Chapter 450: My Gosh! This is so Delicious!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The master of the Liu family was filled with anger immediately!
Who the hell are all these people?
This kind of attitude is outrageous! They will never succeed in business with this kind of attitude!
After snorting coldly and wearing a gloomy expression, he went directly to the counter with his Spirit Stones.
The soldier of the Snow City who was responsible for taking orders also imitated Xu Que's style. With a deadpan face, he said listlessly, "What do you want?"
The master said, "Grilled Chicken Burger!"
The order-taking soldier said, "Single order?"
The master said, "Yes!"
The order-taking soldier said, "Do you want a coke?"
The master said, "No!"
The order-taking soldier said, "What about a french fry?"
The master said, "No!"
The order-taking soldier said, "Altogether that will be five hundred thousand low-grade Spirit Stones. Eat-in or take-out?"
The mouth of the master twitched. "I will eat here!"
The order-taking soldier nodded his head. After a few operations, he collected the Spirit Stones. Then he turned around to prepare the burger.
The materials had been personally prepared by Xu Que. The order-taking soldier only needed to pack the burger in paper. Then he casually handed the burger to the master of the Liu family.
The onlookers kept shaking their heads to express their dissatisfaction.
Regardless of whether it is delicious or not, can such a simple meal really lead to the breakthrough of a minor cultivation stage? It must be a complete lie!
The face of the master was quite gloomy. Before, he had still held a glimmer of hope, but now he was totally disappointed after seeing that the food had been served so casually.
He believed that he had definitely been fooled. Now he was even feeling a little bit regretful that he had acted so impulsively.
However, he had placed the order already, and he would be embarrassed if he had to ask for a refund in front of an audience.
After receiving the hot burger, the master peeled off the wrapping paper. The fantastic smell of meat wafted into his nose; suddenly his appetite spiked.
The onlookers were eager to know whether the effect of this burger was real, and all tightly fixed their eyes on him.
"You will be able to feel the effect after eating the burger," Xu Que reminded him slowly at that moment.
The master said nothing more. At most, this would teach him a lesson about getting fooled, even if it had been purchased for five hundred thousand Spirit Stones!
Puff!
He opened his mouth and took a bite of the burger.
The next moment, the master's eyes widened in disbelief.
The delicious taste, including the scorching aroma of the grilled chicken and the sweet-and-sour tang of the salad dressing, tickled his taste buds instantly. He suddenly felt very hungry!
My gosh! This is way too delicious!
The master was shocked. As an expert of the Infant Transformation Stage, he had been fasting for a long time and hadn't eaten anything for many years.
But this simple burger, which was so ordinary in appearance, had become so attractive to him.
"Lord Liu, how is the burger?" someone in the crowd asked at that moment.
The onlookers were quite curious as to whether the burger was delicious or not. Why did Lord Liu seem so emotionally moved?
However, the master had no time to answer the question. He devoured the burger quickly. It seemed as if he was still longing for more.
"It is so…" He was about to praise this delicious food.
All of a sudden, a mysterious force gushed out from his Dantian and rushed through his body, roaring like a tsunami.
"What?" The master was totally shocked.
He didn't have enough time to think more. The next moment, he sat down on the ground with his legs crossed and started to draw that force in with cultivation arts.
Boom!
After a few breaths, a formless airwave gushed out from his body. Then he opened his eyes suddenly with brand new momentum. His eyes were even clearer than before.
Level 3 of the Infant Transformation Stage!
"Did… I make it?" The master murmured to himself. His mind remained unclear for a while.
Did I break the bottleneck which has entangled me for so many years?
Did I create a breakthrough with just one meat burger?
…
All of the onlookers were also dumbfounded!
All of them had sensed the change in the master.
"Level 3…of the Infant Transformation Stage!"
"How…how could this be possible?"
"My God! He really realized a breakthrough to the next stage!"
"This is even more effective than the Great Clarity Green Water Pill! It is a pity that we can only eat one in our lifetime!"
"This is marvelous!"
Everyone was exclaiming with disbelief.
This miracle that they had witnessed had almost renewed their outlook on life!
Whoosh!
The master of the Liu family stood up immediately and looked at Xu Que excitedly. Then he said with immense gratitude, "Thank you, General Zhuge! I apologize to you for my words and deeds just now."
After finishing his words, he even made a bow to Xu Que.
Xu Que waved his hand calmly. "Don't mention it. It's just business."
"General Zhuge, in any case, I really appreciate you this time. After making the breakthrough, I even broke my bottleneck. Here are five million Spirit Stones. I want to buy another ten burgers like these for the elders of my family who are still entangled by their bottlenecks," The master said excitedly.
His breakthrough this time could greatly promote the status of his family.
If the other elders could also make breakthrough, a complete transformation would happen in his family, and their status would also be promoted remarkably.
Therefore, a few million Spirit Stones was cheap and cost-effective if it produced such a result.
Seeing this, the onlookers could hardly stand still.
Holy shit! This is for real!
Marvelous food like this really exists in this world!
It doesn't matter yet how many times we can eat it in our lives… let's buy it first.
All at once, many onlookers rushed into the store and gathered in front of the counter. Then they started to shout loudly, "I will also buy ten burgers!"
"Me too!"
"I will buy three burgers!"
"I will buy five burgers!"
"Shit, don't push me!"
…
Instantly the store was in chaos.
At this moment, Xu Que stood up with a smile and shouted, "Guys, it's late now. We will close the store. Those who want to buy burgers should come earlier tomorrow!" After saying that, he stopped smiling, turned around and shouted at the counter, "Tidy up and prepare to close the store!"
Hearing that, everyone in the store was totally surprised.
"What the hell?"
"Are they going to close the store now?"
"No, General Zhuge, let me buy several burgers first."
"Yeah, you can't close the store after selling just one burger!"
"Please! Let us buy some burgers first!"
…
A lot of people were imploring him wryly. They were cultivators who had been stuck in their current stage for many years, and most of them had lost hope in making breakthrough.
But now they had found hope! Their long-lasting problem could be solved with only five hundred thousand Spirit Stones! Now Xu Que was their savior.
However, Xu Que refused resolutely. "Just go! This is an enterprise with a conscience. We open at nine in morning and close at five in evening. We always close on time! We never work overtime."
"Please don't do that! General Zhuge, please calm down. How about increasing the price to one million for one burger?"
"Right! We are okay with you increasing the price!"
All the other onlookers nodded.
Xu Que didn't change his mind. "That's not going to happen! What do you take me for? Am I an unscrupulous merchant who would increase his prices arbitrarily? Credibility is key to business. The price of one burger is five hundred thousand, and it will not be changed. So, save your words. It is useless to stay here. Just go!"
"This…" All the onlookers were tongue-tied and wearing gloomy expressions.
Expressions of regret appeared in the faces of many people. They harbored resentment in their hearts as they cursed themselves for having hesitated.
Before such a great temptation, none of them could wait to come back the next day.
However, they had not expected Xu Que to be so resolute and upright by rejecting their purchase requests, even when they had suggested increasing the price.
Due to his reputation as well, the onlookers dared not force Xu Que to sell them the burgers. Finally, all of them shook their heads and sighed.
"Alas!"
"Never mind. Let's come back earlier tomorrow."
The onlookers turned around and walked to the gate ruefully.
Whoosh!
Just at that moment, a figure skimmed over suddenly.
The onlookers were surprised. Then they found it was Xu Que standing at the gate.
His expression had changed. With a smile on his face, he winked and said, "Sir, do you need a membership card? With the membership card, you will be able to order your food immediately."
…
Chapter 451: A Sea of People
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Membership card?
Hearing this, everyone was confused.
