Yawn!
I can hardly even keep my eyes open anymore; it seems like the fatigue of the entire day has finally caught up with me. Though it is expensive, perhaps I should just call a taxi. He ultimately decided not to do it since, while he now had money, he would rather utilize it for something more useful and not waste it.
When he exited the store, it was pitch black, yet there was still a lot going on in the city; people were strolling into clubs and going to parties. Lucien chose to ignore it and shut out his surroundings.
He did not want to wait for the bus, so he walked home and thought about some things on his way. Normally it would have taken him twenty minutes to get to his apartment, but this time it had taken him more than an hour.
He entered his tiny apartment and collapsed onto his bed; although all he wanted to do was drift off to sleep, he talked himself out of it by convincing himself to at least get dressed before turning over again.
Not much time passed before he fell asleep. The following morning, he awoke early despite his desire to sleep in, as he had a full schedule for the day.
To be honest, he was anxious and uncomfortable the entire day because he did not have enough money for rent and would soon receive a bill for his hospital visit, which would most likely be very expensive. He was constantly concerned if he had enough money. On top of the stress he was already experiencing from wanting to complete the mission, he was constantly estimating how much he would require.
His wounds were healing quickly, but he still needed a few days before he could begin exercising regularly, so he completed his daily mission quickly—just the recovery one. He was able to walk more easily and perform some simple exercises for the time being, but nothing more. He feared that his wound would reopen.
After taking a quick shower, he headed to a nearby electronics store, where he spent a total of $4799 on the most efficient laptop and a new phone. It was unusual for him to be able to afford to spend so much money, so he felt a little strange. The store owner was also taken aback because, given Lucien's tattered and worn-out appearance, he had assumed that, at most, he would purchase something for $10 when he first entered.
Fortunately, he had not been rude, or else he would have lost a big customer that day. He had once again learned that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
After that, Lucien visited a nearby clothes store. He purchased multiple outfits for various occasions and even some formal wear.
He knew that in order to alter how other people perceived him, he should first alter his appearance now that he had the money.
Given that he had just a little over $250 in his bank account a few days prior, the $6849 he had spent on all of his purchases represented a significant sum of money for him.
Though he felt a little uncomfortable spending so much money, he chose to overlook his discomfort because he needed the things he purchased.
After finishing, he picked up all of the bags and made his way back to his apartment. He had also considered moving to a larger apartment, but for the time being he wanted to save wherever he could.
He returned to his bed, took out the laptop and phone he had purchased, and swiftly put them up. Fortunately, Lucien had saved all of his contacts and important documents to the cloud, so he was spared the loss of all his data. He quickly messaged everyone he knew, informing them of his new phone number and that he had misplaced his phone.
After configuring his phone, he took one more step. After much thought, he decided to give his aunt and uncle $1,000. He understood that if he sent them too much, they would reject it, nevertheless he would have rather sent them even more. But, because of this, he decided to only send them $1000; he was still concerned that they would reject it and return it, claiming that he should spend it himself, but he would still try. To persuade them otherwise, he would have to see or conceive about something else.
Some replied to his message as soon as he sent it, but Lucien ignored them for the time being.
Then he realized all of a sudden that he had forgotten to check his inventory the previous evening. He went to check, and sure enough, there was something; beside the convenience store's ownership contract, he noticed a little chest. It was described as a lootbox.
He quickly took it out; from the outside, it looked similar to the box that he got when he opened up the starter pack; the only difference was that it was decorated with gold in the corners.
When he opened it, a system message emerged, followed by the chest disappearing and particles rising up.
`System Alert: Lootbox (Golden) opened
Congratulations! You have received the following rewards:
A complete Menu
Investment Cheque ´
He quickly retrieved both from the inventory and looked at the menu, which at first glance appeared to be no different from any other menu—that is, until he realized that every meal listed on it was something he had never heard of. Having studied the menu, he knew for sure that it was intended for a cafe.
He also observed that it had multiple additional sides connected, each of which included directions on how to prepare the dishes and a list of ingredients that had to be employed. He was pleased that the directions were simple to follow because it would be useful if he ever wanted to work in the culinary industry.
He then shifted his attention back to the investment check; as soon as he saw the number displayed, he was utterly stunned, and his eyes grew wide. "What? $42.892, Wow, This much??! I definitely didn't expect it to be this much."
His heart was beating wildly, but after some time he calmed down. Up until now, he had not believed that Gold Grade was high, but now he was not so sure anymore. It was more likely to believe that this mission had received a high rating because these were some pretty decent rewards.
Probably, because of his injuries, the time limit, as well as his lost phone, he even had almost no way to contact anyone. It struck him then that this mission was difficult. Without Tom, who he could rely on, and without a well-thought-out plan, he would have surely failed this assignment. Of course, luck also played a significant role.
'Considering I have 84 Points, of which I believe 100 is probably the maximum, it appears like I have rather decent luck.' Therefore, it would be rather strange if he had bad luck.
He noticed a new screen appear out of nowhere.
`System Alert: New Missions
You triggered two new missions.
They are available in your mission tab. ´
He switched to the mission tab, where he saw the two new missions.
`Mission 1: Rebranding Mission
Grade: Gold
Objective:
Successfully rebrand the convenience store "Bargain Bin Mart" into "Global Delights Market" within 30 days.
Rewards:
Enhanced Store Image
+100 Exp
Time Limit:
30 days
Bonus Objectives:
Complete the rebranding within 20 days for an additional 50 Exp
Increase foot traffic by 30% within the rebranding period for an additional 50 Exp
Achieve positive media coverage (local news or popular blogs) for an additional 30 Exp
Accept Mission? [Yes] [No] ´
'This mission appears to have a lower grade than the last one, but since I have more time this time, I will be more at ease. Well, now that I think about it, the rebranding will need some time, so 20 days is actually a pretty short time. If I want to achieve that, I would need to start with the changes as soon as possible. Let's see what the other mission is about.'
