Chapter 128
Hearing Xiao Cao’s words, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but feel a jolt of anxiety in his heart. She… she had guessed his identity directly?
Fortunately, Zhou Qi responded quickly.
“You’re very sharp,” he said calmly. “We do indeed have a connection with the mysterious merchant.”
Xiao Cao’s eyes immediately lit up.
“I’m the manager of Store No. 1,” Zhou Qi continued. “Does the name ‘Handsome Zhou’ ring a bell?”
“It’s you! You’re that senior!”
Xiao Cao naturally remembered receiving guidance from “Handsome Zhou” on the message board before.
Suddenly, she realized something. “Wait….”
“You’re our store manager?”
At this point, Shi Tou finally caught up with the conversation. He remembered that both he and his sister were employees of “Peace Grocery Store No. 1,” and his sister had even explained to him yesterday about how she had been recruited as a sales clerk.
“Brother Qi, were you the one who hired us?” he asked.
“We recommended Xiao Cao to the mysterious merchant. As for you… it’s probably because of Xiao Cao’s excellent performance that you caught the merchant’s attention,” Zhou Qi explained.
Hearing this, Xiao Cao couldn’t help but blush.
“The mysterious merchant… really noticed me?” She was a little excited.
Zhou Qi smiled faintly. “Your brother getting recruited is the best proof.”
“Exactly, exactly,” Tang Yu’an chimed in from the side.
But as soon as he spoke, Xiao Cao turned her gaze to him again. The girl once more asked, “So, are you really not the mysterious merchant?”
She had heard the implications in Zhou Qi’s words, but she still had doubts. She couldn’t help but recall that the job posting had mentioned “Peace (Ping’an) General Store,” and wasn’t there an “An” in the name of this little miracle doctor?
“Please stop saying that.”
Tang Yu’an had calmed down by now. With an even tone and a steady expression, he replied, “To us, the mysterious merchant is like a savior. Do you think I look like one?”
Xiao Cao really wanted to say “yes.” After all, it was the little miracle doctor who had saved them, given them tools to make a living, and provided them with a place to stay in the Jade Pavilion Inn. To her and her brother, he was indeed a savior.
Not to mention, without him, she wouldn’t have become an employee of the mysterious merchant.
However, considering the possibility that the little miracle doctor truly wasn’t the mysterious merchant, insisting otherwise might offend that esteemed figure. Xiao Cao decided to keep her mouth shut.
“I’m sorry; I was just guessing,” she said softly, lowering her head.
Seeing that he had managed to brush off her suspicion, Tang Yu’an breathed a sigh of relief. After all, he hadn’t explicitly denied it, so it wasn’t technically a lie, right? Having spent so much time with Zhou Qi, he was beginning to master the art of evasive phrasing.
“All right,” Tang Yu’an clapped his hands and said, “now that everything’s out in the open, we can speak more freely.”
Zhou Qi nodded slightly. Looking at Xiao Cao and Shi Tou, he decided to offer some advice.
“If you encounter someone who might be a colleague in the future, don’t rush to reveal your identities. You never know what kind of person they are, and since you’re in a competitive relationship, exposing your identity could bring you danger.”
This was the reason they had concealed their identities in the first place.
Under no circumstances could Tang Yu’an’s identity as the mysterious merchant be revealed to others.
“Do you understand what I mean?” Zhou Qi confirmed once again.
Shi Tou quickly covered his mouth and nodded, indicating he understood.
Xiao Cao also said, “Yes, we understand.”
If not for the little miracle doctor, she wouldn’t have exposed him. After all, she and her brother had experienced the cruelty of this world firsthand. They would never let anyone know about their possession of the trading system.
“Then we’ll leave the Jufeng Grocery Store to you from now on,” Tang Yu’an said with a grin.
This arrangement meant that he and Brother Qi wouldn’t have to travel back and forth every day. They could simply deliver the goods whenever the salt stock ran out.
Hearing their intention to leave, Xiao Cao couldn’t help but feel worried. “I heard that Desolate City is experiencing a massive flood. Are you going back there?”
