Chapter 209
Peace Grocery Store, Attic.
After the temporary conversation ended, the interface did not disappear. Instead, it shrank to the corner of the homepage, turning into a new function button.
As long as Tang Yu’an clicked on it, he could see the option for XZ156793.
By selecting this dimension and spending another 2,000 points, he could initiate a temporary video call with Gu Qianli.
Although the call was quite expensive, it was undeniably powerful and convenient.
“If only Mom and Dad could communicate with us like this too…” Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but sigh.
If that were possible, he wouldn’t mind spending 2,000 points every day.
Zhou Qi patted his head and said, “This call function is likely built on the merchant system. Maybe in the future, we’ll be able to recruit employees across different dimensions?”
If that became a reality, perhaps real-time cross-dimensional communication could also be achieved.
“The flow of time in our original world should be similar to this dimension,” Zhou Qi said.
Tang Yu’an nodded. Since they arrived in this dimension, more than three months had passed—there wasn’t a significant difference.
Of course, because they frequently traveled to other dimensions, the actual time they had been away from their original world was already over a year, nearly two years.
“We still need to work hard to level up,” Tang Yu’an said. “Maybe when we reach a higher level, we’ll unlock more functions.”
He always remembered what the system had once told him: when he became a top-tier dimensional merchant, everything he wanted would be within reach.
Tang Yu’an’s gaze shifted to Dream Sea, and he murmured, “I wonder what the cultivation world that Brother Gu lives in is like?”
Right now, he could only earn points and experience by selling plants and small animals. Given the lack of customers around, leveling up seemed like a slow and difficult process.
“We’ll probably find out as we interact with him more.”
“Yeah, yeah!”
Tang Yu’an nodded enthusiastically before turning his gaze to the magic tent. After some thought, he said, “Let’s send Hei Tuantuan to Mom and Dad first.”
He had no idea when Brother Gu would get his hands on a spirit storage pouch, but he couldn’t wait any longer—he needed to send the magic tent back home.
The sooner it arrived, the sooner his parents would have a safe place to rest.
“Then let’s buy another spatial pouch,” Zhou Qi suggested.
They needed at least three more portable space items. Even if Gu Qianli could provide them, he probably wouldn’t have that many to spare.
“Alright, let’s get another one!”
Tang Yu’an checked the dimensional store and found that today’s price wasn’t too outrageous—just 250,000 points per pouch.
He quickly purchased one, bringing his balance back down to 500,000+.
“Becoming a millionaire is really not easy!”
Tang Yu’an sighed as he opened the spatial pouch, then entered the magic tent to bid a final farewell to Hei Tuantuan before stuffing the tent inside.
Since the pouch’s opening was small, they struggled for quite a while before finally managing to fit the magic tent inside without damaging the pouch.
“There’s still a lot of space left.”
Tang Yu’an took the opportunity to pack in a bunch of supplies, carefully arranging them so that the magic tent would be the first thing his parents saw when they opened it.
Next, he bought an optical computer. Considering how difficult it was to charge devices in the post-apocalyptic world, he spent twice the usual points to get a solar-powered version.
This solar-powered optical computer could also function as a power bank for other devices.
They used the optical computer to record a video, then placed both the video device and another optical computer into a drifting bottle. After leaving a message, they sealed the bottle and tossed it into Dream Sea.
The next time they received a response from the bottle would be in about 18 days.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi watched as the bottle disappeared into Dream Sea. After using up their allotted dream bottle retrievals for the day, they headed to their small house in the alternate dimension.
After nearly a month of rest, they resumed their cultivation and studies.
Tang Yu’an had successfully passed his junior high assessment and had begun studying high school courses.
Of course, he also learned some of the biology knowledge Zhou Qi had previously mentioned.
However, since this particular chapter’s lessons weren’t very detailed, Tang Yu’an only had a vague understanding of the subject.
For some reason, he wasn’t keen on discussing this topic with Zhou Qi.
Whether it was learning about female anatomy or dealing with the changes in his own body during puberty, he found it all quite embarrassing.
Whenever Zhou Qi looked at him with those calm, focused eyes, Tang Yu’an would start looking everywhere else, stumbling over his words.
In the end, he simply gave up on exploring the topic further.
As long as he could pass the tests, that was enough. People naturally have subjects they aren’t good at—this was completely normal!
Besides, he had memorized all the key points in the textbook; he just hadn’t gone in-depth.
Apart from high school studies, cultivating the divine techniques imparted to them was also a major focus. After this period of training, Tang Yu’an could finally sense the existence of spiritual energy.
He was now attempting to absorb it and convert it into his own energy, storing it in his meridians.
The concentration of spiritual energy in the alternate dimension was much higher than in their current world.
Even just staying there passively allowed their bodies to absorb spiritual energy unconsciously.
