Chapter 5 – Unlock New Features
After leaving the grocery store, Zhou Qi followed the markings he’d left yesterday and soon arrived at the withered tree.
Yesterday, the tree had stood upright in the soil, but today it lay toppled on the ground, its trunk snapped in half and bearing bite marks.
The soil around it was also littered with animal tracks.
Zhou Qi’s expression grew serious as he gripped his wooden stick tightly, scanning the surroundings with caution.
Clearly, another creature had been here after he left yesterday, and judging by the size of the tracks, it was no small animal.
After a moment of deliberation, Zhou Qi decided not to turn back. Instead, he continued following the shoe prints he had seen before, leading southeast into the ruins.
Today, he couldn’t return empty-handed.
Before long, the tracks disappeared, but he soon stumbled upon a narrow path that seemed to have been trampled down by human footsteps.
This meant that the abandoned city wasn’t completely devoid of humans—there might even be a significant number of them.
This was definitely an encouraging discovery!
Zhou Qi eagerly followed the path, but he soon reached a fork in the road.
The branches were intricate and winding, sometimes narrowing to the point where the path nearly vanished. It almost seemed as if someone had intentionally disguised the trail to make it harder to follow.
As a result, Zhou Qi spent the better part of the day wandering in circles.
During this time, aside from occasional attacks by birds, he encountered no other living creatures—a frustrating experience.
As time passed, he also acquired several cuts from sharp-edged leaves.
Although the wild grass appeared harmless, its blades were razor-sharp, capable of slicing through fabric. Even his stick, which he used to push through the undergrowth, was now covered with deep scratches.
At noon, he rested briefly in a shaded area, eating some bread and taking a few sips of water before rallying himself to continue.
Finally, as he turned down a new path, he faintly heard an unusual noise.
His first reaction was excitement, but it quickly gave way to caution.
He recalled the animal tracks he’d seen that morning. In this apocalyptic world, it was unlikely that people were keeping pets…
If he did encounter a wild animal, escaping would be a serious challenge.
Zhou Qi grew even more vigilant.
Moving as quietly as possible, he crept in the direction of the sound. Eventually, as he pushed aside some foliage, he spotted a slightly hunched figure.
It was an elderly woman with white hair, dressed in clothing that, though worn, was surprisingly clean. She stood beside a small tree.
Zhou Qi didn’t approach her immediately; instead, he observed her from a distance, slightly taken aback.
It was the brightest time of the day, and the woman was standing in full sunlight. Zhou Qi could clearly see her every movement.
Raising her hands, she placed her palms toward the small tree. From her hands, a faint green glow began to shimmer.
Even more astonishing, the small, white-flowered tree, about a meter tall, began to change before his eyes. The blossoms withered and, in an instant, turned into tiny, bean-sized fruits.
The transformation wasn’t over.
As time passed, the tiny fruits grew larger and ripened, visibly maturing right before his eyes.
Only after the fruit reached the size of small fists, with a faint red hue, did the elderly woman lower her hands.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, then bent down to pick up a basket from the ground. Taking a sickle from inside, she expertly harvested all the fruit and leaves from the tree.
During this process, the tree, which had been full of vitality, gradually withered and yellowed until it was completely dry and dead.
Zhou Qi watched this scene from afar, his heart racing with shock.
He must have been too focused on watching, as the woman suddenly glanced in his direction, alerted to his presence.
Zhou Qi’s heart skipped a beat as the elderly woman swiftly shouldered her basket and, with agility unusual for someone her age, gripped her sickle and sprinted off in the opposite direction.
“Wait!”
Instinctively, Zhou Qi called out, “Wait!”
After finally encountering another person, how could he just let her slip away?
He rushed out from behind the bushes, but in the blink of an eye, the elderly woman had disappeared, darting through the ruins and out of sight.
Refusing to give up, Zhou Qi picked a direction and began tracking her.
To his dismay, though, after following her trail for a while, he realized he had circled back to the same withered tree.
Once again, he had lost her…
Sighing, Zhou Qi wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and sat dejectedly on a nearby rock.
Just as he was about to take out his water bottle, he heard a slightly raspy voice behind him.
“Young man, where are you from, and why are you chasing me?”
