"Dear customer, regarding your idea of handling auctions for our store products, I must say it’s not feasible." Lin Mo started, "The idea of creating an artificial scarcity is against our ’convenience’. We do not discriminate against our patrons. If one needs something, it can be found and bought at our store. If we lack something, developing a product is not impossible."

Layla offered a sultry, unapologetic smile. "Shopkeeper, the elites who have deep pockets, pay for the experience, not just the product. Those select few can elevate the perceived value of your entire brand."

"Brand? Our brand is out in the open. Right in the name. Divine." Lin Mo countered softly. "And as I mentioned, I despise artificial scarcity. If an item is in stock, it is sold at the listed price. To do otherwise violates the core tenet of convenience for all."

Layla’s smile faltered. "Then... there is no room for the Consortium?"

"I didn’t say that. I said you cannot auction standard inventory," Lin Mo waved his hand, projecting a map that displayed the current scope of the store’s reach. "But think about it. These Towers and Anchors, once we deploy our Store Beacon in them, will be integrated into our system. And as you may have already read from the information readily available on our Bulletin Board, the Towers grant rewards in the form of chests after completing a floor challenge. Sometimes they’re personalized, sometimes random. And Anchors drop loot from the foreign creatures killed. There will certainly be rare and unique items found by our patrons."

Lin Mo continued, his finger tracing the glowing icons on the holographic map. "A cultivator might slay an Area Boss and receive a specialized artifact entirely unsuited to their cultivation path. Or a Harvester team might stumble upon a vein of ore that our Foundry doesn’t currently need. What do they do with it?"

Layla’s amber eyes narrowed as the merchant gears in her head began to turn. "They would sell it. But the Barter Terminal provides a fixed, systemic value. For truly unique or highly desirable items, a fixed price is a loss for the seller."

"Exactly," Lin Mo smiled, "The Barter Terminal is for raw materials and common goods. It ensures liquidity and is the gateway for mortals to still have purchasing power for our product. But for the rare, the unique, and the highly sought-after? We need a platform that allows the market to determine the true value based on demand. A Patron-to-Patron economy."

He waved his hand, creating a new, blank window next to the map.

"I already have an idea in mind. Let’s call it the ’Divine Convenience Auction’. It will not be a physical house of stone and wood that limits attendance by geography. It will also be a specialized section that can only be accessed via the Viewing Jade. Cultivators from the Northern Arctic Dominion can bid in real-time against patriarchs in the Eastern Abyssal Domain for an item looted in the Southern Wilderness."

Layla exhaled, the faint scent of her spirit-infused perfume momentarily intensifying. "A realm-wide, instantaneous auction house. The reach... the volume..."

"Is unprecedented," Wu Meiyu finished for her, her dark eyes gleaming with the same analytical fire. "It removes the bottleneck of travel and the physical limitations of an auction hall. The bidding wars would be... fierce."

"And that is where the Heavenly Silk Consortium can come in, dear customer," Lin Mo said, waving his hand again to show a few treasures that the store had already accumulated. There’s the [Viridiscent Control Whip], a whole set of [Argentum II-Legionary Armor] and more.

"Of course, expanding your industries outside the Western Sacred Lands is also not out of the question. You can build a branch of your Sacred Foundation Bank and Heavenly Silk Consortium right in this city. And if you wish, you can integrate the use of Dimension Essence as currency. What our store aimed for is just to make it more convenient for any inhabitants of our realm to have access to whatever resources they need."

Layla’s amber eyes widened. The elegant fan she was holding flapped open to hide the expression on her face.

Her position of being the Orange Silk in the Consortium wasn’t truly high. She shared the same authority as Red, Yellow and Green Silk Matriarchs. The only difference is the industry they’re leading. Meanwhile, Blue, Indigo, and Violet Silk Matriarchs are the close confidants of the Rainbow Silk Matriarch.

In terms of hierarchy, she ranks fifth to eighth place within their organization.

Nevertheless, she was an experienced woman who had maintained her position for so long and met many cultivators by hoarding the finest treasures and curating exclusive events for the super elites. What the Shopkeeper was proposing would not truly compete with the traditional model she’s already used to. Instead, he was going to open up a new avenue for them.

