Just then, Venzel's phone buzzed in his pocket.
He glanced at the screen.
Kana with a heart emoji calling.
He stood up politely from the laughter-filled living room.
"Excuse me," he said with a quick smile to the group, then stepped away.
As the joyful noise of his family faded behind him, he walked toward the quiet of the greenhouse, pressing the call button.
"Hello, love. Missing me already?" he teased, voice smooth with affection.
But instead of Kana's voice, a different voice—playful and distinctly not hers—answered.
"Oh please, your girlfriend would kill me if I said yes."
"PFFT!" Venzel choked on his own spit, coughing. "Who—what?"
In the background, Kana's voice chimed in, giggling. "Don't panic, babe."
The mystery girl continued. "It's me, we met earlier, Lina."
""Venzel," Lina's voice came again, clearer now, serious. "I tasted those potatoes of yours and I can only say they're amazing. I want to buy more. A lot more. Bulk deals, exclusive contracts, higher rates. Are you free to talk?"
Venzel froze, blinking as the words sank in.
His brain went bzzzt like a short-circuiting wire.
"Ahem…" He coughed into his fist, composing himself like a businessman switching on his 'deal mode'. "Aunt Lina, first of all, I really appreciate your interest."
Kana stifled a laugh on the other end.
"As for the contracts, well," Venzel continued smoothly, "I trust my girlfriend. You can discuss it with her. As for quantity…" he paused for flair, "I'm just a co-owner of the farm. But if you give us time to prepare, we can deliver ginormous amounts. Guaranteed."
There was a pause on the line. Silent.
Then Lina said, "Okay. I'll take the deal."
"Are you sure…?" Kana asked nervously.
"Babe," Venzel whispered, grinning, "don't get scammed by Aunt Lina."
"Hey!!" Lina barked.
Kana laughed, the nerves in her voice washing away.
"Alright," Venzel said, walking back toward the farmhouse. "I've got to entertain my uncle, but I'll come pick you up later. Bye, love."
"Take care!" Kana's voice echoed, and the call ended with a soft beep.
Venzel stared at the screen in stunned silence for a second. Then—
"YAAAY!!" he leapt into the air, fists pumped up like a winning footballer.
He twirled once, planted his feet firmly on the ground, and held out his hand dramatically.
"Appear!"
Shwoom! The game interface blinked into view, hovering in pixelated sparkles.
"Alright—buy potatoes and—"
BEEP BEEP!
Not enough gold.
"Eh?" He blinked at the numbers. "Oh… shoot." His shoulders slumped. "I just promised a giant sale and I'm broke?"
Then a lightbulb went off in his mind.
"Wait… I still have that quest.. do I get a reward?!"
He spun on his heels and opened the Map, selecting ToonTown.
In a blink, he send his game character back into the strange colourful village of oversized flowers and floating windmills once more.
He controlled the joystick and moved past the frosted cake-like buildings and arrived at where Ashy was.
The small, pink blob with tiny cat-like ears and shiny black eyes greeted him with a smile.
[Welcome back, farmer!]
Mind you, it was just round and squishy looking, with no mouth of limbs and just a soft, wobbly body which seemed made for cuddles.
DING!
[Congratulations on your first 100 kg of potato sales!]
[Reward: Sack of Gold]
[Reward: Sack of EXP]
(A/N: Let me know if you want to have in game numbers to appear or not.)
LEVEL UP!
A glowing golden light bathed Venzel from above, the familiar Level Up chime echoing like a nostalgic victory jingle.
LEVEL 2 UNLOCKED!
[New Structure: Chicken Coop 🐔]
[New Animal: Chickens 🐣]
[New Machine: Feed Maker 🌾]
[New Crop: Wheat 🌾]
A final notification popped up:
New Quest:
Sell 10 Bags of Wheat
Quest Giver: Ashy
Venzel grinned, eyes sparkling.
"Time to buy potatoes and plant them."
Back in the game interface, Venzel's in-game avatar strolled across the pixelated farm.
A soft jingle sounded as the system automatically deducted gold from the glimmering pouch at his belt, its fullness dipping slightly.
[1x Potato Seed Pack Acquired]
He watched the character finish planting row by row, then whispered softly, "Disappear."
With a shimmer, the screen faded out.
Breathing in, Venzel slid his phone into his pocket and made his way back to the house.
When Venzel stepped into the farmhouse again, the atmosphere had shifted.
The earlier warmth and laughter had mellowed into something quieter and more serious.
Uncle Ryu, seated near the center table with a steaming cup of tea in hand, looked up.
"Oh, you're back, son. Come, sit here," he said, patting the spot beside him with a kind smile.
Venzel nodded politely and walked over. He sat down, posture straight, sensing the change in tone.
Ryu placed his cup down gently and folded his hands. "Son… I heard you got into a scandal. Is that true?"
Venzel didn't hesitate. "Yes, Uncle. It's true."
A long sigh escaped Ryu's lips. He looked genuinely pained. "I'm sorry, son. I tried. But I can't get you into my company. The shareholders wouldn't allow it, especially…"
His voice was low, not just with disappointment but also regret, maybe even guilt.
He turned slightly, side-eyeing Aoki, who was whistling casually and looking away, pretending to examine the curtains.
Venzel let out a short laugh. "Haha, it's fine, Uncle. Really. Instead of helping me find a job, could you maybe help me connect with some procurement channels? You know… to sell farm produce?"
Ryu blinked, surprised. "Oh? So you've given up on corporate life?"
Venzel stood up, placing a hand over his heart, eyes gleaming with quiet resolve. "Not at all. My passion's still alive, Uncle. And one way or another, I'll get back at those who wronged me."
That drew a hearty laugh from Ryu. "Hoho! That's the spirit! You're just like your father when he was young!"
From the corner of the room, Aoki huffed. "Hey now! I'm still young, thank you very much!"
Tsuki giggled, hiding her smile behind her hand, while Soho nudged Aoki teasingly. "You were young—once."
Just then, Tsuki glanced at the clock on the wall and gasped. "Oh my! Look at the time. If we don't start cooking now, your family won't get to eat before you leave."
Soho clapped her hands and stood. "Alright! Count me in. I'll replace your husband in the kitchen today."
"Stop picking on me!" Aoki shouted dramatically, throwing his arms in the air, but laughing with them all the same.
The room filled with chuckles again. Warmth returned to the air like sunlight through clouds.
Except for one.
Their son, Renji, stood up with a bored sigh. "I'm heading out. Gonna play some games in peace."
He slipped on his headphones and left the house without another word, door clicking behind him.
Soho's eyes followed him out. She sighed softly and shook her head. "We've spoiled him too much."
Ryu's expression softened. He reached over and patted her hand.
"Let him figure things out. He's still young. Maybe watching Venzel find his way will inspire him."