Chapter 104
In order not to wake Jin Lili, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi came outside the Grocery Store, and only then did they release the two little ones from the pet compartment.
Since they entered the pet compartment in their juvenile forms, they naturally came out looking like small cats and dogs.
As soon as they landed, Black Pearl shook its head and then quickly grew larger.
Its fur was even darker and shinier than before, with no stray hairs at all, looking as beautiful as silk.
Its golden eyes seemed even more transparent than before, and when it turned to look back, it exuded an imposing aura.
“Has Black Pearl gotten a bit bigger?” Tang Yu’an looked at Zhou Qi.
Zhou Qi nodded, his eyes fixed on Black Pearl. He could feel that Black Pearl’s aura was stronger than before, having already risen to the level of a mother lizard.
Its physique had grown in size, yet its form was more streamlined and muscular, exuding a sense of powerful beauty.
However, only Black Pearl itself might know the exact extent of its evolution.
He and Black Pearl locked eyes, a hint of red gradually appearing in his gaze.
Originally, Black Pearl, who was eager to try its strength against Zhou Qi, suddenly paused, then seemed to lose interest and turned its gaze to Yuan Bao.
Yuan Bao was not to be outdone either; after running a few steps, it transformed back into its original form.
Compared to Black Pearl, its size had not changed much, just looking a bit more streamlined and compact.
At that moment, a dark golden light flashed, a piece of mutated metal, swiftly attacking the four-eyed giant dog, directly piercing into its body—
No, that’s not right; the metal piece penetrated the giant dog’s massive body and landed on the ground, while the four-eyed giant dog remained unharmed.
Moreover, Tang Yu’an felt he might be seeing things, as he seemed to see another four-eyed giant dog appearing not far away, slowly walking over.
Meanwhile, the original four-eyed giant dog was rapidly disappearing.
“It’s an afterimage,” Zhou Qi said with a serious expression.
Yuan Bao’s speed increased again, leaving an afterimage in its place, which was very deceptive.
If he and An An had encountered such a Yuan Bao at the beginning, he probably wouldn’t have been able to evade its attack, nor would he have waited for An An to open the shadow umbrella.
Black Pearl stared at Yuan Bao, baring its teeth in a somewhat wary manner.
Its previous strike was merely a test; clearly, its metal manipulation had also gained a speed boost, but it still couldn’t match Yuan Bao.
If they truly fought, it might be a fifty-fifty chance.
The two pets scrutinized each other, seeing caution reflected in each other’s eyes.
At that moment, Tang Yu’an timely spoke up, “Great! You both have become stronger!”
The boy smiled brightly, “You must be hungry after sleeping for a few days, right? What do you want to eat? How about milk and meat egg pancakes? Or do you want roasted meat?”
Hearing Tang Yu’an’s words, the two large pets, who were previously on edge, finally relaxed.
Black Pearl shook its long tail, expressing its joyful mood.
Yuan Bao transformed back into its four-eyed puppy form, and when Yin Bi and Wang Cai happily ran out to find it, it slowly walked towards them.
The “battle” between the two pets instantly dissipated into nothingness.
Tang Yu’an prepared milk and meat egg pancakes for them, with each having a bowl and a plate. Black Pearl also graciously shrank its body, transforming into a small cat to enjoy the food.
The egg used for the meat egg pancake was still Lizard Egg, and after evolution, even the weakest Yin Bi would no longer enter hibernation after eating Lizard Egg.
After finishing breakfast, cleaning the house, and watering the plants, Tang Yu’an took the pets through the teleportation array to the branch store.
Meanwhile, Zhou Qi carried Jin Lili over—
After all, it was only a matter of ten minutes, and with his current speed, ordinary Mutated Creatures couldn’t catch up, so there was no need to worry too much about safety.
“From now on, during the day, we will stay here,” Tang Yu’an said to the pets, “and at night, we will return to the Grocery Store.”
“There might be guests coming. If they are friendly, you should maintain your current forms.”
