Douluo Dalu: Starting With Tom Cat

"Zhuqing, do you think 350 Gold Soul Coins for a shop is expensive or cheap?"

"It should be fine," Zhu Zhuqing hesitated before responding. She had gradually gone from being uncomfortable with the way Shen An called her "Zhuqing" to quietly accepting it.

However, Zhu Zhuqing wasn't sure whether the price was cheap or not, because she came from a royal family and had no concept of money. The reason she thought it was "fine" was because she didn't truly understand the value of money.

Shen An, however, wasn't aware of this. He thought that since Zhu Zhuqing was from the Douluo continent, if she said it was fine, it must be. But Shen An planned to bargain further since he didn't have much money to spare.

Soon, the three of them arrived at the shop's door. The location was good, but the decoration looked a bit old, and there was a faint smell of aging wood.

As soon as the owner saw Shen An, he enthusiastically came out to greet him. "Ah, young man, you're finally here!" Shen An returned the greeting, and after some pleasantries, they got down to business.

"Boss Li, 350 Gold Soul Coins for the shop, isn't that a bit expensive?" Shen An asked, pretending to be reluctant.

"Ah, little brother Shen, this is already the cheapest price. For such a large space, 350 Gold Soul Coins is really cheap!"

"Besides, the place is fully renovated, so you can just move in and use it," Boss Li continued confidently. "Everything here is solid wood, honest and fair!"

To prove his point, Boss Li slapped his hand down on the table. "Bang!" The loud thud reverberated, but the table didn't move an inch. The quality seemed solid, and Boss Li smiled smugly.

"Crack!"

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Suddenly, the shelves holding drinks and liquor cracked, and a glass vase fell to the ground, shattering with a crisp sound.

"Clink, clank!"

The sounds kept coming as all the wooden panels attached to the walls came crashing down, filling the room with dust and debris.

Shen An: !!!

Zhu Zhuqing: ???

Tom: "Meow?"

Boss Li's smile froze, his little eyes darting back and forth. He quickly tried to explain, "Ahem, I didn't secure it properly. It's just been here for a while, you know."

"The upstairs is still livable, and for a young couple like you, running a couple's store would be perfect!" Boss Li said, pointing upstairs, winking and giving a mischievous chuckle.

"No, no, no, we're just friends, Boss Li, don't misunderstand," Shen An quickly explained.

Zhu Zhuqing, hearing what Boss Li said, was about to explain herself, but upon seeing Shen An more flustered than she was, a trace of dissatisfaction rose in her chest. Her breath quickened, and her chest subtly heaved with emotion.

"Hmph~"

"This place is so empty, and it's still so expensive. Forget it!" Zhu Zhuqing crossed her arms over her chest and said, clearly displeased.

Shen An stared at her in surprise. "Huh, this ice queen is defending me? Could our friendship bond have triggered that?"

Tom looked at Shen An, then at Zhu Zhuqing, and thought, "Oh? Emotional tug-of-war? Finally, this is what's supposed to happen. Stupid master, you don't even know how to tug at a girl's emotions, always so blunt."

"Well... uh, you see... let me explain..." Boss Li started to sweat profusely, his face turning red from embarrassment.

"Too expensive, not buying! Let's go, let's go!" Shen An decided to pull out his ultimate bargaining trick: pretending to leave.

He took Tom in one hand and grabbed Zhu Zhuqing's wrist with the other. Zhu Zhuqing's eyes flickered, but surprisingly, she didn't resist and let Shen An lead her.

"Wait!" Boss Li, now visibly irritated, stepped out, his head held high, and his expression fierce.

Shen An turned around and calmly placed Zhu Zhuqing behind him, facing Boss Li. He restrained his soul power, not letting it surge.

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Shen An blocking her behind, his not-so-tall frame. She felt both moved and amused. "His soul power isn't higher than mine, yet he's already learned to block for me," she thought to herself, silently channeling her own soul power.

"Do you know what bargaining is?!"

"Why don't you offer a price?!" Boss Li shouted, startling Shen An to the point where he almost summoned his martial soul.

Shen An and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged looks. After a brief hesitation, Shen An spoke:

"Boss Li, 350 Gold Soul Coins, that's enough for a family of three to live for years. What do you think?"

"How about a price then? What's your offer?" Boss Li retorted.

"What if we agree on something?"

Boss Li was getting more agitated. His oily face was even redder, and his words became more desperate.

"200 Gold Soul Coins?" Shen An suggested, testing the waters.

"Deal! Sold! Whoever goes back on their word is the son of a...!" Boss Li immediately grabbed a land deed and pressed his handprint onto it without hesitation.

Shen An also stamped his handprint on the deed and placed 200 Gold Soul Coins on the table. Boss Li looked at the coins with a greedy expression, wanting to laugh but holding it back, his face contorting into a comical sight.

"Haha, little brother Shen, we'll meet again! I wish you great success in your business!"

Boss Li quickly snatched up the Gold Soul Coins and dashed out of the door. In the blink of an eye, a carriage arrived, and without a word, he hopped on and left, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

Shen An couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. "Wait, am I being scammed? But the deed seems real..."

Well, whatever. The deal's done. Shen An decided to clean up the place. Just as he was about to grab cleaning tools, he found that Tom was already fully equipped.

At that moment, Tom had rolled up its sleeves and was ready for action. With a cloth in its left paw, a duster in its right, a mop head under its left foot, and a brush gripped in its right, Tom was all set to clean.

Both Shen An and Zhu Zhuqing were stunned.

Tom had always been unusually attached to the idea of a warm home, and its dream was to be a carefree house cat. After days of roughing it in the wild, Tom longed for a warm and tidy home.

So, while Shen An was still looking for cleaning tools, Tom was already fully armed and ready to go.

In an instant, Tom moved like a blur, cleaning every corner without missing a spot.

Zhu Zhuqing, who was planning to help, watched in amazement as the dust and grime disappeared wherever Tom went. She was completely captivated. "Tom is so powerful!" she thought enviously. "How can I get Tom to stay with me?"

Before long, the entire house was spotless. Shen An looked at the now-clean rooms and finally understood what "immaculate cleanliness" truly meant.

Tom had cleaned so thoroughly that Shen An felt reluctant to touch anything, fearing he might ruin the perfect cleanliness.

Tom, exhausted from all the work, collapsed on the floor, a satisfied smile on its face.

Tom gave Shen An a smile that seemed almost human, as if saying, "Look how clean I made the place!"

Meanwhile, Shen An stood there, staring blankly at his system panel.

"Why did my reputation points increase for no reason?!"

+1

+1

+1

In no time, he was about to break the 2000-point mark!