After delivering his bold declaration welcoming the fake-busters, Lu You decisively ended the livestream.
He wasn't afraid; he just needed a little time to digest the almost dreamlike gains from this morning.
He slumped back into the familiar rattan chair and let out a long sigh.
His entire body felt drained, yet his spirit was more exhilarated than ever before.
"System, tally up today's achievements," he silently commanded in his heart.
[Ding! Compiling this morning's business data for the Host...]
A clear virtual panel unfolded before his eyes:
[Total Transactions: 57]
[Total Sales: 21,560 Dragon country currency]
[Total business points Earned: 28,750 points]
[Current business points Balance: 32,850 points]
[Points Required for Lv2 Upgrade: 67,150 points]
Lu You looked at the long string of numbers, his mouth splitting into a grin.
Over twenty thousand! He made over twenty thousand in just one morning!
That was more than he could make guarding this rundown shop for a whole year!
And then there were the over thirty thousand business points. He was already nearly one-third of the way to upgrading to Lv2!
He immediately opened his mobile banking app, gazing at the balance that had now become a five-digit figure.
An unprecedented sense of security washed over him.
The hardship of worrying about the next meal after finishing the last one seemed like a thing of the distant past.
"I must reward myself with a good meal!" Lu You thought fiercely.
Before, when eating hotpot, he'd hesitate for ages before ordering tripe.
Now he could arrogantly tell the boss, "One of everything on the menu except the soup base!"
Thinking of this, a question suddenly popped into Lu You's mind.
"System, customers can buy things from you. But as the Host, can I buy things from you for myself?"
[Yes.]
[As long as the Host possesses sufficient business points, you can exchange for any product (including skills) in the System Shop for personal use. The exchange price is the same as the 'procurement price' for external sales.]
Lu You's eyes instantly lit up.
He immediately thought of the brave soul from this morning who wanted to buy an AK.
And the system's prompt at the time: [Product Generated].
This system... it really dares to sell anything!
He couldn't help but shudder, then grew excited again.
Didn't this mean that as long as he had enough business points...
In theory, he could possess anything he wanted in this world?
This made his desire to level up burn even more fiercely.
At noon, Lu You didn't shortchange himself anymore.
He directly and luxuriously ordered a "Supreme Pork Trotter Rice" with double pork trotters from the system, paired with an ice-cold cola.
When he got the steaming pork trotter rice in his hands, and the rich aroma of meat hit his nostrils, Lu You was filled with a myriad of emotions.
"Feels amazing not to have to eat those five-yuan combo meals anymore!" He shoveled rice into his mouth.
For him now, being able to freely eat a satisfying pork trotter rice every day was already the pinnacle of happiness.
The blissful lunch break didn't last long.
Just after 1 PM, a commotion arose at the shop entrance.
Lu You looked up to see seven or eight men swaggering in.
Each held a phone or wore a small sports camera on their chest, all lenses aimed squarely at him.
Leading them was a tall, burly man. As he walked, he spoke loudly into his phone's camera, "Folks, as you can see, our 'Justice Fake-Busting Squad' has successfully arrived at Old Lu Hardware Store!"
"Now, let's personally expose the true face of this online scammer for everyone!"
Hearing this, Lu You didn't even bother chewing the perfectly fatty yet not greasy pork trotter in his mouth, swallowing it in a few quick gulps.
Far from getting angry, he immediately stood up, his face breaking into a beaming, enthusiastic smile.
"Ah! Welcome, welcome! A warm welcome! Gentlemen, please come in, have a seat!"
Lu You hurriedly wiped his mouth. His fervent demeanor would make anyone think he'd reunited with long-lost family.
These weren't troublemakers; they were clearly walking business points!
They were big fools... ahem, big clients! Must be treated with utmost hospitality!
The group of seven or eight, seeing Lu You's unexpectedly enthusiastic reaction, were somewhat taken aback.
The tall, burly leader cleared his throat, trying to regain his imposing air, and said in a less-than-friendly tone, "Hmph, cut the act! I suppose you know why we're here."
Lu You nodded repeatedly, his smile unwavering, "I know, of course I know! Welcome to bust fakes! I made it perfectly clear in my livestream this morning, absolutely welcome!"
He pointed at the counter again, "The rules are the same as this morning: any real, existing product under 1000 yuan. If I produce it, then to avoid disrupting my business, you gentlemen must buy it. No problem, right?"
Seeing Lu You so confident, even more so than in the livestream, these men started to feel a twinge of doubt.
Could it be... this guy really didn't hire actors? Does he really have such incredible abilities?
But since they were already here, the arrow was on the string—they had to shoot.
They had to test his authenticity!
The tall, burly man pondered for a moment and came up with a question he thought was particularly tricky, "Um... do you... do you have... skincare products here?"
He refused to believe it. A grown man running a Hardware Store reeking of machine oil, could possibly have women's skincare products?
Surely he couldn't claim these were also prepared for his girlfriend?
However, he had once again underestimated Lu You's prowess.
Lu You could even produce a whole box of sanitary pads, let alone mere skincare products.
"Yes!"
That word again, followed by that classic turn-around motion.
Seeing this, the tall, burly man's skeptical heart began to waver.
When Lu You walked out holding a small, exquisitely packaged gift box that looked expensive, his hanging heart completely sank.
"Ah, big brother, you have great taste!" Lu You placed the gift box on the counter, wearing an expression of "agonized reluctance."
"This Essence set was originally meant for my girlfriend too. Since you need it, big brother, I can only reluctantly part with it. Here, guaranteed authentic, refund if ineffective!"
As he spoke, he deftly pulled out the payment QR code from under the counter and enthusiastically offered it to the burly man.
"Big brother, scan here! Friend price, 999!"
The burly man looked at Lu You's exaggerated, winking expression—there wasn't a shred of reluctance in it.
It was clearly the excitement of fleecing a fat sheep.
Fuming internally, he paid unwillingly.
"Alright, next fake-busting gentleman, please step up!" Lu You, having collected the money, smiled even more radiantly.
With the first casualty, the remaining men's expressions grew even more solemn.
But some among them still refused to believe it.
"I don't believe he has everything! To expose this online clown, I'll go all out!" A somewhat nerdy-looking Boy, egged on by his companions, mustered his courage.
And asked a question he believed was absolutely impossible to fulfill.
"Boss, give me... give me a doll!"
After saying it, his face turned slightly red.
"Huh?!"
This time, Lu You was genuinely taken aback for a moment.
Seeing Lu You hesitate, the Boy thought he had finally stumped him, and a look of joy instantly appeared on his face.
However, the next second, Lu You's eyes suddenly lit up, and he raised a finger.
"Yes!"
Here we go again! Another turn-around!
This time, he carried out a long, nearly person-sized packaging box.
He placed the box heavily on the floor and patted the cover featuring a sexy woman.
He winked at the now petrified Boy.
"Bro, those who know, know."
"Latest model, 1:1 real-life replica, made of medical-grade Silicone, features smart temperature control and multiple modes. Guaranteed quality, offering you a different kind of experience!"
Lu You leaned in, lowered his voice, and said in a tempting tone, "Exactly one thousand! Scan here!"
The Boy looked at the huge box, his face turning the color of pig liver.
He never imagined that this kind of thing... this Hardware Store actually fucking had it too!
Under the gazes of his companions, who were barely suppressing their laughter, he paid with tears in his heart.
Then he pondered how to carry this "unspeakable secret" out of this old street in broad daylight.
"Any other gentlemen want to challenge?" Lu You scanned the remaining men, smiling like a fox that had just stolen a chicken.
The more disbelief, the better!
Buy a bit more and you'll believe it!