“If they try to rob or show malice towards us, you can transform back to your original forms to scare them away…”
After explaining the current situation to the four little ones, Tang Yu’an finally said, “If you like, you can choose a floor to stay on.”
“However, right now, aside from this floor and the ten floors above, the other floors haven’t been reinforced yet, so you can’t stay there for now.”
Then, he began to study the teleportation array.
In theory, the teleportation array could be authorized for employees, so it should also be able to be authorized for pets.
Otherwise, it would be too much trouble for them to run back and forth!
Soon, Tang Yu’an found the authorization button. He originally thought this button would be on the pet panel like for employees, but unexpectedly, it was in the branch store’s teleportation array section.
He just needed to change the teleportation array’s status to open for pets.
Just as Tang Yu’an was about to teach the pets how to use the teleportation array, he saw that after he set it to open, Black Pearl and Yuan Bao seemed to sense it and ran to the teleportation array one after the other.
Immediately, the teleportation array lit up, and the two little ones disappeared into the array.
Wang Cai and Yin Bi were taken aback.
“Woof woof!” Yin Bi ran to the teleportation array, curiously looking at the patterns on the ground, jumping around in amazement—
Since Tang Yu’an had previously put them into the pet compartment and then used the teleportation array to travel back and forth, this was the first time Yin Bi and Wang Cai had seen this function.
In comparison, Wang Cai was much more composed.
It approached the teleportation array, sniffing and looking around, then turned to Tang Yu’an, its eyes filled with eagerness.
Tang Yu’an patiently taught it how to use it.
At that moment, the teleportation array lit up again—Yuan Bao had returned.
As for Black Pearl…
Tang Yu’an glanced at the map and found that it had run off to the abandoned parking lot again. He had gotten used to it; after all, cats didn’t like to play with dogs, which was perfectly normal.
After Yuan Bao experimented a few times, Wang Cai finally mastered how to use the teleportation array, while Yin Bi…
Although it had evolved, using the teleportation array was still too advanced for the little dog, so it predictably did not learn it.
“That’s okay, just take your time to learn.”
Tang Yu’an patted Yin Bi’s fluffy head, and the little dog, which had been feeling a bit down, instantly perked up.
“Woof woof woof!”
Seeing it grin, Tang Yu’an felt good too. Just as he was about to slowly teach it, he noticed a green dot appear on the map.
It was a new guest he had never encountered before!
The person was wandering outside the building, and Tang Yu’an immediately became alert, casting a lightness spell on himself, then taking out the Shadow Umbrella and Happy Marble before jumping down to the first floor.
The height of nine stories looked quite intimidating, but with the lightness spell, Tang Yu’an felt quite bold.
He floated down to the ground, holding the umbrella.
From a distance, he saw a man dressed like a hunter cautiously approaching the building.
The man looked unfamiliar, but judging by his attire and experienced demeanor, he was likely a resident of Desolate City, making a living here by his skills.
Tang Yu’an took a detour to the back door, re-entered the first floor, and deliberately made a little noise.
The man immediately became alert and retreated, finding a stone outside the building for cover.
“Who are you?” Tang Yu’an called out directly.
At that moment, Zhou Qi also arrived with Jin Lili.
He saw this scene from a distance and did not rush to reveal himself. Instead, he quietly slipped through a window into a suite and then moved to a position to protect them in the shadows.
Although he wanted to always protect An An, An An was no longer defenseless.
Zhou Qi did not want to deprive him of the opportunity to grow, so he chose to observe quietly, while Jin Lili, nestled in his backpack, curiously poked her head out.
As he moved, the hunter slowly stepped out from behind the stone.
Seeing only a small, slender, pretty boy coming out of the building, he couldn’t help but relax his guard a bit.
“Who are you?” The man scrutinized Tang Yu’an and said, “You look unfamiliar; are you new to Desolate City?”
Tang Yu’an nodded, “This is my house.”
The man paused, then looked at the ten-story building again, a hint of surprise appearing on his face, “You live in this whole building by yourself?”
Perhaps noticing the exterior walls and floors, he added, “Did you have Brother Ba Shi reinforce it?”
