CHAPTER 479: DILIGENT REINCARNATED IMMORTAL

"By the way, Shopkeeper. The Guild Master of the Golden Carp sent a private message on your administrator account from his Viewing Jade. The store’s system flared up earlier after you left. He said he has secured a large shipment of spirit ores from the West and wishes to know if they can be used to trade for Store Credits."

"Spirit ores?" Lin Mo perked up. "Well, I haven’t talked to him yet. But it looks like he’s quick on the uptake. The Divine Lecture thoroughly convinced him. Tell him our store doesn’t have any need for it but he can use the Bulletin Board and connect with the foundry. I’m certain they’ll have a lot of use for it."

"I already did," Wu Meiyu said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "He grumbled, but he agreed. He must’ve thought that by using you as a middleman, he’ll get more benefits from the store."

"Heh. Naturally. His trading guild would be ruined in his hands and he wouldn’t be a successful merchant if he didn’t know how to play for more benefits." Lin Mo chuckled.

"Besides," He added, finishing his soda and crushing the can with a satisfying crunch, "Jin Cheng and his son are learning. They realized that the Bulletin Board isn’t just a place for gossip or boasting about tower clears. It’s this realm’s silk road. If he wants to move that much ore without getting ripped off by intermediaries or wasting time on caravans, the ’Harvester’s Guild’ and ’Professional’s Foundry’ are his best bets. He’s just testing if I’m willing to bend the rules for him. Good job on shutting that down, Your Highness."

Although the two women tilted their heads at the term ’silk road’, they understood what he was hinting at.

Wu Meiyu beamed, clearly pleased with the praise. "It was nothing, Shopkeeper. Now, about the schedule for the ’Private Auction’. Regardless of when it will happen, it will be set for midday. The morning rush and other store operations can already be handled by Xiao Ya, Pan Ruo and the new staff. I have already briefed them on the VIP protocols. We don’t want a repeat of the Right Minister trying to pull rank on a cultivator who could turn him into a pile of ash. There’s also no leak about the immortal-grade products from our Golden Patrons. They’re following the rules."

"Excellent. Then, I suppose it’s time to call it a night." Lin Mo stood up, stretching his back. The physical fatigue from the armor test and all the days he skipped sleeping was gone, replaced by a mental weariness that only sleep could cure.

"Goodnight, Boss! If you’re going to cultivate in your bed, don’t leave me out of it! I still need to be rained down by your Heaven’s Favor!" Xiaoyu waved, grabbing another bag of chips before darting off to the Shopkeeper’s Quarters.

Wu Meiyu lingered for a moment, her gaze soft. "Rest well, Shopkeeper. The weight of the realm is heavy, even if you carry it with convenience."

"Goodnight, Meiyu," Lin Mo replied, dropping the honorifics for a brief, intimate moment.

She smiled, a radiant expression that seemed to brighten the dimmed store, before turning and heading to their quarters.

Although their quarters remained unchanged after the tier up, Lin Mo managed to get another bed for Wu Meiyu in it. After all, she insisted on staying in the store rather than returning to the courtyard given by the City Lord.

As for Yangyang’s vacated space, it was given to Pan Ruo. Xiao Ya would share it with her if that girl decided not to go home. As for Xiaoyu’s little brother, Xiaoping, he returned to where the Liu Clan was staying in the city. He’d be back tomorrow morning before the opening.

Thinking about it, Lin Mo realized that he was about to head into the room where there were only women. It was fine for the past few days, considering he was spending all his time cultivating or training, but now, remembering that the quarters didn’t have any partition, Lin Mo somehow became conscious of it.

"Should I just lie down here? Oh. Right. There’s the employee’s lounge. I can stay there. Or can I?" He thought.

A few moments later, he shook his head and swept away awkward thoughts. He’s just going to sleep. There’s nothing wrong with it. Not like Xiaoyu would climb on his bed again.

After one last scan in the quiet store proper, He soon followed the two women to the Shopkeeper’s Quarters. The door slid open silently, revealing the cozy, communal space that had become his home in this strange world.

To his relief, the room was quiet. The soft, rhythmic breathing of Xiao Ya could be heard from the far corner, where Yangyang’s old bed was located. She was sound asleep, likely exhausted from their cultivation session and store duties. Pan Ruo was nowhere to be found. Possibly in the bathroom.

