Before him lay three items.
A kunai, an Explosive Tag, and a pitch-black pill.
These three things had cost him three hundred thousand Mora!
"This shop never uses underhanded tricks."
Facing the man's dissatisfaction, Felix spoke calmly. "If you didn't pull anything good, it's simply a matter of luck. And these items do have value."
"Take the Explosive Tag, for instance. You only pulled one, but Lady Ningguang pulled a stack of ten. You were just unlucky."
"I've already explained what it does. Think of it as a life-saving amulet."
"As for the kunai—it's razor-sharp. You can use it as a weapon, whether for throwing or cutting. It's compact enough to hang at your waist for easy access."
"And the last one, the black pill, is a Soldier Pill. It restores your stamina. Even if you've worked yourself to exhaustion, eating just one will fully recover your energy. For an ordinary person, the effect is significant."
"Do you really think three hundred thousand Mora could buy these kinds of effects elsewhere?"
...
As Felix explained, the man's expression shifted.
The initial anger faded.
Indeed, if what Felix said was true, these items were useful.
Lady Ningguang had pulled Explosive Tags too—she just got lucky and pulled ten.
He had only pulled one. That was on him.
"Besides, your luck isn't bad. Earlier, people pulled soda and biscuits."
Felix smiled faintly. "Those items were purely for consumption, offering no utility. Plenty of people pulled those. Compared to them, you've made a profit."
"I see."
Hearing this, the man nodded, accepting his fate.
Knowing that others had it worse made his own haul seem acceptable.
It was human nature—balance was found in comparison.
"Do you want to open more?"
Felix beamed. "You still have seven purchase chances left this week. If you don't use them, they're wasted. The quota doesn't roll over. Next week, you'll still be limited to ten jars, not seventeen."
"N-no, I'm good."
The man hesitated, looking at the items in his hand, but ultimately shook his head.
Three hundred thousand Mora for this... while valuable, it didn't meet his expectations.
More importantly, he was out of money.
"Then I look forward to your next visit."
Seeing the customer decline, Felix maintained his polite smile and watched him leave.
After he left, no new customers entered.
"I thought someone pulling a Vision would bring a horde of buyers to clear my stock. Looks like I was too optimistic."
Alone in the shop, Felix glanced at the dozen or so jars remaining on the shelf and sighed.
He still had stock left.
If he could sell them all, he would be one step closer to his Exclusive Jar.
Today, he had only sold about fifty jars.
He needed to sell one hundred to get a reward.
Including the twenty jars he would receive tomorrow, even if he sold out, he wouldn't hit a hundred. He'd have to wait until the day after tomorrow.
"Extra! Extra! Lady Tianquan announces the opening of the Liyue Bank! All citizens can deposit money for free! No fees for deposits or withdrawals! Long-term savings earn extra interest! Local money houses will upgrade to bank branches!"
Suddenly, a shout rang out from the street.
A runner waving a piece of paper sprinted past, drawing everyone's attention.
"Is it true? Lady Ningguang is opening a bank? No fees?"
"That's amazing! Free deposits and withdrawals, plus interest? Is Lady Ningguang giving us free money?"
"No wonder there was a paper snowstorm today. It was for this! This changes everything. I've never heard of a money house working for free and paying you."
"The Northland Bank is a scam. Only merchants go there. Who among us commoners would use them?"
"Exactly! This Liyue Bank is great news for us. Free safekeeping and free money. It's awesome."
...
As the runner passed, the buzz on the street grew louder.
Merchants and pedestrians alike stopped to discuss the news.
"Her moves are fast."
Felix stood at the door of his shop, watching the commotion.
He looked toward the Jade Chamber in the distance, where the last of the "paper snow" was still drifting down.
Ningguang had barely obtained the Economics book before putting it to use. She had immediately moved to open the Liyue Bank, abolishing the old fee system.
Previously, Liyue's money houses offered free deposits but charged a withdrawal fee.
People saved money to buy houses or for emergencies, and keeping it at home was risky due to theft. So, they paid the money houses a small fee for security.
Now, not only were fees gone, but the bank paid them.
This shattered the old economic order and elevated Liyue's financial system to a new level.
And all of it came from the incomplete book she had pulled from his jar.
The Northland Bank, on the other hand, charged fees for everything.
Since they weren't a local institution, their goal was pure profit, mostly from merchants.
Merchants traveling to Snezhnaya needed the Northland Bank to transfer funds safely. That was their stranglehold.
But now, with the Liyue Bank offering superior terms, Ningguang was poised to strike a heavy blow against them.