Startled, Zhou Qi turned around to see the elderly woman. Somehow, she had ended up on the second floor of a collapsed building, looking down at him from above.
Her voice had a peculiar accent, but she was speaking Mandarin, and Zhou Qi understood her perfectly.
He quickly stood up and replied politely, “Hello, Grandma.”
The old woman sized him up warily, her eyes showing suspicion. “You don’t look familiar, and your accent is strange. Are you from somewhere else?”
Zhou Qi nodded but didn’t elaborate on his background. Instead, he got straight to the point: “Sorry for following you. I was hoping to trade for some of those fruits you harvested.”
“You’re alone?” she asked, still cautious.
“Yes, I am.”
The woman continued to scrutinize him. “What are you offering?”
Zhou Qi had anticipated this. “Do you need salt?”
“Salt?” The woman’s eyes gleamed with interest.
Seeing her reaction, Zhou Qi relaxed slightly. He pulled a small, transparent zip-lock bag from his backpack containing precisely three grams of salt.
“Yes, this kind of salt,” he said, pouring a few grains into his hand and eating them in front of her to demonstrate that the salt was safe.
“How do you want to trade?” she asked, clearly tempted.
“One small packet of salt for three of your fruits. How does that sound?” Zhou Qi proposed.
Salt was a valuable item in this world, but it could be obtained using points from the System. Plus, the store had a half-bucket of coarse salt and several packets of iodized salt, making it a worthwhile trade.
“Deal,” the woman agreed with a nod.
A hint of relief and excitement crossed Zhou Qi’s face. “My name is Zhou Qi. May I ask what I should call you?”
“People around here call me Granny Guo,” she replied.
Zhou Qi nodded, feeling reassured. His suspicions were confirmed—there were indeed people still living in this desolate city.
Granny Guo disappeared from the building and soon reappeared on a narrow path, still clutching her sickle.
Though Zhou Qi remained alert, he discreetly took a step back to put some distance between them, which seemed to earn a nod of approval from Granny Guo.
She took three fruits from her basket and placed them on a stone under the withered tree, then stepped back herself.
Zhou Qi approached cautiously.
He laid a clean sheet of paper on the stone and carefully poured one-third of the salt onto it.
“One portion of salt for one fruit,” he said, picking up one of the fruits.
As Granny Guo nodded in agreement, a line of text popped up in Zhou Qi’s System interface.
[You completed a profitable transaction with a new customer, Employee EXP +1]
There was no notification about earning points…
Zhou Qi frowned slightly, feeling uncertain, but he continued with the trade anyway.
Granny Guo, standing at a distance, watched as Zhou Qi carefully divided the salt into three portions, announcing each time he picked up a fruit, his methodical actions eliciting a curious expression from her.
Thankfully, he only repeated this three times.
Once he had folded the paper with the salt grains and placed it on the stone, he put the three fruits in his backpack, thanked Granny Guo, and turned to leave.
Before he could go, Granny Guo called out, “Young man, find somewhere to hide before dark. Don’t go wandering around.”
Zhou Qi paused, thanked her again, and continued on his way.
Granny Guo watched the boy disappear down the path and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Despite his ragged appearance, his height and demeanor suggested he had come from a background that afforded decent nutrition. People rarely grew to that stature in these harsh, resource-scarce lands.
If he hadn’t seemed so young and harmless, she likely wouldn’t have interacted with him at all.
Granny Guo picked up the small bag of salt, opened it, and saw the fine, pure salt granules inside, her face lighting up with surprise.
It had been years since she’d seen salt of this quality!
Carefully, she pinched a few grains and tasted them on her tongue. Confirming it was indeed salt, the wariness on her face transformed into delight, her wrinkled eyes crinkling with satisfaction.
Looking back in the direction Zhou Qi had left, she felt a slight twinge of guilt.
Such high-quality salt was worth far more than three pieces of fruit—she’d definitely gotten the better end of the deal with that young boy.
After a moment’s hesitation, she shook her head, gathered her belongings, and left the area.
