Chapter 120
Tie Jin struggled to row the boat.
Paddling against the current was incredibly challenging, though the water wasn’t too turbulent. Despite the slow speed, he steadily pressed on.
Going out in such conditions was highly dangerous, but after some deliberation, Tie Jin made the decision.
Beyond the safety of the Desolate City Grocery Store, the primary reason for his journey was the abnormality of this flood—it was rising much faster than before.
Based on past experiences, the water level at this point should have barely reached the calves. Yet now, it was already above the knees.
Tie Jin worried that if it continued rising, it could reach the catastrophic levels of the worst flood he had witnessed, submerging even the upper floors of buildings.
His building had only five floors. If just two remained habitable, life would become far more difficult, especially since he was no longer alone.
There were now two others to care for—his adopted daughter, Jin Lili, and her mother, A’Lian.
A’Lian proved to be a devoted and capable mother. After settling into their home, she took over the task of caring for Jin Lili.
Mashed potatoes, egg custards, millet porridge—she could make it all, and far better than Tie Jin ever could.
This freed Tie Jin from eating only hard jerky and allowed him to enjoy some potatoes while not having to worry about Jin Lili being unattended. He could focus entirely on producing metal.
With orders from Zhou Qi’s group, he could produce metal without limit, exchanging it for food and other survival essentials.
Life seemed to be improving for once. But just a few days in, the flood hit!
It seemed this apocalyptic world couldn’t stand seeing people doing well.
Even someone as hardened as Tie Jin couldn’t help but feel a twinge of despair. But when he looked at the frail A’Lian and the hungry cries of Jin Lili, his resolve strengthened.
No matter what, he would ensure this mother and daughter survived.
Upon realizing the flood’s rate of rise was unusual, Tie Jin acted decisively.
He packed their remaining potatoes, bird eggs, and jerky, sealed off all the entrances to the house, and took Jin Lili and A’Lian onto a small boat.
He didn’t bring much of the mutant metal he had produced—just the oars and two self-defense daggers, one of which he gave to A’Lian.
After all, he could always produce more mutant metal. Once they safely weathered the flood, he would return for it.
What Tie Jin didn’t anticipate was encountering mutated piranhas shortly after setting out.
These piranhas had likely escaped from the water reservoir, which housed other terrifying creatures besides the fish.
When the flood came, these monsters began appearing everywhere.
Tie Jin felt luck was not on his side today.
Despite his massive size, he was little more than prey to mutated creatures. His talents were not geared for combat.
When faced with the fearsome piranhas, Tie Jin had no strategy whatsoever.
Just as he was about to retreat, he realized that the piranhas, which bit at anything in sight, completely ignored him and his companions.
Even as his oars churned the water and despite their proximity, the piranhas didn’t leap out to attack.
They simply swarmed around the small boat, attacking everything else in the water but leaving Tie Jin’s group untouched.
Summoning his courage, Tie Jin pressed on toward the Desolate City Grocery Store building.
This was the scene Tang Yu’an accidentally stumbled upon.
Unlike Tie Jin, who was confused and nervous, Tang Yu’an had a better understanding of what might be happening. He suspected this was due to Jin Lili’s unique ability.
Sure enough, a glance at the map confirmed it.
Tie Jin’s boat was surrounded by twenty or so red dots, representing the piranhas. However, there was also a glowing red dot aboard the boat itself.
This red dot was Jin Lili, nestled securely in A’Lian’s arms.
The little girl lay on her mother’s shoulder, her curious eyes fixed on the water outside and the piranhas that occasionally surfaced.
Sensing her mother’s fear, she extended her tiny hand and patted A’Lian’s back comfortingly.
Watching from a distance, Tang Yu’an speculated that the piranhas not only regarded Tie Jin’s boat as one of their own but might even see it as their leader.
After all, the boat was significantly larger than the piranhas.
Using the Shadow Umbrella for concealment, Tang Yu’an observed from the sidelines for a while. Ultimately, he chose not to intervene.
