Chapter 183
Wow! RV mode!
Tang Yu’an’s excitement peaked just from reading the first line of the system notification, and the updates kept coming.
[The homepage now includes a “Teleportation Array” section and a customer authorization list. Details available on the homepage.]
[Employee Forum has added “Discussion Zone” and “Marketplace Zone.” Details available in the “Employee Forum.”]
[Dream Drift Bottle +1, daily retrievals increased to 4.]
[Super Storage Cabinet +3.]
Seeing the upgrade rewards, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but feel thrilled.
The teleportation array can now be opened to customers?
Previously, only employees and pets could be authorized to use the teleportation array. Expanding this to customers would significantly increase its utility. Of course, they needed to carefully evaluate this option, as customers couldn’t have their memories wiped like employees if dismissed.
A discussion zone and a marketplace zone in the forum?
Tang Yu’an quickly opened the Employee Forum. Alongside the familiar message board, there were now two additional sections.
He clicked on the Discussion Zone first. Unlike the message board, where messages were real-time and cluttered, the Discussion Zone allowed employees to create and reply to posts, preserving records for future reference. Employees could browse posts by topic, making it easier to find relevant information.
However, posting in the Discussion Zone was restricted to employees with Level 15 or higher. To unlock it for lower-level employees, they’d need to spend points.
“Why does it cost points to open this for lower-level employees? Is that even fair?” Tang Yu’an grumbled.
“Currently, only the Lanhu Town Lord and I are above Lv15, right?”
Tang Yu’an nodded. Even among those between Lv10 and Lv15, only a few employees like Shi Tou, Xiao Cao and Hai Jing qualified. Most others were below Level 10.
“If we don’t lower the requirement, it’ll take a very long time for this zone to become active,” Zhou Qi pointed out.
Employees only gained one experience point per transaction. The higher the level, the slower the progression. Unless someone was in a densely populated area like Lan Yunqing with significant influence, leveling up would be a gradual process.
Tang Yu’an sighed, understanding the logic but debating whether the new zone was necessary since the message board already existed.
“It’s worth unlocking,” Zhou Qi said. “Some posts should be preserved instead of getting lost in newer messages.”
The message board lacked timestamps, filters, or search functions, making it difficult to retrieve historical information. With more employees joining and casual chatter increasing, important updates could easily be buried.
“Fine, I’ll lower the requirement,” Tang Yu’an relented.
Reducing the level requirement by one cost 2,000 points. He dropped it from Lv15 to Lv5, spending 20,000 points in total.
He decided not to lower it further. Both agreed that the forum, like the message board, should retain some exclusivity. Employees below Level 5 could still view posts even if they couldn’t create them.
While reviewing the rules for the Discussion Zone, Tang Yu’an discovered employees could post paid posts, requiring other employees to pay points to access them.
Half of the points went to the poster, while the system kept the other half as a service fee.
“Why is the system taking such a hefty cut when the points come from us in the first place?” Tang Yu’an grumbled again.
Since the zone wasn’t officially open to employees yet, Zhou Qi couldn’t view the specifics. Curious, he asked, “What are the conditions for setting up paid posts? Are they employee-controlled?”
“Yes,” Tang Yu’an replied. “But if over 80% of buyers deem the post’s information unworthy of payment, half their points are refunded.”
However, the system’s cut wasn’t refunded, making it the ultimate winner in every transaction.
“So, should we enable paid posts?” Tang Yu’an asked.
Zhou Qi thought for a moment and nodded.
“One of the goals of the Discussion Zone is to encourage employees to share valuable information. Paid posts are an effective incentive.”
In this post-apocalyptic world, knowledge was power. Encouraging employees to pay for knowledge would motivate them to share genuinely useful experiences.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi agreed to create free posts themselves to help employees grow and succeed faster, enabling them to generate more points for the shop in return.
After configuring the Discussion Zone, Tang Yu’an opened the Marketplace Zone. Its rules were similar to the Interdimensional Marketplace.
Employees could list goods or points for sale in display windows.
Yes, points could be traded as well.
Buyers would submit their goods to the system for verification. If the seller approved, the system would automatically transfer the points to the buyer. Purchases from display windows could only be made with points.
Like the Interdimensional Marketplace, the system took a 10% fee on all transactions.
Zhou Qi’s eyes lit up.
