As Su Chen focused his will, the system's card pool began to shimmer.
After a few flashes, a green card popped out.
White, green, blue, purple, gold—today was a non-lucky day.
"Looks like washing hands doesn't help after all."
Su Chen sighed.
He glanced at the green card, and the description appeared: [Zhongli's Wallet Replica].
Zhongli—so it must be referring to the Geo Archon himself.
But with a wallet like Zhongli's, would it contain Mora?
"Wait, Morax without Mora? His wallet has to be empty."
"Then why is it a green card? Did the old man craft it out of Geo energy?"
Su Chen tapped the details, curious.
[Zhongli's Wallet Replica: Receive 1,000,000 Dennies monthly. Withdrawable as cash or transfer.] (As is widely known, the Eleventh of the Fatui Harbingers, Childe, serves as the most reliable wallet for Zhongli, The Geo Archon)
"So that's what it is?" Su Chen said in realization, chuckling. "Zhongli's Wallet Replica… yeah, that name fits."
Back in Liyue Harbor, Zhongli wandered around sipping tea and buying antiques, never carrying Mora. A single "charge it to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor / Northland Bank" was enough for him to live in luxury.
But behind Zhongli's carefree lifestyle were Hu Tao and Tartaglia, silently carrying the burden.
Now, with this green card, Su Chen could charge things to Childe too.
But… why not Hu Tao?
Surely she had a share in Zhongli's finances.
Then again, Hu Tao was too cute—he couldn't bear to spend her money.
Persecuting Childe is just more fun anyway.
Besides, if Tartaglia could support Zhongli, what's another 1 million Dennies a month? (Childe: Amenoo!)
Still, Su Chen wondered—what exactly does Childe trade in for this million a month?
"One million Dennies per month… that's more than slaying a hundred Ethereal."
With a thought, Su Chen summoned a 100-Denny coin and twirled it in his hand.
They'd just killed over a hundred Ethereal, sold the core fragments, and only made 1.15 million Dennies.
Now, he could get nearly that much every month doing absolutely nothing. Delightful.
No denying it—free money feels good.
"With this monthly stipend, I can finally upgrade my living situation."
Su Chen began plotting.
Right now he was sleeping on a couch—time to rent a place of his own. A private space where he could do whatever he wanted. (And by that, he meant gaming.)
He'd also need around 10,000 Dennies a day for meals—gotta eat well.
And ideally… he'd hire a maid from Victoria Housekeeping Co.
Ellen, Lina, Corin—they were all great picks.
Actually, why not all three at once?
But given how steep Victoria Housekeeping's fees were, 1 million Dennies might not even be enough for one maid.
Plus, if things with Nicole progressed, her debt—billions of Dennies—would probably be his responsibility too.
And Anby, that bottomless pit, would cost a small fortune in food alone.
Thinking it over… 1 million Dennies was barely a drop in the bucket.
"So that's why—I need to make more Dennies, and make a lot of them!"
Su Chen declared, determined to carve out his dream life in New Eridu.
Sure, he could coast on that 1 million per month, but what was the point of being in another world if he was just going to be a couch potato?
He'd be a Super Strongman. The stronger, the better!
Su Chen closed his eyes, considering ways to earn money before drifting off to sleep.
It was common knowledge—most profitable work in New Eridu was Hollow-related.
He could hunt Ethereal in the Hollows. The cores and other Hollow resources could be sold.
As long as he avoided the deepest zones of Original Hollows, he was practically untouchable.
He could also take commissions via the Inter-Knot for extra cash.
Once he cleared enough Ethereal, he could partner with a company to extract Ether resources together. That alone could bring in billions of Dennies.
He might even pull off a Hollow-clearing feat and earn the title of Void Hunter. With fame comes fortune.
But the key to all this—he needed a long-term partner Proxy.
Even with 90% Ether resistance, getting lost in a Hollow could still turn him into an Ethereal.
Time to build rapport with Belle and Wise. Maybe becoming a member at their video store would help.
Lost in these thoughts, Su Chen slowly drifted off to sleep.
Five hours later, as midday turned to afternoon, Su Chen awoke.
A glance at the kitchen showed only two bags of potatoes, and an empty fridge save for some seasonings.
When he was broke, potatoes were the best food.
But now? Potatoes are side dishes, nothing more.
He wasn't about to treat his stomach poorly anymore.
Su Chen walked to the nearest supermarket and began a massive shopping spree.
"Ten pounds each of beef, lamb, and pork. Two pounds of Bangboo Bunny-brand candy, a tub of yogurt, assorted snacks…"
The cashier girl began to sweat as she scanned the growing mountain.
After a few minutes, she finally finished totaling everything.
Wiping her forehead, she said, "Sir, that comes to… let's just round it—200,000 Dennies."
She eyed the handsome man in front of her, secretly stunned.
This amount of food would last an average family a month—eating frugally.
And he bought only top-tier goods. Definitely a wealthy guy.
He even came grocery shopping himself—so thoughtful. If only she could be his girlfriend…
"Here—200,000 Dennies."
Su Chen said coolly, laying out 20 bills across the counter, each a 10,000-Denny note.
Sure, 200k was steep—but he was spending Childe's money. Not a trace of guilt.
"Thank you for shopping!"
The cashier girl's smile grew even brighter.
"Mm."
Su Chen grabbed the mountain of bags and walked out.
As she watched him go, the cashier girl was already dreaming about their next encounter.
Meanwhile, in another world—
Childe suddenly noticed 200,000 Mora missing from his account.
"Zhongli, you old fossil—what did you buy this time?!"
Childe clutched his head in agony, his mind involuntarily flashing to a figure with black hair and golden eyes.
True, most of the funds in that account were Fatui operational budgets—not entirely his personal stash.
But even budgets have limits! At this rate, he'd be broke in no time.
Morax, you're too cruel!