Techniques and Dao

Chapter 52 The Powerful Class

"Starbucks? You mean Starbucks coffee shop?" Tai Shang Xiao Jun pondered for a moment. "To be honest, I've never been to a coffee shop in the human world before!"

"This is the place!"

"But isn't this a place that sells coffee? At most, it only has coffee machines, how could it possibly have an alchemy furnace?"

"I know a Starbucks that has a bronze furnace. To be precise, it's a giant bronze pot that's eight meters tall and weighs four tons!"

"Do you have a large copper pot that can withstand high temperatures?"

"Excellent!" Hua Sheng quickly chanted an incantation, conjuring a pile of silk fabrics. The silk fabrics then seemed to have eyes, carefully sorting and packing the medicinal herbs on the table. He rolled up a large piece of silk, stuffed it into his satchel, and looked up at Tai Shang Xiao Jun, saying, "Let's go! To Starbucks, to find the alchemy furnace we need!"

Tai Shang Xiao Jun followed with a suspicious look on his face.

Starbucks is the world's largest coffee chain, founded in 1971 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, USA.

The place Huasheng brought Taishang Xiaojun to is located in downtown Shanghai. This isn't an ordinary Starbucks coffee shop, but rather what Starbucks calls a Roastery. The Roastery is a standalone, round, light brown building, shaped like a coffee can. With a total floor area of ​​2,700 square meters, it's much larger than a typical coffee shop.

Stepping inside, a rich aroma of coffee wafted into Tai Shang Xiao Jun's nostrils. Besides coffee, the shop also offered freshly baked, fluffy bread. The place was bustling with activity; groups of young people chatted leisurely with coffee cups in hand, and laughter could be heard from every corner. Located on the vibrant Nanjing Road, many fashionable young people from the neighborhood chose to come here to meet friends, while others found an empty table to work on their work or assignments.

No matter what day of the week it is, it's always hard to find an empty seat at a Starbucks in downtown Shanghai. Inside, you get the feeling that people don't have to work and have plenty of time to sit and chat in the coffee shop every day.

In the center of this two-story circular building stands a large, enclosed bronze jar, two stories high. The jar gleams with a bright bronze luster, and its surface is densely covered with Chinese characters in various calligraphic styles, such as clerical script, regular script, and Wei stele script, resembling a seal filled with Chinese characters.

Upon entering the baking workshop, Tai Shang Xiao Jun saw the "alchemy furnace" located in the center, which was the most important thing to them.

"How about this big bronze pot?"

"Hua Sheng, you are truly a genius!" Tai Shang Xiao Jun's eyes lit up when he saw the large bronze jar in the center. "Boundless merit, Heavenly Venerable! You actually thought of using a bronze jar used for coffee roasting to refine elixirs!"

"I'm glad you're satisfied, brother!" Hua Sheng breathed a sigh of relief. "You go find a seat, I'll go buy coffee. We'll close soon. Let's sit for a while and wait for the employees to leave before we move on."

"Okay, please order me a black coffee, no milk or sugar, please!"

"Received!" Hua Sheng suddenly remembered something and turned to Tai Shang Xiao Jun, saying, "But I don't have any money on me."

"Do you think I don't know? You humans all use mobile payments now, why would you need cash?"

"But I don't even have a cell phone."

"Hey, I've never even seen what money looks like in the human world. Haven't you used it before? Why don't you just conjure some up yourself?" Before he finished speaking, Taishang Xiaojun had already gone up the stairs to the second floor.

If Hanamori wanted to conjure up two cups of coffee, it wasn't impossible. But since she was occupying a seat in the shop, she felt bad if she didn't buy anything. So she had to find a way to generate some money.

Now that he possesses magical powers, it's indeed strange that he only suddenly remembered to conjure up banknotes now. After all, the currency of Saint Pingning is encrypted and cannot be conjured through magical arts, but the mortal realm is not so simple. Moreover, those who know how to use magical arts rarely need to use money, especially cash.

Hua Sheng ordered two coffees and two sandwiches, then carried the tray upstairs to the second floor. Tai Shang Xiao Jun was leaning against the window, flipping through a magazine.

"There are quite a lot of people," Hua Sheng said.

"The people in Shanghai coffee shops are just like the cars on the road, all crowded together."

"That's how big cities are. True seclusion lies in the city. Living a carefree life in Shanghai is the real way to cultivate oneself."

"We'll have to wait until everyone leaves after get off work. Besides, can't you see our 'alchemy furnace' is busy roasting coffee beans and hasn't closed for the day yet?"

"Eat something first, and wait patiently."

Tai Shang Xiao Jun was flipping through a magazine when he suddenly said, "Look at the handsome models in the magazine, they're all wearing expensive watches!"

