The Maelstrom of Stardew
Year 1 (Summer)
Chapter 15: Second Day Strides
Tuesday, the 2nd of Summer, 2017
[Quest Announcement] - Gamer Ability/Notification
[LOAD GAME]
…
[Minor updates loading.]
…
[Bugs fixed]
…
[Updates completed. GAME LOADED. WELCOME BACK!]
Taeko awoke and noticed that he sensed no one in the house. He got out of bed and stretched, remembering it would really be him and Tera. He checked his phone to find texts from Maru and Penny confirming they would be out of town for a while. A text from Kyu about some minor updates. Interestingly, he found a text from Alex telling him to come see him as soon as he can. He went for a quick cold shower before coming out feeling fresh as he got on his bathrobe. He sensed Tara coming up to his door as went down to open it.
"Good morning, Lord Maelstrom." Tara said, trying not to gawk at the freshly showered man. "Just hauling in the harvest, it's in the golf cart out front."
"That's good." He mused. "And we have golf carts?"
"Plenty. Got them on the cheap given they were being tossed out…if you need one…I left one in your garage another in the area…my custom golf carts are at least slightly faster than a regular one." Tara said. "And let me just say it's a pleasure for me and Chisa to be your farmhand assistants."
"And where is Chisa?" Taekoa asked, looking around.
"She's hungover…along with Cleo and Tera. I have the best tolerance…" Tara said. "By the way, thank you for the liquor. It's hard for Kokiri to get their hands on it. So if we can have a bottle or two…"
"I can take a request on occasion." Taeko said. "But I should get dressed…got things to do. And you can stop standing there eyeing my crotch."
Tara could only blush as Taeko laughed.
"Have a seat in the kitchen…I'll make us some coffee." Taeko said before noticing the mailbox. "I should check that."
"He's lucky he's hot." Tara said coming in.
Taeko went to the mailbox. The first letter was from the Foxes thanking him for dealing with the Pop Pack. The next letter was from Kyu.
[Letter from Kyu]
[Hey there, player. Just wanted to wish you a happy summer alongside a bit of a gift. Namely, all the clothes and accessories from the [Beach Bum Update] given all of those clothes were free. They have been sent to your closet. Even the girl clothes for you to gift to certain people. You have fun now.]
[Beach Bum Update Clothing was sent to your closet, colors for some of them can be slightly customized]
"Well that solves my summer wear problem." Taeko mused before going onto the next letter which was from his sister.
[Letter from Hikari]
[Big brother, I've heard that you've become a part of elf nobility. Allow me to express my sympathy because these elves can be really thirsty. I just wanted to let you know that I finally got around to dealing with the asshole who was terrorizing the town. Twisted bastard was using Tim's zoo as a hidden base. Either way, he was stopped and I've completed the quest. Got favor with the king, and was well rewarded. So now I got the title of Countess. While I got new opportunities, I'm taking time off to be with Tim. Yes, we're still together. Love, Hikari - P.S. After that vandalizing douchebag was arrested, I managed to swipe several things from his lab. Figured you've found use for it, and some of the prick's life savings.]
[Enclosed: 30x [Radioactive Ore], 10x [Radioactive Bar], 20x [Mega Bomb], 750,000 Gold]
There was also a framed photo of her and Tim in front of the zoo. The ore and bars were put away as he put the framed photo in his bedroom. He dried off before getting underclothes and dressed for the day. He wore a blue tank top under an open white Hawaiian shirt, a black Feud varsity jacket, blue board shorts, a white canvas bucket hat, a white sports watch, his fingerless gloves, blue flip flops, a Gaullie gold chain, and a pair of Broker lime white-rimmed wraparounds.
He wanted to blend in with the people of Gorgeous Gale which meant looking the way he did. Taeko came down making coffee for himself and Tara…from the [Coffee Maker] that was clearly something Cassidee bought for him. Coffee downed, Taeko went out to the golf cart to bring in the haul.
Three iridium quality [Melons], thirty iridium quality [Blueberries], fifteen bottles of [Poppy Honey], six bottles of [Maple Syrup], and a dozen clumps of [Wool].
"Not bad for a first haul. And here, you guys can have some of the haul." Taeko said giving Tara a [Melon] and three bottles of [Poppy Honey] and [Maple Syrup]. "You can have some of the honey for yourselves."
