Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 580: Convenience Demonstration

With Elder Ming calling them out to drop pretenses, the murmurs in the Central Council Chamber died down.

These old foxes, who had spent centuries navigating the treacherous currents of the Western Sacred Lands' economy, knew better than to feign ignorance. The rumors of the East had been trickling in, first as whispers of a heaven-defying artifact destroyed, then as tales of a miraculous store, and finally, through the undeniable evidence of the goods their own junior merchants had been scrambling to acquire from the secondary market.

But acknowledging it was one thing. Betting their entire guild's future on it was another.

"Indeed, we have known what it is you're trying to present, Elder Ming," The eldest Grand Elder named Jin Gu, Jin Cheng's own uncle, finally spoke. "A store that sells miracles. A Shopkeeper who commands the wind and rain. But is it invincible? We deal in riches and treasures. How does gaining that token equate to us tearing down our foundations?"

Elder Ming attempted to rebut but Jin Cheng raised a hand and stepped forward. He didn't need his subordinate to fight his battles.

"Tearing down our foundations? Uncle, you speak as if our foundation is made of bedrock. It is not. It is made of sand, held together by the goodwill of sects who have no other choice but to rely on us and the slow, grinding turn of wagon wheels."

Jin Cheng placed his hand on the Distributor Token lying on the table and poured a wisp of spiritual energy into it.

Hummm~

Suddenly, the air above the table shimmered as a massive holographic projection of the Distributor Interface erupted into existence.

It displayed rows upon rows of vibrant icons radiating a faint spiritual signature that even the projection could convey.

The Grand Elders and the rest recoiled slightly as their eyes widened. They were used to ledgers, jade slips, scrolls, and abacuses. What appeared before them was sorcery. It's even different from the projected screen of the Viewing Jades that some of them already possessed.

"You ask if it is invincible?" Jin Cheng's confident voice echoed across the entire hall, "Let me show you. Grand Elder, how long does it take for a shipment of [Spirit-Cleansing Grass] to travel from the Sandpit Marsh to our warehouse here? And let us assume there will be no bandit attacks or beast tides, and favorable weather."

Jin Gu frowned, stroking his long white beard. "Three weeks. Perhaps two if we employ wind-attribute spirit beasts and run them to exhaustion. A day, if we used the teleportation arrays set up in different parts of our region, but that is not ideal and too expensive."

Jin Cheng nodded, "So, two weeks then, to be generous. Two weeks of paying guards. Two weeks of feeding beasts. Two weeks of risk where the cargo could be stolen, spoiled, or destroyed."

He then tapped the holographic interface. He navigated to his [Distributor Profile], which displayed his current rank and what he could unlock upon ranking up.

"Let's see. We have returned with a full inventory of Divine Convenience Store products. As a Rank 1 Distributor, my current limit is 5,000 high-grade spirit stones. A pittance for our guild, I know. But observe the progression path laid out by the system."

He swiped his hand through the hologram, expanding a sub-menu labeled [Distributor Rank Progression].

"To reach Rank 2, we must liquidate this initial stock and remit the earnings to the Shopkeeper. Once we do that... a [Personal Inventory] will be unlocked within this token. Think of a spatial ring but it's connected to the store's system. It comes with a 'Remote Restocking' function. Elders, do you understand what that means?"

Jin Cheng slammed onto the table as his eyes burned with a fervor that made everyone watching him gulp.

"It means that once I achieve that rank, I can stand here, in this very room, and restock a crate of goods from the Divine Convenience Store located in the Eastern Abyssal Domain. It will be put in my Personal Inventory instantly and I can take it out here. No wagons or caravans. No beasts. No guards. No weather. No bandits. The two-week journey? Gone. All we need to do is distribute the products and then remit the total credit limit. Marking up the prices depends on us."

With that, a collective gasp, sharper than the one before, sucked the air out of the room.

Jin Gu's hand froze on his beard. His merchant's mind, honed over two hundred years of profit margins and overhead calculations, spun wildly. He tried to find a flaw, a trick or a hidden cost. But the logic of the artifact before him was absolute.