If she encountered him again, she’d give him a few extra fruits. But, in this desolate land, meeting again would be unlikely…
*
[Employee “Zhou Qi” completed a profitable transaction with a new customer, Points +9, EXP +3]
[Employee “Zhou Qi” completed a transaction with a returning customer, Points +9, EXP +2]
[Employee “Zhou Qi” completed a transaction with a regular customer, Points +9, EXP +1]
[You have completed Daily Task (1), Points +2]
[You have completed Daily Task (5), Points +2]
[Congratulations on completing all Daily Tasks! You have earned one Lucky Spin]
Tang Yu’an blinked at the flurry of System notifications, momentarily stunned before being overwhelmed by excitement.
Brother Qi had found a new customer and completed a transaction!
Checking his points balance, Tang Yu’an saw it had jumped from 32 to 63. Though still short of the 100 points needed, there was hope on the horizon. Even better—
[Experience full. Merchant Level +1]
[Merchant Level reached Lv1. New items unlocked for exchange in Marketplace: wheat, glucose, alcohol (75% concentration). Details available in “Wholesale Market.”]
[New functions unlocking…]
[Congratulations! Commercial Map successfully unlocked! Available on the homepage.]
[Congratulations! Personal Storage successfully unlocked! Current slots: 5 (more unlockable with level-ups)]
Tang Yu’an’s eyes sparkled—Personal Storage!
Could this be like the inventory bags in games? His curiosity piqued, he immediately began exploring the new feature.
As he focused, a Personal Storage interface appeared.
The display showed five slots. According to the instructions beside them, each slot was a 1x1x1-meter cube of storage space. The slots could be combined or used individually.
Items placed inside would remain in their current state indefinitely, free from decay. However, there were some restrictions: living creatures couldn’t be stored, nor could items exceeding the volume of a slot.
Best of all, he could share specific slots with employees!
Although his current level only allowed him to allocate a single 1x1x1-meter slot to Zhou Qi, Tang Yu’an was already thrilled. With just one level-up, he had gained several practical features, and he was eager to unlock even more with future upgrades.
After carefully reading the instructions, Tang Yu’an picked up a bottle of mineral water and mentally directed it into Slot 1 of his Personal Storage. In an instant, the water bottle vanished from his hand.
He checked the Personal Storage interface and, as expected, Slot 1 now displayed the bottle of mineral water, complete with detailed item information similar to the Inventory.
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Tang Yu’an turned to his backpack, taking out a notebook and a pen. He jotted down a few lines, then repeated the process to place both the notebook and pen into Slot 1. He finally shared the slot with his “employee,” Zhou Qi.
*
Meanwhile, after bidding Granny Guo farewell, Zhou Qi continued to wander along the path, hoping to find another potential customer.
He had considered asking Granny Guo about other people in the area, but after some hesitation, he chose not to. She was still a stranger, cautious of him, and he couldn’t afford to completely trust her either—what if she noticed he was carrying valuable goods and decided to take advantage?
Trading three grams of salt for three fruits, along with Granny Guo’s reserved attitude, gave Zhou Qi some clues about this world’s market values. Besides, his constant need to initiate transactions might raise suspicion.
Zhou Qi decided to part ways for now and return tomorrow to see if he could establish a steady customer relationship with Granny Guo, which would provide a reliable source of points.
At that moment, a system notification popped up in his field of vision.
[Your hard work has been rewarded. The Mysterious Merchant has granted you access to “Personal Storage Slot 1.” Please check your personal panel for details.]
Zhou Qi blinked in surprise and quickly opened his system panel. Sure enough, a new “Personal Storage” option appeared at the bottom.
Upon clicking it, the details of Slot 1 appeared before him.
Noticing a notebook inside, Zhou Qi clicked “Retrieve,” and the notebook appeared in his hand as if by magic.
He opened it and saw Tang Yu’an’s familiar handwriting:
[Brother Qi, I received the points and experience! A total of 27 points, plus daily task rewards, makes it 31 points. You’re amazing! ^O^/]
[I’ve also leveled up to Merchant Lv1, unlocking new functions—including this Personal Storage.]
[If you get this, please write back!]
[Waiting for you, An]
A small smile spread across Zhou Qi’s face as he read Tang Yu’an’s message.
He looked around, found a secluded spot, sat down, and took out the pen from his Personal Storage. He started writing his reply, detailing his encounters today and assuring Tang Yu’an he was safe and well.