“Well…”
Tang Yu’an thought for a moment and replied mysteriously, “Once you gain more trust from the mysterious merchant, you’ll understand what we’re doing.”
Currently, the branches couldn’t connect directly. Everything had to go through the main store.
The main store was their home, with the teleportation array located in the attic—a personal and private space they weren’t ready to share with employees yet. Moreover, the teleportation array’s functionality was too miraculous to reveal at the moment.
“For now, you can sell salt here during the day and continue selling hot soup at the Jade Pavilion Inn at night. You should also keep living there.”
The guards had already informed Zhou Qi about the nighttime raid on the store.
“We’ll talk to the Mountain Lord and request two people to escort you back and forth.”
The Jade Pavilion Inn was a safe haven, and Jufeng Grocery Store, bustling during the day and under the watch of the guards, seemed secure enough. The only potential danger lay in the commute.
“That won’t be necessary for now,” Xiao Cao said. “After offering soybeans, the Mountain Lord promised to protect us with guards for a month, and the time isn’t up yet.”
Earlier, when they returned, they had guards following them—
Because Zhou Qi also had guards, he hadn’t realized that one of them was assigned to protect Xiao Cao and Shi Tou.
“Make sure you stay cautious,” Zhou Qi reminded them. “If you need anything, just let us know.”
“Okay, thank you, Store Manager!”
Xiao Cao and Shi Tou started addressing Zhou Qi as “Manager Zhou”—after all, they now had an actual store in Jufeng Town, and she and her brother were officially employed as sales clerks.
Next, Zhou Qi instructed Shi Tou to open the doors of the grocery store and set up the table and salt jars outside. Then, he and Tang Yu’an found a wooden board, painted the words “Jufeng Grocery Store” on it, and hung it at the entrance.
Just like that, Jufeng Grocery Store officially opened for business!
The store, located at a busy intersection, attracted a fair number of passersby. However, most were just curious onlookers, as there were guards stationed nearby.
Xiao Cao, eager to attract customers, received a suggestion from Tang Yu’an.
“You probably know some local children, right? You can hire them with these wild vegetables and mushrooms. Ask them to help promote the store and bring in customers.”
Shi Tou felt a pang of reluctance at the thought of giving away food, but Xiao Cao readily agreed.
“Alright, I’ll do it!”
She had already seen the benefits of hiring help during the wood and straw hat collection. Since the food would spoil if not dealt with soon, why not use it to hire others to attract business and turn it into points that could be saved?
However…
“Are we really allowed to freely handle the goods we’ve exchanged?” Xiao Cao asked hesitantly.
“You can,” Zhou Qi said straightforwardly. “As your store manager, the better your performance, the greater the benefits I’ll receive, which are far more valuable than these traded goods.”
Indeed, in addition to earning a 10% commission on monthly personal trade profits, branch managers also received 3% of the branch’s total monthly earnings as a reward. The points for purchasing stock were even more substantial.
But for Zhou Qi and Tang Yu’an, who shared the same system account, the monthly salary itself wasn’t particularly meaningful.
Xiao Cao and Shi Tou, however, were wide-eyed with excitement.
“Our monthly salary isn’t just 10 points?” Xiao Cao asked.
“Of course not,” Tang Yu’an replied, shaking his head. “You also get a 10% commission as a bonus.”
That said, he realized he needed to set aside some points for the following month’s commission payments to the employees. The points for employee salaries were deducted directly from his balance, and the thought of it stung a bit.
If he had plenty of points, he wouldn’t mind being generous. But right now, they were in the midst of rapid development, and many areas required points.
Once the one-month novice protection period ended, he would let Xiao Cao and Shi Tou choose their benefits: either earn 1 point for every profitable transaction or receive a 10% commission in a lump sum at the end of the month. The two options would be mutually exclusive.
In the future, once resources were abundant, he could allow employees to change their preferences quarterly or semiannually. This way, it would feel more considerate while ensuring he wouldn’t lose out.
