Su Ping was in a good mood after his chat with the mayor. It would be great for his store if the neighborhood could become Longjiang’s economic center in the future, with any type of business being able to open up shop.
The more prosperous the neighborhood was, the better it would be for the business of his store. By then, it was likely that his store would be packed every day.
At that time, he could focus his mind on cultivation.
After the Tang family was overwhelmed and the Star Organization was forced back-and seeing how the five major families were acting scared in front of him-Su Ping had become more aware of how important strength was.
With enough strength, anything he wanted would come unrequested.
Without enough strength, he could ask for things but that would be more like begging.
After the mayor left, Su Ping saw the five family heads and the others off as well.
Before My Shuangwan walked out the door, she checked and saw that Su Ping didn’t even give her an extra look. She was relieved and disappointed at the same time. Su Ping must have forgotten about a nobody like her.
At the same time, Qin Shaotian had gotten into the car. With an extremely low voice and biting his teeth, Qin Shaotian said, “Grandpa, I have to go to the Valiant Academy. I have to grow!”
What he saw this day had crushed his confidence.
Even his grandpa-whom he had always held in respect—had to act carefully in front of Su Ping.
It was because of Su Ping’s power!
Qin Shaotian wished he could have that kind of power immediately, and that he could reach the titled rank without delay so that he could start working on reaching the legendary rank!
Everything would be different once he became a legendary battle pet warrior!
Qin Duhuang nodded silently.
He had brought Qin Shaotian along because he knew what was going to happen; this day’s visit would inspire Qin Shaotian.
The other family heads were afraid to bring along their future family heads, worried that Su Ping would launch an attack against them all. But Qin Duhuang was sure that Su Ping was not going to do that.
As a matter of fact, this could be a good lesson for Qin Shaotian.
Young people had to be inspired.
Only in such a way could the young be motivated to challenge their limits and to try their best!
Qin Shaotian’s reaction told Qin Duhuang that he had made the right decision. He knew that the Valiant Academy had a much fiercer competition than in the academies located in the Longjiang Base City!
The Valiant Academy gathered the most talented of the Subcontinent District!
The major families, factions, including the Star Organization, and some titled battle pet warriors at the peak would send their young to that academy. Combat skills were not the only thing to be learned in the academy. The students could make connections that they never would otherwise.
Of course, the competition there was brutal. People without determination could hardly last for long.
At the store.
After the five major families left, Xie Gange and the Tang family elders said goodbye to Su Ping as well.
Xie Gange left the store and flew away.
Su Ping watched as they went out of the door. He darted a look at Tang Ruyan who was standing there in a daze. He waved his hand in front of her eyes and said, “Hey. They’re gone, you know?”
Tang Ruyan came back to her senses. “I know.” He forced a smile.
Su Ping gazed at the ugly smile she produced. The Tang family elders didn’t even look at her. He shook his head at their departing figures.
es.
“Do you still want to go back to the Tang family? If you want, you can leave whenever you like,” Su Ping said.
He could feel that Tang Ruyan was still concerned about the Tang family.
That was her family, the root tying her to the world. Her heart wouldn’t have a place to stay if she stopped worrying about them.
Tang Ruyan was surprised. She stared at him. It never occurred to her that he would say such things.
He was letting her leave?
That was her wish; had been her wish, rather.
But all of a sudden, she realized she could not say she wanted to go back.
Back to the Tang family…
But she was just a stand-in.
A broken front that could no longer provide protection.
What was the point of going back?
The several elders who showed up didn’t even ask her if she wanted to go with them before they left.
Was there anyone from her family longing for her return?
That was her family, but no one was looking forward to seeing her. What was the meaning of returning home?
Tang Ruyan didn’t know. She had no answer. Or maybe, she did know the answer but was just too afraid to acknowledge it.
She bit her lips and slowly, she shook her head.
“No…”
She was low-spirited, losing her heart.
Su Ping gazed at her for a moment and patted her shoulder. “Since that is your family and since your name is Tang, it would only be proper for you to go back. However… it should be them coming here for you, at all costs, and your return shall be honorable and dignified!”
Tang Ruyan trembled. Tears burst out of her eyes as she stared at him.
“You’re no longer a double. You’re a person who has a name.
“You don’t have to cover for anyone or live as anyone else. You are you. You are Tang Ruyan!”
Su Ping said this to her, word for word.
Tang Ruyan felt something break in her heart.
Tears coursed down her cheeks.
She threw herself to his shoulders and burst into a rage of tears.
For the first time, Su Ping didn’t push her away, simply letting her tears drench his shirt.
He listened as she cried and stared at the sky outside the store, his mind wandering.
A long time passed.
Tang Ruyan was getting tired and had finally calmed herself down. She moved away from Su Ping’s shoulder, flushed, and rubbed her swollen eyes. “Thank you.”
Su Ping came back to his senses and cast a gaze at her. “Thank you for comforting me,” Tang Ruyan looked into his eyes and said sincerely.
It was the first time that Su Ping had seen this sincere side of her.
She was not faking anything and she wasn’t acting like an unruly woman. She was as honest as one could be.
Su Ping kept silent for a second before he said, “I’m not merely comforting you. I meant what I said.” Tang Ruyan smiled. “I know. I will work hard.”
Su Ping looked into her eyes for a bit longer but said nothing else. The eye contact meant more than words.
As the five major families, the Tang family and the Star Organization left, Taohuaxi street went back to its normal quietness.
Soon, the street was unblocked.
The information that had been kept confidential was released online. The videos that some nearby residents took when the Tang family’s battle pet warriors were arriving were put online as well.