Tang Yu’an nodded.
From the man’s actions just now, it seemed he had also set his sights on this building, which was why he was declaring his claim in advance.
Sure enough, the man said, “There are quite a few rooms in this building; how about you share a suite with me?”
Tang Yu’an shook his head, “Sorry, it’s not open for outsiders right now.”
The man scrutinized him, seemingly unwilling to give up so easily. He said, “How much did you pay Ba Shi for the reinforcement? I can offer part of it.”
Tang Yu’an refused again, “I’m sorry, it’s not about the payment.”
As the hesitation in the man’s eyes gradually turned into a fierce glare, a figure appeared behind Tang Yu’an, stepping forward.
The man’s expression froze.
The four-eyed mutated giant dog, with its terrifying large vertical pupils, stared intently at him, as if it would pounce on him at any moment should he make any sudden moves.
But that wasn’t the end.
Following the appearance of the four-eyed giant dog was a giant dog with golden fur, its dark green eyes seemingly emitting a ghostly glow, drool dripping from its mouth onto the ground.
Finally, when a giant dog with pure white fur appeared, the man’s psychological defenses finally crumbled.
He fell back onto the ground, and instead of showing any fierce expression, all that remained was panic and fear, wanting to escape but finding his legs weak, unable to even crawl away!
Oh God, facing three mutated giant dogs at once, what chance did he have to survive!
Tang Yu’an also noticed that the pets had followed him. He soothingly patted Yuan Bao and then said to the man, “It’s okay, as long as you don’t do anything out of line, they won’t harm you.”
The man looked at Tang Yu’an, who stood calmly among the three mutated giant dogs, and couldn’t help but swallow hard.
He had long been scared out of his wits; how could he dare to do anything out of line?
“What’s your name?” he heard the boy ask.
This time, the man cooperatively replied, “I… I’m Jin Guang.”
“Jin Guang? Are you a metal Ability user?” Tang Yu’an asked.
Jin Guang nodded.
Tang Yu’an subtly stepped back.
He had witnessed Black Pearl’s unpredictable metal pieces and couldn’t afford to be careless.
Jin Guang showed no desire to attack, fidgeting under the watchful eyes of the three mutated giant dogs, as if he were asking for trouble.
He hesitated for a moment and then set down the grass basket he had been carrying on his back.
Inside the basket were the prey he had hunted that morning. Handing it over like this was truly hard to accept, but survival was more important. As long as he could leave here safely today, that would be considered lucky.
“This is the rabbit I just caught, still fresh…”
Tang Yu’an immediately understood his meaning and smiled as he said, “You don’t need to do this. I told you, as long as you don’t do anything out of line, my pets won’t harm you.”
Jin Guang swallowed hard, guessing that this young man’s Ability was probably beast taming. He was very glad he hadn’t acted directly against him just now over territory.
He cautiously asked, “So… can I leave now?”
Tang Yu’an could actually sense Jin Guang’s hostility before Yuan Bao and the others appeared.
But in such a fiercely competitive apocalyptic environment, there was no other way. At least he hadn’t attacked right away, which still left the possibility of cultivating him into a customer.
So Tang Yu’an said, “You can leave, but…”
The young man’s change in tone made Jin Guang’s heart race. “But what?”
“But, don’t you want to trade for something before you go?” the young man said.
Jin Guang looked at him in confusion, not understanding, “W-what?”
Ten minutes later.
When Jin Guang left, holding 10 scoops of coarse salt wrapped in leaves and 5 Black-Gold Salt Notes, his expression was still dazed.
He had lost a pound of rabbit meat from his basket.
Yes, he had just traded a pound of meat for 10 scoops of coarse salt (about 100 grams), enough for him to eat for at least a month!
Jin Guang felt as if he were dreaming, his steps felt light.
Moreover, that young man said their shop would continue to operate in Desolate City. As long as there was demand, he could come to them for trades at this price anytime.
