C1 Celestial Amazon Store

Northwich University's cafeteria was bustling, but Chu Yang sat alone, chewing on a stale bun, a bitter taste accompanying his thoughts. Opening his Amazon store had sent his standard of living into a nosedive. Far from making a profit, he had accumulated a significant debt to his classmates. Now, he was in such dire straits that he depended on others for meals, feeling lower than a street beggar.

"Hey, isn't that our class's star entrepreneur? What's with the bun? Business not booming?" The mocking tone came from behind him, interrupting his gloomy reverie.

Chu Yang turned to see his classmate, Yang Wanli, approaching with a swagger. Dressed in an expensive-looking casual suit, shiny leather shoes, and sporting a luxurious Cartier watch on his wrist, Yang Wanli exuded the air of a nouveau riche coal tycoon, despite being only a sophomore.

"What I eat is none of your concern. Could you give me some space, OK?" Chu Yang replied, his voice laced with annoyance.

Yang Wanli sat down across from him, a smirk on his face. "How is it not my business? I'm here to ask when you're planning to pay back the money."

"Pay back what money?" Chu Yang was taken aback, then exploded in anger. "Are you out of your mind? When did I ever borrow money from you?"

Unfazed, Yang Wanli retorted sternly, "Denying it now? The terms are spelled out clearly in black and white."

He produced a folded note and flaunted it before Chu Yang, who recognized it instantly. Leaping to his feet, Chu Yang pointed at Yang Wanli, his rage palpable. "Chu, how did the IOU I wrote for Yu Wei end up with you? And why does it say a hundred thousand when I clearly wrote ten thousand?"

Yang Wanli reveled in Chu Yang's fury, waving the note triumphantly. "The repayment date on this IOU is September 1st, and it's been over ten days. You haven't paid Yu Wei, who needs the money urgently. So, being the good guy I am, I took over the debt... And I certainly won't acknowledge any tampering with the IOU!"

"You!"

Chu Yang hadn't expected Yang Wanli to be so vile. He grabbed a plate, ready to strike.

Seeing this, Yang Wanli taunted him, "Go ahead, hit me. It'll just show everyone how ugly you look when you borrow money and then attack your creditor!"

But Yang Wanli's taunt made Chu Yang pause and reconsider. He slowly released his grip on the plate, grinding his teeth as he asked, "Why are you doing this? Our relationship isn't great, but there's no need to set me up like this, is there?"

Yang Wanli slammed his hand down on the table and declared fiercely, "You've been overshadowing me in class, constantly challenging me, making me the target of everyone's criticism. Now that I've got the chance, why wouldn't I take advantage of you?"

Chu Yang was taken aback by his response.

Yang Wanli's family owned a successful food and beverage business and had made a considerable amount of money in recent years. With the financial backing of his family, Yang Wanli often flaunted his wealth in front of his classmates.

Unfortunately, his low emotional intelligence frequently led him to offend others. As a result, he was often excluded from social groups, with only a few fair-weather friends to his name.

Chu Yang, with his straightforward nature, detested Yang Wanli's domineering demeanor and frequently clashed with him, leading to a notably poor relationship between the two.

Yet, Chu Yang had never imagined Yang Wanli would blame him for his own lack of popularity!

"Yang Wanli, do you realize that what you're doing is extortion and that it's against the law?" Chu Yang asked, his tone icy with suppressed rage.

"Illegal?" Yang Wanli burst into laughter. "How is it illegal? It's perfectly normal to repay debts. We've got it in writing, clear as day. Even if you took this to court, you wouldn't stand a chance!"

"Does your conscience allow you to act this way?"

Though Chu Yang found his actions contemptible, he couldn't deny that Yang Wanli had a point.

That day, when he had gone to borrow money from Yu Wei's dorm, Yu Wei had tossed him a stack of yuan. Chu Yang had been so focused on counting the money that he let Yu Wei write the IOU himself.

