You said you were going to make games, how did you become the richest man without doing anything?

Chapter 494 Tang Ping Visits the Pawnshop Three Times (2-in-1 Order)

The next morning, Tang Ping slept until noon.

It's a holiday today, so he doesn't have to go to work.

Tang Ping had just gotten up when the game suddenly played a mysterious event.

Game customer service called:

"Hello, Mr. Tang. I'm the official customer service representative for the game. Because you've performed well in the game and have been recognized as a high-quality, high-end player by our company, we've prepared a special gift for you, Mr. Tang, on the occasion of the Qingming Festival..."

Sanren complained: "Giving gifts to people on Qingming Festival? How can such a thing be justified?"

However, Tang Ping put down his phone excitedly.

"I have to participate in this event. I'm a high-end player!"

"From now on, I will marry a beautiful, wealthy woman and reach the pinnacle of my life."

"I'm determined not to go to work. Only by working can I earn some money!"

Sanren: "Are there any other ways to make money?"

After a while, someone in the live broadcast room said "become a self-media"

Sanren was happy: "Isn't that me!"

At this moment, Tang Ping in the game received a call:
"Mr. Tang, due to your excellent performance in the game, you have been rated as a high-quality, high-end player by our company. Therefore, on the occasion of the Qingming Festival, we have specially prepared a great gift for you. Please log in to the game today and claim the Qingming Festival welfare package our company has specially prepared for you. In addition, there will be a large number of holiday welfare activities in the game today. Participate and you can get rich rewards."

Tang Ping was shocked: "Fuck, are there so many benefits?"

"Not only are there generous rewards, but today a brand new SSR-level strongest spirit will also debut and join the card pool. A Qingming Festival limited gift pack will also be available for sale, and there will also be a Qingming Festival top-up event and many other benefits. Please be sure to log in and play."

Tang Ping: "Of course, I'm a high-end player after all!"

Tang Ping was busy outside all day during the Qingming Festival and started to feel sleepy at 6 pm.

Sanren was anxious: "No matter how sleepy you are, you have to wait for me to draw the Qingming Festival gift package."

After entering the game, the game pops up an advertising interface:
"New SSR-level Yuanshen Krypton Bird debuts"

Krypton's portrait takes center stage, depicting a vibrant young woman with purple hair and twintails. Her hair is a deep violet, shimmering subtly in the sunlight like the brightest stars in the night sky. Her ponytails, tied high on either side, sway gracefully with her movements, lending her a youthful and lively air.

Her eyes were a bright amethyst, large and bright, their gaze revealing a sly cunning. Her slender eyebrows were slightly raised, and the hint of a smile at the corners of her mouth gave her a playful and endearing aura. Her nose was small and delicate, her skin was as white as jade, and her cheeks were lightly flushed, as if she had just experienced a joyful adventure.

Krypton Bird wears a gorgeous yet practical combat uniform. It consists of a purple and white short-sleeved top embellished with gold buttons and a bow at the chest. It's topped with a fluffy purple pleated skirt, flowing and giving it a sense of lightness and movement. A white lace belt adorned with a variety of charming charms ties her waist, creating a look both beautiful and practical.

The most striking thing was the gleaming one-handed sword in her hand. Its blade was slender and elegant, its blade engraved with mysterious runes that shimmered with iridescent light in the sunlight. The hilt was purple, wrapped in a golden ribbon, and dangled from its end was a small bell that tinkled melodiously with her movements.

Kryptonian's pose is vibrant and confident. She holds her sword in one hand, the tip pointing skyward, and places her other hand on her hip, striking a triumphant pose. Her expression radiates confidence and excitement, as if declaring to the player, "With me, we are invincible!"

The background is a dreamy purple sky dotted with twinkling stars and floating magical runes. The whole picture gives people a mysterious and magical feeling, which perfectly fits the setting of Krypton Bird.

Under Krypton Bird's feet, there is a circle of magic slowly rotating, releasing a faint purple light. This detail adds a sense of fantasy to the whole picture and also hints at Krypton Bird's powerful magical ability.

……

There will also be a Qingming Festival gift package later.

"Fuck, if I don't take it, I'll really lose out. Tang Ping, you have to hold on for me."

Afterwards, Tang Ping clicked on a Supreme VIP event page, and the page suddenly displayed: "Insufficient VIP level"

Tang Ping squinted his eyes and took a look. "Legendary items, only VIP10 can participate. Holy crap!"

Just as I was about to spend some real money, a recharge prompt box suddenly popped up in the game.

Qingming Festival Recharge Event

"During the event, you can get a rare medal by recharging 10000 yuan cumulatively."