While nice, Tara was thinking that she could resell a jar at the resale place for extra cash. Tara thanked him and left on the golf cart. He put everything else in the fridge bar the honey which went in the [Kegs]. He left outside to look around the land and forage. Given it was a beach farm, he found beach forage, a half a dozen [Coral] and a pair of [Rainbow Shells].
"Nice." Taeko mused before going to the barn to pet the sheep.
He had to pull himself away from petting them for too long….they were so soft and fluffy. He went to the shed he'd call the Loom Room and loaded up the dozen [Wool] to be made into rolls of [Cloth]. He went to the mushroom cave nearby to find a dozen [Purple Mushrooms] to which he picked.
"Morning boss, it's Marcie. I just wanted to hit you up on that I've been making plans for small scale operations you can do in Yelenhelm. You just need some people and some place you can plan operations that aren't your home."
"Would buying a warehouse at the harbor do?" Taeko asked.
"That or a property where you can have people gather without it being suspicious. You'll figure it out."
The line went out as his cell phone rang revealing it to be Cassidee calling.
"Yo, Cassidee. What's the business?" He mused.
"I got something you might be interested in. There's a building you can buy near the Two Whales Diner that you could make the Yelenhelm branch for your bar. Velma suggested you can shell out a bit more money for a fast construction or something like that." Cassidee said to him.
"Perfectly, I'll deal with that before I leave for the mainland." Taeko said before hanging up.
He went up to his house using [Fast Travel] to be in front of his low-key house in Gorgeous Gale. He went into the garage and wheeled out the [Blista Compact] before driving it into Wheel Arch Angels…relieved that he could customize it there. He got the max upgrade for the engine, EMS, brakes, suspension, transmission, turbo tunings, and a proper roll cage that came with a chassis upgrade. Then he got moved to focus on cosmetics with dual exit exhaust pipes, Xenon lights, a carbon hood, custom side skirts, a roof scoop, oval hood vent, and a glass sunroof.
"Now for the wheels." Taeko mused as he got bulletproof tires.
He was interested to see he had some of the customizations from SA and opted for Virtual rims painted midnight blue with blue tire smoke.
"And now the color." Taeko mused.
He opted for the primary color to a dark shade of blue with the secondary color an aquatic shade of blue, the underglow was green neon, and windows were limo tinted. All totaling to a little under 14k, but he gave 14k allowing the workers to keep the change as a tip…which got him free nitrous. He drove it out feeling rather confident in his new ride as he drove over to Arcadia Bay Avenue…ironic that the name was still kept. He found the building…a rather nondescript place. Taeko was given a choice to buy the building and the decor to match it with Desired Myth on the mainland one time. He opted for that which cost him 300k but the building was now transformed to Yelenhelm's Desired Myth.
[You now have a branch of Desired Myth in Yelenhelm. You can drop off liquor here just like your main branch, but now you can send someone to deliver your liquor to your bars. (Instead of your cut amount receiving a boost, you'll receive a mini-perk. Time liquor needs in Casks to age will be shaved off by 25%, time need to make liquor in Kegs reduced.)]
Taeko was ecstatic to hear that as due to the new number, he could near insta-make gold quality [Mead], [Beer], and [Pale Ale]. Given Taeko's perk from Pam (he realized he really need to do something nice for Pam), all he needed was less than ten minutes now to make liquor. He went inside to check it out…recognizing one of the staff as the homeless woman that hung around Two Whales only looking cleaned up and healthier. She clearly looked like she was not homeless at the moment. He wanted to look at the menu…his stomach grumbled. He decided to mosey on over to the Two Whales Diner slipping on the [Hylian Ears]. He noticed the Walker siblings sitting at a table with a pair of twins and another guy.
"Room for one more?" Taeko said coming up.
"Yeah, Kiba. Take a seat." Melanie said as he sat down. "Guys, this is Kiba. The twins are Dan and Daneille. And this burly bro is Cormac."
Dan and Danielles were South Asian drows with light brown color eyes and dark brown eyes looking to be about his age. Both were Feud varsity jackets like he did. Cormac was a pale elf with olive eyes, a dark blond buzz cut hair and a horseshoe mustache. He wore typical biker clothing with a faded gray t-shirt under an open black biker jacket, slated jeans with a wallet chain, fingerless gloves, and black harness boots. He actually reminded Taeko of an unscarred and uninjured Johnny Klebitz, while also slightly younger. Cormac did appear to be the oldest of the bunch as [Observe] put him at about 25.
"So you're the big man…they keep getting younger." Cormac said.
