Divine Convenience Store

Continuing with the interview, Lin Mo couldn't help but want to hear more from the young woman.

After thinking for a moment, he leaned forward and asked a hypothetical question. "Pan Ruo, let's say a customer comes to the counter. He is a young cultivator, much like yourself. They brought two items, but they can only afford one. They need something for protection, but they also want to try the famous [Taihao Spicy Noodles] they've heard so much about. What do you sell them?"

Pan Rou didn't hesitate. "I would ask them a question, Shopkeeper: 'Are you hungry now, or are you in danger now?'"

"Explain," Lin Mo prompted.

"If they are hungry now, I will sell them the noodles," she said. "A cultivator with an empty stomach is weak, their mind is clouded. The noodles will restore their energy and spirit, making them better prepared to face any danger later. That is an immediate convenience. If they are in danger now, I will sell them a Basic Card Talisman. The protection it offers is more critical than a full stomach. But I will also give them a free sample of a [Spirit Replenishing Candy] and tell them, 'Come back when you're safe, and we'll celebrate with some noodles'. That way, it'll solve their immediate problem while building a relationship that ensures they become a loyal, returning patron. That is long-term convenience."

A slow, genuine grin spread across Lin Mo's face. He looked at Xiaoyu, who gave him an enthusiastic double thumbs-up. He glanced at Wu Meiyu, who gave a single, almost imperceptible nod of solid approval.

At this point, Xiao Ya returned with a steaming bowl of [Taihao Spicy Noodles], the aroma instantly filling the air. She placed it gently on the table in front of Pan Ruo. The young woman stared at it as if it were a divine treasure, tears welling in her eyes.

"Eat," Lin Mo said softly.

Pan Ruo picked up the chopsticks with trembling hands and took a bite. The effect was immediate. The warmth, the spice, the spiritual energy in the broth surged through her depleted body. She didn't devour it like the Blazing Maw. She ate with a slow, desperate reverence, as if trying to savor a miracle.

After a few bites, she looked up, her expression resolute. "Shopkeeper, I am not a powerful cultivator. I am only at the 3rd Level of the Spirit Gathering Stage. I have no special techniques. But I know logistics. I know how to manage limited resources. For years, I was responsible for rationing food and supplies in my village, making sure the weak and the young survived under the Syndicate's harsh rule. I can count, I can organize, and I can work until I collapse. I want to work here because I want to earn enough to bring this… this 'convenience' back to those who were suffering like I did."

"Mhm. You're hired. I know you've applied to be a Stocking Associate but I'll give you the position if you'd like to be a Checkout Clerk instead."

Pan Ruo's head snapped up, her eyes wide with disbelief. "A... a clerk? But my cultivation is so low…"

"Cultivation is irrelevant to all the positions we were offering except Security Personnel, of course," Lin Mo stated plainly. "Your understanding is what matters. A checkout clerk is going to be the face of this store. They are the final point of contact, the ones who will pack the convenience for the customers. Your answer just now proved you are more than qualified to stand there. The choice is yours."

Tears streamed freely down Pan Ruo's face, mixing with the broth as she bowed her head, her forehead nearly touching the table. "I... I accept. Thank you, Shopkeeper. Thank you for this hope."

"Welcome to the team," Lin Mo said with a smile. "Now finish your noodles. Your first shift starts tomorrow. If you need somewhere to stay, because clearly, you're far from home, go with Xiao Ya. She will arrange accommodations for you in the staff quarters."

Lin Mo smiled but then, just as he was about to stand up to let Xiaoyu and Meiyu continue the remaining interview to fill up the remaining positions, the system suddenly chimed in his head.

And this time, it wasn't related to the store but to his Celestial Providence.

[Celestial Providence Activated: The dormant reincarnated soul of the applicant has awakened. Memories of her past life have begun to surface.]

Lin Mo froze. Once again, his Heaven's Favor leaked the luck to those he interacted with. This was how Xiao Ya awakened her Bloodline Physique. Who would've thought the poor applicant Pan Ruo had a dormant reincarnated soul in her body?

He looked at Pan Ruo, who had also frozen. Her eyes became slightly unfocused as if a distant memory had just flickered through her mind. A fleeting look of profound authority crossed her face before her usual exhausted but hopeful expression replaced it. She blinked, confused, as if she had just surfaced from a deep dream.

