The moment the plastic seal of the instant noodles was torn open, a profound silence fell over the convenience store.
As the beef-flavored seasoning packet hit the paper cup and the hot water surged in, a rich, savory aroma began to drift through the air.
The teenager stood before the counter, his hand still deathly tight around his remaining water bottles, but his eyes were glued to that cup of noodles. His Adam's apple bobbed once, then twice, as if he had almost forgotten the physical act of swallowing.
Lin Wu pushed the cup toward him and tossed a ham sausage next to it.
"On the house."
The boy's fingers trembled. He looked up at her, appearing as though he hadn't understood the words.
Lin Wu's tone remained flat. "First-order discount. Won't happen again."
Only then did he react, snatching the noodles with a speed that almost whipped up a breeze. He didn't eat immediately; instead, he lowered his head and took a deep breath of the steam.
Just that one breath made his shoulders shake slightly.
It was as if someone had suddenly handed a ball of warmth to a person standing in the middle of a frozen wasteland.
The next second, he dipped his head and took a massive, burning mouthful.
The scalding broth made his brow furrow sharply, but his eyes instantly reddened. Fearing someone might snatch it away, he gulped down half the cup in three or four bites. He ate so fast he began to choke, leaning against the counter as his back shook with coughs, yet his hand never once let go of the cup.
Lin Wu stood behind the register, watching quietly.
She had seen hungry people before. But it was her first time seeing someone eat as if they were consuming life itself.
"Are instant noodles really that scarce where you're from?" she asked.
The boy clutched the paper cup, silent for two seconds. His voice was hoarse. "Three months ago, the last food warehouse was overrun by a tide of corpses. Now, in the base, a Level 1 Crystal can usually only get you two pieces of compressed biscuit."
He paused, then lowered his head to take another sip of the broth. This time, his movements were much slower, as if he couldn't bear to finish it.
Lin Wu's eyelashes fluttered.
A Level 1 Crystal was worth eight cups of noodles and four bottles of water to her; over there, it was only worth two dry biscuits.
The gap between them wasn't just profit. It was the "Era Dividend."
She suddenly understood why the system had chosen a convenience store. In an apocalypse, the most valuable things aren't high-end luxuries. It's the mouthful of food that lets you live another day.
Just then, a system chime rang in her ear.
[ FIRST CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: EXCELLENT ] [ STORE REPUTATION +1 ] [ WASTELAND REALM AFFINITY +1 ] [ HINT: THE HIGHER THE SATISFACTION, THE HIGHER THE CHANCE OF REPEAT CUSTOMERS. ]
Immediately, Lin Wu's right palm grew warm.
The warmth didn't dissipate; it spread along her arm, neck, and back, as if someone were forcibly peeling away the exhaustion accumulated from weeks of night shifts.
She instinctively clenched her fingers. Steadier. Stronger.
She glanced down at a crate of mineral water by the register—something that usually required two hands to move. She lifted it halfway with one hand, barely exerting any effort.
A glint appeared in her eyes before she set it back down, acting as if nothing had happened. Good. This "enhancement" wasn't just for show.
Behind the counter, the newly appeared silver-white purification module glowed with a soft blue light. A stream of crystal-clear water fell silently into the transparent reservoir, looking like a sliver of perpetual moonlight.
Lin Wu walked over and filled half a cup.
The water was cold and clean, with a hint of sweetness like a mountain spring. Outside, the rain was foul and the air was filthy, with the city's power and water on the verge of total failure.
But here, her water was infinite.
As she set the cup down, a clear realization rose in her mind. This shop wasn't just a supermarket anymore. It was her capital for survival—and her ultimate bargaining chip for trading with the Myriad Realms.
"Owner..." the boy suddenly spoke.
Lin Wu turned. He had finished the noodles completely, not even leaving a drop of broth behind.
He stared at the empty cup, appearing as though he hadn't yet woken up from the warmth of the meal. After a long silence, he whispered, "Will you... keep this place open in the future?"
Lin Wu let out a short laugh. "What, looking for a membership?"
The boy froze, clearly not understanding the term.
"It means," Lin Wu leaned against the counter, tapping the surface three times. "As long as I'm alive, this shop stays open."
Her tone was casual. But the boy looked as if he had just heard a heavy, solemn vow. In the wasteland, a promise was sometimes more expensive than a crystal.
He went silent for a few seconds before speaking. "My name is Qi Ye."
Lin Wu nodded. "Lin Wu."
Qi Ye carefully tucked the remaining noodles and water into his pack. After a moment of hesitation, he pulled a small, grayish-black metal fragment from his vest and placed it on the counter.
"This... for you."
Lin Wu didn't touch it. "I don't do charity, and I don't take things for free."
"It's not charity," Qi Ye said seriously. "It's an access chip for the old lab in Wasteland Sector 3. It only works for low-level quarantine zones. If you ever connect to deeper parts of the wasteland, it might save you some trouble."
The system immediately popped up a notification:
[ SPECIAL ITEM DETECTED: WASTELAND SECTOR 3 ACCESS CHIP FRAGMENT ] [ USE: ACCESS ITEM FOR FUTURE REALM UNLOCKS ] [ VALUE: LOW ] [ NOTE: CONTAINS INTEL VALUE ]
Lin Wu glanced at it and took it. "Fine. I'll count it as a 'pre-paid deposit.'"
The corner of Qi Ye's mouth moved slightly, as if he wanted to smile but had forgotten how.
Suddenly, the frantic pounding on the door resumed.
"Lin Wu! Lin Wu!! You can't just leave me out here to die! I'm really going to die!"