"Qingming Festival Medal, Combat Power +150 million"

Sanren was shocked:

"A Qingming Festival badge? Holy crap! When you go out or have a class reunion, you wear a Qingming Festival badge on your chest. Oh, how impressive it is! You must take it off."

"Come on, come on, we have to top up 1 today and go to the VIP channel."

Sanren: "Next, I will tell you a little trick to save time. It is to spend money while killing monsters. You can do two things in the same amount of time. Because in this game, if you spend money, it will consume your time, that is, the time in the game.
As for why I keep spending money on special gift packs, it’s because these special gift packs contain upgrade pills, which is much more cost-effective than directly recharging.

My fingers hurt from spending 398 kryptonite, but there's no other way, I still have to spend over kryptonite each time!"

Seeing all the hard-earned money he had spent, Tang Ping's heart was beating fast. "Can I really get my money back when I recycle my equipment? Are the celebrities who endorse them lying to me?"

At this time, Sanren in the live broadcast room said confidently: "How could the endorsement star lie to us! After all, they are my childhood idols. I have been watching their movies since I was a child. How could they lie to us!"

Afterwards, the game prompts: "You are still 10 yuan away from VIP25000"

But now Tang Ping had spent all the cash on him, so he had no choice but to open the safe, take out the gold rings, diamond rings for men and diamond rings for women, and sell them at the pawn shop.

In the store, Tang Ping held the three rings with a distressed look and bargained with the other party.

Tang Ping stood at the pawn shop counter, clutching the three rings tightly in his hand, hesitant. His eyes flickered between the rings and the appraiser behind the counter, his heart torn between his conscience and his own.

"Sir, are these the three rings you want to pawn?" the appraiser asked in a calm but slightly scrutinizing tone.

Tang Ping swallowed and nodded. He carefully placed the ring on the counter, as if he was putting down a part of his soul. "Yes, this is my, uh, wedding ring." His voice trembled slightly when he said this. The appraiser picked up a magnifying glass and carefully examined each ring. Tang Ping's heart beat faster and his palms began to sweat. He remembered the stories behind these rings: the gold ring was used by his parents when they got married, and was passed down to him as a family heirloom; the diamond men's ring was bought with his salary saved for several years, and he originally planned to use it to propose; the diamond women's ring was the one he dreamed his future wife would wear.

"I can offer you 25000 yuan for these three rings." The appraiser finally spoke.

Tang Ping was shocked. The price was lower than he expected, but higher than his bottom line. He hesitated and asked tentatively: "Can it be higher? This is for my wedding."

The appraiser shook his head expressionlessly. “Sir, this is a very fair price. You see, this gold ring is a bit worn, and the diamond is not the best quality.”

Tang Ping felt a pang of heartache. These rings meant so much to him, but in the eyes of the appraiser, they were just a pile of cold metal and gemstones. He began to recall those beautiful dreams: kneeling on one knee to propose to his beloved and placing the diamond ring on her finger; exchanging rings at the wedding and making an eternal vow.
But the glittering VIP10 level in the game lingered in his mind. He imagined himself becoming a top player, envied and respected by everyone. This virtual sense of glory was more appealing than the actual marriage vows.

"I'll think about it again." Tang Ping murmured, his eyes wandering.

The appraiser seemed to notice his hesitation and softened his tone a little: "Sir, if you don't want to sell it now, you can go back and think about it first. You still have to be cautious about this kind of thing."

Tang Ping took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His fingers gently stroked each ring, as if saying goodbye. When he opened his eyes again, a hint of determination flashed in them.

"Don't think about it, just sell it at this price." Tang Ping said with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

The appraiser nodded and began the paperwork. Tang Ping stood there, watching his "marriage" being put into a purse, exchanged for a stack of banknotes. He took the money, feeling it weighed far less than the three rings.

Tang Ping's steps were heavy as he walked out of the pawn shop. He pulled out his phone and opened the game. The flashing VIP icon on the screen seemed to mock his weakness. He gritted his teeth and clicked the recharge button.

"I'm sorry, future wife," Tang Ping said softly, as if apologizing to his future self, "but I can't lose the game."

After returning home to recharge his account, Tang Ping discovered that the money he had recharged was still not enough!
……

He hesitated for a long time, gritted his teeth, and took out the Maotai, the gold bracelet, and the treasured Rolex watch from the safe.

When he went to the pawn shop again, he didn't expect that the employee saw Tang Ping, knew his flaws, and proudly lowered the price.

But when Tang Ping stepped into the pawnshop again, his previous hesitation and reluctance were gone. His eyes flashed with an almost frantic determination, and his hand tightly grasped the package containing Maotai, a gold bracelet, and a Rolex watch.