Since Xiao Cao and Shi Tou couldn’t calculate a 10% commission, they had no concept of how much that was. Basic arithmetic was already a challenge for them. But they understood one thing clearly: if they worked hard for a month, they would earn additional points, and the amount would depend entirely on their sales performance.
Knowing this, the two children became even more motivated.
Tang Yu’an also patiently taught Xiao Cao and Shi Tou the rules for exchanging salt notes. Currently, only black-gold notes worth 1 gram of salt were being issued—each ticket was redeemable for one spoonful of salt, with a minimum of two spoons per exchange. This was easy enough for the siblings to handle.
“Salt notes are just a supplement for transactions, so don’t stress too much about them.”
“Got it.”
With Xiao Cao and Shi Tou running the business, Zhou Qi and Tang Yu’an could focus on other matters. They hired a local earth- ability user through the guards to build a small kitchen in the backyard, complete with a stove.
This way, Xiao Cao and Shi Tou could cook meals and boil water at the grocery store.
Once the earth-ability user left, business at Jufeng Grocery Store began to pick up. A long line of customers formed at the entrance, all waiting to exchange salt.
So far, including the prior exchanges, only about four to five hundred residents of Jufeng Town had obtained salt. With a population in the thousands, there was still plenty of room to grow. Moreover, since salt was a consumable and they enforced a purchase limit, previous customers would soon return for more.
Seeing the store’s growing success and the backend data rising steadily, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but feel pleased.
“Should we transfer Xiao Cao and her brother back to the main store?” Zhou Qi asked at that moment.
The protective barrier for Store No. 1 was now fully upgraded, so there was no immediate need to boost the store’s popularity.
Tang Yu’an thought it over and then pulled Zhou Qi into a side room on the first floor, where he opened the system panel.
Currently, Store No. 2 was closed, and since Xiao Cao and Shi Tou were employees of Store No. 1, they couldn’t access the protective barrier. This meant they were unable to enter the basement of Jufeng Grocery Store.
The above-ground building wasn’t particularly secure, so Tang Yu’an couldn’t leave goods there with peace of mind. This meant they would have to deliver stock periodically, which was somewhat inconvenient.
As such, Tang Yu’an felt it was necessary to grant the siblings access to the basement.
Zhou Qi, listening to his thoughts, suggested, “Why not also authorize Xiao Cao to use Slot 2 of the portable warehouse?”
This way, they could transfer goods to Xiao Cao through the portable warehouse, and the vegetables and mushrooms traded by Xiao Cao and her brother could also be stored there for preservation. It would be more convenient for everyone when they needed supplies.
Tang Yu’an rubbed his chin thoughtfully and agreed. “Alright, let’s reward her with access after today’s transactions as recognition for being an outstanding employee.”
In the end, Tang Yu’an also granted Xiao Cao and Shi Tou access to Store No. 2’s protective barrier.
With the protective barrier in place, the basement wasn’t just a secure storage area but also a potential refuge, ensuring the siblings’ safety.
Whether as a friend or an employer, Tang Yu’an was determined not to lose such valuable employees.
“So, you still plan to keep them at Store No. 1?” Zhou Qi revisited the earlier topic.
“Heh, just wait until you level up a bit more.”
Thanks to Shi Tou and Xiao Cao’s diligent efforts, Brother Qi had successfully reached Level 10 and unlocked the 8-meter Telekinesis Skill!
The subsequent upgrades would only get more challenging, so it made sense to let Xiao Cao and Shi Tou support him further—at least until he unlocked the Remote Retrieval Skill. Besides, the main store’s stats weren’t entirely stagnant:
[Employee “Hai Jing” completed a profitable transaction with a returning customer. Points: +59, EXP: +2.]
[Employee “Hai Jing” completed a profitable transaction with a loyal customer. Points: +399, EXP: +1.]
[Employee “Hai Jing”…]
The new employee, Hai Jing, didn’t seem to be any less capable than Xiao Cao.
Without any guidance, Hai Jing and his daughter had already figured out the rule of conducting three valid transactions per day. He had even ventured out to trade with others. By now, he had completed two transactions, each yielding a decent number of points.
By mid-morning, Hai Jing had already earned 1,015 points for Tang Yu’an!
