A few moments later.
Mo Fanglei and Zhou Ming sat by the Cap Man and Brick Block Puzzle arcade machines.
"So... you're here just to play arcade games? But why did you have to come here at night?" Mo Fanglei asked in confusion.
"Yes, but it's not that simple," Zhou Ming replied, resting a hand on the Brick Block Puzzle arcade.
"The truth is, after I finish playing this unique entertainment, I don't feel tired or stressed. Instead... I feel inner satisfaction," Zhou Ming answered, staring at the arcade for several seconds.
Zhou Ming trembled slightly, his body stiff. "E-even... because of this game, I was able to defeat my master. But at night, my abilities weaken. I can't move as fast, concentrate as well, or become as strong as I am while playing this arcade machine. Does this machine... this arcade or whatever it's called... actually possess some hidden ability?" he asked, staring at it full of questions.
Mo Fanglei sighed—he hadn't expected anyone to figured this out so quickly. Reluctantly, he knew he had to tell him.
"Ugh... Zhou Ming... you're right. These arcade machines can enhance your abilities for a certain period of time. Every entertainment game has different effects. But... why have you become so obsessed with my entertainment?" he replied awkwardly, though he was beginning to understand Zhou Ming's situation.
"So that's how it is? Then my speculation was correct. Am I obsessed with this arcade? Perhaps I am. Let me tell you a little about my life," Zhou Ming said.
"Since I was young, I, Zhou Ming, only possessed ordinary talent with the sword and was merely an outer disciple with no background."
Zhou Ming lowered his head for a moment.
"But of course, I refused to give up until I was accepted as Guang Ling's disciple because he appreciated my perseverance."
Mo Fanglei thought quietly—his fingers beginning to tap lightly against the arcade cabinet.
"I watched a disciple younger than me, Lin Xiao, whose sword talent far surpassed mine. I envied Lin Xiao's talent, so I refused to be looked down upon. I trained every day and every night, regardless of the weather."
His fingers stopped tapping as he listened carefully. Zhou Ming let out a bitter chuckle.
"I meditated beneath powerful waterfalls for hours, sparred with my master, and although my cultivation and swordsmanship improved... mentally? I became exhausted, sick of it all, and wanted to quit. I'm so tired of living this life, burdened by the expectations placed upon me as the disciple of the respected Master Guang Ling."
Mo Fanglei listened, thinking to himself,
"Being mentally exhausted because of other people's high expectations... that's something most humans experience."
"Originally, I only came to Hunan City to relieve my stress. But unexpectedly, I saw your newly opened shop. I was merely curious and didn't believe the strange things you were saying."
Zhou Ming looked at him with a glimmer of hope.
"But after seeing Lin Xiao playing so happily, I tried your entertainment machine for the first time. The burden I'd been carrying all my life suddenly became a little lighter—a feeling I hadn't experienced since becoming Master Guang Ling's disciple. I even watched your shop from afar, waiting for another chance to play these machines."
Mo Fanglei fell silent for a moment.
"This... is just my sad story. Shop owner, you don't need to think too much about it," Zhou Ming said as he searched through his robe for his spirit stone pouch.
Mo Fanglei remained silent after hearing Zhou Ming's words. His eyes became distant as he remembered a customer from Earth who had also grown weary of life under overwhelming pressure.
He still remembered clearly those early days when he had just started his business. One customer had told him exactly the same thing—that he was exhausted by life. It was visible in the man's tired eyes, unstable emotions, and the way he poured all of his frustrations into Mo Fanglei's entertainment because it was the only thing that made him happy.
Mo Fanglei had comforted him back then.
Now, Mo Fanglei placed a hand on Zhou Ming's shoulder, gently interrupting him.
"Zhou Ming, the world truly hasn't been fair to you. But if you're tired of life's pressure, you can always come to this entertainment shop, where no one will pressure you. Here, there are only games that wash away your stress. You don't need to become great, the best, or the strongest here. The reward for enduring all that pressure... is letting it go and forgetting it."
