Chapter 148
“Human greed, coupled with herd mentality—when someone takes the lead, it’s not surprising that things escalate like this,” Zhou Qi said, holding Tang Yu’an’s hand as they teleported back to the Peace Grocery Store. Only there could they truly feel at home and allow themselves to relax.
“I saw a story on the news once,” Zhou Qi continued, “about a watermelon farmer whose truck broke down, spilling watermelons all over the ground, only for them to be looted by passersby.”
He sighed. “I also remember a flood where bottles of alcohol floated out of a warehouse. The owner tried to retrieve them, but the crowd snatched them away instead.”
Although seeing someone set fire to a store was new to them, Zhou Qi noted that looting and riots were common even in peaceful times, especially in other countries where “zero-dollar shopping” often made the headlines.
“In this apocalyptic world, where poverty and suffering dominate, and moral order has crumbled, it’s even worse. Good people are few, bad ones far too many.”
Tang Yu’an followed Zhou Qi into the kitchen, where Zhou Qi began preparing roasted sausages. The aroma soon filled the room, lifting Tang Yu’an’s spirits. He stood nearby, eyes wide and eager, like a puppy waiting to be fed.
Zhou Qi glanced at him and smiled. “We’ll visit Sister Hong Li tomorrow. She’s probably even more worried than we are right now.”
Tang Yu’an nodded, then muttered wistfully, “I wish the ‘Overnight Stay Rules’ weren’t so limited.”
Unlocking the feature to allow customers to stay overnight required 2,000 points and 200 store popularity. Then, having more than ten guests enabled the Overnight Stay Rules, but even after that, only 100 people could be invited. Those not on the night stay list weren’t bound by the rules.
With Jufeng Town’s population numbering five to six thousand, the limit of 100 slots was far from sufficient.
“Should we hire a few strong ability users to guard the store?” Tang Yu’an suggested.
Xiao Cao and Shi Tou were capable and diligent employees, but they were too young—barely teenagers—and lacked special abilities. Without Zhou Qi and him, today’s chaos might have overwhelmed the siblings, leaving them defenseless.
Even though the basement was secure, they might not have had the chance to retreat there in time.
“That’s a good idea,” Zhou Qi agreed after a moment’s thought. “We’ll ask Hong Li about it tomorrow.”
Skilled ability users, especially trained guards, might be a reliable solution. However, they would also need to rebuild the Jufeng Grocery Store before reopening.
“This time, we’ll build a stone structure like the Jade Pavilion Inn,” Tang Yu’an said. “No more wooden buildings.”
Zhou Qi nodded. “Should we hire an earth ability user to construct it?”
Tang Yu’an agreed. “Yeah, hiring someone would be safer. Using the system might draw too much attention.”
While Jufeng Town’s large population made it an excellent source of points and experience, it also made their operations more restricted and risky. After today, they would have to be even more cautious about showcasing valuable items for sale.
*
Soon, Tang Yu’an was savoring the long-awaited roasted sausage. The flavorful dish lifted his spirits, making him feel optimistic again. At least their losses were minimal, and most importantly, no one was hurt.
“Do you think this riot has something to do with that Jin Fu guy?” Tang Yu’an asked. “The one Sister Hong Li mentioned?”
“Eighty percent sure it’s him,” Zhou Qi replied, taking a bite of his sausage.
“Even in this cruel world, Jufeng Town’s law and order weren’t too bad. Our store had been running for days without any issues—even when we used the pull card to draw large crowds. But suddenly, right after we closed, chaos breaks out? I don’t buy it.”
“It’s likely Jin Fu’s doing,” Zhou Qi concluded. “We not only stole his and Hong Li’s business, but we also sold salt directly to the residents of Giant Peak Town. He must hate us.”
Tang Yu’an sighed. “Then we definitely can’t join him for that trip to Linhai Town later.”
While the floods currently made travel impossible, they intended to expand to nearby settlements as soon as conditions improved, aiming to establish more branch stores.
After all, with Tang Yu’an’s recent level-up to Lv15, their daily tasks were bound to become even more demanding. The task to attract new customers might soon require converting 16 people into regulars each day.