The 5 Black-Gold Salt Notes could be exchanged for half a scoop of Coarse Sea Salt—this was a lower quality salt, but still much better than what he usually ate.
This Coarse Sea Salt could only be exchanged with salt notes, and 5 Black-Gold Salt Notes could be traded for half a scoop, starting tomorrow.
Also, this Black-Gold Salt Note would only be given out this month; if he wanted more later, he would have to trade for it.
Jin Guang didn’t understand why anyone would want to exchange for these salt notes, after all, the shop also accepted physical items for salt, and he could get better quality salt that way.
Although the material of the salt notes was quite special, holding it in his hand didn’t make it edible!
Jin Guang decided to come back tomorrow to exchange this note for salt; after all, having salt in hand felt more tangible!
Regardless, being able to get half a scoop of salt for free was something to be happy about!
He cradled the white Coarse Sea Salt in his arms, and when he finally realized that all of this was real, he couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear.
For the next month, he wouldn’t have to worry about salt!
Fortunately, he hadn’t acted against that young man earlier; he would have to treat him well from now on, after all, he was a salt merchant… and a big salt merchant at that!
Even though there were three Mutated Creatures guarding him, which felt quite terrifying, just thinking about the salt made Jin Guang braver.
Of course, the main point was that the young man really hadn’t harmed him; he had truly let him leave after trading for salt.
After all, he could have just taken his rabbit directly!
Now that the store called Desolate City Grocery Store had just opened, and he was the only one who knew about it, he had traded for so much salt that he wouldn’t finish it in the short term.
So, could he take out half a month’s worth to trade for something useful?
And since he would come back tomorrow, he could definitely trade for a bit more salt; after all, a pound of meat could last a month, and he could just go hunting again.
Thinking about the good things he could get in exchange for salt, Jin Guang’s eyes lit up, and he felt hopeful about his upcoming life.
Tang Yu’an was also very happy.
He hadn’t expected to successfully receive a new customer on the first day of opening, and he had turned him into an Old Customer.
From this transaction, he had gained a pound of fresh rabbit meat, 9 Points, and 6 Experience Points. Although the Points weren’t much, this was business that had come to him!
After Jin Guang left, Zhou Qi came out of the suite carrying Jin Lili.
“Brother Qi!”
Tang Yu’an, of course, knew that Zhou Qi had arrived long ago, but he still pulled him over excitedly to share the good news.
Zhou Qi pinched his cheek and nodded with a smile, “An’an is really impressive.”
Yu’an chuckled and then brought Jin Lili over, taking out a purple-red carpet for her to sit on, and played a trading game with her using Mutated Blueberries and Mutated Lantern Fruits.
In the end, they successfully racked up 1038 Points!
Later, he would go find Kang Kang and rack up more points!
At this moment, he thought of something and said, “By the way, Brother Qi, how about I appoint you as the Branch Store Manager of Store 1?”
Although he didn’t know what the Branch Store Manager’s role was, it felt like a rank higher than that of an employee.
Zhou Qi thought for a moment and nodded, “Sure.”
So Tang Yu’an opened the interface to make the operation.
[Do you want to appoint employee ‘Zhou Qi’ as the Branch Store Manager of ‘Peace Grocery Store 1’?]
Tang Yu’an selected “Yes.”
[‘Zhou Qi’s employee level is lv5, meeting the requirements, appointment successful!]
As this prompt appeared, Zhou Qi’s title on the employee panel gained the suffix “Branch Store Manager.”
In terms of responsibilities, the Branch Store Manager needed to lead employees to meet the monthly performance requirements, and Tang Yu’an naturally set it to the lowest tier.
In terms of rights, the Branch Store Manager could recruit employees and assign them tasks for management—of course, the Mysterious Merchant had a higher level of authority, allowing Tang Yu’an to dismiss and directly appoint branch employees.
Employee levels remained, but the difference was that for every profitable transaction completed by branch employees, the Branch Store Manager could also gain 1 Experience Point!
This way, his leveling speed would definitely increase significantly.
Additionally, the Portable Warehouse he could authorize increased to 5 slots, and Tang Yu’an naturally filled it up for him.
