First step to World Domination 3

The shopkeeper sat behind his counter, still shaking his head in disbelief as he stared at Adam. His eyes, filled with anger and confusion just moments before, now showed a mix of shock and disbelief. 

Suddenly, as if his body could no longer contain the built-up energy, he sprang to his feet. His chair scraped loudly against the wooden floor, echoing through the small, dusty shop.

"Kid, are you out of your mind?!" he shouted, his voice a mix of anger and frustration.

His words were harsh and full of disbelief. "Do you even realize what you're saying?!" The shopkeeper's tone was so strong that the silence in the shop seemed to be broken by every syllable.

Adam, however, remained unshaken. He kept his eyes locked on the shopkeeper with a calm and steady look. With no sign of fear, he simply replied, 

"Yes. I know exactly what I'm saying. And I mean it." His voice was quiet but firm, filled with a certainty that contrasted with the shopkeeper's growing agitation.

The shopkeeper, breathing heavily, ran a hand through his messy hair and let out a long exhale. 

Slowly, he lowered himself back into his creaky chair, carefully resting both hands on the counter. 

Even though his face still showed signs of anger, his sharp gaze was now fixed intently on Adam. The silence stretched between them for a moment as both men tried to decide what would happen next.

Finally, the shopkeeper muttered in a quieter voice, yet filled with suspicion, "Then that means… you're doing something illegal." His words were low but cutting.

"You're smuggling gold, aren't you? That's the only way you could afford to sell it at half the market price. Otherwise, how would this deal make any sense?"

For an instant, Adam stiffened. His mind raced with thoughts as he realized that the shopkeeper had caught on quickly. Damn, he thought. 

This was exactly the problem he had hoped to avoid. If the shopkeeper's suspicion grew too strong, he might decide to cancel the entire deal. 'I can't afford that. I need him on board,' Adam reminded himself, keeping his inner worry in check.

Then, a sudden idea sparked in Adam's mind. He recalled something very important—the gold bars he had copied were from a government-approved store.

This meant that each bar carried the official hallmarks that proved its authenticity. With these markings, the gold was beyond any doubt real and legal.

A wave of confidence rushed through Adam. 

Looking directly into the shopkeeper's eyes, he said, "If you really think that, then go ahead—check the markings on my gold bar. It will prove whether or not it's government-approved."

His tone was even and challenging, as if daring the shopkeeper to test him.

The shopkeeper's eyes narrowed further. He looked at Adam with a mix of doubt and a tiny spark of hope. 'Was this kid bluffing' he wondered silently.

But deep down, he also knew that if Adam were telling the truth, the deal was far too good to ignore. The offer was tempting beyond belief.

After a long, heavy silence, the shopkeeper sighed deeply and shook his head as if trying to clear his troubled thoughts. 

"If you had come to me with this deal a few months ago, I would have rejected it without a second thought," he said in a low, grim tone.

"Any sane person would have done so. This deal reeks of suspicion."

Adam did not say a word at first. He waited patiently, his face unreadable, letting the shopkeeper continue. The older man's voice softened as he continued, 

"But… I don't have the luxury of being cautious anymore. I'm drowning in debt. My business is dying." His words were heavy with the weight of his troubles.

The shopkeeper's eyes, once filled with anger, now reflected deep sadness and desperation.

He looked back at Adam with a hard expression that slowly softened into determination.

"So, fine. I accept your deal," he declared. Without a moment's hesitation, he extended his hand forward—the universal sign of an agreement. His gesture was firm and full of the hope of a new beginning.

A warm grin spread across Adam's face as he reached out and shook the shopkeeper's hand. The handshake was firm, and in that brief contact, both men felt a spark of something new—a possibility that their lives could change for the better

Still holding Adam's hand firmly, the shopkeeper pulled back and asked with a curious tone, "So… how much gold do you actually have?" His eyes were searching, trying to read the truth behind Adam's confident smile.

Adam paused for a moment, thinking over his answer carefully. 'Should I tell him the truth? Or should I first test how much he really wants?' he wondered. 