Xu Que smiled. "You have all come at a good time today. Since today is the first day, you can all have a membership card for only ten million Spirit Stones. Anyone who has a membership card will become a VIP at McDonald's of Exploding Heavens Faction. You can order anytime you want, and we will provide you with the best service twelve hours per day."
What?! A membership card that costs ten million Spirit Stones of low quality? You can't force a high price like this! Since you are a businessman, you should be decent and sensible!
Everyone was speechless.
Just a few moments ago, Xu Que had said that his company was one with integrity. Now he was saying that one could buy a hamburger whenever they liked, on the condition that they had a membership card which would cost ten million Spirit Stones of low quality.
"There is no time for you to hesitate. Follow your hearts and buy the card!" Xu Que shouted.
Hesitate? Follow my heart and buy your card? Shut the f*ck up!
"Remember, the number of membership cards is limited, it will be sold out by the end of the day!"
Hearing this, some people in the crowd decided to buy it.
In particular, the master of Liu family thought he could make some sort of profit from this.
If what the young man said about the burger is true, there will be many people coming to buy it after tomorrow. Since the number of membership cards available is limited, if I have one, I can have the burger earlier than those who do not have the membership card. I can buy a huge amount of them and sell them to others for a higher price. I am sure I can make a huge profit!
"It's getting late now. In ten seconds, the membership card will no longer be available. Ten, nine, eight, seven…" Xu Que started to count.
All of a sudden, many people became impatient. "Wait, wait, I want one!"
"Me too."
"I am the first one who wanted to buy it. Let me buy first, here are the ten million Spirit Stones of low quality."
"General Zhuge, I will ask my servant to fetch the Spirit Stones from home."
Suddenly, some people went back to their stores to fetch money. Some came forward to buy cards, and some hurriedly went back home to retrieve their Spirit Stones.
Most of the people stayed still, feeling rather jealous.
After all, ten million Spirit Stones was a huge sum of money for them. They had no choice but to come here tomorrow morning and buy one.
So far, Xu Que had only managed to sell one burger, but he had obtained over a hundred million Spirit Stones by selling membership cards.
Later, those who had bought membership cards also bought some burgers and french fries.
McDonald's of Exploding Heavens Faction did not close until late that that night.
Xu Que closed the door of his store and paid a visit to the surrounding stores, while carrying around a hundred million Spirit Stones of low quality with himself.
It would not be difficult to make two billion Spirit Stones with only one McDonald's of Exploding Heavens Faction, but to make that much money in five days was not an easy thing to do.
In fact, Xu Que never meant to rely solely on one store.
He wanted to establish a commercial kingdom to help him make enough money in a short time. He even had a name for this kingdom, which was 'Wanda Plaza of Exploding Heavens Faction'.
…
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Hey chap, open the door, I have come to check your water-meter... oh, wait, actually I came to ask if you would like to sell your store to me."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Hey, would you like to sell your store to me? I will buy it for a high price."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
…
Xu Que spent the whole night walking on the street and paying visits to all the stores along the street, as if he was doing some sort of campaign work.
At last, he spent all the money he had made earlier buying many stores.
Each of the stores cost him around two million. Some stores would be branches of the McDonald's of Exploding Heavens Faction. As for the rest of the stores, he had bought them simply to make investments.
Compared to people in the Cultivation World, Xu Que who had come from earth knew that investing in real estate would bring huge profits.
He knew that once he transformed the whole street into his commercial kingdom, the price of houses there would definitely roar.
…
Xu Que happily went back to the palace and rested, without waking anyone else.
He brought a burger and left it out for Buttface. After all, he had promised Buttface that he would treat him to a good meal.
Smelling the aroma, Buttface immediately woke up. He was so moved that he even cried. He promised that he would stick with Xu Que through thick and thin. He then ate the whole burger in one bite, as if he was afraid that Xu Que would take it away.
"Loser!" Xu Que went back to his room and slept.
…
The next day, in front of the McDonald's of Exploding Heavens Faction, huge number of people were standing in line.
Countless noblemen of the Imperial City had all gathered in front of the store after hearing about the hamburgers and french fries. Some people from the influential factions had come too.
As time passed, more and more people came. Soon, people filled the whole street.
Some people even wanted to buy places earlier in line, but no one was willing to sell their place.
"What's going on? Why on earth there are so many powerful and influential people here?" A random man was surprised when he saw this scene.
"They have come to wait for General Zhuge to open his store and buy his burgers and french fries."
"F*ck! What's really going on?"
"You know the master of the Liu family, right? He had been stuck at level 2 of the Infant Transformation Stage for almost thirty years, but amazingly, he reached the next level after eating the burger. This burger only costs five hundred thousand Spirit Stones of low quality."
"No way! This cannot be true!"
"If I am lying, then why are there so many people waiting to buy the hamburger?"
"I must go back and report this to my master."
…
Soon, the news spread throughout the whole Imperial City, and people came out from all areas.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The soldiers of the Snow City who were inside the store woke up at last, and were stunned by the crowd that greeted them when they opened the door.
"This is General Zhuge's store! Have you people come to loot?" a soldier asked.
"No, no, no. we have come to buy the burger!"
"I have come for the french fries."
"I want a Grilled Chicken Burger."
"I want three Grilled Chicken Burgers."
"Please sell one hamburger to me, I have got both my old parents and my children to feed."
…
Hearing this, the soldiers felt relieved. "Fine, stand in line. If anyone tries to cut in line, we will shut the door."
"Do not worry, we will behave ourselves."
"If anyone dares to cut in line, I will kill him."
"Yes, kill him!"
…
Chapter 452: What a Profiteer He is!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
That day, Xu Que didn't go to the store but kept on sleeping in the Imperial Palace.
He had told his underlings everything they needed to know. He didn't need to stay in the assembly line of a fast food store like McDonald's.
However, the Water Empress had heard the news about him.
A maidservant sent someone to buy a Grilled Chicken Burger and took it to the Water Empress.
The Water Empress was surprised by the food.
Could this stuffed bun really create a minor cultivation stage breakthrough for experts of the Infant Transformation Stage? She stared at the burger carefully, eyes filled with disbelief.
It was also a meal the Water Empress had never heard of before; and it could somehow bring about an effect that many potions were unable to produce.
It was extremely difficult to realize a breakthrough for each minor stage of the Infant Transformation Stage. Some people were trapped in a bottleneck their whole lives, never able to experience a breakthrough.
But now could this problem be easily solved by one ordinary, stuffed bun?
The Water Empress was quite surprised even though she had experienced an increase in Soul Strength by tasting the stinky tofu that had been prepared by Xu Que in the past.
The maidservant was also shocked. After receiving the message, she looked totally petrified for she had never expected Xu Que to be able to prepare such a marvelous meal, which was also so hot on the market.
"Your Majesty, your prophetic vision was awesome! General Zhuge really has great magic powers. Now there is a long queue outside his store. Even people from neighboring cities have come for his burger!" the maidservant couldn't help exclaiming.
Before, the maidservant had not believed what the Water Empress had said about Xu Que being a man who could create miracles. Now she was totally convinced.
The Water Empress smiled slightly and said nothing. She continued to fix her eyes on the burger in her hand and watched it carefully.
At this moment, the maidservant said carefully, "Your Majesty, now there are only four days left. Even though so many people are coming to buy his burger, it will still be very difficult for General Zhuge to earn over two billion Spirit Stones in such a short amount of time."
The Water Empress smiled wryly and shook her head. "Look at his personality, this little chap will never stop here. I'm afraid that he will make even more noise."
…
As expected, Xu Que woke up in the afternoon. He ran outside after changing his clothes.
He didn't go back to McDonald's of the Exploding Heavens Faction, but started to take a close look at the stores he had purchased last night. Finally, he chose two neighboring stores. Then he walked inside one of them and pulled down the partition wall with one punch.