"Oh my god, you sound just like Johnny Klebitz too." Taeko said. "That's going to be real entertaining."
There was a shared laugh as Joyce came over asking if they were ready to order.
"New in town?" Joyce remarked.
"Yup." Taeko said, looking at the menu. "I'll take an apple sausage omelet, a bagel with cream cheese, a bowl of oatmeal, and I'll try your coffee. And please…I'm paying for my friends here."
His cohorts were quick to order.
"Well, you're certainly giving." Dan remarked.
"It's just breakfast. Besides, we'll make that back up." Taeko mused. "I got a legit business up and running next door. Opened a branch of my bar back on the mainland, Desired Myth. So if you have a day job of the sort…you got that. Any questions before I ask some myself?"
"You ride bikes?" Cormac asked.
"Oh yeah. Though I could use a chopper…I got a dirt bike and a pretty sweet [Shotaro]." Taeko said as Melanie whistled in appreciation.
"And you came in a hatchback?" Jack asked jokingly.
"That hatchback ain't all bad. I customized it…but how I got it is pretty funny. It used to belong to a junkie…he wanted to leave town bad because cops were apparently sexually harassing him. So I offered to get him out of town in exchange for his house. He agrees, but he asks me for money for his car. So I gave it to him and I sent him off on his way via helicopter." Taeko said nonchalantly. "SecuroServ has its uses."
When the food came, Taeko immediately paid using a card and left a decent tip. He immediately ripped into food, clearly hungry. He poured plenty of creamer into the coffee before he drank it down.
"Man, that was real good cookin'." Taeko mused. "So, the way I see it…I got the product. I just need a place to store it."
"Harbor's out. The Prescotts would catch on immediately." Cormac remarked. "But there's a place you can use. Before Frank passed, we had this old mill we'd hang out. Had a few beers and think about life. It's a drive away from town in the woods, but with some cash and tools…we can fix it up."
"That's a good idea." Taeko said getting up. "But I'm going to have to check on something first. When I return, I'll call Jack and we can meet up. And here."
Taeko put down 1,000 gold telling them to get something for Pompidou before leaving. They watched them drive away.
"Not a bad guy." Dan remarked.
"Certainly got the brains." Danielle said.
"And the fight to back it up." Jack said. "Cormac, think we can move the stuff up there?"
"Yeah, and we can at least make a list of what we need for the place." Cormac remarked.
~TWG~
Ferngill
Back on Shadow Farm, Taeko removed the ears. He noticed that Elly May and Candace were asleep on his couch with signs they were having a sleepover in his living room. He shrugged that off, letting her sleep. He walked out into the farm taking a deep breath as his pets followed behind him.
He went to the crops and found a big patch of [Melons] which he picked before finding Zoey poking around.
"What do you want?" Taeko asked.
"Some of your crops." Zoey admitted. "I like [Melons] okay, and I want one. I'll trade you…"
She looked in her rucksack offering a half dozen [Tomatoes] for two of them.
"Can you get me a [Frozen Geode]?" Taeko asked. "And maybe something to speed the growth of just ten bushel of my [Wheat] and just one of my [Sunflowers]?"
"Asking for a bit much there." Zoey mused.
"A bit much for half a dozen iridium quality [Melons]?" Taeko said.
She caved asking to be shown to the crops in questions…and he did so before her eyes and hands glowed green as ten [Wheat] crops and a [Sunflower] rapidly due to be complete.
"There." Zoey said before shoving the rest of the items in his hands. "The melons."
Taeko handed them over.
"Don't expect me to do that for you again. Even if you grow some well made crops." Zoey said with a thin blush before vanishing.
The summer mixed seeds yielded [Sweet Peas] and [Grapes] which he took up before getting the [Caddy] to ride over to the Community Center. Getting out of the golf cart, he slipped into the place going straight to the Bulletin Board Bundles to enter the last things needed.
Dye Bundle [6/6] [Complete!]
Red Mushroom [X]
Sea Urchin [X]
Sunflower [X]
Duck Feather [X]
Aquamarine [X]
Red Cabbage [X]
Reward: 1 [Quality Sprinkler]
Taeko figured he'd give it to Jodi to hold onto it for Caroline.
Field Research Bundle [4/4] [Complete!]
Purple Mushroom [X]
Nautilus Shell [X]
Chub [X]
Frozen Geode [X]
Reward: 1 [Recycling Machine]
"I should make more of these." Taeko said to himself.
Fodder Bundle [3/3] [Complete!]
