The First Customer

After rummaging through the shop, Chen Xuan found a bright red notebook in the middle drawer beneath the counter. Written prominently on it were the words "Shopkeeper's Rules."

This cover... it was practically made for him to read.

He eagerly opened it and found that the first page contained only three sentences.

"Give every customer a warm welcome."

"Treat every ability with care."

"Let the woorldd faalll intooo maaddnesss, yeeeee hehehehe!"

At first, Chen Xuan thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. Only after checking three times did he realize he had read it correctly.

What kind of nonsense was this? Had whoever wrote these rules been eating Yunnan mushrooms while writing them?

Frowning, he skipped directly to the next page.

From this page onward, the contents became much more normal.

[Store Manager's Notes]

"Customers are the most valuable asset. Every request and every desire of theirs should be considered carefully. Not every customer knows what they want, but you must understand that better than they do."

"It is recommended that you speak with customers in detail."

"If the customer is unwilling to speak in detail, create an opportunity to do so."

"Enthusiasm and sincerity will always be your greatest weapons."

Chen Xuan could tell that the notes section further explained the rules. This page was clearly elaborating on the first rule.

He continued reading. "Abilities are this store's main business."

"They are a means of creating value. Put them in the right place, and greater returns can be gained."

"Assessing abilities, collecting abilities, trading abilities—these are the key factors that determine your performance."

"Pay attention to inventory at all times. Avoid both operating at a loss and accumulating too many abilities."

"More details can be viewed on the computer."

Uh... why did this part feel a little strange?

Chen Xuan scratched his head. At first, he had assumed that the second rule meant the shopkeeper should make the best possible use of every employee and their respective abilities, but the explanation in the notes was clearly different from what he had understood.

Trading abilities...

Could it mean exactly what it said?

Still, no matter what, he now understood why this Ability Store had been established—it might have a coffee machine and display shelves, but it was definitely not some boutique coffee bar or small convenience store.

With that question in mind, Chen Xuan turned to the fourth page.

There was none of the madman-like scribbling he had expected. On the contrary, the content was surprisingly serious.

"The shopkeeper's salary consists of a fixed wage plus performance bonuses. All expenses incurred in operating the store shall be borne by the shopkeeper."

"Under no circumstances may the store close down. The shopkeeper must arrive at the store before 8:30 p.m. The minimum working time is eight hours, with no upper limit. If an operational accident causes injury or disability and makes operation impossible, the shopkeeper shall bear full responsibility."

Chen Xuan's mouth twitched. Was this some kind of sweatshop?

Look at that last sentence. Was that something a human being could say?

And why would running a normal store result in injury or disability? Did that make any sense?

But the line about arriving before 8:30 p.m. made him think of what had happened over the past two days—had he been forcibly dragged into the store after falling asleep simply because he had failed to clock in on time?

Further on, there was actually a series of illustrated examples demonstrating the transaction process, as if the manual had not written all this merely to grab attention, but because it was genuinely real.

Half believing and half doubting, Chen Xuan followed the diagrams and turned on the computer on the desk. Sure enough, there was software on the desktop called Ability Butler.

When he opened it, he found that the software was divided into three main sections. On the left was Store Management, in the middle were Transaction Records, and on the right was Store Inventory.

He had to admit, the software was designed rather thoughtfully. It even had a graphical interface. When he had worked at fast-food restaurants before, everything had used databases, which were incredibly cumbersome to operate.

He clicked on the inventory, where there was only one available option on the list.

Ability inventory: [0]. Available ability providers: [1]. After the 1 was a name: Chen Xuan.

I'm the merchandise!?

Chen Xuan nearly laughed.

He had lived for twenty-six years, yet he had never known he was a superpowered person.

Speechless though he was, he still opened the entry, wanting to see what exactly was going on.

A draggable dialogue box popped up on the screen.

"Can Eat a Lot" LV1.

—"Has a better appetite than the average person."

"Can Sleep a Lot" LV1.

—"Sleeps more soundly than the average person."

"Free Will" LV2.

—"The degree to which life understands the mysteries of the universe. The broader the understanding, the freer the will. Note: Forbidden knowledge is not included. It will only shorten your life."