The appraiser behind the counter looked up at Tang Ping, a flicker of surprise in his eyes before turning into a faint smile. "Hey, isn't this the gentleman who came this morning? Looks like you have something new to pawn," he said with a hint of joking.

Tang Ping ignored the other party's attitude and placed the package on the counter, opening it to reveal the contents. "Please give me an estimate for these," he said, his voice hoarse, as if he had exhausted all his strength to say this.

The appraiser slowly put on white gloves, picked up a magnifying glass and began to examine. His movements were deliberately slow, and he would occasionally glance up at Tang Ping, as if appreciating his anxious expression.

"Well, this bottle of Moutai," the appraiser picked up the bottle and shook it. "It looks authentic, but its condition is average. There are a lot of these kinds of wines on the market, and the price..." He dragged out his voice, deliberately teasing Tang Ping's appetite, "I'll give you a maximum of 5000."

Tang Ping was shocked: "No way! This is Maotai, it sells for at least 10,000 yuan on the market!"

The appraiser chuckled disdainfully: "Then why don't you sell it on the market? Coming to a pawnshop naturally involves a certain amount of risk."

The appraiser then picked up the gold bracelet and pretended to weigh it. "Gold prices have plummeted recently, and it's an old-fashioned piece. It must have been something your mother left behind," he said, giving Tang Ping a pointed look. "3000, no more."

Tang Ping felt a pang of heartache. This was indeed what his mother had left behind. But he suppressed his emotion and did not refute it.

Finally, the appraiser picked up the Rolex, his brow furrowed slightly. "This watch... well, it's genuine, but it's a bit worn. You know, the second-hand watch market isn't very good right now." He feigned embarrassment, "I'll give you a maximum of 15000."

When Tang Ping heard the price, he almost jumped up: "Impossible! This watch cost hundreds of thousands when I bought it!"

The appraiser gave a fake sympathetic look and said, "Alas, sir, you've been ripped off. This watch is only worth this much on the used market right now. If you don't believe me, you can ask somewhere else."

Tang Ping clenched his fists, feeling powerless. He knew he'd been undercut, but there was nothing he could do. The glittering VIP level in the game kept flashing through his mind, as if urging him to make a decision quickly.

The appraiser looked at Tang Ping's agonizing expression, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly: "What do you think, sir? Do you want to reconsider it? I have other guests to attend to here."

Tang Ping took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the light in his eyes seemed to have dimmed a bit. "Okay, I'll take your price."

The appraiser smiled triumphantly and began the formalities. His movements remained slow, as if he were showing off his authority. "Sir, you see, these things are valuable, but they're just that. You'd better use your money wisely in the future." His tone was full of condescending instruction.

Tang Ping took the money and felt it was terribly light. He glanced at the treasures on the counter and felt a mixture of emotions.

"Thank you for your concern," Tang Ping said dryly, "I will."

As he left the pawnshop, Tang Ping's back looked even more hunched than when he arrived. He pulled out his phone and opened the game again. The VIP level light on the screen seemed even brighter than before, but in Tang Ping's eyes, it held a glaring irony.

He took a deep breath and clicked the recharge button. "For the game, it's worth it," Tang Ping muttered to himself, as if trying to convince himself. Behind him, the pawn shop door slammed shut mercilessly, as if severing his connection with the past.

Tang Ping sneered: When my equipment is recovered, it will be credited to my account in a second. By then, I will be tall, rich and handsome, and a small fry like you will be nothing!
……

After receiving the money, Tang Ping was happy for a moment, but he wanted to upgrade to VIP12...

As long as you can't reach the peak of the server's combat power, you won't be able to get top-level equipment, and there will be no way to recycle equipment and have it credited to your account in a second...

Then all the money invested previously will be wasted and become silent costs...

Thinking of this, Tang Ping couldn't help but shudder, so he opened his safe and saw the Volkswagen sedan worth 11 yuan parked in the garage downstairs. He gritted his teeth, picked up the car keys, and went to the second-hand car market.

……

Tang Ping came to the pawn shop for the third time, and this time the pawn shop employees were also shocked:

"Dude, coming to the pawn shop three times a day, you're going to get caught with something you shouldn't be dealing with, right?"

Tang Ping said impatiently: "Why waste so much time talking? Just sell it as soon as I tell you to..."

Finally, after bargaining, this Volkswagen sedan, which cost 11 yuan and was bought less than a year ago, was sold for only 7 yuan.

Tang Ping gritted his teeth in pain:
"It doesn't matter. I'll buy better ones when I make money later!"

(End of this chapter)