mattered now.
Feeling the impact of the era, Yi-An Li, despite having money, could only continue to wander the streets hungry and thirsty, occasionally checking his backpack.
Looking at the assortment of women’s items in his pack, he took out a sample of perfume with a sigh.
In such a chaotic world, who needed perfume?
Just then, a woman with brown hair approached. What caught his attention was not the impressive fruits hanging from her dress but the paper bag she held, which revealed a piece of bread. Whether the bread was delicious or not didn’t matter to Yi-An Li; his eyes were fixed on it, and his mouth watered. He was so hungry he could practically feel the bread in his stomach.
Having had nothing to eat or drink for an entire day, he was extremely thirsty and hungry.
The woman, dressed in a red and blue floral dress, sensed the man’s intense gaze. She didn’t shy away or feel embarrassed. Instead, she boldly met his gaze and looked him up and down.
Although he was Asian, he was young and handsome.
Her lips curved into a slight smile, and her brows seemed to dance lightly. Their eyes lingered on each other, moving slowly.
As they were about to pass each other, Yi-An Li took a deep breath, the smell of bread mixed with a faint… unusual odor.
Suddenly, Yi-An Li’s expression cleared. He spoke up:
“Hello, miss.”
The unexpected voice startled Stana, but she quickly turned around with her sweetest smile.
“Sir, is there something you need?”
Though she tried to remain calm, there was a hint of unease. It wasn’t her first encounter with men trying to strike up a conversation, but past experiences had been less than pleasant. Most of those men were balding older men, a sad reflection of the times. The young men, she assumed, were either in the military or the grave.
However, this man was young, full of vitality, and wore a charming smile. For a moment, Stana’s heart raced like a fluttering deer.
“Miss, would you be interested in some perfume?”
What? Her eyes widened slightly, her emotions churning. What did he mean by this?
He stopped her just for this?
“I have some perfume,” he said, holding up a small bottle. “I thought you might like it.”
Stana furrowed her brow. The sample of perfume clearly wasn’t an ordinary item. In these times, perfume was scarce. Since Prime Minister Churchill had ordered the halt of all cosmetic production three years ago, perfume had become extremely rare and expensive.
“Madam!”
Stana’s irritation showed as she flashed the wedding ring on her finger, revealing the man’s intentions as a mere perfume peddler.
Yi-An Li, realizing he had mistakenly addressed her, quickly corrected himself.
“Sorry, miss.”
Seeing her reaction, Yi-An Li understood her concerns. He smiled and said:
“Madam, I’m not asking for money.”
Stana was momentarily taken aback. She realized his true intention was not just to sell her something...
Men, after all, were all the same.
Just as Stana was contemplating this, Yi-An Li’s voice rang out again.
“Madam, could I trade some of this for some food?”
- Writer
