CHAPTER 99: CONVINCING

Blankly staring at Noa, Evan didn’t know how to react to his words.

His attention shifted back to his daughter.

Mia remained silent.

Her expression seemed to agree with Noa, her eyes sparking with expectations.

Then Evan found Umbu.

He was licking his lips, waiting for another bite in silence.

There was a slime as well. Its groggy body slithered across the floor, almost approaching him with calm determination.

Yet its weird smile sent chills down his spine.

There was Yun Qiqi as well.

The little girl grinned slightly, her face showing a mix of emotions such as excitement and warmth.

Only now did Evan realize where she had come from.

The adorable kid Noa had been looking for was definitely from the world he’d been talking about. Thankfully, she seemed normal, except she was cuter than the other kids, and her tongue was sharper than any adult he knew.

Suddenly, he glanced back at his son.

He seemed and felt different.

Yes, he had grown up and matured in the blink of an eye, but there was more—something he couldn’t really put his finger on.

It was about his presence.

An unseen aura that gave off confidence and silent determination.

Though the stories Noa had told him sounded like total bullshit, the way he worded them forced Evan to listen carefully.

He felt genuine interest, and blinking a couple of times, he asked,

"You want to bring me... where? Is it even safe for you and your sisters? What if those strange people decide to attack you?"

Evan was genuinely concerned for their well-being.

Everything he had heard sounded like an extremely dangerous job, and part of him wished it was a lie.

"Heavenly Treasures Store. To show you the world beyond Earth," Noa suddenly replied to his question, nodding without a shift in his emotions. "It’s safe. I would say it’s safer than this house."

With each sentence Noa completed, Evan took more steps to approach him.

Little by little, he was more convinced.

Even his face showed less doubt and increased surprise.

Seeing this, Noa gulped, reloading his gun—the one that only fired words—and pulled the final trigger.

"I... I know this sounds insane. But that place gave me purpose. For the first time in my life, I am building something. Shop? It’s only part of the bigger picture, and I want you to be part of it as well."

Noa’s sincere words reached him.

Evan finally closed the distance between them.

It allowed him to see Noa and the others around him much more clearly.

Soon, Evan’s eyes moved toward Yun Qiqi, who gave him a thumbs up with what could only be described as the most innocent and mischievous smile only she could wear.

Then his eyes found Mia.

"Dad, come with us. Brother is doing something great, and it allows me to grow as well. I promise it will be worth it," she said, her tone serious.

It wasn’t every day Evan could see her act like that.

A lump of emotions emerged in his throat.

Puff and Umbu also popped up in his field of vision, convincing him that the stories he had heard were all too real.

Finally, his eyes returned to Noa.

"This store of yours," he started, coughing. "Do you have to pay for the taxes?"

His voice was so calm that neither Noa nor Mia knew if he was being serious or if he was simply joking.

Still, Noa rubbed his chin and answered,

"Not really."

He let the silence linger, and before Evan scolded him to be careful, he added,

"I don’t have to. Yet something still limits my income."

[I feel attacked,] the system rang in his head, its voice full of robotic malice.

"You should be," Noa muttered inwardly. "Because that was my intention, you shameless thief. It’s because of your transaction costs I can’t open any establishment on Earth."

[Imagine being poor and blaming it on someone else,] the system teased. [Couldn’t be me.]

Noa ignored his assistant and looked at his father.

"I can’t have you three messing up. I have to see for myself what you are up to," he said, and sat behind the table for once.

Mia cheered at his words.

She leaped up and hugged her father, wrapping her arms around him.

"This is going to be awesome," she said, almost jumping in place with Evan, who quickly became dizzy because of how energetic his daughter was.

Unfortunately for him, there was another little monster in this house.

Not Umbu.

Neither Puff with his big smile.

None of them could compare to the dangers a particular girl could pose to anyone she wanted.

So, without any means of fighting back, Evan was forced into another embrace.

This one was louder. Tighter.

"Heeheeeh," Yun Qiqi giggled.

She was happy that Noa would be able to rest easy and spend time with his family.

Also, she enjoyed Evan’s presence as well.

It gave her tiny specks of warmth in her tummy, making her feel emotions she wasn’t used to.

Just then, Evan patted her and Mia’s heads.

"I am so lucky to have two adorable daughters," he said, now pinching their cheeks with soft force.

But it was enough to leave small marks of red on their skin, strangely making Qiqi shy for the first time.

Seeing this, Noa’s eyes narrowed.

Meeting Qiqi was the best thing the Dimensional Tycoon status had allowed him.

Everything else was a bonus. And seeing how well she adapted to his family, he couldn’t help but smile.

Meanwhile, Evan started eating in silence before his stomach rumbled with hunger.

Five minutes later, when he left the plate clean, he stood up.

"Should we go right now? It’s best to hurry up. I am so tired, I might fall asleep at any moment. And I also can’t wait to see this dimensional madness you have promised."

"Deal," Noa answered, pointing others to finish their food.

Mia quickly helped Umbu eat his fill, and though he could still fit way more in his stomach, there was not enough meat.

"Let’s start with a portal," he said, flicking his hand directly into his apartment.