Divine Convenience Store

Time quickly passed and the store hours were once again about to be over. With the introduction of the Celestial Shuttle Network on top of the news about the Divine Lecture, the surge of customers, both old and new, didn't let up until the very last minute.

Lin Mo let out a long sigh as he finally slumped into his chair behind the original counter. The day had been filled with the constant ringing of scanners, customers chattering away, Liu Xiaoying shouting calls for more shelf restocking, and the almost never-ending gasps of surprise as the customers came to and from the Celestial Shuttle hub.

He did a quick mental summary of the day's significant events. It's now a new habit he formed to keep track of the store's explosive growth.

He successfully averted his staffing crisis, albeit temporarily. Princess Wu Meiyu had proven to be a surprisingly ruthless but effective floor manager. Under her supervision, her five Royal Escorts had transformed from stiff soldiers who only knew how to be alert and ready to protect her into competent, if still comically serious, store staff. Captain Zhu Min could now scan a basket of goods in under ten seconds, a feat he seemed immensely proud of. Their temporary employment was a godsend, but Lin Mo knew it wasn't a permanent solution.

Then there was the Divine Lecture ticket frenzy. He set it to be on sale four hours before closing and the reception was chaotic.

The General Admission tickets sold out in under ten minutes after making sure that even rogue cultivators or those not aligned with major sects were able to acquire their spots. The more expensive Golden Patron tickets were being snapped up by sect elders and patriarchs who had traveled via shuttle specifically for this purpose. The store revenue and progress to the next tier would've skyrocketed if it had been counted.

Unfortunately, the Divine Lecture was separated and wouldn't be counted to it. He'd be able to use the proceeds for Dimension Essence Upgrades though, so it was still worth it.

Meanwhile, Yu Qingyan's recruitment post had become the second most popular thread on the board, right behind the Divine Lecture announcement. Cultivators from all over were posting their qualifications. Lin Mo saw familiar names. Disciples and Elders from the various Righteous and Neutral Sects, rogue cultivators all around the Eastern Abyssal Domain, and even a few Liu Clan members. Yu Qingyan was meticulously vetting them via private message, building her own elite team while trying to wave its expedition under the store's banner instead of the Verdant Sky Pavilion.

Truthfully, he was consulted by her regarding it. After much discussion, to prevent the heat from the pavilion, given how valuable a Secret Realm is, she decided to do that. At this point, the store's prestige had already exceeded even the most prominent sect within the region. And perhaps to not make him feel like she's taking advantage of the store, she promised to share a spoil from the treasures they would acquire.

Lin Mo thought of rejecting that at first, considering it was supposed to be her fortuitous encounter, but the Emissary and Official Distributor was adamant about it.

He could only accept it in the end after bidding her good luck. Somehow, he sensed that Yu Qingyan was slowly gravitating towards him. It had to do with his constant teasing and her growing trust, both in the store products and his character.

Lastly, true to his prediction, Chu Yueying had emerged from the Premium Cultivation Room. Her crimson aura was no longer just alluring. It became more profound, stable, and carried the undeniable sharpness of a cultivator who had perfected her foundation. She hadn't broken through to the Golden Core stage, but she was now perfectly poised for it. After thanking and flirting with him just to get a reaction from Princess Meiyu, Liu Xiaoyu and the distant Venom Master Xun, she made a reservation for another five hours' worth of Premium Cultivation Room time for the next day. After that, she had taken the shuttle back to the Jade Hollow Plains, likely to consolidate her gains and eventually form her Golden Core.

Surely, once she became a Core Formation Stage cultivator, her status as an Elder of the Crimson Vale Sect would rise a bit.

As the last customer was ushered out, Liu Xiaoyu began the closing procedures, her movements practiced and efficient.

"Alright, everyone!" she called out to the tired-looking Royal Escorts. "Time for the sacred end-of-day ritual: inventory check and getting your pay!"

Lin Mo couldn't help but tilt his head at those words. Since when did they have a sacred ritual? Liu Xiaoyu was making up something out of nowhere. But then again, he didn't say anything else and let the young woman take the helm.