He worried that his sudden appearance might disrupt the current equilibrium and put Tie Jin’s family in danger.
Instead, he silently kept watch until the Grocery Store building came into view. Only then did he rush back to prepare.
After some consideration, he decided to settle Tie Jin’s family in Unit 802, right next to Grandma Guo and Kang Kang.
Having two families with children on the same floor would make communication easier, and Kang Kang could visit Lili anytime to play.
Though Unit 802 was smaller than Unit 701, its 140 square meters were more than sufficient for a family of three.
Tang Yu’an installed windows in the unit. As for the door…
With Tie Jin’s skills, he could undoubtedly make a safer, sturdier metal door himself, so Tang Yu’an didn’t provide one.
After casting a purification spell to thoroughly clean the room, Tang Yu’an was about to head downstairs to meet Tie Jin’s family when a message popped up on the message board.
[Channel (Administrator)]
[Handsome Zhou: An An, I’ve returned to Store No. 1.]
Glancing at the map, Tang Yu’an replied as he rushed back to the 9th floor. Before reaching the door, he saw Zhou Qi walking out.
“Brother Qi!”
Zhou Qi strode over and took Tang Yu’an’s hands, inspecting him up and down. Only after confirming he was unharmed did Zhou Qi breathe a sigh of relief.
“I’m fine,” Tang Yu’an said cheerfully. “I’ve already made two trips to Sister Lin’s place.”
He had kept Zhou Qi updated throughout his journey, so Zhou Qi was aware of the hatched chicks and Lin Zhen moving in.
“Uncle Tie Jin is also on his way,” Tang Yu’an added. “They’re coming by boat.”
Zhou Qi nodded. “The guards from Jufeng Town aren’t coming for now, so I returned to check on things.”
So far, they had hosted a squad of 26 guards trading salt tickets with wild vegetables and mushrooms.
This round of trading earned the Grocery Store 62 reputation points, 276 shop credits, and 42 EXP for Tang Yu’an.
Tang Yu’an glanced at the Grocery Store’s popularity rating, which now stood at 239 EXP—61 EXP away from 300.
“Wow, that’s great!”
It was already past 3 PM. If they could hold out until 6 PM, the non-business period’s protective barrier would activate, ensuring their safety until 8 AM the next day.
They could then use the evening to conduct trades with Jufeng Town, likely hitting the 300-point milestone by nightfall and unlocking the next tier of the barrier’s full-day protection feature.
The 200+ EXP earned today were largely thanks to Zhou Qi’s efforts in Jufeng Town.
Tang Yu’an’s employee rank had also risen to Level 8, earning him another skill upgrade. The remote inventory management skill could now be leveled up again.
“Brother Qi, you’ve worked so hard today! Without you, we couldn’t have gained points so quickly. Tonight, I’ll treat you to chicken drumsticks~”
Tang Yu’an began kneading Zhou Qi’s hands and shoulders enthusiastically, acting like an eager assistant.
Zhou Qi looked at him with a mix of helplessness and amusement.
After a moment, Zhou Qi finally reached out, placing a hand on the younger boy’s head and ruffling his hair. “You’ve done well too. Not only did you protect the swimming hall, but you also arranged housing for Sister Lin and Uncle Jin.”
Tang Yu’an blinked.
“I was too harsh at noon. I shouldn’t have been so strict with you,” Zhou Qi said softly. “Our An An is truly capable. I should trust you more.”
Realizing Zhou Qi wasn’t just keeping his promise to trust him but also genuinely praising him, Tang Yu’an couldn’t contain his excitement. He cheered, leapt up, and hugged Zhou Qi tightly.
Like an affectionate puppy, he nuzzled against Zhou Qi and exclaimed, “Brother Qi, I really, really like you!”
Zhou Qi chuckled, a small smile spreading across his face.
Once Tang Yu’an had calmed down, Zhou Qi continued, “I’m planning to transfer Xiao Cao to Store No. 1.”
