Divine Convenience Store

Chapter 657 - 657: Sincerity

[Official Announcement: The First Celestial Duel Invitational!]"Patrons of Convenience! The time for theory has passed. It is time for practical application. The Divine Convenience Store proudly announces its inaugural tournament!

Two Brackets:

- Standard League: Open to all.

- Awakened League: Foundation Establishment Stage and above.

Grand Prizes (Per League):

-1st Place: 500,000 Dimension Essence, the title [Prime Celestial Duelist], and ONE Custom, Personalized Unit Card (up to Level 4 Unit) based on the patron's specifications!

-2nd Place: 250,000 Dimension Essence, the title [Elite Celestial Duelist], and ONE Custom, Personalized Unit Card (up to Level 3 Unit) based on the patron's specifications!

-3rd Place: 100,000 Dimension Essence, the title [Adept Celestial Duelist], and ONE Custom, Personalized Unit Card (up to Level 2 Unit) based on the patron's specifications!

-4th to 10th Place: 50,000 DE and the title [Celestial Duelist].

Registration opens tomorrow at the [Divine Arena & Exhibition Hall] entrance or through your Viewing Jades.

Registration Fee: 50 Intermediate-Grade Spirit Stones or 500 Dimension Essence.

All matches from the Quarter-Finals onward will be broadcast LIVE across the entire Viewing Jade network via the new [Celestial Broadcast Hub]! Support your favorite duelists, place your bets, and witness history!"

After reading the announcement post thrice over, Lin Mo hit 'Publish'.

He didn't even need to monitor the screen, just looking at the Public Channel and how quickly it moved told him everything he needed to know.

These cultivators were truly not sleeping at all. Some of them were even spending all night chatting and browsing the Bulletin Board instead of cultivating.

"A custom Unit Card..." Xiaoyu muttered, staring at the ceiling as if imagining a tiny, glowing version of herself. "Boss, are you absolutely, completely, one-hundred-percent sure I can't enter in disguise? I can wear a mustache!"

"No mustaches, Xiaoyu. You are in charge of this event. You can be the Head Referee and Chief of Arena Security, whatever title you choose." Lin Mo said, flicking her forehead again. " Remember. This is our first Celestial Duel Tournament. Make sure it's successful."

There's no need to worry about cheating. After all, who can cheat the Celestial Duel System? Even Lin Mo could only rely on his absurd luck to be able to consistently pull cards leading to summoning a Level 5 Unit. It's a foolproof system, constantly updated by the divine beings up above.

Xiaoyu's pout instantly vanished, replaced by a shark-like grin. "I accept this position with great honor, Boss. Hehe."

"Excellent. Now, go and prepare for the opening."

—

Western Sacred Lands, on the top floor of the Sacred Foundation Bank, in a certain conference room.

Executive Woody, upon returning from his trip to the Divine Convenience Store, sat among the other executives of the highest echelon, facing the suffocating pressure permeating the room.

The chamber was a monument to wealth, constructed entirely of refined Spirit-Gold and illuminated by floating orbs of captured sunlight. Yet, despite the opulent display of unfathomable riches, the mood was as cold and unforgiving as a winter blizzard.

At the head of the long table sat a figure shrouded in a constantly shifting mosaic of light and shadow. This was the Executive President of the Sacred Foundation Bank.

No one knew their true face, their gender, or their cultivation stage. They only knew that when this figure spoke, the economy of the Western Sacred Lands trembled.

"You return to us, Executive Woody," The President's voice resonated, echoing with a strange, multi-layered timbre that made it impossible to pinpoint its origin. "Without an exclusive contract or a monopoly on their currency. Instead, you bring us a proposal to become... underwriters. Explain this 'Credit Line' concept before I decide your failure requires a more permanent reassignment."

Woody swallowed hard, adjusting his pristine grey robes. He felt the hostile, mocking glares of the other twelve Senior Executives boring into him. They were the old guard, men and women who had built their fortunes on predatory interest rates, seizing ancestral lands, and indenturing desperate cultivators.

"President, esteemed colleagues," Woody began with a surprisingly steady voice. His experience in the store truly changed him. He pulled out a Jade Slip and projected Lin Mo's proposal into the center of the table. "As I've previously relayed while I was still there, the proposal remains the same. I can tell the Divine Convenience Store operates on a paradigm we have never encountered. They do not value scarcity. They weaponize accessibility."