Princess Meiyu, on the other hand, raised her eyebrows.

In any case, Captain Zhu Min and the others visibly straightened. They're not too exhausted from physical labor but the mental drain of dealing with everything that happened within the store somehow took a toll on them.

Xiaoyu grinned, pulling out a sleek, modern-looking device from under the counter. It was a new addition that came from the expansion. It resembled a larger, more complex Viewing Jade.

"This here is called the [Inventory Harmonizer]. It syncs with the store's main system. Since only Boss and I can access the Divine System Interface, you just have to point this device at the shelves, and it tells you what's low on stock and if we have more of them in our inventory room."

She handed it to a surprised Captain Zhu. "Your turn to lead the ritual, Captain. Point and click. If the light turns green, it's good. If it's red, it means we're running out. Simple convenience. Furthermore, the store will be automatically restocked overnight. Manual restocking is only needed during the day."

The captain held the device with a reverence usually reserved for royal decrees. He aimed it at the now-decimated snack aisle. A red beam shot out, scanning the shelves. A soft chime echoed, and a holographic list of items appeared, [Taihao Spicy Noodles], [Pizza-flavored Spirit-Infused Potato Chips], [Morning Dew Popcorn Puffs], all marked with a stark red 'Low Stock - Need Restocking' warning.

"Incredible," Escort Ning whispered, peering over his shoulder. "It quantifies the logistical deficiencies with pinpoint accuracy."

Wu Meiyu watched, a thoughtful look on her face as if she were already thinking about how to develop a system for the kingdom. "Calling it impressive is an understatement. This kind of inventory management may be what we need. Our kingdom's granaries could benefit from such a system."

After the 'sacred' inventory check was complete, Xiaoyu led them back to the counter for the final part of the ritual: payment.

At this, Lin Mo watched how she would spin that one. Because normally, the system itself was the one determining their salary by crediting it directly to their Personal Balance. But now, with temporary workers other than Princess Meiyu, there might be a different way of doing it.

Sure enough, he found something at the [Staff List] submenu. Even though the day's evaluation had yet to arrive, there was already something prepared for them.

"As per the Divine System Interface's calculation, for your hours of exemplary service, you are each entitled to a salary," Lin Mo announced, pulling up the new 'Temporary Employee Payroll' module. "You have a choice: 100 intermediate-grade spirit stones worth of Store Credits or 1000 Dimension Essence credited directly to your Viewing Jade's new wallet."

The Royal Escorts looked at each other, then at their princess. This was the first time they had ever been paid for their duty by anyone other than the royal treasury.

"It's up to you which to take but I'll recommend the Dimension Essence," Wu Meiyu advised. "It is the currency of the future. Understanding its value is crucial."

Although she said it's up to them, Captain Zhu Min and the rest of the royal escorts all chose the Dimension Essence. Lin Mo processed the payment, and a soft chime emanated from each of their Viewing Jades as their new DE Wallets were credited with 1000 Dimension Essence.

Captain Zhu Min stared at the glowing number on his screen. A look of profound wonder on his face. He hadn't even climbed any of the Towers yet but he acquired a Dimension Essence just from working at the store.

He had earned something entirely new, a currency tied directly to this nexus of divine power.

After that, they stepped outside after changing out of the green and white store uniforms. Wu Meiyu lingered for a bit as she was still curious about today's evaluation.

"Shopkeeper," She said as she approached his side, the tone of her voice seemingly softer than usual. "My escorts... they are warriors, not merchants. Yet today, they found a different kind of purpose. Your 'convenience' can also change people. And I want to believe that it'll be in a good way."

"That's the idea, Your Highness," Lin Mo replied with a smile. "Convenience is about making life better, whether it's through a bag of chips or a new sense of purpose."

Just as he was about to lock the doors for the night, a frantic message pinged on the Divine System Interface. It wasn't the evaluation or a message from a patron or the Pantheon.

It was a direct, automated alert from the store's core systems. Or rather, the newly added [Convenience Nexus Hub]'s subsystem.