C3 CHAPTER3

After mulling it over for a while, and still feeling the power the walnut had given him, he decided to resist the urge to eat them all. "The smartest move would be to sell them one by one," he thought. However, this new product was something he had won in a lottery. There was no price listed in the shop, and the system made it clear he didn't have the authority to set one. So, when he asked, he got quite the surprise. "Ding! Level-3 item, 100,000 coins!" Sam felt proud of himself for resisting the temptation to devour them all at once. If he managed to sell a couple of these walnuts, he could move to the city center, maybe even buy a small house.

While he was whistling an old tune and happily arranging his new items in the window, a young couple walked in. The woman was beautiful, with striking crimson lips and a refined style. The man next to her was tall and rugged, wearing a thick fur coat, with a stunning crystal necklace around his neck—he seemed like a wealthy customer.

"Good morning, Boss, what are you selling here?" the woman asked sweetly. But before Sam could answer, the man, having glanced at the steep prices on the counter, interjected, "Let's go somewhere else, Chloe. There's nothing worth buying here. I'll get you whatever you want at the central store," he said with a confident grin.

"Humph! You've said that before. Let me look around here first... Strength-enhancing pill? Energy pill? Walnuts? Boss, what are these things? They look interesting." As the young woman's eyes lit up at the small selection in the store, the young man's heart sank. "This greedy shopkeeper... 1,000 coins for a simple pill, 100,000 for a walnut? He must be out of his mind," he thought.

"The strength-enhancing pill can temporarily boost strength, the energy pill can restore energy, and the walnut can enhance one's genetic talent," Sam explained, noticing the young man's expression darken. "Each product has a short description; you can check them out yourself," he added.

"I get that a small store like this might be struggling, but Boss, 1,000 coins for a pill?"

"Don't you think you're overcharging?" The young man received only a dismissive gesture and a look that made him feel slightly disrespected.

Sam had started to judge and act according to the system's standards. Based on his experience over the past few days, he doubted the couple would buy anything, so he wasn't concerned.

"This Energizing Pill suits me better. I'm a Water Awakened. This strength-enhancing pill fits your style, Ivan. Why don't you get it? Looks tempting!"

Despite Ivan's attempts to persuade the young woman to visit other stores, he realized the futility of reasoning with someone who has their heart set on something, especially when it's been denied.

With no more excuses and feeling a mix of frustration and resignation, Ivan placed a stack of coins on the counter. In a soft, nearly inaudible voice, he asked, "What's the discount for buying two?"

With a playful smile, Sam cleared his throat and replied loudly enough for passersby to hear, "No discounts, no credit, no loans, no exchanges—only the official price in spiritual coins."

"Who asked you?" Ivan muttered bitterly, though only he could hear the last part. "We'll take both... greedy."

Sam smiled politely and wrapped the two pills. Turning to the young woman, he said, "You have a charming man with you. It seems he cares for you a lot."

The young woman left the store with a bright smile, while Ivan's smile was only skin-deep.

After five days of business, Sam had sold two strength-enhancing pills, a godly speed pill, and an energizing pill. His total earnings were 4,000 spiritual coins. As a level-1 supplier, his personal profit was 10%, giving him 400 spiritual coins.

For Sam, who was just starting his career as a supplier, this was a promising beginning. Although there was a gap between his shop and others in the central area, he believed it wouldn't last long.

"It's pointless to save right now. Better to keep investing in products for the store. Seeing the entire shop with just a couple of pills is... disheartening."

"System, open the supply channel to get 10 level-1 pills."

"Ding! 100 spirit coins deducted! Obtained:

Level-1 Strength Enhancing Pill x3.

Level-1 Energizing Pill x3.

Level-1 Godly Speed Pill x2.

Level-1 Blood Replenishing Pill x1.

Level-2 Experience Pill x1."

"Huh? Why is there a level-2 pill when I ordered level-1 supplies?" Sam wondered. Could the system be glitching? Or was it finally giving in to him?

Sensing his skepticism, the system replied with a teasing tone.

"Ding! Don't get too full of yourself, Host. This is a bonus. Activate 10 supply channels in a row, and you'll definitely get a premium item!"

Used to the system's attitude, Sam focused on the important details.

"Level-2 Experience Pill: Consuming it grants a significant amount of experience. It can be used to level up!"

The temptation was irresistible. Without hesitation, he popped it into his mouth, only to feel like he'd swallowed air.

"What happened?" he asked, bewildered, trying to detect any change in his body.

"Ding! The level-2 experience pill costs 10,000 spirit coins. The host can use it at a 10% discount, deducting 9,000 spirit coins..."

"Ding! Insufficient spirit coins. The host cannot consume the level-2 experience pill."

Sam could only sigh at the harsh truth. He had something amazing right in front of him, but he couldn't use it, even with the discount.