Chapter 123
Lan Lin’s reflexes weren’t slow.
However, when he appeared at the entrance of Shop No. 1, he was already swept into the water. The torrent struck him, causing him to tumble straight in.
Although he choked on some water, his instincts kicked in, and he released his ice-element ability. Ice walls formed around him, encasing him in a thick layer of ice.
This maneuver not only expelled the floodwater within his icy shelter but also isolated him from immediate external dangers.
As it turned out, his response was spot on.
The ice shield not only kept him from drowning but also deterred the creatures lurking in the flood from approaching him right away.
Gaining a brief moment to breathe, Lan Lin quickly broke through the ice above him before his oxygen ran out, climbing out of his makeshift protective shell.
It was a little past six in the evening. The sky was dim, though faint light still penetrated the cloud cover.
Lan Lin stared blankly at the scene before him, incredulous as he scanned his surroundings.
From the nearby buildings, he could clearly discern that he was in the neighborhood where the Desolate City Grocery Store was located.
But in front of him, where a ten-story building should have stood—
The building was gone! Completely vanished without a trace!
Realizing this, Lan Lin anxiously looked around, finding no one in sight other than himself. Panic surged within him.
“A-Zhen?”
“A-Zhen!”
He shouted loudly, his voice laced with unprecedented fear and confusion.
“A-Zhen, where are you? A-Zhen!”
*
Lin Zhen was handing a bottle to Lan Lin when he suddenly disappeared right before her eyes.
What just happened?
She froze for a moment before frantically scanning the room.
“Lan Lin? Lan Lin!”
After searching the entire room without finding him, she began to panic.
“Hey! Don’t scare me like this! Is this one of your new abilities?”
Lin Zhen shouted into the empty air, her tone a mix of annoyance and worry. “I get it, okay? You’re amazing! Stop messing around and come out!”
“I still have a ton of stuff to pack. If you don’t come out now, I’ll get mad!”
After tearing apart every corner of the room to no avail, she couldn’t find any sign of Lan Lin. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.
This is just terrifying!
Just as Lin Zhen was about to head to Old Li’s place for help, she faintly heard shouting from outside.
“A-Zhen! A-Zhen!”
Isn’t that Lan Lin’s voice? When did he end up outside?
Lin Zhen rushed to the window, opened it, and looked out. Sure enough, she saw a figure standing on ice near the building.
“Lan Lin!”
Lin Zhen called back, but it seemed he couldn’t hear her voice. He continued shouting in desperation.
What’s wrong with him? Even if he can’t hear me, there’s no need to freak out like this. Why not just come inside and find me? Then again, how did Lan Lin even get out there?
Seeing Lan Lin still acting irrationally below, Lin Zhen looked down at her feet.
Her injured leg wasn’t in too bad of a condition, and after some medication earlier, the pain was gone.
With nimble movements, she climbed out the window, skillfully scaling down the building using balconies and windows. She quickly reached the ground floor courtyard and then perched herself on the perimeter wall.
Lan Lin, unable to hear her responses, had already moved from his spot. While shouting, he released his ice-element power to freeze the water’s surface beneath him.
Any creatures that leapt up to attack him were frozen into icy statues by the ice balls he conjured.
As he reached the wall, Lan Lin noticed something unusual.
The icy pathway beneath him abruptly ended. No matter how much power he exerted, the water ahead refused to freeze.
Frowning, he cautiously extended a hand.
As expected, an invisible barrier stopped him.
Does this mean Lin Zhen and the others are trapped behind this barrier? And why was I the only one to escape?
While contemplating his next move, a sudden voice startled him.
“What are you doing?”
The abrupt question came from above. Lan Lin looked up to see Lin Zhen’s head seemingly floating in mid-air, gazing at him intently in the dim light.
“Ahhh!”
Lan Lin screamed, falling flat on the ice in terror, his face drained of color.
Lin Zhen, startled by his reaction, crouched on the wall and peered down at him in confusion.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Lan Lin’s body stiffened, his lips trembling as he pointed at her “floating” head.
“You… are you dead?”
Amid his shock and terror, his voice cracked with a sobbing tone.
Lin Zhen, in turn, looked at him as if he were a curiosity.
With limited visibility due to the dim lighting and the height of the wall, she couldn’t see very clearly. However, noticing that the water level was now just over a meter, she decided it wouldn’t be a problem to jump down.
So, she jumped off the wall, landing lightly on the ice next to Lan Lin. She then bent down to examine him.
Lan Lin was momentarily stunned. Seeing Lin Zhen’s now whole and intact figure, he hurriedly scrambled to his feet, grabbed her shoulders, and began to inspect her body nervously.
“You’re not dead?”
Lin Zhen, who had been about to mock him, suddenly turned bright red. “What the hell are you touching?!”