Additionally, they discovered that as they drove their RV closer to the center of the desolate city, the concentration of spiritual energy increased significantly.
This was likely related to the portal that connected the two worlds.
“This might be why there are more awakened ability users in the wasteland,” Zhou Qi commented.
They had traveled to several places and could clearly tell that ability users were far more common in the desolate city than anywhere else.
Even in populated areas like Lan Hu Town, the number of ability users couldn’t compare.
“So once the fortress learns about this place, they definitely won’t give up on it,” Tang Yu’an said worriedly.
Zhou Qi thought for a moment before responding, “For now, there’s no need to worry.”
Although Chi Hao was about to arrive at Qingmu Fortress, his report would take time. And as for their return trip… it would take at least a month, maybe nearly two.
“By then, we should have our settlement in the Desolate City fully established.”
Tang Yu’an nodded. “That’s true.”
Chi Hao had been traveling for so long that even if they sent a large team over, it would take just as much, if not more, time.
The wasteland’s poor transportation conditions acted as a natural barrier of protection for them.
With that in mind, Tang Yu’an decided not to dwell on the matter any longer.
They spent half a month studying and cultivating in the alternate dimension. By the time they returned to their home dimension, it was Year 1 of the Homestead Calendar, February 22nd.
Continuing their drive toward the center of the Desolate City, they only stopped when night fell because—
Tang Yu’an suddenly realized that the Bigger is Better upgrade condition had been met!
Without hesitation, he selected the upgrade.
[Would you like to deduct 20,000 points to upgrade the main store, “Peace Grocery Store,” to (Bigger is Better!) Lv2?]
The cost was ten times that of upgrading to Lv1!
Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but wonder—would the next level require 200,000 points?
Shaking his head, he chose “Yes.”
[Points successfully deducted!]
[Congratulations! The main store, “Peace Grocery Store,” has been upgraded to (Bigger is Better!) Lv2.]
[Overnight lodging capacity increased by 10,000. The maximum number of guests accommodated across all stores: 11,120.]
[Main store can now hire 5 additional employees. Branch stores can hire 3 additional employees each.]
[+1 Dream Drift Bottle. Bottle capacity doubled. Current total bottles: 6.]
[RV upgrade unlocked: “Vehicle Mode.” You may now expand the RV to twice its original size.]
Seeing the new lodging capacity, Tang Yu’an’s eyes lit up.
“The capacity stacks! Now we can house up to 11,120 people!” he exclaimed in delight.
When Bigger is Better reached Lv1, it added 1,000 spots, while the Small is Strength upgrade path only added 10 per level. With the base 100, that explained the final count of 11,120.
This meant they could now accommodate the entire population of Lan Hu Town.
The ability to recruit more employees would also benefit the Desolate City Haven. Their staff was already at full capacity, and as the Haven expanded, more hands were clearly needed.
In fact, according to Grandpa Li, they were already considering new hires.
Currently, only Shi Tou was actively assisting, while Lin Zhen was half-involved due to her obsession with research.
Xiao Cao and Lan Lin were stationed at the Jufeng Grocery Store selling salt, and Mo Ke spent most of his time in Lan Hu Town during the day, leaving too few people to help with daily tasks.
They had essentially decided on the new recruits and were only waiting to consult Grandpa Li before finalizing the choices.
“Another Drift Bottle added!”
Excited, Tang Yu’an rushed to the attic and retrieved the newly appeared large bottle hanging from the window.
“We can use this bottle to stay in contact with Uncle Tang,” Zhou Qi said. “Now we can receive updates every 9 days!”
Though it still wasn’t real-time communication, at least they wouldn’t have to wait the full 18 days.
Tang Yu’an thought for a moment. “You mean we should wait a week before placing the bottle in Dream Sea?”
Zhou Qi nodded.
That seemed reasonable.
Since they hadn’t yet received feedback from their parents, they didn’t know what supplies were needed. At this point, the bottles served more as a way to send messages of reassurance.
“Alright, we’ll hold onto it for now.” Tang Yu’an hung the bottle back in its place.
Next, he opened the RV interface and saw the newly unlocked “Vehicle Mode” tab. Inside was an option to double the size of the RV.
He immediately selected it and stepped outside with Zhou Qi to inspect the changes.
The moment they opened the door, something felt different.
The RV was noticeably taller.
They both floated into the air and, since it was nighttime, turned on the RV’s exterior lights.
Under the bright glow, a brand-new, imposing RV appeared before them. It had expanded in width and length, edging closer to the size of a mid-to-large vehicle.
After excitedly examining the changes, they returned to the driver’s seat.
Despite the increased size, their driving speed remained unaffected. In fact, the raised chassis made it easier to navigate obstacles.
Then they made another discovery—the Guardian Barrier’s coverage area had expanded as well!