While Jufeng Town’s large population had been ideal for growth, nearly half of its residents were now regular customers thanks to Xiao Cao and Shi Tou’s efforts. The remaining half would inevitably become regulars too.
At that point, fulfilling the daily tasks would become much more challenging. In fact, they might hit a roadblock as early as tomorrow. After today’s destruction of the Jufeng Grocery Store, they might have no choice but to sell salt at the market instead—and who knows if they’d be able to attract new customers there?
Tang Yu’an shook his head, deciding to leave tomorrow’s worries for tomorrow.
As he enjoyed his sausage, he opened the Lucky Spin and decided to try his luck. Maybe he’d win another pedal-powered sewing machine, which had been incredibly practical for the growing number of residents at Store No.1.
The pointer on the Lucky Spin slowed and stopped.
[Congratulations! You have obtained a special item: “Misfortune Marble.”]
Tang Yu’an: 0.0
Another marble? And this one seemed particularly unusual. He took it out and saw that it was pitch-black, perfectly matching its ominous name.
[Misfortune Marble]
– Description: A peculiar marble that brings bad luck!
– Status: Bound to user.
The description was the same as his other two marbles.
When Zhou Qi walked in and saw the black marble in Tang Yu’an’s hand, he instinctively took a step back without even realizing it.
“What is that?” Zhou Qi asked cautiously.
“A special item I just got from the spin wheel,” Tang Yu’an replied with a grin.
“Another one from the ‘marble of wonders’ series?”
“Yup, that’s right.”
“And what’s its effect?”
“Uh… probably… it brings bad luck to someone?”
Hearing this, Zhou Qi instinctively drew in a sharp breath and took another two steps back. He hesitated, then asked, “Does it also last for 10 minutes?”
“I’m not sure,” Tang Yu’an said with a shrug. “The description doesn’t say.”
Special items often required experimentation to fully understand their effects and uses. So far, though, every item they had received had proven quite handy.
Zhou Qi glanced at the black marble, then at Tang Yu’an, looking somewhat conflicted. Meanwhile, Tang Yu’an simply stashed the Misfortune Marble back into his pocket, grinning mischievously.
“Let’s test it out on someone tomorrow,” he suggested.
The marble, of course, wasn’t going to be tested on Zhou Qi. Ever since the Happiness Marble inadvertently made him laugh uncontrollably for 10 minutes, Tang Yu’an had been extra careful with these mysterious items.
Zhou Qi let out a small sigh of relief. “Alright. We’ll see what it can do tomorrow.”
If Sister Hong Li could help identify the instigator of today’s riot, they might have the perfect subject to test the Misfortune Marble. After all, using it randomly on an innocent person in a world like this could lead to genuinely fatal consequences.
*
After dinner and a quick clean-up, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi didn’t immediately head to bed. Instead, they got to work on the sewing machine, making more comforters.
With 25 new residents, they needed at least 25 new blankets. The ones they had made previously were far from sufficient.
Meanwhile, the rain began to pour outside.
“Crash—rumble!” Thunder rumbled as the first post-flood rainfall finally arrived after dinner.
Listening to the sound of the storm, Ye Lan shrank further into her thin blanket in one of the rooms in Store No.1.
After recovering from her fever, she had spent the day learning the rules of the settlement from Lin Zhen and participating in the welcoming “purification ritual” hosted by the store’s young bosses. Their ways were unconventional—like knocking her out to carry her here and leaving all her belongings behind except for a dagger and her tattered blanket—but she found herself strangely grateful.
More importantly, after witnessing the miraculous powers of the settlement’s protective barrier, Ye Lan held no grievances. Instead, she was determined to make herself useful.
That afternoon, following Lin Zhen’s advice, Ye Lan had rented a small plot of land and some seeds, using her blanket as collateral. With her plant-based abilities, she quickly grew a bountiful harvest of potatoes.
After paying back the rental fee and her medical debt, she even had a couple of potatoes left for dinner. As she enjoyed the warmth and sustenance they provided, Ye Lan felt a new sense of security she’d never experienced before.
If she were still in her old, crumbling home, this storm would likely have been her end. Now, as thunder rumbled and rain poured, she could only silently hope that the “Guardian Barrier” would continue holding strong.
