The huge display windows were as clear as crystal, and twice as inviting. Each wooden chair at every carved table was placed with care. The smell permeated every pore of the lungs. Inside this godly café, not a single person visited. By all logic, they should have. In this era of cultivation, there wasn't much in the way of entertainment. Such a unique place ought to attract some young master's attention. Alas, it seemed the store would never become a hit. With his meager savings, all Xu Min could afford was the tiniest of corner stores, tucked in an alley so far from the crowded square, passerby were practically nonexistent. The only ones to peek there heads in were undoubtedly looking for somewhere else, and as soon as they saw the price board, they vanished at a speed far faster than their cultivation would suggest. This kind of price - how could anyone afford it?
In the back area, Xu Min pays this no attention. He had a place to live and food to eat. That was more than enough for him. His only passion was chocolate. The smooth richness, the mellow flavors.... for a whole life he'd traveled the world to pursue it. Now that he had time, he wouldn't bother with press releases or autographs. Morning to night, he worked on his chocolate.
This world had trees several times the height of those on Earth. Cacao pods, once the height of footballs, were now as tall as him and full of impossibly flavorful beans. Thanks to his system, they needed mere hours of processing. Xu Min found them a joy to work with, especially since the cleaning was automated.
It was almost a full month since this store had opened. Every day had passed like this, with Xu Min working in the back as customers fled from the exorbitant prices. He hadn't gotten an alert from the system in a while, but something was bound to happen, he could feel it. There was no free lunch in this world - why would the system open up a whole shop so he could play with chocolate? With this in the back of his mind, Xu Min focuses on his next great goal: milk chocolate. The milk provided by the system had the perfect amounts of fat and richness. The sugar was as clean as snow and twice as gorgeous. The ratio was all he needed.
Today, Xu Min was carefully adding drops of milk into the base chocolate. He puts the jug aside and picks up a miniature whisk. Stir, stir, stir. Add sugar. Stir again. He proceeds like this for several minutes. Finally, when the silky brown color grows to perfection, he pours it into the mold. He adjusts the dial on the time box slash freezer the system had provided. The chocolate practically glowed.
"System," he asks hopefully, "Analysis?"
"Milk chocolate in progress."
"..."
This unhelpful answer does not surprise him. It is such a matter of course, that he doesn't even bother to argue before preparing to go to bed. He casts a glance across the empty shop, barren tables, and unused seating. There is absolutely nothing of interest.
"System, time to close." A ding sounds in his heads. Inside the store, the light dims. The crystalline glass darkens to an opaque black tint. A clicking lock sounds across the room. Xu Min trudges up to his bed. He dreams of silky milk chocolates.
The next morning, his standard alarm, also known as the neighboring merchant's roosters, creates a loud din. Xu Min wakes up, and almost immediately collapses, temporarily blind and clutching his head.
"System!" He cries aloud. "What is this? One at a time damn it!" The barrage of flashing lights momentarily vanishes.
"Congratulations host! Milk chocolate successfully prepared. Reward: Green Tea Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. Would you like to accept?" Xu Min springs out of bed and sprints to the kitchen. He throws open the box and pulls out his freshly made chocolate. The warm color is smooth and flawless. It breaks apart with a satisfying snap. He places it on his tongue and tastes pure bliss. It's half a bar later that he finally remembers his reward's existence.
"System, accept."
"Ding! Reward added to recipe book." Xu Min nods in satisfaction. This was amazing progress, even he did prefer his chocolate dark.
"Ding! Novice period completed. First mission assigned." Xu Min sits bolt upright. He watches the words with a burning passion for several minutes.
"Ah... accept?"
"Ding! Mission: Sell one product. Duration: One week. Reward: ??? Punishment for failure: Death."
"Death?" Xu Min was so astonished he nearly spat out blood. What happened to the basic trust between transmigrator and system? He was grateful for his golden finger alright? Boss System, if you want me to sell, I will sell. There's no need for death threats. With the patience only an experienced chocolate reviewer can have, Xu Min tries to explain various versions of this logic. The system remains unmoved.
"Host must sell one product within a week. Selling products is essential to becoming the number one café owner."
"System!" Xu Min practically begs. "I love chocolate. Can't I work chocolate in the back? My product will keep getting better, and I'll be able to move locations! Then I can sell lots of chocolate." The system has no response. This freeloading owner was really too shameless!
"System..."
"Host must sell product."
Pah!
With a wail of agony, Xu Min collapses.