After that, he started to renovate the store.
This time he improved the renovation class of the new store, so that it was much better than that of his McDonald's store.
Some passers-by heard the noise and were surprised.
"Look, General Zhuge is renovating a new store!"
"Could it be that he is opening another branch? This is really good news!"
"Yeah! If so, we won't need to stand in such a long queue!"
"General Zhuge is really nice! He always thinks about what's best for ordinary people!"
Everyone was excited and stopped outside the store. They were curious when this new store would be opened, so they wouldn't need to queue up for a long time.
After a while, the onlookers started to feel confused.
"It's strange. It seems this new store is different."
"Eh, obviously, the renovation style of this store is totally different from that of the McDonald's."
"It seems its renovation class has improved remarkably though. It looks very comfortable!"
"General Zhuge's technique is awesome! Look at the decorations, they are excellent!"
"This time the tables and chairs are wooden, which is quite similar to some of our stores."
"Right, this new store represents a more intimate and familiar environment."
Many people were complimenting the renovation of the new store.
However, some people started to shake their heads soon enough.
"I am afraid this kind of renovation will run counter to his objectives."
"Yeah, the more local the style is, the less the novelty will be!"
"Exactly! I'm afraid this time he has outsmarted even himself!"
"Although we have come here for the burgers and french fries, the environment is also very important! Everyone likes a good novelty. He will make a fool of himself if the business of the new store does not do as well as that of the old store."
A lot of people took a dim view of this renovation style.
Someone retorted, "If the store does not perform well enough, General Zhuge may open several more, which will solve all these problems!"
"That's impossible! Those burgers are marvelous, but one person can only eat one burger in their lifetime. It is not a permanent solution. Also, anyone who has already eaten a burger will not buy another, and there are many people who are not able to afford it as well. Opening up a lot more branches would be useless!"
"Don't worry! We can still buy french fries!"
…
People started to argue.
However, Xu Que just ignored the arguments and continued his renovation.
With the help of his True Core Strength and Soul Strength, the renovation progressed rapidly.
After several hours, Xu Que finished his renovations successfully.
When he hung the sign outside the store, all the onlookers were immediately shocked!
"Starbucks of the Exploding Heavens Faction?"
"What is the meaning of this name? Isn't it McDonald's?"
"Could it be that this store doesn't sell burgers?"
"My gosh! Look, the menu has been placed in the store."
"Ca…Cappuccino?"
"Vanilla Latte?"
"Caramel Macchiato?"
"Short – 1 million Spirit Stones; Grande – 1.5 million Spirit Stones; Venti – 2 million Spirit Stones. My god, these are the same sky-high prices as before!"
"Where are the effects? Why didn't he add the effects to the menu?"
"Right. What do Short, Grande and Venti stand for? Is there any difference between them?"
…
All at once, the onlookers outside the store started to complain and quarrel loudly.
They had thought Xu Que was going to open a branch of McDonald's, but they hadn't expected Xu Que to open a new store with a weird name that wasn't even catchy!
Even more frightening was the fact that the prices were very high, several times more expensive than the Grilled Chicken Burger. However, the effects of the commodities were not mentioned, evoking the curiosity of the onlookers very much.
Just at that moment, Xu Que walked out suddenly. He purchased a small blackboard from the System and hung it outside the door, with writing that read"
'This is an exclusive store for 'Diamond Members'. From now on, those who have spent over twenty million Spirit Stones in the 'McDonald's of the Exploding Heavens Faction' may come and claim their 'Diamond Membership' Card within three days.'
…
"Whoa!"
All of a sudden, the onlookers were in an uproar!
What the hell is that?
Only those who have spent twenty million Spirit Stones can purchase things at this store?
Damn! This is outrageous! This is definitely a rip-off!
Twenty million Spirit Stones… does that mean even those who have obtained a membership card for McDonald's will also have to spend another million to earn access to this store?
He is a profiteer, 100% a profiteer!
…
Soon the news spread.
Many people were dumbfounded after hearing that Xu Que had opened a new store to sell new delicacies.
But the next moment, they became so angry that they were about to spit blood when they heard that only Diamond Members who had spent twenty million Spirit Stones could enter the shop.
Holy shit! How could such an unscrupulous profiteer like him exist in this world?
This is annoying!
This is way too annoying!
…
That day, the news passed quickly from mouth to mouth.
The news of the Starbucks of the Exploding Heavens Faction spread all over the Imperial City, and surprised everyone.
However, people didn't know that Xu Que's money-making plan had just begun.
Chapter 453: I have to buy it
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
All of a sudden, everyone realized that the so-called membership card had just been a trap!
However, although they already knew that it was a trap, they still wanted to enter that trap.
After all, General Zhuge was the only person in this world who could make this miraculous burger.
…
A burger that could help one enter the next level only cost five hundred thousand Spirit Stones of low quality.
But without the membership card, it was impossible to buy one no matter how long you had waited.
It was said that a man had come very early that morning and was fifth in the line. Nevertheless, he still did not get the chance to buy a burger until late in the afternoon, since those who had membership cards could buy a burger without waiting. After all, the idea of the McDonald's was 'members first'.
Thus, in fact, a hamburger did not only cost five hundred thousand Spirit Stones of low quality—in reality, it cost ten million five hundred thousand Spirit Stones.
As soon as people realised this, some of them quickly went to buy membership cards, but failed to do so as the time period for purchasing it had already elapsed.
Those who had already bought the membership card felt extremely happy about their own foresight.
As for those who had not been able to buy membership cards, they were very anxious.
What's wrong with this world?! I have never met someone who doesn't like making money.
"Our General Zhuge is someone with principle," a soldier of the Snow City said.
…
Xu Que had been working for a long time and soon enough, he had built another shop, Starbucks. But this time, only those who were Diamond Members could enter it.
Those who had bought membership cards and tasted burger that had helped them enter a higher level could no longer resist the temptation.
To become a Diamond Member, one needed to use at least twenty million Spirit Stones of low quality at McDonald's.
Those who had bought membership cards already felt that it would be a real shame if they did not become Diamond Members, since they had already become members anyway.
"Yes, I want to become a Diamond Member."
"If I don't become a Diamond Member, I will be inferior to those who are."
…
That night, those members rushed into the store and paid another ten million Spirit Stones of low quality to become Diamond Members.
Meanwhile, those who had not had the chance to become members paid twenty million Spirit Stones to become Diamond Members.
After all, they had already known the advantages of being a member of the store. They could not possibly miss the chance to enjoy the privilege of being a Diamond Member.
"I have to go back and report this to my lord. We have to become Diamond Members."
"Go and tell the lord, I will get to the counter soon."
"Although I have no idea what benefits the commodities sold at Starbucks will bring, since they are all very expensive, I am sure I will not be let down."
"They must be even better than the french fries."
That night, McDonald's stayed open all night. Countless people were standing in line, waiting in front of the store and trying to become Diamond Members.
The soldiers of the Snow City were shocked by this scene and worked all night.
…
Meanwhile, in the Tian Liu Chamber of Commerce, there was a gathering taking place of many influential figures in the business world. They were all wearing serious expressions.
"That General Zhuge is really a genius!"
"Sustainable consumption, a trick we have never used before."
"I thought he was only good at fighting on the battlefield, it never occurred to me that he would also be so good at doing business."
"He is really scary."
"I admit he has done a great job, and we can do some research on the trick he has used. But it is still impossible for him to make two billion Spirit Stones in just a few days!"
"Yes, I have been told that he has only made six hundred million Spirit Stones over the past few days."
"So, are we going to give him more time? But if we do so, our reputation will be affected. If we do not, he might hold some grudge against us and become a threat."
"It's really hard to make a decision."