Hanamori said, "Huh? You know about watches and stuff?"

“I just changed into a new outfit, so naturally I need to match it with a watch.” Tai Shang Xiao Jun quickly searched for a target in the magazine. “This one is pretty, starry sky.” He pointed to a watch with a blue dial on a color page of the magazine.

Hua Sheng glanced at it; his training at the Academy of Arts and Sciences had given him the ability to see clearly with just a glance.

It was an expensive silver watch with an alligator leather strap, the bezel set with a dazzling array of diamonds, each one appearing quite large. Two knobs were positioned at the two and four o'clock positions on the right side of the watch, and a blue star chart was displayed in the center of the dial. At approximately one-third of the way down the star chart, there was a circular openwork section, beneath which was a gold moon phase display.

As the watch runs, the upper star chart slowly rotates, causing the lower moon phase chart to change accordingly, sometimes showing the waxing crescent, sometimes the waning crescent, sometimes the full moon, representing different moon phases on different nights. The dial features three white hands; besides the usual hour and minute hands, the third, longer hand is not a traditional second hand but displays the date. This white hand has a red crescent-shaped tip and points to the thirty-one date digits on the edge of the dial. The watch is exquisitely crafted, and its high price is immediately apparent.

"It's really beautiful, and it's surrounded by diamonds. Oh my, it's a Patek Philippe! It must cost three million!" Hua Sheng stuck out his tongue as he looked at the price tag in the corner of the magazine picture.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun blinked and muttered incantations. He pressed his hand against the watch on the color page and then pushed it upwards with his palm.

Strange things happened.

The Patek Philippe watch appears to move in the picture, slowly being pushed upwards along the edge of the palm. It's as if Taishang Xiaojun's hand can touch the object in the color page, quickly pushing the watch to the edge of the magazine.

Then, part of the watch peeked out from the edge of the magazine, as if it had always been tucked inside. But it was clear that the thin magazine couldn't possibly have hidden a watch.

The luxury watch featured on the brochure was in Taishang Xiaojun's hands in less than half a minute. He examined it carefully.

"No wonder it's one of the world's top ten watches. The details and the clarity of the high-grade sapphire crystal are hard to imagine being handcrafted by ordinary people." He then turned the watch over. The see-through case back is not uncommon in watches. The pearl rotor on the back of the watch shines with gold light, echoing the diamonds on the clasp. The details are amazing.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun was delighted with it, looking at the automatic rotor on the back and muttering to himself, "A system of superimposed disks rotating at different speeds. The background is provided by a sapphire crystal disk with 279 teeth, tracking the orbital position of the moon. Through a planetary gear system, it also drives a small disk that displays the phases of the moon in a small circular hole. The astronomical description of the celestial canopy is also quite accurate."

"You, as a deity, are quite knowledgeable about watches? You seem to know them like the back of your hand," Hua Sheng asked.

"No, I just received the actual product."

How do you know such details?

"Just look at it in your hand, and you'll know how many parts there are," Tai Shang Xiao Jun retorted. "Didn't you see it?"

Tai Shang Xiao Jun took the watch in his hand and separated his hands. The watch immediately floated in the air and was instantly disassembled into hundreds of tiny parts.

Hua Sheng's eyes widened.

To avoid attracting attention, Tai Shang Xiao Jun quickly clasped his hands together, and the parts that had been floating in the air transformed back into a complete, working watch.

Hua Sheng was momentarily speechless: "I didn't do very well in my astronomy class."

“Children of our immortal clan learn about astronomy from a young age and observe it every night, so they can see things clearly at a glance. They also have a slightly sharper ability to observe things.”

"This isn't just a little too perceptive," Hua Sheng thought to himself. It turned out that his ability to glance around was on a completely different level from that of the Supreme Lord Xiaojun.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun turned another page of the magazine. On the back of the color page was a Rolex Daytona steel watch with a white dial and black ceramic bezel. Tai Shang Xiao Jun's eyes flashed: "Even when you're on the run, you still need a Rolex!"

"W-what?"

"Aren't we on the run right now? Don't you have to wear a Rolex or some other hard currency to be appropriate when you're on the run?"

"You've also watched Hong Kong films from the 1990s?"

"We're going to have a few tough battles ahead, and we'll still need Rolex!" Using the same method, Tai Shang Xiao Jun pulled the Rolex Daytona from the magazine and took off the Patek Philippe he'd only worn for less than a minute. He flipped back to the previous page, tossed the Patek Philippe onto the empty picture, and the expensive watch tumbled a few times before returning to the magazine.

Hanamori said, "This photo is a little different from the one before; the watch is a bit crooked."