Zhou Ming's body trembled slightly. His hands stiffened, and his pupils shrank.
At last...
Someone had finally recognized how exhausted he truly was.
Zhou Ming remained silent for a moment, searching for the right words.
"T-thank you... f-for your support, shop owner."
Mo Fanglei patted his shoulder.
"You don't have to be so nervous around me, Zhou Ming! Play as much as you like!"
"A-alright. I want to play. Shop owner, you should get some rest."
He sat down and switched on the Brick Block Puzzle arcade.
Mo Fanglei smiled faintly as he prepared to sleep, using an animal hide as a mat.
The sounds of Brick Block Puzzle echoed once again.
Tik—tik—tik—Click!
"Kids these days... they need to learn that life is meant to be enjoyed, not lived according to other people's expectations. And I want everyone to enjoy my entertainment, not just Zhou Ming."
Those thoughts filled Mo Fanglei's mind as he curled up slightly on the right side and drifted off to sleep.
Zhou Ming glanced at him briefly.
At last...
He had found the happiness he had been searching for all this time.
---
Outside the shop, the sky remained dark, leaving behind a deep blue gradient that almost turned purple on the eastern horizon. There were still no signs of life. Silence blanketed Hunan City.
Cold air like ice slipped through the gaps beneath the door, forcing Mo Fanglei to open his eyes.
"Ugh! It's freezing!"
He hugged himself for warmth and instinctively stood up.
"Is Hunan City always this cold? I'm actually shivering! But if I took a bath in weather like this... would I instantly freeze solid?"
His mind wandered into strange questions while imagining himself turning into ice.
"Aaahh! Forget it! I need to check the Brick Block Puzzle and Cap Man arcades!"
He hurried over to the Brick Block Puzzle machine.
It was still powered on.
Beside it were twenty-five small spirit stones...
...and a handwritten note.
Mo Fanglei picked it up.
"It seems I want to play your arcade games every night in pursuit of enlightenment, so prepare yourself for the days ahead, shop owner."
"He played for six hours and fifteen minutes... I've already figured it out. He's completely addicted to arcade games now."
He counted the spirit stones for the playtime while checking the arcade.
Mo Fanglei was astonished.
In just six hours and fifteen minutes...
Zhou Ming had already reached and cleared Level 15, classified as Malevolent for beginners because it introduced new mechanics: Coin Refresh, where the coins changed location every minute, along with different stages.
Mo Fanglei remembered his own youth.
Back then, he had suffered through 216 consecutive defeats before finally clearing it.
The memory left a bitter taste.
Yet now he realized...
Zhou Ming's gaming talent already rivaled that of gifted gamers who had practiced for days.
"Impossible... There's actually someone this talented in the cultivator world. I wonder just how far his gaming talent can go."
---
After reading the note and admiring Zhou Ming's achievement, Mo Fanglei turned his attention to something more practical—
His EP.
He looked at his 1,325 EP, earned from Young Master Wang and his bodyguard, Zhou Ming, along with the remaining unused EP.
"Today I have to pay that utterly inhumane electricity bill," he thought miserably, feeling as though several days of hard work had all gone toward paying for electricity.
"After paying it, I need to buy something that will help make my shop livelier and attract regular customers."
He considered advertisements, billboards, or even paying someone famous to promote his shop...
...but none of those things existed in the cultivator world.
Then—
A brilliant idea suddenly crossed his mind.
One that would keep customers coming back every single day.
---
Several minutes later, after cleaning the shop until it looked comfortable again, Mo Fanglei flipped the wooden sign to OPEN.
Before he could even sit down...
Several people had already arrived.
One person whispered to his friend,
"Is this the place everyone has been talking about lately? Inside there are those unique entertainments that even made Young Master Wang smile!"
Everyone suddenly fell silent when a young man stepped forward.
"How much does it cost to play your entertainment?"
"One small spirit stone lets you play for fifteen minutes," Mo Fanglei answered with his trademark merchant's smile.
