Chapter 241
Da Huzhi didn’t expect that he would receive a task just as he finished his prayer.
Was this sent by the divine emissary? Or…
Oh, great God of Commerce!
He quickly checked the task details.
[Elite Task: Establish the Red Bee Grocery Store]
[Description: On your first day of joining the faith, you raised the employee’s level to Lv5, proving your excellence. The mysterious merchant has decided to grant you a further challenge.]
[Task Details: Find an unclaimed house in Red Bee Town and establish a Grocery Store. Ensure that the house has no owner and place the token inside.]
[Reward: Residency benefits at the Red Bee Grocery Store, Blessing of the God of Commerce]
[You have received the task item: Token]
[Please confirm receipt…]
After choosing to receive the item, Da Huzhi found a metallic coin in his hand. It looked similar to pre-apocalypse currency he had come across before.
However, this coin was new and had the characters “Peace” engraved on it—though he couldn’t recognize them.
“Da Huzhi, what is that?” Mao San noticed the coin in his hand and asked curiously.
“It’s the token given to me by the divine emissary!” Da Huzhi exclaimed excitedly. “I received a task, but I’m not sure what the benefits are yet.”
“Did our prayers work?” Mao Hua asked.
“That’s right!”
Although the task description stated that he was chosen for his rapid promotion to Lv5, gaining the recognition of the mysterious merchant, Da Huzhi still believed their prayer had played a role.
Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence?
After all, it was just a few lines of prayer. If the mysterious merchant liked hearing them, they could keep chanting. Anything they gained from it would be worth it!
“So, what’s the task?” Mao Da asked.
“Find an unclaimed house in Red Bee Town and set up a Grocery Store,” Da Huzhi answered.
“What’s the benefit?”
Da Huzhi thought for a moment before saying, “Once the store is open, people will come to us to buy things. That way, we won’t have to run around everywhere to sell goods.”
“Of course, the task also states that we’ll receive the protection of the God of Commerce.”
Mao Da nodded. “Why does it have to be an unclaimed house? Can’t we use this one?”
Da Huzhi wasn’t sure either. He shrugged. “Let’s just follow the instructions. No need to overthink it.”
Then he sent the three siblings off to sleep. “Tomorrow, we’ll look around town for an abandoned house.”
This task seemed quite easy. On the wasteland, people died every day, and Red Bee Town’s population had been declining for years.
Finding an empty house shouldn’t be hard at all.
“Why do we even need to look? There’s an empty house right next door,” Mao Da muttered.
“We’re opening a store, so of course, we should find a place with a good location…”
The conversation gradually faded as the night grew quiet.
*
The next morning, when Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi returned to the Lan Hu Grocery Store with Kang Kang, they saw on the map that the “token” they had given Da Huzhi had already been placed.
This coin was a commemorative “Peace Coin” made from mutated metal.
Tang Yu’an had marked it on the map so he could track its location—perfect for use as a token.
As for why they needed an unclaimed house?
Because he couldn’t officially claim ownership himself. At times like this, he couldn’t help but miss Chi Hao.
Though the properties Chi Hao had acquired were a bit far away, they wouldn’t be useful for now.
Soon, Lan Yunqing arrived to pick up Kang Kang.
After reuniting with his grandmother the night before, Kang Kang was in high spirits.
The moment they stepped out of the Lan Hu Grocery Store, he and Lan Yunqing were transported away by the Lan Hu Mother Tree.
Tang Yu’an then opened his Shadow Veil Umbrella and, together with Zhou Qi, headed toward Red Bee Town. Although they had never been there before, with the map, they weren’t worried about getting lost.
On the way, they even took down two mutated creatures with ease.
As they approached Red Bee Town, they heard an intense buzzing sound.
A red cloud loomed in the distance, rapidly moving toward them. As it got closer, they saw that it was a swarm of thumb-sized, crimson bees.
