Chapter 110
Old Li’s straightforward agreement surprised Lin Zhen, who couldn’t help but look at him suspiciously.
“So, I’m off then?” she asked tentatively.
“Mm, go on. Try to bring in as many people as you can,” Old Li nodded.
Scratching her head, Lin Zhen muttered, “But why? It’s not your store, so why are you working so hard? You even tried to bribe me with candy!”
“‘Those who eat their master’s food must worry about their master’s concerns,’” Old Li said calmly.
Lin Zhen gave him a puzzled look, not quite understanding his words. “What does that mean?”
Seeing her confusion, Old Li sighed and explained, “It’s an old saying. It means that if someone feeds you, you should work for them in return.”
“Oh!” Lin Zhen nodded, then looked at him with envy. “So, you get to eat Zhou Qi’s cooking every day now?”
“Pretty much,” Old Li replied. “But they went to Jufeng Town, and I’m not sure they’ll be back before the floods.”
He remembered something and added, “They said there are plenty of rooms here. If you want to come over and stay for safety, you’re welcome anytime.”
Lin Zhen glanced up at the towering building and shook her head. “The eggs are about to hatch, so it’d be hard to move. Maybe in a few days.”
“Alright.”
With that, Lin Zhen waved goodbye and headed off to spread the word about the store.
Lin Zhen knew plenty of people in the Desolate City. Whether they’d believe her was uncertain, but her job was simply to pass on the message.
After watching her figure disappear, Old Li finally turned back into the store.
The refrigerator and freezer units the boys had set up seemed to be working now. Though it was already sweltering outside, the first floor felt pleasantly cool.
He entered the back room where Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi had stored some supplies, including a jar of rock candy.
Old Li scooped out a spoonful of the rock candy, wrapped it in a cloth, and gently tapped it with a small stone until each piece broke into smaller fragments.
After all, he hadn’t specified the exact size of each “piece,” right?
*
Under the blazing sun, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi were making their way to Jufeng Town.
With Zhou Qi’s Lightness Technique boosting his speed, he moved quickly while Tang Yu’an clung to his shoulders, hearing only the sound of rushing wind. The scenery around them blurred as they sped along.
Tang Yu’an held the Shadow Umbrella in his right hand. Though it remained steady above them, unaffected by the wind, ready to hide them from view, it couldn’t keep up with Zhou Qi’s speed if Tang Yu’an let go.
Soon, they arrived at the familiar fork in the road.
The path leading to the abandoned chemical plant had a few more corroded stones, as if someone had tried but failed to block off the road.
Tang Yu’an glanced at his map, noticing that parts of the fog-shrouded area had cleared as Lu Yan moved around.
Judging from the clear areas on the map, Lu Yan occasionally came to this path.
Could the corroded stones around the road have something to do with him?
“Brother Qi, hold on a sec!” Tang Yu’an suddenly called out.
Zhou Qi stopped, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”
Tang Yu’an took out two buns, wrapped them in a plastic bag, and tossed the bag toward the path.
After watching the bag disappear into the mist, he explained, “A gift for Lu Yan.”
Lu Yan had given them a pound of mutated blueberries, only asking in return for some conversation. It left Tang Yu’an feeling a bit guilty.
If he really was human, living all alone in that poisonous fog, it would be unbearably sad.
Since they couldn’t enter the fog or help him in any meaningful way, the least they could do was offer a small token of kindness.
“Let’s go,” Tang Yu’an said.
“Alright.”
With Tang Yu’an on his back, Zhou Qi set off again.
After they left, the plastic bag lay quietly on the ground for some time. Eventually, the greenish fog thickened, and an unseen hand, pocked with sores, reached out from the mist, snatching the bag before vanishing back into the fog…
*
With Zhou Qi’s speed, they reached the summit of Jufeng Mountain by three in the afternoon.
They’d arrived at the foot of the mountain around noon, but the climb took more time due to the rough terrain.
Departing Desolate City at around nine in the morning and arriving at Jufeng’s peak by three was already a vast improvement over previous trips.
Along the way, Tang Yu’an noticed that several outposts had set up small farms.
The crops were struggling, but he figured Captain Hei Xiong must have passed his advice on to Hong Li, and Hong Li had taken it to heart.
It’s always difficult to get started, but hopefully, Sister Hong Li can keep pushing this initiative forward.
Tang Yu’an found a quiet, secluded spot on the map, put away the Shadow Umbrella, and took out the mountain master’s token that Hong Li had given him.
Aside from smudging his pale face with some dirt, he didn’t bother with further disguise.
Just as he was about to leave, a familiar system notification popped up.