Wheat x10 [X]
Hay [X]
Apple [X]
Reward: 1 [Heater]
The bulletin board glowed a bright white before, in a flash, it looked completely brand new with the papers on it no longer looking faded and torn.
[Bulletin Board bundles completed! +500 Friendship Points with all villagers you've met!]
It was funny that Maru and Penny would hit 10 hearts at the same time. He was more surprised he now had ten hearts with Pam of all people. Of course, the [Game] informed him that made several achievements and new hats were available at the Hat Mouse. Aside from that, he unlocked several heart scenes all over the place. He moved to the pantry for completing the [Summer Crops Bundle] and only getting a [Quality Sprinkler]. He left the place wondering who he should see before remembering Alex. He immediately rode off for his place.
He entered the Mullner to find Alex in the midst of a workout…with heavier weights than last he saw him.
"Taeko, I used to doubt myself a bit, but thanks to you…I've doubted myself less. Thanks for the training bands…and sticking by me even if I was a bit of a dick." Alex mused.
"I wasn't exactly being all that nice either. But you rang for me before for something important." Taeko said as Alex ceased his workout.
"My man, your products are a smash hit. It's just that I'm going to need a certain amount of ice cream and popsicles a week so I don't run out." Alex mused. "I had a bit of help, but I was able to do the math. 25 tubs a week and about 150 popsicles. Just for this summer. Flavors can vary, but if you're going to do a flavor…do two of them."
"Might I suggest having liquor as an option to pour on the ice cream for extra cash?" Taeko suggested.
"That's genius, man. But I need a liquor license." Alex said as Evelyn walked up.
"I might be of assistance." Evelyn said. "I have such a license…George kept insisting to keep that updated. I'd be happy to help…of course in exchange for some of that wine."
Taeko produced the four bottles he had on his person.
"Iridium quality." Taeko said as her eyes were wide. "Aged to perfection. Worth a good bit of gold."
"I'm in." Evelyn said. "How soon can you get us the wine?"
"Before lunch." Taeko said as Alex tossed him a roll of bills. "What is this?"
"Your cut from yesterday." Alex mused as Taeko gave it back.
"Hang onto it. Given this is a long-term operation for the summer, I'd rather just get paid twice. At the halfway point of summer and at the end. I got operations to make money so it's no issue to wait." Taeko mused before leaving. "I'll get to work on the products."
Taeko got back in the golf cart to ride off as the pets hopped in right after him. He passed by Clint's to which the blacksmith came out of the shop to approach. Taeko stopped the cart.
"Hey Clint…" Taeko said.
"I heard you're a noble in that elf kingdom. I just wanted to say I'm mighty impressed…and wanted to ask for your help…"
"Getting a girlfriend? Look, Clint…you're a bit weird, but you're not that bad aside from that thing I saw…you're ok. You got a trade, you're not unattractive, you're not malicious…at worst, you're just lonely. And kinda desparte."
"And so are some of the women of Yelenhelm." Clint snarked.
"That's fair, I…" Taeko said before having an idea. "Of course, a mail-order bride! I can call up someone…see if they got anyone willing to move out to be with you."
He decided…to call Cassidee, feeling her to be a safe option. When he explained himself to her, Cassidee thought about it for a moment…before asking for details.
He answered best he could with Clint chiming in occasionally.
"Wait, you're 35? I assume you were in your late 20s." Taeko said before thinking, "And I'll be doing both Emily and you a damn favor."
"Ok, so I got white male, 35, a local blacksmith, who likes studying rocks. Prefers paler elves." Erelune said. "Hold up…I think you might be in luck and if you play your cards right…you'll be railing her cousin."
"Her cousin?" Taeko asked.
"Computer geek…total NEET. Kaia was as bad, but she completed her bachelors. She's a Japanese language teacher…given her social anxiety…and her thirst….she puts up a cold and distant front, but she's touch starved. Hell, she must just drop her panties with Clint if he plays his cards right and is a decent guy."
"What do you benefit from this?" Taeko asked curiously.
"Well. You said she'd have to move to be with him…I can convince her to give me her old house. I do like my capsule home, but I'd like to have my own place in Gorgeous Gale. I can save the capsule for when I spend overnights on your land." Cassidee said. "So…"
"I'd need a picture. Got one of her?" Taeko asked. "And curious…why didn't you stay with her if you knew them?"
