"Boss, are these really made of potatoes?" Blood Wolf asked, his voice filled with lingering doubt.

  He had tried potatoes before, and the experience had been… forgettable, to say the least. But the thing he had just tasted—this "potato chip"—was a culinary masterpiece. It didn't just taste better than his usual meals; it made everything he’d eaten in the past feel like flavored cardboard by comparison.

  "Indeed," Kael replied. He wasn't 100% sure about the System's manufacturing process, but as a businessman, he couldn't afford to sound hesitant.

  "This is… it's just too good." Blood Wolf savored the lingering salty savoriness on his tongue, though it faded all too quickly. "Boss, you said you’re selling these now, right?"

  Blood Wolf didn't have the nerve to pull a "Kael" and steal chips from a little girl like Lan Zi’er.

  "Right next to the counter. You can’t miss it," Kael pointed toward the Snack Vending Machine.

  Blood Wolf didn't wait. He scrambled toward the machine immediately.

  Over by the vending machine, Nalan Qinqi had already finished her Fruit Jelly and was ready for a second round. However, every time she inserted a Spirit Crystal, the machine spit it right back out.

  "Kael! Kael, come here! Your machine is broken!" After several failed attempts, she shouted toward the seating area.

  "What now?" Kael rubbed the back of his head and strolled over. The commotion had drawn everyone’s attention.

  "Look, the fruit jelly won't come out," she demonstrated. As she did, a cold, mechanical voice rang in Kael’s mind.

  [System: Each snack is limited to one purchase per person, per day.]

  Kael nearly coughed up blood. "System, you’re intentionally making this mission harder! I protest!"

  The System offered no further response.

  Damn this stingy, two-bit System, Kael cursed internally, though his face remained an unreadable mask of calm.

  "Did you already buy one?" Kael asked.

  "Mmh," Qinqi nodded.

  "That explains it. These snacks are limited to one per person per day," Kael said, parroting the System’s rules.

  "Aww… Big Brother Kael, can't you make an exception? Just one more? Please?" Qinqi dragged out her words, putting on her best puppy-dog eyes.

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "No. Rules are rules," Kael said flatly, though he was just as annoyed as she was.

  "Only one bag?" Blood Wolf, standing nearby, looked like he’d been struck by lightning. He had planned to buy an entire armload and feast until he passed out.

  "Manager, if we buy them, can we give them to Qinqi?" Fei Xue, who had been watching the drama, suddenly asked.

  Kael blinked, checked with the System, and nodded. "That is allowed."

  "Problem solved then," Fei Xue smiled. She inserted a crystal and bought a Fruit Jelly.

  "Wait, we can do that? Boys! Get over here!" Blood Wolf shouted, delighted. He had brought plenty of teammates with him.

  "But if Qinqi is this desperate for… Fruit Jelly, right? I’m starting to get curious about the taste myself," Fei Xue mused.

  She peeled back the film and, while Qinqi watched with an expression that shifted from hope to absolute despair, Fei Xue popped the jelly into her own mouth.

  In an instant, the flavors of dozens of fruits exploded. Fei Xue’s beautiful eyes lit up. She looked at Qinqi with a playful, mock-reproachful glare. "Qinqi, how could you keep something this delicious a secret from us?"

  "Something delicious?" You Jiu’s interest was piqued.

  "Is there really something better than chips?" Lan Qing’er added, currently busy battling through her own bag of potato chips.

  One look at the expressions of her "big sisters," and Qinqi knew it was over. There was no way she was getting any more jelly today.

  "What’s everyone huddling around for? And Boss, when did you remodel the place?" Tiger Hunter walked in, looking around the revamped shop with curiosity.

  Blood Wolf, clutching several bags of chips, saw Tiger Hunter and immediately began his pitch. "Tiger Hunter, you’ve got to try this! They’re called potato chips."

  "What are they?" Tiger Hunter didn't hesitate. He grabbed a handful, shoved them in, and instantly became another loyal convert.

  "Man, these are great, but the portion is a bit small. Do you have anything that counts as a real breakfast? I rushed over here early and I'm starving," Tiger Hunter said while munching. Unlike Blood Wolf, Tiger Hunter was a lone wolf; he lived on his own schedule and often skipped meals.

  Kael had been wondering how to push the sandwiches. Talk about a "gift from the heavens."

  "You could try the Bacon Sandwich," Kael suggested casually, making sure he didn't sound like he was desperate to meet a sales quota.

  By the end of the day, Kael’s shop was a scene of snack-fueled chaos. Almost everyone had a bag of chips or a sandwich in their hands—or both. Since the jelly was only a single bite, people tended to finish those instantly.

  "It seems snacks catch on even faster than gear or pills," Kael noted. The allure of gourmet food was universal. For him, though, the biggest benefit was that his own breakfast problem was solved.

  The first day's snack sales reached a staggering 700 Spirit Crystals. If not for the "one per day" limit, he might have finished the mission in twenty-four hours.

  Maybe I misjudged the System, Kael thought. It's not that it's trying to screw me over; it's just habitually annoying.

  The Second Day.

  Kael was sitting in his booth, unwrapping a Bacon Sandwich. A bag of chips and a jelly sat next to his crystal ball.

  The door pushed open.

  "Manager Kael, you certainly have a grand style. To use precious Obsidian for a mere counter… truly impressive." A voice filled with mild surprise drifted in.

  The visitor was none other than the Principal of Brilliant Academy, Gu Pingchuan.

  "Principal Gu, welcome. What brings you here in person?" Shier greeted him. Kael could afford to ignore big shots, but Shier knew better.

  "Today marks the start of the Academy's off-site training. I decided to drop by and see how the students are performing," Gu Pingchuan replied with a grandfatherly tone.

  Then why are you the first one through the door? Kael thought snidely.

  "Have a seat," Kael said, putting down his half-eaten sandwich and standing up out of professional courtesy.