"It's alright. Who reads magazines seriously these days? Most magazine publishing houses have gone out of business, so it's normal for photographers and editors to slack off occasionally." Tai Shang Xiao Jun said, glancing at the Daytona. "White dial with a black ceramic bezel, just as cool as I am."

The steel watch band seemed a little loose on his wrist, so Taishang Xiaojun picked it up and flicked it with his finger, causing two links to fall off. He then put it back on his left wrist: "Now the size is perfect, hahaha!"

At the same time, he put on an acting expression, like a gangster on the run.

"Then why don't you just get one of those super-rich gold Rolexes? Money means nothing to you anyway."

“That’s different. Do you know why it feels strange for young people to be covered in jewels?” Tai Shang Xiao Jun suddenly became serious. “Because when people are young, they are radiant. Have you ever used a camera? When you are already radiating light, wearing gold on the film will overexpose it. But when you get older, your own radiance and light gradually disappear, so you need to wear gold and silver.”

"Speaking of which, since you took this watch from a magazine, doesn't that mean it's a fake?"

"What? The photos weren't taken with the genuine product?"

"Genuine products should be bought from authorized stores, where they come with a box and warranty card, right?"

Tai Shang Xiao Jun coughed and continued flipping through the magazine: "It seems so troublesome to go through so much trouble just for a watch."

Hua Sheng suddenly realized something. Many people, from the time they become aware of things, will notice something interesting. Since ancient times, countless people have been born into families of emperors, generals, wealthy merchants, high-ranking officials, and political figures. The sheer number is astronomical; you can't even count how many there are.

And such opportunities just never come your way.

Hua Sheng took the magazine from Tai Shang Xiao Jun's hands, closed it, and said, "Tai Shang Xiao Jun, do you know what's the most annoying thing about you?"

Tai Shang Xiao Jun shrugged: "Hehe, you know, it's not my fault that I have such a stunningly handsome face! It must be the responsibility of my genes."

Hua Sheng sighed: "Do you know what distinguishes you from ordinary people? It's the choice. That Patek Philippe worth millions—for many people, if they can't afford it when they're born, they're unlikely to be able to afford it in their lifetime. You can choose not to wear a Patek Philippe and wear a Rolex instead, or even go bare-wristed. You can spend money to buy it in a store, or you can get it for free. But the choice is yours. That's what makes you second- or third-generation rich kids so unequal and so repulsive."

"So, you're blaming me?"

"It's not that I'm blaming you. But you can't be proud of it and think you're so great."

"Are you saying that humility brings benefit, while pride invites loss? But have I ever been arrogant?"

"It's this indifference that makes you care about nothing. Things that are commonplace to you are unattainable for most people. Your indifference is like negating others. You work hard your whole life but can't even touch my heel."

"But isn't this reality? What's wrong with letting people face reality?" Tai Shang Xiao Jun raised his hand, and the magazine flew out of Hua Sheng's hand and returned to his. He slowly opened it and flipped through it, saying in a leisurely tone, "Many of you work so hard, isn't it just hoping that you or your children can become someone that others can't even touch? I understand, you're trying to say that those things you're born with aren't worth boasting about. No matter where you start, what deserves respect and praise is doing what you couldn't do before and breaking through your own limits."

Then Taishang Xiaojun looked up at Huasheng and said, "But don't you think that others might be too sensitive? Some people see others showing their advantages and think that they are humiliating those who are lagging behind and reopening their wounds. But you have to know that people's eyes are in the front. They are born only to see those who are in the lead and they can't see or care much about those behind them."

"If you're saying you don't need to care about other people's opinions, you're asking for a beating." Hua Sheng seemed dissatisfied with Tai Shang Xiao Jun's answer.

“You see, that’s why I said not to be too sensitive. I understand, I understand.” Tai Shang Xiao Jun yawned. “As descendants of immortals, we should be low-key, kind-hearted, and take on more social responsibility. Those second and third generations should have a sense of awe. Because everything they are born with is also given to them by society.”

"You know more about reason than I do."

"Do you think the second and third generations are all fools? They have access to good resources, so how could their vision and education be any less than that of ordinary people? It's just that they have too many things to consider and feel too tired. So they boast that they don't need to rely on others and simply let things take their course. But having what others don't doesn't mean that they will all become mediocre phoenix offspring or spoiled brats. They may have their own dreams."

"Are you trying to say, 'How can a sparrow know the ambition of a swan?'"

"I didn't say that, you did. I just wanted to say that there is no absolute equality in this world. There is only inequality and another kind of inequality." Tai Shang Xiao Jun picked up his paper cup, took a sip of coffee, and frowned. "Didn't I say no sugar or milk?"

"I thought the privileged class couldn't endure hardship."

(End of this chapter)