Tang Yu’an felt he had made yet another excellent decision. He just hoped Hai Jing could keep himself and his daughter safe and continue down this smooth path.
*
At Linhai Town, Guanyu Village.
Hai Jing left his rundown shack, clutching a ceramic jar.
Guanyu Village was situated on a hillside south of Linhai Town. It was home to over a dozen families, and unlike other places, nearly every household here had children.
The fishing village’s ecology was markedly different from inland areas.
After more than a decade since the Great Apocalypse, the ocean had gradually stabilized, with tsunamis and storms becoming less frequent. This had given the villagers some breathing room.
The sea offered abundant food resources, and those willing to take the risk of venturing out didn’t need to fear starvation. However, faced with the vast ocean and ferocious sea beasts, individual strength was insignificant. As a result, the villagers learned to cooperate, forming tightly-knit communities.
Fishing required the strength of able-bodied adults, so children were rarely abandoned. Because of this, Linhai Town’s fishing villages had managed to preserve a faint spark of civilization—unlike resource-scarce regions where survival was brutal, and even children were treated with little compassion.
But amidst the sound of crashing waves, Guanyu Village exuded an air of silence and desolation. The atmosphere was lifeless and bleak.
Emaciated children stood scattered around the village, staring at Hai Jing from a distance. Similarly frail elders sat by their doorsteps, their hollow eyes fixed on him.
When Hai Jing traded coarse rice recently, he had briefly considered whether it might arouse suspicion or put him and his daughter in danger.
However, he quickly dismissed the thought.
Hadn’t his lack of fishing trips, reliance on sun-dried salt, and continued survival already raised questions? Surely, the aroma of cooking porridge had spread through the village—how could it not?
Of course, there were suspicions. But what did it matter?
At most, the villagers would gossip and speculate that he had found a way to trade with an outsider salt merchant while avoiding the overseers’ watchful eyes. For now, they were merely observing.
If he hoarded resources selfishly, resentment might indeed follow. But by using food to trade, the situation changed entirely.
As one of the few able-bodied adults left in the village, Hai Jing was still someone the elderly and children relied upon.
Fishing was an extremely hazardous task, and Guanyu Village had suffered a streak of misfortunes this year. They had lost five or six able-bodied adults in quick succession—men who were pillars of their families. For these households, it was as if the sky had fallen.
Once a somewhat thriving village, Guanyu had declined rapidly, its vitality fading with the loss of its workforce.
If not for the precious medicine Hai Lan received from the mysterious merchant, Hai Jing himself might have succumbed to a fever and died.
As he gazed at the village where he had grown up, now in such a state, Hai Jing felt a deep sorrow.
Thankfully, because of Hai Lan—his beloved daughter—he now had a rare and precious opportunity to change their fate.
Hai Jing entered a house carrying his ceramic jar.
“Hai Lang, do you still have fish at home?”
“There are a few left.”
“Do you still want that coarse rice from before?”
After trading the coarse rice for fish at Hai Lang’s house, Hai Jing moved on to another close acquaintance’s home, exchanging the remaining half of his jar of rice for half a jar of salt.
In most places, salt was an incredibly valuable commodity. Here, however, it was practically worthless.
Hai Jing chuckled bitterly to himself. Carrying a fish in one hand and cradling the jar of salt in the other, he made his way home in a swagger.
The two points he had spent on coarse rice had now earned him two points back, along with a fish and salt in hand.
For the first time in a long while, Hai Jing’s previously dull and weary face showed a spark of vitality.
He set the jar of salt down and began cleaning the fish. Little Hai Lan stood by, her eyes sparkling with excitement and anticipation.
“Hai Lan, how about roasted fish for lunch?” he asked gently.
“Yes, please!”
For Little Hai Lan, having fish to eat without her father risking his life was the happiest thing imaginable.
Hai Jing lovingly patted her head.
When the roasted fish was finally ready, there came a knock at the door.
Hai Jing wasn’t surprised in the least. He placed the roasted fish into a bowl, shredded it into smaller pieces, and handed it to his daughter. Then he grabbed his weapon and stepped outside.
