Download App
13.27% I Sell Fate Through A System / Chapter 15: Awkward Customer

Chapter 15: Awkward Customer

The girl squeezed her shoulders, pressing the water out her damp clothes. She snuggled her chin into her breast and quickly shut the door, to prevent the cold rain from entering. She sneezed once and rubbed her nose, before she paid any attention to her surroundings.

The store was small, and the wooden walls barely retained the heat. She looked at the source of light that guided her here—a black cube, shining a blue light. The place had minimal decor, with only a few empty shelves and a counter. The old, rustic smell tickled her nose.

There were several reasons that led her here. For one, the rain showed no signs of ending soon. She saw the lights and felt attracted to it. The sign indicated it was a store, thus she decisively entered. Otherwise, she wouldn't even dream of it—but seeing the state of this place, the girl started to regret her decision. How was this better than just staying outside?

No. She shook her head and drove away these mean thoughts.

"Good evening," Shou greeted.

The girl, startled by the voice, looked at the person listlessly resting on the corner. He was illuminated by the soothing blue light. She gasped when she saw his face.

"Oh, what a beauty!" She inadvertently blurted out, "but I feel like something's is missing. What a shame."

Shou, who was about to stand up, froze in place. He squeezed out a faint smile, though it twitched. "What does that even mean?"

"Haha." Si laughed in the background. "I get it."

"Oh, excuse me, I've been rude," the girl said and quickly bowed down. She held her face in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I'm usually around my family where I learned not to hide my thoughts, I hope I did not offend you." Her movements were clumsy, like a lamb not accustomed to the world yet.

"It's fine."

Her eyes darted around the room. "Uhm, if it is all right with you, may I stay here to hide from the storm?"

Si immediately shouted, "get out if you can't pay! This ain't charity! [Angry face]."

Shou glared into the air, to make her shut up. Surprisingly, it worked. "Sure, but as you can see, I don't have a seat to offer you."

The girl smiled brightly. "I don't mind, as long as I have a place to stay. You really saved me!" She took a corner and prepared to sit down, but seeing the hardened mold, she decided otherwise. In the end, she stood in front of the counter, staring at Shou.

There was a rather long silence after that.

"Uhm, thank you," the girl broke the spell of stillness, "my name is Li Yinyi. May I ask you what your name is?"

"Shou. No surname," he answered.

"Oh. Okay." She nodded. "I will make sure reward you for that. If it's not enough, I will ask my family for some more."

"It's fine, I don't lack money."

Li Yinyi didn't reply. She only looked at the desolate store and puffed her cheeks in puzzlement. "Are you sure about that?"

"..." Shou rubbed his temples. "Ah, maybe I should throw you out after all."

"I'm sorry, I will behave from now on," she quickly said and bowed her head down. "Then, uh, I hope you don't mind me asking, but what do you sell here?"

Upon her question, Shou turned quiet. He cupped his hands and placed them on the table. His eyes turned inexplicably sharp, making the girl nervous. In a serious tone, he said, "I don't know."

"Huh?" Li Yinyi blinked twice, until the words finally connected wit her brain. "Ah—aha, I see, uh, yes," she stumbled for words, "running a business must be hard for someone as young as you. Who knows, maybe after this storm is gone, I can help you if you wish. Feel free to call me big sister Yinyi." She then puffed her chest out, trying to look dependable. For some reason, that action reminded him of Si.

"Actually," Shou paused. "Uhm, I am 22."

"Haha... cough. So, you are older than me. You look very young, like a girl. Wait no, that sounded weird, it was supposed to be a compliment." She shrank back. "Uh, sorry."

"No, it's fine." Shou vigorously shook his hands.

As such, the conversation died again. The both of them looked at each other, one seated, one while standing. The air, even through the heavy rain, turned dry. The girl turned her head and looked at the door. She was seriously considering to leave. "Let's see, what's the worst possible scenario if I go out now? Getting hit by lightning? I hear the survival rate is 1 to 7. I like the odds."

"It's fine, I really don't mind," Shou stopped her, fearing she might step into the storm.

Her eyes then fell on the black cube again, "that reminds me, what is that thing over there? It looks funny."