She swatted Lan Lin’s hands away furiously. “You’re the one who’s dead!”
Once he was certain that Lin Zhen was alive, Lan Lin quickly turned his face away, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. When he saw Lin Zhen leaning closer to check on him, he hurriedly changed the subject.
“You’re alive, so what happened just now?” Lan Lin asked, still bewildered.
“What do you mean, what happened? I should be asking you…” Lin Zhen’s voice trailed off as she looked up.
For the first time, she noticed that the Desolate City Grocery Store had vanished.
“What the—? Where’s the store?!”
“You saw it disappear too, right?” Lan Lin asked, his tone tense.
Ignoring him, Lin Zhen reached out and touched a rough, uneven surface. The wall of the perimeter, which was now barely 1.6 meters above the water, came within reach as she stretched on tiptoes to touch its top.
Relying on muscle memory, Lin Zhen swiftly climbed onto the wall again.
And as soon as she did, the building of the Desolate City Grocery Store reappeared before her.
What the hell is going on?
Lin Zhen glanced at the building and then down at Lan Lin on the other side of the wall.
Lan Lin stared at her movements in a daze, finally piecing things together—because part of Lin Zhen’s body had turned invisible earlier, it had created that terrifying illusion of a floating head!
When Lin Zhen poked her head out to look at him again, Lan Lin hurriedly adjusted his expression. Imitating her actions, he stretched and tiptoed, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t touch anything.
He was taller than Lin Zhen, so it couldn’t have been a height issue.
That must mean… there was an invisible barrier in front of him, blocking him from the structure beyond.
Strangely, the barrier seemed to affect only him.
“You can’t get in?” Lin Zhen noticed the issue.
Lan Lin nodded grimly.
Lin Zhen rubbed her chin thoughtfully, then had an idea. “Didn’t Old Li mention earlier that you needed to decide whether to stay before dusk?”
Lan Lin froze, then nodded slowly.
When Old Li had asked if he wanted to stay, he had said he’d think about it…
Could this be related to that?
Because he hadn’t given a definite answer, had he been thrown out when the time ran out? The Grocery Store sure is eerie!
“You wait here. I’ll go talk to Old Li,” Lin Zhen said, leaping down from the wall and running off to find Old Li on the fifth floor.
Left alone, Lan Lin stood in the desolate ruins. Completely soaked, the evening breeze bit at his skin as he shivered in the silent, abandoned night.
Taking a deep breath, he used his abilities to extract the moisture from his clothes and hair, but the cold that gripped him refused to fade.
Every second felt like an eternity of torment for Lan Lin.
Thankfully, the creatures lurking in the water occasionally leaped up to attack him, providing a strange form of distraction.
Finally, after what felt like half a century to him, Lin Zhen and Old Li appeared above him.
Only their heads popped into view. Though Lan Lin had mentally prepared himself, the sight still sent a shiver down his spine.
“Lan Lin, come in,” Old Li said. “You’ve been granted access.”
Hearing this, Lan Lin tentatively reached out. Sure enough, the sensation before him changed.
The once smooth, invisible barrier now gave way to the coarse texture of the wall. Mimicking Lin Zhen’s earlier actions, he climbed up the perimeter.
When he saw the Desolate City Grocery Store reappear before him, he couldn’t help but sigh in relief.
Behind him, a mutated fish that had been about to leap out of the water and bite him slammed into the invisible barrier. With a splash, it fell onto the icy surface where Lan Lin had been standing moments earlier.
Even Lin Zhen was momentarily stunned by the sight.
The two of them turned to look at Old Li simultaneously.
“What’s going on, Old Man?” Lin Zhen asked bluntly.
Old Li regarded them both—Lin Zhen, who needed no introduction, and Lan Lin, whom he had watched grow up. Although this boy had grown more stubborn over time, his character was still trustworthy.
After some thought, Old Li spoke. “As you’ve seen, the Desolate City Grocery Store enters a concealed state after 6 PM.”
“No uninvited guests can enter, and dangerous mutated creatures are also kept out.”
Lin Zhen stared at him in disbelief. “So… the building mutated?”
In this apocalyptic wasteland, it wasn’t just creatures that mutated—even inanimate objects were changing now?
Lan Lin didn’t agree with that interpretation. Fixing Old Li with a stern look, he waited for a better explanation.
Old Li paused to organize his thoughts, then said, “It would be more accurate to say this is the manifestation of an ability.”
“The manifestation of an ability?”
“Yes.” Old Li nodded. “For the details, we’d have to start from about a month ago…”
Lan Lin listened attentively but found himself growing uneasy as the explanation unfolded.
The Grocery Store was owned by two young men, so the ability’s owner should logically be one of them.
That part was easy to deduce, but the problem was—
Why was Old Li explaining, in such vivid detail, how the two boys had treated him?
