Merchant of Pain

Chen Miemie originally wanted to find his teacher Dawn to freeload a celebratory dinner, but forget Dawn, even her sidekick Cassan was so busy she was nowhere to be seen.

Why did President An step down?

Being severely injured was indeed the main reason, but another minor reason was that after a month of fighting in Sixiang City, there were too many aftermath issues urgently needing resolution. President An's energy simply couldn't keep up, so he had to retire.

What kind of issues?

To take a rough inventory:

Condolences and pensions for those killed in action and their families, medical treatment for the critically injured who were still alive, filling the massive personnel vacancies across various societies, rapidly cultivating the remaining low-tier mystics, and searching for and eliminating the residual hostile forces within the city, among other things.

As soon as Dawn took office, what she took over could only be described as a complete mess.

She didn't need to establish her authority as a new official, because the main problem she faced wasn't insubordination, but two much more naked issues: a lack of time and a lack of manpower.

The financial deficit caused by the three money-devouring beasts of medical care, pensions, and cultivation was what drove Dawn the craziest.

The city had been shut down for nearly a month, and the municipal administration was also struggling, so the support they could provide was limited.

Chen Miemie's meeting with Dawn was scheduled for 10:00 PM.

Tonight was a Rainbow Moon night.

10:05 PM.

At Dawn's doorstep.

"Miemie, sorry, have you been waiting long?" Cassan and Dawn arrived home five minutes late.

"Ah, not really, I arrived right on time too. How come you're just getting off work at this hour?" Chen Miemie looked at the two travel-worn women.

"Don't even mention it. Being an official isn't as easy as it sounds. You only get regular hours when you work for someone else. When you're the boss, the concept of 'getting off work' simply doesn't exist. Miemie, you guys chat, I'll go whip up something to eat."

"You haven't had dinner yet?"

"Who has the time?"

"Oh, I have roast chicken, do you want some?"

"Ah, that never-ending roast chicken of yours! Bring it out, quick!"

Watching the two of them at the dining table, wolfing down the food with greasy mouths and completely ignoring their image, Chen Miemie felt a bit glad that he hadn't chosen the path of stepping forward to take power himself.

"Ah, I'm alive again. So delicious~" Cassan leaned back in her chair.

"Mhm, today's is indeed tasty." Dawn offered rare praise.

The two of them polished off three whole roast chickens, not even sparing the pineapple.

Fully fed and watered, the three sat back on the sofa.

"Teacher, why are you so busy? Is this going to be the norm from now on?"

Dawn nodded. "There's a lot of backlog. Some matters involve multiple parties and are mentally and physically exhausting to handle. My management experience isn't mature enough either. When handling multiple things at once, my rhythm is often interrupted, and my efficiency is low. It will definitely take some time to adapt. Moreover..."

"Moreover what?"

"The efficiency issue just requires more effort, but the financial hole is very difficult to fix."

"Oh." Chen Miemie only brought his ears and didn't speak out of turn.

Not offering random ideas about things he wasn't good at was his principle in dealing with matters.

Cassan hesitated for a moment but still voiced her thought. "Then should we go find him?"

Dawn fell silent.

The room was quiet for about ten seconds.

Dawn made her decision. "Let's go. We'll go find him."

Chen Miemie pricked up his ears, feeling like a little cat was scratching at his heart. Who was "him"?

After tapping on her smartwatch for a bit, Dawn seemed to receive a reply.

She stood right up. "Let's go, we're heading to his house now. Chen Miemie, want to come take a look?"

"Sure."

Two sedans carrying the three of them soon arrived at the edge of the East District.

This was the center of the city, not far from the City Hall and the Alliance Office Building.

Cassan explained the situation to Chen Miemie. "We are going to the shop of our Silver Moon's Fifth Seat, the Merchant of Agony, Pain Reserve."

Dawn could also hear Cassan and Chen Miemie's whispers. "His shop is already closed at this hour, so we are going straight to his house. His house is right above his shop."

This was a high-rise building called the Central Tower.