The young man handed over four small spirit stones.
Mo Fanglei immediately welcomed him and explained how to play.
Thirty minutes passed before anyone realized.
Everyone stood watching the young man playing Brick Block Puzzle.
His face was filled with happiness.
Tik—tik—tik—tik—Click!
Tik—tik—tik—Click!
The colorful blocks moving according to the player's commands fascinated the crowd.
Without another thought...
They all wanted to try Brick Block Puzzle and Cap Man.
Outside the shop, Mo Fanglei was nearly asleep before suddenly waking to the sound of people shouting as they rushed to pay for the arcades, competing for the two remaining machines in front of him.
"W-wait? What's happening? Did they become interested this quickly? I have to manage this system right now, as fast as possible."
He was confused...
Yet delighted.
He had never imagined that his future customers would already be lining up before him.
"Calm down! Calm down! Calm down! You'll all get your turn. Don't push each other!"
He called out, calming the customers and letting them try the games one by one so each could experience them firsthand.
---
Click—click—click—click
The joystick danced through sharp corners, avoiding colorful ghosts.
Unfortunately—
A pink ghost appeared directly ahead.
The losing sound of Cap Man echoed.
Wah-wah-wah-wah-wah-wah
GAME OVER
"DAMN IT!! That ghost is so annoying!"
The player angrily pulled at his own hair.
Several people beside him burst into laughter.
An old man stepped forward confidently.
"My turn now. I'll show you what a true master of this little entertainment looks like. All of you, watch carefully and learn."
He rolled up his sleeves.
Their voices echoed through the busy streets, causing passing pedestrians to wonder where all the noise was coming from.
Mo Fanglei watched as more and more people entered his shop.
He couldn't help feeling both confused...
...and happy.
At last, his business was beginning to gain recognition throughout Hunan City.
---
Everyone became completely absorbed in watching and playing the unique colorful arcade machines.
Mo Fanglei quietly observed them.
Then...
He prepared to carry out his brilliant idea.
Silently, he approached the young man who was playing.
The young man turned around.
Mo Fanglei handed him a custom coupon.
It read:
"True Cultivator Entertainment Coupon! Collect five coupons and receive one hour of free arcade play!"
The young man froze.
His eyes widened.
Never before had he seen an entertainment owner this generous.
Normally they had to pay more and more.
But here...
By collecting coupons...
They could earn one entire hour of free play.
"Shop owner... are you serious about this? If I collect these coupons, I can really play for free!?"
The young man's voice was filled with disbelief.
The room fell silent.
It was as though everyone had just heard of a miracle.
Mo Fanglei smiled warmly.
The young man had already taken the bait.
This would create a chain reaction.
"Of course. Every day you play, you'll receive one coupon. Once you've collected enough, you can exchange them with me."
Mo Fanglei walked to the other arcade machines and handed coupons to everyone who played that day.
Instantly...
Everyone reached into their pockets, checking how many spirit stones they still had left.
"Looks like plenty of fish will be coming today."
Mo Fanglei laughed inwardly.
A simple trick from a veteran businessman...
...had successfully made people willing to return and play his entertainment every single day.
---
The sunlight melted into the western horizon, pouring liquid gold and orange across the burning edges of the sky.
The heavens slowly blended into deep violet and bluish-purple, as though drops of night ink had begun falling.
At last, Mo Fanglei was finally able to sit down and relax after serving customers one after another until he had completely lost track of time.
He gazed at the breathtaking scenery before him.
Back on Earth...
Its beauty had always been hidden beneath neon lights.
But not here.
"I never imagined I would witness something this beautiful. In my old world, the night sky was always hidden by smog and artificial lights. To enjoy a view like this, you had to go to the mountains, villages, or forests."
Mo Fanglei looked around.
The townspeople were gradually leaving to rest.
"There weren't any customers at the moment. It's time to buy new entertainment and expand this business even further."