"The cousin's a NEET and her place smells like pussy and desperation. As for Kaia, I just couldn't stay with her…she's kinda depressing. Given how much she masturbates, she just reeked of 'You need to get laid energy'...and I couldn't stay there." Cassidee remarked. "But let me send you a picture."
Taeko texted a photo of her as he showed it to Clint as well. Kaia was a rather petite elf who had long dark straight hair, pale hazel eyes, pouty lips, and a light dusting of freckles. She appeared fairly tall…to which Taeko could tell that she was just under his height. The photo had her wearing a gray business skirt suit which showed slender legs. Taeko inwardly mused that she had to be packing a D cup bra.
"She is desperate?" Clint said in disbelief.
"You need to understand, Clint. In Yelenhelm, men are the minority…and they basically have the pick of the litter. They don't have to really put up with the shit men have to deal with it in other places. Basically, it's women that get screwed over…by the women in charge." Takeo said as Clint chuckled.
"The irony. So what does she do?" Clint asked.
"Teaches a foreign language, Japanese." Taeko remarked.
"I'll give it a shot." Clint said as Taeko got back on the phone with Cassidee.
"He's down." Taeko mused.
"Excellent…because she's on her way over. SecuroServ really is convenient…too bad they took her car. I kinda wanted to ask for it. Don't worry, Kara paid for the transport. Did I forget to mention that she has plenty of money…and her house might be really nice?" Cassidee teased.
"I feel used." Taeko mused.
"Don't be. When you call me when you're in Yelenhelm, I'll point you in the direction of her cousin. I figured you should have more variety in elf pussy for you to get good at banging elves. Later!" Cassidee said before hanging up.
"She is totally throwing her cousin at me to cover that she used me to get a free house." Taeko thought. "Eh, not a bad hustle."
The two heard a helicopter to look up to see a skycrane that was carrying a snazzy black Karin [S95] with a person inside. Taeko considered telling Clint that Kaia had plenty of money, but…he decided not to. The skycrane came down to safely drop the car in town before flying away. Out came Kaia.
"Welcome to Pelican Town." Taeko said.
"Thank you for the offer, my lord. Of course, I have the other half of the money to pay you…as Cassidee said you requested." Kaia said, giving him a check. "You have no idea how much this means to me."
A check that was far a cool half a million which the [Game] cashed for him. He introduced her to Clint and the two locked eyes for a moment.
"Well, I'm willing to give this a shot." Kaia said.
"Yeah…so am I." Clint said. "Taeko, I'm going to go close the shop for a bit. I'll call you later."
Kaia and Clint left for his building as Taeko called Cassidee.
"Cassidee, I'm not pleased you spurned her to pay a million dollars." Taeko mused. "But I'll let it go, just this once. Run it through me first."
"Understood. My apologies for overstepping." Cassidee formally remarked.
"Yeah…" Taeko said, moving toward Clint's place to peep through the window. "Well, shit…"
What he knew was they were already down for sex. When Taeko walked away telling Cassidee what he saw.
"Seems two starving people decided to feast on the meal they had." Cassidee said. "They get together…I got a nice new home and we get a half a mill playing matchmaker. I'll text you the address for Kara, the cousin."
She hung up as Taeko got back in the golf cart and drove off for Star Stud Beach to forage only to find Haley crying on the beach. He would have left, but he decided to get out to approach her.
"Haley, are you ok?" Taeko asked gently.
"No! I lost my bracelet…" Haley said.
"Considering you crying, it's clear to me that it's sentimental." He said before calling Logan over. "Logan, sniff her hand and search the beach for anything of hers. Tom, comfort her."
Logan sniffed her hand and ran off leaving Tom to snuggle with Haley. It had not taken the dog long to return with a bracelet. Haley wasn't even bothered by the dog drool on it, simply taking it and hugging Taeko expressing thanks.
"It's ok. How about I take you home?" Taeko said.
"You're riding around in a golf cart?" Haley asked with a hollow laugh.
"Yeah, why not. Easier than a dirt bike and less noisy." Taeko said. "Plus, I can afford to have one to use when going around the farm and the village."
"Eh, I can't blame you." Haley said, wiping her place. "But I'll pass…I think I'll go into town for a spa day. I need it. But seriously, thank you…this belonged to my great-grandmother."
Haley left as did Taeko and his pets shortly after. He came up to the Umbra house going in to find Emily and triggering her heart scene.
"Taeko, it's good to see you…there's something I want to ask…and I need you to be honest with me. Did Haley mention us having a stripper pole?" Emily said sheepishly.
