ARIWLBBC Chapter 78

The Elve Princess

Posted by April Fox, ? Views, Released on October 12, 2024

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“Hm?”

The flounder creature grinned at the small human in front of it.

Humans were truly adorable. This one had even offered to invest after hearing it didn’t have enough credit points to expand the business!

“You’re just a kid, and you can’t make money yet. Keep the pocket money you worked hard to save. Don’t go investing it recklessly because of what others say.” Yu Mumu raised a hand and ruffled the human boy’s hair.

Finally, the shortest among the beastfolk had met someone shorter!

“Ahem.” The sea hare shot glances toward its friend, frantically blinking.

Do you know who this is?

Do you even realize this kid’s pocket money for a single shopping trip is worth more than what we’re worth combined?!

This kid is a walking treasure chest! Get on his good side!

“What’s wrong with your eyes?” Yu Mumu grabbed the sea hare’s eyelid and pulled it open. “Got sand in them?”

“No, *you’re* the sand in my eyes!” The sea hare twisted Yu Mumu’s head toward the boy. “I swear, this is the luckiest thing that’ll happen to you today. He *really* wants to invest in you!”

As Yu Mumu’s head twisted 90 degrees, something clicked in its mind. It turned to the boy and asked cautiously, “How much do you plan to invest?”

“How much do you need?” The boy, Bo Ge, tried to sit like a big boss, but there wasn’t enough room amid the merchandise.

“Well… I’ve spent all my credits restocking. If I want to rent a proper store on an annual lease, I’d need at least 80,000 credits.” Yu Mumu looked hesitant. “Isn’t that too much?”

“How big of a store are you planning to rent?” Bo Ge pulled out a calculator.

“Sixty square meters,” Yu Mumu blinked. “This one’s not even forty square meters.”

“That’s too small.” Bo Ge shook his head. “You sell a variety of goods, so it’s best to have sections. You’ll also need enough space for customers to browse comfortably. And you should renovate it properly to address safety concerns.”

“But I don’t have that much credit…” The flounder sighed.

“Shhh.” Now that he had credits, Bo Ge stood confidently. He gently pressed a finger to the fish’s lips, exuding composure.

“How about 300,000 credits? Will that be enough?”

“300,000?!” Yu Mumu stared at the boy, then looked toward the sea hare.

The sea hare nodded enthusiastically.

“300,000 credits is no small amount! A normal family wouldn’t make that much in a year.” Yu Mumu was stunned. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll take the money and run?”

“You’re welcome to try,” Bo Ge smiled. If you run, I’ll catch you—and maybe turn you into grilled fish for Mimi.

Yu Mumu glanced at the sea hare, wondering where the boy got such confidence. A child who could casually offer 300,000 credits certainly didn’t come from an ordinary family.

“So… how will we split the profits?” Yu Mumu asked awkwardly, unfamiliar with such dealings.

“We can share the profits evenly,” Bo Ge proposed. “You’ll handle the operations, and I’ll provide the investment. We can settle the accounts at the end of every school year. How does that sound?”

“Should I… draft a contract?” Yu Mumu, lacking experience, looked around nervously. The three of them—one freshly adult and two still in school—were all a bit clueless.

“I’ve got a friend in law school.” The sea hare quickly contacted someone and soon displayed a contract on their devices.

“Once you both sign, the agreement will be legally binding, with neither side allowed to make arbitrary changes. Read it carefully before signing.”

Bo Ge sent the contract to a legal consultant for review. After pondering it for a while, Yu Mumu saw the boy sign the contract and followed suit, adding his own signature.

Once the contract was complete, Bo Ge prepared to transfer the credits. As soon as the little sales robot saw someone making a payment, it ran over excitedly, raising its arm high.

“You can transfer through it,” Yu Mumu said, picking up the robot. “I bought this as a sales assistant. This might be the peak of its career.”

Bo Ge tapped his digital wallet against the robot, transferring the 300,000 credits. The robot’s arm displayed “300000,” which then shifted to “308974” in green.

The little robot danced with joy, spinning in circles on the floor, even though it hadn’t earned a single cent for itself.

“This has to be the most loyal employee you’ll ever have,” Bo Ge chuckled.

“That’s just how sales robots are,” Yu Mumu said warmly. “Their entire purpose revolves around hitting their sales targets.”

Bo Ge looked curious. “Why was the total amount displayed in green?”

“Every store owner sets a sales goal for their robots each month. If they hit the target, it shows green. If not, it’s red,” Yu Mumu explained. “I set its goal at just three credits. Once it meets the target, the display turns green.”

“What happens if it doesn’t meet the target?” Bo Ge asked.

“That means the robot isn’t performing well, so you can trade it in for a newer model from the manufacturer,” Yu Mumu said, patting the little robot. “But this one only has basic functions and has been with me for a long time. I couldn’t bear to replace it, so I set its goal really low.”

“What happens to the old robot when the new one arrives?” Bo Ge asked, looking down at the cheerful little robot.

“They get dismantled after being recycled, right?” Yu Mumu covered the robot’s ears protectively.

“I’ve seen videos online,” the sea hare added with a shiver.

“Some robots awaken self-awareness and escape, but they eventually get caught by robot hunters and taken to fight in arenas. It’s like watching a thousand and one ways for a robot to die.”

Bo Ge’s smile faded.

These robots were designed to protect humans unconditionally.

“By the way, today’s the last day of the month,” Yu Mumu said, setting down the little robot. “Congratulations! You hit this month’s sales target of three credits!”

As Yu Mumu clapped for the little robot, Bo Ge suddenly realized something.