…
In the palace, the Water Empress was extremely surprised by Xu Que's doings.
"This little chap... is really a genius!"
She was confident that Xu Que could collect enough money easily, but she was still impressed by his idea of 'Diamond Members'.
She remarked, "Only he could come up with these wonderful ideas."
The maid standing next to her nodded.
…
At that moment, Xu Que was making all sorts of coffee at Starbucks. He did not care if the people in the Cultivation World would like the flavour of coffee—he only cared about making sure the coffee would have the effect it needed to have.
When he made the first cappuccino, Xu Que was shocked by the result. It could triple one's Soul Strength!
This effect was exactly what those refiners and alchemists would want.
When he made a vanilla latte, he was again surprised. Anyone who drank it would be able to divide his Soul Strength into two parts, and each part could control a certain object.
Plus, the bigger a cup was, the longer the effect would last.
In Xu Que's view, twenty million Spirit Stones was a reasonable price. This time, his target customers were mainly refiners and alchemists, or those from influential factions.
These people all shared a common trait—they all had a huge amount of Spirit Stones.
When Xu Que got the Starbucks in order, he began to teach a group of soldiers how to make coffee.
And later, he began to design his third store: Häagen-Dazs of Exploding Heavens Faction.
…
The very next day, the Starbucks opened.
As soon as the door opened, people with Diamond Membership cards swarmed into the store.
After they saw the benefits of each cup of coffee, they were stunned.
The food in the McDonald's could help one enter a higher level, but the coffee in the Starbucks could enhance one's Soul Strength.
"I have to buy it!"
Chapter 454: Knockoff of My Burger?
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
That day, a lot of spendthrift sects and families spent a lot of Spirit Stones in Xu Que's new store.
Each of them obtained Diamond Membership and bought over ten cups of coffee each for their alchemists and equipment refiners.
In one family, an alchemist was ready for potion refining.
He was a five-star alchemist. However, the success rate of his potion refining was not very high. Basically, when he finished refining one batch of potions, he would always need to take a break, as he would have consumed too much Soul Strength during the refining process.
However, this family was facing a great battle, so a lot of potions were needed.
The whole family was worried about the potions, had been considering inviting other experts to help. However, after hearing about this magical coffee that was extremely effective for Soul Strength, they bought the coffee without any hesitation.
Enhancing one's Soul Strength by three times was a precious thing for the alchemists and equipment refiners, even if the effects could only last for a day.
Now this alchemist was full of confidence.
"OK, bring me my cappuccino!"
The high-spirited alchemist drank up the coffee in one gulp. Then his Soul Strength rose sharply. Immediately, he began to refine his potions with fiery eyes.
Outside the Potion Refining House, the bigshots of the family nodded their heads in satisfaction.
"This Cappuccino is really worthwhile!"
"Someone go to the store and buy twenty cups of coffee with my Diamond Membership Card!"
…
In one sect, an equipment refiner was even tougher. After waving his hand, he drank one cappuccino and one vanilla latte right away. Then his Soul Strength increased remarkably. Meanwhile, he could split his attention between two tasks during the process of equipment refining.
All members of the sect were dumbfounded by its effects.
…
Similar things were happening in many other sects and families.
At the end of the day, although only a few people could enter Xu Que's Starbucks of the Exploding Heavens Faction, the total profit of Starbucks was much more than that of his McDonald's store.
The next day, a new sight was spotted in the Imperial City.
Young people of rich or official families bought a cup of coffee with the Diamond Membership cards of their elders. Then they started to hang out on the street, holding the coffee cup with the Starbucks logo in their hands.
Passers-by who recognized that logo were immediately moved, and started to toss envious glances at the holders.
"My gosh! Look, he is holding a cup of Starbucks coffee!"
"Incredible. His background must be formidable!"
"Someone who can afford a cup of Starbucks coffee must be extraordinary!"
People couldn't help exclaiming.
…
On a street, several beautiful young girls were taking a walk.
Suddenly, one of the girls stopped. Her eyes widened. Then she started to shout in surprise, pointing at a handsome passing boy.
"Wow, look! Isn't he a commoner? He has always been such a low-key person. I never expected him to be able to afford Starbucks of the Exploding Heavens Faction. He is so cool!"
Hearing that, the rest of the girls looked up. Soon they were fascinated by the boy's impressive poise and couldn't remain calm anymore.
…
Some young people of rich or official families were shocked by these scenes.
"What the hell? Can one be cool by just holding a cup of Starbucks coffee?"
"Go, get me Spirit Stones from home, I will also obtain a Diamond Membership!"
"Look at his arrogance! He's not the only one who can afford a cup of Starbucks coffee!"
"Exactly, I am going to obtain a Diamond Membership now."
…
Soon, another stampede of people rushed to the McDonald's to spend their Spirit Stones.
Some people who didn't want to wait in the queue just dropped twenty million Spirit Stones to obtain the Diamond Membership card without even waiting for the food.
The profit of the Starbucks of the Exploding Heavens Faction rocketed up instantly.
Two days had passed. One soldier of the Snow City made a rough calculation of the statistics, and realized they had made a net profit of 1.3 billion low grade Spirit Stones.
The figure was very impressive!
The same day, the Royal City was surprised by more startling news.
"My God! Have you heard that an expert, who used to be a Royal Chef in the Imperial Palace, was the one who worked out the recipe for the burger!"
"Shit! This can't be real! Can the recipe be worked out so easily?"
"It is for real. It is said that that expert used to be a famous Royal Chef. His sense of smell and taste are very powerful!"
"It seems something big will happen! With the emergence of competitors, it will be difficult for General Zhuge to maintain his business."
…
The Royal City was filled with uproar about the news. Everyone was talking about this issue.
Some young people from rich or official families stood up and said with cold smiles, "The Royal Chef has been co-invited by our Li family, Liu family and Ma family. Please rub your eyes and wait. We are about to succeed soon. When that happens, everyone will be able to eat burgers."
"This time we have spent over one hundred million Spirit Stones and have tried numerous ingredients. Finally, success is in sight."
…
Hearing that, people became even more excited.
Are they on the verge of success?
My gosh! It seems that we will all be able to eat burgers soon!
But these families are too bold. Aren't they afraid of being searched and having their materials confiscated by General Zhuge?
"We are not afraid of him. We believe the Water Empress is clear-sighted."
"This is a fair competition. If General Zhuge leads his troops to search our families and confiscate our properties, we will accept that! Doesn't the Imperial City have basic justice? And who would dare to come to this city again in future?"
People from those families spoke one after another.
…
Finally, the Water Empress was informed of this issue. Then she summoned Xu Que to the Palace personally.
"Little chap, don't make trouble please. When this issue is over, I will take care of those families." The Water Empress looked at Xu Que with a faint smile. She was really worried that Xu Que would go to search their families and confiscate their properties, which would embarrass her greatly.
However, Xu Que said anxiously, "No, why will you punish them? If they want to make burgers, just let them do that."
"Oh?" The Water Empress was stunned a bit. Why is this little chap changing his personality?
"Young lady, please be reassured, just stay in the Royal Palace. Tomorrow I will invite you to eat ice-cream. As for those guys, just leave them alone. I will also ignore them," Xu Que said with a generous smile. Then he left the Palace.
Are you studying my recipe?
You could never work out the recipe of the Act Tough King's burger easily!
Even if you could work out the recipe, then what?
Those effects had been enchanted by the System, and it was impossible for them to have a System.
Therefore, Xu Que felt quite assured, and wasn't afraid of the emergence of these competitors at all!
After leaving the Imperial Palace, Xu Que also sent word.
"Someone is imitating my face. Someone is imitating my expression. Now someone is copycatting my burger! It doesn't matter. They can enjoy their imitation. Their knock-offs are just shiny-boxes. If they can really create a burger with the same effect as mine, I will commit suicide by swallowing excrement!"