“This feature is a bit like the Dream Drift Bottle—it allows employees restricted by transportation issues to access goods from other places.”
While employee trades couldn’t rival Tang Yu’an’s operations, the Marketplace Zone held great potential, especially in a world where transportation was so limited.
Zhou Qi couldn’t help but ask, “What are the restrictions for the Marketplace Zone?”
“Only employees at Level 20 or higher can use it. Lower levels require unlocking,” Tang Yu’an replied, surprised by the rule.
His own level was only Level 18, and though he expected to level up to Level 19 the next day, he still wouldn’t qualify. Even he couldn’t use the Marketplace Zone, let alone other employees!
Tang Yu’an, however, understood the importance of the Marketplace Zone. If it became active and helped employees grow, they could dedicate more Dream Drift Bottle retrievals to finding new recruits—since most employees already had close companions they’d recruited.
Determined, Tang Yu’an started unlocking lower levels for access. The Marketplace Zone was far more expensive than the Discussion Zone, costing 5,000 points per level. He spent 75,000 points to lower the requirement to Level 5.
This feature was particularly valuable for lower-level employees. Most low levels were likely due to limited resources and clients in their areas, similar to their situation in the Desolate City. Even with goods to sell and efforts to trade, they couldn’t match the population advantage of employees in more populated towns likeJufeng.
With the Marketplace Zone, employees could sell local specialties in display windows and use points to purchase goods from other areas. This not only enhanced their survivability but also allowed them to establish unique advantages in their local regions.
Tang Yu’an knew that things gained too easily were often undervalued. To ensure employees appreciated the feature, he kept the minimum requirement at LV5—a manageable milestone requiring 210 profitable transactions.
After setting the Marketplace to operate anonymously and confirming there were no other issues, Tang Yu’an activated both the Discussion Zone and Marketplace Zone for all employees.
Satisfied with the forum upgrades, Tang Yu’an turned to the feature he was most excited about—RV Mode!
On the store’s homepage, a new button appeared, offering two modes: “Grocery Store” and “RV.” At present, the store was in Grocery Store mode. When Tang Yu’an selected RV mode, a system prompt appeared:
[Deduct 5,000 points to switch the main store, “Desolate City Grocery Store,” to RV mode?]
After the expenses for unlocking the forum, Tang Yu’an had braced himself for high costs. Seeing the reasonable 5,000-point price tag, he let out a sigh of relief.
With over 400,000 points remaining, this was a small expense. Tang Yu’an selected “Switch.”
[Point deduction failed!]
[Switching the main store, “Peace Grocery Store,” to RV mode. Please ensure no living beings are inside during the process to avoid accidents.]
Realizing this, Tang Yu’an quickly grabbed Zhou Qi and headed for the store’s entrance.
But Zhou Qi stopped him after hearing the explanation. “It’s safer to go to another branch.”
He pointed out that after switching to RV mode, features like the awning at the entrance might not remain. If the protective barrier retracted, they could end up falling into the water outside.
Tang Yu’an agreed and followed Zhou Qi upstairs to the teleportation array, using it to travel to Branch Store No. 1.
Once there, Tang Yu’an tried switching again.
[Points successfully deducted!]
[Switching the main store, “Desolate City Grocery Store,” to RV mode. Estimated time: 10 minutes. Please wait patiently.]
“What? It’s not instant? Bad rating!” Tang Yu’an grumbled but settled in to wait.
Meanwhile, Black Pearl and Yuan Bao sensed their return and rushed over.
Tang Yu’an hugged Black Pearl and Yuan Bao first. When he saw Wang Cai and Yin Bi, who were dirty from playing, he used Purification Spells to clean their fur before snuggling with them.
The hasty departure had left the pets behind, and after being away for over three days, Tang Yu’an had missed them dearly.
Zhou Qi watched from the side.
Ever since absorbing the fire spirit bug, the pets seemed wary of him—except for Yin Bi. Even Black Pearl avoided getting too close.
After enjoying Tang Yu’an’s affection, Yin Bi wagged its tail and happily bounded over to Zhou Qi.
Though a bit silly, Yin Bi was undeniably cute. Zhou Qi petted its head, only for the enthusiastic puppy to drench his face with slobbery licks.
Seeing Zhou Qi’s exasperated expression, Tang Yu’an burst into laughter.