"She did. You pole dance?" Taeko asked curiously.
"Well, I dabble…" Emily said with a thin blush. "I have worked on dance…I actually do want to show you one."
He was given a choice, but he immediately hit yes. He was taken to the room that had the pole and he made himself comfortable on the couch. Emily had changed to a pair of yoga pants and a short-sleeved sweatshirt. Given that she normally wore flowing dresses…which normally didn't highlight her body. He leaned back as she put on the stereo and performed. Despite the performance not being focused on sensuality, it was a showcase of her agility and movement. As hot as she looked with her moves unintentionally highlighting her body, he had to admire Emily's movement and grace. As he came to a stop, he had a golf clap for her.
"That was good…really good." Taeko mused.
His response netted him a bit more friendship points just like Haley. Sweat framed her face as she wiped it off.
"Thanks, Taeko." Emily said, only getting a passing glance at the bulge in his pants. "I'm glad you like it."
"Yeah, I did…but I should go. Busy day, you know." Taeko said, snapping out of his staring. "Later."
He left the house as his cell phone rang and he saw it was Clint calling.
"Since when the fuck does he-Fuck it."
Taeko answered.
"Clint." Taeko said.
"Taeko, I think things between me and Kaia are going to work just fine…" Clint said completely relaxed. "I just wanted to let you that I'm getting rid of that thing I no longer need."
"You sound content. I hope you have protection." Taeko warned.
"Don't worry, I unloaded it all on her face." Clint said. "Now, I'm feeling content. I owe you big time, so I think I'll be happy to crack your geodes and stuff for free."
He hung up on Taeko who was at least pleased that Clint had someone and was not going to stare at Emily from afar. He returned home to find that Elly May was awake and gathering the products from the barn, coop, and greenhouse.
"Taeko, I'm sorry for waking up late-"
"Don't worry, I handled the main farm so it's not all bad." Taeko mused as she placed the big basket of product in front of him. "That's everything."
"Yeah, I need to go and drop Candace home…she's a bit hangover." Elly May said before leaving.
He looked down to see how much he had.
Thirty (28) [Large Brown Eggs], ten [Large White Eggs], three [Duck Eggs], two [Duck Feathers], a [Dinosaur Egg], thirty jugs (18) of [Large Milk], thirty jugs (20) of [Large Goat Milk], three [Truffles], fifty (35) [Strawberries], ten (6) [Pineapples], and twelve (6) [Ancient Fruit] all of a high quality.
"I think she got the tappers, but still…it's time to get to work." Taeko said, taking inside the house.
He dropped the [Heater] and [Sprinkler] in storage before getting what he needed to make more [Ice Cream Makers], [Recycling Machines], and [Pop Makers]. Thanks to the perk and his storage, he made 10 of each. In the process, he realized Maru's perk technically meant he only needed one piece of ore and coal to make a bar. He even made five [Oil Makers]. He immediately set out to make his ice cream, five vanilla, five chocolate, five strawberry, five banana, and two cookies and cream. He set down the [Oil Makers] down in the cellar as well as shoving in the [Truffles]. He knew that he needed to get into all the artisan stuff he could given he had a lot of crafting recipes he could use. With that set in place, he went up to put most of the remaining [Large Goat Milk] in the [Cheese Presses] and twelve of the eggs in the [Mayo Machine]. Then he moved to the keg shed immediately filling out all the [Kegs] and [Preserve Jars]. With that all set, he put all the eggs in the fridge along with the other foodstuff. He also stored away a few things, but snatched up three bags of the leftover [Hyper Speed-Gro].
His phone rang as he quickly answered to hear Jack.
"Boss, we scouted the place…and got a list in mind for what you'll need to make the place operational." Jack said. "But I need to ask…is the produce pre-packaged?"
"Yeah. It is." Taeko said catching on.
"Ok, then storing it is going to be a bit easier. Know anyone good with metal?" Jack shot back.
"Depends on what you need them to do."
"Make metal store containers, about the size of a typical chest. Basically, a metal chest. You'd just need good iron." Jack explained. "As for what else…giving them you're importing…we'll need a vehicle for transport. Preferably an off-road vehicle that carries loads. You're also going to need a boat for us to use to come to you."
"That's it?" Taeko asked.
"Materials yes, but you'll also need cash. Me and Melanie have been talking and we want to propose that we actually make the mill functionable. That may…on the surface, we're all 'employed' there producing lumber. At least the building is still put together…you'd need money to restore it fully."