"I... I am... fine, Shopkeeper," She muttered in a dreamy voice as a hint of confusion lingered in her eyes. "Forgive me. For a moment, I felt... a little dizzy. Images of such a nice palace flashed in my mind. The spiritual energy in the noodles must be stronger than I anticipated."

Lin Mo studied her closely. The flicker of authority he had seen was gone, replaced by the humble gratitude of a newly hired employee. The system indicated that her memories had begun to resurface, not that they had fully returned. It would likely be a gradual process.

"No matter," Lin Mo said, masking his inner surprise. "Take your time. The store's products can be potent. Xiao Ya, please escort your new colleague to the staff quarters and help her get settled."

"Yes, Boss!" Xiao Ya replied, gently helping a still slightly dazed Pan Ruo to her feet. As they walked away, Pan Ruo glanced back at Lin Mo, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes. Awe, confusion, and a nascent intelligence that hadn't been there before.

"Boss," Xiaoyu whispered, leaning closer once Pan Ruo was out of earshot. "What was that? For a second, she looked... different. Her aura changed."

"Remember what happened with Xiao Ya? Her fate changed," Lin Mo said cryptically. He didn't elaborate. This prodigious assistant of his would be able to piece the puzzle together right away, anyway. Besides, he had no way to properly explain reincarnated souls.

"Oh! I knew it! Your Celestial Providence did its miracle again! Boss, when are you going to spill some of that luck to me?"

"You're plenty lucky already, Miss Heavenly Physique."

Wu Meiyu also looked thoughtful. "Celestial Providence? An interesting development. Her answer was already profound. If she has a sudden upheaval of her fate, she might become one of your most valuable assets, Shopkeeper."

"I have a feeling you're right, Your Highness" Lin Mo agreed.

He pulled up the system interface again, this time navigating to the [Staff Management] tab and looking at Pan Ruo's newly created profile. He was curious to see if the system had registered the change. And it had.

[Name: Pan Ruo]

[Position: Checkout Clerk (Trainee)]

[Cultivation: Spirit Gathering Stage - Level 3]

[Status: Dormant Reincarnated Soul - Awakening (1%)]

[Past Life Identity: [Data Obscured - At least a Heavenly Immortal]

Lin Mo's eyebrows shot up. Data Obscured. Of course, the system wasn't omniscient. It wouldn't be able to tell him who she was before. But she's at least a Heavenly Immortal… How far was that from his current stage?

He shook his head, a wry smile returning. Is he collecting special individuals in the cultivation world? Now he has Xiaoyu with the Heavenly Physique. Xiao Ya, who awakened her Bloodline Physique. Yu Qingyan was also exploring the Secret Realm, the fortuitous encounter that his Celestial Providence had also hinted at. And although Meiyu was only a princess of a Mortal Kingdom, she was already blessed by a divine being. His store was collecting strange and powerful individuals like they were rare Celestial Duel cards.

"Alright," he said, pushing the thought aside for now. "Let's finish these interviews. We have a store to run and, apparently, a few destinies to manage."

The rest of the interviews felt almost mundane in comparison. They filled the remaining slots with competent, if less profound, individuals. The store now had a full roster of contracted employees, ready to face the ever-growing tide of customers.

"Alright," he announced, looking at Xiaoyu and Meiyu. "We have our first batch of full-time employees. Get their contracts ready. Their first shift starts tomorrow morning, right after they finish their orientation."

"Orientation, Boss?" Xiaoyu asked, her eyes twinkling.

"Of course," Lin Mo said with a grin. "Led by our new Temporary Staff Manager. Princess Wu Meiyu, if you would be so kind?"

Wu Meiyu, caught off guard, blinked once before a rare, genuine smile broke through her regal composure. "It would be my pleasure, Shopkeeper. I will ensure they meet the highest standards of… convenience. As for my escorts, are they out?"

"Hmm? No, of course not. Their workload will simply be halved. That way they can still do their jobs of watching over you, right?"

"Pfft. Perhaps, I should order the Silver Lotus Hall to move their office here."

Wu Meiyu stifled a laugh as she recalled she still had people back at the capital. And they're the ones who got ripped off by Lin Mo before.