Hearing what Xie Dahai said,
Lu Li didn't respond right away.
He glanced at the time above Xie Dahai's head:
Name: Xie Dahai
Age: 40
Remaining Lifespan: 13 years, 57 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes, and 32 seconds
Lu Li withdrew his gaze and picked up his coffee, taking a gentle sip.
In front of him, the haggard taxi driver Xie Dahai was staring at Lu Li intently, as if he were the last straw he could grasp.
After a moment, Lu Li inexplicably let out a sigh, his expression complicated. There was regret, sympathy, and perhaps also a hint of detachment.
He looked at Xie Dahai and slowly said, "Of course I can."
A glimmer of joy appeared on Xie Dahai's face.
"But… the price I ask is not something ordinary."
Lu Li added immediately.
As he spoke, a thought emerged in his mind, and a system message appeared:
Please select the time acceleration factor.
"One hundred times."
Lu Li lowered his eyes and snapped his fingers with his right hand. With a crisp snap, everything changed.
A hundredfold Time Field enveloped both Lu Li and Xie Dahai, severing their link with the outside world.
The usual sounds flowing in from all directions abruptly ceased. Then, as if being stretched, they returned—slow, fragmented…
Sound travels at 340 meters per second. After the time around Lu Li accelerated one hundredfold, outside sounds effectively reached their ears at a crawl—about 3.4 meters per second.
Xie Dahai's attention was entirely on Lu Li, so he didn't notice the surroundings had changed at first.
"Master Xie, take a look around you."
Lu Li said.
Hearing him, Xie Dahai frowned and glanced casually to his right.
The moment he looked, his whole body froze.
His bloodshot eyes widened in disbelief.
Just ahead, a waitress holding a tray was lifting her left foot to take a step—but for some reason, her foot hovered in mid-air, never landing.
About a hundred seconds passed before the foot touched the ground. Then, the waitress froze again.
Xie Dahai scanned the entire cafe.
He was horrified to find that everything in the cafe was still. No—everything had slowed down dramatically!
Xie Dahai quickly turned to his left, looking out the floor-to-ceiling window.
Outside, the bustling city was just the same.
On the sidewalk, pedestrians were frozen mid-step. On the road, cars were crawling at a mere 0.083 meters per second—just 8 centimeters a second.
A sparrow in the sky seemed suspended in mid-air.
Xie Dahai realized what was happening. He turned to Lu Li, trembling in fear.
"For countless years, I've walked the world…"
"Witnessing oceans become fields, watching the mountains and rivers shift, seeing stars rotate in the sky…"
Lu Li picked up his coffee cup again, taking a sip, his expression listless—like someone who had seen all the world's wonders.
He looked at Xie Dahai and said,
"Let me introduce myself."
"I am a Time Merchant. I purchase the time and lifespan of some people, and sell it to others."
He paused, giving Xie Dahai time to process it.
After a moment, Lu Li looked at him with a calm gaze and asked,
"So, are you willing to sell me the rest of your time?"
Xie Dahai's expression shifted. His breathing became heavy and fast.
"May I ask… what price would you offer for it?"
Xie Dahai asked cautiously.
"That depends on the value you create in a year."
"If your annual income is less than 100,000 paper currency, I will pay you 300,000 for one year of your time."
"If it's more than 100,000, the price will be triple your earnings."
Lu Li explained fluently.
Joy spread across Xie Dahai's face.
But then he paused and asked, "Can I know… how much longer I have to live?"
Lu Li stared at the middle-aged man before him. After a moment of silence, he answered without emotion:
"13 years, 57 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes, and 28 seconds."
Hearing his life expectancy, Xie Dahai seemed dazed.
He was only forty years old. That meant, by the time he died, he would be just fifty-three.
A wave of sadness passed over him.
But soon, he looked at Lu Li again, determined.
"Sir, if I may, I would like to sell three years of my life!"
"My annual income is about 150,000, so I should receive around 1.35 million, right?"
He calculated the total and the grief from earlier vanished. In its place was joy and anticipation.
"In that case, you'll have only 10 years, 57 days, and 22 hours left to live…"
Lu Li looked at the man before him and reminded him.
He suddenly found it a little tragic.
Some people would spend a hundred million or more to buy just one year of life.
While others would gladly sell a year of their life for 300,000, 400,000, or 500,000. They were even grateful for the deal.
This is the reality of the world.
Even time is never fair.
"Ten years… that's enough."
"In ten years, I can give my father a decent retirement and funeral…"
"My son is in his final year of high school. Add four or five years of college, that's five or six years… and in the next four or five years, he'll likely start a family. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll even meet my grandchild before I die."
"My life's mission will be complete by then. Even if I die, I'll have no regrets."
Xie Dahai spoke calmly, laying out his plan. His round face once again broke into a smile.
Lu Li nodded.
He took out the Time Acquisition Contract from his bag, filled in the new page, and handed it to Xie Dahai.
They both signed the contract.
Then Lu Li transferred 1.45 million to Xie Dahai via online banking.
He reached out and made a grasping motion toward Xie Dahai's forehead.
As he pulled back, nearly a quarter of Xie Dahai's already graying hair turned completely white.
Several new wrinkles appeared on his forehead. His whole aura aged visibly.
The Time Field collapsed instantly, and the outside world returned.
The hustle and bustle of the cafe flooded back in.
Last time, Lu Li only had 300,000, so he bought just one year from Zheng Bowen.
This time, with ample funds, he imposed no limits.
Of course, Lu Li felt no pity for the driver's tragic life or limited years.
Because this was his own decision—
And he was even grateful for it.
After all, Lu Li was the only one who gave him money.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。