Hearing Xu Que's words, people of the Imperial City gasped in shock, hardly able to stay in their seats.
General Zhuge is really a tough guy!
He is so confident that he is even making an oath to commit suicide by swallowing excrement!
How can he be so sure that those families won't be able to work out the burger?
Immediately, people from those families gave their responses.
"General Zhuge, don't be so arrogant. We will work out the recipe today!"
"In one hour, you will see the result!"
"We will never fail!"
…
…
Chapter 455: You will pay for copying our business!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
They were extremely confident and believed they could make the same food as Xu Que with ease.
Many people in the Imperial City were drawn to the store that had been opened by the people of those influential factions, wanting to see them make the burger with their own eyes.
The people of those influential factions pulled the door right open, so their viewers could watch the former royal chef make the burger.
Bread, meat, vegetables and even salad dressing had been laid out on the table.
In less than half an hour, the chef managed to make a few burgers.
These burgers looked exactly like the ones made by Xu Que, both in appearance and ingredients.
"Now everyone, we have made the burgers. Next, a few young men in our faction will taste them. I am sure that they will be able to enter a higher level of cultivation!"
An influential figure came out, smiling.
A few men walked forward and each grabbed a burger, as did the chef.
They all took a deep breath and took big bites of their burgers.
"My god! It is really tasty!"
They wore expressions of satisfaction as they devoured the burger.
Even the viewers drooled over the sight of the burger.
Very quickly, the burgers were eaten up completely.
A few minutes passed, and nothing happened.
Fifteen minutes passed, still nothing happened.
Almost half an hour later, still nothing happened.
No one made any sound.
Obviously, the people from the influential faction had failed.
"No way! This is impossible! It tastes exactly like the burger made by Xu Que, why hasn't it helped them enter a higher level?" the chef groaned.
He had indeed made the burger, and he had done a great job!
But when Xu Que was making a burger, it was immediately granted magical powers due to his Chef skills. No one in the world would be able to do it apart from him.
"How could it be?" those from the influential factions exclaimed.
We have spent so many Spirit Stones on this, and this has cost us so much manual power! And we failed? It is so disgraceful!
Earlier, they had criticized Xu Que for being very arrogant, while in fact, they had been the ones who were arrogant.
…
Right at that moment, a soldier of Snow City was riding towards the store. He had been sent by Xu Que to deliver his condolences.
"On behalf of the people in the Imperial Palace, the General Zhuge sends his condolences to the Li family, Liu family and Ma family."
Then, the soldier handed a floral wreath to them.
Those from the influential factions were so angry that they almost passed out.
Seeing this, the viewers were all speechless.
This General Zhuge is really cheeky! They have failed already, but he has even sent them a wreath to humiliate them!
"Go back and tell your General Zhuge to mind his own business!" an influential man said.
The soldier sneered. "Wait. General Zhuge said the Diamond Membership cards of you three families are no longer available. You cannot apply for a new one and you are all forbidden to buy things from both McDonald's and Starbucks."
Hearing this, everyone at present was shocked.
They had spent tens of millions of Spirit Stones on those cards, and they are no longer available?! And they are all forbidden to buy things from him?! My gosh, this is just awful!
The people from the three influential families were stunned.
We can accept the fact that we have failed to make the same burger, we can also accept the fact that our money has been wasted. But if we can no longer buy things from his stores… that poses a great threat and loss to our families.
"You cannot do this to us! You cannot cancel our membership like this!"
The soldier sneered. "The General Zhuge said you should check the conditions on the back of the card: 'General Zhuge reserves his right to make a final explanation'."
"What?"
They took out their cards and almost fainted when they read the words on the back, which were almost too tiny to be seen.
F*ck! You are joking!
…
The soldier smiled. "We have canceled your membership on purpose, and so what? You can do nothing about this! Are you mad? Are you mad? Haha!"
They were furious, but they did not dare to punch him in the face.
They knew that once they did it, their homes were bound to be looted by Xu Que.
…
The audience shook their heads.
He is General Zhuge, no one dares to contradict with him!
"Anyway, they were the ones in the wrong, not General Zhuge."
"Yes! You were the ones who copied his business, and you have been so arrogant. You warned General Zhuge not be arrogant and provoked him."
"In fact, I am on General Zhuge's side this time."
"Me too."
"I want to make it clear that I am on General Zhuge's side."
Many people who had Diamond Membership cards stood up.
In less than a day, the news that the three influential families' had failed to copy Xu Que's business and had had their memberships canceled spread out the city.
The phrase 'General Zhuge reserves his right to make a final explanation' suddenly become buzzwords.
The members of Xu Que's stores all decided not to offend Xu Que.
…
Soon, more news broke out.
"What? General Zhuge is going to open a third store?"
"Yes, his new store has already been decorated. It is going to be opened today."
"Häagen-Dazs of Exploding Heavens Faction? What on earth is that?"
"I heard that the General Zhuge once made a sort of ice lolly that was able to regenerate his soldiers very quickly."
"Does it mean that the Häagen-Dazs ice cream will have the same effect?"
"I don't think so. They do not even share the same name!"
"Anyway, I am very much looking forward to it!"
…
Meanwhile, many people had already prepared enough Spirit Stones to become members.
On the opening day of the Häagen-Dazs of Exploding Heavens Faction, Xu Que put up a notice on the wall.
'Only Supreme Members are allowed to enter this store.'
'To be a Supreme Member, one must pay a hundred million Spirit Stones of low quality! Only twenty cards are available! Anyone who becomes a Supreme Member can receive an ice-cream hotpot for free!'
...
Chapter 456: The Supreme Member Card
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The whole city was shocked again by the news of the Supreme Member Card.
Many people were so angry that they were on the verge of spitting blood.
We just obtained the Diamond Member card, and now you want to ask us to obtain a Supreme Member card!
We don't need this fucking Supreme Member card!
You should be thankful if we even go shopping in your store. But you're asking us to buy this membership for one hundred million Spirit Stones! And only twenty people are able to enjoy this privilege!
Apparently, numerous people had been scared away by this membership system stipulated by Xu Que.
"One hundred million Spirit Stones? Is he insane?"
"Does he still want to do business here?"
"Nobody will even buy that membership. The total sum of one hundred million Spirit Stones is too formidable!"
"Yes. Anyway, I can't afford this membership."
"Tell him to go to hell!"
Countless people were rejecting the idea of this Supreme Membership.
However, Xu Que had never expected everyone to be able to enjoy his Haagen-Dazs ice-cream!
After all, the production difficulty of this Haagen-Dazs ice-cream was far beyond what Xu Que had originally imagined.
As a three-star chef, he could handle many delicacies!
However, the System had told him that the Haagen-Dazs ice-cream was almost a four-star food, and thus the production difficulty level was very high.
He could spend ten thousand Acting Tough Points enhancing his chef level to four-star chef. Alternatively, he could only make ten ice-creams per day. If he tried to make more than ten per day, his soul would suffer permanent damage!
This was definitely something Xu Que would never do. Why should I spend ten thousand Acting Tough Points upgrading my Chef skill to four-star? Just to earn some Spirit Stones? Nobody would be willing to do that!
No, I will never do that!
I can only make ten ice creams a day, right? No problem! The cost is high, so the price will also be high!
For example, I can set up a one-hundred-million-member club… then I can introduce an ice-cream hotpot for which the price is over ten million Spirit Stones! In this way, I will be able to earn over two billion back in a short time.
Therefore, whilst others had been studying his burger recipe and challenging him on it, Xu Que had finished the production of ten Haagen-Dazs Ice-Cream Hotpots in silence.
