"Merchandise?" Noa exclaimed.
[You need to set up your first store. And I am here to guide you,] the system answered. [Every item will be delivered through me from Earth, and all you need to do is select the first product.]
"Show me the options. I hope it's not some crappy items," he said, standing in the middle of the street.
[Precisely.]
Shampoo
Wet Wipes
Energy Drinks
Scented Candles
[You can choose only one product to sell. You will add more as you expand your business and open a physical shop. So, hurry up and complete your missions.]
The system's robotic voice was surprisingly motivating. Noa could imagine the future where he was filthy rich with too much money to spend. He would help his poor family—a sister and a father—and give them a life he wasn't able to before.
He would also get revenge.
The bitch who betrayed him for money and the asshole who fired him would beg for forgiveness.
But Noa wasn't controlled by his emotions. Knowing that he had a tough road ahead, he selected the first option.
'Selling shampoo in this world shouldn't be too hard,' he thought.
With poor hygiene standards and low competition on the market, Noa was confident in his selection.
He strolled through the busy street and found a run-down stall at the end of the alleyway.
It was located at the most barren place on the road, its wooden shelves were on the verge of collapse, and barely anyone walked around this spot.
In simple terms, Noa was screwed.
However, he wasn't looking at his current situation with pessimism.
Thinking that he was saved from spending the rest of his life sleeping next to a gold digger, Noa liked what he got.
Suddenly, the empty shelves were filled with shampoos.
It had a weird plant and shiny hair drawn on it.
'Some cheap-ass hair cleanser with a good scent,' Noa recognized.
Within seconds, the shabby booth regained life, though its conditions remained pitiful compared to the other stands.
[Now you need to sell at least five of them at a cheap price of one True Spirit Coin to complete your next mission,] the system said out of nowhere, startling him.
Noa wanted to question, but saw someone walking past his humble store.
He shut his mouth and glanced at the first potential customer.
But alas, he was truly unlucky.
The young man with a sect uniform didn't even glance in his direction. His eyes darted towards the road without even noticing the run-down stall.
The same thing happened when the second guy showed up.
But even though the middle-aged man glanced at Noa's product, his bald head had no need for it.
'I need to encounter a jade beauty. Women are more likely to be interested in those shampoos,' he believed.
Sure enough, after five hours of waiting for someone to approach his shabby shop, a woman neared him.
The emblem of a flower was etched over her robes like a badge of her authority. Her eyes, sharp and unreadable, scanned the stall until they stopped at the shampoos.
"What's that?" Xue Hanli asked, and the tension that followed her every move didn't ease.
"It's a cleansing elixir—used to wash hair, remove excess dirt and sweat, while it leaves strands softer and smoother. It also has a great fragrance," Noa explained.
"Hmm," Xue Hanli's interest was piqued. "How much for a single bottle?"
The price was final. Noa couldn't change it.
"One True Spirit Coin," he said, trying to make it sound like a good deal. "I forgot to warn you that it has a side effect of causing sudden proposals and jealousy."
Xue Hanli said nothing upon hearing the offer. She turned around and left just as coldly as she arrived.
One True Spirit Coin was a huge sum for a measly head cleaner. Especially since it could buy weeks' worth of low-tier cultivation resources, such as Soul Strengthening Pills, rare herbs, or spirit crystals.
It could also allow her to purchase low-grade single-use talismans and beast cores.
As soon as she heard the price, she thought Noa was either a scammer or his single product was sky-high overpriced.
The shabby look of the booth didn't help either.
'Shit.'
Meanwhile, Noa was cursing his luck and the system at the same time.
Why would there be a strictly regulated price that he couldn't change?
[If you want to become the Richest Dimension Tycoon, you should have a set of principles. What's the point of opening a business if you can't even sell a product and maximize the profits?] the system explained, its tone serious.
[Don't forget, your aim isn't just to sell items, but to alter economics and embody your influence into the very world you are currently inhabiting. You shouldn't be following market prices, you should be controlling it.]
"Okay, okay. I got it, so stop yapping," Noa answered, looking at the first sunset since he arrived in this world.
He had no roof over his head, no food in his stomach, and no customers to sell his first product.
Still, the scenery was breathtaking, giving him the motivation not to give up.
'Let's just find an inn to stay, and fill my tank.'
Noa strolled around the silent street, searching for a place to spend the night.
[After opening your first establishment, you will get a room and a bathroom to live in comfort,] the system reminded.
Thankfully, it didn't take too long for Noa to locate a humble inn. He also stuffed himself with cheap soup and bread.
Using the same shampoo he was selling, Noa took the least comfortable bath of his life and slept like a spoiled dog to meet the next day with a well-rested mind.
He woke up early. The noisy streets and constant chatter made him start his day before even the sun showed itself.
Then he quickly got back to his shabby stall, expecting to get at least one customer throughout the day.
However, much like the previous day, most of the passersby didn't even notice him.
And the few who were interested in his product were scared off by the unreasonable price.
Until a bald young man stepped close to the booth.