Chapter 72: Making a Call Without a Number

“Sir, I need an explanation as well. Why is it that when I ride, there’s no issue, but when you do, the battery is dead?” The staff member looked at Chen Yun.

“What are you implying? That I’m stealing your electricity?” Chen Yun flared up, pulling out a handful of purple gold coins and waving them in front of the staff. “I use purple gold coins as spare change. Do you really think I’d steal your electricity? And how would I even do that? Tell me, how?”

Staring at the pile of dozens of purple gold coins, the staff member was floored. My god, this man is a true tycoon! One purple gold coin is worth a hundred million copper coins! To put it in perspective, the entire company he worked for was valued at only fifty purple gold coins. Yet here stood a man who spent them like pocket change. How could anyone afford to cross someone like that?

It seemed he had overthought things. He’d initially suspected this person was a plant sent by a rival company to cause trouble, but now it was clear—the issue was definitely with the electric bikes at this branch.

“I apologize, sir, I shouldn’t have doubted you. It must be a problem with our branch’s electric bike charging system. Let me take you to another store and find you a fully charged bike that works today!” The staff member bowed repeatedly, nearly touching his head to the floor in his humility.

“Hmph! Lead the way,” Chen Yun snapped, still incensed. In his agitation, he forgot to hide his backpack and, with a casual flick of his hand, summoned a Level 2 mount—an electric bike.

The staff member was almost scared out of his wits. Good heavens, this man… he’s a cultivator! And not just any cultivator, but one who possesses a national treasure—spatial equipment! Only spatial equipment can store items, and only those who have cultivated spiritual energy can open it; anyone with spiritual energy was at least an eighth-level advanced cultivator!

Definitely not someone to offend. The staff member quickly dropped his head, banishing the thought of why someone with their own bike would bother renting one.

At the new branch, Chen Yun tried each of the twenty bikes in turn. Yet every single one would die within minutes of him mounting it and attempting to ride away.

Damn it, Chen Yun was beyond exasperated. At first, he’d assumed it was simply a matter of dead batteries, but now he was sure something else was at play. One or two bikes would be understandable, but dozens? No one could believe that.

System, are you messing with me? Fine, I won’t ride. I won’t move. I’ll just sit quietly on the bike and grind my proficiency. Is that enough?

“Sir… this…” The staff member was nearly in tears. What was going on? Not a single bike in the entire lot could go more than five meters. What deity had he offended to deserve this?

Chen Yun sat quietly on the bike, and the staff member dared not speak. An uneasy silence settled over the scene.

Ten minutes later.

“Player Chen Yun's Level 2 Riding Skill proficiency is maxed out. Your Level 2 mount, electric bike, will no longer consume power. Player Chen Yun has reached Level 10 and can now learn Level 3 Riding Skill.”

Hearing the notification, Chen Yun’s eyes widened as he realized he’d overlooked something. He turned to the staff and asked, “How do your electric bikes charge here?”

“Sir, our company uses wireless magnetic fast-charging technology. As soon as the bike is parked in its designated spot, it charges automatically and is full in five minutes.”

I get it!

Chen Yun finally understood! So that’s how it was!

When the Level 2 mount skill failed, it drew power from the Level 2 electric bike. The bike, kept in the charging area, was always being recharged, so no matter how much power was drained, the system still registered it as fully charged, allowing proficiency to keep increasing. But once he rode out of the charging zone, the bike’s battery would be instantly drained by the failed skill, leaving it dead and immobile.

So, in the end, the company’s electric bikes were perfectly fine—the problem was with him. The staff member’s suspicions weren’t entirely unwarranted. From a certain perspective, he really was a thief of electricity!

Understanding this, Chen Yun’s face flushed with embarrassment. It had been his own issue all along, yet he’d scolded the staff so harshly. Without a word, he tossed a purple gold coin to the staff and rode off.

Staring at the coin, worth over a hundred million copper coins and something he could never hope to earn in several lifetimes, then watching the customer ride away, the staff member was left with only one thought—had he just won the lottery?

Ah Qi sat in the car gazing at the scenery outside. Her parents were at work, and now that she was well again, she no longer had to stay home all day. Today, she’d asked the security guard to drive her to the supermarket to pick up a few things. Bored, she thought of her master, Chen Yun, and decided to save his contact information. But as soon as she entered his name, she realized she didn’t have his phone number. Disappointed, she was about to exit the contacts list when she noticed something odd.

The call button on the contact screen had turned bright green, indicating it was available. She was astonished.

How strange! Had communication technology advanced so much that you didn’t even need a phone number to make a call? Puzzled, Ah Qi pressed the call button.

“The user you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again later.”

Ah Qi was stunned—it actually went through!

What about other people? Would it work for them?

She randomly entered a classmate’s name, but this time the call button remained gray and inactive.

How odd. Why could she call her master without a number, but not anyone else? Was it because he was her master? But communication had nothing to do with master-servant relationships. Why was that?

Ah Qi puzzled over it for a long time, her thoughts swirling until her head began to ache. She rolled down the window for some air, only to catch sight of a familiar figure entering the supermarket.

“Ding! Your maid, Ah Qi, is requesting a call. Would you like to answer?”

Riding along, Chen Yun was suddenly notified of an incoming call request, leaving him momentarily stunned.

But I don’t even own a phone, nor do I have a SIM card. How is Ah Qi calling me?

“Answer.”

“Player Chen Yun does not possess an external communication device. Call failed. The call has been automatically terminated.”

External communication device? What was that? Chen Yun was momentarily puzzled, then it hit him—did it mean a phone?

That must be it. This was reality, not the game, so there was no feature for a video call screen to pop up before his eyes. He needed a phone for that.

Only then did Chen Yun realize he still didn’t have a phone!

“Looks like the system really has changed me. Me—a self-proclaimed phone addict—haven’t had a phone in days and am living just fine. Amazing, my system!”

With that, Chen Yun headed into the supermarket.

He had just taken a few steps inside when everything went dark—his eyes were covered by a pair of soft, delicate hands. Then a sweet voice whispered in his ear, “Guess who I am?”