The outward appearance and taste of his ice-cream were unique in this world.
However, Xu Que was surprised by the effects of his Haagen-Dazs ice-cream.
[Haagen-Dazs Ice-Cream]:
'One can only consume this ice-cream once in their life. It can refine a person's Spiritual Root, change one's natural gift and even create a Spiritual Root of a different nature!'
"My Gosh! This is against nature! I'm still young, but this is really awesome! I really can't imagine how awesome I will be when I am an adult!" Xu Que started to shout blusteringly.
This Haagen-Dazs Ice-Cream was much more powerful than the Ice Lolly!
Without any hesitation, he wrote down the effect and hung it outside the door. The next moment, he went to the entrance and sat in a chair with his legs crossed. Then he started to smoke a cigarette confidently.
At this moment, the onlookers outside his store were still complaining about the high price of the Supreme Member card and had resolutely rejected the membership.
But the next moment, all people were dumbfounded!
Could his ice creams be used to change the Spiritual Root?
All at once, all the onlookers were badly scared. Their expressions changed to masks of terror.
In the World of Cultivators, cultivation and Soul Strength could be gained through efforts after birth. Bottlenecks could be broken by elixirs.
However, the Spiritual Root was determined congenitally. Whether a person had a Spiritual Root gift for cultivation was determined at birth.
The Spiritual Root was what differentiated cultivators from ordinary people.
Ordinary people could not be admitted to cultivation sects to practise cultivation because they hadn't been born with the necessary Spiritual Root to access this opportunity.
However, the Spiritual Roots could also be distinguished into those that were good and those that were bad.
In the Five Nations, the most powerful Spiritual Root was the Celestial Spiritual Roots. The bearers of this kind of Spiritual Root were endowed with brilliant gifts and extremely fast cultivation. After one year of cultivation, these people could accomplish achievements that cultivators with normal Spiritual Roots would need ten years to attain.
Moreover, ordinary cultivators only had one Spiritual Root. Geniuses with two Spiritual Roots were so rare that only one could be found every one thousand years, or even every ten thousand years. Also, these geniuses would certainly be admitted to large sects after their emergence.
Therefore, Spiritual Roots were key to a person's gift.
In addition, no matter how hard one tried, it was very difficult to change one's Spiritual Root after birth.
Under this premise, people would naturally be frightened by the food that had been made by Xu Que, which was able to refine one's Spiritual Root.
This was almost an act from God. It was after all something that could only be accomplished by a God!
"It is awful! This can't be real, right?"
"If it really could refine the Spiritual Root, the bigshots will buy it even if the price reaches four hundred million or even five hundred million Spiritual Stones!"
"And this ice-cream can maybe even create a Spiritual Root of a different nature. My God, how… could this be possible?"
"Is General Zhuge a God? How can he create such an incredible food?"
"If this is real, this ice cream would be able to outperform all elixirs in this world!"
"That goes without saying!"
"As far as I know, many bigshots in the Imperial City are not very gifted. Their current cultivation skills have been realized through the accumulation of numerous elixirs. If their Spiritual Roots can be refined, the Spirit Stones saved on buying elixirs in future would definitely exceed several hundred million!"
"I've also heard that some young people of rich or official families are not gifted. Their elders are worried that nobody will be able to take over their family businesses in future. Now if this marvelous food created by General Zhuge really is effective, people will fight for it no matter how high the price will be."
"It's a pity we still don't know whether or not it is effective. The threshold is too high. Supreme Membership can only be obtained by spending one hundred million Spiritual Stones!"
"I don't know whether some bigshots will try it."
…
The onlookers were talking, voices full of surprise.
But these people could only stand there and watch, for they couldn't afford a Supreme Member card. One hundred million Spirit Stones was too much for ordinary people.
However, the ordinary people had underestimated the wealth of some bigshots.
For the bigshots, one hundred million Spirit Stones was a high price, but they would still be able to afford it. Most of the time, they would only need to consider whether the price was worthwhile.
Now, the marvelous ice-cream created by Xu Que had naturally startled many bigshots.
After a while, many bigshots arrived personally with many storage rings, which would naturally be filled with Spirit Stones. It seemed that they were fully prepared.
However, these bigshots didn't spend their Spirit Stones on a Supreme Member card impulsively. They wanted to wait and see. If someone tried the ice cream and proved its effect, they would obtain the member card without any hesitation!
The purported effect of the ice-cream was too marvelous. It was very difficult for people to believe it was real. People were afraid of being cheated.
However, all these bigshots had had the same idea. No one dared to step out first. For a moment, the situation fell into a stalemate.
"General Zhuge, General Zhuge, please save my granddaughter!"
At this moment, an anxious shout came from the rear part of the crowd.
An old man of the Infant Transformation Stage elbowed his way forward to greet Xu Que excitedly.
Behind him, there was a young girl. It seemed the girl was quite shy, introverted and bashful, for she kept her head lowered.
When the onlookers saw that old man, they were terrified and couldn't help but gasp.
…
…
Chapter 457: Let's run a prize draw
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Crikey! How on earth has this old fool managed to get here?" a man exclaimed.
"This guy once served as the Prime Minister for two terms, and helped two former Emperors govern the Water Nation!"
"Hasn't he retired already? It is said that he failed to break the limit and enter the next level. Apparently he is going to die soon."
"Why on earth hasn't he bought a burger? Just one, and he would be able to get into the next level and live a longer life."
"He is a bit different from other retired officials. For all these years, he has always been a very decent man and donated all his Spirit Stones to the poor and needy. It would be impossible for him to buy a burger that costs five hundred thousand Spirit Stones of low quality."
"Why is he here then? Does he want to save his granddaughter? We all know that she has not got the Spiritual Root and cannot practise cultivation."
"What's worse, she has been suffering a serious illness that cannot be treated. If she were able to practise cultivation, she would be able to not only enhance her body, but also recover."
"He cannot possibly become a member without paying the Spirit Stones required, you know General Zhuge is a cruel man."
"You are quite right. Also, as a businessman, he must be honest. He has said that he will only serve those with Supreme Membership, which means he cannot break his word!"
"Besides, the General Zhuge has got a nickname, the Evil Devil. He always bragged about being a man with principle but it's all just lies, he is just a greedy person."
"I am sorry but I do think you'd better go back. You cannot get in without the Supreme Membership card."
People shook their heads. They all sympathised with the old man but could do nothing about it.
After all, being a Supreme Member was not an easy thing.
"F*ck! What are you talking about?! I am still here, how dare you speak ill of me while I am still here?" shouted Xu Que angry as he suddenly stood up from his chair.
They are really audacious! They even dare to speak ill of me while I am still here! Am I a greedy person? No I am not, I am a decent man with a good heart.
Then, Xu Que began to smile.
"Everyone, since today is the opening day, let's run a prize draw and whoever wins it will get a Supreme Membership card for free! Does anyone want to have a try?"
Hearing this, everyone was surprised.
Getting a Supreme Membership card for free?! Are my ears deceiting me? The Evil Devil has changed… into a good person? Anyway, I must have a try.
"General Zhuge is really generous! I want to have a try!"
"Me too!"
"Count me in!"
…
All of a sudden, everyone raised their hands and began to shout.
Xu Que smiled.
"I am glad that you are all so active about this! Five, four, three…"
"… Two, one!" everyone shouted together.
Everyone was desperate to have a try, hoping that they would be the lucky one.
However, when Xu Que finished counting the numbers, he pointed at the old man in the crowd.
"Let's congratulate this old man for getting the Supreme Membership card for free. He can now enjoy the Big Box Family Meal of the Ice Cream Hot-pot for free. Please come in!"
People at present were stunned.
Xu Que walked towards the old man, smiling.