With the swarm covering such a vast area, there was no time to avoid it. They had to stand still.
Whether it was the Shadow Veil Umbrella’s ability to blend into the environment or simply the bees’ natural temperament, the swarm did not attack them.
Even when a bee accidentally bumped into Tang Yu’an, it merely shook its head and flew away, rejoining its companions.
Tang Yu’an was relieved that he hadn’t released his little red bird—otherwise, these bees would have been in trouble.
Once the swarm passed, they continued on their way.
Red Bee Town sat in a valley, where the underground water supply remained stable even during drought seasons. Despite the harsh environment, vegetation still thrived.
Many red bees buzzed around, collecting nectar from the plants.
Several beekeepers watched over them.
From the map’s markers, it was clear they had already traded with Da Huzhi before.
As they passed, they overheard a conversation:
“Once the red bees return, we should go trade some rice with Da Huzhi. I exchanged for a pound yesterday—not great, but it fills the stomach.”
“Same here. Let’s go early before it’s all gone!”
Hearing this, Tang Yu’an smiled.
“This place seems better than Jufeng Town,” he commented.
From Mao Da’s earlier remarks, it was clear that Red Bee Town’s residents weren’t strangers to robbery. But unlike Jufeng Town, they had a reliable means of survival—beekeeping.
By harvesting honey, they were at least working to sustain themselves.
That meant establishing a business here would be easier.
If resources became abundant, they wouldn’t need to resort to looting anymore. Who would take the risk of robbing others when they had a steady livelihood?
Zhou Qi nodded. Once the Red Bee Grocery Store was up and running, they could also use the Night Stay Rules to maintain order.
With stability, the town could develop properly.
Soon, they reached the designated house where the “token” had been placed.
Outside, Da Huzhi and the Mao siblings were conducting business.
“One at a time! No rush—there’s enough for everyone.”
Da Huzhi sat on a chair in the courtyard, a burlap sack at his feet. The three Mao siblings helped maintain order.
One by one, the gaunt townsfolk approached, exchanging honey for coarse rice.
The scene remained orderly.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi glanced at them before heading inside. They retrieved the commemorative Peace Coin and began setting up the new branch.
[You are establishing a branch store.]
[The property is unclaimed. Conditions met…]
[Please name the store.]
[“Peace Grocery Store No. 9” has been successfully established!]
As the two worked, the trade outside gradually slowed, allowing Da Huzhi and the Mao siblings to rest.
Mao Da plopped down beside Da Huzhi, took a sip of water, and glanced toward the small house.
“Haven’t you finished that task yet?” he asked. “The token’s been there for ages. Should we move it elsewhere?”
Da Huzhi hesitated.
Just then, he noticed more townsfolk approaching and shook his head. “Let’s wait a bit. Business is good—we shouldn’t disappoint our customers.”
Mao Da had no choice but to nod, get up, and continue assisting his younger siblings in serving the customers.
Just as Da Huzhi was about to grab more rice to fill the sack, he suddenly saw a foot swinging toward him.
Caught off guard, he was kicked to the ground, and the sack in front of him was snatched away.
“Huang Mazi, what are you doing?!”
A man with a face full of pockmarks sneered, “What do you think? Robbery!”
The other customers who had just arrived saw the commotion and quickly clutched their honey, running away in fear of getting robbed as well.
“Put the sack down!”
Only Mao Da, upon realizing the situation, grabbed a wooden stick and charged at Huang Mazi.
Huang Mazi chuckled and easily grabbed the stick, then kicked Mao Da away. “With your lousy skills, you dare challenge me?”
He slung the sack over his shoulder but didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he eyed Da Huzhi with ill intent.
“I saw it just now,” he said. “Do you have a spatial ability?”
Da Huzhi’s heart skipped a beat.
“Hand over everything in your space willingly, and—”
Before he could finish, the wooden stick and sack in his hands suddenly fell to the ground.
