Although those teleported to the alternate dimension during the battle with Onyxia kept their mouths shut about the space-time shift, the rest of the combat was witnessed by over a hundred people. The mere act of casting a massive magical shield capable of blocking a Black Dragon and using a "Dragon Shout" that scared her away was enough to make everyone bow in admiration to Wayne's power.
The question remained: had anyone seen him do anything other than play games?
Those who hadn't participated in the fight became convinced that the secret to Wayne's strength lay within those games and movies. This realization fueled an uncontrollable urge to experience the newly opened net cafe.
After the opening ceremony, Barons, acting as the designer, led the guests on a tour. The building resembled a small castle. The first and second floors were roughly the same size, while the third and fourth floors tapered upward, topped by a small observation deck.
Half of the spacious first floor served as the Main Hall, accommodating 40 stations. Each seat faced a small table with a screen, arranged in eight rows of five to facilitate group play. The price remained unchanged: 1 gold per hour.
The other half of the floor was split between the Team Boxes and the lounge. There were two Team Boxes, each containing five connected seats. These were private rooms designed to prevent outside interference. While priced the same as the main hall, they were prioritized for group reservations. The rest of the space was a lounge for eating, relaxing, and watching livestreams, with a service counter, food warmers, and refrigerators at the entrance.
Additionally, there was a restroom—a true rarity in the world of Azeroth. Using the potential energy from a high external water tower, Wayne had created a water-circulating system with flushing toilets. Even a noble like Shadobreak had never seen such a thing.
In Azeroth, even the more civilized races usually relied on outdoor wooden outhouses. In summer, they were "fragrant," and in winter, they were "crystalline with ice." More primitive races like trolls or ogres simply returned "dust to dust" in the wild. Barons, who had spent his life in construction, hailed this invention as a "genius creation that leaps across eras."
The second floor featured a mezzanine that overlooked the first floor. It housed ten Luxury Boxes—five single and five double rooms—totaling 15 stations. These rooms were soundproofed and ventilated, featuring comfortable sofa beds for naps and private bathrooms. A single Luxury Box cost 3 gold per hour, while a double cost 4 gold (2 gold per person). This offered a premium experience for a slightly higher price. Most notably, there was also Wayne's exclusive private suite. Including this suite, the new club had a total of 66 stations—a number Wayne quite liked.
The third floor served as staff dormitories and living quarters, while the fourth floor was Wayne's private bedroom. There was also a basement with a kitchen, storage rooms, and a machine room for the vending machines, though Barons didn't take the guests there.
The completion of the new cafe and his recent experiences allowed Wayne to finish his previous objectives.
[Quest 5: Expand the net cafe to accommodate at least 30 units - Complete]
[Reward: Operating hours increased and Catering Mode unlocked]
The ample space meant customers no longer had to wait for days to get a seat. Operating hours were adjusted to 10:00 AM to midnight. After midnight, no new customers could enter, but those already inside could opt for an "Overnight Session" from midnight to 10:00 AM. This session was charged at a 40% discount (only 6 hours' worth), and the cafe didn't care whether the guests played or slept.
The unlocked Catering Mode was particularly interesting to Wayne. The menu included:
McDonald's Big Mac: 1 gold
Pizza Hut Pizza (feeds 3): 3 gold
Beef Noodles: 1 gold
Donuts (6 per basket): 1 gold
This meant customers didn't need to order takeout anymore. Staff only had to retrieve the items from the refrigerators or warmers and heat them in the kitchen.
(The owner of the Lion's Pride Inn, Farley, didn't know about this competition yet...)
Wayne also automatically completed Quest 6.
[Quest 6: Expand the net cafe to accommodate at least 60 units - Complete]
[Reward: 20 units]
Wayne calculated his future revenue, took a 2,000-gold loan from the Stormwind Bank overnight, and bought 8 more units from the vending machine. Now a hot commodity with a Baron's title, a fief, and a new building, the bank had actually tried to persuade him to borrow more. Including his original 10, he now had 38 units.
He distributed them: 20 in the Main Hall, 5 in the Team Area, 4 in single Luxury Boxes, 8 in double Luxury Boxes, and 1 for himself. He calculated that he still needed 28 more units and a massive 9-screen display for the livestream area. To fully realize his vision, he would need about 11,500 gold in total—enough to buy a quarter of the land in Goldshire.
Additionally, three rewards were triggered:
[Condition: Owner fought alongside a Pandaren]-> Unlocked: Kung Fu Panda 1, 2, and 3.
[Condition: Owner personally resolved a Dragon-level threat] -> Unlocked: Street Fighter V.
[Condition: Established Team Boxes] -> Unlocked: Age of Empires II.
New Quests:
[Quest 7: Put 50 units into operation] -> Reward: Unlock sequels to existing movies/shows.
[Quest 8: Reach 100 net cafe members] -> Reward: Unlock new games.
By the time the tour ended, it was past 10:00 AM. Everyone scrambled for seats, putting on their VR goggles and logging in. When Little Tess and the new waiter, Raymond, tried to collect fees, Oneiya spoke up:
"Boss! You promised us three days of free play once the new cafe was built!"
Wayne cursed internally, wondering why this Night Elf had such a good memory. The thick-skinned Andromath and Shadobreak had already rushed to the second floor to snatch the Luxury Boxes. Even the usually frugal Dughan took a seat, vowing to finally take down the Velocidrome during the free period.
However, Wayne had a counter-plan. He shouted, "I keep my word! But the two new games and three new movies require a one-time unlock fee of 10 gold!"