Previously, they hadn’t moved Xiao Cao due to the main store requiring 5,000 popularity points for an upgrade. But with the sudden flood, boosting Store No. 1 was now the top priority.
As their only “trump card,” Xiao Cao was better suited at Store No. 1 for now. The main store could hire new staff or eventually bring Xiao Cao back.
Tang Yu’an eagerly approved. “Yes! Let’s bring Xiao Cao here!”
Without delay, Zhou Qi accessed the management panel and transferred Xiao Cao to Peace Grocery Store No. 1, making her the second employee there, alongside Old Li.
“With Xiao Cao selling hot soup tonight, we’ll get another boost in popularity!”
But just as Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi headed downstairs to place Lin Zhen’s belongings in Unit 701, a system notification popped up:
[Employee “Xiao Cao” completed a transaction with a regular customer: Points +8, XP +1.]
This notification, along with others, kept popping up intermittently as they descended, stopping only when they reached the first floor.
Did Xiao Cao find a new way to earn points?
*
When the message [Due to your excellent work performance, the mysterious merchant has transferred you to “Peace Grocery Store No. 1.” Please remain diligent and humble.] appeared, Xiao Cao and her brother were carrying newly acquired straw hats to the guard post.
Due to the distance, news of the flood in Desolate City hadn’t yet reached Jufeng Mountain.
Even if it did, it wouldn’t cause immediate concern. Jufeng Town, situated atop a mountain, faced minimal risk from flooding unless hit by torrential rain.
Xiao Cao read the system notification with a puzzled expression.
“Xiao Cao?” her brother prompted.
Deciding to set it aside for now, Xiao Cao planned to ask on the message board later. She and her brother greeted the guards at the gate and entered the garrison.
Thanks to the soybeans they had previously offered, the siblings were allowed to eat at the guard post daily. Combined with the goodwill from Xiao Cao’s hair-cutting services, they were now familiar with almost every guard. Entering or leaving the post was as simple as exchanging a greeting.
The siblings approached resting guards and began promoting their straw hats.
“These hats not only shield you from the sun but also prevent your scalp from getting sunburned. They’re very affordable—just one wild vegetable per hat.”
As with her soup and haircuts, Xiao Cao employed a low-profit, high-volume strategy.
When a friendly guard traded a vegetable for a hat, Xiao Cao relaxed upon seeing the successful transaction notification on her panel.
These hats were acquired in exchange for mushrooms—two mushrooms per hat. She had obtained 21 hats in total. With constant “real-world practice” and her memory, Xiao Cao’s arithmetic had improved significantly, and she could now keep track of numbers with ease.
On the way to the Guard Post, however, she had been anxious. Her brother, Shi Tou, didn’t quite understand her reasoning.
In Jufeng Town, it was generally accepted that two mushrooms equaled one wild vegetable in value. Both had similar satiety levels.
Of course, there were minor discrepancies due to size differences, leading to occasional haggling during trades. But the general equivalence held.
Thus, Shi Tou found Xiao Cao’s pricing unreasonable.
Even so, he supported her decision, helped her collect the hats, and accompanied her to the garrison to trade.
Now, watching the system log record her profitable transactions, Xiao Cao finally smiled.
The administrator hadn’t deceived her!
Vegetables were indeed more valuable than mushrooms. By buying low and selling high, she could earn points and experience this way.
As Xiao Cao continued promoting hats to the guards, she pondered what other items might be suitable for a buy-low, sell-high strategy.
The first thing that came to mind was—salt.
Salt was undoubtedly the most sought-after resource. The salt sold at Jufeng Grocery Store seemed perfect for such a strategy.
Little Divine Doctor’s salt prices were already low, and word of this hadn’t yet spread widely. Few knew about it, so sales weren’t particularly strong.
Could she seize the opportunity to trade for salt from Little Divine Doctor and sell it before more people became aware of it?
If successful, she was sure there’d be no shortage of buyers.
As Xiao Cao considered the feasibility of this plan, she overheard two guards talking.
“Did the guy confess?”
“He did. It was Jin Fu’s doing. The Mountain Lord has already sent people to deal with him.”