The three went straight up to the 5th floor.

There were 4 rooms on the 5th floor, and their destination was room 505.

As Cassan knocked on the door.

Chen Miemie looked at the obvious four doors in the hallway. "There are only 4 units on this floor, where does 505 come from?"

"Pain Reserve likes the number 5, so he changed the room number himself. In reality, according to the building's layout, his place is 501."

Pain Reserve quickly came to open the door.

Pain Reserve was a fat man. Usually, when he went to the society, he wore black clothes which could hide his figure a bit. Now at home in his loungewear, he looked even rounder.

"Oh my, my three dear partners, please come in."

As soon as Chen Miemie entered, the interior situation somewhat exceeded his expectations.

What kind of home was this?

Let's put it this way: the condition of this house was about on par with Room 1805 where Joker used to live. In Chen Miemie's eyes, this level of decoration belonged to the "semi-unfinished" category.

The area was small, there was no sofa in the living room, just a few stone blocks serving as chairs.

"Brother Pain Reserve, the minimalist style of your home is truly high-class. It's full of the wisdom of letting go." Chen Miemie's emotional intelligence was online.

This hit Pain Reserve's sweet spot, and he was very proud. "You're the one with a good eye. The others just don't get it."

"Of course. Cutting out the complex for the simple, using the most concise elements to create extreme comfort and a sense of high-class. I've learned something today."

"A kindred spirit! Come, come, sit. Chen Miemie, this most comfortable stone stool without any little bumps on top is for you."

Because of Chen Miemie's commercial flattery, he earned the right to experience the only flat stone in the room.

The two blocks for Dawn and Cassan were full of potholes; just looking at them made one feel they had a massage effect.

There was no tea or anything like that; the three of them received three glasses of plain water.

Dawn only sat on half of her seat. She had no intention of staying long and got straight to the point:

"Pain Reserve, I'm here to borrow time from you."

Pain Reserve revealed a merchant's signature smile. "Are you borrowing it, or is the Society Alliance borrowing it?"

"Is there a difference?"

"Of course there is. If the Society Alliance borrows it, it's strictly business. Don't blame me for demanding an exorbitant interest rate."

"What if I borrow it personally?"

"You personally? Then I won't lend it."

"Why?"

"You've become the President, and I can't beat you in a fight. If you don't pay me back, wouldn't I take a loss?"

"You don't trust me."

"Hehe, in the face of time, why bother testing human nature?"

"Forget it. I knew you would say that. Then let's borrow it in the name of the Society Alliance."

"Alright. How much are you borrowing?"

Dawn didn't hesitate at all and directly stated a number: "Ten thousand years."

Chen Miemie almost spat out his mouthful of water. "Ten thousand years!"

Pain Reserve himself lived in such an environment, and Dawn was asking for ten thousand years right off the bat?

Pain Reserve, however, had no much reaction. "For how long?"

"If things go fast, I'll return it in two years. If slow, three years."

"Two years' interest is thirty percent. Three years' interest is fifty percent."

"Deal. Tomorrow, I'll bring someone over to sign the contract with you." Dawn stood up.

Pain Reserve smilingly saw his guests out.

The entire process took no more than five minutes from beginning to end, half of which was spent on Chen Miemie's introductory pleasantries.

After going downstairs.

Chen Miemie still couldn't quite believe it. "Does Pain Reserve really have that much time?"

Dawn's mood wasn't particularly high. "He does. Right now is when he is at his 'richest'."

Kashan looked back at the Central Building behind her.

"Miemie, Pain Reserve goes by the codename Pain Merchant.

He can store suffering as 'pain coins' to trade or invest.

Sixiang City has just endured a great deal of agony, so the wealth he possesses right now is immeasurable."

Chen Miemie's eyes widened. "There's actually a way to get rich like that?! Doesn't that mean he can just sit back and profit from war?"

"No, all that pain is stored in his glowing heart. The greater his wealth, the more excruciating his own agony becomes.

When the pain reaches a certain threshold, wealth loses its meaning."