Half an hour later.
Xi Shenlian was still eating.
Given the Japanese fondness for seafood—often served raw or prepared simply—the dishes were coming out fast.
In just thirty minutes, the chefs had prepared food enough for sixty or seventy people, all while maintaining high quality.
The total weight alone added up to several dozen kilograms!
But without exception, every single dish was consumed by Xi Shenlian.
And his stomach didn't feel the least bit bloated.
This wasn't just thanks to his incredible digestion.
The real reason lay in his learning space.
As mentioned earlier, when Xi Shenlian trains in the learning space, the improvements in his physical stats don't immediately show—they accumulate in the form of an unloaded progress bar.
Right now, by consuming a massive amount of nutrients, that energy was rapidly being converted into fuel to load up the progress bar, accelerating his physical growth in real time—as if some kind of visible, turbo-charged evolution was taking place!
As he continued eating, Xi Shenlian could clearly feel it—
His muscles, his skin… every part of his body was subtly changing.
It was like a fine-tuning process, optimizing him toward some kind of perfection.
At the same time, because this was easily the most satisfying meal he'd had in years—
His innate talent, [Wilful Acter], began working quietly in the background. It continued enhancing his newly awakened body, even strengthening the very foundation of his soul, allowing all aspects of his being to evolve and level up.
The feeling…
Was like a car being constantly upgraded while charging at full speed.
…
Another half hour passed.
Several new figures arrived at the restaurant where Xi Shenlian was still eating.
Among them were people he recognized.
The landlord of the apartment he was staying at—a woman in her fifties.
She was dressed fairly well, clearly from a decent family background, but at the moment she looked a little nervous.
Walking beside her was her husband—a skinny, middle-aged man.
Trailing behind them was a group of professionals in sharp business attire—the legal team Xi Shenlian had hired through March Bank's personal assistant service.
As the couple approached, Xi Shenlian put down his chopsticks and politely gestured toward the empty seats next to him.
"Welcome, Ms. Shanduo. Mr. Shanduo."
"Feel free to help yourselves to anything."
Looking at Xi Shenlian—his clothing, his aura, completely different from before—it was like he had been reborn.
Then glancing at the dignified entourage behind him in suits, Ms. Shanduo, who had interacted with him before, forced a smile, clearly uneasy.
"I didn't expect… that His Excellency Xi Shen would truly succeed like this…"
She tried her best to make small talk.
Then, a bit awkwardly, she and her husband sat down.
To be honest—
Right now, she was under immense pressure.
Facing Xi Shenlian's composed gaze, she felt like she was standing before a mountain-top predator—a majestic tiger watching her silently from above.
His eyes—
Weren't mocking.
Nor were they filled with arrogance, like a nouveau riche.
They were simply calm. Indifferent. Confident.
As if—
He had long since ascended into another world, another social class, and lived there with ease.
In Xi Shenlian's gaze…
She saw something untouchable.
Something that instinctively made her tremble.
She couldn't help but recall their previous encounters back at the apartment.
Originally—
She had thought he was just some kid who lucked out and got a moment in the spotlight.
But now, she completely abandoned that idea.
If someone told her that Xi Shenlian was actually a scion of some ancient hidden clan, out experiencing the mortal world—
She would absolutely believe it.
As for her husband—
One glance at Xi Shenlian, and he was completely intimidated.
Like a domestic animal locking eyes with a beast.
He didn't dare say a word.
After the couple sat down, Xi Shenlian spoke calmly:
"I believe I've made my intentions clear."
"I intend to purchase your apartment."
"Based on the market, it's worth around 1.5 billion yen."
As an older building, while the space was decent and the location wasn't bad—
It wasn't in a premium district.
So 1.5 billion yen was actually quite reasonable.
But upon hearing this—
Even though she was somewhat intimidated, Ms. Shanduo still mustered the courage to speak up:
"Um… Your Excellency Xi Shen…"
"While your offer is fair, and I know the apartment isn't anything special… it's a cherished legacy from my parents, full of memories. I hope you understand… I don't wish to sell it."
Xi Shenlian nodded gently.
His expression said, "I understand."
Indeed—decades of memories are no trivial thing.
His sincere reaction put Ms. Shanduo slightly at ease.
She felt she had successfully conveyed her firm stance.
Then—
Xi Shenlian followed up with a calm response:
"In that case, I'll offer ten times the price. The extra is my way of respecting your emotional attachment."
"Eh?"
Mr. Shanduo, who hadn't dared speak all this time, let out a stunned cry.
Ms. Shanduo quickly waved her hands:
"You misunderstand. It's not that I think the price is too low—"
"I just meant—"
But Xi Shenlian merely raised the number again, still calm:
"Twenty times."
"I…"
"Thirty times."
No bargaining.
No theatrics.
Just calm, unstoppable pressure.
Crushing!
Overwhelming!
At that moment—
Mr. Shanduo's brain short-circuited.
Ms. Shanduo's thoughts raced wildly, memories and emotions flooding in as she tried to grasp the moment.
It felt like—
A Buddhist awakening.
In that brief instant—
She reached an epiphany.
She finally understood.
She no longer needed to tie her feelings for her parents to that old apartment.
Emotions… should transcend the physical!
"Indeed, memories are a bit too intangible. We must look ahead. And since Lord Xi Shen is so sincere…"
In the realm of money—
When Xi Shenlian unleashed his supreme mastery and returned to simplicity—
He closed the deal effortlessly.
Even his basic attacks could be described as transcendent.
Completely unstoppable!!
Absolutely invincible!!!