"Come on, introduce yourselves to the Senior. He's the owner of this store," Van said, his tone and expression stern as he gestured for the four teens to step forward.
Jonathan didn't like being addressed as Senior. He realised that if he didn't deal with it now, more people would start calling him that.
He quickly wanted to stop the four young referers Van had brought because there was no need for formal introductions. Besides, this wasn't how he wanted to build loyal customers. All he needed was for them to buy items from his store; loyalty would naturally follow.
However, before Jonathan could utter a word, the four teens immediately stepped forward upon hearing their uncle's words.
The first was a lean, quick-eyed boy with short-cropped dark hair and a worn scarf over his robe. The second was a broad-shouldered, tanned young boy with a faint scar across his brow and a big mallet strapped to his back.
The third was a pale-skinned girl with long dark hair and soft features.
The fourth was a girl with a similar skin tone but rough, untamed hair that fell to her back.
After learning that the young man behind the counter was the store owner, and after witnessing the store's extraordinary nature, from the pure, refined mana in the air to the vast interior, and seeing their uncle's respectful demeanour, the four teens, who were still learning about the Ascension World, stepped forward and bowed toward Jonathan and introduced themselves without hesitation.
"I am Ralen Mountain Cloud. I pay my respects to the Senior," the first greeted respectfully.
"I'm Caelum Mountain Cloud. I pay my respects to the Senior," the second followed.
"I'm Mira Mountain Cloud. I pay my respects to the Senior," the third said politely.
"I'm Sela Mountain Cloud. I pay my respects to the Senior," the fourth added with equal respect.
Observing this scene, Van nodded in approval.
Even though they sensed that Jonathan was just an ordinary human, they did not dare raise their heads after bowing. They remained in position, though their eyes subtly tried to peek at Jonathan.
"You can all raise your heads. You don't need to do that," Jonathan said, gesturing for them to stand correctly. "And don't repeat it again. I've already told your uncle he doesn't need to call me Senior. I'm a young man, and I definitely don't look old enough to be addressed like that."
Then he turned to Van and added, "If you don't listen this time, I'll ban you from entering the store for a full day."
He shifted his narrowed gaze to Tiana and Kafla.
"The same goes for you two."
He couldn't permanently ban them; that would cost him money. Besides, the system would probably lecture him if he tried it. He simply wanted them to understand the severity of their actions.
As expected, all three of them turned pale instantly.
They bowed at once.
"We're sorry, Store Manager Jonathan! We've learned our lesson! We'll never do it again!" Van said.
Tiana and Kafla nodded repeatedly. How could they afford to be banned from the store for an entire day?
That was the same as losing access to those extraordinary meals that surpassed every cultivation resource they had ever encountered, and the refined mana boost in the air.
They quickly realised they could not let that happen and resolved to address Jonathan as Store Manager Jonathan from now on, no matter what.
Meanwhile, Nessa and the four teens of the Mountain Cloud Clan stared at their sect sister and uncle, bowing nervously. Their eyes widened in disbelief. Instantly, their gazes shifted to Jonathan, and once again, their understanding of him changed dramatically.
Jonathan waved lazily for them to raise their heads. He didn't bother telling them to stop bowing as well; that was a cultural matter, and he decided to let that one slide.
Van, Tiana, and Kafla raised their heads and exhaled in relief.
"Alright. What would you like to order? I received a new delivery today, so feel free to look around and see if anything catches your eye," Jonathan said, gesturing toward the shelves and vending machines.
Hearing this, Van's eyes widened in surprise.
Yesterday, there were only two items available, so he planned to buy another Koka Kola and the Spicy Dragon Instant Noodles. But since he was here today with four of his clan's descendants, he decided to look around properly.
He also wanted to take the opportunity to inspect the store more thoroughly, which was something he hadn't been able to do yesterday. Besides, with the pure refined mana saturating the air, every minute spent inside this store was worth more than any cultivation resource they could afford back home.
"In that case, I'll take a look around," Van said with a nod.
"Take your time," Jonathan replied with a smile.
Van turned to the side, leading the four teens to browse through the store.
"Greetings, Store Manager Jonathan. I'm Nessa, Inner Disciple of the Ice Phoenix Sect," a voice sounded from beside Jonathan.
Jonathan turned and saw that the speaker was the referrer brought by Tiana and Kafla. To be honest, he was a bit disappointed that the two of them had managed only one referrer, while Van had brought four.
Still, a customer was a customer, and it was his responsibility to treat them properly.
Meanwhile, after Tiana's discreet gesture, Nessa quickly stepped forward and introduced herself. As she did, she kept her gaze slightly fixed on Jonathan. When she saw that his expression didn't change at the mention of the Ice Phoenix Sect, but instead he frowned deeply, her body turned cold.
She instantly remembered that she had attempted to break down his store door earlier.
"Miss Nessa, our store opens at 8 a.m. Don't blame me for retaliating if you attempt to break down my store door again," Jonathan said, his tone stern and gaze narrowed.
He couldn't pretend he hadn't witnessed the incident; otherwise, others might try the same in the future.