He smiled happily as he watched his EP increase dramatically thanks to the large number of customers, though he still hadn't calculated the total.
Mo Fanglei quickly counted.
"Thirty-four new customers produced 3,400 EP, and two returning customers produced 150 EP... that's 3,550 EP! Add the remaining 775 EP... now I have 4,325 EP!"
His heart overflowed with joy.
At last...
His EP could be invested into entertainment instead of being consumed solely by electricity bills.
"Time to buy a Claw Machine!"
He opened the shop system and scrolled through it.
His eyes widened happily when he saw the price.
"Only 450 EP?! That's an incredible bargain!"
Without hesitation, Mo Fanglei pressed the purchase button and placed it on the left side of the shop.
"Wait a second... Why is there only the machine? Where are the prizes?"
Confused, he opened the Claw Machine details.
A second image appeared.
'Claw Machine Prizes' — 300 EP.
Mo Fanglei froze.
The system had tricked him.
"System! What is this?! Why are they sold separately!?"
He pointed accusingly at the system, feeling utterly deceived.
Ding!
Host simply failed to read the details.
It would be best if Host carefully read the descriptions before blaming the system for Host's own carelessness.
Mo Fanglei gritted his teeth.
He couldn't argue.
The system was right.
With great reluctance, he purchased the prizes as well, painfully watching more EP disappear.
Ding!
Electricity payment remaining: 2 days!
"Be quiet, System! You don't have to remind me!"
He shouted...
Then immediately regretted it as the remaining customers turned to stare. He quickly apologized for the outburst.
---
The creaking wheels of wooden horse-drawn carriages competed with the lively bargaining of the night market.
Cheers rose from people enjoying wine outside taverns.
Warm, full stomachs did nothing to quiet Hunan City's bustling streets.
Beneath the night sky...
Countless footsteps wandered through the evening.
Mo Fanglei walked leisurely back toward his shop.
Though full...
The meal had left him emotionally unsatisfied.
"Warm food doesn't necessarily mean good food."
His thoughts drifted toward simple dishes from Earth.
Instant noodles with a half-cooked egg for those with little money.
Steamed buns stuffed with shredded meat seasoned with sweetness, spiciness, and savory flavors all combined into one.
He missed them so much...
That drool slipped from the corner of his mouth.
"Agh! Forget it!"
---
Outside the shop...
The CLOSED sign was still hanging.
Yet Zhou Ming was still inside, trying the Claw Machine.
"Why is this so difficult!? Every time the claw grabs a doll, it always drops it!"
He gripped the joystick patiently.
Yet the prize kept falling.
Mo Fanglei walked over and offered him a newly purchased product.
"Hey, Zhou Ming! This is my refreshing drink. Would you like to try it? I'm testing whether I should sell it in my shop."
He handed Zhou Ming a cold canned drink that had cost him 300 EP.
"How do I open it?"
Zhou Ming asked in complete confusion as he examined the strange beverage he had never seen before.
"You pull up the ring tab with your index finger while holding the can firmly with your thumb until the seal opens."
Mo Fanglei explained.
Although Zhou Ming barely understood...
He followed the instructions anyway.
Pop—Pshhhhhh
Zhou Ming took one large gulp.
He smacked his lips.
"This is the most refreshing drink I've ever tasted. Never before have I drunk something so delicious, refreshing, and unique in a single sip."
DING!
Customer has experienced effects:
-0.1% fatigue
+0.1% hydration
+0.1% energy
Duration: 24 hours
"It reduces fatigue, increases energy, and makes you feel hydrated," Mo Fanglei explained.
"If you sell this in your shop, it'll definitely sell out. It's unbelievably refreshing," Zhou Ming replied seriously before taking another sip.
Mo Fanglei smiled with genuine happiness.
"Yes. I'll continue expanding this entertainment business even further, so comfort, happiness, and safety can all be guaranteed."
"Do whatever you want, shop owner," Zhou Ming replied, eager to see just how far this entertainment could grow.
To be continued...