"Incredible... That’s all I can say, Shopkeeper. However, deciding this matter is still beneath my authority. We are merely representatives, after all." She lowered her fan which showed a bitter smile on her lips.

"No matter," Lin Mo smiled, dispelling the gloom above her head. "I believe your Rainbow Silk Matriarch will not pass up this chance. Because honestly, there are other candidates to pick from. Our Eastern Abyssal Domain may be seen as a desolate wasteland by your people but we don’t lack loyal patrons who were hoping to get an opportunity to be tied to our boat."

If they knew about the immortal-grade artifacts that were recently auctioned, they’d probably die in envy for missing that chance. But Lin Mo had no reason to reveal it. He was already giving them a chance here. If they don’t take it, it’s their loss, not the store’s. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

After a while, Lin Mo opened his mouth again, "Dear customer, there is more."

"Eh?" This time, a genuine look of surprise showed on Matriarch Layla’s face. After all, her head was already occupied with what he just explained and like Executive Woody, she was already relaying about it to the Rainbow Silk Matriarch through the Viewing Jade.

Hearing that there’s more than an integrated auction house tied to the Bulletin Board, she couldn’t help but feel the excitement rising in her chest.

"Let’s set aside auction houses. From what I gathered, you, as the Orange Silk Matriarch, oversee the premier entertainment pavilions of your Consortium. I believe you employ the finest musicians, dancers, and illusionists, correct?"

"Y-yes, I do," Layla said, a hint of defensive pride returning to her voice. "My Silk Courtesans are legendary. Cultivators will travel for months and pay fortunes just to witness a single performance to soothe their Dao hearts. As for those seeking the pleasures of the flesh... I’m afraid that’s not within the scope of my authority."

"Well, that’s why I didn’t mention it. If the Red Silk Matriarch comes to visit in the future, maybe I can also offer her a chance."

Of course, he hadn’t thought that far yet. After all, how can he integrate brothels?

"Let’s get back on topic, shall we?" Lin Mo said while enduring the sharp gaze of Wu Meiyu next to him. She must’ve misunderstood what he meant by mentioning that.

"Go ahead, Shopkeeper."

"Regarding your entertainment pavilions, what if customers didn’t have to travel?" Lin Mo countered. He once again projected the Bulletin Board interface into the air. "Miss Layla, the Viewing Jade is not just a tool for text. It is capable of projecting high-fidelity visual and auditory feeds. We’ve used it for the Divine Lecture and the promotion of the Celestial Duel Gears. But what if we used it for... leisure?"

Lin Mo swiped a finger, creating a mock-up of a new tab.

[New Feature: Celestial Broadcasting]

"Imagine your most talented performers," Lin Mo began, his inner corporate marketer fully unleashing itself. "Instead of performing for a hundred nobles in a single pavilion, they perform in a secure, soundproofed room within your headquarters. We broadcast that performance live, in real-time, to every single Viewing Jade user in the realm. Millions of cultivators, tuning in simultaneously."

Wu Meiyu, sitting beside him, gasped softly, instantly grasping the societal implications. "A concert without borders..."

"But how do we monetize it if anyone can watch?" Layla asked, her sharp business acumen catching the apparent flaw. "If the performance is free, where is the profit?"

"We can introduce a feature called ’Divine Tipping’," Lin Mo grinned.

It was a tried-and-true method from Earth, a weapon of mass monetization that preyed on the human desire for recognition. Live Streaming.

Besides, it was already about to take shape since patrons could already record and post their Anchor exploration or Tower climb footage.

"While watching the broadcast, viewers can spend Dimension Essence or Store Credits to send highlighted messages, virtual fireworks, or glowing digital gifts that appear on the screen for everyone, including the performer, to see. The bigger the tip, the flashier the effect."

Lin Mo leaned forward, acting like he was about to share some profound secret. "Cultivators are proud creatures, Miss Layla. They have massive egos. If a young master from the Azure Gale Sect sends a ’Golden Dragon’ gift worth a thousand Dimension Essence to his favorite performer, do you think the young master of a rival sect will simply sit back and let him have the ’face’? No. He will send a ’Diamond Phoenix’ worth two thousand. You won’t simply sell a performance. You will be monetizing their vanity, rivalry, and desire for public acknowledgment."