[Employee “Li Changqing” completed a profitable transaction with a new customer. Points +58, Experience +3]
And with that notification, a string of others followed:
[Experience points full. Merchant level +1]
[Merchant level reached lv11. New items available for exchange in the wholesale market: white rice, assorted fruit candies, and toothpaste. See “Wholesale Market” for details.]
[Dimensional Store feature unlocked: Message Board. Display duration for items extended to 48 hours. Item slots +1.]
[Personal inventory slots +1. Total slots: 15.]
[Remote Retrieval skill upgraded to lv10. See “Skills” for details.]
[Weekly tasks refresh card +1]
[Please select a delivery address…]
“Wow! Grandpa Li really came through! He leveled me up in one go!”
“I leveled up again, Brother Qi!” Tang Yu’an cheered, checking his new rewards. “This time, I can exchange for polished rice—2 points for 100 grams, which is just 10 points per half kilo. That’s pretty affordable.”
Polished rice was much tastier than brown rice, though they still had a decent stock of rice at home, so there was no rush.
“And now there’s fruit candy available too. I wonder how it tastes.”
The system also unlocked a new function in the Dimensional Store, allowing an additional item to be displayed. Tang Yu’an quickly added a Qingliang fruit to the display and set the price to the highest limit.
Next, he checked his upgraded Remote Retrieval skill.
“Brother Qi! My telekinesis range increased to 16 meters!”
That was a substantial distance. Any further, and his control might lose accuracy.
Zhou Qi nodded, glancing at his own experience bar: Level 6 (5/120).
He would need to reach level 7 to unlock telekinesis as well. This visit to Jufeng Town would be the perfect chance to level up.
“Seems like Grandpa Li is adapting well,” Zhou Qi remarked.
“Definitely,” Tang Yu’an agreed, nodding. “He’s already served sixteen customers today, and I only had seventeen yesterday.”
He had expected the effects of the Traffic Boost Card to weaken over time, given that it attracted people from nearby first, and those farther away might not be reached. But surprisingly, business today had exceeded yesterday’s!
The store’s popularity level had already exceeded 100. Once they accumulated more points, they’d be able to unlock the overnight lodging feature for customers.
Tang Yu’an thought for a moment. “Since Grandpa Li is doing so well, maybe it’s time to give him an official nickname as a mark of the Merchant’s appreciation!”
Hearing this, Zhou Qi’s shoulders stiffened slightly.
“What nickname do you want to give Grandpa Li?” he asked, a bit hesitant.
“Money Mama?”
“…”
Seeing Zhou Qi’s speechless expression, Tang Yu’an burst into laughter. “I’m kidding!”
After all, Grandpa Li was an elder, so Tang Yu’an wouldn’t dare to mess around that much.
Examining the employee interface, he muttered, “It seems like a lot of people don’t know his real name. Maybe we should just go with that…”
*
At Peace Grocery Store #1.
Old Li had just seen off a customer brought in by Lin Zhen when a system message popped up.
[The Merchant has taken note of your excellent performance and bestowed upon you the title: Changqing.]
Changqing.
Looking at the familiar yet distant name, Old Li stood still, memories flashing before his eyes.
No one had called him by that name in a long, long time. The people who’d known him as Changqing were long gone.
Although his life had not even spanned a century, it felt incredibly long.
Recollections of his youth felt like an old dream he could never return to, his name buried with the people of his past.
And now, that name has reappeared.
Staring blankly at the glowing system message, Old Li slowly turned to look back at the building behind him.
Would this “old dream” of his…
One day reappear?
*
With Grandpa Li’s title sorted out, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi continued up the mountain path.
It was just past the hottest time of day, and the mountain trail was still mostly empty. Tang Yu’an took out a regular umbrella to shield himself from the sun, then they made their way into town.
They strolled casually over to the guard post, and under the watchful escort of the guards, headed straight for the Guard Post to claim the property Chi Hao had set aside for them.
With the mountain master’s token, no one dared cause them any trouble.
Soon, Captain Hei Xiong arrived after hearing the news and greeted them warmly.
“Chi Hao already filled me in,” he said. “I’ll have someone show you to the place.”
“Thank you, Captain Hei Xiong!”
As Hei Xiong looked at the two boys, he recalled the mountain master’s analysis—since they’d left, the salt vendor who had been selling at the market had not shown up again.
Without revealing his thoughts, he asked, “Are you planning to settle in Jufeng Town?”
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi exchanged a glance. They had discussed this question on the way over, knowing Hei Xiong would ask.
“We’re planning to open a shop here,” Tang Yu’an replied honestly.
“A shop?” Hei Xiong nodded in understanding. No wonder Redhao had chosen a busy, bustling location instead of a more premium spot.