"Broadly Read Through the Ages" LV2.

—"Local historical anecdotes. You think you can learn lessons from them, but in reality, you cannot. Its greatest use is enriching your stock of stories."

The first two abilities were gray, while the latter two were white.

Chen Xuan instantly felt the malice of the software's designer. Did they dare claim that gray and white weren't meant to symbolize rarity? Forget golden legends—gray items in any game were basically junk-tier miscellaneous trash, and it had given him two of them? Judging from the literal meanings, these two abilities really were no different from trash.

Was it all just made-up nonsense?

But when he thought about it carefully, he realized that he really had rarely worried about sleeping or eating. Even when he had worked overtime for days on end, he could lie down and immediately fall asleep in the cramped employee break room. Even his supervisors had praised him for being naturally built for overtime.

Chen Xuan had thought it was because he had grown used to hardship as a child, making him seem more resilient than most people. He had never expected that it could count as an ability.

Fortunately, there was still one colorful ability at the very bottom of the page.

That was right... its border shimmered with rainbow light. By common sense, the rarity of this ability had to be top-tier!

Filled with anticipation, Chen Xuan moved the mouse over it.

"The ???th Shopkeeper" LV1.

—"Most of the time, it is the only legendary ability you can obtain. Be grateful to fate. Even an unknown nobody can become famous throughout the world with it, provided you live long enough."

"Cannot be traded. Cannot be transferred. Current shopkeeper status: Still alive."

Grateful my ass!

He slammed the mouse onto the desk.

So the shopkeeper was a consumable item?

Ding-dong-dong~~

Just then, the wind chime rang.

Someone pushed aside the curtain at the entrance.

"Welcome!" Chen Xuan instantly slipped into customer-service mode, a sincere smile appearing on his face.

It was a habit he had developed from working odd jobs.

A fresh scent of osmanthus drifted in with the breeze.

The customer was a young woman dressed in white, her skirt nearly reaching her ankles. She moved with barely a sound, as though she were floating above the ground.

The moment Chen Xuan saw her, a single word sprang into his mind.

Immortal.

It was not just that she dressed like some ethereal fairy—she looked like one too. He did not know how to describe it. The immortal characters commonly seen in television dramas would seem somewhat lacking beside her. Her features looked as though they had been crafted by nature itself. Her waist-length black hair was as soft and smooth as silk, and aside from the wooden hairpin in her bun, she wore no other adornments. She perfectly embodied the saying that clothes make the person.

Though she wore ancient-style clothing, she walked with calm confidence. In a few long strides, she reached the counter. Her clear eyes fixed on Chen Xuan as if assessing something. For some reason, Chen Xuan felt that her attitude was not very friendly. There was a trace of coldness in her gaze, which made her seem a little more worldly.

Still, anyone who came was a customer.

"Is there something you'd like to buy?" He straightened the mouse he had just knocked over and asked casually.

"What kind of store is this? How could it be opened in such a desolate wilderness?" Her voice was crisp, but there seemed to be a hint of accusation in her tone.

Was something wrong with this woman's head?

He had just been admiring her appearance, but those words instantly killed his mood. He even took a moment to glance outside. "What desolate wilderness? This is Tianlu Residential Area—"

He suddenly froze halfway through the sentence.

When had it become pitch-black outside?

Even if there were no streetlights outside the store, he should still have been able to see the lights from the residential buildings in the distance!

"Wait here."

Chen Xuan hurried out through the shop door.

The scenery outside had completely changed. The once densely packed buildings had all vanished without a trace, leaving only rolling mountain ridges faintly visible beneath the moonlight. What lay beneath his feet was not concrete, but soft grass. Some unknown insects chirped in the forest, further emphasizing the vast solitude of the place.

"What district did you say this was?" the young woman asked faintly from behind him.

Chen Xuan turned around, his gaze sharpening. Only then did he notice that she had a longsword hanging behind her back. Its blade was dark red... and that red was even dripping from the tip, leaving tiny marks around her feet.

He realized that the red was blood.

And the blood was fresh and warm!