Inside the basement of the Nostrade Manor.
This was a fairly large basement. For such an expansive manor, aside from the underground wine cellar, this hidden underground secret room was the most special.
This underground area had been built when the manor was first constructed, but until now, Light hadn't decided how to plan or utilize this space.
However, for a gang family, a secret underground area and potential escape routes were essential configurations.
Although they hadn't decided what to renovate this underground area into, Kevin had an idea as soon as he knew such a space existed, so he set about renovating it.
Kevin stood in the basement, looking at the brand-new space before him, unable to help but reveal a satisfied smile.
Being in this room felt like being in a future world.
The basement was densely packed with various pipelines, and on the central design table sat the latest model of the mainframe and its accompanying servers.
The exterior walls of the entire basement had been reinforced. To enter this underground server location, one had to pass through multiple checkpoints. At this moment, Kevin was holding a laptop similar to a specialized computer; this thick machine had quite a rugged style.
He took out a cable connected to the computer and plugged it into the machine's interface next to him.
A strange doll image appeared on the screen.
Ickshonpe.
That was the name of this doll image.
Ickshonpe was also a Hunter, and a quite famous and powerful one at that.
In the current society rapidly moving toward the information age, his abilities were particularly unique.
Initially, when Kevin asked Biscuit if there were any Hacker Hunters or similar professions in the Hunter Association, he received her recommendation.
As for what kind of Hunter Ickshonpe specifically was, Kevin wasn't too sure, only knowing that he called himself a "resident of the real world" and even thought that people like Kevin in the real world were actually virtual.
However, other Hunters just treated him as a Hacker Hunter.
Well, Hunters always have some eccentricities to some degree; Kevin had gradually become accustomed to this.
As long as the strength was sufficient and the professional ability was exquisite, everything else was not a problem.
In fact, Ickshonpe was indeed powerful enough.
The cards constructed previously had their anti-counterfeiting and reading settings completed with Ickshonpe's help.
The potion shop website Kevin planned to build naturally could not do without his assistance.
Even the setup of the server in front of him was completed under his direction.
This cost a lot of money.
Fortunately, the medicine had been successfully launched this week, and wealth was pouring in steadily, so there would be no need to worry too much about funds in the future.
"Is this sufficient?" Kevin asked.
The doll on the screen didn't speak but just held up a drawing board, which displayed what he wanted to say.
He could clearly communicate directly via voice, yet he insisted on displaying it through text.
『This is sufficient. According to your requirements, the security of the real-world site you built is already adequate.』
『The firewall has also been completed for you. Although the server specifications aren't huge, according to the usage scenarios you described, it can already fully meet the requirements.』
Looking at the information on the screen, Kevin nodded.
"Thanks. I've already transferred the payment to the account you provided."
『Pleasure doing business, person from the virtual world.』
The screen flashed, returning to the computer desktop.
"So, the final step for the shop is finally completed, and it can officially open for business."
During this period, Kevin had prepared a large quantity of potions.
Almost all the relevant materials available on the market had been swept up by him, so much so that the prices of these materials had risen sharply due to his bulk purchasing.
This was also a helpless move; after all, these materials were difficult to obtain, the prices were already high, and the transaction volume and storage volume were not high.
Suddenly, with someone purchasing in large quantities without any preparation, the price would naturally rise.
Kevin left the server room.
It was just too noisy here.
Above the server room was the computer data room in the manor, also a room with very high protection specifications.
The room was filled with various computers, display equipment, and electronic devices, densely packed.
Kevin carried the laptop, found a seat, and sat down, then took out a pure white card.
In the center of the card was only a red stone symbol; apart from that, there were no patterns or icons.
This was an administrator card.
Kevin had made a total of six such cards; by swiping the card on the login device, one could enter the website's management interface.
This type of card was the highest-spec card Kevin had made, higher in level than both the membership card and the Supplier card.
Because it was a purely Nen Ability-added product, with mysterious characters carved inside.
It would react according to each person's different Nen, and had a certain binding procedure.
At the current stage, only one card had been bound, and the bound Nen was Kevin's own.
The remaining five were blank cards, not yet bound, and the specific binding process was known only to Kevin.
Kevin attached Nen to the card and swiped it on the card reader next to him.
The computer screen immediately jumped, entering a special website.
The first thing that caught his eye was the iconic irregular red stone pattern.
Sliding the page upward, he entered the website page.
Depending on the card swiped, the functions displayed on the website also differed.
What Kevin saw at this moment was the internal administrator website.
Through the backend data, he could view the consumption situation and purchase lists of every member account.
Currently, there were only a few test data items on it, which counted as a demonstration.
"Let me see, first I should list the goods."