It was already night, and through the windows, the misty night sky was visible. Despite the hour, the building wasn’t quiet. Laughter and lively conversation came from the fifth floor, accompanied by melodious tunes.
There was no movie screening tonight, but Grandpa Li had played music to liven the atmosphere.
Since the AI-powered lightbrain didn’t come preloaded with music due to licensing issues, it extracted tracks from the classic pre-catastrophe films Tang Yu’an had provided. Grandpa Li and Granny Guo, even if they hadn’t seen all the movies, were familiar with many of the songs and loved them. They had saved the music to their own devices for regular listening.
After a while, Tang Yu’an thought of something and opened the new teleportation array section. He spent points to link the teleportation array at Branch Store No. 1 with the one in Lanhu Town.
Now we can get to Lanhu Town without going through the main shop!
With a few minutes left before the RV mode was fully activated, they decided to check on the alternate dimension. They had left suddenly last time and didn’t know how the mutated chicken eggs in the coop were doing.
Since the alternate dimension was linked to Branch Store No. 3, they could visit without affecting the RV mode process.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi, along with a few pets, teleported to the swimming pool-turned-dimension portal and entered the small house in the alternate dimension.
Though only 85 hours had passed in their dimension, three months had gone by in the alternate world. The once-bare Greatwood Forest had grown lush and vibrant, teeming with active wildlife.
“Cheep, cheep, cheep!”
As Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi stepped out of the small house, they spotted a new addition to the yard—a giant chick the size of a soccer ball!
The chick was much larger than an average one, covered in soft yellow down, resembling an oversized baby chicken. It was undeniably adorable.
“Cheep, cheep, cheep!”
The chick was busily scratching at the ground for food. Thanks to its proximity to the Greatwood Forest, the yard was rich with insects. Protected by the barrier, only harmless larvae could enter, so the chick had managed to survive without being fed.
Yin Bi and Wang Cai were the first to rush toward the chick, startling it into a frantic run. Meanwhile, Yuan Bao and Black Pearl, more mature in demeanor, ignored the commotion and ventured into the forest to explore.
Tang Yu’an quickly stepped in to stop Yin Bi and Wang Cai from harassing the chick, while Zhou Qi headed to the chicken coop to check on the household robot.
The robot was diligently maintaining the coop temperature with another piece of firestone, even though the chick had already hatched and left. It must have only left the coop occasionally to recharge under the sun.
“Welcome back, Master.”
Zhou Qi acknowledged the greeting, paused the robot’s temperature regulation tasks, and reviewed the three months of surveillance footage with the AI’s help to understand the chick’s incubation process.
Ordinary chicken eggs hatch in about 20 days, but mutated eggs took much longer—approximately 70 days. The chick’s growth was also slower; after 20 days, it was still covered in yellow down with no sign of molting.
Thankfully, the chick had hatched successfully and was thriving without human intervention.
Tang Yu’an entered and refueled the robot with fresh firestones, as most of the stones had cooled and turned into regular rocks after three months of alternating use. He collected the warm stones, intending to sell them in Jufeng Town, and placed two mutated eggs, three regular eggs, and one duck egg in the coop, renaming it the Hatchery.
After noting the incubation times, they inspected the mining robots. These non-solar robots had stopped working some time ago, but the iron ore and limestone they’d mined were sufficient for a while. Tang Yu’an stored the robots and materials in the new Level 1 Super Storage Cabinets, which had 20 times the capacity of a single inventory slot.
Satisfied that everything was in order, they returned to their dimension. Only five minutes had passed in the main world.
After a brief wait, the countdown finally ended.
[Congratulations! The main shop “Peace Grocery Store” has successfully switched to RV mode. Please check it out.]
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi eagerly stepped onto the teleportation array and returned to the main shop.
As the familiar dizziness faded, they found themselves in an entirely new environment. The cozy attic of the grocery store was gone, replaced by a spacious vehicle cabin.
The cabin was larger than a standard RV, approximately 2×4 meters, and included a kitchen, dining area, shower, toilet, and two display cabinets. At the back was a sleeping area with two bunk beds connected by a narrow spiral staircase.
A glass window at the rear offered a view of the dark waters outside. Thanks to the protective barrier, the water couldn’t invade the cabin.
