Doomsday Grocery Store – CH3

Chapter 3 – Lucky Wheel

Tang Yu’an clicked into the newly added “Employee” panel.

The layout was simple, with basic data displayed at the top and employee information listed below.

  [Total Employees: 1]

  [Zhou Qi]  

  [Employee Level: Lv0 (0/10)]

  [Age: 15 ] 

  [Height: 179 cm ] 

  [Skills: None ] 

  [Title: None ] 

  [Overall Ability: A]  

  [Potential: S ] 

  [Affiliated Store: Peace Grocery Store]  

  [Position: Sales Assistant]  

  [Personal Points: 0]  

  [Stock Points: 0]  

The Personal Points and Stock Points had detailed explanations: the former could be used for personal purchases, while the latter were points granted by the store owner specifically for restocking goods.

Instead of delving into the points details, Tang Yu’an tapped the “Manage” button.

A new interface popped up, recording employee performance and benefits.

  [Employee Benefits]  

  [Base Salary: 10 points per month (Monthly salary must be no less than 10 points and cannot exceed 10% of the store’s total points balance; if the balance is below 100 points, the salary defaults to 10 points.)  ]

  [Commission: None (Merchant level too low to set)  ]

  [Meals Provided: Yes (Click to configure)  ]

  [Lodging Provided: Yes (Safety Barrier access granted)  ]

  [Marketplace Access: Enabled upon configuration  ]

  [Additional Benefits: More benefits unlock as Merchant level increases]

The information on this panel was essentially the same as what Tang Yu’an had seen when he sent out the recruitment invitation. Since he had very few points, he could only offer the base salary of 10 points per month.

At the bottom were buttons for promotion and termination. The “Promote” button was still grayed out, likely unlockable in the future.

As for termination…

An employee who is terminated will lose all job benefits and will also lose all memories related to the Mysterious Merchant and the grocery store.

This seemed to be a protective measure for the store.

“Brother Qi, can you see the Marketplace panel yet?” Tang Yu’an asked.

“No, not yet,” Zhou Qi replied.

Tang Yu’an thought for a moment and opened the “Provide Meals” settings page.

This page was similar to the Marketplace Exchange interface but with additional options, such as selecting which items would be visible to employees, the types and quantities of goods available for employees to redeem, and more.

Employees would only see the information that Tang Yu’an wanted them to see, in as much or as little detail as he chose.

For Zhou Qi, Tang Yu’an chose to reveal the entire Marketplace panel without restrictions, giving him access to all the items currently available for redemption.

He also set a “Monthly Meal Points” allowance, enabling employees to use these points to exchange for any food-related items.

  [Employee benefits setup is complete. Please set a monthly performance target for the employee.]

After this prompt minimized to the left sidebar, Tang Yu’an noticed the performance target section under Employee Performance.

Once he set it and activated it, Zhou Qi received a new system notification.

  [The Mysterious Merchant has enabled your Employee Panel. You may now view it.]

With a single thought, a new panel appeared before Zhou Qi. It was far simpler than Tang Yu’an’s, featuring only the Performance and Marketplace sections.

The performance tasks were straightforward. Zhou Qi then checked the Marketplace interface, which displayed the items Tang Yu’an had mentioned—water, rice, and salt—and showed a meal points allowance of 20 points.

What surprised him, though, was a section at the bottom labeled “Seven-Day Special Sale.”

  [Cold Cure Special: Can cure all types of colds, 100 points for 3 tablets]

This section contained only this one item, but if it truly could cure any type of cold as advertised, it would be incredibly valuable in this apocalyptic world.

In fact, any medicine would be precious in a world like this.

But with a cost of 100 points, the cold medicine was far too expensive for them at the moment; they’d have to keep an eye on their situation and consider it later.

“Let’s head back.”

Zhou Qi took Tang Yu’an’s hand, and they made their way back.

In the few minutes they’d been outside, the temperature had dropped even further, and Zhou Qi could faintly hear unusual sounds in the distance.

As night fell, nocturnal creatures began to stir.

Once they crossed back through the protective barrier, both boys felt an immediate sense of relief, letting out a collective sigh.

However, Zhou Qi didn’t head straight inside. Instead, he handed the flashlight to Tang Yu’an and asked him to shine it outward from within the barrier while he stepped back out to observe.