At the same time, Huang Mazi himself vanished into thin air.
Mao Da and his siblings were stunned.
Only Da Huzhi, still clutching his chest from the earlier kick, suddenly beamed with joy.
Right before him, a notification had popped up:
[Congratulations! You have completed the Elite Mission: “Establishing the Red Bee Grocery Store.” You have received the residency benefits of “Safe Grocery Store No. 9.”]
[You have gained the “Blessing of the God of Commerce.”]
[Please select a delivery address….]
Huang Mazi’s sudden disappearance was surely related to the God of Commerce’s blessing!
Just then, there was a commotion outside the courtyard.
“What’s wrong with Huang Mazi?”
“Is he out of his mind?”
Da Huzhi and the others turned their heads and saw Huang Mazi repeatedly attempting to step into the courtyard. Each time he crossed the threshold, he would blankly walk back out.
Once outside, he would regain his senses, stubbornly turn around to enter again—only to repeat the same process.
He even tried jumping into the courtyard, but the moment he landed, he vanished and reappeared outside once more.
“The God of Commerce has manifested!”
Da Huzhi couldn’t help but exclaim loudly. He then knelt down, bowing in the direction where he had previously encountered the “Divine Messenger.”
Mao Da hesitated, while Mao San and Mao Hua immediately followed suit and knelt beside Da Huzhi.
“Thank you, God of Commerce, for protecting us!” Da Huzhi shouted.
Mao San and Mao Hua echoed his words.
Mao Da glanced at them before finally kneeling as well. No matter how much he had doubted before, witnessing this miracle firsthand left him no choice but to believe!
Outside the courtyard, the slow-witted Huang Mazi had already fled in terror.
The onlookers, who had witnessed everything, murmured among themselves but did not leave.
After all, they weren’t the ones who tried to rob the store—they were still waiting to trade food!
Da Huzhi, however, paid no mind to the customers. After fervently bowing toward the “Divine Messenger’s” direction, he got up and chose to receive his reward.
A plaque materialized in his hands.
It read “Red Bee Grocery Store,” with a “Peace Commerce Association” insignia in the bottom right corner.
Da Huzhi couldn’t understand the words, but he felt the plaque radiated an extraordinary and mysterious beauty.
This was the “Blessing of the God of Commerce”!
It must be thanks to this plaque that Huang Mazi was repelled—he had to protect it at all costs.
Though, technically, Huang Mazi had been expelled before the plaque appeared in Da Huzhi’s hands, he didn’t think such minor details were worth questioning.
It was divine power, after all—wasn’t it natural that a mere mortal like him couldn’t fully comprehend it?
“Da Huzhi, what’s that?” Mao Da couldn’t help but step closer.
Mao San and Mao Hua had seen Da Huzhi produce food out of thin air before, so they weren’t surprised. But the other customers widened their eyes in shock.
They also perked up their ears, afraid of missing any important details.
Da Huzhi stood tall and declared proudly, “This is the Blessing of the God of Commerce!”
At that moment, a new notification appeared before him:
[Congratulations! You have triggered the standard mission: “Hang the Plaque.”]
[Mission Description: Hang the ‘Blessing of the God of Commerce’ plaque at the entrance of the Red Bee Grocery Store. Any person harboring ill intent toward you will be unable to enter the store.]
[Mission Objective: Hang the plaque and officially open the store.]
[Reward: You will become an official employee of the Red Bee Grocery Store and unlock more store benefits and functions.]
Da Huzhi’s eyes lit up.
He immediately said, “With this, anyone who bears ill will toward us or the Church of Commerce won’t be able to step inside our store!”
“Is it really that powerful?” Mao Da was skeptical.
The onlookers nodded in agreement.
“Hahaha! Didn’t you all see what happened to Huang Mazi just now?” Da Huzhi laughed heartily. “If you don’t believe it, you’re welcome to try anytime!”
