The Imperial Lakeview District.

The crown jewel of Dragon Ridge City’s real estate.

Nestled along the aromatic, mist-shrouded shores of Lake Mirror, it was a place for only top goddesses. Top military officials, tech billionaires, and ancient Martian clan heads lived here behind tall gold gates and state-of-the-art security systems.

The spiritual energy in this area was fresh, so it also made it an ideal place for cultivation!

At the very top of the tallest, most opulent tower sat the Imperial Penthouse.

Chrome swiped his gold-trimmed black key card, and the grand double doors of his new home opened in complete silence. A poor man would be so used to the creaking sounds of their wooden doors that they’d think they’d gone deaf with the way this door opened so soundlessly.

The interior was a beaut. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls gave him a panoramic view of the glowing city skyline and the shimmering lake below.

The ceilings were vaulted and had crystal chandeliers worth thousands of dollars. There was an indoor infinity pool and custom-made Italian leather furniture.

Sitting on a chair in the living room was a set of casual clothes for staying at home.

Chrome checked the labels.

Loro Piana knit henley shirt worth $1,800.

Brunello Cucinelli lounge slides priced at $950.

He took off his faded clothes and slipped into them as he coolly folded the sleeves of the henley shirt which was still somewhat loose for his muscular body.

Chrome swiped open the system’s to-do list panel.

"A bottle of 1945 Romanée-Conti wine..."

Chrome muttered, staring at the first requirement.

He knew exactly how impossible it was to get a bottle of that stuff. Back when he was working as an errand dog for a wealthy real estate mogul, he had overheard the elite talking about it. It was a legendary vintage... only about 600 bottles were ever produced, and most had already been drunk or locked away in private vaults.

Chrome rubbed his chin.

"Hmm, maybe I should check some luxury wine auction houses around me then."

This was the upper districts after all!

Before doing that, he noticed his reflection in the shiny accent wall of the living room.

"But first, I’ll take a picture."

He held his palm out and summoned his Mr. Gold mask. The system valued it at $350,000! It was a smooth gold mask with only two openings for his eyes and nothing else. He put it on and felt a strange current hit him.

The mask didn’t just hide his face; it completely masked his cultivation realm. This meant that even the most powerful bigshots in the city wouldn’t be able to sense a single ripple of his aura.

"This is awesome!"

Chrome grinned beneath the mask.

He proudly raised his phone and took a mirror selfie using the shiny wall with his expensive penthouse stretching out in the background.

Chrome relaxed back into his Italian leather chair and opened his Instagram account.

Click. Photo uploaded.

[Instagram Post:]

[Uploaded Image]

[Location: Imperial Lakeview Penthouse]

[@MrGold: Just settling into the new place. A bit big for one person, but it’ll do for the night. 🥂]

[1,204,582 Likes]

And comments started flying in.

[Damn, we finally made it bro 🫂]

ㄴ[WE???]

[Bro... is that the Imperial Penthouse?! The one that costs tens of millions?! Who is this guy?! 😱]

[The spiritual energy in the background is insane. He’s flexing a high-grade spirit gathering zone like it’s a regular living room. I’m so jealous.]

[Nice rental, junior. Which green screen app did you use for the skyline? 🤡]

ㄴ[@Young_Master_Zhao: are you blind? Look at the reflection on the glass. That’s authentic high-altitude Martian glass architecture. He’s richer than your entire ancestral lineage.]

ㄴ[I wasn’t familiar with his game, young master 🙏]

In a matter of minutes, his notification tab went wild. He’d gained about 200,000 new followers, and the post already cleared over a million likes.

"That much already?!"

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully increasing your reputation and opening more rejection routes!]

[Reward 1: 10 Peak-Grade Golden Body Pills. Taking one pill refines the skeletal structure and increases the host’s lifespan by 10 years.]

[Reward 2: You’ve received $1,000,000!]

Chrome nodded excitedly as the inventory updated.

"Ten peak-grade pills? That’s an extra hundred years of life just for posting a selfie. Now I definitely have to get that wine and see what other rewards I’m gonna get!"

He immediately started searching online for luxury wine auction houses in Dragon Ridge City. He scrolled and scrolled through exclusive elite forums until his eyes landed on a specific name.

"The Auspicious Purple Wine House..."

Chrome jerked up in his chair.

"There we go!"

...

Meanwhile.

Auspicious Purple Wine House.

Inside the private VIP auction hall, a large group of important women in tailored business suits stood around with their armed bodyguards. A few prominent men from ancient merchant families were also present, all of them staring at the center stage where a 1945 Romanée-Conti wine bottle sat inside a sealed, antique wooden box.

The bidding had devolved into chaos.

"Five hundred thousand!"

A female elder from a top cultivation clan shouted.

"Six hundred!"

A tech heiress countered immediately.

"You don’t even understand the spiritual benefits of this vintage, Mr. Trycen! The grapes were harvested during a lunar alignment. It’s perfect for breaking through my current bottleneck!"