Once again, everything outside appeared pitch-black, with no light visible from within the barrier—it completely blocked both sound and light.

Feeling reassured, Zhou Qi went back inside the grocery store and shared the good news with Tang Yu’an.

“This barrier is really useful!” Tang Yu’an said happily.

“Yes, it certainly is,” Zhou Qi replied with a slight smile.

Next, Tang Yu’an got to work cleaning the store while Zhou Qi went to the back and started up the store’s backup generator.

With a loud hum, the generator powered up, and the lamp that had gone out due to the power outage flickered back to life. The two freezers in the store also started up again.

Since the power had only been out briefly, the food in the refrigerators was still in good condition.

With the lights on, cleaning became much easier, and Tang Yu’an quickly completed the final daily task.

  [You completed Daily Task (4), Points +2]  

  [Congratulations on completing all daily tasks! You have earned one Lucky Spin]

  [Would you like to use the Lucky Spin now?]  

  [Yes]    [No]

Tang Yu’an eagerly selected “Yes,” and a prize wheel appeared before him.

The wheel displayed various colored segments indicating different rewards, ranging from 1 to 999 points, special items, skills, and, most excitingly, unlockable marketplace goods.

Although the “Fuel” option was a small segment on the wheel, Tang Yu’an’s eyes were immediately drawn to it.

Fuel would be a fantastic prize—not only could it be used for the generator, but it could also power vehicles, even though they didn’t have a car yet.

Fixing his gaze on “Fuel,” Tang Yu’an prayed for good luck and clicked to start the spin.

After a tense wait, the wheel’s pointer finally stopped on—

Special Item?

Tang Yu’an blinked, wondering what kind of special item he’d won. Just then, the System message popped up.

  [Congratulations! You have obtained the special item “Invincible Cat Teaser Wand (Orange).” It has been delivered to the Peace grocery store’s storage.]

Tang Yu’an tapped the item in the inventory, and soon, an orange cat teaser wand appeared on the nearby shelf. He picked it up to examine it.

  [Invincible Cat Teaser Wand (Orange)]  

  [Description: No cat can resist this wand!]

Aside from this line, there was no other information.

Tang Yu’an curiously gripped the wand, giving it a playful shake.

It was well-made, with a tail end resembling a foxtail and two small golden bells attached.

As he shook the bells, a new System message popped up.

  [Congratulations! You have triggered a Special Task: “Lucky Cat”]

  [Lucky Cat]  

  [Task Description: Not only can cats attract customers with their adorable charm, but they’re also experts at catching mice and cockroaches. Cats that like to roam outside often bring special gifts back to their owners. Every grocery store needs a little feline friend.]

  [Task Objective: Keep a cat in the store (0/1) ] 

  [Reward: A super-cool doggy frisbee]

Seeing this new task pop up, Tang Yu’an paused in surprise.

So, was the purpose of these special items to trigger special tasks?

However, the reward…

Tang Yu’an shook his head. A “super-cool doggy frisbee” didn’t seem particularly useful to them, even with the word “super-cool” attached.

Seeing him looking puzzled, Zhou Qi asked what was wrong, and after listening to his explanation, he laughed and ruffled Tang Yu’an’s hair.

“Since it’s a special task, and it’s called ‘Lucky Cat,’ maybe it really will bring us some luck!”

Hearing this, Tang Yu’an felt a little better.

“Yes, yes! When we get the chance, we’ll get a cat! Plus, if I keep doing the daily tasks, I’ll get to spin the wheel again tomorrow!” Tang Yu’an said happily, swinging the cat teaser wand.

*

It was still early, just a little past six in the evening. Zhou Qi volunteered to make dinner, while Tang Yu’an opened the Inventory panel to continue organizing their stock.

Their store sold almost everything, including some fruits and vegetables, though they didn’t have many types.

They had apples, pears, mangoes, and oranges, all of which were only half a box each.

The vegetable stock was even smaller: three carrots, one large white radish, half a winter melon, and five potatoes, along with some ginger, scallions, and garlic.

Tang Yu’an sorted out anything that was spoiled, rotten, or insect-eaten, thanks to the clear descriptions on the panel, which made the sorting process quick and easy.

