He Lingyu glanced at the computer and confirmed that it really was a side quest. The main quest was not even halfway done yet, so how had a side quest suddenly appeared?
She clicked it open and immediately understood.
[Side Quest: Set up a children’s room on the second floor and invite one child to move in. Suitable area unlocked.]
It seemed this task had appeared because Hongdou had arrived at the restaurant.
It also suited He Lingyu’s intentions. Although Shang Da and the others had brought the child back, it was inconvenient for two rough men to look after a little girl.
Even bathing was a problem, not to mention living together.
The quest specified the second floor. Previously, only her room and Auntie Yue’s room were there. There was still extra space, but the permissions had never been unlocked. Unlike the third floor, which had started with three rooms.
Could the game have predicted that a little girl would join them?
He Lingyu could not figure it out and decided not to dwell on it. At least for now, the game had brought them nothing but benefits.
“I thought about it. It is not very suitable for this child to stay with you. We happen to have an empty room on the second floor. We will clean it up and set it up for Hongdou.”
Shang Da hesitated, unsure of her attitude, and asked cautiously, “Is that really alright? Would it be too much trouble for you?”
He Lingyu shook her head. “Not trouble at all. Hongdou is very well behaved. I like her.”
That was only part of the reason. The other reason was obviously the quest.
She just did not know whether Hongdou would still count as a customer after moving in and spending money.
Earlier, when He Lingyu checked the computer, she saw the main quest progress was 3 out of 100.
Those three were Shang Da, Feng An, and little Hongdou.
Originally, she had even considered using those three repeatedly to farm the quest if necessary. Now that all of them were moving in, she was not sure whether it would affect anything.
If it did, then she could only wait until Mu Qingfeng and the others returned with more people, or until some desperate survivors from Gaofei Base arrived.
He Lingyu had always been open minded. If one road was blocked, she would take another. One path would always lead to her goal.
If a quest could be done, she would do it. If not, she would simply live well. Even in a game world, life should still be enjoyed.
Besides, she would not have to wait long. Hopefully the people from Gaofei Base would hold off for a few days, at least until her employees returned and could stir things up.
When that time came, old and new grudges would be settled together.
That night Hongdou slept with Hua Yue. Time had been too tight to finish the quest.
Morning would be more suitable for going out to gather supplies.
For now, He Lingyu only posted the task on the quest board.
The next day, Hua Yue went out with Shang Da and Feng An on the donkey cart to search for materials. Mu Qingfeng and his group had gone on foot. According to the chubby one, if they rode all the way to the next base, they would be exhausted before they arrived.
While waiting in the shop, He Lingyu suddenly noticed that one unit of the main quest had been completed.
It seemed the three of them had safely reached the next base.
Her brows relaxed. She trusted their strength, but it was hard not to worry when people were out in the world. Now that she had confirmation, she felt relieved.
With network signals down and communication devices all unusable, she could not help sighing. Life without phones was really difficult.
“My goodness! This base is completely different from Gaofei Base. It looks much more orderly.”
Mu Qingfeng nodded. According to the information they had gathered earlier, the leader of this base was someone from the official authorities.
Even after the apocalypse, when order collapsed, some officials had awakened powers. In this chaotic world, they had become a refuge for survivors.
Under their command, the military and police still maintained some structure. But there were too few ability users, so safe routes between bases could not be established.
“Boss, where should we go first? Should we meet this base’s leader?”
Mu Qingfeng shook his head. “We split up first. Xiao Yan, go east. Fatty, go west. I will check the north. Learn about the base first. Meet back here in an hour.”
In that hour, the three of them covered most of the base. Especially the talkative Fatty, who managed to chat with an auntie for ages by offering her a large meat bun.
Village women truly were the most mysterious intelligence network. Almost anything he wanted to know, he managed to find out from her.
When the trio regrouped at the starting point, Mu Qingfeng and Jun Buyan silently watched as Fatty rattled off information nonstop like beans spilling from a tube.
They could not help sighing. Everyone had their specialty.
“So from what I heard, this base is pretty good. Everyone has to work in exchange for points, but they can all eat. No one is starving to death.”
Fatty concluded his report.
Mu Qingfeng nodded. “What I saw in the north was similar. There are patrol squads too. Any disputes get resolved quickly.”
