Chapter 24: The First Success of the Opening

After counting all the fish, Wang Xiaowei placed the buckets in the trunk. The two men waved goodbye to the group of fishermen, who watched them leave with bitter expressions.

Du Yu’s sheer physical strength was simply beyond what an ordinary person could possess. As for taking this kid on as a mentor? It was impossible to learn his ways. He was practically superhuman!

Unaware of the fishermen’s thoughts, Du Yu returned home in high spirits. After dropping Wang Xiaowei off, he rushed back to his room, eager to check the system notifications, which he noticed were somewhat different today.

"Host detected: First-time acquisition of Yellow Croaker. Luck value +150."
...
"Ding! The system level has been upgraded to Level 2. It can now be merged with the Luck Value Mall!"

This statement left Du Yu confused. What? The level system had only appeared yesterday; how could it be ready for a merge already?

"It is recommended that the host proceed with the merge."

Well, at least the system was thoughtful enough to provide a suggestion. Not one to argue, Du Yu chose to follow the system's advice.

"Ding! Host has chosen to merge. Current fusion progress [1%]."

So, this thing took time to merge? That was interesting. Ignoring the progress bar, Du Yu tried to open the Luck Value Mall.

[Host: Du Yu]
[Luck Value: 550]
{The Luck Value Mall is currently undergoing fusion and is temporarily closed.}

Huh? The system hadn't mentioned it would shut down during the merge! Du Yu felt like crying, but he calmed down quickly. It wouldn't be too late to browse once the process was complete. He just wondered how long it would take.

Since the mall was temporarily unavailable, Du Yu turned his attention to the lively sea fish at home and decided to transport them to the shop. Business had been booming lately, and the existing stock wouldn't last long. Moving them now was a good precautionary measure.

He got in his car, called Ma Yue to give her a heads-up, and prepared to head over. He picked up Wang Xiaowei, who had been taking a nap, and they drove off together. Du Yu had intended to let him sleep a bit longer, but the moment he got close, Wang Xiaowei opened his eyes, sat up covering his ears, and stared at Du Yu with a look of intense vigilance.

Right, so he had "killing intent perception," did he?

With that, the two drove into the city. Ma Yue was already waiting at the shop entrance.

"Brother Yu! You're here!" she chirped in a voice as clear as a bird's.

"Yeah, I'm here," Du Yu replied with a smile, patting Wang Xiaowei on the shoulder to signal him to start unloading the fish. "Xiao Yue, how has the shop been doing lately?"

"Brother Yu, thanks to you, sales have been impressive! It’s not just new customers—we’ve had quite a few repeaters, too! Plenty of people bought fish, came back the next day, and raved about how good it tasted!" Ma Yue said, clearly delighted.

In truth, this was exactly the effect Du Yu wanted. He didn't just want to attract new customers; he wanted them to see the quality of the fish, turn them into repeat buyers, and eventually transform them into loyal regulars.

According to Ma Yue’s report, their total sales over the past two days had reached 1,300 yuan. After deducting costs and employee wages, the net profit was around 1,000 yuan. Based on their split, Du Yu received 600 yuan, and Ma Yue took 400. Of course, 100 of Du Yu’s share was set aside for Wang Xiaowei.

Earning 600 yuan in two days was something Du Yu wouldn't have dared to dream of before! At this rate, he would soon be able to pay off his 3,000 yuan debt. He felt genuinely happy.

The three of them sat in the shop, chatting and laughing, until Ma Yue’s phone rang. She apologized and stepped aside to take the call. Du Yu waited patiently for her to return. When she did, the joy on her face was impossible to hide.

"Oh, Xiao Yue, what’s the good news?" Du Yu teased.

"Yes, Brother Yu! The owner of the City Grand Hotel said they’re coming by this afternoon to inspect the shop. If our fish quality meets their standards, they want to place a bulk order and sign a long-term contract with us!"

This was an unexpected windfall—the perfect start to their business! Although Du Yu didn’t know how the hotel owner had heard of his shop, he knew they had to welcome them with open arms. He instructed Ma Yue to have the staff tidy up and arrange the fish neatly, while he personally placed the rare fish he had caught into the largest and most prominent tank.

Shortly after, a sedan pulled up to the shop. A sophisticated, beautiful woman stepped out, followed by a handsome but somewhat gloomy-looking man.

"Hello, Manager Ma! I am the owner of the City Grand Hotel. My surname is Han. You can call me Boss Han, or if you prefer, calling me Sister Han is perfectly fine, hehehe." The woman seemed very easygoing. "And this is my secretary, Mr. Wang."

Secretary Wang didn't say a word; he gave Ma Yue a perfunctory handshake and remained expressionless. Du Yu raised an eyebrow—this man seemed like he might be trouble.

"Manager Ma, you are quite young to be running such a shop. It’s truly admirable. Hmm? And who might this be?" Boss Han asked, noticing Du Yu standing next to Ma Yue.

"Hehehe, this is my partner, or you could say he's my boss. His surname is Du!"

A flash of surprise crossed Boss Han's eyes. He looked like a young boy, bright and sunny—to be a boss at such a young age was unexpected.

"Hello, Boss Han!" Du Yu extended his hand at the perfect moment, wearing a gentle, polite smile.

"Hmm... oh? Hello! You’re very young, Boss Du. Are you still in college?" Boss Han asked, secretly amazed as she shook his hand.

"Hehe, unfortunately, I didn't do well on my college entrance exams. I'm 20 this year, and I just stumbled into opening this little shop," Du Yu explained with a laugh, his expression unchanged.

"My apologies, Boss Du."

"Hehe, it’s just a life experience. It’s nothing to worry about."

Boss Han nodded repeatedly at his words. This young man was incredibly humble, and when she touched on his past failure, he hadn't shown the slightest sign of discomfort. At only 20 years old, he carried himself with more composure than most middle-aged men. She had thought she was quite level-headed to become a boss at 25 or 26, but this young man was even more poised than she was!

The fish sold in this shop had been a hit lately, reportedly of superior quality—even including varieties hard to find in the seafood market. There were rumors that the owner had strong backing. Putting all these factors together, Han Xinyi realized this man was definitely not simple. No—this youth; he was only 20!

"Boss Han, we are here to talk business. Is there really a need for so much small talk?"

A voice interrupted them, sounding quite out of place. It was Secretary Wang. Du Yu detected a hint of anger and disdain in his tone. He was puzzled—why would a total stranger harbor such hostility toward him and his shop?