He cleaned the remaining fresh produce, wrapped it in plastic wrap, and placed it in the fridge.

Interestingly, he noticed that the freshness date on the panel actually extended a bit when he did this.

Aside from fruits and vegetables, eggs were another item prone to spoiling. They had two and a half trays of eggs, with 40 eggs per tray, totaling 102 eggs. Duck eggs were fewer, only 30 in total.

Though eggs were fragile, they’d still last about 30 days at room temperature, so he decided not to put them in the fridge just yet. Who knew? Maybe they could even hatch some chicks and ducklings in the future—

Some of their eggs came from rural farmers, meaning they might contain fertilized eggs.

Next came the bulk rice and various types of beans.

Since they weren’t sealed, they were somewhat prone to pests and mold. Using the Inventory panel, Tang Yu’an was able to quickly sort out the small portion that had gone bad.

The smallest unit on the panel went down to a single grain, so he could simply set up the criteria and instantly separate what he needed!

If he had to do it manually, sorting grain by grain would take forever.

Plus, it was hard to visually identify beans contaminated with mold, but the panel could perfectly separate the moldy beans from the good ones.

Afterward, Tang Yu’an searched for transparent sealing bags in the inventory and started with the largest sizes, packing the clean rice and beans to prevent pests and mold.

Soon, neatly bagged rice and beans were stacked on the shelves, while the problematic ones were left in their original burlap bags.

“An’an, dinner’s ready.”

Zhou Qi’s voice called out from the kitchen.

Tang Yu’an responded enthusiastically, setting down the supplies and heading to the back room, where he unfolded the dining table that was stored against the wall and placed it by the coffee table.

He grabbed a cloth to wipe down the table before inviting Zhou Qi to bring over dinner.

Both of them were young teens, growing boys with big appetites. Since they still had plenty of food, Zhou Qi didn’t skimp on ingredients and used up the items that were likely to spoil soon.

This meal had both meat and vegetables, with as much rice as they wanted. Despite the slight lack of appetite from recent stress, Tang Yu’an made an effort to finish his portion.

“Brother Qi, you’re a great cook!” he praised, clearly enjoying it.

Zhou Qi gave him a look, reached out to pat his head, and then started clearing the dishes.

“I’ll wash the dishes!” Tang Yu’an volunteered eagerly, but Zhou Qi shooed him away.

“You go take a bath first.”

“All right, then.”

Tang Yu’an obediently went to take his bath, mindful of their need to conserve water, so a shower was out of the question.

He filled a half-bucket with warm water, carefully wet his hair, lathered up, and rinsed it out. Then he used a damp towel to wipe down his body, focusing on the essentials before calling it done.

The leftover bathwater wasn’t wasted either—he saved it in the bucket for flushing the toilet.

When he came out, Zhou Qi had already finished washing the dishes and went in to bathe.

With his damp hair still dripping, Tang Yu’an returned to the front room to continue organizing supplies. But perhaps due to the dim lighting, he soon felt his eyelids growing heavy.

“Why didn’t you dry your hair?”

A hand settled on top of his head, and Zhou Qi’s mildly reproachful voice followed.

Zhou Qi had just come out of the bath himself, still surrounded by a faint hint of steam.

“Saving electricity,” Tang Yu’an replied confidently.

“Then you shouldn’t wash your hair if you’re not going to dry it—you’ll catch a cold like this,” Zhou Qi said, turning to fetch the hairdryer. But Tang Yu’an grabbed his arm, stopping him.

Tang Yu’an opened the Inventory panel and tapped a few commands.

A moment later, the family’s hairdryer appeared out of nowhere on the nearby shelf.

Zhou Qi paused briefly. The sight of items appearing like magic never failed to surprise him. Still, he picked up the hairdryer, plugged it in, and began drying Tang Yu’an’s hair.

Tang Yu’an sat quietly on a stool, allowing Zhou Qi to work.

After a while, he turned around, lifted his arms, and hugged Zhou Qi, pressing his face into Zhou Qi’s chest.

“Brother Qi, it’s so nice having you here…”

Amidst the hum of the hairdryer, Zhou Qi heard Tang Yu’an’s muffled words.

