Night had fallen, and Lin Yi decided not to rashly take risks.
During this operation, he reaped great rewards, not only gaining 19 Experience Points and 15 Coins but also collecting various sundries worth 48 Experience Points for the Shelter.
Apart from successfully upgrading the Shelter, he himself also progressed to Level 4.
Lin Yi allocated the newly acquired Attribute Points to Endurance and Agility, raising these attributes to 13 and 14 respectively.
"Boss! You're back!" Lin Yi's first employee, Chen Youyou, shouted with joy.
"What have you been busy with all day?" he asked.
"I sorted through that pile of stuff," Chen Youyou said as she pointed to the heap of sundries.
Lin Yi looked in the direction she pointed and saw furniture, various items, and small gadgets neatly categorized.
Clothing was folded by season and style for easy access; electronics were neatly placed on custom shelves to prevent damage; even the small gadgets were cleverly arranged into an interesting shape.
Looking at the refreshed scene, Lin Yi appreciated Chen Youyou's meticulousness, acknowledging her more.
"Beautifully done, quite impressive." Lin Yi cast an approving glance at Chen Youyou.
Previously, he hadn't considered categorizing the items and had just piled them up randomly.
But seeing these organized useful items significantly improve the quality of life, he couldn't help but smile.
Seems I've found a good "slave"... uh, good employee.
"Thank you for the compliment, Boss!" Chen Youyou couldn't be happier upon hearing Lin Yi's praise.
Lin Yi let Chen Youyou continue her tasks while he walked to the laptop to check the new rewards from the upgrade.
[Topic: Level Up]
Congratulations, your Shelter has reached Level 5. The store inventory has been updated. You can now purchase additional land.
Store—Build—Land...
They want 100 Coins?
Why don't you just rob me!?
Lin Yi gritted his teeth, reevaluated, and reluctantly clicked the purchase button.
He placed the newly purchased land next to the original potato field.
Instantly, the side of the fence slowly retracted into the ground and then began extending outward, securely enclosing the two special fields.
"What are you planning to do?" Lin Yi asked as he saw Chen Youyou heading towards the fields with a shovel.
"I plan to till the new land," Chen Youyou replied.
She was very clever and, after seeing the boss ponder in front of the first piece of land and then add a fence and a field,
she immediately understood it was time to get to work!
"It's too late now, let's do it tomorrow morning." Lin Yi appreciated Chen Youyou's resourcefulness and diligence.
"Okay, Boss!" Chen Youyou responded with a sweet smile.
She originally worried that the boss might require her to work 24 hours continuously.
Now it seemed she was overthinking, and she breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction and happiness.
"Hold on." Lin Yi called after Chen Youyou, who was about to leave, and pointed towards the pond, "Go take a bath first."
"But... bathing will dirty the pond." Chen Youyou responded awkwardly.
She knew well how dirty and smelly she and her sister were, looking quite shabby.
"Don't worry—even if you poop in there, the pond will turn clean again in a second," Lin Yi said earnestly.
"Alright..." Chen Youyou responded in a low voice, looking more embarrassed than before.
With Lin Yi's permission, she shyly picked up disposable bathing supplies and ran with her sister to the pond.
Turning back, she saw Lin Yi already tucked inside his tent, sound asleep.
Chen Youyou pursed her lips and then, with her sister, fully enjoyed the rare refreshing bath.
This was their first bath in months. She freely used soap and shampoo and played in the pond with her sister cheerfully.
Strangely, when they emerged from the water, the pond indeed turned crystal clear in a second.
The next morning, sunlight poured over the Shelter.
"Uh... huh... what's going on..." Lin Yi was awoken by strange noises.
"What are you doing?"
"Your job is tough and dangerous, so I'm helping you relax, Boss," Chen Youyou said, pausing what she was doing...
She blinked her big eyes, looking dazed.
"Hiss... great! Keep going!" Lin Yi certainly wouldn't refuse such good fortune.
Moreover, he was truly exhausted, so a little relaxation was not unwelcome. Thus, he closed his eyes again.
The morning forest was stunning.
Lin Yi stretched lazily in front of his tent and then sat on the grass, enjoying Chen Youyou's frolicking in the pond.
A hearty breakfast, some spring water, and a bath later, Chen Youyou looked renewed.
Her figure was still slim, and compared to the time of hardship, she appeared more capable now.
Previously, it hadn't been obvious, Lin Yi squinted, pondering to himself.
Chen Youyou's face now looked more charming; though not a top beauty in the world, her bare-faced appearance could compete with pre-apocalypse internet celebrities who used beauty filters.
Her long black hair cascaded down like a waterfall onto her soft shoulders. This scene stirred something in Lin Yi.
He approached Chen Youyou.
"Boss?!" Chen Youyou gasped, surprised to be embraced from behind by strong male arms.
"It's alright, Boss..." The woman breathed quickly.
Afterward, she limped towards the campfire to prepare breakfast, while Lin Yi began his morning exercise...
After breakfast, Lin Yi packed up, confirmed through cameras that the site was secure, and returned to the real world.
He targeted an apartment building with an "SOS" sheet hanging from the window.
Along the way, everything was eerily silent, with collapsed buildings and abandoned vehicles scattered everywhere.
Moving cautiously and alert for possible dangers, Lin Yi fortunately didn't encounter any Zombies upon entering the building.
Arriving on the fourth floor, there was only one metal door, tightly locked with faint sounds emanating from behind it.
Lin Yi raised his hand and knocked on the door.
"Who's there?" a young woman's voice full of tension and caution sounded from behind the door.
"A living person." Lin Yi responded concisely.
"Please help me!" As soon as the words were spoken, the door suddenly opened, revealing a petite blonde girl with an innocent face standing before Lin Yi.
There was no denying she was stunningly beautiful, with a flawless appearance and a graceful figure.
"My sister is in trouble; please, you've got to help me. I'll give you anything you want; just come in quickly!" she spoke urgently, pulling Lin Yi's hand.
Before Lin Yi could respond, the woman had already pulled him into the room...