Since the government was no longer blocking the passage of information, many pieces of news were published.
The videos and news gave another boost to the Pixie Pet Store’s reputation.
There were clamors in the comments about the authenticity of the videos and people held different views. Some were convinced and some people would simply not buy it. After all, what happened in the video was so shocking that many believed the video was fake; something like that couldn’t happen in real life.
Either way, the Pixie Pet Store had once again become famous overnight. On the other hand, Primo announced its closure.
All the branch stores across the Longjiang Base City were closed!
In the meantime, they issued a notification on their official website. It was more like an apology letter than an announcement, and the letter was addressed to the Pixie Pet Store!
That piece of news certainly caused a stir.
They remembered the competition. But in the beginning, no one would have anticipated that Primo would lose all its business.
That night, Taohuaxi Street was bustling with noise and excitement.
The street was completely crowded.
Countless reporters were waiting there and many people had gone there, attracted by the mysterious store’s fame.
Su Ping contacted the customers to go there and pick up their trained battle pets so that he could make room for a new batch.
Since he was having more and more customers, Su Ping wrote down the prices on a board and hung it on a wall by the door.
Su Ping wanted to put up a photo wall in the store as well, to place photos of some of his recurrent customers and their battle pets as memorabilia.
The system gave its support to that idea immediately.
Before Su Ping wondered if he should find a construction team, a photo wall rose abruptly out of the ground, by the store’s foyer.
Of course, there were no customers when that happened. Only Tang Ruyan and Joanna were in the store other than Su Ping.
Tang Ruyan found that surprising but she didn’t overthink it because she knew that some battle pets of the stone family could do that. “Sir, are the videos online authentic?”
“I heard that you have a legendary battle pet warrior here. Is that true?”
Many customers couldn’t stop the urge to seek confirmation from Su Ping.
The repeated customers were particularly curious and excited.
But Su Ping didn’t offer any answers.
Some customers saw the price list, only to be stunned still.
They had heard rumors online that the service charges in Su Ping’s store were exceptionally high but they never thought the prices would be so outrageous.
Professional training of advanced battle pets was one hundred million per time?!
One hundred million? That was enough money to buy a ninth-rank battle pet about to reach adulthood!
But in this store, that was merely enough for one round of training!
Even the repeated customers were startled by the whooping price of professional training. How unbelievable this was! Among the customers, even the well-off ones merely had a family wealth of tens of millions. Few of the customers could afford the price range in the hundreds of millions. Those that could afford it would rather avoid spending all their family wealth on one round of professional training.
Soon, many people made the connection between the prices and the closure of the Primo chain. They no longer had a favorable view of the Pixie Pet Store.
The Pixie Pet Store was being unethical! They took advantage of Primo’s closure and hiked the price because this was the only leading pet store on the market at the moment!
Many new customers left in anger. While they were furious, none of them dared to show their indignation in the store. They were heading back to vent their anger online.
The repeated customers, on the other hand, gradually accepted the price after the initial stage of astonishment. They had all experienced Su Ping’s services and were well aware that the effect of the training was something that money could not value. No other pet store could compete with Su Ping’s!
Many repeated customers were curious as to what a training priced at one hundred million could do.
Unfortunately, they could not afford this amount of money or else they would have liked to try it.
Because of the outrageous prices, many customers that had been attracted here by the store’s fame left in disappointment. But the repeated customers stayed and kept on choosing the services as they did before.
Su Ping didn’t bother to explain anything to anyone. All of a sudden, a familiar face popped into his sight.
It was Qin Shuhai.
Qin Shuhai looked at Su Ping with a smile. “Mr. Su, I’m here to support your business.”
In the old days, Qin Shuhai would call Su Ping “Brother Su” but he no longer dared to use that name given the recent events. Of course, he was also trying to feel Su Ping out by addressing him as “Mr. Su.” Su Ping shook his head with a smile. “Finally, you’re here. I’ve been waiting for rich people like you.”
Qin Shuhai forced a smile as he remembered how Su Ping said he was serious about doing business. “The Supremacy League will start soon. You’re not going?”
Su Ping remembered that he could get that Talent Stone if he chose to compete in the Supremacy League. That was what piqued his interest. “Tell me again when it is close to starting. I may as well participate.”
“Sure,” Qin Shuhai said.
The Supremacy League would become so much more interesting if Su Ping joined in.
“I heard that the pet training in your store is very good and I want to try. Do you offer training for advanced battle pets?” Qin Shuhai asked.
Su Ping nodded. “Of course. You couldn’t have come at a better time. That service has just become available today.” Qin Shuhai felt a bit weird. Was Su Ping not confident enough before?
Or, was he launching the service today because the business was good for him after the Primo stores closed? Was he doing this to accumulate wealth by unfair means?
He might have thought of this if this store owner was someone else. However, he also had to think this since Su Ping was a man who was doing business as a hobby.
That being said, since he was already there, leaving right away would seem offensive to Su Ping.
“Then I will oblige.” Qin Shuhai smiled on the outside but curled his lips on the inside. He didn’t dare to give Su Ping his major battle pet. Rather, Qin Shuhai summoned a battle pet that was merely about five meters tall and at the lower position of the ninth rank.
The battle pet was his secondary pet, an Earthen Turtle.
The most noticeable advantage of the Earthen Turtle was that it had tough skin and Qin Shuhai would use it as his “shield” in battles.
“The Supremacy League is going to start in a week. Can you finish the training before that?” Qin Shuhai asked. He would certainly use the Earthen Turtle in the competition. If the training couldn’t end before then, it would put him in a pickle.