"Instantaneous... transport of goods?" Another Grand Elder, Elder Ming's father, whispered. "Without a teleportation array at both ends? How is the spiritual energy cost calculated?"

"There is no cost. Like I said, it is instantaneous and directly connected to the system the divine beings attached to the store." Jin Cheng declared triumphantly.

"Now, shall I demonstrate it to you? Honored representatives. Please step forward." He gestured to those standing on the opposite side of the Grand Elders, "Although you're part of our guild, you serve as our contact for other merchant groups. Who among you wants to help me raise my Distributor Rank? There are more than 20 of you here, so a minimum of 250 high-grade spirit stones is all the other merchant groups need to cough up for a taste of convenience."

"You may contact them and inform them of this deal. It will be at retail price, provided they agree not to disclose our current distribution."

Jin Cheng's eyes swept over the representatives. He was no longer playing the game of scarcity and delay. He was playing a game of speed and monopoly. And this is all to get the Grand Elders and everyone in the Golden Carp Trading Guild on board.

The representatives exchanged frantic glances. They were subordinate merchants, yes, but they also had their own networks, their own ambitions. The prospect of bypassing the treacherous trade routes, of having instant access to the legendary goods from the East... it was an opportunity that could elevate their own standing within their respective circles.

"I… No. My client will take ten crates of [Taihao Spicy Noodles]!" One representative, a portly man known for supplying the border garrisons, stepped forward, sweat beading on his brow. "And five crates of [Fruity Healing Tablets]. The soldiers... they have been asking for them."

"And I will take the [Heavenly Due Soda] and other beverages." Another shouted, pushing his way to the front. "The tea houses in the Silver Oasis are clamoring for something new!"

"Wait! The [Basic Card Talismans]! My clients in the Mercenary Union will pay double the market price!"

The decorum of the council chamber was shattered. It became a bidding war, a frenzy of demand that Jin Cheng orchestrated with the wave of his hand. He didn't even need to haggle. The scarcity was artificial, created by distance, but the token in his hand made him the sole gatekeeper of abundance.

Jin Bao, standing beside his father, watched with wide eyes. He had seen his father negotiate treaties and trade deals, but he had never seen him wield power like this. It wasn't the heavy, oppressive power of a cultivator. It was the fluid, irresistible power of leverage.

Within minutes, the initial stock of 5,000 high-grade spirit stones' worth of goods was allocated. Payments were made up front. Binding contracts were agreed upon, and the representatives were practically hopping with the need to deliver the good news to their backers.

"Excellent," Jin Cheng said, his voice cutting through the din. "Bao'er, contact Elder Song at Fanling City. Remit the spirit stones and ask the Shopkeeper for the Distributor Rank upgrade."

"Yes, Father!" Jin Bao nodded, his hands trembling slightly as he retrieved his Viewing Jade. He quickly navigated the Social Link interface, finding the contact for Elder Song, the trusted retainer they had left behind in Fanling City to act as their liaison.

The connection was established instantly. A small holographic window popped up, showing the face of an elderly man with a meticulously groomed mustache, currently sitting in the lounge of the Divine Convenience Store, sipping a cup of tea.

"Elder Song," Jin Bao spoke, his voice projecting clearly in the silent hall. "Execute the remittance of 5,000 high-grade spirit stones for our initial distributor stock and 1,000 high-grade spirit stones for the upgrade cost. Transfer it to the Shopkeeper immediately. And submit the request for Rank 2 promotion."

On the screen, Elder Song's eyes widened, but he didn't question the order. He was a professional. "Understood, Young Master. I will look for the Shopkeeper right away."

A few minutes later, the Distributor Token that Jin Cheng had placed on the table began to vibrate. Following that, a series of interface messages appeared confirming the upgrade in Distributor Rank.

[Distributor Upgrade Complete]

[Jin Cheng - Rank 2]

[Inventory Value Capacity: 15,000 high-grade spirit stones]

[Personal Inventory: Unlocked]

"There we go. Now, I can remotely restock through my Personal Inventory." Jin Cheng declared as he began navigating to the Remote Stocking right in front of everyone in the chamber.