NOVEL WEB Chapter 7: The first week net profit
Shang Wei approached the door, where a compact delivery drone hovered mid-air, blinking a holographic interface on its screen.
Order Delivery – Fang Fang Pets (COD) Fee for package opening already paid: 500 credits. Note: No Returns Permitted After Accept. Would you like to accept the delivery?
There was a Yes and a No.
The drone had scanned him earlier via facial recognition. His order details were already verified.
He didn't click the button. Instead, he tapped on the button on top of the crate.
The crate hissed open with a soft click, revealing the egg inside, sleek and round, its bottom half pitch-black like lacquered stone, and the top half a smooth, radiant white. Thin strands of gold shimmered in a spiral pattern from top to bottom.
The man whistled low. "This isn't a scam…"
He finally tapped Yes on the screen.
Please pay the amount through the app or scan the QR Code and pay on the website. The words are displayed on the screen before a QR code appears on the screen.
He scanned the code and went through the payment.
Confirmed the Payment. Thank you for shopping with NovaMart. Have a good day.
The drone zipped away silently, fading into the night sky.
Meanwhile, Shang Wei carefully carried the egg to his couch and pricked his finger.
A drop of blood slid down his fingertip and touched the egg's top.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then, light surged outward in a circle. The egg pulsed, and the mana in his blood resonated, forming a soul bond with the creature hiding inside the egg.
And then the shell cracked.
A soft paw poked out.
Then, a fuzzy black-and-white head peeked from the broken shell, blinking with innocent golden eyes.
"You're real," the man breathed.
The baby panda yawned, then clumsily rolled onto his lap as if it were natural for the creature.
He reached for the bio scanner and ran it over the creature.
Species: Unknown (Not registered in the international monster database)
Element: Light
Potential: King Tier
Level: 1
The man's jaw dropped. "This is legit. This is fuc*ing legit! Indeed, it is a variant. It's not even registered in the monster database."
He stood up, holding the panda with both hands, and laughed out loud. "Hahahaha! I've hit the jackpot! I just picked up a legendary support-type for 15k credits! What dumb newbie listed this?!"
He looked at the seller's name again.
Fang Fang Pets
He grinned. "Whoever you are... I'll be keeping my eye on you."
*
The next morning, Huaxi City;
The morning sun filtered through half-closed blinds, casting soft gold stripes across Lin Fang's desk. His terminal beeped with a quiet chime, instantly waking him up. The baby panda, Po, that was sleeping beside him on the same bed, continued to be in its dream.
Meanwhile, Lin Fang wiped the sleep from his eyes and opened his inbox with a couple of new messages.
[13500 credits added to your account] — From Lingshan Bank.
[Congratulations on your first sale with NovaMart. We hope our partnership to prosper further.] — From NovaMart
[Sale Complete. Credits Transferred to your account after standard deduction.] — From NovaMart.
He blinked, stared at the screen for a moment longer than necessary, then opened his Summoner System Character Interface.
He can see the change in Store Earnings: 13,500 Credits. These credits are eligible for the exchange for a standard 100:1 ratio.
His hand trembled slightly. Not because the number was decently high, but it's because it is his first sale online, and it was earned in one day.
How long had it been since he made money like this through a sale? A legitimate business deal that worked?
He leaned back in his chair and looked out the window at the skyline. "This is just the beginning," he murmured.
Clenching his fist, Lin Fang exhaled deeply and converted the entire amount without hesitation:
*Ding!
[13500 credits have been exchanged for 135 coins]
The phone buzzed, too, but Lin Fang didn't pay attention to it. He knew it was just from the bank, the deduction of the balance from the account.
With 135 coins in his hand, he immediately purchased another Luminous Panda Egg from the system's shop and listed it again on NovaMart.
Item: Luminous Panda Egg
Price: 15,000 Credits
Then he closed the laptop.
Five Days Later;
What began as a single ripple turned into steady waves in Lin Fang's revenue. During the past five days, Lin Fang had sold 10 Luminous Panda Eggs. All at the same price as 15000 credits. He hasn't increased it yet.
Each one earned him a verified 13,500 credits.
And he used those credits to convert them into as many coins it's possible and buy Luminous Panda Eggs and then put them up for sale.
In the end, after the ten sales, he was left with a net profit of 40,500 credits and 45 coins.
Because he was still under 500 verified sales, NovaMart could only deduct a 10% standard fee from the sales. But once he crosses that mark, the standard deduction fee for using their platform will be reduced to 6%, which will further reduce to only 3% when it crosses 10,000 sales.
Lin Fang sat with a small bowl of instant noodles and sighed, looking at his bank account that had grown by more than 40,000 credits in the span of five days.
He was happy.
But what's with the sigh?
Well, it was because he was beyond happy to the point that he was overwhelmed by the sales.
They were growing too fast.
It wasn't that fast, if one should point out, but for someone like Lin Fang, who could barely afford three meals a day during the past couple of years, it was indeed an overwhelming situation.
And to tackle such a situation, Lin Fang took what seemed like, atleast to him, a drastic step.
*Ding!
[40500 credits have been exchanged for 405 coins]
*Ding!
[You purchased 4 Luminous Panda Eggs. 400 coins were deducted.]
[Items have been sent to the inventory]
Returning to the real world, his eyes on the laptop, the mouse cursor hovered around the product for a second. "Let's just do this." Taking a deep breath, he clicked on the product.
He adjusted the listing:
Price: 25,000 Credits
Available Stock: 4
As expected, the new listing didn't sell within the hour.
And Lin Fang felt… relieved.
He didn't want that frantic rush again. Not right now. The slowdown was exactly what he needed. With that thought parked safely in the back of his mind, Lin Fang turned his attention to a more pressing matter: the moving.
Everything he owned, furniture, books, boxes, tools, old posters, even his collection of unused pet collars, was stored in his Inventory Space.
The baby Panda, Po, was sent to the Pet inventory space for the first time.
To his new roommates, all he carried was a single large suitcase filled with clothes, toiletries, and some electronic devices. Just basic stuff.
Taking a last look at the residence he had lived in for the past seven years, Lin Fang heaved out a long sigh and turned around to step out of the door.