Tang Yu’an climbed down from the bed and peeked out of a central window. His emotions were a mix of excitement and unease. Everything here was unfamiliar, and the home he’d grown up in was gone.
He comforted himself, reminding himself that this was just RV mode. Switching back to Grocery Store mode would restore his childhood home.
Meanwhile, Zhou Qi approached the front door of the cabin, cautiously opening it a crack to reveal the driver’s cockpit.
The cockpit featured two spacious seats and ample room, avoiding the cramped feel of a typical RV. Zhou Qi entered first, with Tang Yu’an following closely behind.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, Zhou Qi placed his hands on the steering wheel. Tang Yu’an looked around excitedly before settling into the passenger seat.
“Brother Qi, we have an RV now!” Tang Yu’an exclaimed, his earlier apprehension replaced by enthusiasm.
Zhou Qi nodded calmly.
“Does this mean we can take the main shop anywhere?” Tang Yu’an’s eyes sparkled.
Zhou Qi gave a wry smile. “First, we need to learn how to drive.”
Tang Yu’an glanced at the dashboard full of controls and reluctantly nodded.
Sigh, that’s definitely a big problem.
“Secondly…” Zhou Qi continued, “we also need to deal with the road issue.”
He pressed a button that looked like it controlled the headlights. The lights turned on, illuminating large rocks blocking their way.
The Desolate City Grocery Store was situated in a sunken pit. While the rocks had previously provided excellent concealment, they were now a significant obstacle to leaving.
Compared to this, the flooding seemed minor.
After all, the protective barrier kept water at bay and wouldn’t harm the RV. At most, it might reduce the vehicle’s speed.
“Do we have to build a road first?” Tang Yu’an muttered.
In the wastelands, intact roads were nearly non-existent. Earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters had left the terrain riddled with cracks or obstructed by debris. To drive smoothly, they’d need to clear away all these obstacles.
“We’ll figure it out,” Zhou Qi said.
Building a road didn’t seem entirely unreasonable. With their points and abilities, the effort might be worth it if they could freely drive the RV afterward. Once a road was built, others could also use it, and as long as there were no earthquakes, maintenance would be manageable.
“But first, I need to learn how to drive,” Zhou Qi said as he began examining the controls in the driver’s seat.
The RV’s operating system resembled that of a modern electric car. If only it had an autopilot function.
Following the instructions on the central panel, Zhou Qi eventually found the autopilot button. Unfortunately…
[Network not connected. Unable to load the map!]
Without a map, navigation was impossible, and the AI was reduced to a “smart” brick.
While Zhou Qi focused on figuring out the driving, Tang Yu’an turned his attention to the cabin door, which had automatically closed. He walked over, grasped the handle, and was greeted by another system prompt.
[You are about to open the door. Please choose your destination:]
[1. Cabin]
[2. Peace Grocery Store (Locked)]
Tang Yu’an blinked. The options felt oddly familiar—almost like the magic tent. Could it be…?
Excitedly, he selected the second option. The response was immediate:
[Would you like to unlock this space for 200,000 points?]
Tang Yu’an: … 200,000 points?! Why don’t you just rob me? : )
He exited the prompt and opened the store interface to check the mode-switching costs. Switching back to Grocery Store mode was still only 5,000 points.
Grumbling, he returned to the passenger seat and shared the news with Zhou Qi.
Zhou Qi thought for a moment and then said, “Buy it.”
Honestly, if the door could function like the magic tent—allowing them to choose between returning to their old store or staying in the cabin—unlocking it permanently for 200,000 points was a bargain.
With the current mode-switching cost of 5,000 points per change, it would only take 20 round trips to surpass the 200,000 points. A one-time payment was much more cost-effective.
“It’s a good deal,” Zhou Qi reassured, patting Tang Yu’an on the head. “We have employees earning points for us. Don’t worry about spending when it’s necessary.”
“Alright,” Tang Yu’an relented, biting the bullet and spending the 200,000 points to unlock the feature.
When he opened the door again, the view outside was no longer the cabin—it was their familiar old store. Stepping inside, everything was just as it had been.
The windows and back door were sealed, and the balcony was closed off. However, a new glass window had been added, identical to the one in the RV cabin, offering a view of the scenery outside.
Tang Yu’an looked around at the familiar attic, his face lighting up with joy. All his earlier resentment over the expense vanished.
Nothing beats the feeling of being home.