Similar thoughts filled the minds of the other new residents, each tucked safely away in their rooms.
Meanwhile, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi worked tirelessly on their comforters, ensuring they had enough for everyone. Only after completing five new blankets did they finally climb to the attic to rest.
Though the rain continued outside, it no longer worried them. They had stepped outside briefly when the downpour began, watching the barrier shield their home from the torrential rain.
The sound of rain hitting the roof and protective screen was loud, but the accumulation was efficiently blocked, giving them peace of mind. Reassured, they returned indoors to finish their tasks.
*
As night fell, the message board came alive with activity.
In a world devoid of entertainment, the board became a hub for casual and carefree interactions. For many employees, it offered a rare source of joy and connection.
Especially now, with “Greenish Blue” (a.k.a Chi Hao) dominating the board like a true chatterbox.
It was evident that Chi Hao, who had just unlocked his messaging privileges, had been holding in a lot. Even when no one had time to reply to his endless ramblings, he seemed perfectly content chatting away to himself.
[Greenish Blue]: Guess how many people I traded with today?
[Cloud Eagle]: How many?
[Greenish Blue]: Come on, take a guess.
[Cloud Eagle]: 100?
[Greenish Blue]: Hah! You underestimate me!
[Greenish Blue]: Let me tell you, I traded with over 500 people today!
Watching Chi Hao show off on the message board, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but smile. After all, Chi Hao had done an outstanding job today.
[Eastern Sweet Tang]: Brother Green, you’re amazing!
[Greenish Blue]: Don’t call me Brother Green!”
[Eastern Sweet Tang]: Then what should I call you?
[Greenish Blue]: Just— Wait a second, you’re finally here! Tell “that guy” to check his messages!
The “that guy” he mentioned was, of course, Zhou Qi.
Chi Hao wasn’t aware that Tang Yu’an was the “Mysterious Merchant,” so he always assumed only Zhou Qi and himself had access to Storage Slot No. 1.
Tang Yu’an, having long anticipated this, kept up his alias without revealing his true identity.
[Eastern Sweet Tang]: Got it.
[Pan Shi]: Huh, you guys know each other?
Tang Yu’an didn’t respond to Shi Tou’s question, leaving Chi Hao to handle it. Instead, he turned to Zhou Qi and asked him to check Chi Hao’s messages.
Since the system rarely sends active reminders for anything other than transactions, it was easy to overlook messages in the midst of their busyness. The new message board function made communication much more convenient.
“Chi Hao is leaving tomorrow…” Tang Yu’an murmured with a touch of regret.
As for the matter Chi Hao mentioned—that Lan Yunqing from Blue Hu Town wanted to trade for more healing potions—they had no reason to refuse, especially since Lan Yunqing had offered to pay more this time.
After a brief discussion, they placed the remaining bottle of low-grade healing potion, containing six doses, into their shared storage slot for Chi Hao to handle.
[Greenish Blue]: You guys are amazing! I’ll negotiate the best price for you!
[Eastern Sweet Tang]: ^^
Shi Tou seemed to sense something unusual between them but quickly got distracted by Tang Yu’an’s playful emoji.
[Pan Shi]: Hey, brother Tang, what does that symbol mean? I can’t make it out with voice input.
[Eastern Sweet Tang]: Doesn’t it look like smiling eyes? It’s a smiling emoji!
[Pan Shi]: Wow, it really does!
[Pu Wei]: How do you make that?
Tang Yu’an explained how to use mental input to create symbols and text. He also hinted that mastering accurate input could expand the message board’s utility, provided employees learned proper text comprehension.
The group quickly got the hang of it:
[Greenish Blue]: ^^
[Pan Shi]: ^^
[Pu Wei]: ^^
[Cloud Eagle]: ^^
[Pan Shi]: Look at me! I did it!
[Greenish Blue]: Why is it that symbols work, but my text doesn’t register?
[Handsome Zhou]: Maybe… your spelling isn’t very good?
[Greenish Blue]: Nonsense! Clearly, you’re the ones with poor spelling!
[Handsome Zhou]: Perhaps you should try the words from the compulsory education course.