Instead of giving a direct number, he chose to turn the question back on the shopkeeper with a playful smirk. "How much do you want?" Adam asked, his voice light but edged with challenge.

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up at this response. It was as if his hope was suddenly reignited. "I want to start with one gold bar at half price," he replied firmly. 

Then he added with a hint of excitement, "And your deal is still active, right? The one where you give me one extra gold bar for free?"

Adam couldn't help but chuckle softly. "I thought you'd ask for more," he remarked, his smile growing wider. "But sure, the deal still stands." He reached into his bag, and in a smooth, practiced motion, he pulled out two gold bars from his inventory. 

Gently, he set them on the counter in front of the shopkeeper for inspection.

The shopkeeper's breath caught in his throat as he stared at the two gleaming bars of pure gold lying on the counter.

Their shine was almost hypnotic, and the rich, warm glow of the metal filled the small shop with an air of possibility. His hands trembled slightly as he reached out to pick up the bars, turning them over in his calloused fingers.

As he examined each bar closely, his eyes widened more and more with each passing second. 

On the side of each bar, he could clearly see a hallmark stamped into the gold. It was a government-issued certification—a mark that meant the gold was genuine and met strict official standards.

Relief washed over the shopkeeper in a sudden, overwhelming rush. 'This is legit,' he thought.

The gold wasn't smuggled, fake, or of doubtful origin. It was the real deal—pure, approved, and exactly what he needed to help save his struggling business.

In that very moment, the weight of his financial burdens felt a little lighter. His heart pounded with excitement and disbelief. 'I just struck gold,' he thought, and for a brief instant, he allowed himself to dream of a new beginning.

A quick mental calculation ran through his mind. If he had bought these two bars at market price, it would have cost him at least $60,000. But right now, he was getting them for only $15,000—a deal so unbelievable it seemed like a miracle.

His face softened from suspicion to genuine admiration. "This is incredible," he whispered, almost to himself, as he turned back to Adam with newfound respect. "This kid isn't normal." There was a clear mix of hope and cautious excitement in his voice.

Taking a deep breath, the shopkeeper finally said, "Alright. I trust you." He carefully placed the gold bars back on the counter, his eyes never leaving Adam's. Leaning forward, with a determined look in his eyes, he added, "I want six more bars."

Adam's eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise. "That fast? I thought you'd test the waters first," he remarked, his tone a mix of curiosity and amusement.

The shopkeeper smirked, a confident glimmer returning to his eyes. "I don't need to test the waters. This deal is too good," he said with a firm nod. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bundle of cash. "This is all I have left," he explained. "I'll give you everything for those six bars."

At that moment, a rush of excitement surged through Adam. 'This is working,' he thought. Without a moment's hesitation, he reached into his bag again and, one by one, pulled out six more gold bars from his inventory. 

Carefully, he placed each bar on the counter, neatly stacking them so that the shopkeeper could see every one.

The shopkeeper's eyes grew wide in disbelief as he looked at the growing pile of gold bars.

He could hardly believe that this young man was carrying so much gold in such a small bag. 'How the hell is he carrying so much gold in that tiny bag?!'

The thought raced through his mind, filling him with both amazement and a spark of worry about the mysterious source of the gold.

Yet, he shoved those doubts aside for the moment. What mattered most was securing the deal that could save his dying business. He reached out and picked up one of the bars again, turning it over in his hands to admire its weight and shine.

Still holding the bar, the shopkeeper's curiosity got the better of him. He looked up, his eyes full of concern, and asked, "Kid… aren't you worried? You're walking around with so much gold in broad daylight. What if someone tries to rob you?" His voice was low, and the worry in his tone was unmistakable.

Adam's lips curved into a mysterious smile as he considered the question. "Fear?" he mused quietly. "Fear is for those who have no power." His voice took on a tone that was both calm and strangely confident, almost as if he were saying that he was beyond the reach of danger.

He leaned in slightly, his eyes darkening as they held a look that mixed determination with a hint of something almost supernatural. "My time for being afraid is over. Now, it's time to act."