"No, I am not joking," Kael emphasized with absolute seriousness.

  Qin Ming stared at Kael for a long time before finally exhaling. "Manager, do you realize the implications of what you just said?"

  "What implications?" Kael asked.

  "It means... you are going to change the world!" Qin Ming declared with heavy solemnity.

  Kael partially closed his eyes, looking at Qin Ming with a calm, unruffled expression—as if the phrase "changing the world" meant nothing to him.

  To Qin Ming, however, this was a display of ultimate composure. It was as if Kael simply didn't care about such a world-shaking invention. What kind of terrifying organization, what kind of formidable power, could produce such a formidable manager?

  No, the truly terrifying thing wasn't just the man, but the shop itself.

  "Rest assured, Manager. I will not breathe a word of this to anyone. As for the soldiers, I will tell them you are using Trial Crystals," Qin Ming said, his voice laced with exhaustion.

  "Mm. Then let us continue our business," Kael nodded slightly.

  He wasn't naive. He knew the proverb: An ordinary man is innocent, but treasuring a jade ring makes him a target. However, for truly top-tier powerhouses, an artificial Trial Space limited to "Brave-rank" wasn't enough to tempt them into a high-stakes conflict. And anyone weak enough to be lured by it would be crushed like insects by the shop’s defensive system.

  Kael’s confidence came from that absolute security, which was why he dared to mention the Trial Room at all.

  "Since you trust me so much, Manager, I won't say more. Here is the list of items I require. Please calculate the total; someone will arrive shortly to settle the payment." Qin Ming pulled a long, detailed scroll from his robes.

  "Think nothing of it, City Lord. Consider this my contribution to Cloud Mist City," Kael said, taking the list and beginning the tally.

  Weapons, armor, pills. The list was exhaustive, with specific quantities for every item. It wasn't just Excellent-grade gear; a large number of Common-grade items were listed as well. It seemed Qin Ming planned to distribute them based on rank.

  When it came to accounting, Kael was a natural. Within a few moments of scanning the list, he had the total.

  "The total comes to 427,630 Spirit Crystals. Per our agreement, I won’t round down the change. I’ll have the equipment and pills ready on schedule."

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  Kael spoke slowly, suppressing the urge to do a victory lap. Cool, calm, and collected—that is the mark of a professional manager.

  "Understood. A procurement officer will be here this afternoon. I’ll take my leave now," Qin Ming nodded.

  "I won't keep you. Regarding the Trial Space, just bring the men over whenever you're ready," Kael said, tucking the list away. He had a warehouse to clear.

  "I am in your debt, Manager," Qin Ming cupped his fists and turned to leave.

  "Time to get to work. Inventory management, here I come," Kael scratched his head, suddenly realizing that moving over four thousand pieces of gear out of the warehouse was going to be a physical nightmare.

  Still, the forty-plus thousand crystals—his personal ten-percent cut—would net him over 42,000 crystals. He had officially achieved "upper-middle class" status in a single day.

  As the morning customers reached their time limits in the Arena and trickled out, Kael waited. Finally, the procurement officer sent by Qin Ming arrived. It was a plump man with a small mustache and a high-crowned hat, carrying himself with the air of a seasoned diplomat.

  "Greetings, esteemed Manager Kael. I am Robert, the treasury administrator for Cloud Mist City, sent by the City Lord to oversee this transaction." Robert introduced himself with a polite, gentlemanly bow.

  "Hello, Mr. Robert. The goods are ready. We can begin the transfer now. Do you have your carriages prepared?" Kael replied politely.

  "Of course. No need to worry," Robert nodded and clapped his hands.

  Soldiers immediately pushed through the door, hauling several large, heavy chests inside.

  "This is the payment for the transaction. A total of 427,630 Spirit Crystals. Please verify the amount," Robert said, proactively presenting the funds.

  Kael glanced at the "mountain" of crystals and produced the small collection box from beneath the counter.

  "If you would, please pour the crystals into this box."

  The collection box, a product of the System, had a built-in counting function. Manually counting nearly half a million crystals would have literally killed him.

  The soldiers watched in stunned silence as the mountain of crystals was poured into a box no larger than a human head, disappearing as if into a bottomless pit.

  "Truly a shop of wonders. Even a cash box is a masterpiece of magic," Robert remarked in awe.

  "The count is correct. Please wait a moment."

  Once the System confirmed the amount, Kael stowed the box and headed to the warehouse. He spent the entire afternoon hauling out crates of gear and pills. The carriages outside made over a dozen trips back and forth.

  "Thank you for your hard work, Manager. The count is perfect. We shall take our leave," Robert said. He hadn't used a list; he had memorized every single item quantity.

  Kael checked his own list and nodded. As expected of a treasury admin—his head is basically a ledger.

  [System: Congratulations, Host, on completing the quest 'The First Pot of Gold.' Rewards have been distributed. The shop may now recruit one staff member. Staff members will be protected by the shop's Defensive System.]

  Yes! Finally, I can slack off! Kael cheered internally.

  [System: Total revenue has reached the upgrade threshold. The Upgrade Quest is about to begin.]

  [System: Upgrade Quest generating...]

  Revenue threshold reached?! Kael’s heart skipped a beat. He had been so focused on the side quests that he’d forgotten about the mandatory main quest triggers. He still had PTSD from the "dying ten thousand times" trial.

  [System: Upgrade Quest generated. A great shop does not survive on combat goods alone; a great Manager does not live for battle alone.]

  [System: Quest Objective: Pass the Class-rank Trial Space and raise the shop's popularity to the specified level.]

  [System: Rewards: Shop Level +1, Trial Room Level +1, one Snack Vending Machine, three Snack Gacha draws, total shop renovation, and one random 'Manager’s Outfit' set.]