Jun Buyan added, “And teams of ability users regularly go out to search for supplies. There are also researchers studying how to purify land for farming. They can already sustain themselves on a small scale.”
Judging from these points, this base could be considered a stable haven in the apocalypse.
Life was hard, but people could survive. Clearly the leader was no ordinary person, someone with courage, skill, and a desire to help others.
Just as the three discussed their next step, a squad of ability users approached them directly.
“The three of you, our Lord invites you.”
The man leading the group had a stern expression. His emotions were unreadable, but his eyes stayed locked on Mu Qingfeng and the others. Any sudden move would likely get them restrained immediately.
The three exchanged looks. Well, no need to discuss anymore. The other party had come to them.
Mu Qingfeng did not hesitate. He said to the captain, “Lead the way.”
They were brought into the tallest building visible from anywhere in the base.
“My goodness, it is this tall and there is no elevator? Does this big leader climb stairs every day?”
Sixteen floors. Fatty could not understand this way of showing status. By the time he finally climbed up, he felt like he had lost at least two pounds.
“Sir, they are here.”
“Let them in.”
A voice drifted from inside, gentle like a spring breeze. It was hard to imagine that someone with such a voice could be the most powerful leader.
When they entered, they saw a man sitting behind a desk, dressed in traditional attire. The knotted buttons on his chest were fastened neatly to the collar. He was lowering his head peacefully as he brewed tea.
“Sit.”
The man lifted his head and gestured for them to sit opposite him.
They still did not understand the situation, but they obediently sat down. The man did not appear hostile.
They remained silent. No one spoke first.
Finally Mu Qingfeng said, “You called us here because…”
Before he could finish, the man interrupted, “Drink tea.”
He set cups before them. “How is my base? After looking around, are you satisfied?”
Mu Qingfeng’s brow twitched, though he kept his composure. Fatty, on the other hand, blurted out, “How did you know we looked around?”
Even Jun Buyan, who rarely spoke, rolled his eyes at Fatty’s foolishness. The man laughed openly.
“Three ability users entered my base, and their levels are not low. Should I not be cautious?”
He did not hide anything and frankly explained why he had people follow them.
Mu Qingfeng had actually sensed someone tailing them, but he had not taken it seriously. They were ordinary people, not trained soldiers or ability users. There had been quite a few of them, so he assumed they were just residents curious about outsiders and hoping to see whether they carried valuables.
Some had even followed for a while and then left.
He had been careless. His fist tightened unconsciously.
“Do not be nervous. I have lived many years. It is normal for me to be more cautious than you. Besides, I have such a large base to manage. There are too many things to worry about.”
The man called himself an old man, though he looked no older than his thirties or forties. Mu Qingfeng could not gauge his strength at all, which was why he stayed so alert.
Still, alertness aside, what needed to be said had to be said. Since they were here, this was an opportunity.
If they stepped into danger and still failed to seize opportunity, that would be true foolishness.
“We came here with a purpose,” Mu Qingfeng finally said in full.
The man raised a brow, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes. At least this one had backbone, not a coward. Worth hearing out.
“Let me hear it.”
Mu Qingfeng did not waste words. He took out the flyer. “We came to promote this.”
The man accepted it and read every word carefully instead of brushing it off. “A restaurant? A place where any method of payment is accepted, in the apocalypse? Are you running a business or doing charity?”
He smiled, clearly skeptical, yet he did not return the flyer. He seemed interested.
He wanted to hear what else they had to say.
“I cannot tell you much about the restaurant. I just work for the boss. But everything on that flyer is true. And…”
Mu Qingfeng pulled out a fragrant bun from his small bundle. “Whether it is true or not, you can see for yourself.”
Though the bun had gone cold, the man felt as if he could smell its aroma. How strange.
“If you are not afraid I might have tampered with it, you can try.”
There happened to be a microwave in the room, powered by a backup energy source they had collected.
The man heated the bun. When he took it out, fragrance filled the entire room. Even the guards at the door twitched their noses.
“Did you smell that?”
“You smelled it too? I thought I imagined it. What is that scent?”
Both guards were captivated by the mysterious aroma. They did not even notice when the next shift arrived.
“What are you two doing?!”