It seemed that many people had realized just how special the hotel was. Over the next few days, guests arrived continuously, and the hotel was nearly full every day.
Although many systems were automated, Chen Xi still felt extremely busy. Every day she had to explain the hotel’s facilities and rules to new guests, record check-in information, and handle check-outs…
Even Lin Man spent all her time helping Chen Xi receive guests, except for when she went out to fight zombies and earn Crystal Cores.
Chen Xi realized that this couldn’t go on. Was this supposed to be “effortless lounging”? She was actually busier than she had been before the apocalypse.
“小 Eight, can the system upgrade? It’s not smart enough like this.”
【Host, once the system reaches level 5, it should have automated check-in and check-out equipment.】
“I’m only level 3 right now… Level 5 requires 10,000 Crystal Cores. When will I ever get that?” Chen Xi sighed, lying on the bed.
Suddenly, an idea struck her. She sat up abruptly. “Xiao Eight, can we give Lin Man some permissions? She could help me with check-ins.”
【Yes, host. You can sign an employment contract with Lin Man, which allows you to delegate some operation permissions to her.】
Perfect!
“But would Lin Man agree? She earns so many Crystal Cores fighting zombies every day.”
【You can ask her first. She might be willing.】
“All right.”
The next morning, Chen Xi brought up the idea to Lin Man, who readily agreed.
There had been so many people coming and going that some had no rooms and were camping in the courtyard. To earn Crystal Cores, they had killed all nearby zombies, and some even went far to lure more zombies to kill.
Lin Man hadn’t earned much recently, so when Chen Xi proposed the idea, she happily agreed.
Staying at the hotel and handling check-ins was easier than fighting zombies—and she would even receive a salary!
After signing the contract, Lin Man officially became an employee of Dawnlight Hotel. She handled front desk duties, including check-ins and check-outs, with a monthly salary of 1,000 Crystal Cores.
“By the way, Lin Man, I want to hire a few chefs for the restaurant. Do you know anyone suitable?”
The restaurant had been operating for three days, and the food was still prepared by the system’s built-in intelligent robots. They could only provide simple noodles and buns—stir-fried dishes were beyond them.
After three days, Chen Xi was already missing the flavors of pre-apocalypse food. Though surviving during the apocalypse was enough, given the chance, why not choose better?
“Yes, I know some,” Lin Man said, frowning. “My mother used to run a restaurant and is an excellent cook. She had several branches before the apocalypse. Chefs aren’t hard to find, but ingredients are a problem. Rice, noodles, and oil can be from before the apocalypse, but fresh vegetables and fruits are difficult to find.”
Hearing this, Chen Xi waved her hand confidently. “I’ll handle that! You just recruit the chefs.”
She wasn’t boasting. Her Tao Space had upgraded to have soil for planting. It was the size of a whole soccer field. Though it wasn’t enough to produce staple grains, it was more than sufficient for vegetables.
Time inside the space could be accelerated, nearly ten times faster. Vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplants could be harvested in three to five days. Fruits would bear in about two weeks, ready to eat a few days later. That was why Chen Xi was so confident.
To avoid exhausting herself with the harvest, she spent 500 gold coins to buy a small robot specifically to care for the vegetables and fruits.
All that remained now were the chefs.
Lin Man posted job listings on the hotel’s bulletin board. Soon, many applicants arrived. She selected 20 candidates for Chen Xi to finalize.
Currently, the restaurant had only four windows besides the robots. Chen Xi gave the candidates some vegetables to try cooking, then selected 12.
Four main chefs were assigned: one for stir-fry, one for noodles and rice dishes, one for dumplings, and one for breakfast items. Each managed a window and received 800 Crystal Cores per month. Each window also had two assistants, earning 600 Crystal Cores per month.
Among them was Lin Man’s mother, Aunt Zhang, who handled stir-fry. Her cooking was genuinely delicious—it was clear she had run multiple branches before the apocalypse.
The remaining eight were given some vegetables and fruits by Chen Xi, who promised that future hires would consider them first. They left satisfied.
The chefs began working that afternoon. The breakfast stall served porridge and buns, regardless of the time.
The response was overwhelmingly positive. Some guests even cried from joy.
“This is amazing! I never thought in my lifetime I could eat hot buns and fresh vegetables again!”
“Waaah, it’s so delicious! Brother Huo, can we just stay here?”
“Yes! Forget the base—this is so much more comfortable.”
These were the same people Chen Xi had seen earlier: Xu Yang and his companions. The “Brother Huo” they referred to was the story’s male lead, Huo Yan.