With everyone looking at him in surprise, he led the old man and his granddaughter into the store.
Bang!
The door slammed shut.
What the f*ck! Zhuge Liang, go f*ck yourself! This is the prize draw you were talking about? You did not even run a draw! Are you playing with us?!
"Fine, I knew he wasn't really a nice man!"
"I never thought he was having us on earlier!"
"Anyway, at least that old man gets a Supreme Membership card."
"It turns out he is helping the old man!"
People shook their heads and cast their eyes into the store.
Xu Que had decorated the store in a very modern style and the wall was made of glass, so people could see what was going on inside.
The old man and his granddaughter were still shocked and had no idea what was going on.
Xu Que led them into the store and asked them to sit at a table. Then he brought out a box sealed with ice and scooped out a few colorful balls of ice cream.
Seeing this, everyone standing outside the door was confused.
"Is this ice cream?"
"It looks like it's just made of some ice crumbles!"
"That thing can nourish and refine one's Spiritual Root? No way!"
"Wait, do not forget that his granddaughter hasn't even got a Spiritual Root."
"Is it possible that she will gain a Spiritual Root after she eats that? Is that really possible?"
"That's impossible!"
"Judging from the burger as well as the coffee he has made, I think the ice cream can definitely help one nourish and refine their Spiritual Root… but it would be impossible to create one for someone who was not born with it."
"I agree with you."
"He is just putting a show."
"Let's focus on the old man instead. Although he is not very gifted, he might make a breakthrough once his Spiritual Root is nourished and refined."
…
If it hadn't been for the effects of the burger and the coffee, they would never have believed that ice cream would be able to nourish and refine one's Spiritual Root.
Meanwhile, inside the store, Xu Que had laid an ice cream hotpot in front of the old man and his granddaughter.
Seeing the pot, the old man and his granddaughter were stunned.
The old man was particularly shocked, as he had only meant to try and see if General Zhuge would show him some pity. But he had never thought that he would actually win a Supreme Membership card without even participating in a draw.
He was even more surprised that he had been brought into the store by Xu Que himself, and that this pot was now in front of him…
Xu Que was being very gentle and warm-hearted.
Is he really the same Evil Devil who likes to loot people's houses and kill people without blinking an eye? No way, I must be mistaken.
"Don't be nervous, just pretend you are at your own home. Please have a taste. You two are the first to even enter store. Eat as much as you can, I can give you more if this is not enough, and it's all free."
Since the old man had been a high-ranking official before, Xu Que thought that helping him would not count as a loss.
Hearing this, the old man and his granddaughter showed their gratitude immediately.
"Thank you so much, General Zhuge!"
"I own you a debt, regardless of whether my granddaughter gains a Spiritual Root or not."
Xu Que waved his hand. "Do not be like this. Since you have been chosen as the lucky winners, you can eat as much as you can. Hey, young girl, let me get a scoop for you."
He then scooped a bit ice cream out, and prepared to feed her.
The young girl flushed. "Thank you! Brother Zhuge, I can do it myself."
… I am not Brother Pig, I am a handsome man!
The young girl opened her small mouth and carefully ate the ice cream. The next minute, a ray of light appeared inside her mouth.
…
Chapter 458: Now the Price is Raised!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Chi!
The light became shiny and sparkly. Everyone's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden radiance.
"Little Bing, what's wrong?" The old man was also shocked and asked anxiously.
The young girl closed her mouth instinctively. The next moment, the ice cream, which had been simmering, melted suddenly. It released an icy coldness into her mouth.
In an instant, she simultaneously felt both hot and cold sensations in her mouth. The unique and fine taste of the ice cream made her feel comfortable and at ease.
The young girl closed her eyes slowly to enjoy the delicacy in her mouth carefully. The hotness and coldness flowed into her body slowly through her throat.
Boom!
All of a sudden, a silent boom abruptly sounded in her brain.
The young girl was surprised slightly, so she opened her eyes suddenly. Her tranquility had been restored, but she was extremely comfortable and it seemed that her body was full of energy.
"Grandpa, I…" Looking at the old man beside her, she was about to tell what had happened just now. However, she found her grandpa was looking at her in great surprise with his eyes open wide.
The young girl was shocked again, so she asked in a hurry, "Grandpa, what's wrong with you?"
The old man didn't reply to her. Instead, he grabbed the shoulders of the young girl. With shaky hands and watery eyes, he said excitedly, "Little Bing, your… your sickness has finally been cured!"
Poof!
Xu Que, who had been drinking water, couldn't help but spit out the water after hearing the old man's words.
Damn! This touching atmosphere has been totally ruined by the words of the old man!
However, the old man was overjoyed. His heart was filled with shock and disbelief!
The young girl's body had experienced a great change after eating only a spoonful of ice cream. When she opened her eyes again, everyone except for the girl herself could see clearly that a lump of purple light was shining between her eyebrows.
This was the symbol of a Spiritual Root. Moreover, this was not an ordinary Spiritual Root. It was definitely the Heavenly Water Spiritual Root!
…
Outside the store, the onlookers who were watching this scene through the glass windows were totally stunned.
"I am definitely dreaming now!" someone murmured.
"I also feel like I am dreaming now!"
"It's amazing!"
"The ice cream helped that girl to generate a Water Spiritual Root!"
"Please, look carefully! That's not a normal Water Spiritual Root! Look at that purple light. That's the symbol of a Celestial Spiritual Root. It is a genuine Heavenly Water Spiritual Root!"
"Something big will happen!"
"It will absolutely shock the world!"
"It is totally earth-shattering!"
All onlookers couldn't stay calm anymore and kept exclaiming.
Finally, those bigshots came to their senses. They had prepared to obtain Supreme Member cards after checking the ice cream's effects, and after being dumbfounded for a little while, now understood what they had to do.
Soon, they started to anxiously elbow their way to the door of the store, shouting, "General Zhuge, please open the door. We are here to obtain the Supreme Member cards!"
"General Zhuge, we have taken the Spirit Stones with us, now they are yours!"
"Sh*t! Chang, don't jump the queue, I got here first!"
"Bullshit! I didn't jump the line! Liu, I can hold back to give you more opportunities in business. But here, don't even think about it!"
Several bigshots were making quite a racket at the gate. They even started to push and pull at each other.
The onlookers were shocked by this scene.
These are high and mighty figures! Why don't they care about their image and their reputation?
…
At the same time, the old man was holding Xu Que's hands excitedly and kept thanking him incoherently.
After all, by giving the girl a Spiritual Root, Xu Que had created a miracle akin to an act of God! Moreover, the Spiritual Root he had generated was a Heavenly Water Spiritual Root. Anyone who received this treatment would cry of joy.
"Sir, don't be so excited. If you take a bite, I am guessing you will be even more excited! Please, open your mouth and try it," Xu Que said with a smile. He took a spoonful of ice cream to the old man.
The old man was shocked a bit, then he took the spoon hurriedly and said with a smile, "Thank you so much for your help, General Zhuge!"
After that, he put the ice cream into his mouth.
The next moment, light also began to radiate from his mouth.
The old man became energetic immediately. The white hair of his sideburns became darker.
After that, the light faded and no Spiritual Root appeared again.
After all, there had only been a small chance for a new Spiritual Root to be created, it couldn't happen every time. The old man's granddaughter was very lucky to have so coincidentally obtained the Spiritual Root.
Even so, the onlookers could clearly sense the change in momentum of the old man. He was very vibrant for his Spiritual Root had been refined.
"It is really marvelous! I can just sense the opportunity to make a breakthrough! It seems I don't need to wait a long time before getting to the next level," exclaimed the old man.
Looking at the effects, the onlookers were very envious.
The bigshots who were quarreling at the gate grew even more excited and couldn't wait to obtain member cards.