"That is my ware," Shou answered.

"Oh, how do you use it," she asked, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Or is it only decoration? But the light is so dazzling. How much does it cost?"

Shou pursed his lips. In all honesty, he didn't want her to ask that. At least not until he had cleared the prices with Si. Or else, who knew if he might be drowned in spit if he said them out loud.

Si urged him, "Come on, say it."

"A-about, uh, 15 spirit stones," he squeezed out with a tight smile. It was the price Si decided on. He then closed his eyes.

To his surprise, there came no scream, instead, he heard the sound of jingling money, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a big purse filled with white, little gems—they were spirit stones. "How lucky, I have about enough," the girl smiled innocently again.

Shou tilted his head in confusion. He tilted, and tilted, but was still unable to read the girls thoughts. She only smiled with pure eyes of curiosity. "It may not be something I should say, but don't you think I might be scamming you?"

"But why would anyone do such a bad thing," she asked, honestly unsure of the answer.

'Could it be, the woman in front of me was incomparably naive? That is no good, how can she live such a life? But that does work out for me. At least, I don't have to deal with annoying complains for now,' Shou thought and calmly collected the money.

Si on the other hand was a lot more agitated. She had already imagined that girls dark expression and even started gloating, but reality turned out different.

Truthfully speaking, she was looking forward to someone causing trouble. For systems, it was somewhat of a hobby to find such people, and then deal out punishment to them. It was very fun, everybody should try it sometimes. But that girl, she was like a newborn, her eyes filled with trust; She was the exact opposite. "What the hell is this? Where's the arrogant young master threatening to trash the store? Where's the man accusing you of a scam? Where's the person calling you a mere mortal, that can be easily squashed with a finger?"

"For once, I agree with you," Shou muttered. Looking at Li Yinyi, he could not help but feel like he was tricking her.

She only waited attentively for him to talk.

"All right, let me explain how this works then."


Chapter 16: What Fate Is

Shou remembered the things Si had said.

...

"Do you know what shapes our fates," Si asked.

"Yes, I've seen her in person."

"Not the answer I expected, but okay." She had slowly gotten used to his absurd antics, and she learned the best thing to do was to ignore it; though she still felt her heart lurch every time he did that. "What I am trying to say is, to find a way for you to die, we should try to break this fate of yours. If you think about it, fate is only many variables in your life guiding you to one destination. In other words, it's your memory that shapes your fate."

"Oh, that was lot smarter sounding than I expected from you. Where did you hear that from?"

"Do you really believe in me so little that you can't imagine them being my own words," Si complained, "from my mum," she then added meekly.

"You systems have mothers?"

"Don't change subjects now. Look at the VAR Core in front of you. It's one of the items from our race, though I am giving you only a prototype for now. It allows people to enter Virtual-Alternate-Realities. VAR for short."

"That is not a real word."

"Can you shut up and listen? When I was coped in my room, I had used this core a lot to travel different worlds—though it's only a simulation—helping me through tough times. In other words, I can personally attest for its quality. I have changed some code, instead of different worlds, it will travel to different parts of your memory. Memories that you have found particularly intense. We will offer customers the chance to experience that, though for them, it would really be like a different world."

"Do I have no right to privacy anymore?" Then again, she was adhered to him like sticky glue, with her eyes always on him. If anything, he lost his chance to privacy the moment she entered his brain.

"No such thing in a systems dictionary. But fear not, I told you, fate is shaped by your memory. To change it, we need a change of memory. That is why you won't appear in the simulated world. We let the customer act in your stead. Maybe they will see a different outcome. However, there may be people you know, I can only promise I won't put any private moments in there."

"That is all right, most of them are dead anyway."

"The incentive for the customer to use it is simple. First of all, it will be entertaining. Also, it will help them gather experience, because everything they learned will stay with them. But I think what is most important, we offer them to change their own fate. As they live your life, their memory will change too. So do you get it?"

...

Now, how was he supposed to explain this to that girl in front of him?

He was reluctant to admit it, but Si's idea was good. It fulfilled all the requirements. He would get too meet interesting people and see their choices in life, Si would earn her money with little effort, and through changing fate, they have made their first steps toward death. The only problem was, 'it's too damn complicated.'