It made sense. The barrier was calculated based on the store’s size, so as the RV grew, the protective field naturally extended outward.
By the same logic, if they continued expanding Building No. 1 in the Desolate City Haven, the barrier there should also extend further.
Which meant…
“All future buildings should be constructed adjacent to Building No. 1,” Zhou Qi suggested.
Tang Yu’an nodded eagerly. “Yeah! We’ll let Grandpa Li know tomorrow.”
With that, they continued driving through the heart of the Desolate City, roaming around at night—something only they would be crazy enough to do.
Eventually, exhaustion caught up with them, and they returned to the attic to rest.
That night, they didn’t travel to the alternate dimension. It had been too long since they’d been home, and both teenagers were missing Grandpa Li and the others.
*
The Next Morning – Desolate City Haven
When Old Li saw Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi arrive so early, he was a bit surprised. But soon, he smiled and started telling them about the latest developments.
The brickworks and cement plant had expanded significantly, and with the addition of basic machinery, efficiency had skyrocketed.
These simple machines were created by Lin Zhen and Lan Lin, who had studied relevant theories in their courses and then brought their ideas to life with the help of metal-element ability users.
Since these machines required minimal upkeep, their warehouses were now stocked with a surplus of bricks and cement.
If Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi wanted to build more branch stores, they wouldn’t have to worry about running out of materials.
“Oh, and Lin’s girl has been working on steel refining lately.”
Old Li suddenly dropped another major piece of news.
“In a little while, we might even have our own steel mill.”
They had extracted plenty of iron ore from the alternate world, and once Lin Zhen gained a solid grasp of the process, she quickly became fascinated by the subject.
Although steel cannot compare to mutated metals, most everyday items do not require such high-quality materials.
“The main limitation right now is manpower,” Grandpa Li said.
Due to the flood, the number of residents in the settlement had not increased. Although a few survivors had been washed in by the floodwaters, they had already lost all signs of life.
These tragedies made the settlement’s residents cherish their current lives even more. As a result, they carried out Grandpa Li and Lin Zhen’s instructions with great care, eliminating the need for a few pets to maintain order.
“There’s nothing we can do about that for now. We’ll have to wait and see,” Zhou Qi said.
In truth, they could purchase robots for manufacturing, but an increase in robots meant fewer job opportunities for people. Given their current level of productivity and societal development, a gradual approach was still best.
Next, they discussed housing construction.
“This is a good idea,” Grandpa Li’s eyes lit up as he nodded. “I’ll make a note of it.”
Now that they had a sufficient stockpile of bricks and cement, they could begin constructing new houses.
As they talked, they walked downstairs to the courtyard—or rather, what used to be a courtyard.
At this point, calling it a “courtyard” was no longer appropriate.
The area had expanded significantly, with new facilities like a brick factory, a cement plant, a warehouse, and a reservoir. However, the largest portion of the land was still used for farming.
Because of the ample sunlight during the day and the optimal temperature, the growers had expanded the farmland to cultivate more crops.
Thanks to the widespread use of temperature-regulating fabric, there was no need to worry about plants freezing at night. As a result, they no longer had to accelerate crop growth within a single day.
The extended growth cycle improved crop quality without reducing overall yield since they were planting more.
“The potatoes and sweet potatoes grown this way taste significantly better,” Grandpa Li said happily, gazing at the lush green fields before him.
Who would have thought that just two months ago, this place was a wasteland?
Although the land had suffered immense devastation, as long as they had a relatively stable environment, humanity—especially those with supernatural abilities—could unleash incredible creativity.
“These mutated Star Chain vines have also been a great help,” Grandpa Li added.
The farmland surrounding the settlement had rows of Star Chain fruit vines planted at intervals. Their nutrient-enriching properties kept the soil rich and fertile, no matter how much they cultivated.
“The biggest issue right now is that we have too much food and not enough storage,” Grandpa Li said, looking amused by the problem.
Never in his life had he imagined he would worry about having too much food.
“To prevent waste, I’ve improved the residents’ meals. Lower-quality potatoes, sweet potatoes, and vine leaves are used as livestock feed.”
Thanks to Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi’s interdimensional egg incubation efforts, the settlement’s livestock farm had grown significantly.
They now had 20 to 30 chickens and ducks, 50 to 60 rabbits, a few sheep, and an increasing number of fish in the pond.
“F-Fifty to sixty rabbits?” Tang Yu’an was stunned when he heard the number.
How had their population exploded in such a short time?
Grandpa Li wore a conflicted yet satisfied expression as he nodded. “Yes, and two more female rabbits are pregnant.”
At this rate, if they didn’t separate them, no amount of space would be enough to house them all.
So, starting last week, they had begun slaughtering one rabbit every three days.
