Chapter 47 - 46: Supply replenishment
The old 1998 Toyota TownAce rattled slightly as Kael drove along the highway, the steering wheel warm beneath his hands. The early sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the pine trees lining the road. The breeze pushed in through the open window.
Kael scratched his neck and muttered, "It’s old, but still runs like a damn champ..."
The 1998 Toyota TownAce—a reliable, no-frills Japanese mini truck with a flatbed cargo area and a humming 1.5-liter inline-four engine. The steering felt light, and despite the vehicle’s age, everything responded smoothly—like a well-kept machine that had seen years of loyal service. Eli had kept it in near-pristine condition.
Kael turned off the main road and pulled into the lot of a large discount supermarket. Bright red and white signs loomed overhead, peeling slightly at the edges.
Kael parked at the edge of the lot, beside a van loaded with crates of spring onions. He shut off the engine and sat in silence for a moment.
Kael needed a lot of products. At one point, he’d even considered buying the entire supermarket—because buying products over and over again was a tedious task. But he didn’t have enough money for that. Not yet.
Right now, Kael had about $35,000 from his business. He also had around $125,000 from Red Morn’s lair and $106,589 from the Artificer. That meant he had a total of $266,589. However, he couldn’t spend all that money right away.
Money was power—but only if used correctly. The cost of expanding the business, renovating his grandfather’s house, and covering emergencies... it all added up fast. He figured he could afford to spend maybe $10,000 today—at most.
Kael stepped inside. The automatic doors slid open. Calm instrumental music played overhead, and employees in red aprons were already restocking the shelves. One of them gave him a polite nod as he passed.
He grabbed a flatbed cart—meant for bulk shopping—and pushed it slowly down the first aisle.
He wasn’t just grabbing things randomly. That would be stupid.