Standing at his door were five or six elderly villagers and widows who had lost their husbands. Each of them held a jar of salt.
“Hai Jing…” the oldest among them began hesitantly. “We were wondering if you could spare some food. The little ones at home haven’t eaten in days…”
Hai Jing looked at them. Seeing the hope and pleading in their eyes, he lowered his weapon.
“Sure,” Hai Jing nodded. “When I was sick, it was thanks to everyone looking after Little Hai Lan.”
The elders’ faces brightened, but Hai Jing shifted his tone. “However, you’ll need to come with me to dry some salt later.”
“Isn’t this salt enough?” one of them asked, holding up their jar.
“It doesn’t meet the requirements.”
The group exchanged glances, and their eyes lit up. Hai Jing’s response all but confirmed it—he had found a way to sell the salt!
It didn’t matter how Hai Jing was managing to sell the salt. As long as he was willing to lead them and provide a way for them and their children to survive, they were eager to follow.
“Alright, we’ll go with you,” the elders agreed enthusiastically.
They weren’t entirely too old to work—just unable to go out to sea. Gathering water and drying salt along the shore was still within their capabilities. Since losing their family breadwinners, they had survived by scavenging along the coast, scraping by with whatever they could find.
Hai Jing returned to his house and exchanged 6 points for 600 grams of coarse rice through the mysterious merchant’s system.
He offered 100 grams of rice for half a jar of salt. The elders, being the ones to approach him for help, were cooperative. Even though the exchange was conducted in three separate transactions, they didn’t complain.
By the end of these trades, after accounting for the 6-point cost, Hai Jing gained 3 jars of sea salt, 18 points, and 18 employee experience points.
Adding the 5 experience points he’d earned earlier that morning, Hai Jing’s level had already reached Level 1 (13/20) within just a few hours.
After his LV1 upgrade, the mysterious merchant unlocked a new item for him: pepper powder, available at 1 point per gram.
Hai Jing didn’t know what pepper powder was, but it didn’t dampen his excitement. He stared at the additional 18 points in his account, his hands trembling slightly with exhilaration.
With this method of trading, even if he only collected salt from the villagers each day, he could support himself, his daughter, and potentially the entire village.
That said, Hai Jing still planned to dry salt and improve its quality, allowing his daughter to trade it with the mysterious merchant in her dreams. He could not forget the merchant’s generosity, nor could he overlook the good things Hai Lan had received from these exchanges—not just food but also warm wool and down blankets.
Such cold-resistant items were essential for every household in the village. If they could trade for more, fewer elderly and children would freeze to death during the harsh winters.
Their village couldn’t afford to lose any more lives.
After Hai Jing exchanged the precious food with the elders, the other villagers who had been secretly watching from afar slowly dispersed.
It seemed that from today onward, the village had gained a sliver of hope.
*
[Employee “Hai Jing” completed a profitable transaction with a loyal customer. Points: +40, EXP+1.]
Tang Yu’an stared at the rapidly refreshing system notifications in astonishment.
He had expected Hai Jing to perform well but hadn’t anticipated ‘this’ level of success!
In this round alone, Hai Jing completed 18 transactions, earning 36 experience points and over 750 points.
With the earlier points added, his total was nearing 1,800 points—more than Xiao Cao and Shi Tou had earned selling salt at the morning market.
Tang Yu’an excitedly shared the good news with Zhou Qi.
“Little Hai Lan’s dad is amazing!”
This brought Tang Yu’an’s thoughts to Chi Hao, the first employee he’d hired apart from Brother Qi. However…
[Xiao Cao: LV8 (57/160)]
[Shi Tou: LV4 (1/50)]
[Li Changqing (Old Li): LV3 (5/40)]
[Hai Jing: L1 (13/20)]
[Chi Hao: LV1 (2/20)]
Looking at these stats, it was hard ‘not’ to have certain thoughts. 🙂
But as Tang Yu’an glanced at the map, he noticed something surprising—Chi Hao had somehow made it to Lanhu Town without anyone knowing!