"A perfect cover…and I got friends in the lumber industry. I just need to secure buying the place." Taeko remarked. "I'll get to it and call you later."
He hung up before calling Robin.
"Taeko, how's my future son-in-law?" Robin teased.
"Really?" Taeko groaned, embarrassed. "Caroline calls me that too. But this is a bit of a business call. Let's just say I'm about to get my hands on an old sawmill. That's not in this state and won't interfere with your business."
"Ok, where is it?" Robin asked.
"Yelenhelm." Taeko admitted. "The mill's been abandoned for some time…but functional. I just need some advice on supplies to get it started. It's more of a small-scale operation."
"If you're going small scale, you'll need axes, trucks, and a setup within the mill for a lounge. The axes I can provide for you…at least a dozen." Robin said.
"More than enough." Taeko said texting Velma. "I'll have my assistant send someone to pick them up from your business. Thanks for the help, Robin. You have a good day now."
He ended the call before seeing that the mill was now its own quest.
[Story Quest Alert!]
[It's Miller Time]
Time to restore the old mill for it's new legal and questionably illegal endeavor
Objective: Buy the [Old Mill]
Pick the up the materials needed for it's legal front (0/2)
Obtain and customize a sufficient off-road vehicle for your group to transport products.
Obtain a boat for your employees to use.
Have 300,000 Gold for funds for the mill's interior. (300,000/300,000)
Quest Success: +Respect with Shadowrun, New Asset, New Missions, +150,000 Gold
[Get it done by the end of this week or it's a mission failure]
[Quest Auto-Accepted]
Taeko was about to make a phone call only for Kyu to make an appearance, waving hello.
"I came to apologize for a few bugs that we just fixed. One of the key story quests was bugged…so we redid it in our modern quest format. You should receive it as soon as I leave." Kyu affirmed.
"I have a question about the captures. What if I want someone specific?" Taeko asked.
"There's a search feature, just search the waifu and it'll determine their difficulty in obtaining. But given your recent achievement, I see fit to reward you with a free capture and get her at level 3 for you. She'll be easy for you to manipulate…and have a free recipe for [Chocolate Cake]. Data was bugged before but we fixed it…" Kyu said before teleporting away.
[Story Chain Quest Quest Alert!]
[The Mysterious Mr. Qi]
You have been getting notes from the Mysterious Mr. Qi wanting to know if you're worthy of the gift he has for you. Strange notes with strange requests. Leave a [Battery Pack] in the lockbox in the tunnel to accept his challenge and receive your first task.
Objective: ?
Requirement: [Battery Pack] needs to be placed in the tunnel lockbox.
Quest Success: +Respect with Mr. Qi, Next Qi Quest, +500 Gold, ?
[Quest Auto-Accepted]
Taeko parked the golf cart in the garage before swapping to his [Sanchez], leaving his pets on the farm to ride over to the tunnel. He found the lockbox and put the requested item in place. The lockbox glowed as his phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number.
[Your first task: Bring a [Rainbow Shell] to the train platform. Leave it in the box - Mr. Qi]
That's when the game told him that he would have to wait until access to the railroad was unlocked.
"Oh well…" Taeko said driving off back home.
Returning home, he took the warp pad to get back to Sunshade Farm. Back in the cellar, he placed down the new [Pop Makers] and the [Recycling Machines]. Taking out the dozen bottles of [Mead] out of the kegs, he quickly went to load up kegs and popsicle makers to make a new batch. He then called for Tara, who arrived to get the dozen bottles of [Mead] given to her.
"Deliver this to Desired Myth in Gorgeous Gale." Taeko said as she nodded and left.
He walked outside along the shoreline planting down all thirteen [Carb Pots] while picking up the three [Supply Crates] that washed up on shore. He opened the first one, a plain wet cardboard box, to find three [Omni-Geodes], three boxes of [Wheat Flour], four bottles of [Oils], and four bags of [Sugar].
"What'cha got there?"
Cleo had come up, still naked as she was ordered to.
"Oh right, I made you work naked. Here." Taeko said giving her the [Supply Crate] but taking out the geodes. "Some stuff washed up…it's good. You can have it."
"Thank you."
"And you don't have to worry about being naked all the time…clothes only need to be off if you're working." Taeko said as Cleo scurried off with the box.
He watched her go. Cleo was grateful, but ultimately not too bothered with her nudity. At least while she was on the land. After all, it'd keep his attention. Taeko opened the next crate, a Joja-labeled one to find four bottles of [Oil], five [Mega Bombs], five [Bombs], and twenty [Molotov Cocktails].
