Princess Workshop

Making money, let alone making a fortune, wasn't easy. The economy in Darkmoon City was especially sluggish, and Chen Rui didn't have any detailed plans yet. But his ultimate goal was to earn money for spiritual energy, which he needed to grow stronger. The special training at Blue Wave Lake was grueling, but its results were clear. Pagliu was basically a high-level personal trainer, and a free one at that. There was no reason not to stick with it.

The only problem was that Blue Wave Lake was quite far away. Riding a Triangle Rhino would be too conspicuous, and frequent visits might arouse someone's suspicions.

Chen Rui thought of Mengda and Kegu, and a sudden idea struck him. Didn't two helicopters just land in my lap? What if I went at night and rode a Wyvern there?

He considered it carefully and found the idea more and more feasible. Flying would be much faster than traveling overland, and would save a great deal of time on the round trip.

"Kegu, Mengda, this meat tastes good, doesn't it? Would you be willing to be my mounts?"

"Kegu doesn't like being a mount!"

"Mengda doesn't like it either!"

Chen Rui frowned, then suddenly remembered a joke.

A father asked his child what he wanted out of life. The child answered, "Money and beautiful women," and the father slapped him hard. But when the child said, "A career and love," the father praised him and patted him on the head.

"Kegu, Mengda, would you be willing to become my flying companions? We could soar freely through the sky together, and one day we could even go to Gloomy Night Wetland."

"Kegu is willing!"

"Mengda is willing!"

"..."

Compared with the cunning Poison Dragon, the simple-minded Wyverns were downright adorable.

Just as Chen Rui had finished tricking the Wyverns into agreeing, Alice arrived with Athena.

For once, the little princess apologized to Chen Rui. She hadn't been able to give him the fifty Vine Stones she'd promised; her sister had confiscated them, and only six were left. She promised to give him those six as soon as she got them.

Chen Rui was just starting to feel touched when Alice caught sight of the two unrestrained Wyverns. Her beautiful purple eyes widened in astonishment.

Since it was only Athena and Alice, Chen Rui didn't hide anything from them. He explained his Beast Taming Technique, but made a point of emphasizing that it had awakened only recently and was difficult to control.

Athena recalled how quickly Chen Rui had bonded with the Horned Wing Beast during the previous day's training and suddenly understood. A wave of displeasure rose in her heart. "Why didn't you tell me earlier during training?"

Chen Rui thought for a moment, then gave a wry smile. "At the time, my Beast Taming ability had only just awakened... And after that, did you ever give me a chance to explain?"

Athena remembered what had happened during their "revenge" and felt her face grow hot. She pointed at Alice, who was eagerly watching the Wyverns, and made a threatening gesture to show that he absolutely wasn't to tell her. Chen Rui nodded quickly.

"Chen Rui, could I ride a Wyvern into the sky and give it a try?" Alice tossed a piece of fresh meat to Kegu. Seeing that he didn't seem as ferocious as she'd imagined, she began to entertain the idea.

"Absolutely not! Wyverns' skin and breath are both poisonous. Your Highness, you're so pretty—would you really want your skin and flesh to rot?" Chen Rui hurriedly put an end to the little princess's fantasy. Alice and a Wyvern together would be far more destructive than one plus one; they might even wreck the royal palace.

"Can't you make an antidote? How else do those Dragon Riders control them?" Alice pouted in displeasure, then suddenly cried out, "Athena, why is your face so red? Are you sick?"

"Well... I may have only recently advanced to High-Rank Demon, and I still haven't fully mastered the power of the flames inside me." Athena quickly changed the subject. "Alice, Wyverns aren't toys. Ordinary antidotes only work for a short time—that's what happened to Allen last time. I've heard about how Dragon Riders are trained. They spend a long time handling poisons until their bodies develop some resistance, then gradually get used to the Wyverns' venom. Since they're exposed to poison, Dragon Riders usually end up looking rather hideous."

"Then forget it. I don't want to ruin my looks." Alice made a scared face, then rolled her eyes and said, "Chen Rui, that 'advertising' idea of yours worked really well. The shop has a lot more customers now, and we're earning a bit more. Could you come help out at my shop every day?"

"Sorry, Your Highness, I really don't have time. The Eldest Princess has appointed me as her secretary, so I have to work every day," Chen Rui refused quickly. "After I get back, I have to practice the Beast Taming Technique and study potion-making with Master Aldas. I'm so busy that I'm exhausted by the end of the day. How could I have the energy to help out?"

"Practice the Beast Taming Technique?" Alice's eyes lit up. Then she remembered the Wyverns' poison and said reluctantly, "When you develop a long-lasting antidote, make sure you take me along to train in secret. I really want to ride a Wyvern!"

Chen Rui agreed casually. Alice thought for a moment, then added, "Chen Rui, I know you're full of ideas. Tell me... If I found a way to start a merchant guild, do you think it could stand up to that sinister Joseph?"

Chen Rui was taken aback. Alice's thinking was remarkably clear; she'd even come up with the idea of starting a merchant guild. She really did want to help Shea resolve Darkmoon's greatest economic crisis. The little princess truly had a hidden sensible side. But however clever she was, she was still very young and saw things too simply.

"Your Highness, don't think about starting a merchant guild just yet. If you really want to go down that road, start by running one shop well."

Alice furrowed her cute little brows in puzzlement. "But I think the shop is already doing really well."

"It's nowhere near good enough!"