“Jin Fu? That big salt merchant?”
Xiao Cao’s ears perked up. She wanted to listen more closely, but the two guards noticed her.
Instead of causing trouble, they each traded for a straw hat with her, smiled, and walked away.
Xiao Cao pursed her lips, curious about what the guards were discussing. She ran off to ask her brother.
To her surprise, Shi Tou knew about it.
“It’s about that salt merchant in Jufeng Town. He got mad at Little Divine Doctor for stealing his business and sent people to attack the Jufeng Grocery Store last night, planning to take Little Divine Doctor out…”
As Shi Tou recounted the “insider story” he had heard, Xiao Cao’s expression changed multiple times.
When she learned that the culprits had been caught and Little Divine Doctor was unharmed, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. As for selling salt…
She shook her head, deciding to abandon such a risky venture.
Selling straw hats was much better. No one in Jufeng Town would compete with her in this “loss-making” business.
In the end, Xiao Cao sold 18 straw hats. Nearly all the guards resting at the garrison traded with her.
After all, her price was very reasonable, only requiring wild vegetables, though that condition posed some difficulty for the guards.
Since soybeans were available, the garrison no longer distributed fruit, and wild vegetables were scarce. Thankfully, the Guard Post hall had reserves.
The guards exchanged soybeans for vegetables at the mess hall, then traded the vegetables for hats with Xiao Cao.
This round of trades brought 24 popularity points to Store No. 1, moving Tang Yu’an closer to the 300 EXP milestone.
“Haha, Xiao Cao is amazing!” Tang Yu’an said gleefully.
Zhou Qi nodded. The little girl’s performance was truly impressive. Recruiting Xiao Cao as an employee was likely one of the best decisions they’d ever made.
By this time, they had reached the front of Building 1.
In the courtyard, besides Old Li, Shu Gen, his son, and Jin Guang, there were two new faces.
They seemed to be the same guests who had visited yesterday, intending to exchange more salt. However, the flood caught them off guard, and like Shu Gen’s family, they had encountered attacks from mutated creatures.
After Old Li saved them, he began another round of storytelling.
Fortunately, by the time Tang Yu’an entered the courtyard, the story had ended. Still, he was greeted with warmth and respect from everyone present.
Though he felt awkward, he knew it was unavoidable.
Judging by his grandpa’s expression, Old Li was quite pleased with the results. It seemed anyone wanting to stay at Store No. 1 in the future would need to go through a round of “ideological education.”
After exchanging stiff pleasantries, Tang Yu’an pulled Old Li aside to talk.
“Grandpa, Sister Lin and Uncle Tie Jin are coming soon.”
He then brought up the topic of rent.
“I think we should charge a little rent. It can be on credit, but we shouldn’t waive it entirely,” Tang Yu’an said.
Charging rent would not only simplify management but also count as a profitable transaction. This way, they could regularly earn points and experience without having to find other reasons.
Hearing this, Old Li’s eyes lit up.
“That’s a good idea. Even among brothers, accounts should be clear. If they want to stay at the store, they’ll have to pay rent!”
Old Li wholeheartedly agreed with this policy.
“Are those people outside planning to stay?” Tang Yu’an asked.
Old Li snorted coldly.
“They haven’t said it outright, but it looks like they’re hoping to freeload.”
After a moment of contemplation, he added, “Once Tie Jin and the others arrive, I’ll address them all together.”
He looked at Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi. “Leave this matter to me. Don’t say anything for now—especially you, An’an.”
Let Old Li play the bad guy. As for the beloved “Boss An’an,” he only needed to maintain his positive image and step in to help when people needed it.
A bit confused, Tang Yu’an nodded.
At that moment, he noticed Tie Jin’s family’s marker appear just outside the wall on the map.
*
Tie Jin stared at the towering building surrounded by sturdy walls. Overwhelmed by its grandeur, he nearly forgot to row.
He had visited before, but there hadn’t been walls then!
This solid high-rise seemed incredibly reassuring during the current flood.
