轻漫画

Chapter 351 Love, Lies, and Loans

James turned to see his wife. She was just a bit shorter than him and had a refined beauty with dark purple hair and matching eyes. She wore loose pajamas and a t-shirt, a comfortable outfit that suited her well, making her look like a cute housewife.

She used to be an actress before James married her, a union made possible because of his status as a cultivator and alchemist. But she wasn't the one who had shattered his life. That was another woman, a lover who was also a cultivator. He had fallen for her after he slept with her few times and was even ready to divorce his wife. However, the lover manipulated him, taking loans in his name under the pretense of marriage and then cheating him.

Paying back those loans forced him into even more debt. Determined to put those thoughts aside, James smiled at his wife and said, "Hi, dear. How was your day?"

His wife, Krestel, leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Same as usual, boring," she replied with a gentle smile.

"Did our daughter call?" he asked, smiling tiredly, too exhausted to kiss her back.

"She did. She's doing fine at the academy," Krestel answered. Following him into the living room, she added, "She wants to talk to you. Why don't you call her sometime?"

"I will," James said, sinking into the sofa. "So, what's for dinner? I hope it's something tasty. I'm starving."

Krestel's face lit up with a smile as she turned toward the kitchen. "You're in luck! I made that fire chicken gravy you love so much."

James feigned excitement and said, "Well, what are you waiting for? Bring it over here!"

Krestel was already on her way, and as she entered the kitchen, James sighed and let his dejected expression return. He couldn't help but think about that lover again. She'd done worse than just taking a loan in his name; she had also ruined his reputation in the cultivation society by revealing that he sold low-quality potions disguised as high-quality ones to newbie cultivators.

Cultivators usually despise such schemes, having often been cheated themselves at the start. This scandal caused his business to take a severe hit, making it even harder to pay back his debts.

But now, everything was about to change. He'd stumbled upon a jackpot, and to make it a reality, he had purchased those bones from Kevin's shop. He wanted to buy more to maximize his potential profit, but he couldn't afford it. If this plan succeeded, though, it would change his circumstances overnight.

****

Today was a busy day with customers coming one after another, so Kevin didn't have time for his usual activities as he had to help out with the store. But it was worth it, as he managed to earn about 3,500 Omnitokens, half of which came from James.

With this, his total was now 30,540 Omnitokens. If the earnings continued like this, he would be able to acquire an essence extractor from the system, which cost 44,000 Omnitokens, within a week.

"Thanks for shopping at Omnistore, please come again," Amy said, finally sending the last customer away. It was already late, just an hour before midnight so all of them had quite the long day.

Sia slumped back in her chair as the customer left, looking tired. "Today was exhausting," she said with a weary tone.

"It really was," Amy agreed, following suit.

Kevin, despite being thrilled with the windfall of tokens they earned today, was also ready to call it a day. With a smile, he said, "How about we eat out tonight? My treat."

Amy's eyes lit up with excitement. "Where are we gonna go?" she asked eagerly.

"Any place in mind you two would like?" Kevin asked while putting away jars of herbs and other items.

"Somewhere classy and pricey," Sia said with a smirk. Amy chimed in, "And with tasty food, like high-quality steaks or something."

Kevin chuckled at their responses and nodded. "Alright, I know just the place."

Kevin finished tidying up the shop, making sure everything was secure for the night. He glanced at Sia and Amy, who were already gathering their things, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten in the excitement of a night out.

"Let's get going then," Kevin said, leading the way out of the store. He locked the door behind them and they started walking down the bustling street.

With his Omnitokens and over half a million units in earnings, Kevin was feeling wealthy again. Just a bit more, and he could buy a house in the city center with a single payment.

He had also repaid Keyara, having borrowed some money from her for the car down-payment, his trip, and other expenses.

Kevin was considering hiring more staff, especially since he planned to add another facility. He had some candidates in mind, ones he could enjoy himself with like he did with Sia in his makeshift office.

Considering this, Kevin glanced at Amy, recalling that her sister was also jobless. He made a mental note to ask Venice to inquire about her availability. Besides, he wouldn't mind having fun with her too. As for Amy, she wasn't a bad companion either. Despite not making any advances on her yet due to lack of time, he couldn't help but notice her tall and slightly plump figure, reminiscent of her mother's.

'She looked fun to.' Kevin thought to himself as he observed her engaging in conversation. With a determined stride, he moved forward and joined them.