Curious, he asked eagerly, “What kind of shop?”
Tang Yu’an dodged the question, replying, “We haven’t decided yet, but once we know for sure, we’ll let Sister Hong Li know and make sure she’s okay with it.”
He avoided mentioning selling salt, lest they be “invited” to see the mountain master. It would be best to wait until they were fully prepared.
Since Tang Yu’an had invoked “Sister Hong Li,” Hei Xiong didn’t press further.
“Alright, I’ll have someone take you there.”
The guards quickly led Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi to the location.
It was a two-story building, looking somewhat rundown, clearly neglected for many years.
As they entered, a cloud of dust greeted them, and they quickly covered their noses, retreating outside for the moment. The guards who had escorted them stayed nearby, patrolling the area and dispersing any onlookers.
Tang Yu’an opened the map and noticed that Hei Xiong had even assigned a patrol squad to the nearby area.
He recalled that Hong Li had previously sent guards to monitor them, following them all the way to the Desolate City until they managed to shake them off. Hopefully, this wasn’t another attempt to keep an eye on them…
After putting on masks, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi re-entered the house and closed the door, beginning their exploration of the place.
The first floor was empty, with no furniture in sight. The stairs leading to the second floor had a few broken steps, and each step groaned under their weight, as if the whole structure might collapse at any moment.
On the second floor, there were two rooms, both bare like the floor below, with only some dry, crumbling straw piled in one corner of a room.
It was unclear whether the previous owner had removed all belongings before leaving, or if the house had simply been left abandoned, allowing others to steal everything.
Looking at the missing window panes, Tang Yu’an suspected the latter.
“Yu’an.”
Zhou Qi called to him from downstairs.
Tang Yu’an quickly responded, rushing down to find that Zhou Qi wasn’t in the main hall. Following his voice, he found Zhou Qi standing in a back room, examining the floor.
“Brother Qi?”
He had barely called out when Zhou Qi lifted a loose floorboard, revealing a hidden compartment below—a basement.
Tang Yu’an’s eyes lit up, and he leaned over to inspect it. All he could see below was a ladder descending into darkness.
The ladder was wooden and, like the rest of the house, worn with age and rotting in several spots.
“Shall we go down and take a look?”
Tang Yu’an checked the map to make sure there were no hostile creatures below. Seeing it was safe, he made the suggestion.
“I’ll go first. You stay up here and keep watch,” Zhou Qi replied.
Tang Yu’an pouted but complied under Zhou Qi’s serious expression.
With a flashlight and dagger in hand, Zhou Qi gracefully descended into the basement with the help of his Lightness Technique.
Tang Yu’an watched the map and Zhou Qi’s status anxiously.
Thankfully, nothing dangerous happened.
Soon, Zhou Qi reappeared at the bottom of the ladder, gesturing for Tang Yu’an to jump down.
Tang Yu’an grinned and, without hesitation, leapt down, landing safely in Zhou Qi’s arms.
Zhou Qi set him down gently on the basement floor, which was now dimly lit by candles Zhou Qi had already set up. In the soft glow, a small room of about twenty square meters revealed itself.
“This place is quite something,” Tang Yu’an said, looking up. The basement was at least four or five meters below ground, with thick stone walls and a ceiling two meters high.
The stone walls must have been thick enough to keep this basement hidden from any thieves who ransacked the house above.
Tang Yu’an brought his gaze back down and examined the room more closely.
In the corner, several metal crates lay covered in dust and cobwebs. Curious about their contents, he and Zhou Qi carefully approached. Finding no immediate danger, they opened the first crate, only to find a stash of old, tattered fur clothing.
The second crate contained canned food, and Tang Yu’an even found an unopened bag of dog food.
Even though it was sealed, it was probably expired and spoiled by now.
The third and fourth crates held random items, remnants from the time before the disaster, possibly collected by the house’s original owner.
Tang Yu’an glanced up at the entrance above them.
“Looking at the size of these crates… how were they even brought down here?”
“He might have been a metal ability user, or perhaps…”
Zhou Qi tapped and tested the walls around the basement, until he finally found something. He pressed against one of the stone walls, and with a groan, a hidden door slowly swung open, revealing a dark, unknown tunnel.
Tang Yu’an swallowed nervously, feeling both excited and a bit frightened.
Zhou Qi studied the passageway for a moment before he closed the door again and turned to Tang Yu’an. “Let’s set up the branch store first.”
“Aren’t we going to check out the tunnel?” Tang Yu’an asked.
“Not for now,” Zhou Qi replied. “Besides, only employees can use the teleportation array, so it’s not like we have many other options right now.”