Overjoyed, he exclaimed, “A’Lian, Lili, we’ll be living here next!”
A’Lian, holding her daughter, stared blankly at the building. Having lived on Jufeng Mountain her whole life, she had never seen such a well-preserved pre-apocalypse structure.
Could they really live here?
Would the rent be expensive? A’Lian opened her mouth slightly, but seeing Tie Jin’s excitement, she chose not to voice her concerns.
“Where’s the entrance?”
Tie Jin rowed, searching for the building’s entry point. Before the boat could get closer, a familiar figure appeared atop the wall.
“It’s Old Li and An’an!”
Tie Jin waved as he rowed closer and threw the rope tied to the boat’s prow over the wall.
Old Li caught the rope and leapt down from the several-meter-high wall, landing steadily. He secured the rope with an iron rod before climbing back up effortlessly.
Seeing Old Li pull the boat over the wall, Zhou Qi quickly stepped in to help.
Before long, Tie Jin’s boat arrived at the base of the wall.
“Old Li, you’re here too!” Tie Jin exclaimed cheerfully.
“Enough with the chatter; hurry up and get inside. We’ll talk later,” Old Li replied, his tone grave as he noticed the piranhas circling beneath the boat.
Tie Jin nodded hastily, lifting Jin Lili high above his head. The water level had already risen to over a meter, but with Tie Jin’s height, he could easily raise Jin Lili above the wall.
Old Li gripped the rope tightly while Tang Yu’an reached over and took Jin Lili from Tie Jin.
However, as Tang Yu’an leapt down the wall with Jin Lili in his arms, an unexpected crisis unfolded.
The previously docile piranhas suddenly opened their gaping jaws and launched themselves out of the water, attacking Tie Jin and A’Lian on the boat!
Nearby, Zhou Qi, who had been keeping a wary eye on the piranhas, acted immediately.
“Ring ring ring—ring ring ring!”
The Invincible Cat Teaser Rod activated!
At the sound of the jingling bells, the piranha that had just bitten into Tie Jin released him and, along with its companions, turned their attention to Zhou Qi.
Being stared down by dozens of piranhas was utterly terrifying.
Zhou Qi wasted no time, waving the cat teaser rod and sprinting along the top of the wall, leading the swarm of fish away.
The ferocious piranhas, their mouths agape, thrashed their tails with all their might and chased after him. One by one, they leapt out of the water in hot pursuit.
Once Zhou Qi had led them a safe distance from the group, he jumped down from the wall.
The swarm of piranhas, in a frenzy, also leapt high into the air, arcing over the several-meter-high wall… and landing unceremoniously in the courtyard of Store No. 1.
In the blink of an eye, the courtyard was filled with dozens of flopping, mutated piranhas.
What had seemed like a deadly crisis was resolved in an almost comical fashion.
Shu Gen, his son, Jin Guang, and the other bystanders gawked at the scene, their jaws practically hitting the ground.
They had just climbed up the wall, terrified at the sight of the piranhas, and thought Tie Jin was doomed. Instead, they witnessed something completely unbelievable.
What was that stick with the bells? How could it cause the piranhas to lose their minds and chase after it like that?
Their amazement deepened when the normally lazy Wang Cai, who had been lounging by the door, suddenly got up and began running. As it moved, its true, massive mutated form was revealed. Even the two newcomers froze in their tracks, their thoughts going blank.
Good heavens, they thought. How could such an adorable dog be a mutant beast?!
As Yuan Bao, Yin Bi, and Black Pearl gradually emerged in their original forms, the newcomers shrank into a corner, desperately trying to make themselves invisible.
This building housed so many mutated creatures. What if food became scarce—would they end up as feed for these beasts?
However, when they noticed the piranhas slowly losing their vigor on the ground due to lack of oxygen, their fears eased.
With a fishing speed as absurd as this, could they really ever run out of food?
The piranhas seemed less like a threat and more like a ready-made delivery of provisions!
I wonder what piranha meat taste like???