Doomsday Grocery Store – CH127

Chapter 127

Hai Jing was distracted while cooking porridge.

Last night, his daughter woke up crying in the middle of the night, upset about failing to complete a trade with the Mysterious Merchant. It had taken quite some effort to soothe her back to sleep.

But just as he was about to rest himself, an unfamiliar screen appeared before him.

As he focused on the words on the panel, a mechanical voice echoed in his ears.

[Congratulations! You have been invited to become an employee of “Peace Grocery Store.”]
[Do you accept?]
[Yes] [No]

The text was concise, and the mechanical voice repeated it.

Hai Jing hesitated, unsure of what this was about. He glanced at his sleeping daughter, Xiao Hai Lan, before turning his attention back to the panel.

He hesitated no more and firmly pressed the “Accept” option.

[Welcome! You are now an employee of Peace Grocery Store, Branch No. 1.]
[Basic Information: Employee ID, Hai Jing. Current Role: Fisherman and Trader.]

The panel expanded, displaying a detailed breakdown of his new role. At the same time, he received a mission:

[Mission: Complete one profitable trade with a customer.]
[Reward: Employee Panel Activation.]

The words puzzled Hai Jing, but as he processed them, he began to piece things together. Could this have something to do with the Mysterious Merchant Xiao Hai Lan had mentioned?

His heart raced. He didn’t fully understand the system or its mechanics, but it sounded like an opportunity—a lifeline in their harsh world.

If it truly was connected to the merchant, then… perhaps this was a way to change their lives.

Hai Jing clenched his fists and resolved to figure it out.

*

Meanwhile, at the Peace Grocery Store’s attic, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi were preparing for the day.

Tang Yu’an, delighted to see the notification about Hai Jing accepting the recruitment offer, quickly updated his task list.

He made some minor adjustments to the guiding mission template that Xiao Cao had previously received and sent it to Hai Jing.

After washing up, Tang Yu’an excitedly shared the news with Zhou Qi.

“Hai Jing accepted the job already!”

“Good,” Zhou Qi replied with a nod. “Now we’ll see how he handles his first task.”

Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but smile. Things were progressing smoothly, and with each step, their network was growing stronger.

He then turned his attention to the market’s new features and recent upgrades.

The new merchandise unlocked by his level-up—low-gluten flour, pickled radish, and cotton—opened up interesting possibilities.

[Low-Gluten Flour: 5 points/100g.]
[Pickled Radish (various flavors): 15 points/100g.]
[Cotton: 10 points/500g.]

The flour would be a game-changer for making buns and steamed bread, eliminating the need to grind wheat manually. However, it was significantly pricier than raw wheat, making the latter the better choice for trading.

The pickled radishes, available in salty, spicy, and sour-spicy flavors, were tempting but also relatively expensive.

The cotton, on the other hand, was immensely practical. Tang Yu’an eagerly exchanged 10 points for some to inspect it.

It wasn’t cotton seeds but ready-to-use raw cotton for stuffing. While it couldn’t be grown, it was perfect for immediate use, especially during the cold season.

“2.5 kilos of cotton should be enough to make a thick quilt,” Tang Yu’an calculated. “That’s only 50 points per quilt—much cheaper than the 400-point down quilts in the store.”

With cotton quilts being both economical and functional, he decided to start supplying them to Shop No. 1’s residents.

He also noticed that the inventory management feature, previously exclusive to the in-store warehouse, was now available for his portable storage. This would make organizing items on the go much easier.

After thoroughly reviewing the updates, Tang Yu’an saw another notification about Hai Jing.

It seemed that Hai Jing had already accepted the modified mission.

“Looks like Hai Jing’s off to a good start,” Tang Yu’an remarked.

He felt a growing sense of anticipation. This new employee might bring even greater opportunities to their network.

[The Mysterious Merchant invites you to become a clerk at “Peace Grocery Store.”]
[Job Description: Assist the store owner in selling goods, managing the store, etc.]
[Salary: 10 points per month.]
[Benefits: Point bonuses, access to the exchange panel in the store mall, and more.]
[Accept] [Decline]

Hai Jing stared; dumbfounded.

He had always assumed that the “Mysterious Merchant” his daughter spoke of was just her awakened ability, capable of transforming salt into other supplies.

But now, with this panel plainly confirming it, he realized how wrong he had been.

A real Mysterious Merchant existed in this world. Perhaps this was a manifestation of their unique powers.

