After listening to Leo's advice, Kaya's father began to seriously consider the proposal. This unexpected turn of events made the 14-year-old Usopp fall into deep thought...
Was he really that capable?
As someone with very low self-esteem, this newfound recognition felt strange and unfamiliar to him. Even after witnessing a vision of the future, he couldn't believe that the person he saw was himself.
Meanwhile, Kaya's father was deep in contemplation, assessing the feasibility of Leo's plan. Despite his current wealth, which made him appear as the richest person in the room, much of his fortune was tied up in fixed assets. The liquid cash he could immediately access amounted to only about 1 billion Baileys.
To others, this might seem like a fortune.
But Kaya's father knew better. This 1 billion Baileys was the result of decades of hard work. As a seasoned businessman, he understood that business was not about a single transaction but about building long-term sustainability. Sure, he could make a 1 billion Bailey deal now, but what about the future? Would he have to wait another decade to accumulate wealth again?
Even with the special powers he might gain from such a transaction, they wouldn't make him instantly rich. From Leo's earlier words, it was clear to him...
Dimensional merchants were businessmen too, and like any good businessman, they valued repeat customers. That's why Leo held Usopp in such high regard. Because in the future, Usopp would be capable of conducting even more significant transactions.
Given the current situation, partnering with Usopp, who had a promising future, was indeed the smartest choice for a small-time businessman in the East Blue Sea like himself!
"Lord Leo, I understand your point!"
Having thought it through, Kaya's father looked up and then turned his gaze to Usopp, speaking with the kindness of an elder:
"Usopp, what do you think of Lord Leo's proposal?"
"If you agree to serve as the security consultant for the Kaya Chamber of Commerce, I'll convene our board immediately to explain the situation and have the Chamber support you as our spokesperson for dimensional transactions."
"This..."
Usopp was momentarily stunned.
The sudden responsibility was overwhelming, and his first instinct was to refuse.
But at that very moment, Leo, who had anticipated this reaction, interjected:
"Mr. Long Nose, before you decide, I think you should take a look at this first..."
With a snap of his fingers, Leo displayed the information of an item on Rotom's tablet screen.
Leo knew that Usopp's future strength stemmed from his sense of responsibility.
With Usopp's current timid and insecure mentality, it would be nearly impossible for him to realize his full potential. Therefore, Leo had to give him something to push him forward—a strong incentive, so to speak.
And that strong incentive was his ultimate trump card: the Ho-Oh Feather!
---
[Ho-Oh Feather]
Effect: A magical item with the power of resurrection, capable of reshaping the body for the soul of the deceased.
*Price:* 50,000 points
*Purchase Requirements:* VIP2 or higher
---
The atmosphere in the room froze once more.
Even though they had been stunned multiple times today, the revelation of the Ho-Oh Feather left them speechless.
A feather with the power of resurrection...
Those words alone made Usopp's heart skip a beat. The thought of resurrection struck a deep chord within him. He could never forget his mother's final moments—the greatest woman in the world, who smiled and told him to live happily.
"Is this... real, Lord Leo!?"
A burning passion ignited in Usopp's heart.
Suddenly, he found a purpose to strive for, his eyes locked on the Ho-Oh Feather displayed on the screen. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, glowing like glass and radiating a spectrum of colors.
"Of course," Leo replied confidently, though his tone remained calm.
"But, Mr. Long Nose, I must remind you..."
"The Ho-Oh Feather can only reshape a body if the soul is present. If the person has been dead for a long time, you'll need to pay additional points to extradite the soul from the underworld."
"The longer the person has been dead, the more points you'll need to pay."
"So, if there's someone you want to bring back, it's best to start accumulating points as soon as possible."
"The powers of the other world are truly miraculous!" Kaya's father muttered, full of admiration.
Usopp quickly did the mental math in his head...
50,000 Baileys equaled 1 point, and the Ho-Oh Feather cost 50,000 points, translating to 2.5 billion Baileys.
And that didn't even include the cost of extraditing a soul.
With his current abilities, raising such an enormous sum seemed impossible.
Thousands of thoughts raced through Usopp's mind.
Finally, he looked up, his long nose trembling nervously, and addressed Kaya's father:
"Uncle, I..."
"No need to say more, Usopp." Kaya's father suddenly smiled, as if he already knew what Usopp was going to say. He stepped forward and patted Usopp's shoulder affectionately.
"Please, allow me to welcome you as our new security consultant!"
"..."
Usopp's eyes welled up with tears, "Please... please guide me!"
---
Half an hour later...
Usopp signed a formal employment contract with Kaya's father. Under Leo's supervision, he officially became an employee of the Kaya Chamber of Commerce.
Afterward, Kaya's father led Leo and Usopp to his bedroom.
He opened two large safes hidden behind his wardrobe.
In an instant, Usopp's eyes widened, stunned by the sight of gold bricks and piles of Baileys.
For the first time, he understood just how wealthy someone could be!
This was the kind of wealth he had never imagined possible.
Kaya's father smiled and explained calmly:
"Lord Leo, one of the unopened safes contains property certificates and land deeds—all assets under the Kaya Chamber of Commerce, but they cannot be converted into cash."
"The other two safes contain gold and cash. I'm entrusting all of this to you, Usopp."
As he said this, Kaya's father looked at Usopp sincerely.
Since the system required private property for point exchanges, Kaya's father needed to genuinely transfer ownership of these assets to Usopp for the transaction to proceed smoothly.
"Uncle..."
Usopp was overwhelmed with emotion.
In their earlier discussion, they had agreed that to help Usopp grow faster, half of the points earned from these assets would belong to Usopp personally, while the other half would be used by Kaya's father.
Had this been the old Usopp, he would never have accepted such a generous gift.
But now, knowing there was a chance to resurrect his mother, he put aside his pride and gratefully accepted the support.
He made a vow to himself...
After bringing his mother back, he would dedicate himself wholeheartedly to the Kaya family!
A man's loyalty is to his friends. Even if he might become someone great in the future...
That was in the future!
For now, with Kaya's father supporting him this much, he was determined to repay that trust.
Taking a deep breath, Usopp nodded firmly and gave Kaya's father a reassuring look.
Turning to Leo, he said:
"Lord Leo, please help me exchange all of these for points!"
"As you wish~"
Leo, who had been waiting for this moment, smiled.
With a wave of his hand, the gold and cash in the two safes disappeared as if by magic.
Leo's grin widened as he saw the system's point total increase by over 10,000.
A Rotom phone appeared in his palm and slowly floated toward Usopp.
"Congratulations, Usopp," Leo announced, raising his voice.
"Your points have exceeded 2,000, and you've successfully upgraded to a VIP Level 2 member of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce."
"This is your exclusive VIP Level 2 benefit—a Rotom mobile phone."
"Level 2 member!?"
Usopp and Kaya's father's eyes both lit up with excitement as they gazed at the floating Rotom phone.
"I didn't realize my savings were worth so much!" Kaya's father murmured.
He had been worried that gold might depreciate and wouldn't reach 100 million Baileys.
But the Level 2 membership proved that the exchanged value of the materials had indeed exceeded 100 million Baileys!
Suppressing his joy, Usopp quickly took the Rotom phone.
Having watched the previous introduction animation, he was already familiar with its functions. He navigated to his personal information interface and clicked to view it.
A sleek, user-friendly interface appeared instantly:
---
[Go D. Usopp]
*VIP Level:* 2
*VIP Experience:* 2022/10,000
*Current Points:* 2022
---
A mix of awe and determination washed over Usopp as he stared at the screen.
(End of this chapter)