Chapter 23: First Visit to The Market
After the call, sleep completely eluded Violet’s eyes. She moved to her table, holding her phone in one hand.
Leo had agreed to sign the deal, which meant she got 2 billion. She chewed on her fingers, racking her brain for her next move.
She decided to check the system. It was time to put the new feature into good use. Immediately she thought about using the system; a blue interface appeared in front of her.
And on it was the inscription:
Con Playbook
Does host want to view target profile?
Yes.
Target: Leo King
Status - Active
Occupation - Real estate investor
Current emotion - Extreme desperation
Trust - 20%
Mind push resistance - 4/5
Threat level - Low
Con Progress - 30%
She read this quickly, noting that there was some information she hadn’t noticed before.
Just then, a sharp ding echoed across the room, and at the bottom of the profile, another line appeared.
Current obstacle: Host lacks sufficient knowledge of the proposed development site.
Estimated probability of successfully overcoming the obstacle: 59%
Pass this hurdle and claim a reward.
Recommendation: Conduct a field investigation before meeting with the target.
Accept to reveal the address?
Yes or No
Violet quickly touched the Yes icon, and the interface changed.
Recommendation Accepted.
Project Site Location:
Nova Horizon Development Zone,
Eastern Expansion District,
East Haven City.
Recommended Arrival Time:
3:00 PM
Navigation Route Generated.
After getting all the necessary information from the system, Violet felt relieved. It turned out there was no need to panic. Although the probability of this being successful was slightly higher than 50%, she decided to be optimistic.
Each time she interacted with her system, she discovered that it only got better and more mysterious. There seemed to be a lot of unexplored parts. She decided to allow the system to slowly manifest itself as it was currently doing.
She returned to bed with a clear heart and a perfect plan for the next day, still marveling at the sheer luck of having a system that possessed features that would help elevate her life.
Violet woke up to the sound of loud music blasting through the speaker in her room. She lifted her brow as she dragged herself up from the bed and leaned against the bed frame, wondering where the music came from.
Her hair was scattered on her head like a bed nest, and her vision was partially blurred. She stepped out of her bed and walked to the sitting area.
The hotel promised top-notch service, and she knew waking up to the blaring sound of music was not part of the list. So she planned to check with the butler and have the sound stopped.
But just as she walked into the sitting area, her eyes caught a familiar figure in the dining area. Jen held a tray in one hand, and as she shook her body to the rhythm of the music, she placed the tray on the table.
Violet squinted, trying to make sense of what was before her. She took steady steps to the dining area, her eyes pinned on Jen, who was completely oblivious to her presence.
As she got close, the scent of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and cinnamon floated across the air. Violet was stunned when she saw the spread of food on the table.
Her mouth watered as she stared at the plates arranged perfectly on the table.
"You made all this?" she said just in time as Jen turned.
Jen flinched, almost stumbling back. She pressed one hand against her chest and closed her eyes briefly.
"Good morning, ma’am."
Violet strained her ears to hear her. The music from the speaker was too loud. She looked around, trying to spot the specific place the speaker was placed but found none.
She looked visibly uncomfortable, the loud music completely wiping her out. "Turn off the music," she instructed.
"Oh, yeah... I’m..." Jen’s words faded as she dashed into the sitting area. A few seconds later, the music stopped, and Jen returned. "I’m sorry about that," she apologized. "I didn’t know the walls here aren’t soundproof."
Violet nodded in understanding. "Turns out there’s a speaker in every room," she said, taking a step forward. "Did you make all these?"
"Yes."
Even though Violet was pleased, she knew this must have caused Jen a lot of stress. "We could have ordered. You don’t have to stress yourself."
Jen walked to the table and continued arranging the tray properly. "I wanted to express my gratitude for yesterday. I couldn’t think of another way. The butler got the ingredients. I didn’t have to go out."
Violet stared briefly at Jen. She couldn’t comprehend how quickly a person could go from bawling their eyes out to becoming so carefree in less than 24 hours. So she concluded that Jen was simply putting on an act so as not to make things uncomfortable between them.
"Alright," she said flatly, slipping back into an unbothered ease.
"I’m almost done. You can freshen up and come back." As Violet made her way back to her room, Jen asked her, "How do you like your coffee?"
"Plain and unsweetened," Violet replied over her shoulder.
After breakfast, Violet set out with Jen to the market. In less than an hour, they arrived at the market on the outskirts of the city.
It was the most bustling market Violet had ever been to. She walked side by side with Jen, who was familiar with the market, until they finally stopped in front of a shop.
Violet was welcomed into the shop with a smile from the shop manager.
Even though she had worn simple and casual clothes, she moved with so much grace and elegance that the manager immediately knew she was from money.
"What type of rice do you have?"
The manager placed his hands together, his back straight, as he went on to list them.
"Jasmine rice, Basmati rice, Long-grain rice, Short-grain rice, Brown rice, Parboiled rice, Arborio rice, and Sticky (glutinous) rice."
Violet pulled out her phone from her purse. Before she left, she had made a large list of things she would be buying. It wasn’t just rice.
"Give me 20 tons of each type of rice. Also, I want 50 tons each of flour, beans, sugar, and 20 ton salt, plus 5,000 liters of vegetable oil."
After she finished speaking, the shopkeeper stared at her suspiciously, his disappointment clearly written on his face. He thought he had been fortunate, but she clearly didn’t seem to be in her right senses.
"Who buys that much food?"