Chapter 9
After breaking through the first level, Alex discovered that he now possessed divine consciousness. This new awareness acts as a "sixth Sense," enhancing his vision and hearing capabilities. It allowed him to perceive everything within a two-meter radius in a full circle. Moreover, if Alex wished to extend his senses, he could obscure the divine consciousness, effectively tripping his range.
Unlike chakras, which could be replenished by absorbing aura, divine consciousness drew upon the mental energy of his body. Thus, no matter how much chakra Alex possessed, it wouldn't affect his divine awareness in any way. Mental energy was distinct from chakra, and its recovery depended solely on the body's natural processes. It was akin to eating when hungry, but one couldn't eat to directly produce more enzymes in the body. The best one could do was influence the "factory" of these enzymes to boost their production.
Feeling slight dizziness after his breakthrough, Alex reached for the Dew of Life and started to drink it. He nodded in satisfaction, as he had recently experimented with the dew's effect on restoring mental energy. The results had proven successful, as he noticed that every time he drank the dew of life, his soul and brain became clearer.
With his mental energy restored, Alex was ready to begin his work on a larger scale. He stood up and headed to a patch of land covered in weeds and grass. Closing his eyes, he activated his divine consciousness and started pulling out the plants, placing them in the ring chamber.
Given that his fruit farm had been at a loss and hadn't attracted much attention, Alex felt more online in his actions. He was no longer afraid of being seen while working on the farm.
Alex continued with his tasks until six o'clock in the evening. He diligently irrigated every corner of his fruit farm using the water stored in the ring chamber.
Alex, upon seeing his fruit farm illuminated by the evening sun, couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. He had successfully cleared one-tenth of the fruit farming area from weeds and grass. He felt proud as he envisioned the farm's future, free from unwanted vegetation within a week.
Upon returning home, Alex noticed a pickup truck parked in front of the house, filled with fresh and colorful vegetables. Lily came out to meet him and explained that these were the vegetables he had asked her to get from her father.
"How many pounds are all these?" Alex inquired.
"About 3000 pounds," Lily replied.
"Alright, great. I'll go drop the car off at the farm," Alex said, taking the keys and driving back to the farm.
Lily watched him with confusion, wondering what he was up to. Alex, on the other hand, had a clear plan in mind. Upon reaching the farm, he placed all the vegetables into the ring room for safekeeping.
Upon returning home, Alex took a shower and didn't explain anything to Lily. During dinner, Lily's curiosity got the better of her, and she finally asked about the vegetables.
"Where are all the vegetables from my father?"
"I kept them on the farm."
"Why? What are you going to do with them?"
"I'm going to sell them in town tomorrow."
Lily became even more perplexed with each question, but she decided to keep her concerns to herself, hoping that her husband wouldn't make any rash decisions with their money.
After dinner, Alex fetched some clean water and entered the ring room, pretending to go outside when, in fact, he was inside the ring room. There, he activated his spatial ability and created a transparent glass aquarium. He carefully added clean water and a few drops of the dew of life.
With these preparations in place, Alex was ready for his plans to unfold.
After washing the accumulated vegetables, Alex carefully arranged them in the large aquarium filled with water and the dew of life. Once all the vegetables were clean and neatly organized, he sealed the top of the aquarium to create a complete vacuum.
"Finally finished," Alex sighed, feeling a bit tired from the task.
Looking at the pile of grass and weeds nearby, he contemplated what to do with them. He thought about transplanting the grass to make the room green and fresh again, but he realized that he didn't have the time for that. Instead, he decided to turn the weeds into natural fertilizer and buy grass seeds to spread across the room.
As for the remaining vegetables from his father's farm, Alex didn't pay much attention to them and promptly stored them in the static room. He figured he could deal with them later when he had the time and motivation.
After leaving the ring room, Alex went to sleep, but he woke up early the next morning, even before sunrise. Lily noticed his haste and asked, "Where are you going? Are you heading up the mountain again?"
"No, I want to go to town immediately to sell Dad's vegetables," Alex replied while packing.
Lily's curiosity resurfaced, and she questioned him further, "What exactly are you going to do with those vegetables?"
"Of course, I'm going to sell them. Didn't I mention it before?" Alex was puzzled by his wife's questions.
"But can't Dad sell them himself?"
"Oh, I have another channel that offers a higher selling price."
Lily found it hard to believe that Alex, who had just returned after ten years away, had a better-selling channel than her father, who had been gardening for quite a while. The situation seemed a bit peculiar to her.
Observing his wife's silence, Alex decided to ask, "Today is Monday, do I need to take Lilith to school?"
Lily replied, "Ah no, school isn't too far."
"Alright then, I'll be off. I've cooked breakfast for you and Lilith."
"Hmmm..." Lily nodded in understanding as she watched her husband leave.
Alex then drove the pickup truck to the farm before hitting the highway toward town. He deliberately covered the empty back of the truck with a tarp to create the illusion of having goods inside. This was a tactic to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
Upon reaching the urban area, Alex searched for a suitable place near upscale neighborhoods. Once he found a suitable spot, he parked and assessed the surroundings. Afterward, he took the vegetables from the ring room and placed them on the tarp.
He also brought out a piece of paper with various words written on it, declaring the vegetables to be "Fresh green fruit without pesticides" and "99% organic!" Alex sat by the side of his truck, waiting calmly for potential customers. He had full confidence in his produce and was determined to make sales.
However, to his dismay, almost half an hour had passed, and none of the vegetables were sold. Passersby glanced at him with disdain, uninterested in his claims.
Growing impatient, Alex came up with a new idea. He quickly wrote something else on another cardboard sign and displayed it.
"Try it first, if you don't like it, money back!"
In an attempt to attract customers, Alex began to promote his vegetables loudly, much like the vendors in a bustling vegetable market. Unfortunately, the people around him seemed even more unimpressed and scornful, especially since he was doing this in front of an upscale housing entrance.
After a while, still, no one came, and the sun was already setting, casting a dim light on the scene. Just as Alex was getting desperate, he suddenly heard a voice from an elderly woman nearby.
"Hey, young man, how much are these tomatoes per pound?"
"Calm down, ma'am. My tomatoes are reasonably priced at twenty dollars per pound," Alex replied nonchalantly.
Upon hearing the price, the woman's eyes widened in shock. "Twenty dollars per pound? Are you serious?"
The woman's loud reaction caught the attention of others nearby, and they started looking at Alex with suspicion.
Alex coughed awkwardly and tried to justify, "Auntie, my vegetables are all organically grown with utmost care. They are not only healthy but also far more delicious than regular vegetables!"
"Twenty dollars per pound, even more expensive than meat! Are you trying to rob people here?" the woman retorted angrily, almost storming off.
Feeling helpless, Alex watched the woman walk away grumbling, secretly hoping she would change her mind.
"Why is it taking so long? Call her back!" a voice urged.
"Yeah, you want your produce to sell, right?"
Amid the pressure from the onlookers, Alex struggled to figure out what to do next. Just when the woman was getting impatient, she suddenly heard a melodic male voice singing softly.
"Alright, wait a moment..."
Hearing the sweet voice, the woman's triumphant expression surfaced as she thought, "Hehe, finally, he's willing to negotiate!"