Without hesitation, Hai Jing accepted.

For him, this was an opportunity he couldn’t afford to pass up.

Yet, after confirming his acceptance, nothing seemed to change immediately.

[Work hard to meet the requirements, and the Mysterious Merchant will unlock your employee panel, granting additional benefits.]

Hai Jing needed to “work hard” to unlock his benefits. The problem was… what did “working hard” entail? Was it just drying salt?

He spent a restless night pondering it all, but when morning came with no apparent changes, he could only suppress his disappointment and focus on preparing breakfast.

“Hai Lan…”

Just as he called his daughter’s name, Hai Jing froze.

Once again, the strange panel appeared in the air before him.

[Congratulations! You have triggered the Basic Employee Trial Task.]
[Description: …]
[Mission Objective: Complete one profitable trade with your daughter (0/1).]
[Mission Reward: …]

A spark of excitement lit Hai Jing’s eyes.

A trial task!

He carefully reread the task details several times. The objective was to complete a profitable trade with his daughter.

Hai Jing furrowed his brows in thought. Profit… What did Hai Lan have that he could trade for and still come out ahead?

Although it was his first time working as a clerk, his years of life experience quickly gave him an idea.

Bringing over the freshly cooked porridge, he approached his daughter.

“Papa?” Hai Lan, busy folding their blanket, looked up at him.

“Hai Lan, Papa needs you to make a trade with me,” Hai Jing explained patiently.

“A trade?”

“Yes. You give me your blanket, and I’ll give you porridge. Does that sound good?”

Though slightly confused, Hai Lan nodded and said “Okay,” before laboriously lifting the blanket and handing it to him.

Hai Jing placed half a bowl of porridge on the bedside table in exchange.

As they completed the exchange, a notification appeared on his panel.

[Employee “Hai Jing” has completed a profitable trade with a new customer. Points +399, Experience +3.]

Tang Yu’an, who had just finished washing up and returned to the attic, stared at the message in shock.

Hai Jing’s first trade had netted an impressive 399 points!

The “new customer” must have been Little Hai Lan, right? He quickly checked the map. The unlocked portion of Linhai Town’s map was the same as before, with no new markers appearing.

So, only trades made through the Dream Drift Bottles showed up as “Dream Wishers”?

Regardless, Hai Jing’s debut performance was outstanding.

Tang Yu’an immediately unlocked Hai Jing’s employee panel and also granted him access to purchase both “Brown Rice” and “Refined Rice” in the wholesale market.

He followed up by issuing a long-term employee benefit: for every profitable trade completed, Hai Jing would earn 1 bonus point.

Checking the time, Tang Yu’an saw it was 7:57 AM.

With only three minutes left before the store opened, he hurried to the Shop No. 1 panel and initiated an upgrade.

Thanks to Shi Tou and Xiao Cao’s efforts that morning, the store’s popularity had reached 747 points—exceeding the upgrade requirement.

[Deduct 1,000 points to upgrade “Peace Grocery Store, Shop No. 1”?]

Tang Yu’an confirmed without hesitation.

Pressed for time, he didn’t examine the upgrade details and immediately switched to the renovation panel to access Shop No. 1’s hard fixtures menu.

[Deduct 3,000 points and 300 popularity points to upgrade the “Peace Grocery Store, Shop No. 1 – Protective Barrier,” unlocking 24-hour defense against dangerous creatures?]
[Deduction successful.]

[Deduct 3,000 points and 300 popularity points to upgrade…]
[Deduction successful.]

In just three minutes, Tang Yu’an spent a total of 7,000 points.

But having recently faced the anxiety of near-empty coffers, he was unbothered by the 3,000+ points still remaining.

After all, with the Double Points Card, he could earn over 20,000 points from Sister Hong Li in just two days!

Feeling more at ease, he began planning shop renovations before using the teleportation array to head to Jufeng Grocery Store’s storage room, intending to meet up with Zhou Qi.

*

Desolate City, Peace Grocery Store, Shop No. 1

At around 5 or 6 AM, as the sky began to lighten, most of the store’s residents were already awake.

The first thing nearly all of them did was grab their weapons and cautiously survey their surroundings.

Once Jin Guang realized everything was normal and he was still safely in his room, he awkwardly or indifferently lowered his guard.

“Is it because the building is sturdier, so it retains heat better?”

Feeling the unusually warm temperature inside his room early this morning, Jin Guang muttered curiously.

