Getting new customers wasn't easy. The familiar young boy proved this point as he stood in front of the locked door.
It was Chan Hao, the bald disciple from the Blooming Iron Sect, his gleaming head catching the morning light.
"Come on in," Noa said, leading him inside.
"You got your own place?!" Surprised by his quickness, Chan Hao exclaimed in astonishment. "I can feel rich qi here, and everything looks so lavish and expensive."
Noa nodded.
'His senses are better than the other customers,' he realized. Everyone could tell that his store was filled with strong spiritual pressure, but there was something about Chan Hao that distinguished him from others.
Then, Noa showed the way to the shelves and presented his products.
The same shampoo and a fidget spinner occupied the room.
As the boy was studying them, Noa had a plan. He knew Chan Hao could no longer afford the items he had for sale.
"Three True Spirit Coins?"
Sure enough, after seeing the price, Chan Hao's mouth hung open. He sighed, pulled his worn coin pouch from his belt, and counted the few coins inside.
One coin was already a struggle for him—let alone three.
Noa patted his shoulder.
Hiding any reaction as the boy lowered his head empty-handed, Noa invited him towards the counter. Not for Chan Hao to pay, but for him to do something different.
There, waiting on a short desk, sat the Eye of the Future. Its smooth shape and faint glow attracted the young cultivator's attention.
"What's that?" he asked, nearing the table.
Noa smirked before answering. "This is the most dangerous and prized possession of mine." Karma didn't allow him to lie or advertise his products, but he found a way around it.
"You just need to touch it and we will know your future."
"Do I have to pay for it?" Chan Hao asked eagerly. Anticipation filled his heart as he awaited the offer Noa had made to him.
Shaking his head, Noa took Chan Hao's hand and steered it to touch the orb. "It's on the house," he said and smirked again.
[Customer Chan Hao wants to use Eye of the Future]
[It costs 1 TP]
Noa's view was covered with system notifications. They noted that he had to pay the price. But curiosity won over his sanity, and he gladly spent one Tycoon Point.
"Yes, please," he muttered inwardly. "Tycoon has to be bold and make courageous deals."
Following his philosophy, Noa expected the change to occur. Suddenly, instead of the voice, the rows of text appeared within the orb, declaring the future.
Noa was the only one who could see them.
"The moment when the jade moon sleeps, the boy with nothing but a heart full of dreams shall break the rules he once wanted to keep."
Telling the boy what to expect out of his life, Noa recited the text.
He was also confused. 'Why does it sound and look so different from mine?' Still, it was great to test how this chaos-grade artifact worked.
Now he had to wait and see how the situation would unfold.
Meanwhile, Chan Hao's ears prickled with interest. What does breaking the rules mean? He was contemplating a lot about these words.
The only rules he was committed to following were those of the sect. But why would he go against them?
Was it a false statement? Or was this stranger lying to him?
Chan Hao may have been a gullible youngster, but he wasn't stupid. His bald head proved his wisdom and years of experience.
But looking at Noa's face and observing the store before him told him otherwise.
The mysterious entity had no reason to fool him. He was just a broke man with hopeless love.
"I'm not sure what this prophecy means, but I trust you," Chan Hao said and bowed. "Thanks for letting me use it for free. I'm going to remember and repay this favor."
Noa smiled upon seeing his genuine reaction.
"I don't mind it. As my first customer, you deserve more than that."
Chan Hao seemed satisfied. Though he was forced to have something to think about, he was grateful and satisfied with his visit.
"I should go," he said. "But I will be back when I have enough money saved up."
Hearing his declaration, Noa snorted.
"I can't wait," he said, waving at the disappearing boy. After Chan Hao left, he was left all alone. The store wasn't big, but the loneliness didn't care about the distance.
'I need employees,' he decided to speed things up, even though it was beyond his control. 'And I should start cultivating my army as soon as possible.'
» [The hidden mission is revealed]
» [Reveal the future: 2/2]
» [Reward: Unlocking a second floor]
The system messages came out of nowhere. Turns out, Noa had completed the hidden quest and got an amazing reward without him knowing anything about it.
'Having a guinea pig helped,' he thought.
Then he opened the system interface and searched through the store.
{Nameless Store}
{Employees: 0}
{Items Currently on Sale: Shampoo; Fidget Spinner}
{Floors: 1}
{Rooms You Currently Own: 3}
{Click to customize and reconstruct them according to your vision.}
There was nothing new that Noa could change or add, but opening the market, he found the option to add an entire floor.
{Small Chamber}
Description: A quiet space with calming energy
Features: Cultivation amplifier, good scent, boosts mental energy, meridians are more likely to expand
Customizable: Art pieces
Rarity: Rare
Price: 30 TP
It was only a rare room, and even though its features were excellent, it was way over Noa's current budget.
{Small Workshop}
Description: A quiet space with calming energy
Features: Plant and harvest minor herbs
Customizable: Soil
Rarity: Epic
Price: 45 TP
Reading these descriptions, countless ideas struck Noa's head.
His short-term goal was to complete the missions to open new mission chains. He also wanted to find the first employee and make his life easier. But now he added one more wish to his list, and it was to build a skyscraper in this cultivation world.
'I am going to own the tallest building on this planet,' he thought.
Just as he was scrolling through the options, the door opened and a new customer walked in.