Chapter 9: Never Judge by Appearance
Chapter 9: Never Judge by Appearance
The automatic glass doors slid open.
Charles stepped into Ashenford Mobile Hub.
The brightly lit showroom was spacious and elegant.
Rows of smartphones rested inside spotless glass display cases.
Large digital screens played advertisements for the latest flagship devices.
Soft music echoed throughout the store.
Customers moved from counter to counter while sales representatives patiently introduced different models.
Charles quietly looked around.
There were far more phones than he had expected.
Some were small.
Others folded.
Some displayed incredibly sharp images on their screens.
He walked deeper into the showroom.
Several sales representatives noticed him.
The moment their eyes fell upon his torn clothes…
Their smiles disappeared.
One of them frowned before whispering to her colleague.
“Did he wander in by mistake?”
Her colleague glanced at Charles before covering her mouth with a laugh.
“He doesn’t look like he can afford a phone case.”
Another salesperson folded his arms.
“Someone should tell him this isn’t a charity shop.”
Charles heard every word.
But his expression remained calm.
He simply continued walking.
Finally…
A young saleswoman wearing heavy makeup approached him.
Her name tag read:
Jessica
She looked Charles up and down before speaking.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m here to buy a phone.”
Jessica blinked.
Then she laughed.
“A phone?”
“Yes.”
She crossed her arms.
“Sir…”
“Do you know where you are?”
Charles nodded.
“A phone store.”
Several nearby customers chuckled.
Jessica shook her head.
“No.”
“This is Ashenford Mobile Hub.”
“We sell premium smartphones.”
She pointed toward the display cases.
“Our cheapest model costs over $600.”
She smiled sarcastically.
“Maybe the second-hand electronics market is more suitable for you.”
A middle-aged customer laughed loudly.
“I was wondering why he walked in.”
Another customer shook his head.
“Young people these days.”
“They walk into luxury stores dressed like that.”
An elderly woman sighed.
“He probably just wanted to enjoy the air conditioning.”
The surrounding customers burst into laughter.
Jessica continued,
“And please…”
“Don’t touch the display phones.”
“If one gets damaged…”
“I’m afraid you won’t be able to pay for it.”
Charles looked at her quietly.
“I said…”
“I’m here to buy a phone.”
Jessica rolled her eyes.
“Of course you are.”
Before she could continue—
A gentle voice interrupted.
“Excuse me.”
Everyone turned.
A young woman walked over from another counter.
She looked to be in her early twenties.
Unlike the others, her smile was warm and sincere.
Her name tag read:
Emily Carter
She bowed politely.
“Good evening, sir.”
“My name is Emily.”
“I’ll be happy to assist you.”
Jessica frowned.
“Emily.”
“What are you doing?”
Emily smiled.
“Helping a customer.”
Jessica scoffed.
“You’re wasting your time.”
One of the other sales representatives laughed.
“She’s only been here for two weeks.”
“She still thinks every customer buys something.”
Another shook his head.
“She’ll learn.”
Emily ignored them.
She turned back toward Charles.
“What kind of phone are you looking for?”
Charles thought for a moment.
“I’d like something reliable.”
“Something that will last a long time.”
Emily nodded.
“I understand.”
She led him toward the flagship display.
“This model has excellent battery life.”
“It also has outstanding performance and a high-quality camera.”
Charles listened carefully.
Unlike before…
No one mocked him.
Emily explained every feature patiently.
Charles asked thoughtful questions.
“How long does the battery last?”
“If I use it every day, will it still perform well after several years?”
Emily answered each question with patience.
After nearly fifteen minutes…
Charles finally pointed toward a phone displayed alone inside a glass case.
“I’ll take this one.”
Emily looked where he was pointing.
Her eyes widened.
“Sir…”
“That’s our newest flagship model.”
Charles nodded.
“I know.”
“I’ll take it.”
Jessica walked over after hearing the conversation.
She glanced at the phone before laughing.
“Emily.”
“Do you even know what you’re showing him?”
She looked at Charles.
“That phone costs $2,499.”
The entire showroom became quiet.
Several customers looked over.
One man folded his arms.
“Now we’ll see.”
Another whispered,
“He’s definitely going to change his mind.”
Jessica smiled mockingly.
“So…”
“How exactly do you plan to pay?”
Charles calmly reached into his pocket.
He removed the sleek black bank card Samuel Ashcroft had given him.
Without a word…
He placed it on the counter.
Jessica’s smile remained.
She handed the card to the cashier.
“Let’s see.”
The cashier inserted the card into the payment terminal.
A few seconds passed.
Then—
Payment Approved.
The machine emitted a soft chime.
A receipt slowly printed from the terminal.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Jessica stared at the screen.
“…Approved?”
The cashier looked again.
“It… it went through.”
The customer who had been laughing moments earlier slowly lowered his head.
Another customer whispered,
“He actually bought it…”
Emily covered her mouth in surprise.
She had never imagined that the quiet young man she chose to help would purchase the most expensive phone in the entire store.
Jessica’s face turned pale.
Just then…
A middle-aged man in a tailored suit hurried out from an office upstairs.
He had heard about the unusually large sale.
His name badge identified him as the Store Manager.
He took one look at the receipt.
His eyes widened.
“The flagship… sold?”
The cashier nodded.
“Yes, sir.”
The manager turned toward Charles.
Then his gaze shifted to the ragged clothes Charles still wore.
He understood immediately.
He had seen stories like this before.
Members of wealthy families sometimes dressed simply to avoid attention.
He walked over respectfully.
“Sir…”
“Please accept my sincerest apologies for the way you were treated in our store.”
Charles looked at him calmly.
The manager turned sharply toward the sales staff.
His expression hardened.
“Is this how you treat customers?”
“No matter how someone is dressed…”
“They deserve respect.”
“You judged a customer without knowing anything about him.”
Jessica lowered her head.
“I’m… sorry, Manager.”
The manager didn’t respond.
Instead, he looked toward Emily.
“You assisted this gentleman from beginning to end?”
Emily nodded nervously.
“Yes, sir.”
A smile appeared on the manager’s face.
“Excellent.”
“Effective immediately…”
“You’re promoted to Senior Sales Consultant.”
Emily froze.
“S-Sir?”
The manager nodded.
“This single sale has earned the highest commission in the store this week.”
“You’ve also demonstrated exactly how every customer should be treated.”
Emily’s eyes reddened with emotion.
“Thank you, sir.”
The manager then personally picked up the elegant shopping bag containing Charles’s new phone.
He handed it over with both hands.
“We hope you’ll visit Ashenford Mobile Hub again, Mr…”
He paused.
“I didn’t catch your name.”
Charles accepted the bag.
“My name is Charles.”
The manager smiled respectfully.
“Thank you for visiting us, Mr. Charles.”
Charles gave a small nod.
“Thank you.”
Without another word…
He turned and walked toward the exit.
The automatic doors opened.
As he disappeared into the brightly lit streets of Ashenford City…
Every customer instinctively stepped aside to make way for him.
No one laughed anymore.
No one whispered insults.
Instead…
They silently watched the mysterious young man leave.
Only after the doors closed did someone finally speak.
“I guess…”
“You really can’t judge a person by their appearance.”
Far outside the store…
Charles continued walking through the city with the shopping bag in one hand.
He had no idea…
That the simple act of treating a stranger with kindness had just changed Emily Carter’s life forever.