7 : Shameless Hitch

"I said the demonstration was over, kid. You don't need to continue the act," Ria said, trying to move away.

"No… nooo… You misunderstood me. I'm not acting. Please order that wild Kirin for me. Don't you know what this card is?" Kent replied, flipping the golden piggy card.

"Please don't waste my time. I need to find a rich customer. You better leave me now," Ria said, her face uneasy but she still maintained a polite tone since so many people were staring at them from a distance.

"Why don't you try this card once? I really want that, Kirin." Kent replied impatiently.

"What's happening, Ria? Why are you operating the 3D screen?" Suddenly, a tall, middle-aged man in formal clothes approached Ria from behind, his loud tone attracting the attention of everyone present. 

Ria's body shuddered after hearing the manager's voice. She nervously turned around to face him, her hands shaking and was unable to open her mouth to explain things.

Sony, the senior assistant who had tricked Ria into attending Kent, hurriedly joined the scene. "Manager Rin, I asked her to stop this poor young man from approaching VIP screens. I'm sorry, manager. I should have done it myself," Sony said, feigning a sad face and fake tears.

"What?! Ria, is this true?" Manager Rin demanded angrily.

Ria tried to explain, but after seeing the manager's furious face, she couldn't utter another word. 

Meanwhile, Kent, who stood by the side, didn't understand what was going on but after seeing Ria's moist eyes, he understood that he was the cause of her sorrow.

"Manager Rin, I asked her to demonstrate the expensive pets. You don't need to blame her. Also, here is my card. Please process my order for Wild Kirin," Kent spoke confidently as he stretched his hand to pass the golden piggy card.

The manager glared at Kent with a serious face, almost ready to lash out... but right at the last moment, his gaze landed on the golden piggy card. He immediately snatched it from Kent's hands to take a closer look.

"Is this a golden piggy card?" the manager questioned in a surprised tone, unable to believe that he was actually holding one.

"Yes, it's a golden piggy card. You can verify it however you like," Kent replied, crossing his arms.

The manager, Rin, turned silent since he couldn't believe what Kent had said. He scrutinized the card for a long time, doubting its authenticity since he had never seen a real golden piggy card in real life. Also, Kent's appearance didn't satisfy his doubts.

"Ria, take this card to the accounts room and process this young man's order. Do it quickly. I want to know whether he is telling the truth," Rin ordered, passing the card to Ria.

Ria hurriedly ran away with the card in hand, relieved that Manager Rin's attention had shifted towards Kent.

"Manager Rin, why are you wasting your time? Look at his clothes. I guess he probably can't even afford a mouse. Let me call the security. We shouldn't tolerate this type of fraud," Sony, who was always ready to gain the manager's favor, said with a smug face and pulled out her glass orb to call the security.

Manager Rin didn't stop her and continued to patiently stare at Kent. He was almost certain that the card was a fake one, but his years of experience let him maintain his composure. Meanwhile, most of the onlookers also shared the same skepticism.

Ria, who went inside, returned, running faster than she first left. She was shaking from head to toe as she stopped before Manager Rin, her heart racing like a horse while she gasped for air.

"Ria, what happened? Is that card legit?" Manager Rin asked in a serious tone as he gazed at Ria.

Ria, who was gasping for air, handed the golden piggy card and a small receipt along with it to the manager without saying a word.

After letting out an impatient sigh, Manager Rin examined the receipt. The colors on his face changed as he saw the receipt. Paid...1049 gold coins in one go. He double-checked the receipt and card, disbelief etched on his face.

"Manager, didn't I tell you? This brat is a complete fake. Now, shall we throw him out?" Sony, who stood on one side, spoke confidently, misjudging the expression on Manager Rin's face. She assumed that Ria would be celebrating by now if the card was legit.

"Shut up…! You useless hitch, how many times do I have to tell you not to judge people based on looks?" Manager Rin shouted angrily before turning to Kent. "Young master, I'm really sorry. Please forgive us for not treating you well." 

After saying that, Manager Rin directly bowed before Kent without any reservation. He knew just how powerful the people with golden piggy cards were and he didn't want to leave any bad impression.

Sony's face paled after seeing this interaction, but she immediately adjusted her demeanor and bowed beside the manager. "Young master, this is all my fault. Please forgive me," she then said with the utmost respect.

Inside, however, Sony was scheming a way to snatch Kent on her side. The commission on this one order was equal to her one-and-a-half-year salary. Instead of regretting her misfortune, Sony was cursing Ria inwardly.

"Is my order complete? When can I receive my pet?" Kent turned towards Ria and asked her with a polite smile. 

Meanwhile, Ria, who was worried about her initial behavior towards Kent, felt relieved at his question.

"Young Master Kent, this is your order token. Your pet will arrive in two days. Also, on the same day, we will proceed with a blood contract with your pet," Ria explained hurriedly, respect evident in her voice.

"That's good, then... Send me a message when the pet arrives. This is my orb; please add your contact," Kent replied while passing the brand-new Sky Orb, which gleamed with serene beauty.

"Isn't this a sky pearl?" a teenage girl among the crowd exclaimed aloud. Sony's eyes immediately lit up after seeing the sky orb.

Before Ria could pick up the sky orb from Kent, Sony stepped forward and grabbed the orb with a wide smile.

"Young Master Kent, Ria is new to this job. She doesn't know much about wild pets. Please let me help you. Also, she might have forgotten to tell you that we will provide a 30% discount card for the pet decoration if you buy a wild beast," Sony directly added Kent's contact information to her glass orb.

Seeing her act like this, Ria trembled with anger, ready to slap Sony. She never thought Sony could be such a cold-hearted hitch and wouldn't even have an ounce of shame. But before Ria, someone else took action on her behalf.

And what happened next shocked the entire crowd in the pet store.