Once he’d placed the notebook back in the storage slot, he emptied his backpack, transferring all items into the Personal Storage. Now, with only an empty bag and his stick, he felt considerably lighter.
Back at the grocery store, Tang Yu’an was watching the storage interface when he saw the system notifications updating in real-time:
[Slot 1: Employee “Zhou Qi” retrieved notebook x 1]
[Slot 1: Employee “Zhou Qi” retrieved pen x 1]
[Slot 1: Employee “Zhou Qi” placed notebook x 1]
[…]
Excited, Tang Yu’an quickly retrieved the notebook and opened it to read Zhou Qi’s response.
In his reply, Zhou Qi briefly described his experience, reassured Tang Yu’an that he was safe, and asked if his fever had gone down and if he’d eaten lunch properly.
Tang Yu’an had just taken his temperature—though his fever had lessened, he still had a slight fever and his throat was beginning to hurt.
But he didn’t relay his symptoms truthfully to Zhou Qi, only assuring him that he was fine.
Remembering something, he browsed the Inventory and located a dagger, placing it in the storage slot so Zhou Qi could use it for self-defense if necessary.
With everything set, Tang Yu’an finally felt a weight lift off his chest as he watched the system messages update with Zhou Qi’s actions.
If only we had cell phones for real-time communication, he thought wistfully.
Of course, he knew that without a satellite connection, even a cell phone wouldn’t work, but still…
Tang Yu’an typed “phone” into the System’s Inventory search function, and to his surprise, he found something exciting—
His mother’s cell phone was still at home!
Quickly, he retrieved the phone. Although there was no network or signal for calls, it could still be used for typing, taking pictures, and recording audio—much more convenient than using pen and paper!
He entered his birthday to unlock the screen, and as the home wallpaper of his family of four appeared, his nose stung, and tears threatened to spill.
Taking a few deep breaths to hold back his tears, he put the phone into Slot 1 of the Personal Storage, then messaged Zhou Qi to let him know the lock screen password.
After exchanging a few messages, Tang Yu’an turned his attention back to the other new features he’d unlocked.
First up was the Marketplace, where three new items were now available for exchange.
[Wheat: 1 point per 100 grams]
[Glucose: 1 point per 10 grams]
[Alcohol (75% concentration): 25 points per 500 ml]
Just as they had guessed, the types of items they could exchange would increase as his merchant level went up.
All three new items seemed very useful, especially the alcohol, which could be used not only for disinfection and physical cooling but also as fuel.
He eagerly shared the good news with Zhou Qi, though it seemed Zhou Qi was preoccupied and hadn’t checked the message yet—probably busy traveling or dealing with something urgent.
Tang Yu’an didn’t mind and moved on to the Lucky Spin, using the chance he’d earned from completing his daily tasks. Wishing for points, he spun the wheel and actually won 10 points!
On his main panel, a new function had also appeared alongside Personal Storage: [Commercial Map].
Curious, he tapped it.
A rectangular map appeared before him, though most of it was shrouded in dark fog. Only a tiny green dot in the center was visible, outlined by dotted lines that labeled it “Peace Grocery Store.”
Tang Yu’an zoomed in using the scale bar on the right, expanding the map to a scale where he could see more detail.
The label “Peace Grocery Store” remained constant, and around it, the rest of the map filled in with details he could now make out.
The most prominent feature was a golden star in the middle, which represented him next to the “Peace Grocery Store”.
From this central point, a portion of the map to the southeast was cleared of fog, showing faint terrain outlines.
Comparing it to the information Zhou Qi had sent him, Tang Yu’an guessed that the areas uncovered on the map represented places Brother Qi had explored.
Then he noticed different colored dots…
He looked at the legend beside the map:
Customers: Potential (green), New (silver), Returning (light gold), Regular (gold)
Employees: Blue
Dangerous Creatures: Red
On the map, the blue dot represented Brother Qi, and the gold dot was probably Granny Guo, whom Brother Qi had just met. But then there was a red dot…
Tang Yu’an froze.
At the edge of the foggy area on the map, a red dot suddenly appeared, overlapping with Zhou Qi’s blue dot, and the two dots started moving rapidly across the map!
Oh no! Brother Qi is in danger!