Zhou Qi also received a system prompt.
[Due to your outstanding work performance, the Mysterious Merchant has decided to appoint you as the Branch Store Manager of ‘Peace Grocery Store 1’. Please continue to work hard!]
Tang Yu’an also wanted to transfer Xiao Cao to the branch—now the branch could recruit 2 employees, and with Xiao Cao there, Brother Qi’s employee experience points would surely soar.
However, Zhou Qi stopped him.
“I know you’re trying to help me, but right now Xiao Cao is our best employee. With her here, we can maintain the main store’s popularity.”
The main store’s upgrade required store popularity and transaction volume, and with limited resources, they naturally needed to focus on upgrading the main store to unlock more powerful features.
Excellent employees should stay in the main store.
“Once we have more suitable candidates in the future, we can transfer Chi Hao to the branch,” Zhou Qi said.
Tang Yu’an had no objections.
Chi Hao was still on his way back to Qingmu Fortress; at least for the next two months, he couldn’t expect much from him, so transferring him to the branch wouldn’t have much impact.
At this moment, a system prompt popped up.
[You have successfully appointed a Branch Store Manager and can assign the following side tasks to the Branch Store Manager.]
[Side Task 1: Create a sign for the branch store.]
[Side Task 2: Reach 1000 transactions at the branch store.]
[Side Task 3: Cultivate 10 Old Customers for the branch store.]
[Side Task 4: …]
Tang Yu’an shared these side tasks with Zhou Qi.
After they studied them, they found that the rewards for Zhou Qi completing these tasks were not the Points and item card rewards that Tang Yu’an saw.
Zhou Qi would gain merchant satisfaction, with an initial value of 60, which would decrease over time. It could only be increased by completing side tasks, profitable transactions, and increasing popularity.
When the satisfaction value fell below 30, the Branch Store Manager position would be automatically dismissed, and when it exceeded 90, a monthly salary bonus of 500 Points would be awarded—
This 500 Points would naturally come from Tang Yu’an.
The system was really stingy.
But Tang Yu’an didn’t mind; after all, he and Brother Qi were one entity, so paying a salary was just transferring from one hand to the other.
As for other Branch Store Managers? That was still a distant matter, so he wouldn’t think too much about it for now.
With time still early, they decided to make the sign first, so it would look more like a store. Even though there weren’t many literate people in the Wasteland, it would still improve recognition a bit.
While they were busy making the sign, new customers arrived—
It was Granny Guo bringing Kang Kang to visit.
Tang Yu’an was very surprised and quickly welcomed them in.
“You really are close by; it only took a short walk to get here,” Granny Guo said, looking around their house and nodding with a smile.
The three pets had already transformed into their juvenile forms and were playing with Jin Lili on the first floor.
Jin Lili accepted the sudden addition of a puppy very well and quickly became good friends with Yuan Bao—of course, it was one-sided.
The four-eyed puppy was small, and Jin Lili scooped it up in her arms with both hands, rubbing her face against it.
Yuan Bao wore a helpless expression the whole time, but facing Jin Lili’s enthusiasm, it didn’t struggle and showed great patience towards the child.
Now, there was also Kang Kang.
Kang Kang first looked at Jin Lili in confusion, seemingly not understanding why she was no longer a plant, but his attention was quickly drawn to the three dogs.
Yin Bi and Wang Cai were relatively large, which made him a bit scared, so the petite Yuan Bao became his target.
He and Jin Lili each hugged the four-eyed puppy, grinning foolishly.
Yuan Bao’s expression became even more helpless.
Granny Guo watched this scene, looking a bit uncertain as she glanced at the three dogs. Although they looked harmless, she didn’t dare to underestimate them.
Then, she observed the two young men making the sign.
After giving a few guiding suggestions, she left Kang Kang there and prepared to leave to plant potatoes.
“You all should stock up on some food too.”
Granny Guo’s expression was serious as she looked at the sky outside and reminded, “I can feel that a big flood is coming.”