The elf-like robot’s strange smile, the way it tried to hide its red numbers, its odd tone, and even the deep bow as it bid him farewell—they were all subtle cries for help.

But it couldn’t directly ask for help. Bo Ge also couldn’t act too obvious in response.

The connection between humans and robots was always a delicate secret here.

“Sisters,”Bo Ge said with a grin. “How about we celebrate our partnership with a fun game?”

“What kind of game?” The sea hare’s eyes sparkled.

Bo Ge glanced at his watch. “Whoever reaches the Kashilo store downstairs within five minutes, I’ll buy her any fragrance she likes!”

The sea hare and Yu Mumu exchanged looks, and in an instant, they disappeared from Bo Ge’s sight.

“I’ll keep watch over the shop,”the little robot said, sitting obediently at the door with its chin resting on its hands, gazing in the direction of its departing master.

Bo Ge patted the robot’s head and made his way downstairs to the Kashilo store, where the sea hare and Yu Mumu were already waiting excitedly at the entrance, waving at him.

“You two are amazing! You both made it,” Bo Ge said with mock helplessness. “Alright, go pick something you like.”**

The two girls high-fived and strutted into the store, happily browsing. Bo Ge followed them, but the elf-like robot he’d met earlier was nowhere to be found. Instead, a new elf-like robot appeared, looking even more lifelike. This one wore a thin veil over its face, and its features were strikingly similar to Kashilo’s brand ambassador, Lomore—ethereal and dreamlike.

“Um…”Bo Ge pursed his lips. “Can I ask for the robot that served me earlier?”

The new robot’s aquamarine eyes gleamed, like rippling pools of water.

It gently touched Bo Ge’s chin with its slender, cool fingertips.”Am I not beautiful enough?”

“You…” Bo Ge’s face flushed. “Didn’t meet your sales target this month?”

“I did,” the robot replied, raising a delicate brow, puzzled by the question.

“Even so, I’d like the robot that served me before,” Bo Ge insisted.

“You really don’t want me?” The robot slowly removed its veil, revealing a face identical to Lomore’s—pure, otherworldly, and breathtaking.

Bo Ge stared in disbelief. Were robots nowadays really willing to go to such lengths just to make a sale?

“No, I don’t,” Bo Ge said firmly, shaking his head despite the beauty in front of him.

“Very well. Don’t regret it.” The robot gave him a cold glance before turning gracefully away.

Shortly after, the previous robot came rushing over, bowing deeply to Bo Ge.

“Welcome back.”

“Bo Ge, I want this one!” The sea hare excitedly pointed at a liquid fragrance priced at 398 credits.

“Buy it,” Bo Ge nodded.

The sea hare squealed in delight, covering her face in excitement.

“I want this one,” Yu Mumu declared, wrapping her arms around Bo Ge’s neck, her eyes playfully blinking in different directions.

“Alright, alright. I’ll buy it, just let go,” Bo Ge stammered, blushing as he gently pried Yu Mumu’s arms off. She had chosen a concentrated gas fragrance, also priced at 398 credits.

The robot’s arm display turned red, showing “290” credits—insufficient.

Meanwhile, in the store’s surveillance room, the rejected robot coldly observed the scene on the monitor.

“A pond full of fish for someone so young,” the robot mused. “And you even know how to buy things to win over girls. Such pure eyes—what a waste.”

Behind the robot, the branch manager stood respectfully, head bowed in silence.

Both girls had deliberately chosen relatively affordable fragrances, subtly saving Bo Ge some credits. Bo Ge also noticed the sea hare’s lingering gaze on a solid seaweed-shaped fragrance earlier.

With a smile, Bo Ge instructed the robot to wrap it up. Holding the bag by its edges, he handed it to the sea hare with both hands.

“Thank you, Teacher Hai Tu, for teaching me cosmology so diligently this month. This is a small token of my appreciation; please don’t refuse it.”

“Thank you,” the sea hare said shyly as she accepted the bag. She did prefer this fragrance, but it was priced at 1,588 credits. She hadn’t expected the human to be so thoughtful after just glancing at it a few times.

“And this is for Sister Yu Mumu” Bo Ge instructed the robot to wrap up a shrimp-shaped fragrance. “We’re working together to make money, but I might be busy with my studies, so I’ll be relying on you to do more of the hard work.”

“No problem!” Yu mumu said as she happily accepted the fragrance, bouncing on the spot. The shrimp fragrance and the seaweed fragrance were the same price, but the robot’s display still showed a red “298.”

“How much is this fragrance?” Bo Ge asked, noticing a liquid fragrance with a black bottle and gold lines. The tester strip smelled lovely—very subtle yet rich.

“1,188 credits,” the elf-like robot answered, unable to lift its head. It was acutely aware of what the boy was doing. It was merely a sales robot, worth less than the credits Bo Ge was spending, yet it understood the boy’s struggle. He came back to spend a large sum of credits just to save it. “I’ll take it,” Bo Ge said, promptly making the payment. This fragrance would surely be loved by Big Cat.

After making the payment, the number on the robot’s arm changed to 301 and finally turned green.

Bo Ge let out a sigh of relief and smiled up at the robot. “Your store’s fragrances smell really good, and your service is excellent.”**

The “robot” by the monitoring station raised an eyebrow, noticing the green number on the elf-like robot’s arm.

No wonder he asked if his sales had met the target; it turned out it was for this reason.

“It’s just a robot

The branch manager, hearing the princess’s slightly frosty voice, silently prayed that when the princess decided to experience life again, she wouldn’t choose his store.

“He actually rejected me for a robot.” Interest sparked in Lomore’s eyes.

“Human, you’ve successfully caught my attention.”

¹