Kevin clicked the "Goods" option, then selected "List," and began to edit the pictures and information.
He entered all the prepared materials, classified the purchasable potions according to different levels, and after completing these operations, the listing was successful.
After processing these things with the administrator account, Kevin took out the membership card and logged in again to check.
The page was instantly refreshed; on the simple and orderly page, there were only three selectable options: 『Introduction』, 『Personal』, and 『Products』.
The 『Introduction』 section, as the name suggests, was a detailed explanation of the shop and the entire website's purchasing process and various membership systems.
After all, the main purpose of this website was to build a sufficiently large 『Supplier』 network; everything else was a byproduct.
The 『Personal』 section displayed the member account's own information, simple and clear.
The 『Products』 section was the core page of the entire website; after clicking it, the potions that the current member account could purchase were listed at the very top.
According to the level of the member account, there would be gray-black potions below, which could only be viewed for introduction but could not be purchased.
A simple attraction technique.
After confirming everything was correct, Kevin edited a text message and sent it to a strange number.
In a room somewhere, Locke was standing in front of the window, and suddenly the phone in his pocket vibrated.
He took out his phone and saw that the text message came from a number he had specially marked.
"Finally, there is news. Exactly three months, it really is punctual."
Locke opened the text message; it was indeed sent by Kevin.
『The things you want are ready. This is the transaction address; I am waiting for you here.』
The transaction location was not far from the city where he was, and Locke immediately set about arranging his itinerary.
He had been looking forward to this potion for a long time.
After sending the text message, Kevin left the room and came to the manor.
He walked around the manor and found that except for Neon, who was watching TV, the whole manor seemed exceptionally quiet.
"Everyone is very busy."
Kevin said, sitting down on the sofa.
Since listening to the prophecy interpretation, Pairo had indicated that the three of them would handle the gang-related issues, so Kevin had not asked about it again.
Correspondingly, Pairo and the other two had started to get busy with company affairs following Light.
From the situation of the prophecy, there shouldn't be any major problems this month.
However, the Terdorca Family might take action due to the popularity of Red Stone Pharmaceuticals.
Problems might appear next month.
After all, this was their first time handling such matters, so they had prepared early.
This could also be considered the correct way to use Neon's Nen Ability—detecting danger in advance through fortune-telling and preparing for it, so as to be prepared for a rainy day.
Otherwise, what would be the point of the prophecy?
The prophecy itself was meant to help people change the direction of the future.
A few days later, at night.
In a brightly lit mall, there was a small shop tucked away in a corner.
The shop was empty, save for a small counter, a computer placed next to it, and a bookshelf in the back filled with various books about animals, potions, plants, and minerals.
You could even see quite a few books similar to children's stories and collections of folklore.
At first glance, this place didn't look like an operating shop at all; it looked more like a storefront waiting to be sold.
Behind the counter, Kevin was leaning back in a recliner, holding a book and reading it intently.
"Facing the Golden Rooster that laid eggs, the greedy farmer finally picked up a butcher knife and sliced open its stomach, yet there was nothing inside—"
After finishing that particular story from the collection in his hands, Kevin rolled his eyes helplessly.
"What kind of 'killing the chicken to get the eggs' is this?"
He looked at the book cover. "The Distant Book"
A book compiling local folklore and legends from various places around the world.
He helplessly turned to the next chapter.
"...—He met a talking fire-red bird, a wise bird indeed—he helped the red bird, but he suffered an incurable injury, the red bird shed sad tears, and the kind carpenter lived happily ever after."
—...What is this nonsense?
How is it so incoherent, yet it still looks like a fable. Teaching people about truth, goodness, and beauty or something.
He had seen talking birds before, just not red ones, so that part was quite believable.
At this moment, he was no longer at Nostrade Manor, but in his potion shop outside, a place he had purchased beforehand, located in a bustling downtown area.
This was a large, twenty-four-hour shopping mall.
The reason he had a physical shop was due to actual sales demand. The main reason was that the city where the Nostrade Family resided was relatively remote.
It was just a small city, and although Light's Nostrade Family was the local underground Overlord, neither the transportation nor other facilities were convenient.
That place could no longer satisfy Light's expectations for the company's development. The location for Red Stone Pharmaceuticals and the pharmaceutical factory was set in another city from the beginning—a large coastal port city.
This city had convenient transportation to the city where the manor was located, and a round trip by private airship took less than a day.
For Red Stone Pharmaceuticals, this was undoubtedly an excellent choice. Naturally, Kevin's potion shop was also chosen to be here.
『At this moment, he was on duty in the shop. Although the potion shop had not officially opened, he had already arranged to meet Locke here.』
『At this moment, the door was knocked. "Come in."』
Following Kevin's response, Locke, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, pushed the door open and walked in.