His faith in the God of Commerce had now reached its peak.
After all, he had always relied on his wits to survive because he lacked physical strength. He had endured countless hardships just to make it this far.
But now, he no longer had to fear bullies!
If anyone harbored malicious intent toward him, they wouldn’t even be able to enter the Red Bee Grocery Store.
They couldn’t rob him.
They couldn’t even trade with him!
They wouldn’t even be able to step through the door!
After laughing, Da Huzhi eagerly ran to the entrance, carefully preparing to hang up the plaque.
Mao Da and Mao San exchanged glances and quickly moved to help.
Mao Hua, meanwhile, picked up the fallen sack.
Once the plaque was securely in place, Da Huzhi received another message:
[Due to your outstanding performance, you have been reassigned to “Peace Grocery Store No. 9.” Keep up the good work and strive to increase the store’s popularity.]
Da Huzhi saw that his store assignment had changed from Store No. 6 to Store No. 9.
Checking the message board, he noticed that Little Noisy and Silver Light’s old chat records were still there, but no matter how much he called out to them, he received no response.
Though slightly disappointed, he also felt a sense of relief.
Being around bigshots was a great learning opportunity—but it was also incredibly stressful!
Now, he had his own store, and he could even work toward making Mao Da and his siblings official employees. Together, they would make the Red Bee Grocery Store thrive!
So, he left a farewell message for his former colleagues in the public chat before happily closing the message board.
With everything set up, they resumed their business.
“Line up one at a time! As long as you believe in the Church of Commerce, you’ll get food—no need to rush!” Da Huzhi called out energetically.
Inside the store, Tang Yu’an had watched the entire scene unfold and chuckled.
“We got here just in time,” he remarked.
“Mhm.” Zhou Qi nodded.
Besides, the name of the Church of Commerce was proving incredibly useful.
By attributing everything to the God of Commerce, they could avoid unnecessary dangers while simultaneously fostering a sense of reverence.
They had to admit—Old Mo, the mastermind behind this entire “divine” system, was an absolute genius.
Most importantly, the “Anti-Hostile Aura” had done its job, preventing a repeat of the tragedy that had occurred at the Jufeng Grocery Store.
Tang Yu’anan nodded happily.
He suddenly thought of something and said, “We still have some of the physique-enhancing eggs we made for Mom and Dad. Should we give one to Old Mo?”
“And also Grandpa Li and Granny Guo—they can eat them too!”
Zhou Qi hesitated. “They’re getting old. Would they be able to handle it?”
Tang Yu’anan recalled how he had spent days stuck in the bathroom after eating a physique-enhancing egg. He couldn’t help but shudder.
He scratched his head and said, “Maybe we should start with just a little? Grandpa and Granny have abilities, so their bodies should be stronger.”
Old Mo, on the other hand, was an ordinary person, so he might not be able to handle it…
Zhou Qi nodded. “We’ll try when we get back.”
They had grown dependent on these elders, especially Grandpa Li. Without him managing the Desolate City base so well, they wouldn’t be able to roam outside so freely.
Figuring out how to strengthen their bodies and extend their lifespans was a problem they needed to solve.
“We can also ask Teacher Gu. He’s a cultivator—he must have a way.”
“Yeah.”
Just then, Tang Yu’an’s system panel popped up again.
[Employee “Da Huzhi” has completed a profitable transaction with a new customer. Points +5, EXP +3.]
[EXP full, Merchant Level +1.]
[Merchant Level reached Lv23. New items available in the store: tea leaves, sandwich biscuits, instant noodles, sanitary pads, razors. Check “Wholesale Market” for details.]
[Storage slot +1, total slots: 27.]
[Forum now supports adding friends. Trade window allows designated friend purchases.]
[RV function upgrade: “Auto-pilot” mode unlockable.]
[Seven-Day Sale Refresh Card +1.]
“Haha! Brother Qi, I leveled up again! And this time, I got so many good things!” Tang Yu’an couldn’t contain his excitement.
