Chapter 6: The Cautious Growth Is Complete—Now It's Time to Let Loose

When Lin Ran arrived at the shop, he saw the brand name: RAZZLE.

“What brand is this?” he wondered.

He was familiar with luxury brands, and he knew the well-established domestic mid-to-high-end brands like Qipai and Septwolves, though he’d never bought from them—their styles were more formal and businesslike, not suited to a young man in his early twenties. Lin Ran preferred casual, youthful brands.

Jiang Shuyao explained, “This is the menswear line from Dazzle Fashion Group. It’s all about being trendy—Boranjing is their spokesperson. Quite a few of my friends really like their designs, and the price is reasonable, about a thousand yuan per piece.”

Jian Weian offered, “If you don’t like it, we can check out HLA next door?”

“I trust your taste,” Lin Ran replied, striding confidently into the store.

“Welcome to RAZZLE! Are you three looking for menswear or womenswear today?” the sales associate greeted them warmly.

“Menswear,” Jiang Shuyao replied.

“This way, please. These are our latest arrivals…” the sales associate introduced with a steady enthusiasm, neither overbearing nor indifferent.

The clothing here ranged from about one to two thousand yuan per item—a price point that wasn’t cheap, but not exorbitant either. Anyone could afford it if they wanted to, so in this kind of store, there wasn’t the aloofness of luxury brand clerks, who only deigned to be polite to select clientele. Here, you received the professional service attitude associated with luxury boutiques, but without the pretense.

Nor was there the incessant chatter of salespeople in two-hundred-yuan chain stores, who, desperate to make sales, insisted everything looked good on every customer. In stores like this, the focus was on recommending the most suitable styles—cultivating long-term clients while using them as walking advertisements.

That’s why, for an average price of around a thousand or two per item, the experience in these high-end stores was the best.

“Lin Ran, this one’s nice. Try it on,” Jiang Shuyao said enthusiastically. She loved giving fashion advice, and being validated gave her a sense of achievement.

She handed him a very trendy green T-shirt.

“No green,” Lin Ran rejected flatly.

Jiang Shuyao grinned. “Alright, got it. I’ll find another one.”

Other male customers in the store couldn’t help but watch in envy as a cool, commanding woman and a sweet, petite one—two gorgeous girls of contrasting styles—helped this handsome guy pick out clothes.

Lin Ran was having the time of his life.

“This one looks good. Give it a try,” Jian Weian said, holding out a gray T-shirt.

“Vivian, you have great taste,” Lin Ran praised, immediately taking off his own T-shirt to try on the new one.

Vivian blushed and turned away.

Jiang Shuyao teased, “Lin Ran, why aren’t you using the fitting room? Trying to seduce someone here?”

Lin Ran retorted, “Why do guys need to use the fitting room just to change a T-shirt? Right here is fine. What, are you drooling?”

“Ugh!” Jiang Shuyao made a mock gagging gesture and laughed. “I always thought you were on the skinny side, but… you’re not exactly buff, yet you do have some chest and abs. Not bad proportions.”

“Thanks for the compliment,” Lin Ran replied, pulling on the T-shirt and checking himself in the mirror. “How is it?”

“Your collar isn’t straight,” Vivian said, stepping forward to adjust it for him.

She stood at 170 centimeters, he at 183—perfectly matched in height.

Looking down, Lin Ran admired her face up close: long lashes, clear eyes, soft pink lips, and a faint scent of jasmine perfume.

Their eyes met.

Click! Jiang Shuyao seized the moment to snap a picture. “Wow, you two look great together!”

“What nonsense—delete that! Or I’ll show you what a Sichuan girl can do!” Vivian, flustered and embarrassed, lunged for her phone.

Lin Ran knew the type—a Sichuan woman may seem gentle, but one line about being from the Shu region and she’d instantly turn into a fire-breathing dragon.

He laughed. “This one’s nice—I really like it. Vivian, you have great taste. Shuyao, you need to step up your game!”

“Who’re you underestimating? Just wait, I’ll find you something,” Shuyao shot back, her fighting spirit reignited as she began scouring the racks.

Shuyao chose lively, youthful outfits; Vivian’s picks were more composed and elegant. Both had their strengths. With Lin Ran’s height and good proportions, he could pull off almost anything, giving the two women plenty of room to play stylist. They kept handing him clothes to try, and Lin Ran was happy to oblige.