From past experience, floods usually brought not only a slight reduction in the day’s scorching heat but also a sharp increase in nighttime cold.

But here in this Desolate City Grocery Store, it was not only less cold than before but even a bit warmer.

Jin Guang got up to check his belongings. Finding nothing missing, he smiled in relief.

After all, it was only the first night of his stay. Given that no one wanted to be driven out before the flood ended, everyone had behaved so far, which was a good thing.

For warmth and safety, Jin Guang had specifically chosen a room without windows. He had no idea what was happening outside at this moment.

After packing his things, he left his room.

The father and son sleeping in the master bedroom were already awake, and he vaguely heard their conversation.

“Huo Qiu, I seem to be seeing things.”

“What is it?”

“I think I saw the water level higher than the wall…”

Water higher than the wall wasn’t surprising, was it?

The wall around the Grocery Store was barely three meters high. From past experience, the water level in the Desolate City often reached five to six meters during floods. It was entirely normal for the water to rise above the wall.

But something was strange. The water had supposedly flooded the first floor, yet here on the fourth floor, everything was clean and dry, with no signs of pests or insects.

Jin Guang shook his head and started thinking about what he could do today to fill his stomach.

As he thought, he walked out of Room 401, only to see a figure standing at the far end of the corridor. It was none other than the woman named Tie Mu Hua.

If he remembered correctly, this woman had a plant-based ability…

As he considered whether he could team up with her, Jin Guang approached her.

To show he meant no harm, he didn’t try to lighten his footsteps. He gave her ample warning of his presence, yet she remained dazedly standing by the window, completely unalert.

Jin Guang frowned. Was this plant-based ability user a passive one?

He approached Tie Mu Hua but didn’t greet her immediately. Instead, he followed her gaze to see what had so engrossed her.

What he saw made his jaw drop.

In the dim morning light, the water level outside was visibly above the wall, but…

The floodwater hadn’t entered!

It was as if a transparent membrane blocked it. The muddy yellow floodwaters were entirely held back.

Inside the courtyard, apart from some dampness, there were no signs of flooding.

While a few wet and shivering small creatures huddled in the corners, the numbers were minimal—far from the disaster-level pest invasion he had anticipated.

What was even more astonishing was that among the floodwaters above the wall, he could vaguely see the silhouette of a giant creature.

Despite its concealment in the murky waters, Jin Guang spotted it instantly.

He stood frozen next to Tie Mu Hua, just as stunned by the incredible scene outside.

Suddenly—

Splash!

A massive tail swung up from the water, crashing down towards the building.

Jin Guang and Tie Mu Hua reflexively dodged.

Yet, despite its seemingly devastating force, the strike caused no damage. The Grocery Store’s walls stood firm, and not even a single drop of water splashed inside.

After adopting defensive postures, the two slowly relaxed and resumed staring out the window.

They watched as the massive creature splashed about before retreating into the waters, their throats dry and their faces filled with disbelief.

“I wasn’t hallucinating, was I?” Tie Mu Hua turned to Jin Guang.

“No, I saw it too…” Jin Guang replied, still stunned. What was this place he had stumbled into?

Tie Mu Hua took a deep breath, then turned to head upstairs.

“Where are you going?” Jin Guang asked reflexively.

“To the fifth floor. To find Old Li.”

Her tone carried a newfound respect for Old Li.

Jin Guang glanced out the window again. As the morning light grew brighter, he could see the scene outside even more clearly.

No, they hadn’t been mistaken.

“Wait for me, I’m coming too!” He hurriedly followed Tie Mu Hua.

The two soon reached the door of Room 501.

The wooden door was ajar. Tie Mu Hua instinctively reached for the doorknob, only to stop mid-motion as if blocked by an invisible wall.

“What are you doing?”

Seeing her hand frozen midair, Jin Guang frowned and tried to push the door himself. His hand stopped mid-motion, unable to budge any further no matter how hard he tried.

What was going on?

The two exchanged uneasy glances. Could this transparent “wall” be connected to the mysterious barrier keeping out the flood and the creature?

Tie Mu Hua pondered for a moment before taking a seed from her pocket. Activating her power, she urged the seed to sprout into a green vine, but it, too, was blocked from the door.

Thinking quickly, she dropped the vine on the ground, guiding it towards Room 501’s door from below.

This time, the vine wasn’t obstructed.