The place had clearly been abandoned for years. The safest option might be to leave the tunnel alone.
Tang Yu’an nodded in agreement. They didn’t have time to hunt down a different property anyway, and a new location might not have a basement as convenient as this one.
He opened the system panel and began setting up the new store.
[Establishing Branch Store]
[Select a Building]
[Note: You must own the building or the building must be on unclaimed land.]
Tang Yu’an shifted his gaze to the building above them and confirmed.
[Ownership confirmed. Requirements met.]
[Do you want to spend 2000 points to designate this building as a branch store?]
[Yes] [No]
Tang Yu’an selected “Yes,” entered a name for the new branch, and confirmed.
[Name successfully set. “Peace Grocery Store (Branch #2)” has been established.]
And just like that, the Jufeng Town store was now officially “Branch #2”! He opened the store panel, ready to explore the new management interface for Peace Grocery Store (Branch #2).
*
[Peace Grocery Store (Branch #2)]
Level: lv0
Description: A dilapidated shell of a grocery store with no redeeming qualities aside from its decent location.
Total Points Accumulated: 0
Total Points Earned: 0
Branch Manager: 0/1
Employees: 0/2
Functions: Guard Barrier (Inactive), Teleportation Array (Inactive)
*
Tang Yu’an proceeded with the setup, spending 2000 points to activate the teleportation array, another 2000 points to connect it to the main store, and a final 3000 points for a permanent connection.
He had mentally prepared himself for the expenses, so despite spending so many points, he surprisingly felt quite calm—even a little thrilled.
After deducting 9000 points, he was surprised to find he still had over 2000 points left.
Looking at the pentagram array beneath his feet, Tang Yu’an thought for a moment and said, “Brother Qi, let’s go ahead and activate the guard barrier here too.”
He could limit the barrier’s range to this basement, making it impossible for anyone to find or damage the teleportation area. And if there was any hidden danger beyond the stone door, they could simply deactivate the branch for now, allowing the guard barrier to stay active around the clock. This setup would essentially make the basement a highly secure teleportation point within Jufeng Town.
Zhou Qi considered the suggestion and agreed with a nod, though he couldn’t help but glance at the boy with a hint of concern. “Don’t you feel the least bit of regret? Spending another 2000 points will leave you with only a few hundred.”
At his words, Tang Yu’an’s chest tightened with a pang of regret.
True, after this, he’d be left with barely 300 points!
It had been a while since he’d been this broke!
Clutching his chest, Tang Yu’an said, “It’s fine. Points can always be earned back, but we’ve already spent 9000 points on this teleportation point—there’s no way I’m letting it go to waste!”
Hearing his clear-headed resolve, Zhou Qi gave an approving nod.
Patting Tang Yu’an’s cheek gently, he reassured him, “Don’t worry. Once we get things set up here, we’ll visit Hong Li. I’m sure we can work out a deal with her.”
Given Hong Li’s position managing a busy town, she would likely need a lot of salt. And if not, they’d find another way to make it work.
“With Xiao Cao and Grandpa Li back in the store, we’re generating points much faster now. We’ll manage.”
“Right!”
Tang Yu’an’s confidence stemmed from this increase in points. Thanks to Grandpa Li’s efforts, he’d already received not only experience points today but nearly a thousand points as well.
If things kept going this well, they’d be back on track in no time.
Resolving himself, Tang Yu’an steeled his gaze and clicked to activate the guard barrier for Branch #2.
Another 2000 points were deducted, and his five-digit balance dropped to three digits—a sudden return to the “pre-liberation” days of barely scraping by.
However, he wasn’t done yet.
It was still daytime, so the barrier hadn’t kicked in. If the building were to vanish suddenly in full view come nightfall, there would be no easy way to explain it.
He opened the 3D map, shrinking the barrier’s range to the basement level.
Afterward, he and Zhou Qi exited the basement and deactivated the second branch, watching closely.
With the guard barrier set to cover only the basement, the building above them remained visible. When Zhou Qi looked back down, the entrance to the basement had disappeared from view.
Reaching out, he felt a distinct barrier. Once Tang Yu’an granted him access, his hand passed smoothly through.
“This setup is perfect!”
Tang Yu’an beamed, feeling that the 2000 points had been well spent.
He could make up the difference by running some point-scoring “games” with Lili and Kang Kang. Just as he thought of this, he instinctively glanced at the map, only to freeze mid-thought.
What’s going on?
Panicked, Tang Yu’an quickly moved the map’s view, following a red marker on the mini-map. His face fell in shock and anger.
“Brother Qi, something’s wrong! A mutated creature has broken into Granny’s house!”