If they could enjoy this marvelous effect as well, they would definitely be able to attain better achievements in cultivation in future, which could even increase their lifespans remarkably.
Xu Que walked to the gate smilingly and shouted to the bigshots, "That's enough, stop arguing. It's late now, come get your member cards tomorrow! Remember, only twenty people can get the card, and now there are only nineteen left. First come, first served!"
Hearing that, those bigshots descended into chaos.
"Don't do that, General Zhuge! It's still early now. Just let us obtain the card first!"
"Right! More people will come tomorrow; we might not be lucky enough to be in the top nineteen."
"For the sake of our early appearance, please let us obtain member cards!"
The bigshots were smiling unctuously. In front of Xu Que, all of them had gotten off their high horses.
Xu Que raised his eyebrows and laughed coldly. "Then why didn't you obtain your cards earlier? You have been acting as onlookers for a long a time after arriving, yet now you want to obtain the cards. It's too late. I am tired now and I am going to close the store!"
"No, General Zhuge, we were wrong!"
"Exactly! It is we who should be blamed. Please be magnanimous and let us obtain the cards."
"We have brought the Spirit Stones with us!"
The bigshots started to implore him hurriedly.
At this moment, all of them had gotten off their high horses. In front of such a great potential fortune, no one could afford to be arrogant.
After hearing of the Spirit Stones, Xu Que smiled speculatively and asked, "You have brought the Spirit Stones, right? How many Spirit Stones have you brought?"
"One hundred and fifty million," one of the big shots answered confidently.
Without any hesitation, Xu Que said, "That's not enough!"
"What?" the big shots were completely shocked.
Isn't the price for a Supreme Member Card one hundred million Spirit Stones? How can it not be enough?
"The price has been raised. You need two hundred million Spirit Stones to get a Supreme Member Card! Now you can go!"
After finishing his words, Xu Que turned around and left, showing his back to them.
Those bigshots were totally dumbfounded.
Two… two hundred million?
You bastard, Zhuge Liang!
We have been waiting here for ages!
And how dare you raise the price… by doubling the damn thing?
…
…
Chapter 459: You Are Absolutely Right to Raise the Price
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The viewers were speechless.
They knew what Xu Que's personality was like. He always did things according to his own will.
As he so desired, he could even price the ice cream at two hundred million Spirit Stones, not caring if this price was too high, as he already knew there would be someone who would still be willing to offer him money.
Still, the people were worried that if they did not buy it today, the price would go up to four or even five hundred million Spirit Stones tomorrow.
No one could really guess what Xu Que's attitude would be like from one moment to the next.
Although those influential figures were so angry that they were on the verge of passing out, they still did not dare to express their anger in front of him.
After all, if they did, their houses might be looted. They might even be forbidden from buying anything from his stores anymore.
For them, two hundred million Spirit Stones was not that much if their Spiritual Roots could be refined, or even changed for a better one.
Soon, the people calmed down. "Please wait! Fine, we would like to pay two hundred million Spirit Stones."
"Yes! Two hundred million Spirit Stones is totally fine."
"You are absolutely right to raise up the price."
"Yes! Well done to you!"
Some people even began to flatter Xu Que, whilst others felt disgusted by their behaviour.
However, these people did not care about losing face, as in their eyes, the Spiritual Root was the most important thing.
In the crowd, there were two people on the verge of tears.
They had only brought one hundred million Spirit Stones, and had now sent their servants to go back home to fetch some more. While they were waiting, they had even borrowed some from the people standing next to them.
After all, the effect the ice cream brought was really amazing. It could not only nourish and refine one's Spiritual Roots, but if one was lucky, they could even gain a new Spiritual Root.
Besides, Xu Que had said that there were only twenty Supreme Membership cards in total. So they felt that two hundred million Spirit Stones was totally worth it.
"Oh, is two hundred million Spirit Stones really fine?" Xu Que smiled.
Hearing this, they kept nodding.
"What if I raise it up to three hundred million Spirit Stones?"
Three hundred million Spirit Stones? Even if I agree, I have not got that many stones with me…
"Fine! I won't break my word and I shall not raise up the price. Two hundred million Spirit Stones will do."
Hearing this, they almost passed out.
Don't be ridiculous! You are not the type of person who would stick to his promises. Earlier, you said that we could become a member with only a hundred million Spirit Stones, and then you raised it to two hundred million Spirit Stones. You are indeed shameless.
Still, they forced out smiles. "Yes, you are right. You are someone who would always stick to his words."
"General Zhuge, you are the one I admire most in my life."
…
Hearing this, Xu Que felt very happy.
How shameless they are! Well, typical businessmen.
"Come inside then!"
Xu Que opened the door and let them in.
The old man and his granddaughter were still enjoying their ice cream, since it was really delicious.
After they came in, they stared at the ice cream as if their eyes had been stitched to it.
Soon, they all paid two hundred million Spirit Stones and received a Supreme Membership card, as well as a Häagen-Dazs of Exploding Heavens Faction Ice Cream Hotpot.
But, after they received the ice cream, they felt a bit upset. Each of them had only received one scoop of ice cream, which was much less than the amount the old man had gotten.
However, they did not dare complain. After all, the old man had been given the Big Box Family Meal.
But they still felt rather upset, since each of them had paid two hundred million Spirit Stones each and had only received one scoop of ice cream each, whereas the old man had received a whole box for free.
"General Zhuge, can we buy more ice cream? I would like to let my family taste it."
Xu Que frowned. "No, I have not even started to sell the ice cream yet. After I have sold out all twenty membership cards, I will begin to sell the ice cream for a limited amount."
Hearing this, they had no choice but to give up.
…
That night, the news about the old man and his granddaughter spread all over the city.
Everyone now knew that the Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream could not only nourish and refine one's Spiritual Roots, but also help them obtain a new one, and one could get a scoop of ice cream after paying two hundred million Spirit Stones to become a Supreme Member.
People got so excited that they stayed awake all night.
All the influential families tried every possible way they could to get two hundred million Spirit Stones. Some even prepared three hundred million Spirit Stones in total, since they were afraid that Xu Que might raise the price again.
It was completely dark, but the people from the influential families had already gathered in front of Xu Que's store to stand in line, waiting for the door to open.
But when they arrived, they were shocked to find that there were already more than thirty people standing in line in front of them.
There was also a billboard hanging outside, with a few words written on it: 'Only twenty cards available.'
Even so, they did not give up and hoped that Xu Que might change his mind and increase the amount of cards available. They believed that Xu Que would not be able to resist the temptation of two hundred million Spirit Stones.
Meanwhile, Xu Que was walking on the street, trying to buy some more stores.
…
The next morning, a bizarre sight appeared.
In the center of the market of the Imperial City, for the very first time ever, no one could be seen.
In the Tian Liu Chamber of Commerce, a few influential men from the business world gathered together.
"I have underestimated that young man."
"His food can even enhance one's Spiritual Roots and might even help someone get a new one."
"It seems that he can easily collect two billion Spirit Stones."
"You are right. I think the most important thing for us is to figure out how can we get a Supreme Membership card," a old man said rather seriously.
Hearing this, the rest were shocked.
"You haven't sent people to buy a membership for yourself?"
"What? You did?" the old man was stunned.
"Of course I have!"
"I did too."
"And I."
"F*ck! Why didn't you guys tell me about this?"
Then, he dashed out.
The rest of them stared at each other and forced out smiles.
"Actually, we have gathered together today to talk about the street where that young man's stores are located."
"In the past, it was a very desolate place. But with that young man's stores, the price of all the stores in the street have soared up. I think we can buy the whole street."
"I agree."
"Good idea!"
"We have to make move now. I think someone else has probably already made some moves."
"Let's send someone to do this right now!"
…