Chapter 11
After leaving the Kitahara Family, Shen Mo turned around and looked at the brightly lit estate, where a faint commotion seemed to be stirring.
Then he raised his head. Without realizing it, he stretched out a hand and made a grasping gesture toward the bright full moon.
Only then
did an excited smile appear on his face.
Eleven million!
That was how many Trading Points he had now. After deducting the costs, he had made a full ten million this time!
An unusual feeling stirred within him.
It was not merely because he had made a huge profit.
He had thoroughly enjoyed the entire process, especially seeing those people become obsessed with his Jars and grow excited over the powerful Items they obtained.
"It feels a little like designing games back then." His face was filled with delight. "Letting customers feel happiness through spending money, letting them change their own fates through spending money... this feeling is really not bad."
Some people found pleasure in deceiving others within certain limits.
Like children playing pranks.
Shen Mo was that type of person.
Ever since childhood, he had pulled countless pranks that left people amused and exasperated without actually harming them. After entering game design, he had devoted himself even more to carefully creating "happiness."
In short,
this only strengthened Shen Mo's determination to become a Jar merchant.
So next—
he looked at the quiet street beneath the moonlight.
This town was not actually small. It belonged to the Land of Fire and, like Konoha, was surrounded by tall walls to ward off attacks from wild beasts. Naturally, the Kitahara Family was not the only wealthy family here; it was simply the largest.
However,
Shen Mo was in no hurry to find his next customer right away.
With more than ten million Trading Points on him, the unease caused by his sudden change of environment had already been greatly eased.
So now,
he would first find somewhere to stay and relieve his exhaustion.
"A mysterious merchant like me would lose some prestige by staying at an inn." Shen Mo searched through the system. "I remember there being a super practical travel item... Found it!"
Door without a Room.
It was a spatial item from Doraemon World.
As long as the door was placed against any wall, it could be opened to enter a nonexistent room. Then, if the door was removed from the inside, the door on the outer wall would disappear as well.
In other words,
this was an item that created a residence in another dimension!
Its price was 2.3 million Trading Points.
"Just as expected." Shen Mo had also confirmed his guess.
Compared with Items such as the Time Machine and the What-If Phone Booth, whose effects were terrifying and whose prices were equally terrifying, Items like this, while magical, did not have such overwhelming usefulness and therefore were not excessively expensive.
This system determined an item's value
based on its effects.
Then—
"I'm buying it!"
Now worth tens of millions, Shen Mo did not hesitate to buy himself a comfortable and safe room.
Making money was meant for enjoying life.
Aside from necessary savings, being too stingy would only make money lose its original value.
After buying it, he found a concealed wall, installed the door, and opened it. To his surprise, the inside even came furnished with all kinds of modern furniture, including a microwave, washing machine, electric water heater, and more. It was practically a fully furnished studio apartment.
For a moment, he felt as though he had returned to the modern world.
"Sure enough, I still need to work hard and make more money."
Shen Mo removed the door from the inside, then peacefully bought himself a luxurious feast from Food Wars! World. The explosive deliciousness on his tongue drove away the loneliness of dining alone.
And while he was enjoying himself,
many people remained awake through the night
because of his appearance.
Tsunade and Shizune were rushing back to Konoha overnight, while Kitahara Yuki, after dispersing and warning the utterly confused guards, closed the doors.
Chest Opening!
Though Kitahara Yuki was old, he still possessed unquestionable authority within the household.
Therefore, he personally handled the entire Chest Opening process.
His two sons could only watch eagerly from the side.
The Level 2 Chest came with descriptions of its Items.
There was no need to worry about not knowing what they did.
Kitahara Yuki opened them very slowly, carefully sorting them as well. Disposable Items were placed on one side, potions on another, weapons and Items on another. Whenever he encountered something capable of quickly strengthening himself, such as the Experience Aura, he used it without hesitation.
His eldest son,
Kitahara Kyota, was filled with envy.
Meanwhile, his second son, Kitahara Ryota, kept his head respectfully lowered.
In the end,
all the Chests had been opened.
Basically, aside from the least valuable coins, all the other Items possessed considerable value.
Among them,
the most expensive was undoubtedly the Fountain of Youth.
They had obtained three full bottles.
Each bottle could grant an additional month of lifespan.
Kitahara Yuki slowly closed his eyes. After a long while, he suddenly opened them and looked at his two sons.
"Kyota, Ryota, neither of you may tell anyone about this! It concerns the future prosperity of the Kitahara Family."
"Yes!" Both sons shuddered inwardly.
They saw killing intent in their father's eyes.
If they dared to leak the secret,
then even if they were his own sons, their father would absolutely show no mercy.
"Kyota." Kitahara Yuki continued in a commanding tone. "Take some of the goods and sell them in the Ninja Black Market. You must get a high price. Ryota, come with me. We're going to the Capital."
As soon as he finished speaking, both sons revealed incredulous expressions.
However,
the meanings behind those expressions were completely different.
One was dejected, while the other was excited.
Previously, the chance to accompany him to the Capital had always been given to the eldest son, Kitahara Kyota. The second son, Kitahara Ryota, could only remain in this town and manage the family businesses.
Yet now, things had actually been reversed.
Although Kitahara Yuki had not said it outright, the meaning could not have been clearer.
The person he valued had begun shifting from his eldest son to his second son.
Kitahara Kyota opened his mouth, but he did not dare say anything. He merely clenched his fists and lowered his head, as though afraid his father would see the resentment in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Kitahara Yuki's thoughts had clearly drifted elsewhere.
He held the Badge in his hand.
That incomparably mysterious figure lingered in his mind, impossible to dispel.
Excitement, nervousness, fear—every sort of emotion still filled his chest.
He would not naively believe that such an existence had only him as a customer. There were countless people wealthier and more powerful than the Kitahara Family.
So—
he had to move quickly.
He clearly remembered that the Fire Country Daimyo's father-in-law was already extremely old. Even after being treated by the famed Medical Ninja, Princess Tsunade, it was said that he would find it difficult to survive past this winter.
This
was his opportunity!
The contract should arrive tomorrow. Those who have not invested yet, hurry up. Also, remember to vote with recommendation tickets every day.
Before you continue