Wang Defa's voice had gone hoarse from screaming. He saw the boy eating inside, saw the water, and saw Lin Wu standing there talking as if nothing was wrong. He was losing his mind, his face pressed so hard against the glass that his features were distorted by terror.
Behind him, the chaos in the streets was spreading. People were fleeing and crying in the distance, and more dark shadows were congregating. Though they were turned to ash the moment they hit the barrier, the encroaching pressure was enough to snap anyone's nerves.
Qi Ye looked back, his eyes turning cold instantly. "It's starting in your world, too."
Lin Wu gave a curt "Mm."
She didn't address Wang Defa immediately. Instead, she looked at the system interface. Since the first trade was complete, a new line of text had appeared in the top right corner.
[ NATIVE CUSTOMER ACCESS: LOCKED ] [ HINT: OWNER MAY CHOOSE TO ENABLE 'NATIVE RETAIL MODE'. ] [ DESCRIPTION: ONCE ENABLED, BEINGS FROM THIS WORLD MAY ENTER UPON PERMISSION. ] [ WARNING: SCREEN CUSTOMERS CAREFULLY. ONCE RULES ARE ESTABLISHED, VIOLATORS SHALL BE PUNISHED. ]
Lin Wu narrowed her eyes.
So, the wasteland customers were brought in automatically by the system. But whether people from the real world could enter... that decision was hers.
This was vital. It meant this shop wasn't a shelter. It wasn't a charity. Whether those people outside could come in depended entirely on her.
Wang Defa was still pounding. "Lin Wu! Please! I'll give you the shop! I'll raise your pay! No, no, no—the shop was yours to begin with! Just let me in! I know I was wrong—"
Lin Wu looked at him and said, "You owe me 800 in night shift bonuses."
Wang Defa froze, then nodded frantically like a man grasping a lifeline. "I'll pay! I'll pay! Not 800—8,000! Anything!"
"Keep it on tab for now," Lin Wu said calmly. "But starting now, my shop has new rules."
She tapped the 'Native Retail Mode' on the screen. The light screen expanded, and rules began to surface one by one. She scanned them once, then looked toward the door, her voice clear.
"First: Pay before entering." "Second: No trouble, no stealing, and don't touch anything I haven't given you permission to touch." "Third: Break the rules, and I throw you out."
Wang Defa was sweating profusely. "I'll pay! I'll pay! But I don't have anything on me right now!"
Lin Wu smiled thinly. "Then come back when you do."
She turned and filled half a cup of water, taking a slow sip.
Wang Defa completely snapped. He began to scream curses. "Lin Wu! You bitch—"
Before he could finish the sentence, a flash of pale gold light flickered across the doorframe.
Slap!
It was as if an invisible hand had delivered a brutal blow. Wang Defa was sent flying, crashing into the rain. Half his face swelled instantly, and he coughed up a bit of blood. Yet, he wasn't fatally injured; he could only stare at the door in sheer, shivering terror.
[ NOTICE: STORE RULES ESTABLISHED BY OWNER. ] [ RULES ARE NOW IN EFFECT. ] [ WARNING: ANY VERBAL ABUSE, THREATS, OR ATTACKS AGAINST THE OWNER WILL BE VIEWED AS A CHALLENGE TO STORE RULES. ]
Lin Wu raised an eyebrow. Interesting. These rules were even more protective of her than she had expected.
Qi Ye watched from the side, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes for the first time. In his world, the strong made the rules. But in this shop, the rules were the strong.
As Wang Defa lay on the ground, sobbing and gasping, two more figures came stumbling out of the darkness across the street.
A young woman, clutching a five or six-year-old girl in her arms. The girl's face was flushed deep red with fever, her head buried in the woman's shoulder, breathing raggedly. By the time the woman reached the door, she had lost a shoe, and her arm was scratched, blood dripping down her sleeve.
She saw the light inside, and tears fell instantly. "Please... please save my daughter..."
She didn't pound on the door like Wang Defa. She just stood there, clutching the child, her voice trembling violently. "I have money. I have gold. My husband used to run a jewelry store... I have bracelets, rings... I'll give you everything. Just sell me a box of fever medicine, or even just a bottle of water..."
Lin Wu's hand on her water cup paused. This time, she didn't refuse immediately. Because the woman had said buy. Not "give." Not "demand."
New prompts jumped onto the system screen.
[ NATIVE HIGH-DEMAND ITEMS DETECTED: DRINKING WATER, FEVER MEDICINE, FOOD ] [ TRADABLE ITEMS DETECTED: GOLD JEWELRY ] [ HINT: COMPLETING THE FIRST NATIVE RETAIL TRADE UNLOCKS "BASIC STORAGE SPACE". ]
Lin Wu's gaze shifted. Basic Storage Space. That was exactly what she needed right now.
Outside, the woman could barely stay standing, yet she held the child as if she were holding the last spark of fire in the night.
Wang Defa scrambled up from the ground, seeing a chance. "Save me first! I was here first! Lin Wu, I'm your boss—"
The woman snapped her head around, glaring at him with a gaze full of the ferocity of someone pushed to the brink.
Inside the shop, Lin Wu set down her cup and placed her hand on the door lock.
Qi Ye looked at her. "You're opening the door?"
Lin Wu watched the woman who held the sick child but hadn't dared to violently ram the door. Slowly, she spoke:
"It's a business. Of course I'm opening."
"But this door—"
"Not everyone is worthy of entering."
Click.
The lock turned. Outside, the darkness seemed to go quiet for a heartbeat. Under the brilliant lights of the store, Lin Wu looked up and, for the first time, gave the people of the real world the smile of a true boss.
"If you want in, state your price."