“Are you staying for dinner today?” Grandpa Li asked with a smile. “Grandpa will make you some roasted meat.”
Although his cooking skills weren’t as good as Zhou Qi’s, he still wanted to do something for the two boys.
“Of course! Grandpa’s cooking must be delicious!”
Tang Yu’an responded excitedly, but then he noticed a sectioned-off plot of land near the livestock farm.
“What’s this?”
“Oh, that’s Granny Guo and Kang Kang’s experimental field,” Grandpa Li explained. “Didn’t you give Granny Guo a storage cabinet?”
Tang Yu’an nodded. It was the one with the Red Beans Grow in the South ability.
“She said the cabinet also promotes seed mutation, so she rented a plot to grow mutated seeds,” Grandpa Li said.
Tang Yu’an suddenly remembered that the cabinet indeed had that effect.
The plot had several plants growing, though most were still in the sprouting stage—except for one.
Something caught Tang Yu’an’s eye, and he walked toward it curiously.
At the end of the path, he saw a tree nearly two meters tall. Though its fruits were still unripe, they emitted a buttery bread-like aroma.
“This is a breadfruit tree,” Grandpa Li explained. “Granny Guo said you gave her the seeds.”
He sighed. “I’d heard about this fruit before, but this is my first time seeing it in person. Once it ripens, I have to try it.”
Tang Yu’an nodded. He remembered giving her the seeds, but there was a problem—
He looked to the side and pointed at a smaller tree nearby. “Grandpa, this is also a breadfruit tree, right?”
Grandpa Li examined it closely.
From the trunk to the leaves and overall shape, it was undoubtedly a young breadfruit tree.
“It seems so. Is something wrong?”
Tang Yu’an circled the sapling in disbelief.
Wrong? Of course, something was wrong!
The breadfruit seeds he had bought from the interdimensional store were explicitly genetically modified to grow only one tree.
The seller had been very clear: while the mature breadfruit tree could bear fruit, its seeds would not produce new trees.
The only way to grow more was to buy additional seeds from him—seeds that were supposedly exclusive to that dimension.
This tree was not only drought-resistant and heat-tolerant, but its fruit also tasted like creamy bread, making it ideal for arid land.
Tang Yu’an had considered buying more seeds for Lao Mo and his people, but at 1,000 points per seed, he had hesitated.
He never expected to see a second breadfruit tree in Desolate City Settlement!
Tang Yu’an quickly used his optical brain to contact Granny Guo and asked her what was going on.
Granny Guo chuckled and said, “This isn’t my doing.”
Before long, she arrived with Kang Kang—she had been at the other end of the experimental field.
“Big brother!” Kang Kang ran toward Tang Yu’an excitedly.
Tang Yu’an patted the child’s head and asked, “Kang Kang, did you grow this breadfruit tree?”
“More friends, happy!” Kang Kang’s little face was flushed, his forehead covered in sweat, his expression full of excitement and joy.
“But isn’t its gene supposed to prevent new trees from growing?” Tang Yu’an asked curiously.
“Branch!” Kang Kang said. “Put in the ground, it grows!”
Tang Yu’an was sure it couldn’t be that simple—otherwise, that interdimensional merchant wouldn’t have been so confident.
This was probably Kang Kang’s ability at work.
After all, if he could grow a seedling from a single Lan Hu leaf, then growing a breadfruit tree from a branch didn’t seem so impossible.
“Can I have this seedling?” Tang Yu’an asked. “I want to plant it in a place that’s dry, lacks water, and is very hot. Would that be okay?”
“Dry… hot… mm!” Kang Kang nodded. “Seedling likes it!”
Since the young breadfruit tree had not yet developed intelligence, Kang Kang agreed without hesitation.
Before long, he and Granny Guo carefully transplanted the seedling into a pot and handed it to Tang Yu’an. Then, Kang Kang ran off to play with his plant friends again.
Tang Yu’an watched his small figure with a smile. When he turned back around, he noticed Zhou Qi holding a notebook, looking a bit strange.
“Brother Qi, what’s wrong?” he asked.
Zhou Qi handed him the notebook. “Chi Hao just relayed a message from the Lan Hu Lord.”
Tang Yu’an took the notebook and glanced at it.
[Lan Yunqing asked me to pass on a message: I would like to invite Master Kang Kang to visit Lan Hu Town again. I can personally come to pick him up. It’s nothing urgent—Mother Tree just misses him.]
[Who is this ‘Master Kang Kang’? Someone from Jufeng Town?]
Tang Yu’an’s expression turned just as strange as Zhou Qi’s.
He glanced at Kang Kang, who was playing happily in the field, seemingly having completely forgotten about Lan Hu’s Mother Tree. Then, he looked back at the message and scratched his head.
Had Kang Kang even mentioned Mother Tree since they returned from Lan Hu Town?