Had he come alone, as a guy, he’d have been too self-conscious to try on everything in the store. But with girls, it was different—they shopped in their own way: see it, try it. The conclusion? Girls were definitely bolder.

Half an hour later, the shopping frenzy was over.

Lin Ran had tried on all the latest designs.

Vivian and Shuyao were tidying up, carefully examining tags, comparing which pieces were best, and narrowing down the selection to one or two outfits most suitable for Lin Ran.

“Lin Ran, how about these three shirts and these two pairs of pants? Together, it’s 4,200 yuan,” Vivian said. She didn’t know Lin Ran’s shopping budget, so to be safe, she recommended just a couple of highlights.

Shuyao stayed quiet, having enjoyed the trying-on session but now worried—what if Lin Ran’s budget didn’t stretch this far?

Lin Ran glanced at the pieces Vivian held up, then at the pile on the sofa. Calmly, he said, “I’ll take them all.”

“All of them?” Vivian was startled.

“What?” Shuyao, in mid-sip, nearly spat out her water and looked at Lin Ran with sudden respect. “You mean… all of them?”

“Yes, all,” Lin Ran replied coolly.

The two women exchanged surprised looks. They’d thought he would pick just one or two, but it turned out Lin Ran was going all in.

The sales associate and other customers turned in astonishment.

Each piece, at over a thousand yuan, wasn’t too expensive on its own—but together, with more than a dozen items, it added up to nearly twenty thousand yuan. At a luxury boutique, it might not cause a stir, but in this store, it was definitely impressive.

Vivian went over to Lin Ran and whispered, “What’s your actual budget? All these clothes will be nearly twenty thousand yuan. That’s not cheap—are you sure?”

Lin Ran smiled. “It’s not about the budget. You both have great taste—every piece looks good on me, and I like them all. So I’ll take everything.”

“Don’t blame me for nagging, but don’t act on impulse,” Vivian said sincerely, worried Lin Ran was being reckless. After all, for most people, spending tens of thousands on clothes was extravagant.

“I’m not being impulsive. Most of my clothes are from my school days—outdated and a bit childish. If it weren’t for your good taste, I wouldn’t be buying so many. Now I won’t have to worry about summer outfits,” Lin Ran replied with a genuine, unpretentious smile.

“Well, since you insist… Miss, could you total it up, please?” Vivian said.

“Of course,” the sales associate replied. She tallied up the purchases. “Ladies, sir, the total is 32,990 yuan.”

“What? Over thirty thousand? How? Weren’t they all just over a thousand each?” Vivian was truly shocked—this was way beyond what she’d expected.

Thirty thousand yuan—in Chengdu, that was nearly half a year’s average salary. This wasn’t Shanghai, after all.

The sales associate explained, “These two items you chose are coats—one is 3,999 and the other is 4,899.”

Shuyao stood there, biting her finger. “I just thought those two looked good. I only wanted Lin Ran to try them. We don’t have to buy them.”

Now Lin Ran had gone all in, and instead of spending what they thought would be under twenty thousand for a dozen or so items, it had suddenly jumped to nearly thirty-three thousand—almost double the anticipated price. That put Lin Ran in an awkward spot.

What could they do? Cut back.

Vivian smiled at the sales associate, “Could you give us a moment? We need to reconsider.”

Shuyao added, “Actually, those two pieces aren’t that great. We’ll leave them out.”

Lin Ran understood their intentions—these girls were thinking of his interests. They really were good people.

“No need to cut anything. You both picked these out with care; they’re perfect. I like them all, and I want every single one, no matter the price,” Lin Ran said suddenly.

The sales associate was thrilled. “Sir, this way to the register, please.”

“Alright,” Lin Ran replied calmly, heading to the counter.

The two women stood in stunned silence.

“Vivian, he’s really buying everything? Thirty-two thousand nine hundred and ninety yuan? Is his family well-off?” Shuyao whispered.

“He just spent 3,300 yuan on a haircut membership card, and he’s a local. Having some money is normal,” Vivian replied.

“He said, ‘I want them all, no matter how expensive, not a single piece less.’ That’s so manly…” Shuyao murmured.

…

“Sir, here’s your receipt.”

“Thank you,” Lin Ran said, taking it.

[10x Male God Transformation: Purchase complete, 329,900 yuan credited]
[Remaining transformation opportunities: 1]

For the first time in his life, his account balance had broken six figures. The feeling was exhilarating.

Excellent—329,000 secured as a foundation. The days of playing it safe were over; it was time to start living large!