Lin Mo leaned back on his chair, watching Liu Xiaoyu buzz around like a whirlwind of inexhaustible energy. Her enthusiasm was both exhausting and infectious. He couldn't help but chuckle at her endless antics.
At least, she's really doing her job well. Much more than Lin Mo who was mostly at the counter.
With everything that happened during the day, the Divine Convenience Store had seen yet another eventful day.
And while Lin Mo was physically tired, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction. His cultivation breakthrough, the series of prominent customers, and the steady stream of sales. Those were signs that the store was gaining traction in this strange world.
He also began to dabble in more than just being a normal store manager.
Once again, while waiting for the next customer to arrive, he checked the current day's progress.
[Attract new customers: 10/10 (Completed)]
[Sell expensive items worth 20 spirit stones and above: 5/5 (Completed)]
[Repeat customers: 3/5]
[Total Sales: 2,232 Spirit Stones (Mixed Grades)]
[Tier Progression:] Emerging Store (2,478/10,000)
[Loyalty Card Issued: 1]
Lin Mo's lips curled into a small, satisfied smile. The numbers were growing steadily, and so was the store's reputation.
As he dismissed the interface, Liu Xiaoyu bounded back to the counter, her arms loaded with products from the beauty aisle.
"Boss, I've got it! A special display for our beauty line. 'Xing Xing Glimmer Products'! We can feature the comb, the gloss, and the Sparkling Moonlight Powder as a set! It'll be the ultimate section for self-care-loving cultivators!"
Lin Mo raised an eyebrow, amused. "Self-care-loving cultivators? Is that even a niche? But go ahead. It'll be a hit for female cultivators like you."
Liu Xiaoyu nodded enthusiastically. "You'd be surprised, Boss! All the sect disciples who come in here, especially the ladies, can't resist looking at themselves in the mirrors. Why not give them the tools to look even better?"
"Alright," Lin Mo relented, waving his hand. "Set it up. But no gimmicks about limited stock unless we actually run out."
Liu Xiaoyu saluted with a mischievous grin. "Aye-aye, Boss!"
Time continued to pass.
As the final customers of the day trickled out, the store grew quieter.
There weren't any bigshot customers that stepped in anymore but at the very least, a few repeat customers from the other days visited again which cleared the last of the Daily Tasks.
[Repeat Customers: 5/5 (Completed)]
Other than that, Lin Mo's Celestial Providence continued to be triggered occasionally, blessing his customers with Heaven's Favor's luck. Reading through those logs was quite amusing despite feeling the sting of leaking his luck to other people. Even Xiaoyu was starting to get envious, saying why couldn't his luck leak to her.
Lin Mo simply teased her about that, claiming that since she was already a prodigy, she already emptied his luck from her birth.
Her reaction? She jumped at Lin Mo and started clawing at him like a furious cat.
As the moon rose high in the night sky, casting its pale glow over Fanling City, the Divine Convenience Store finally quieted.
The closing time soon approached.
Lin Mo leaned against the counter as he watched Liu Xiaoyu bustling about, adjusting the newly arranged 'Xing Xing Glimmer Products' display with the precision of a perfectionist.
He couldn't help but praise her in his head as she clearly had a knack on being a store promodizer. She's quite great at arranging them to be really enticing.
"Boss, look at this!" She chirped, stepping back to admire her work. The display sparkled under the store's ambient lighting.
A mix of the Spirit Tress Comb, Sparkling Moonlight Powder, and the Radiant Glow Lip Gloss.
All in all, the set would cost 100 spirit stones. If he applied the real quality needed for it, it would be 100 intermediate-grade spirit stones.
"Isn't it just perfect? It's like it's calling out to all the self-care enthusiasts out there! I'll buy one myself after I get enough in my Balance."
"It's definitely eye-catching. If this doesn't attract attention tomorrow, I don't know what will."
Liu Xiaoyu beamed, clearly proud of her handiwork. "I bet we'll sell out by midday!"
"Sure. Sure. If it does sell out before midday, I'll buy you one of the items there. What do you think?"
"Seriously, boss?! I love you! You're the best! I'll protect you from thugs from now on!"
"Isn't that your job?"
"Hmm? Don't sweat the details. Hehe."
The dim lighting inside softened the atmosphere, and the faint hum of the store's mystical mechanisms filled the air.
Lin Mo stood by the entrance, staring out at the now-empty street.
The city of Fanling lay bathed in the warm glow of lanterns, its bustling energy having quieted into a gentle whisper.
The day's events played back in his mind—Yan Chen's stoic analysis, Yu Qingyan's indulgent spree, the Pavilion Master's piercing gaze as she offered 10,000 high-grade Spirit Stones, and the visit of the White Ember Sect's disguised Sect Master.
Each encounter had brought something new, something challenging, but also something valuable.
"I'm getting used to this," Lin Mo muttered to himself, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
With, he turned the signage at the front door to 'Closed'
The third day finally ended.
The door chime jingled softly near the counter and he turned to see Liu Xiaoyu carrying a small tray with two steaming bowls of noodles. She placed them on the counter with a flourish.
"Dinner time, Boss! Spicy Taihao Noodles, Rice Cakes and Soup Dumplings, the Chef's Special! By 'chef,' I mean me." She grinned, hopping onto the stool beside him.
Lin Mo took the offered bowl, the rich aroma wafting up to meet him.
"You mean you used the machine. But thanks, Xiaoyu. I needed this."
They ate in comfortable silence, the spicy broth warming them against the cool evening air. The soup dumplings and rice cakes complement each other.
"Boss, do you think tomorrow Taihao or Lihua will arrive today? Will they evaluate us again?"
Lin Mo chuckled, shaking his head. "Maybe. Maybe not. But we'll have to wait, right? But tomorrow will surely be busy. At this rate, we'll have an emperor or some ancient hermit knocking on our door by the end of the week."
"Hey, don't jinx it! What if they really show up?" Liu Xiaoyu protested, slurping her noodles noisily.
Lin Mo smirked, leaning back. "If they do, we'll sell them our products like everyone else. No exceptions."
They both laughed, the tension of the day melting away as the night settled over the Divine Convenience Store.
[System Notice: Day 3 Complete. Evaluation Pending]
[Day 3 Evaluation: Outstanding!]
[Sales Summary: 102 Transactions – Revenue: 2286 Spirit Stones
[Rewards: +10 Spirit Stones to Personal Balance for both Shopkeeper and Assistant]
[Tier Progression: Emerging Store (2532/10000)]
"Boss, there it is!" Liu Xiaoyu exclaimed as she pointed at the system panels that popped up around them.
Lin Mo lifted his head and looked around them only to see nothing.
"I guess not today." He said as he took a look at his new balance.
[Personal Balance: 98 Spirit Stones]
'Not bad.' He thought and then he glanced at his assistant who was already jumping in joy.
"Boss, boss. Look at this! I now have 45 Spirit Stones! What should I buy with this?!"
"You better think carefully about what you want to spend on. I believe there's a reason Taihao is giving us wages ." He started after gulping down another soup dumplings. "Look, we have free meals and accommodations. What do we lack?"
"Oh… Cultivation resources?"
"That and other things, of course. Just don't spend that wastefully like Yu Qingyan. We're not as rich as her."
With her excitement dimming, she sat back down and resumed chowing down their food.
On the other, Lin Mo couldn't help but observe the store. He also had to apply his advice to himself so…he started ranking his needs at the moment. And the first thing that came to his mind was…