Chapter 15: Growing Stronger Overnight

On a new day, Xiao Ran woke up on a friend's bed. Of course, he was the only one in bed. The moment he woke, he turned to look at the backpack beside him and the two antique Donkey-brand travel trunks. Seeing that all his belongings were intact, he immediately let out a long breath of relief and excitedly pumped his fist in the air. Everything that happened yesterday was not some unrealistic dream but the most tangible reality.

Thinking about how he had become a multimillionaire overnight, he couldn’t just lie there any longer! Just as he was about to turn over and get up, he suddenly paused. Then, his gaze fixed intently on the ceiling above, a mixture of focus and unease in his eyes.

The next moment, the ceiling vanished, revealing the interior of the apartment above with crystal clarity. The floor was strewn with various clothes—men’s T-shirts and jeans, and women’s shorts tossed carelessly everywhere. On the bed directly overhead, two people were entangled in a scene wholly inappropriate for the young. Seeing this, Xiao Ran was momentarily stunned. Then, overcome with joy, he muttered to himself, “No way! The clairvoyant ability has returned! Heaven truly favors me.”

Alongside his excitement, he realized this clairvoyance power had a daily time limit. Once exceeded, he couldn’t use it again that day. The ability would reset the next day with a fresh time allowance. He wondered if this power could grow, if the usage time might extend over time, or if it could strengthen by fulfilling certain conditions. Lost in thought, the clairvoyance faded, and the inappropriate scene disappeared.

After a brief pause, he laughed. Did it really matter whether the clairvoyance could grow? Live for today, drink for today! Even with the limited time he had now, this ability was enough to let him seize whatever he desired effortlessly. To confirm it wasn’t a hallucination, he turned his gaze sharply toward the adjacent wall. Instantly, his vision penetrated through the wall, revealing the quiet morning campus outside. Only a few students were jogging, and the leaves rustled softly in the breeze.

Satisfied it was real, he ended the clairvoyance. Knowing the time limit, he dared not waste it—who knew when it might prove useful again? He then turned to get up and wash. At that moment, a faint unpleasant odor wafted from his body. He hurriedly checked his arms and legs but found nothing unusual. Yet he was sure the smell came from himself, not outside.

“Could it be that not only can I see through things, but my body has also changed?” Xiao Ran muttered, confused. He examined himself thoroughly again but found no visible anomaly. Resigned, he opened the window and air conditioning to ventilate, then headed to the bathroom. As water poured over his skin, he suddenly noticed his muscles had become smoother and more sculpted, with distinct lines full of power; even his height seemed to have increased slightly.

Clenching his fist with excitement, he instantly felt his strength had grown immensely. Gazing at his reflection—more handsome and well-built than before—he was struck dumb and delighted. “Man, how can you get this good-looking? Leaving no chance for others, huh?” he joked with a proud smile.

After the shower, he immediately noticed the foul odor was gone, replaced by a fresh and alluring scent. He then walked over to the corner and picked up a dumbbell off the floor. Ten kilograms felt like nothing to him; he lifted it effortlessly. He casually performed a few curls and increased the weight to fifteen, then twenty kilograms, still feeling no strain.

At this point, he was certain: his body had undergone a tremendous transformation, becoming incredibly powerful with astonishing strength. Such a change was unquestionably a blessing. After celebrating with some exuberant gestures, Xiao Ran began testing other abilities—agility, reaction speed, vision, and overall speed. Everything had improved drastically, worlds apart from before. Beneath his slender frame lurked boundless energy, ready to erupt like a volcano at any moment. Yet externally, he appeared unassuming and subtle, highly deceptive.

Confident in his newfound power, Xiao Ran no longer felt the anxiety that had plagued him yesterday. To him, he was now capable of defending himself and no longer needed to fear threats. In the blink of an eye, over an hour had passed. Having figured out the changes in his body and calmed his emotions, he finally turned on his phone.

Suddenly, a flurry of notifications sounded—missed calls and messages. Just the “Big Dog” had called more than ten times. Sister Min and the others also called or messaged, asking where he was and why he had lost contact. Even Elaine had called twice. Seeing so many missed calls and messages, Xiao Ran shook his head with a smile.

Just as he was about to reply, Big Dog called again. The moment he answered, the man’s frantic voice blurted out, “Xiao Ran, where the hell have you been? Why didn’t you answer your phone?” “I was sleeping. My phone died and turned off automatically, so I missed your calls,” Xiao Ran casually made up an excuse to brush him off.

“No way! You actually slept so soundly? You’ve got some nerve! We were all about to freak out!” Big Dog exclaimed, relieved. “I thought you’d been kidnapped. We were getting ready to send people to rescue you,” he added, frustrated but relieved.

Hearing this, Xiao Ran laughed. “Haha, not that dramatic.” “The statue of the goddess is still in my hands, no worries.” After some light banter, Big Dog got to the point. “Xiao Ran, name a place. My sister will come to UCLA to meet you for the deal.” “Let’s meet at eleven in the morning at the café in front of UCLA’s main administration building. I’ll bring a lawyer,” Xiao Ran said.

“A lawyer? You’re cautious, huh? But that’s good—it avoids legal loopholes,” Big Dog said. “Not caution, just to prevent the Americans from causing trouble and to ensure I can safely bring the money back to China,” Xiao Ran replied. “Makes sense. My sister will bring an antique art appraisal expert. Hope you don’t mind.” “Of course not! That’s only proper.”

In a few words, they agreed on the time and place for the transaction and ended the call. Next, Xiao Ran returned calls to Sister Min and the others. As expected, they had their own experts appraise the goddess statue, learning about its origin and value. Like Big Dog, they wanted to buy it but were too late. When they heard Big Dog had gotten there first, they all regretted missing the chance. Once they learned the statue’s true worth, their jaws nearly dropped. Rumors that Xiao Ran had become a multimillionaire overnight drove them wild with envy, clamoring for him to treat them to a grand feast. Unfortunately, they were still in China and would have to wait until they returned.

Then Xiao Ran called Elaine. As soon as she answered, she eagerly said, “Good morning, Sean. Where have you been? Why aren’t you at the apartment?” “Good morning, Elaine. I’m at a friend’s place, will return later. My phone died last night, just saw your call. What’s up?” Xiao Ran greeted and feigned curiosity.

Elaine explained the reason for her call. “The Louvre is planning to purchase the goddess statue and asked me to contact you.” “If you’re interested in selling, my father will handle the transaction and come to Los Angeles with others.” “According to him, the Louvre’s budget is generous. You could make a big profit!”

Hearing this, Xiao Ran smiled proudly. Too bad you’re too late! But he didn’t reveal that he had already decided to sell the statue to Big Dog to take back to China. Instead, he said he was still considering selling it. Until the money was truly in hand, he wouldn’t expose his true intentions or actions. What if these foreigners had tricks up their sleeves? That would be troublesome!