Pressing his lips together, Zhou Qi continued to dry the boy’s hair in silence.

When he turned off the hairdryer, he noticed Tang Yu’an had fallen asleep against him, with a glistening tear still hanging at the corner of his eye, catching the soft light of the desk lamp.

He must miss his family…

With a quiet sigh, Zhou Qi gently wiped away Tang Yu’an’s tear with his thumb before carefully lifting him and carrying him to the back room.

Since Zhou Qi started his third year of middle school, he’d had a growth spurt and now stood at 1.79 meters, while Tang Yu’an had just turned twelve last month and was only 1.62 meters tall.

Having helped his grandmother with heavy lifting since childhood, Zhou Qi was stronger than Tang Yu’an in both size and strength, making it easy for him to carry him.

When they reached the staircase, Tang Yu’an woke up, struggling to climb up the steps on his own.

Their second floor was small, with just a bedroom and no bed—they usually just spread bedding out on the wooden floor. There was a small balcony off the bedroom with a washing machine.

Tang Yu’an pulled some blankets and bedding from a cabinet, laid them out, and then tugged Zhou Qi down to lie beside him.

The night settled into silence.

Just as Zhou Qi thought Tang Yu’an had fallen asleep, he heard a faint, slightly trembling voice:

“Brother Qi, do you think we’ll ever be able to go home?”

“Yes,” Zhou Qi replied, pulling Tang Yu’an’s hand close and holding it tightly. “I’ll make sure we get home. I promise.”

Tang Yu’an sniffled and, after a long moment, answered in a small voice, “All right.”

“Brother Qi, we’re definitely going home.”

“Mm.”

*

“Beep, beep, beep—beep, beep, beep—”

At 5:30 in the morning, the alarm on Zhou Qi’s watch went off, and he opened his eyes right on cue.

Quickly silencing the alarm, Zhou Qi slipped out of bed in the dim light, moving quietly as he walked over to the window to look outside.

In the faint dawn light, he saw the same rubble-strewn wasteland, reminding him that everything that had happened yesterday was no nightmare—it was their new reality.

Zhou Qi let out a slow breath, threw on his coat, and carefully maneuvered around the sleeping Tang Yu’an as he went downstairs.

After rinsing rice to prepare breakfast, a quick morning workout, and some cleaning, Zhou Qi began inventorying and organizing supplies.

Around 6:30, the daylight finally brightened outside.

He opened the front door of the shop and stepped out for a look.

The temperature was still low, and while the air wasn’t exactly polluted, it didn’t feel particularly fresh either.

As it wasn’t yet opening time, the grocery store remained invisible within the barrier when he looked back after stepping out.

Zhou Qi fetched a stick from inside and began exploring the nearby area.

The visibility was much better than the previous night, but he still couldn’t see any signs of life within his range of vision.

He crossed the street to the collapsed buildings and searched around.

Not only were there no people, but he didn’t even spot any small animals. However, a few birds flew overhead occasionally, a small reassurance that some living creatures still existed in this apocalyptic world.

Unfortunately, these birds were far from harmless. On his way back, Zhou Qi was attacked by one.

Fortunately, they were small and didn’t come in a flock, so he quickly drove them off with his stick.

When Zhou Qi returned, the grocery store was once again visible—opening hours had started, and the invisibility barrier had lifted.

He checked his watch.

8:06.

It seemed the store’s operating hours were from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Zhou Qi took a deep breath, went inside, and washed and sanitized his hands. Seeing that Tang Yu’an was still asleep, he went upstairs to wake him for breakfast.

“An’an, time to get up for breakfast.”

The only response he got was a weak moan.

Zhou Qi’s expression shifted as he hurried over and pulled back the covers, revealing Tang Yu’an’s half-closed eyes and flushed face.

He quickly reached out and felt his forehead—it was burning hot.

An’an had a fever!

— 

Translator’s Note:

Hey Panda readers~ 

How is this series so far? I recently picked up this series and it was so good that I can’t stop reading and eagerly want to share it with you~ 

Since this novel is not completed on the Chinese platform, therefore the translation will be slower ;( 

The update will still be every day till I reach chapter 22, and depending on the completion of the novel, I will determine how many chapters I will be releasing per week~ So hope you stay tuned, and happy reading <3