Thinking of the Ice Emperor and Snow Empress

"A ten-year Frost-Condensing Apple, actually?!"

"That's a fruit unique to the Soul Beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest!"

"My god, and a hundred-year Jade Dew Golden Orange too?!"

"That's a high-age Soul Beast fruit!"

"Is this for real?"

"..."

"The price is decent, I'll buy a cup to try. After all, those two Soul Beasts don't look fake..."

A young man in his early twenties stepped forward.

"Hello, one cup of Jade Dew Golden Orange juice, please."

He took out two Gold Soul Coins and placed them on the counter, producing a crisp, faint hum.

It was the sound of Gold Soul Coins colliding with the wooden counter.

Lu Ran nodded with a smile.

"Thank you for your patronage."

A Cloud Cluster Ground Rat picked an orange sign from a pile of colorful placards.

It carried the sign to the back kitchen.

Upon seeing the sign, the waiting Cloud Cluster Ground Rats began to work; fresh Jade Dew Golden Oranges were thump-thump-thumped into juice and added to the tea base.

Before long, a delicious cup of freshly squeezed Jade Dew Golden Orange was ready.

The young man watched in astonishment at the wooden track on the wall.

A Cloud Cluster Ground Rat was walking over while carrying the milk tea.

The track was two meters above the ground, seemingly reserved specifically for the Cloud Cluster Ground Rats to move about.

"Squeak!"

The Cloud Cluster Ground Rat placed the milk tea in front of the young man.

It squeaked twice, looking proud.

The crowd was so shocked their jaws nearly hit the floor.

Are these really Soul Beasts?!

The young man tentatively reached out and picked up the milk tea; it felt ice-cold to the touch.

"Sniff, sniff~"

He inhaled, catching a scent of fresh orange and milk.

It seemed to smell pretty good?

He took a small sip, and his eyes instantly lit up.

"Delicious!"

The sweet and sour taste of the Jade Dew Golden Orange blended perfectly with the milky aroma, and there was even a faint ripple of Soul Skill energy.

It really was a ten-year Jade Dew Golden Orange!

It was real!

He immediately waved his hand grandly.

Twenty glittering Gold Soul Coins piled up on the counter like a small hill.

"Give me ten more!"

With that, he downed the milk tea in one gulp, looking incredibly bold.

The crowd immediately grew restless.

"Is it that good?"

"I'll have a cup too!"

"I want a hundred-year Jade Marrow Lychee milk tea!"

In an instant, a crowd swarmed the ordering counter, and the inexperienced Cloud Cluster Ground Rats were flustered and overwhelmed.

"Squeak squeak squeak!"

"Squeak squeak..."

Don't crowd, squeak, don't crowd...

"Apologies, guests, as this is a new opening, each person is limited to five cups."

"Why are there still restrictions?!"

But his words were quickly drowned out by the voice behind him, and the young man could only helplessly put away his extra gold coins.

Four cups it is, then.

I'll just have to come earlier tomorrow!

"Thank you for your patronage, please wait over here,"

Lu Ran reached out, guiding the customers who had paid to the waiting area.

He soon became busy as well.

At the same time, In the back kitchen, nearly ten Cloud Cluster Ground Rats were bustling about.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak!"

"Squeak, squeak, squeak..."

"Squeak, squeak!"

Need three ten-year mangoes, squeak!

Coconuts are so hard to open, squeak...

Strawberry Milk Tea, finished, squeak!

As their reputation spread, More and more people visited the milk tea shop. The first floor was packed solid, and many people headed to the second and third floors, where Cloud Cluster Ground Rats were also working. They only needed to sit there, occasionally moving around a bit.

Just by breathing, they could hook the hearts of the customers.

One could say their methods were quite remarkable.

These positions were rotated to ensure every Cloud Cluster Ground Rat could show off its skills.

Having soul power really changes a lot.

For instance, looking at the storefront, it seemed like many people entered the shop but few left.

It appeared as though a large number of customers were refusing to leave, But that was not the case.

The second and third floors were both equipped with exits, allowing people to leave directly, which greatly relieved the flow of traffic on the first floor.

The exits above didn't even require stairs.

By building a door, pushing it open revealed a drop of about ten meters. One only needed to design three or four footholds; those with strong strength could land directly, while those who were weaker had intermediate footholds to use as resting platforms.

One could enter and exit from every direction.