He coughed to clear his throat. "My store is a bit special. It will lead you into an illusory place, a legendary world with mystical creatures and immortals, which you can experience yourself. It offers you a chance to change your fate, to live a different life. Don't worry it is not real, so it is safe," Shou said, "I think."

"Wow! That is amazing." Li Yinyi's smile blossomed, and she could not wait to try it out.

'Don't 'wow' me! Show some hesitation, or some doubt. That's obviously sketchy isn't it? What kind of store would offer such things in a remote alleyway—no, who would it offer such things at all instead of hogging it for themselves, it makes no sense,' Shou screamed in his mind, but on the outside, he kept an enigmatic smile.

"Then what do I need to do for this?"

"Do you see that cube over there? Hover your hands above the blue light, and inject some Spiritual Qi. It will bring you to the place. Don't touch it though, it will leave fingerprints."

"Oh, that's really easy." She knew from her all-knowing father that the city specialized in shops, but she never heard about something mysterious as this. Maybe she should ask him about it afterward?

"Almost too easy, like a scam," Shou muttered.

Li Yinyi turned her head. "What was that?"

"Nothing at all. Enjoy your stay."

She went to the core and incautiously stretched her hand out. The previously dim light burst out, blinding everyone in the room. The next moment, when the light receded, returning into a pale-blue hue, Li Yinyi who had previously been talking energetically, lay collapsed on the ground, her eyes closed.

Seeing that, Shou quickly picked her up. He could feel her damp clothes on him. He looked around, and decided to let her rest on the counter in his stead.

This place really needed a restoration.

"So where will she appear," Shou asked.

"I took a random memory of yours, the rest has been adjusted by the system, so I am also unsure. For now there will only be one memory, if this business works, I will prepare some more and tweak the features. If it doesn't, well, let's open a brothel."

"Hey, let's not."

"I'm opening a window for you to look at now. Don't be too scared when it pops up."

As soon as she said that, a screen appeared in front of Shou's face. There, he could see Li Yinyi, who had just woken up, looking around in astonishment. She gasped audibly, and with big eyes, stared at her surroundings.

She stood in an open field, one that had more flowers than grass—the vibrant colors were pleasing to the eyes.

"Where's that," Shou asked. He had been at many flower-fields before, it wasn't like he couldn't remember, there were just too many.

"You,'ll see," Si said, "I made sure the system chose an ordinary memory. Of course, not ordinary enough to simply be boring. Maybe you will know after she walks around."

"Are you sure she will enjoy this experience," Shou asked. He was still skeptical. Especially when he saw that small Li Yinyi on the screen, taking her first steps. It was a novelty, but was it worth the price?

"The system puts quality as its first priority," the cold voice said, and Shou almost believed it, were it not for Si, who inspired everything but trust.

"I am sure it will," she said, "this memory of yours is just a start, so it might seem a bit lackluster at first, but I guarantee you, for ordinary cultivators, even the chance of entering a different world was akin to gold."

Indeed, seeing the small Li Yinyi's excited face, Shou gained some hope. But he knew full well that the girl was rather gullible. Who knew what the other customers would think. He continued staring at the screen, and creased his brows, trying remember where this pace was.

"Ah, I remember now!" Shou opened his eyes wide, and he slammed his hands on the counter. "Why the hell did you choose that cursed place? If we don't warn her, she might die!"

On the screen, an old house appeared.


Load failed, please RETRY

Gifts

Gift -- Gift received

    Weekly Power Status

    Batch unlock chapters

    Table of Contents

    Display Options

    Background

    Font

    Size

    Chapter comments

    Write a review Reading Status: C15
    Fail to post. Please try again
    • Writing Quality
    • Stability of Updates
    • Story Development
    • Character Design
    • World Background

    The total score 0.0

    Review posted successfully! Read more reviews
    Vote with Power Stone
    Rank 200+ Power Ranking
    Stone 0 Power Stone
    Report inappropriate content
    error Tip

    Report abuse

    Paragraph comments

    Login

    tip Paragraph comment

    Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.

    Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.

    GOT IT