There were three seas within the human body.
Those who opened their Spirit Sea cultivated meditation techniques, absorbed free-floating spirituality, and went on to study arcana.
Those who opened their Blood Sea cultivated blood-refining techniques, replenished themselves with blood-based food to strengthen their battle aura, became knights, and then delved into martial combat arts.
Those who opened their Qi Sea cultivated breathing techniques, resonated with plants to sense the power of nature, and could become Spirit Plant Masters, tending all kinds of spirit plants.
Whether it was the Qi Sea, Blood Sea, or Spirit Sea, all were part of the Spiritual Arcana system. Among them, spirit plants could sort out free-floating spirituality, forming a special aura that made it more convenient for arcanists to cultivate meditation techniques.
That was why many arcanists' residences planted large numbers of spirit plants, sorting the mixed and thin free-floating spirituality into a stable, rich spiritual aura.
Duke also wanted such a spiritual aura. "Unfortunately, even a single spirit plant can easily cost a golden dragon. I've been remodeling Little Sam's Card Shop these past few days, and my capital's been draining too quickly. I have to save a little... Fortunately, the Card Repair Shop can probably bring in a golden dragon a month. After saving for a few months, I'll be able to buy a spirit plant."
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
The roosters raised by the residents in the back alley began crowing at the pale light of dawn in the east.
After washing his face and brushing his teeth, Duke first went to a baozi shop in the back alley and bought several steamed buns for breakfast. Only then did he cross through the front courtyard and enter the Card Repair Shop, ready to work.
However, the moment he entered the shop, he realized something was wrong.
The Card Repair Shop's front door was still closed.
"What's going on? Was Bob late?" Duke opened the shop door himself, then did a quick tidying-up.
Before long, the new apprentice, Levin, hurried over. "Good morning, boss."
"Morning, Levin. Did Bob say yesterday that he was taking leave?"
"Uh, I don't know." Levin was seventeen and powerfully built, but he was somewhat simple-minded. After scratching his head, he went to tidy his work station on his own.
Duke waited for a while and discovered that not only had Bob failed to show up, but the apprentice Bobby and Thomas had not come either.
"Something's wrong!" He narrowed his eyes. "One person being late occasionally is normal. Even Bob and Bobby, father and son, being late together would be normal. But Thomas is late too?"
Even when eight o'clock arrived, Bob and his son and Thomas still had not come.
Instead, Card Master Dilanke arrived.
"Teacher Dilanke, you're here so early." Duke rose to greet him.
Dilanke, however, said, "Little Boss Duke, you still don't know, do you? Best opened a new Card Repair Shop and poached Sane, Bob and his son, and Thomas."
"What!" Duke was startled.
"Best invited us over for dinner last night. He poached all of them at the table, and even made me an offer. The salary and commission were much higher than what I get here."
After saying this, Dilanke watched Duke carefully.
Before crossing over, Duke had at least been the owner of a small factory, so he immediately understood that Dilanke's words carried a hidden meaning. Suppressing his shock and anger toward Best and the others, he calmly said, "Teacher Dilanke, I'll match Best's offer. No—I'll add another ten percent to your salary and commission on top of it!"
"Oh? Are you sure?" Dilanke smiled when he heard this. "Actually, I don't care about that little bit. Otherwise, I would have agreed to Best long ago."
"You may not care, but I can't fail to show my appreciation. Teacher Dilanke, thank you for rejecting Best and staying at Little Sam's Card Shop."
"Haha, I've worked here for ten years and gotten used to it. I don't want to change environments just yet—especially with Best as the boss. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth."
After a pause, Dilanke continued, "But, Little Boss Duke, you need to be careful. Best has opened a new Card Repair Shop and will compete directly with Little Sam's Card Shop. If things go badly, the business here could be crushed."
"I understand. But don't worry. Little Sam's Card Shop has had its reputation for over twenty years. It won't be so easy to steal our business. I'll recruit new Card Masters as soon as possible, then introduce some discounts to stabilize our customers." After sorting everything out, Duke quickly relaxed. "But Teacher Dilanke, I'll have to trouble you during this period."
"No problem. The more cards I repair, the more I earn."
Hired Card Masters did not receive a fixed salary. They received a base salary plus a piece-rate commission. The more cards they repaired, and the higher the grade of the spirit cards, the more commission they earned.
Dilanke went to repair cards, while Levin served as his apprentice.
Duke stood behind the counter himself, preparing to receive customers bringing in cards for repair. At the same time, he silently calculated how to respond to Best's poaching and the competition to come.
At that moment, Bob suddenly walked in with a shamefaced expression. "Little Duke..."
Duke looked at him seriously. "Bob, you should have told me in advance. If you weren't satisfied with your wages, you could have said so. There was no need to catch me off guard."
Bob gave an embarrassed smile. "Well, I only found out last night... Sigh, what's done is done. I'm truly sorry. I came to return the shop key."
After taking the key, Duke did not try to persuade him to stay. Instead, he said, "I respect your choice. I'll settle your wages right now. Also, pass the word to the others and have them come settle their wages as soon as possible."
"Ah, Little Duke, you really are a good person."
"Heh."
After sending Bob away,
Duke quickly took out a board and began writing a recruitment notice on it: "Our shop is hiring two Card Masters, with generous compensation; details to be discussed in person. We are also hiring one counter attendant, with a monthly salary of 20–25 silver dragons; one kitchen worker, with a monthly salary of 15–20 silver dragons; and two apprentices, with a monthly salary of 6 silver dragons."
After writing it,
he hung it on the wall.
After carefully considering it, he took the sign down again and added another position on the back: "Hiring two delivery workers, with a monthly salary of 20–25 silver dragons."
Then he brought over another board and wrote on it: "Our shop is launching a purchasing service. We can help customers purchase scarce spirit cards from Chen Jiao City."
He hung both boards on the wall.
Rubbing his chin, Duke smiled with satisfaction. "High salaries to recruit people, delivery right to the customer's door, plus spirit-card purchasing services—three-pronged attack! I refuse to believe Best can outcompete me!"
As someone who had crossed over from Earth, he had countless ideas about business management and sales.
If Best had not played this trick on him, he actually had not planned to use them. After all, his foundation was still shallow, and for now, everything revolved around cultivating quietly. Only once he became strong enough to protect himself would it be the best time to develop.
For now, he would make a tentative move against Best and stabilize Little Sam's Card Shop's customer base first.
That noon,
at No. 207, Second Vertical Street, not far from Little Sam's Card Shop, Best's Card Repair Shop—which had already been secretly renovated—officially opened.
To build momentum, Best had even specially hired a band to play the popular music of the day.
Quite a few neighboring residents stopped to watch.
Duke quietly mingled with the crowd and wandered around the entrance of Best's Card Repair Shop for a while. He discovered that the shop was about the same size as Little Sam's Card Shop.
Besides Best and Sane, another Card Master had been hired.
Bob and his son and Thomas bustled around with beaming smiles, while Best, having been promoted to boss, was grinning like a chrysanthemum, radiating a high-spirited air from head to toe.
If Old Sam were still around, Best absolutely would not have dared open a shop and steal his business. After all, Old Sam had more than twenty years of accumulated reputation. Now that Little Duke was in charge, Best believed that before long, Little Sam's Card Shop's reputation would plummet. Then all the business from the nearby residents would belong to Best's Card Repair Shop.
"Ah, hello, hello! Come in, come in! The Card Masters hired by Best's Card Repair Shop are all the finest in the industry. We'll definitely repair your spirit card until it's as good as new!"
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