However, after experiencing so many shocks in quick succession, Tie Mu Hua remained cautious. She merely controlled the green vine to lightly knock on the door.

Knock, knock, knock—

The sound stirred Old Li from his deep slumber. On high alert, he glanced around the room, only to see…

Four orange cats, each with different colors and patterns, curled up on the bed.

One was sleeping on the pillow, while the other three were snugly huddled together at the foot of the bed, all dozing contentedly.

He blinked in confusion.

Weren’t there only one cat yesterday? How did it become four today? Apart from the three dogs and one cat, when did three more cats join in?

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Old Li got out of bed and walked to the entryway.

Having tested the validity of the room’s protective rules last night, he wasn’t worried about anyone breaking in unexpectedly. Instead, he stood near the doorway to observe.

The door to Room 501 opened inward. With the door slightly ajar, it was supposed to be positioned inside the room.

So, how had the people outside managed to knock on it?

Soon enough, Old Li spotted half of a vine sneaking cautiously into the room.

As the vine extended further, the door slowly opened wider.

Standing outside were Tie Mu Hua, Jin Guang, and the father-son pair (Shu Gen & Huo Qiu), who had hurried over. They awkwardly locked eyes with Old Li.

Old Li glanced at the freshly grown green vine in front of him, raising an eyebrow.

It seemed the rules for spending the night at Store #1 had just gained another addition.

*

Jufeng Grocery Store

Tang Yu’an had no idea about the events unfolding at Store #1. Since the protective barrier’s effects were impossible to conceal anyway, he paid them no mind.

With the barrier now operating at full capacity, both in its defensive and ambient modes, Tang Yu’an felt a tremendous weight lift from his shoulders, leaving him completely at ease.

As he climbed out of the storage room, voices came from outside.

“Is this the store Brother Qi mentioned? It’s so big!”

It was Shi Tou’s voice.

Tang Yu’an quickly concealed the storage room’s entrance before stepping out into the open.

“Little Divine Doctor!” Xiao Chao spotted him right away, her tone brimming with delight. “Finally, we get to meet you!”

Shi Tou turned to him with equal joy.

“It’s been a while,” Tang Yu’an greeted warmly as he approached them.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhou Qi got straight to the point.

Looking at the siblings, he asked directly, “Are either of you interested in working for our store?”

Xiao Cao and Shi Tou were momentarily stunned. “What?”

“Just like this morning at the market,” Zhou Qi explained, “helping us sell goods.”

Tang Yu’an chimed in, “That’s right. We’re not often here at the store, and it’s not great to keep it closed all the time. So, we’d like to hire a shopkeeper.”

While Shi Tou was still processing, Xiao Cao eagerly responded, “Yes, absolutely!”

If she could sell salt at the Jufeng Grocery Store, she’d never have to worry about a lack of customers again!

“I don’t even need any payment—please let me do it!”

Realizing how desperate she sounded, Xiao Cao quickly added, “You’ve helped my brother so much. I just want to repay your kindness…”

Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi naturally understood her urgency.

Tang Yu’an nodded. “Even so, we wouldn’t make you work for free.”

“Exactly,” Zhou Qi agreed. “For your payment, you can keep a portion of the perishable goods traded in by customers each day.”

Shi Tou’s eyes lit up.

Not only could they sell salt for a high profit in exchange for points, but they’d also get additional rewards? Could this deal get any better?

However, Xiao Cao seemed hesitant as she looked at them. “But most of the items customers trade in are perishable goods.”

She gestured toward a basket of items from the morning’s trades, mostly wild vegetables and mushrooms with a smattering of other miscellaneous items.

“That’s fine,” Tang Yu’an reassured her. “We’re not here every day, so just use what you can.”

Unfortunately for Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi, Xiao Cao was no longer the naive and gullible girl she used to be. Her daily interactions and growing insights had sharpened her perception.

Eyeing Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi, she voiced her doubts directly.

“But if that’s the case, why are you selling salt to the townsfolk here in Jufeng Town?”

Under this arrangement, there was no way to make a profit.

If they didn’t need the items being traded, why were they exchanging precious salt for them?

Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi froze.

Their carefully laid plans had overlooked one crucial detail—they hadn’t anticipated Xiao Cao being this quick-witted.

What surprised them even more was what she said next.

Looking straight at Tang Yu’an, Xiao Cao asked, “Little Divine Doctor… are you the ‘mysterious merchant’?”