The little princess was about to protest, but when she saw the confidence in Chen Rui's eyes, she changed her tune. "Then what should I do?"

Chen Rui thought of his plan to make money and had a sudden idea. Isn't there already a shop right here?

"That depends on whether you genuinely want to run the shop well. If you're just playing around, then it's doing fine as it is. But if you're serious, and even want to help the Eldest Princess further, you'll have to put your heart into it. We humans have a saying: there's nothing you can't do well if you truly want to do it."

The little princess put on a rare serious expression. "Alice really wants to do a good job! And she really wants to defeat that big bad Joseph!"

Chen Rui nodded and stated his purpose. "Your Highness, to be frank, practicing the Beast Taming Technique requires a long-term supply of various magical materials. Vine Stones are one of them, and that means I need a lot of Magic Crystal Coins. How about this: we go into business together. You provide the shop and the capital, and I come up with the plans. We split the profits fifty-fifty. How does that sound?"

"No wonder you asked for half the Vine Stones today," the little princess said, suddenly understanding. Then she shook her head. "But you're too crafty. The shop and the capital are both mine, while all you do is come up with ideas, and you still want half the profits? Wouldn't I be getting a raw deal? Isn't that what you called... getting something for nothing?"

Sure enough, the moment money came up, Alice's little calculating mind became sharp. Chen Rui chuckled. "Your Highness, that's not how you should look at it. For example, if you earn four Black Crystal Coins a day now, but my ideas help you earn forty, then even if you give me half, you'll still be making five times as much as before. Think about it—would you really be losing out?"

"You can really double my shop's income?" Alice immediately grew serious.

"It shouldn't be a problem," Chen Rui continued enticing the money-loving little princess. "We can run this shop while gaining experience, then open branches when the time is right. That would not only increase the Eldest Princess's income, but also put pressure on Joseph. If we're strong enough in the future, we might even be able to establish a merchant guild and bring him down."

"Really?" Alice's lovely eyes sparkled. She made up her mind in an instant. "Then it's settled! I know you're capable, and you've already worked a few miracles, so I believe in you! Alice's future... is in your hands, Big Brother Chen Rui."

That last part was completely unnecessary! Chen Rui instinctively shivered, then forced himself to calm down. "Don't get ahead of yourself. First, let's focus on running this shop well. That simple advertising we did last time only raised the shop's profile. When more people come in, the odds of them buying something naturally go up. That alone isn't nearly enough to run a shop well. Your goods are all expensive, but there's a way to make expensive goods sell: target the high-end market. You happen to be Darkmoon's princess, so you can use that to build a brand and make people proud to own something from your shop. Of course, that's only a broad outline. There are plenty of other things to consider if you want the business to thrive. For example, how your employees treat customers and communicate with them. If customers feel respected and comfortable, they'll spend their Magic Crystal Coins and come back again. You also need to change how you select and assign your staff. Take Kaguli: she could work in security and keep order, but she isn't suited to serving customers. Then there are the product categories, displays, and pricing..."

Chen Rui went on at length. Athena was one thing, but Alice's eyes grew brighter and brighter. She asked questions now and then, and Chen Rui patiently answered every one. The little princess even took notes with a pen.

Watching the two of them plan to go into business together and get along so well, while she couldn't join in, left Athena inexplicably annoyed.

"Decided! My shop will be called the Princess Workshop!" Alice struck a pose with one finger pointing skyward, brimming with ambition. "I'll make the Princess Workshop the most famous and most high-end shop in all of Darkmoon! Then I'll open more... chain stores. One day I'll establish a merchant guild and drive those Chiyou people out of the Darkmoon Territory!"

Alice really did have a talent for business. She grasped many things as soon as they were explained. Chen Rui himself, however, only knew a little about running a shop. Starting a merchant guild was still a long way off.

"No, I'm going to the shop right now." Alice looked full of resolve. "First, I'll rearrange the goods and furnishings. Once everything's ready, we'll hold the grand reopening you suggested! Athena, are you coming with me?"

Athena shook her head. "Go ahead. I don't know anything about running a shop, and I want to keep looking at these two Wyverns."

"Your face is still red. Here, take this for reference. Remember to be gentle." Alice winked playfully and handed Athena a little booklet with a mysterious air, then skipped out of the laboratory.

Athena accepted the booklet without looking at it and simply gazed enviously at the Wyverns. "I've wanted to become a Dragon Rider ever since I was little. Could you find a way to let me try riding a Wyvern?"

Chen Rui knew Athena was skilled at Beast Taming and wouldn't act as recklessly as Alice. He nodded. "I'll let you know as soon as Master develops an effective antidote. I'll also need to ask you a few questions about Beast Taming, but don't tell Alice. If she gets on a Wyvern, who knows what kind of trouble she'll cause?"

"Really?" Athena was delighted to learn that it would be a secret between the two of them. Her earlier displeasure vanished at once.

"Mm, I promise!" Chen Rui asked curiously, "By the way, what did Alice just give you?"

Athena held up the booklet. Chen Rui leaned over to take a look. The cover bore two large lines of text: No More Blushing! Learn How to Keep a Man in the Palm of Your Hand.

Athena's face flushed crimson. The color had only just faded, but now it spread across her cheeks again. She couldn't stay there any longer and hurried away, leaving the "man" behind, gaping in shock.

Sure enough, no matter how dazzling her hidden sensible side was, the little witch was still a little witch.