The experience points required for this level-up had exceeded 40,000, and if it weren’t for his outstanding employees, who knew how long it would’ve taken him to reach it on his own?
Tang Yu’an carefully reviewed the rewards.
First, the five new products in the store were all highly practical.
“Tea leaves, sandwich biscuits, and instant noodles are broad categories. We can exchange for different varieties and specifications!”
Tea leaves would be highly sought after by the grassland tribes.
Sandwich biscuits were good for filling the stomach and tasted much better than compressed rations. As for instant noodles—there was no need to explain their appeal!
They had already run out of the instant noodles they had brought from their original world, but now they could restock!
“Grandpa will be so happy—he loves instant noodles,” Tang Yu’an said. “Sanitary pads can be sent back to Mom, and the razors will be great for shaving.”
No more messy, uneven haircuts like before!
“The forum now has a friend-adding feature! We can designate friends for transactions…” Tang Yu’an tilted his head. “Does that mean private messaging will be added next?”
He continued reading, and his eyes lit up.
“The RV has an auto-pilot mode now!”
However, when he checked the RV interface, he saw that it required unlocking, and they had to be near the vehicle to do so.
Zhou Qi suggested, “Let’s go back then.”
The Red Bee Grocery Store’s protective barrier was now active. However, since the store’s popularity wasn’t high enough yet, the overnight stay function for invited customers was temporarily unavailable.
But at Da Huzhi’s pace, it would probably be ready by evening. At that point, they could add Mao Da and the others to the whitelist.
As for the teleportation array, Zhou Qi used his earth-based ability to create an underground chamber.
They entered the chamber and activated the teleportation array, returning to their RV. Tang Yu’an immediately opened the RV upgrade panel, preparing to unlock the auto-pilot mode.
*
MR168845 Plane
Tang Sheng had just finished his daily strike on a mutant creature. He pulled down the curtain of the magic tent and returned to the living room.
His face was grim as he sat on the sofa.
Tang Xueyun, whose period had just ended, poured him a glass of water and asked, “How was it today?”
“Another mutant appeared.”
Originally, the mutant he had been harassing daily had weakened significantly. But today, a second mutant had shown up.
And…
“They seem to be reproducing.” Tang Sheng frowned, his expression darkening.
Previously, their experience suggested that mutation wasn’t contagious—so if they kept eliminating mutants, they would eventually wipe them out.
But if these things could reproduce, that changed everything.
They would keep multiplying, and the world would become even worse.
“I’ll go take them out!” Tang Xueyun stood up.
“Don’t be reckless!” Tang Sheng quickly grabbed her arm. “One is already hard to deal with—let alone two. Let’s think this through.”
They weren’t outside in the open, and without proper weapons, she wouldn’t be able to fight effectively. Rushing in would only get her hurt.
Tang Xueyun was frustrated, but in the end, she sat back down.
Before long, though, she started feeling drowsy. When she opened her eyes again, a drift bottle had appeared in her hand.
Noticing her grasping at empty air, Tang Sheng’s eyes lit up. “Did we get another message from An’an?”
Tang Xueyun nodded, calling over their daughter, who had been studying. The family gathered around as she pulled out a spatial pouch and a light brain.
After watching the video on the light brain, Tang Sheng and Tang Xueyun had rather strange expressions.
Meanwhile, Tang Yuxin opened the spatial pouch and pulled out a purple-red pillow.
“This is the ‘indestructible pillow’ that big brother mentioned?”
Tang Xueyun nodded and tossed it to Tang Sheng. “Lie down and try it.”
Tang Sheng swallowed nervously.
In the end, he lay down, resting his head on the pillow. Seeing Tang Xueyun charging up her fist, he quickly said, “Honey, go easy on me!”
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
Then, she swung her fist—powerful enough to splatter a mutant’s brain— straight at him!