After seeing Chi Hao’s issue, Zhou Qi tested it himself and confirmed that the system couldn’t recognize misspelled words. It seemed to adhere strictly to their native language, ignoring variations from other worlds.
*
Amid the chatting and banter, time flew by.
Eventually, Tang Yu’an called it a night and turned his attention to the dream realm.
Excited by the extra bottle pull he gained upon reaching Level 15, he decided to try his luck. From the shimmering bottles floating in the Dream Sea, one caught his eye—the one representing Gan Lin, the boy near Flame Dragon Fortress.
“I wonder how he’s doing,” Tang Yu’an thought, pulling the bottle from the sea.
As the glowing orb floated above the attic, Gan Lin’s voice resonated through the space.
“Dear Mysterious Merchant, I need more water…”
“Already?” Tang Yu’an asked. “Didn’t I just give you a whole bottle yesterday?”
“I still have half a bottle left,” Gan Lin replied hesitantly.
Despite his best efforts to hide it, the water Gan Lin had saved was discovered and stolen. By the time he returned, only the empty plastic bottle remained.
Tang Yu’an sighed heavily. Having experienced his store being looted earlier, he understood all too well how common theft and plundering were in the wasteland.
“What happened? Can you tell me more about your situation? I’m curious about Flame Dragon Fortress,” Tang Yu’an said, trying to learn more.
*
Meanwhile, in a crumbling house near the fortress, Gan Lin and the old man, Old Mo, huddled in silence. The fiery phenomenon known as the “Flame Dragon” illuminated the skies once again.
Despite Old Mo’s urging, Gan Lin refused to take the fire crystal to the fortress. He couldn’t bear to leave the old man behind, knowing that doing so would likely mean his death.
Tang Yu’an sighed, listening to the boy’s plight. This desolate world was harsher than he had imagined.
During the Flame Dragon’s dormant period, the inhabitants of Flame Dragon Fortress emerge to cultivate nearby lands, dig wells, and construct sturdy buildings and defenses.
People outside the fortress, like Gan Lin and Old Mo, can apply to work for the fortress. Although the conditions are not ideal, they can at least secure some food.
This period often serves as a time for rest and recovery. In recent years, as disasters have eased, the fortress has maintained this policy, allowing those in the surrounding areas to survive.
However, during the Flame Dragon’s active period, the fortress residents retreat inside, abandoning their buildings, defenses, and wells to be taken over by wastelanders.
Water sources are limited. The weak and unproductive, like Gan Lin and Old Mo, are the first to be driven out by stronger aggressors. Against such violent men, they stand no chance.
Even with the fire crystal Old Mo had the fortune to find, it’s uncertain if Gan Lin could safely pass through the security zones and reach the fortress entrance. The most likely outcome would be the crystal being stolen, just like their water.
The crystal is only useful when the Flame Dragon is dormant, and fortress residents venture outside.
Old Mo understood this logic, but his concern was different.
“This Flame Dragon’s active period might last more than a month.”
Based on his observation of the Flame Dragon’s frequency and intensity, he concluded this prolonged activity would leave them unable to survive that long.
Determined, Old Mo urged Gan Lin to use the remaining water and strength to escape to the fortress with the crystal before it was too late.
After much thought, Gan Lin finally told him about the Mysterious Merchant.
Naturally, Old Mo dismissed it as nonsense.
That night, Gan Lin planned to prove him wrong—to show that he could receive blessings from a mysterious merchant in his dreams. If he could indeed secure water this way, they might have a chance to survive this extended active period of the Flame Dragon.
After hearing Gan Lin’s story, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi gained a clearer understanding of the situation.
“I can give you water,” Tang Yu’an said, “but this information alone isn’t enough. Next time, you need to provide me with something more valuable.”
“What do you need?” Gan Lin asked nervously.
“Anything will do. Are there any unique resources near Flame Dragon Fortress? Plants? Rocks?”
“Rocks, yes. If you need them, I’ll go collect some tomorrow!”
“What’s special about these rocks?” Tang Yu’an asked, thinking ordinary rocks wouldn’t justify the cost. If they were just mundane stones, he would rather take a loss and continue gifting water.
“Special…” Gan Lin racked his brain before hesitantly replying, “They give off heat—does that count?”