Wu Meiyu was already in her bed, her back turned to him. Her breathing was steady. However, Lin Mo noticed her hand was clutching the blanket a little too tightly. She was probably still awake, feigning sleep to spare him any awkwardness. A thoughtful gesture.

But then, his eyes landed on his own bed.

Or rather, the lump under the covers of his bed.

A tuft of familiar, messy hair poked out from the top, and a muffled giggling sound emanated from beneath the sheets.

Lin Mo let out a long, resigned sigh. He walked over and ruthlessly ripped the blanket off.

"Xiaoyu. What are you doing?"

Liu Xiaoyu lay there, fully dressed in her sleeping robes that didn’t do anything to hide her gorgeous features. She was grinning up at him with zero shame.

"Hmm? Testing the mattress, Boss! Gotta make sure the springs haven’t given out under the weight of your innovations!" She reached out a hand to him as though wanting to pull him down with her. "Also, I was serious. Your Celestial Providence is strongest when you’re relaxed. I’m just trying to catch some residual luck particles."

"Alright, back to your bed," Lin Mo pointed to her own bed, lying parallel to his bed.

"Aww, come on! Just five minutes? Cultivate for five minutes and shower me with your luck! Elder Yu got her Golden Core, you already got your Perfect Foundation... I feel like I’m falling behind! The Nine Heavens Exquisite Body is hungry for progress!" She whined, rolling over and clinging to the mattress like a stubborn koala.

"Who are you fooling? You are not falling behind. You just cleared an Anchor patrol with your bare hands. And didn’t you take down a Centurion? Even with the help of your father, that’s not a feat I can accomplish." Lin Mo deadpanned. He grabbed her by the back of her collar and effortlessly lifted her. His physical strength made her feel as light as a feather. At least, that’s because she’s not struggling.

He deposited her onto her own bed with a gentle thud. "Sleep. That’s an order from the Shopkeeper. A rested mind cultivates better."

Xiaoyu pouted, crossing her arms. "You’re no fun, Boss. Fine. But if I dream about failing my tribulation, it’s on you."

"Goodnight, Xiaoyu."

"Night, Boss!" She pulled her covers up to her chin, instantly switching from annoying brat to sleeping angel. She’s already a grown-up woman but she’s still acting like this. It was a terrifying talent.

Lin Mo shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. He returned to his bed, finally lying down. The mattress was indeed comfortable, a small slice of modern luxury in a cultivation world.

He stared up at the ceiling, expecting sleep to come instantly. But his mind, sharpened by his refined soul, refused to shut down completely.

That’s right. He might feel a little exhausted from the test but the [Primordial Starlight Dew] had done more than just refine his body. It had given him boundless vitality. He had already recovered.

Minutes later, after checking on Liu Xiaoyu and Wu Meiyu, he stood up and walked towards the employee’s lounge with silent steps.

He wasn’t expecting anyone but suddenly, he remembered that there was someone not in her bed earlier.

Sure enough, he found her sitting there, a jade slip in one hand and a store-bought brush in the other. She was writing furiously, her eyes scanning a holographic projection of the store’s inventory logs.

"Pan Ruo?"

The young woman jumped, nearly dropping her brush. She looked up, her eyes wide. "Eh? Shopkeeper! I... I apologize. I didn’t hear you approach."

"It’s past closing time. Past everyone’s bedtime," Lin Mo said gently, "What are you doing?"

"I... I was analyzing the sales data from the past three days," She admitted, holding up the jade slip. It was covered in intricate, elegant calligraphy that looked more like ancient runes than accounting notes. "It was amazing how it kept on spiking. There are thousands of new customers every day, Shopkeeper. I am drafting a proposal to create a ’Daily Starter Bundle’ that combines them for a slight discount. It will bundle the best-selling items like the noodles with some unpopular or less noticeable products. It should further raise our sales!"

Lin Mo stared at her. She had been here for a few days. She was a former starving refugee. And she was proposing bundling strategies based on data analytics? What a diligent reincarnated immortal. She must’ve been used to administrative duties in her past life.