A New Deal

Linsey and Will both live in the Orange District.

Mrs. Will cooked dinner, and after a simple meal, the two of them strolled along the coast.

On the way, the middle-aged designer inquired about the details of the design commission from Linsey, and at the same time, he fumbled for drawings in his bag:

"Mr. Linsey, what are your requirements for the house design?"

"I have some templates here, both coastal and inland. Perhaps you can take a look at them first?"

Linsey stated his thoughts directly. "I only need one design drawing."

"For the subsequent construction, I have awakened individuals with relevant abilities to help, so it doesn't need to be built slowly like a normal house."

Upon hearing this, Will looked somewhat disappointed.

Besides design fees, the subsequent construction work can also generate substantial profits in the design industry. If Linsey only needs the former, it's not good news for him.

Try to think more positively.

However, this is still a rare source of income.

Will gave himself a mental pep talk and then continued to ask, "Design is no problem at all!"

"What are your specific needs for the house design?"

Linsey told the other party about the plan she had already thought of:

"As for the store's front desk, it's natural to have a more reasonable division of goods and display areas—I believe you have a lot of experience in this, so I don't need to elaborate."

"And then, most importantly, is my backyard."

"I need a large, well-protected basement; an experimental field for growing and cultivating various plants that is easy to maintain; and a fishing platform that can handle all kinds of weather and is convenient for fishing."

"Once you've secured these three points, you can freely explore the rest!"

Will nodded slightly.

He carefully noted down each of Linsey's requests, and after careful consideration, gave his professional advice. "Mr. Linsey, there is no problem with your other requests."

"But if you want to build a basement here, please remember to use some corrosion-resistant and strong materials—building a basement in the City of a Thousand Sails will definitely go beyond the foundation and come into contact with the seawater, so this is the most important thing."

The two roughly agreed on the design concept.

We continued forward with our backs to the setting sun.

Linsey also noticed the middle-aged designer's need for money.

He thought of Will's wife, Kona, who seemed to be unwell when she had received him before.

"Mr. Will, your wife seems to be having some health problems?"

Will shook his head with a wry smile:

"Kona, she..."

"Mr. Linsey, you seem to be an Awakened as well?"

Linsey nodded in agreement:

"That's right."

Will then said:

"Several years ago, on Harvest Day, Kona was also fortunate enough to fuse with the Essence."

"But unfortunately, we were on our honeymoon on an island at the time. Kona was accidentally swept into the sea by a wave, and I did everything I could to save her. But... but her awakening process went wrong."

"This distorted fusion of Essence not only failed to bring her any benefit, but it was also eroding her body."

Linsey asked:

Is there no cure?

Will nodded first, then shook his head:

"The doctor has examined me."

"This problem is quite special, and only the doctors in Green Garden Volcano City, are capable of treating it."

Will's tone was bitter and helpless. "But the cost of this kind of thing is simply not something that ordinary families can afford."

"..."

This is considered a rare and difficult problem in another world.

Linsey recalled her past experiences, including how she tried to resolve the effects of the Extinction Crown on her body.

His treatment plan also cost a full thousand gold coins.

Thanks to the support of the Golden Rule, he was able to obtain a low-cost treatment plan.

No matter which world.

These intractable diseases, which are expensive to treat, represent an immeasurable burden.

Linsey suddenly asked, "Will, how much more money do you need for Kona's treatment?"

Will memorized the number, and almost instinctively replied, "361! 361 gold coins!"

"I've already saved half of it over the years, if I just keep going for another 7 years..."

A sea breeze blew by.

Will was speechless.

For ordinary people, this is an astronomical figure that is difficult to come up with.

He'd only managed to save half after years of painstaking effort. But with Kona's health deteriorating, could she hold on until then? Linsey stopped in her tracks:

"Mr. Will, do you know anyone in town who sells antiques?"

Will was a little curious:

What do you mean?

"You're renovating your shop and planning to buy antiques? That's a considerable expense!"

Linsey shook her head and corrected, "It's not buying, it's selling."

"I have a chair at home that's quite a valuable antique. If you're willing to take the risk of selling it, you can act as my agent and sell it. The commission I'll give you should be enough to cover your wife's medical expenses."

"..."

Linsey's sudden words left Will somewhat bewildered.

But now he has nowhere to turn.

He turned around and saw Linsey standing in the center of the sunset, as if the sun were standing right in front of him.

The man realized that an opportunity had presented itself.

For the sake of his beloved wife, he didn't even ask what the danger was before nodding in agreement, "Mr. Linsey, I can give it a try!"

Linsey nodded in reply:

"Then I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration."

Linsey turned and looked at her luggage.

There is a chair for a Ninth Stage awakened being inside.

This thing itself doesn't have anything particularly special about it.

But in an art capital like the City of a Thousand Sails, antiques are also very valuable collectibles. Surely something involving Ninth Stage Awakened should fetch a decent price, right?...

The sun is setting.

Linsey and Will arrived at the store together.

As soon as they pushed open the shop door and took a step inside, Linsey's expression changed drastically.

Because he saw something truly outrageous.

To put it in perspective, it's like Wala Wala was hanging on Hilude and wandering around her shop.

Unfortunately, Hilude below is completely controlled by the shop.

There was no intention of resistance.

Carrying the Wala Wala on his back, he wandered around the house like a headless fly.

"Wala Wala... What are you doing?"

Wala Wala's cheeks flushed red.

She immediately jumped off Hilude: "I... I was just testing her condition!"

"After all, she's a Seventh Stage Awakened One. What if her compliance is all an act?"

With a simple excuse, Wala Wala began to change the subject. "And Linsey, what method did you use to forcibly enslave this guy? Even those merchants from the Platinum Gods wouldn't have such a terrible slave contract!"

Linsey shrugged.

What could he say?

After activating the [Simulation Management] module, you will see in the information about humans that the system treats everyone as slaves.

He could vaguely sense the special nature of this module, so much so that he never even started recruiting staff for the store.

In retrospect, the Simulation Management module is truly a cold-blooded and efficient one.

The underlying logic of those economic games is also clearly demonstrated.

Snap—

Just then, a heavy thud was heard coming from the shop entrance.

Will, who followed Linsey in, was so startled by their conversation that he leaned back.

He bumped into the door and then slipped and fell to the ground.

The middle-aged man's tone suggested he was about to cry for help at any moment, "Mr. Linsey, you... you're going to sell slaves?"

"And also, she... Seventh Stage Awakened One, what does that mean?"