`Mission 2: Popularity Boost and Stabilization Mission
Grade: Platinum
Objective:
Increase the popularity and stabilize the new concept of "Global Delights Market" by hosting a series of successful events and achieving a significant social media presence within 60 days.
Rewards:
Increased Customer Loyalty
+200 Exp
Time Limit:
60 days
Bonus Objectives:
Host 5 successful themed events with an average attendance of 100 people for an additional 50 Exp
Achieve 10,000 social media followers across all platforms for an additional 50 Exp
Accept Mission? [Yes] [No] ´
'This mission is definitely more difficult, but still manageable. The bonus objectives are what seem to be a little more tricky. Hmm, a 60-day duration is neither short nor long; I will need to manage my time wisely.'
He read the missions several times before he began to plan; he had several ideas that he could use if he did them right, but he would need to assess their probability of success since they would need some time to realize.
He also got several concept ideas after reading the new name that the system gave to the convenience store. The word that stuck to him most in it was 'global.' He had noticed it before but never actually thought much of it.
Starcity didn't have many shops that offered foreign products, not even products from other cities; that was also one of the reasons why he was really shocked when he first saw the inventory list of the convenience store.
Ultimately, he made the decision to take advantage of this and utilize the convenience shop to introduce Starcity residents to goods from Ardenvale and other cities, and perhaps even foreign countries.
Lucien quickly went to work and made a draft for his idea. He then began to think about the changes that he needed to make to the shop itself to not only make it more appealing but also more practical. It was currently way too packed, with products that had bad quality or weren't even usable.
Luckily, he had decided to close the shop for today, after yesterday's event. But he would still need to go there today to make some measurements as well as accept delivery of products that he had ordered. For now, he had only bought the products with the help of the contacts that were listed in the contract, but he would soon need to use his own connections to get what he needed.
Although the contracts were still usable for some time, he would need to change some conditions, and he would also find it better to know the providers himself since they would be more trustworthy.
He would have much to do today, but he didn't mind at all. Then, even though he now had even more work than before, it was to improve his own business. So, he didn't mind at all; he was rather happy, actually. He wouldn't be dependent on others but only himself.
He scribbled some more notes down before he left his apartment. He was now on his way to the store; he took the bus, and since it was only a short distance away, he soon arrived.
When he wanted to open the shop to get inside, he was stopped by a middle-aged lady; he recognized her. She was a customer from yesterday; she had complimented his shop and promised to give the store a good review.
"Hello, are you the owner of this shop? Can I ask you a question?" The lady cautiously asked; she was unsure and didn't want to be impolite, but she was quite curious.
"Yeah, I'm the owner; ask ahead. No need to be so nervous." He answered her and smiled politely.
"Then can I ask you when the shop is going to open back up? When I came this morning to buy something, I noticed the announcement sheet on the door and noticed that there wasn't a date on when it would open back up. I was a little disappointed and feared that it meant that it was going to be closed permanently. Although I was here the first time yesterday, I really liked the products that were being sold and wanted to buy some more."
"You don't need to worry, ma'am. To be honest, I just took over the shop from someone else and wanted to change some things before opening it back up. I will soon hang up a notice of an exact date that the store would open back up."
"Oh, really? I'm glad. Then I won't take up any more of your time and wait for the notice to be hung up. Have a nice day."
"Thank you. You too." Lucien spoke to her before going into the store; he smiled brightly; it seemed like he already had made some loyal customers. He hadn't really thought that this would be the case, but he was happy nonetheless, maybe even more since it showed that his shop had a good chance of becoming even more successful.
Once he was inside, he went to the small storage space in the back and measured it. He would need to know how much space he had, but he quickly noticed that it probably wouldn't be enough and that he would need to search for a bigger storage unit. Afterward, he also measured the rest of the shop.
'Hmm, I definitely need to hire new personnel as soon as possible, and it will take quite some time to show them how everything works, including the details that they would need to know about the products in the shop.
In the end, it was already dark when he locked the doors to the store, but it wasn't that late, so he decided to eat out this time in a small restaurant that was nearby. It was an old and small family business that was his favorite; he believed that they sold the best noodles in the whole of Starcity.
He quickly arrived and sat down at one of the tables; there was only one other person there, and he quickly greeted the owner, "Hello, Aunty. Can I have the same as always? Extra spicy, please."
"Oh, Lucien, is that you?" When she first saw him, she didn't directly recognize him since he was wearing completely different clothes than usual.
"Yeah, Aunty," Lucien answered.
"How are you, dear? I haven't seen you in quite some time. Are those new clothes? You also look healthier. Did something good happen?" She asked him in a warm tone before noticing the changes.
"I'm good, Aunty. And yeah, something good happened, which is why I'm here to celebrate today." Lucien smiled brightly and laughed heartily.
"What a good thing to hear; then the noodles will be on the house today, as a small gift, from me." She laughed as well and looked at him with a motherly smile.
Lucien quickly tried to deny it and wanted to pay for his meal, but the owner wouldn't let him.
This was one of the first restaurants that he tried when he first arrived in Starcity; he even hadn't got enough money on that day, but the owner still gave him something to eat. She cared for him as if he were her child, and he sensed the warmth. Eventually, he began referring to her as Aunty, which made the owner very happy. Now that he thought about it, it was probably already more than 4 years ago.
When Lucien arrived home in the evening, he checked all of his messages and had a few little conversations. Lizzie, for example, had told him about her streaming and urged him to watch her when she went live. His aunt and uncle simply informed him that they were relieved to be able to contact him again and advised him to take care of himself. He messaged a few more friends before going to bed.