"Was someone from Joja smuggling weapons?" Taeko asked himself while looking for a label. "And of course it's partly faded by seawater. Well, their loss. Last crat-"
The labels matched…and a closer look revealed it where the two crates were going to. The Gotoro Empire.
"Shit." Taeko said with a groan. "Well, I feel less guilty about this."
He opened up the last crate to find three more [Omni-Geode], two [Artifact Troves], and a [Super Meal] which he ate for the buffs. With the two boxes vanishing, he got up looking out at the sea.
"I should explore the rest of this place." Taeko said before walking to the southside of the farm.
He went across the wood bridge that connected to a small piece of land and then to the land ahead of him. What he found past some trees was a beach…his private beach. [Serenity Beach], which had a small dock.
"Man, my own beach." Taeko said before noticing a blank [Stone Sign] near a tree that had a glowing marquee in front of it.
He walked up to it before showing some customization options for the beach. Options for sand colors, decorations, implementing rules, and structures. He learned he had to pay for decorations and structures…but the prices were on the lower side of things to his relief. He immediately set it to be a nude beach which got him four free changing tents that he placed on the beach all in a row. He also got trash cans for free which he placed on the beach. Then he looked at the map of the beach, noticing that it was near a road to the right of the beach. A clearing that was essentially an earthen small parking lot connected to a dirt road that leads to the roadways in the woods. He had the option to pay for the dirt road and parking lot to be paved, but he opted to only pay for the parking lot to be paved which came with a trash can.
"Ok, so I won't get the bill until I confirm it? Neat." Takeo mused as he looked onward.
He then focused on the dock which he opted to make dark oak wood in color and hardwood in material. He added a few picnic tables made of dark wood. He took the upgrade that would add some dispensers in the changing tables. Of course, he made sure to add nearby showers near the lot to get the sand off. He modified one of the bigger trees to have a wooden staircase, a small balcony, and an attachment for his noble flag to be flown. He made sure that the balcony had a small brick table with matching chairs. Focusing back down on the beach, he added blue crystal decorations (which was a chunk of crystal) sticking out of the ground. He found he could even alter the color of the sand. The options ranging from the typical color to more exotic colors, all that came with their own effects thus…they had more of a price to them. (Default sand was free, obviously.)
[White Sand - Pure white sand caused by quartz grain implants. (Quartz and fire quartz are very likely to spawn alongside usual Beach Forage.)]
[Red Sand - Reddish color indicates a significant quantity of weathered iron nearby. (Iron ore and hematite are very likely to spawn alongside usual Beach Forage.)
[Orange Sand - Iron-rich minerals alongside volcanic deposits can impart orange hue to sand. (Topaz and Jagoite found in Magma Ore override usual Beach Forage)]
[Pink Sand - The pink color indicates the area is populated with calcium carbonate-containing corals. (Coral is twice as likely to spawn alongside usual Beach Forage)]
[Purple Sand - Manganese garnet grains are responsible for the purple color of sand. (Amethyst and Ruby are likely to spawn alongside usual Beach Forage.)]
[Black Sand - Basalt, a common igneous rock formed from cooled lava is responsible for the black color of sand. (Minerals found in Magma Ore override usual Beach Forage)]
[Green Sand - Sand takes green color when the green mineral, Olive, is abundant in a particular landscape. (Malachite and Jade are likely to spawn alongside usual Beach Forage.)]
Taeko did consider black sand, but settled for the cheapest option in pink sand. [Coral] had its uses…namely in producing [Deluxe Speed-Gro]. The sand shifted to a light pink color as Taeko went to the 'checkout' to which he paid for his 'purchase' totalling 60,000 gold. With it confirmed, he looked over what he had made…pleased with it.
"This is great…and I now have a dock for pickups." Taeko mused before looking at the time. "Well, time for lunch. Think I'll give Two Whales a shot."
[GAME PAUSED? WOULD YOU LIKE TO QUICK SAVE?]
[Yes *] [No]
….
[GAME QUICKSAVED! Hurry back.]
(A/N: Man, these chapters just get longer and longer at times. When I began this story all those years ago, I never thought I'd be writing this time for it. But we made it, the fifteenth chapter of the Summer season. Ironically, it's only been a day and change in-universe since Summer started. As for the present Kyu left for Taeko, we'll get to see it.)