In his rush to restock his inventory, Chu Yang hadn't thought to check the IOU closely, hastily signing it. Now, with Yu Wei's added stroke turning 'one' into 'ten', Chu Yang knew that even a handwriting expert wouldn't give him a fighting chance in court.

"Not only is it manageable, but it feels fantastic."

Yang Wanli said with a sneer, standing up to declare, "Since you refuse to pay me back, we'll just have to take this to court. Some entrepreneur you are—get ready to be the joke of the startup world, haha!"

Chu Yang's fists tightened as he retorted icily, "Yang Wanli, if you're intent on making my life difficult, I'll be sure to return the favor!"

With that, he grabbed Yang Wanli by the collar and raised his fist to strike at Yang Wanli's face.

"What are you two doing?"

Just then, an unexpected voice interrupted, causing both men to halt in their tracks.

Turning to see the newcomer, Chu Yang gradually released Yang Wanli's collar. It was Su Yue, the class president and newly appointed vice president of the student council at Northwich University, who seldom dined in the cafeteria.

Today, Su Yue was dressed in a light pink off-the-shoulder top paired with blue denim shorts, and she wore a pair of designer canvas shoes. Her fair, oval face was lightly made up, and her lustrous black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, exuding an innocent yet captivating charm.

Yang Wanli, feeling awkward under Su Yue's questioning gaze, managed a sheepish grin and a quick greeting before hastily exiting the cafeteria.

"What was that all about?" Su Yue inquired, looking in the direction Yang Wanli had left.

"I got conned by that jerk," Chu Yang exhaled deeply, explaining the situation.

Su Yue listened and then burst out, "Are you out of your mind? You're in college and you don't even know that you should write out numbers in words on a promissory note?"

"I was desperate for money at the time and didn't think it through. I had no idea Yang Wanli would exploit the note," Chu Yang admitted, his head bowed in embarrassment.

After pondering for a while and finding no solution, Su Yue finally suggested, "It looks like we have no choice but to tell your parents or the school."

At the mention of this, Chu Yang panicked and quickly interjected, "Please don't! My family is already in debt. Even if I told my dad, he couldn't pay it off. And I really don't want this getting out—I'd become the university's entrepreneurial punchline."

"Is now really the time to worry about appearances? If you don't pay me back, Yang Wanli will take you to court in a heartbeat!"

"I'll... I'll figure something out."

Chu Yang averted his gaze, sighing inwardly. If he couldn't repay the money, he'd be labeled a defaulter.

Su Yue caught the resolute look in his eyes and felt a jolt of alarm.

He wasn't going to do something rash, was he?

Worry began to gnaw at Su Yue, fearing that her words might push Chu Yang to a point of no return.

With this in mind, she bit her lip and said, "Forget it, I'll talk to Yang Wanli. I'll ask him not to sue you for now, and we can find a solution later."

"I'm in your debt, Class Rep."

With no other options left, Chu Yang had to accept her offer.

Back at his rental, Chu Yang collapsed onto the sofa.

He had rented the place to store merchandise, and now a heap of various women's clothing lay in the corner of the living room.

Regrettably, his Amazon store hadn't seen any business in over two months, leaving his inventory to gather dust.

"These damn experts have really done me in."

Chu Yang let out a sigh and, out of habit, opened the Amazon app to see if there were any new orders.

"Welcome to the Celestial Amazon Store. As a first-time user, the system will gift you 100 soul stones!"

The moment he accessed the Amazon homepage, a bold notification popped up.

Chu Yang was taken aback. Was the system glitching?

What in the world was the Celestial Amazon Store?

He dismissed the notification, only to freeze in surprise.

The Amazon interface had transformed dramatically, showcasing an array of bizarre promotional items!

"Jade Lake Immortal Dew, special price of 2888 soul stones per bottle, with only 8000 bottles available."

"Clouds Embroidered Brocade, buy three get one free, starting at 16666 soul stones per piece."

"Divine Crossing Golden Core, on a limited-time offer at 70% off, just 888888 soul stones."

...