No matter how much they trusted that Jonathan had no interest in harming them, they wouldn't be calm until they confirmed it through their own channels.
"Alright. But before we leave, let's go thank the hidden expert," Tiana responded.
Kafla had no choice but to nod and follow beside her as Tiana turned and walked toward the counter.
They arrived before Jonathan.
"What is it?" Jonathan asked, raising an eyebrow.
He didn't feel like explaining the rules again if they had come to beg to purchase another item. He stared at Tiana, who now looked ethereal and exuded a presence far beyond her previous self.
"Thank you for your help, Store Manager Jonathan," Tiana said for the umpteenth time, bowing respectfully toward him. "We'll be sure to spread the word among our sisters and sect so that more potential customers can find this store. However, if you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to let us know. We'll do our best to fulfil it."
Having already expressed her gratitude, she saw no reason to repeat herself; there was simply nothing she could offer that could make up for the benefits she had received.
Kafla followed, bowing beside her.
In their opinion, referring others to this store, along with the store's low prices, would benefit the referrers more than the store's owner. But since they had no idea what a hidden expert like Jonathan honestly thought, they could only remain silent.
"As I mentioned before, you don't need to make such promises. Simply bringing in referrals will be more than enough," Jonathan replied casually.
"How do you feel?" he asked curiously, wanting to hear about Tiana's condition directly from her.
"I feel a thousand times better than before," Tiana replied with a brilliant smile.
"That's good," Jonathan nodded, not pressing further.
He knew he probably wouldn't understand if she started elaborating on her bloodline or new abilities, so he didn't bother asking.
"We'll be taking our leave, Store Manager Jonathan. Please take care," Tiana said with a polite nod.
"Take care, Store Manager Jonathan," Kafla echoed, bowing once more.
They turned around and headed toward the door. With a soft 'ding' from the bell, they exited the store.
The convenience store was once again wrapped in silence.
Jonathan glanced at the empty instant noodle cups and chopsticks on Tiana and Kafla's seating area. With a clap of his hands, the empty cups, chopsticks, and even the discarded Kola-Kola can vanish into thin air.
All that was left was a spotless table and neatly arranged chairs.
Seeing how swiftly the place had been cleaned, Jonathan nodded in approval. If the system hadn't provided him with an efficient way to keep the store spotless, he would've quit long ago.
Once the store became busier, that cleaning method alone would save him countless hours of work.
No more customers showed up during the remaining six hours of the day. Once it was closing time, Jonathan walked over to the door and flipped the sign. Closed!
'Today was a good day,' Jonathan thought, stretching his limbs tiredly. As long as Van, Tiana, and Kafla kept their promise of bringing in referrals, his store would surely get busier in the coming days.
However, that didn't mean Jonathan would ever extend his closing hours. No matter how many customers showed up, once it was time to close, he'd push them all out and shut the doors.
The last thing he wanted was to experience working overtime in another world.
As Jonathan made his way back to the counter, he noticed two boxes neatly stacked beside it.
He crouched down to check the labels.
Mystic Energy Bar!
They were the latest batch of products.
Jonathan had stocked various items in different sections of the store after being transported into this magical realm, so the sudden appearance of new products no longer surprised him.
Opening the first box, he saw the Mystic Energy Bars wrapped in shimmering red foil, with the words Mystic Energy Bar written in elegant golden letters. Below the words was an image of a man and woman, dressed in tight-fitting black attire, sprinting tirelessly atop a miniature version of the bar itself.
The packaging looked vibrant, stylish, and irresistibly eye-catching. For a backwater world like this, Jonathan was sure that such packaging would immediately grab attention the moment anyone walked into the store.
In fact, it almost felt like overkill, just like the Spicy Dragon Flavour Instant Noodles and Koka Kola.
Opening the second box, he found the same brilliant design.
"Time to get to work," Jonathan muttered.
Jonathan took the two boxes and walked over to the section with the shelves and the vending machine. He began filling the Mystic Energy Bars neatly onto one of the shelves and into the vending machine. After emptying both boxes, Jonathan stepped back and admired his work.
The bars were arranged so that every label faced forward, making them clearly visible from any angle the moment someone entered the store.
Although he had used the newly unlocked shelf area to make the store appear fuller, several empty shelves and vending machines still gave the store a sense of incompleteness, as if it lacked enough goods.
Jonathan had once asked the system why those sections weren't unlocked from the start. The reply he received was that they served as training to help him learn how to properly organise and manage the store's products.
Once he had enough stock and regular customers, those sections would automatically unlock. In other words, they were part of the store's growth phase.
When that stage was complete, he could expand the store, purchase more shelves, vending machines, and new products using his own credits.
Jonathan then took one Mystic Energy Bar from the shelf and unwrapped it. The bar looked like a fusion of countless grains, from black to blue, pressed together into a thick block.
Instantly, a fruity aroma flooded the air, teasing his senses.
"It smells good," Jonathan murmured, biting into the bar.
Crunch.
The bar broke apart smoothly, releasing a rush of flavour that exploded across his tongue.