The middle-aged man picked up the business card and examined it carefully.
"Where are the address and contact details?"
As the thought arose, he felt the world spin, then everything went black.
When the middle-aged man regained consciousness, he found himself in an unfamiliar mansion.
"Is this magic?"
Dr. Walsh's mind reeled.
It took him a long time to calm down and remember the purpose of his visit.
He began to survey the mansion.
From the building materials and interior design, Dr. Walsh, who came from a wealthy family, could tell that the owner here was definitely a top-tier rich person and should be capable of completing the transaction.
The middle-aged man stopped at the porch, took a deep breath, and then walked inside.
Although he had never been here before, it was as if someone in his mind was guiding him on where to go.
Soon, he entered a study.
"Dr. Walsh, welcome."
The middle-aged man's name was Walsh. He was surprised to hear the other party call him by his name directly, but then he remembered the previous magical events and felt relieved.
He subconsciously sized up the owner of the pawnshop before him.
Although the owner was sitting there, he was enveloped in layers of faint mist, like looking at flowers through a curtain, only seeing his shadow, not his form.
"I am the owner of this pawnshop."
Dr. Walsh was the first guest Su Wei had carefully chosen.
Su Wei remembered many Hollywood movies.
But after removing those related to superheroes, the remaining movies were from a long time ago, and he could not recall much of their content.
Among these films, Su Wei began to search for what he wanted.
What did he want?
Money or a way to make money.
No matter which world it was, money wasn't everything, but without money, nothing was possible.
The system had drawn a grand vision.
But who knew how the future performance would be?
It was better to fatten his own wallet first.
That way, even if an order failed, he could still offset the penalty.
For the sake of discretion and safety, Su Wei temporarily disregarded all money-making avenues related to superheroes.
There was no benefit in dealing with those dangerous characters too early.
Moreover, it was only the late nineties, not yet the twenty-first century. Stark was still a playboy, and he wasn't a woman.
Other superheroes were hard to find even if he wanted to.
So, he could only look for ways to make money in the remaining old movies.
Finally, he settled on Dr. Walsh.
Although Dr. Walsh met his end in the movie 'Face/Off', if his master (mastered) organ repair and transplantation technology were utilized well, it would be one of the most profitable technologies in the world.
After consulting the system about the commission model for finding his own clients, Su Wei approached Dr. Walsh, who was still at a low point in his life.
While the other party was feeling down, he slipped him a small card.
At this moment, Su Wei's face, shrouded in mist, was identical to the guest's, having completed the replication. He naturally knew the other party's short-term memory and asked knowingly,
"Dr. Walsh, how can I help you?"
Dr. Walsh thought for a moment and then spoke.
"I'm facing a lawsuit and need money to settle it."
"That's very simple. I just don't know what you want to pawn? Jewelry and gold ornaments?"
"Uh, I sold all of those a week ago."
"We also accept real estate and artworks."
"Sorry, the banks have repossessed all my properties."
"Perhaps a limited collection? I think we can offer you a satisfactory price." Su Wei's voice remained as polite as ever.
"No... it's not that, I want to..." Dr. Walsh's voice became softer and softer, "I want to pawn my medical skills, pawn them for two million!"
"Medical skills?"
"Physiological modification and cosmetic surgery!"
Speaking of his medical skills, Dr. Walsh straightened his back.
"I can change people's appearance and voice through surgery. I can create new organs for transplantation. I can replace any organ in a person's body..."
"As far as I know, the lawsuit you want to settle is because you messed up a patient." Su Wei was unmoved, preparing to lower the price.
"My medical skills are absolutely fine!!!" Dr. Walsh instinctively shouted.
Su Wei, of course, knew that the other party's medical skills were fine; in his short-term memory, it was entirely an unfortunate accident.
"But the jury doesn't believe you, do they?"
Walsh deflated, falling silent.
"However, I believe you. It's just that I don't need your medical skills. How about this, I can give you two million, but you need to pawn your career." Medical skills would lose their use if taken into the pawnshop, and even if Su Wei took them for himself as a commission, he didn't want to wield a scalpel. He was eyeing Dr. Walsh himself.
"Career?"
"That means you will forever serve me... serve the pawnshop, unconditionally and wholeheartedly. Besides the two million, the pawnshop will fund your projects, establish the research institute you desire, and you will be the director. You will receive your deserved salary, but everything in the research institute will belong to the pawnshop."
"Deal! I agree!" Dr. Walsh said, suppressing his inner joy. Besides the one million to settle the lawsuit, he could get one million, which was enough to secure his life, and he could also get investment to pursue the work he loved. Why refuse?
Dr. Walsh saw an agreement appear on the table in front of him, quickly took the agreement and a pen, and signed his name in the "Pawnor" section.
"Dr. Walsh, the money will appear in your account by tomorrow at the latest."
Dr. Walsh left the study with cheerful steps.
The system's voice sounded in Su Wei's ear.
"I am not interested in this person's soul. Please do not waste your precious time for your own greed. You should have higher pursuits, to hunt those interesting souls."
"Besides money, you have nothing. How can I hunt interesting souls?
I need help. I'm so weak now, how can I hunt? What's the use of immortality? If I'm not strong enough and get caught, there are plenty of ways to torture me.
Okay, I admit this order was for money. His legitimate medical skills can bring long-term, continuous investment returns, which can bring me long-term order commissions.
But this money is to better help me complete business.
Moreover, the physiological modification medical skills in Dr. Walsh's hands are illegal in some areas, and it is these illegalities that will bring us new customers.
All in all, you haven't lost anything in this transaction, and I haven't violated any rules, have I?" Su Wei took the opportunity to vent all his previous grievances.
He was ready to bow and apologize at any moment, but the system fell silent.
Su Wei couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Through this transaction, Su Wei gained a deeper understanding of the system.
Perhaps because it had just appeared in this plane, the system was not yet powerful enough, unlike in TV shows where it was omniscient and could foresee detailed cause-and-effect futures.
Before the transaction, he asked the system how much Dr. Walsh's original career was worth, and the system said it couldn't query, completely failing to predict that this doctor, along with his research institute, would be burned to the ground in the future. Although with his involvement, such a thing would not happen.
All in all, the system was not omniscient and omnipotent, which meant he had a lot of room for maneuver.
Su Wei didn't transmigrate to this world to work for some damn system; he didn't want the system to ride roughshod over him.
The system's concession gave Su Wei another glimmer of hope for the future.
But work still had to continue for now.
The chips had been found; it was time to go back and find help.