[Calculating…]
[For this morning sales, you sold approximately 103 fried chickens, earning 1,545 pesos. Including tips and kept change, your total earnings amounted to 1,600 pesos.]
[After processing the sales and applying the appropriate rewards, you have been granted: 10,000 pesos]
...
When he looked at the amount of money he had earned, it was quite low. He only had fifty-six thousand on him now.
"It's less than before," he muttered, recalling his first reward.
Still, he had to make it work. With that in mind he decided to take a taxi, since he did not know where the city was.
From the memories of this body, he realized that the previous owner had simply wandered from place to place, leaving him with no clear idea of where to go.
After hailing a taxi, the driver told him the fare would be about one thousand pesos, which he found suspiciously expensive.
However after looking around, he saw that there were no other taxis in sight. Noticing his hesitation, the driver sneered.
"Kid, if you don't want to get in then don't. I'm leaving if you waste another second," he said rudely.
John frowned but decided to compromise in the end since he was in a hurry. Seeing how timid he looked as he got in, the driver knew he had struck it big.
This kid was clearly from some remote place, and tricking him would earn easy money.
John did not pay yet but instead, he called out to the system and issued a quest.
"I want to go to the city to buy a laptop and other necessities."
...
Quest: Tools of the Future
Description: To move forward, the host must acquire the proper tools needed to grow and adapt in the modern city.
Objective: Go to the city and purchase a laptop and other essential items.
Reward: 5× Rebate on All Purchases Made During the Quest.
...
When he saw the system reward, he was delighted. Did this mean that as long as he spent money, he would earn five times the amount in return?
It was an incredible reward. If he spent everything, he would earn back two hundred eighty thousand pesos, nearly a quarter of a million.
After an hour that is slowed down by traffic, he finally paid the driver, who was smiling from ear to ear.
However, when he looked at the kids face and saw a smile even wider than his own, he was completely baffled.
"This kid might be stupider than I thought, too bad I should've asked for more. Well, at least I earned extra thanks to this greenhorn," the driver muttered as he drove away.
John looked at the mall in front of him and was surprised by how large it was. The place was called Super Mall, and the people going in and out were dressed fashionably and neatly.
In contrast, his own clothes made him look like a beggar, but he did not care since he was on a quest.
With that in mind, he walked inside. As soon as he stepped through the entrance, the security guard hesitated, unsure of what to do.
Since beggars were not allowed inside the mall, the security guard hesitated. However, when John showed his ID, the guard assumed it was some kind of new fashion style and let him pass.
Because of his worn-out clothes that made him look like a beggar, and especially his unkempt hair, he quickly became the center of attention.
All eyes were on him which made him uncomfortable, but he chose not to care and continued on his way.
After checking the mall directory, he saw that the place he was looking for was on the third floor.
He took the escalator, and the people kept at least five feet away from him. Some even covered their noses while fanning the air with their hands.
"No way I smell that bad," he muttered.
So he tried to sniff himself and realized he was not really that smelly. These people were just overreacting.
Shaking his head, he decided to mind his own business. Soon, he arrived at a shop that sold phones, computers, and various electronics.
[EGO] - shop's name.
When he went inside no one came to greet him, even though in this kind of shop, staff usually welcomed every customer.
Just then another person entered, he was dressed neatly, and two of the staff members immediately stepped forward.
"Hello, sir. Good morning and welcome to EGO," one of the staff said promptly, stepping ahead with a professional smile.
"We just got new arrivals this week sir, if you want to know. Some models are freshly stocked and very popular," the second staff added immediately.
"If you're looking for something for work or studies, we have laptops that are very good for office use," the first continued, already gesturing toward a display.
"And right now sir, we have ongoing discounts, especially if you pay in cash or through our partner banks," the other said nodding eagerly.
"This model here is one of our best sellers, it is very reliable and affordable," the first staff said, while showing the device.
"If the price is a concern sir, we also offer installment plans, you can pay monthly with very low interest," the second followed up.
"We can help you apply for a loan today sir, approval is fast, sometimes within the same day," the first added smoothly.
"And if you use our store card sir, you can get additional rebates and freebies," the second chimed in.
"This one is newly released last year sir, many professionals choose this model," the first said confidently.
"If you want, sir, we can also include software packages and…" The two staff members kept talking nonstop, making John watch the scene with a sense of unfairness.
As for the other customer, his ears began to buzz from all the chatter. Feeling dissatisfied with the service, John eventually left.
Some of the staff noticed him leaving, but none of them cared.
"Truly befitting the name EGO," John muttered under his breath as he walked into another shop called 'WELCUM'.
He did not know what the name represented, but he was only there to buy something, so he went inside.
As soon as he entered, a man approached quickly with his hands clasped together. His smile was bright, and there was no hint of disgust in his expression as he looked at John.
"Good morning, sir. May I ask what you are looking for?" he said.
John thinking that he will received the same attitude was surprised by the man's gentle greeting. He looked to be around the same age as him, perhaps about twenty or slightly older.
His gaze shifted slightly, and he noticed a staff member and a cashier having a conversation.
Their voices could still be heard even though they were whispering to each other.
"Hah, look at him," the cashier whispered, covering her mouth as she leaned closer.
"Holes in his clothes, hair like he hasn't seen a comb in weeks, what is he even doing in a shop like this."
The staff snorted quietly as he looked at John coldly. It felt like John did something bad to her to make her act so coldly to him.
"Probably just looking around and wasting our precious time, those kinds never buy anything," he said glancing briefly at John before looking away.
"Poor guy doesn't even know that the lowest items here cost more than his entire outfit."
"Yeah," the cashier replied.
"Haha, it's really funny that you give that job to the newbie, he is very unlucky, hehe you are really bad for wasting that newbies time." the cashier giggled
"He'll learn soon enough," the staff said with a smirk.
"People like that only ask questions then leave without buying, thinking they can bargain like it's the wet market."
The cashier shook her head and amused, "Look at his hands, no watch, no phone worth mentioning, even his shoes look worn out. You can even hypothesize that his a beggar rather than a human"
"Bet he's just here to feel what it's like to enter a proper store," the staff muttered.
"Those types always dream big but never have the money."
"Poor newbie," the cashier added mockingly.
"First day and already stuck with a beggar customer."
Both of them laughed softly, unaware that every word was clearly heard by both John and the man.