The concept of architecture shifted from two-dimensional to three-dimensional.

It was simply incredibly convenient.

Late at night, the commercial street remained brightly lit, and the crowds coming and going were still lively.

Or rather, Shrek City was still awake.

This most prosperous city on the continent was a city that never slept.

Inside the milk tea shop.

"Squeak..."

"Squeak..."

"..."

The exhausted Cloud Cluster Ground Rats collapsed onto the floor, their fluffy, furry bodies looking like cotton candy scattered on the ground.

They didn't even have the strength to squeak.

Lu Ran placed a few cups of prepared Century-Old Fruit Milk Tea beside them.

"You've worked hard~"

He picked one up and smoothed its fur.

The soft fur was warm, and it felt very comfortable to touch.

"Purr, purr..."

The Cloud Cluster Ground Rat in his arms closed its eyes, letting out a comfortable purring sound.

Arriving at the ordering counter, Lu Ran sat on a high stool and tallied the day's earnings.

"Jade Dew Golden Orange juice, sold two hundred and twenty cups..."

"Jade Marrow Lychee juice, sold one hundred cups..."

"Strawberry Milk Tea..."

Compiling these statistics allows for an analysis of customer preferences in Shrek City, facilitating the development of future milk tea flavors.

Among all the milk tea offerings, The most basic, purely fresh-pressed Jade Dew Golden Orange, is priced at one Gold Soul Coin per cup, A ten-year Jade Dew Golden Orange costs three Gold Soul Coins, And the price increases alongside the age of the fruit.

It may seem expensive, but one must not forget this is Shrek City.

Those capable of spending here, especially along the commercial street near Shrek Academy, Are certainly not ordinary people.

To them, a single Gold Soul Coin is not even worth the price of a meal.

"Hmm..."

"Revenue... seven thousand one hundred and fifteen Gold Soul Coins..."

"..."

In one day, seven thousand Gold Soul Coins!

That is quite a sum!

Lu Ran felt a sudden sense of relief; even without accounting for costs, this was an undeniably substantial income.

Even after factoring in expenses, the profit would remain significant, After all, a single orange costs only a few copper coins, and even high-age fruits have relatively low costs compared to their retail price.

Lu Ran believed that, Beyond the attention-grabbing presence of the Cloud Cluster Ground Rats and the Rock Crystal Dragon, a large part of his success came from occupying a unique niche.

He believed that, By positioning himself between ordinary beverages and expensive Soul Beast fruits, he had carved out a new market—

Fruit Soul Beast milk tea!

It is more nutritious than ordinary drinks, carries more prestige, and offers more novelty than simply eating ten-year-old fruits.

One must realize that while people might not eat hundred, thousand, or even ten-thousand Gold Soul Coin Soul Beast fruits every day, they can certainly drink a ten-Gold-Coin beverage daily.

Holding it in one's hand also appears more affluent.

Expensive Soul Beast fruits have long been established in the public consciousness as luxury items.

Eating them in front of others certainly displays status, But it can also come across as deliberate showing off, Which is not quite right.

High-level displays of wealth should be subtle, Like chatting about the weather while lamenting a shipment delay that cost at least one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, Or casually lifting an arm while eating to reveal a storage soul tool bracelet worth millions of Gold Soul Coins...

Beverages, however, can be held in hand while walking down the street or sitting in classrooms and dormitories. Since everyone knows drinks are generally cheap, a single Gold Coin serves as a price anchor; its premium nature and sense of luxury are immediately apparent, making it easier to trigger admiration and comparison, projecting an image of:

"I can casually spend a few Gold Soul Coins on a cup of milk tea."

It is not expensive, yet it displays status!

This is the surprise brought to the people of this era by a transmigrator baptized in consumerism.

As for why he did not choose the path of low margins and high volume, It is simple:

It would never work.

Not to mention the destitute, even commoners would not spend much money on something to drink.

The purchasing power of a hundred commoners cannot compare to that of a single low-level Soul Master.

There is simply no way around it;

Perhaps it could work in the future, but certainly not now.

"Squeak, squeak..."

The Cloud Cluster Ground Rat in his arms suddenly stirred.

He looked down, Only to find it had fallen asleep, Curled up against his chest, its large ears twitching gently.

"..."

Lu Ran's heart softened slightly as he suddenly remembered the nuts, grains, and fruits they liked to eat.

He would go buy some later.