Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Let’s Pull Off a Big Heist!

By the end, Xia’er still couldn’t bring herself to ask Amy for money.

She was pulled along to have early tea and taste some desserts, chatting happily for nearly an hour before bidding farewell. Although she stayed for a short time, Amy seemed very happy throughout. She only appeared somewhat disappointed when Xia’er said she had to leave, but her smile returned when Xia’er promised to visit again.

Such an easy-going child.

However, Xia’er managed to gather some information through casual conversation: Amy’s savings.

Currently, Amy had around 30 Su Pounds in savings. Though she received 5 Su Pounds weekly as pocket money, she spent extravagantly and barely saved anything.

Hearing about Amy’s weekly allowance made Xia’er feel a stark contrast between them.

Lucky Sister works tirelessly in the factory, putting in roughly 14 hours a day, and earns only 11 shillings a week. In comparison, Amy’s weekly allowance is almost nine times Lucky Sister’s salary, which is quite remarkable.

After asking Amy where 15 Jass Bridge was, Xia’er left Amy’s house and headed toward Aivana’s home.

Passing through a district filled with embassies, the area ahead seemed much more spacious. The houses here could hardly be called villas; they should be called manors—complete with large grassy gardens and fences that were larger than Amy’s entire property.

This Aivana… seems to be even wealthier than I imagined.

Xia’er stopped in front of number 15 and, after showing the stamp Aivana had given her to the armed guard at the gate, was invited into the manor, where she waited in the drawing room next to the hall.

Soon, Aivana entered, dressed in the same uniform and boots as the night before, and looked at Xia’er standing up.

“Miss Xia’er, we meet again,” Aivana closed the door to the drawing room and sat opposite Xia’er, expressionless, saying, “I was just about to go to the police station, almost missed you.”

Facing Aivana, who seemed carefree, Xia’er felt a sudden sense of relief, at least morally speaking.

“You said I could come to you for help,” Xia’er wasted no time and got straight to the point.

“Who do you want to kill?” Aivana seemed to guess Xia’er’s intentions, without any pretense, “If it’s someone shady, I can take care of it for you.”

Aivana took out a small black notebook from her coat pocket and pulled out a pen, seemingly ready to jot down something.

Xia’er: “I came to borrow money.”

Aivana: “…”

Aivana’s body visibly stiffened, as if she hadn’t processed what Xia’er said right away.

After a while, she finally looked up at Xia’er and, confirming Xia’er wasn’t joking, asked, “How much?”

“Whatever you have,” Xia’er thought for a moment and added, “If possible, preferably all in gold pounds.”

“Are you trying to lay low?” Aivana finally showed signs of confusion. “I can arrange a place for you.”

Aivana had also investigated Xia’er’s background last night. If Xia’er planned to run away with her sister, it would indeed be like fish in the sea, making it difficult to find her.

“No, I need money,” Xia’er said half-truthfully. “I want to visit Derton Manor.”

Why do you need gold pounds then?

Forget it…

Aivana didn’t press further, merely asking Xia’er to wait a moment. She stepped out of the drawing room and returned about ten minutes later, carrying a finely embroidered silk bag about the size of a fist.

“This contains 75 gold pounds,” Aivana placed the bag in front of Xia’er, saying, “Last time… ”

Only half the spiritual materials were obtained, not the main ingredients, nor a finished potion, nor did it come with a ritual or recipe. It could sell for about 50 gold pounds at Derton Manor.

The additional 25 gold pounds can be considered a personal loan from me; you can repay me whenever you want.

Ta—

A thick bag of gold coins was placed in front of Xia’er. Aivana loosened the drawstring, and the golden coins dazzled Xia’er, causing her to stagger backward tactically.

G… so many gold pounds…

When Aivana placed the heavy bag of gold coins in Xia’er’s hands, Xia’er felt her breath become unstable.

This was the first time she had seen so much money…

Although these gold coins together weighed no more than around 600 grams, to Xia’er, they felt like a ton.

“Do you need to count them?” Aivana asked.

“No, thanks.” Xia’er placed the bag of gold in her handbag, calmed herself down, and looked at Aivana. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Aivana shook her head gently, then thought for a moment and continued, “If there isn’t anything particularly urgent, it would be better if Miss Xia’er didn’t come to see me for the rest of this month.”

“The pact we signed is very disadvantageous to me. To ensure my thoughts aren’t too influenced by the pact, we can communicate through letters.”

“No problem.” Xia’er agreed immediately.

After all, once out of the simulation, you won’t know about the pact anymore.

Xia’er stood up, preparing to leave for Derton Manor when she suddenly remembered something and turned back to look at Aivana.

“Miss Aivana, do you have any unused bags at your place?”

Seventy-five gold pounds were indeed a lot for Xia’er.

But if Xia’er wanted to use one Mortality Point to exchange for 75 gold pounds, she still felt a bit pained.

Gold pounds could be earned again, but if her Mortality Points were exhausted, Xia’er wouldn’t be able to enter the simulation anymore.

If possible, she wanted to earn more gold pounds at the bank.

“By the way, there’s another question.” Xia’er thought for a moment and continued, “Would the bank have Extraordinary Persons as guards?”

Aivana: “…”

Aivana: “Ah?”

Suddenly, she couldn’t keep up with the other person’s train of thought.

Wanting a bag and asking if the bank has Extraordinary Persons as guards… do you know you’re standing in front of a police officer?

“Are you planning to rob the bank?” Aivana’s expression became serious. She warned, “Major banks are usually controlled by families, and those families have complex internal forces and wide-ranging connections. If a robbery involving Extraordinary Persons were to happen, you’d probably be caught on the same night.”

“I was just curious,” Xia’er waved her hand and explained with a smile. “I wouldn’t actually do it.”

Aivana thought for a moment and agreed. Miss Xia’er usually acted cautiously and prudently. Although she had recently become an Extraordinary Person, she probably wouldn’t do such outlandish things.

“Miss Xia’er, are you planning to go to Derton Manor next? If so, you might want to reconsider,” Aivana said. “Derton Manor operates on an invitation-only basis and requires three members to vouch for you. My guarantee alone is insufficient.”

“If Miss Xia’er can find two other guarantors, I can vouch for you.”

Xia’er: “Oh? Alright. Thank you.”

Should she… just rob the bank and run away?

A few minutes later, Xia’er carried a bag almost as big as she was toward the central area.

The city center was the financial hub, with major banks, chambers of commerce, and insurance companies densely packed.

Xia’er decided to wait until the last ten minutes of the simulation to pull off a big heist!