Locke looked around at the decor of the shop and couldn't help but say: "Choosing to put your shop here is a bit unexpected, but isn't this a bit too perfunctory?"
In his view, this was, after all, a business, but the layout of the shop was truly hard to compliment.
Kevin, lying back in his chair, rolled his eyes and said casually: "This isn't a shop in the traditional sense; do you really expect me to put the potions on display shelves? If some crazy person comes to cause trouble, wouldn't I suffer a huge loss?"
After all, he was selling potions; while they wouldn't break just by hitting the floor, they were easily damaged if subjected to deliberate attacks.
Moreover, it was unlikely that there would be large-volume shipments, so customers with needs could simply come to the shop to place orders.
"It seems I am your first customer?" Locke pulled over a stool, sat down, and asked with a smile.
Kevin thought for a moment and nodded: "To some extent, that is indeed the case."
He closed the book and set it aside. As he spoke, Kevin took a golden card from his pocket and handed it to Locke.
"A membership card, mid-tier."
Locke took the card and examined it over and over. "How do you use this thing?"
Kevin pointed to the computer next to them: "Just like using a hunter license, just swipe it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Kevin felt a gaze filled with Grudge shoot toward him.
He turned to look at Locke, paused for a moment, then slapped his forehead, "Ah, sorry, I forgot you didn't pass the Hunter Exam."
Locke stared at Kevin with an expressionless face, seriously suspecting that he had done it on purpose.
"Do you need me to explain how to use it?" "No, I'm aware of that much information."
Locke said with emphasis, then picked up the membership card and swiped it on the machine.
Through the membership card, Locke directly accessed the shop's website. "An online sales model?" Locke muttered to himself.
Subsequently, based on the introduction on the website, he began to check his membership benefits and the relevant shop instructions.
After understanding the usage method, Locke nodded to indicate he understood. To be honest, he was somewhat tempted by the cooperation terms for the Supplier level.
But after carefully reviewing the specific cooperation items, he could only shake his head helplessly; this was not a field he excelled in, nor did he have the corresponding channel resources.
Obviously, the materials Kevin needed were not those common, everyday items. One could tell just by looking at the effects of these potions.
"Since you are selling through the internet, why do you need to set up a physical shop?"
Hearing this question, Kevin explained helplessly: "Of course, it's to receive those non-member users. They also have a purchase quota twice a year; as long as they are a Nen User who knows Nen, they can purchase."
After all, one of the important purposes of Kevin opening this shop was to recruit Suppliers.
Whether they were potential Suppliers found through his own connections or recommended by other members, a physical location was needed for communication and verification.
The acquisition of materials and the sale of some potions also required an actual place to operate.
At the same time, this was also to cope with various situations; after all, some Nen Users had all sorts of eccentricities, and there would certainly be people who were unwilling to conduct transactions over the internet, or simply unwilling to provide a specific shipping address.
These Hunters, or rather Nen Users, were very vigilant.
In short, a physical shop, a fixed location in reality, could solve many potential troublesome problems.
Even in this world that had not fully entered the information age, even if complete informatization were achieved in the future, an actual operational headquarters would still be needed.
Even a small shop like Kevin's was no exception.
Locke nodded, indicating understanding. "That is to say, I can book potions directly online from now on?"
Kevin nodded to confirm; this was indeed the most convenient method.
Locke frowned slightly: "Wouldn't there be risks this way? It feels quite dangerous."
After all, these potions were valuable; even for small transactions, the amount could be quite considerable.
Kevin was also somewhat helpless about this; he shrugged: "Some things are hard to make perfect; if problems arise, I'll just deal with them."
Problems during logistics, goods being robbed, goods being lost, and other situations were all within Kevin's considerations.
But currently, his available manpower was limited, and there was no better way for the time being. It wasn't like he could deliver the goods himself; that would be putting the cart before the horse.
Kevin looked at Locke. "So, you have other thoughts, right? I can see you didn't just come here to trade potions."
He and Locke could only be considered acquaintances; if you insisted on saying they were very familiar, it clearly hadn't reached that level.
For a simple transaction, given Locke's personality, he should have left after completing the transaction and understanding the shop's operating mechanism.
But now he was asking questions back and forth, wanting to know more.
Locke smiled: "Before I came, I really just wanted to buy potions from you, but after arriving here, my thoughts changed."
Locke was also a person with quite a bit of ambition; he keenly sensed Kevin's needs.
He put away the membership card and straightened his clothes. Locke coughed lightly, cleared his throat, revealed a professional smile on his face, and then took a business card from his pocket and handed it to Kevin.
"I am, although untalented, the president of a global logistics company."