Moreover, why was it that the more he listened, the more admiration swelled within his heart? While the actions described were indeed worthy of respect, it didn’t seem like the kind of thing he would naturally feel reverent about.
Lan Lin’s confusion lasted only a moment. Soon, his heart was brimming with unshakable respect.
“An’an… The boss is truly remarkable!”
Hearing Lan Lin’s heartfelt exclamation, Old Li nodded with satisfaction before finally getting to the point.
“The Desolate City Grocery Store was established by him and Zhou Qi. The barrier you encountered is called ‘Guardian’ and is one of his abilities.”
Old Li explained that the matter had been discussed with the two young men. If they wanted to host guests overnight, this aspect of the store would eventually be discovered.
Thus, they had crafted a plausible explanation to share when necessary.
Even so, Old Li only offered clear details to those he trusted implicitly. This ability was far too valuable and would undoubtedly attract the attention of powerful factions. If word reached the fortress leaders, they would go to any lengths to abduct Tang Yu’an.
Thankfully, the barrier only manifested at night.
Old Li harbored deep concerns. In his view, it was better not to take in guests at all. However, since this was what the two boys wanted to do, he could only help them minimize the risks.
“You must understand the rarity and value of this ability,” Old Li said solemnly, his gaze steady as he addressed Lin Zhen and Lan Lin.
“An’an is a very kind-hearted boy. During the flood, he chose not to seek safety for himself but to invite you here to shelter in the store.”
“No matter what, we owe him our gratitude.”
“I hope you will help guard this secret and protect him so that this place can continue to exist as a haven in Desolate City.”
Finally, he added with gravity, “We cannot afford to lose him. Do you understand?”
Faced with Old Li’s serious warning, both Lin Zhen and Lan Lin nodded in agreement.
Neither of them was the type to harbor ill intentions, and coupled with the aura of “savior protection,” they genuinely felt respect for Tang Yu’an.
Besides, if what Old Li said was true, it aligned with their own interests.
The fortress was too far away to be a viable option. Lin Zhen didn’t even consider it, and Lan Lin, who cherished his freedom, would never have sought refuge there. Otherwise, with his abilities, he could have joined Hong Li long ago.
“What do you need us to do?” Lan Lin asked.
“Forget what you learned today. Don’t tell anyone. Just live your life peacefully in the store.”
Old Li figured the secret wouldn’t stay hidden forever, but for now, he could only take things one step at a time and focus on building their strength.
After all, with the floodwaters trapping them for at least a month, the current residents couldn’t go to the fortress to sell information even if they wanted to.
With that, Old Li led Lan Lin and Lin Zhen back into the building.
The sky had grown completely dark, and the only light came from the living room of Room 501, standing out starkly against the rest of the structure.
However, once inside, the glow felt much less conspicuous.
Lighting a candle in a lamp, Old Li led them up the stairs to the seventh floor.
Lin Zhen trailed behind Old Li, still feeling as though the entire situation was surreal.
Unable to hold back, she asked, “So, we can sleep soundly at night without worrying about mutated creatures breaking into our rooms?”
“You could understand it that way.”
Seeing the shock on Lin Zhen and Lan Lin’s faces, Old Li was oddly pleased, as if it reminded him of his own reaction when he first learned the truth.
“And the lodging fee is so cheap! It’s practically charity!” Lin Zhen added, overjoyed at the thought of sleeping peacefully without having to scatter toxic substances for defense.
A good night’s sleep was an extravagant luxury for those living in the wastelands.
“Exactly,” Old Li said with a smile.
To him, the fee was mostly symbolic—a way to collect points and gain experience.
Oh, and to build the store’s reputation.
“Where do you want to stay?” Old Li asked Lan Lin.
Lan Lin glanced at Lin Zhen’s room, cluttered with bottles and jars, hesitated for a second, and then decisively said, “I’ll stay next door.”
Given the current situation, it was clear Lin Zhen intended to live here long-term. Just the thought of her keeping poisonous plants and mushrooms in her room made Lan Lin uneasy.
“Fair enough.”
Old Li led him to Room 702, explained the rules of Shop No. 1, and then headed back downstairs to the fifth floor with his lamp.
Upon returning to Room 501, he was greeted by a delicious aroma wafting through the air.
“Grandpa, come eat!” Tang Yu’an said with a smile as he came out to meet him. “Brother Qi made grilled fish and fragrant white rice!”
The grilled fish, naturally, was from the piranhas caught earlier that day. Each household in the building had been given one as a gesture of goodwill.
As for the guests downstairs, since they were still unfamiliar, no food had been sent to them. If they wanted any, they would need to bring items to trade tomorrow.
“How’s Brother Lan Lin doing?” Tang Yu’an asked.
“He’s fine. I arranged for him to stay in Room 702. It looks like he’ll settle here as well.”