"Watch your mouth, junior!"

Mr. Trycen snapped as her aura flared up.

Several sharp lines of sword qi formed around her.

"My Trycen Clan has been collecting spiritual vintages since before your company went public! I’ll take your hand off right here!"

Other cultivators from mountain clans started arguing and shouting over one another, drawing weapons and letting their pressures collide in the room.

The auctioneer handling the stage held his hands up as he tried to calm them down.

"Everyone, please! Maintain decorum! We’re all civilized cultivators here!"

But in his mind, the auctioneer was laughing.

’Yes! Keep fighting like animals! The higher you push the price, the bigger my cut is! You stupid fools don’t even know that the wine house actually has a second bottle of this exact wine hidden in the back vault. Once I squeeze you dry for this first one, I’ll reveal the second and make you even more desperate!’

He was just about to let out a sinister chuckle when the doors of the auction house flew open.

The Head of the Auspicious Purple Wine House rushed in with a pale face and short breath.

He looked at the crowd and shouted:

"Everyone leave! Get out! I am closing the store and going on vacation for three months!"

The clans and wealthy cultivators froze.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

"We are in the middle of a historic bid!"

The auctioneer himself was stunned.

"Sir! What are you doing? We were just about to sell our most valuable wine!"

The Head wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"There is no auction! Mr. Gold already bought them online through our premium portal for a million per bottle!"

"WHAT—?!"

The entire auction house shouted.

"A million per bottle?! That’s below market value for an open auction! Who is this Mr. Gold?!"

"To buy the wine directly without even showing his face at the auction... how arrogant!"

"I heard that’s the mysterious tycoon who just bought out the Imperial Lakeview Penthouse!"

The room was steaming with anger.

The auctioneer’s face twisted in rage.

’Damn it! If it’s a flat rate private sale, I won’t get my huge commission cut! No, I have to unleash the second bottle now and satisfy these animals to save this!’

The auctioneer quickly cleared his throat and stepped to the microphone.

"Everyone, calm down! Do not despair! While the first bottle has been claimed, our Auspicious Purple Wine House is legendary for a reason. We actually possess a second 1945 Romanée-Conti!"

Hearing this, the bidders stopped arguing and began to praise the establishment.

"As expected of the Purple Wine House!"

"Only they could have two of the same rare treasure!"

The Head of the Wine House turned around and glared at the auctioneer:

"Are you all deaf?! I said per bottle! He bought the entire stock! He owns the only two bottles of that spiritual wine in the entire region!"

All of their jaws dropped to the floor.

"WHAT?!"

...

Back at the penthouse.

Chrome was walking around in his $950 slides when the intercom by the door sounded.

He answered it, and the voice of the pretty receptionist from the lobby downstairs came through, sounding incredibly nervous and respectful.

[Uh... good evening, Mr. Gold! The delivery team from the wine house has arrived to hand over your purchase. They brought quite a crowd... should I let them up?]

Chrome leaned against the marble counter.

"Sure, that’s fine. Send them up."

A few minutes later, the private elevator dinged open.

Chrome stood there in his casual but ridiculously expensive clothes, looking on as the Head of the Auspicious Purple Wine House stepped out... followed by an entire army of men in dark suits carrying security briefcases.

Chrome blinked beneath his mask.

"Hmm, that’s a lot of people."

The wine master rushed over and bowed.

"Mr. Gold! It is an absolute honor! I am the manager of the establishment. Your prestigious wines have been securely transported and are ready for your inspection!"

Before Chrome could even reply, his phone buzzed.

It was the lobby receptionist again.

[M-, Mr. Gold! It’s more people! They’re saying they have an urgent delivery for you!]

The Wine House Head looked confused.

"Huh? More people? Could it be our rivals?!"

Chrome tilted his head. "Wait a sec."

He walked over to the floor-to-ceiling glass doors and slid them open, stepping out onto the large, open-air helipad attached to his balcony.

Three heavy-duty cargo helicopters bearing the logos of ultra-luxury automotive brands were descending through the mist. Suspended beneath them on high-tensile steel cables were three roaring hypercars, perfectly lowering them down onto his private helipad one by one.

The wind whipped against Chrome’s Loro Piana shirt as the huge vehicles touched down.

The Head of the Wine House, who had followed Chrome outside, looked at the powerful helicopters, looked at the multi-million dollar cars, and then looked back at Chrome in utter, existential dread.

’Who in the world is this man?!’

...

[Transaction Receipt]

Transaction Statement for Account ID: -GOLD

Starting Balance: $10,426,503.50

[Purchases Deducted:]

1945 Romanée-Conti Vintage x2 : -$2,000,000.00

Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ : -$3,900,000.00

Pagani Huayra Roadster BC : -$3,500,000.00

Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut : -$3,000,000.00

Air Freight & Helipad Drop Fees : -$450,000.00

System Subsidy Rewards : +$4,000,000.00

Ending Balance : $1,576,503.00