An older executive with a face like a dried prune scoffed. "Accessibility? Madness. If everyone has power, power has no value. We thrive on the desperate need for resources. To lend spirit stones without physical collateral, relying merely on a 'digital profile' housed within their Viewing Jade? It is financial suicide. What prevents a rogue cultivator from taking our loan, buying their 'Celestial Duel Gear', and vanishing into the wastelands?"

"Elder Vance, there is no 'wasteland' they can run to where the store's influence does not reach," Woody countered, surprising them. His eyes seemingly flashed with a newfound zeal. "You are thinking like a traditional lender. Oh. Right. You are. You haven't been enlightened yet."

With each word becoming more confident, Woody continued, "Why evaluate the risk based on the borrower's tangible assets? Once we borrower's wealth, how, then, can we earn more from them? We are so used to bankrupting our customers when we can motivate them to earn more. This Credit Line, you see, the Shopkeeper mentioned how it evaluates risk based on their dependency."

Woody swiped his hand through the projection, highlighting a specific clause.

"If a patron defaults on their Sacred Foundation Bank Credit Line, the store's system will automatically suspend their account. They will be locked out of the Celestial Shuttle Network. They will be barred from entering the highly lucrative Dungeon Modes of the Anchors. They will be unable to purchase [Fruity Healing Tablets] or [Stamina Gum] in the heat of battle. They will be cut off from the 'Harvester's Guild' and the 'Mercenary's Guild'."

Woody leaned forward, placing both hands on the table. "When that happens, they'll be forced to earn more and repay their debts. That way, they won't be deprived of all the benefits the convenience brings to them. What you see here is a closed-loop ecosystem where defaulting causes someone to become more motivated. Otherwise, how can they continue browsing the Bulletin Board? How can they buy more of those indulgences? I assure you, President. The default rate will be infinitesimally low. Cultivators will sell their own blood before they risk losing their access to the network."

Silence descended upon the Spirit-Gold chamber. The older executives exchanged uncertain glances. The concept was entirely alien to them. They were used to taking a pound of flesh, not holding a man's lifestyle hostage.

The shifting figure at the head of the table tapped the table.

"You propose we assume the initial financial risk of purchasing the goods, fronting the spirit stones to the store instantly, while we collect the debt and the interest from the patron over time," The President summarized, their multi-layered voice humming with calculation. "The store receives immediate, risk-free liquidity. We receive unparalleled access to the purchasing power of an entire, unified domain. High volume. Regulated interest. Negligible default."

"Precisely, President," Woody nodded, a bead of sweat tracing down his temple. "It shifts our business model from low-volume, high-risk predatory lending to a high-volume, low-risk, systemic taxation of their entire economy. Desperate or not, anyone can lend to us and we will be financing the daily lives of every cultivator who avails it. By partnering with the store, we will become the indispensable financial engine that everyone relies on. Furthermore, this will become our contribution to the defense of the realm."

The silence stretched for a full minute, heavy with the weight of shifting paradigms.

"Approve the contract," The Executive President finally decreed, the shifting shadows around them seeming to solidify into a sharp, decisive edge.

"Executive Woody, you are hereby appointed as the Chief Liaison to the Divine Convenience Store. Ensure our integration into their 'Bulletin Board' is flawless. We will test this 'Credit Line'. If it yields the returns you project, the Sacred Foundation Bank will ride this wave of convenience."

Woody bowed so deeply his forehead nearly touched the table, hiding a triumphant smile. He had survived, and he had just secured the most lucrative portfolio in the history of the Bank.

"Then, President, how do we show our sincerity to the store? The Shopkeeper expects it. Just like how the Golden Carp Trading Guild Master acquired the Official Distributor position." Woody added.

The shifting mosaic of light and shadow that obscured the Executive President seemed to vibrate as he performed profound calculations.

"Sincerity," The President echoed. "In our line of work, sincerity is measured by risk absorption and liquidity. If the Shopkeeper wishes to see our commitment, we shall not offer him a mere trickle."

The President waved a hand, and a golden ledger materialized before Woody.

"We will open a dedicated 'Divine Convenience Account'. The Sacred Foundation Bank will deposit an initial sum of one hundred million high-grade spirit stones immediately, acting as the foundational backing for the entire Credit Line system across the Western Sacred Lands and the Eastern Abyssal Domain. This is not a loan to him. He can use this as a capital pool, sitting in our vaults, proving we have the liquidity to support his patrons."