Tang Yu’an nodded. Earlier, when he and Brother Xiao Qi had gone to find Lin Zhen, they’d added all the current guests to the overnight list. He’d completely forgotten about Lan Lin.
It was only when Old Li came to find him that he remembered.
After adding Lan Lin to the list, Tang Yu’an noticed something new in the interface—a settings button had appeared:
*
[Overnight Stay Rules]
[Description]: Automatically unlocks when overnight guests exceed 10. Allows the Mystery Merchant and Branch Manager to set rules for managing guests on the overnight list.
[Note]: Overnight stay rules will be in effect 24/7. Please set them with caution.
Yes, Tang Yu’an could now create rules to regulate the behavior of overnight guests!
And these rules would also apply during the daytime!
After dinner, Tang Yu’an took out the Shadow Umbrella, sat under it, and shared the exciting news with Old Li.
Old Li, already accustomed to the umbrella’s temperature-regulating properties, wasn’t surprised by its sudden appearance. Instead, he quickly became engrossed in what Tang Yu’an was saying.
“Overnight Stay Rules?”
“Yes, it’s a new feature granted by the master. What kind of rules do you think would be appropriate?” Tang Yu’an asked.
Old Li instinctively looked at Zhou Qi.
The two boys were perfectly capable of deciding on their own, but out of respect for him, they sought his input first. Old Li was well aware of his position as an employee and had no intention of overstepping.
So, he passed the question back to them. “What do you think?”
“I think three basic rules are crucial: no theft, no robbery, and no harm to others,” Tang Yu’an proposed.
These were essentially the same rules Zhou Qi had previously established, but codifying them as Overnight Stay Rules would make them enforceable.
Zhou Qi nodded in agreement. “Let’s add one more: no damaging the store’s property.”
Old Li thought for a moment, then suggested, “Could we confine them to their rooms so they can’t roam around?”
If they stayed put, there would be no trouble. While the rules would be in effect 24/7, if the rules allowed customization, they might as well specify time-based restrictions.
Tang Yu’an frowned. That could indeed eliminate risks at their source, but wouldn’t it be a little too inhumane?
“What if someone needs to use the bathroom at night?” he asked. “Or if they fall ill and need help? Wouldn’t that be… problematic?”
Clearly, Tang Yu’an’s approach was much kinder compared to Old Li’s iron-fisted suggestion.
Old Li nodded thoughtfully. In the past, he might have criticized such leniency. But now, he recognized that these two boys had the kindness and capability to back up their ideals.
Building a true refuge in Desolate City…
While it had been part of his persuasive spiel for Lin Zhen and Lan Lin, it was a compelling idea in its own right.
“Why not just restrict certain areas as off-limits?” Zhou Qi proposed as a middle ground.
There were indeed parts of the building that held their secrets, and it was best not to let residents wander freely.
Zhou Qi suggested, “The 9th and 10th floors should be restricted at all times, and the 5th floor only accessible during the day.”
The 9th floor housed their rooms, a teleportation array, and a storage area, while the 10th floor contained refrigerators and freezers for daytime use. Allowing access to these areas could lead to unnecessary complications.
Room 501, currently serving as the store’s main operations hub, was stocked with goods. It was better to keep it off-limits at night.
This way, even Old Li could get a good night’s sleep.
Old Li agreed with the idea but turned to Tang Yu’an for his input. “What do you think, An’an?”
Tang Yu’an rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I think we could designate Room 501 as restricted entirely—day and night. Only store staff can enter.”
This way, in case of nighttime emergencies requiring trade, residents could knock on Room 501’s door, and Old Li could pass items through the door without needing to let anyone in.
Though it might disturb Old Li’s rest, such incidents should be rare, allowing him to sleep peacefully most of the time.
During the day, the rule would also be effective. After all, wealth tempted people. Even with just a small selection of goods, Old Li had already shown concern. Exposing more would only worsen the situation.
If customers were allowed unrestricted access, they’d take note of the types and quantities of goods available. While they might be bound by rules prohibiting theft and robbery, what if they colluded with outsiders to commit such acts? Customers not on the overnight stay list wouldn’t be subject to these restrictions.
Tang Yu’an couldn’t possibly add every customer they interacted with to the overnight stay list, could he?
“Why not?” Zhou Qi asked.
If everyone on the list was bound by rules like no theft, no robbery, and no harm, the store’s safety would increase dramatically.
Tang Yu’an hesitated, then decided to test the system. Why not try and see if it worked?
He opened the overnight stay list and began adding all the customers they had previously dealt with. But a system notification quickly popped up:
[Exceeded Maximum Overnight Stay Limit. Please Make Adjustments.]
[Current store level allows up to 100 overnight guests. Please work on upgrading your store or unlock the “Big is Beautiful” main branch upgrade to increase capacity.]
