He Lingyu took a look and saw that it was a main quest.
[Please attract fifty customers to the restaurant, and build a doghouse for your beloved dog.]
[Please give your beloved dog a name to obtain initial favorability.]
So the game handed her a dog, and she still had to grind favorability?
Was that even reasonable?
Even as she complained, her body moved honestly. He Lingyu obediently named the puppy.
[Congratulations, you have successfully named your beloved dog: Xiao Bai.]
[Xiao Bai is very dissatisfied with this name. He thinks his black fur is very handsome, and he looks down on your naming skills.]
As the words appeared on the screen, something fluffy brushed against her feet.
He Lingyu lowered her head. A tiny puppy with glossy, jet black fur stood by her ankle. It was so small, it did not even reach her ankle.
The moment it brushed against her, it immediately scooted away in disgust, then rolled forward in its hurry.
He Lingyu almost laughed, but she forced herself to hold it in for the sake of favorability.
[Xiao Bai’s favorability toward you is 10, beginner level. Looks like he doesn’t like you much as an owner, hee hee.]
For a second, He Lingyu suspected there was a real person behind the screen.
That had been mockery, right? It had to be.
She grabbed Xiao Bai by the scruff and gave him a firm rub, then dangled a promise like a shameless heartbreaker.
“Alright, alright, don’t be mad. When there’s a chance later, I’ll definitely change it to something mighty and imposing!”
Xiao Bai stopped struggling, as if he understood.
[Ding. Xiao Bai’s favorability toward you has increased to 20. Please keep up the good work.]
After checking the computer and seeing no new tasks besides recruiting customers, He Lingyu went upstairs.
On the way, she thought about what kind of doghouse she should build tomorrow.
With favorability as a condition, half hearted work would not cut it.
And the fifty customer goal… how was she supposed to complete that?
This place was so remote. She had been here for two days and had not seen anything close to that many people, much less customers who would come eat.
Still, she lived by the principle that nothing should interfere with sleep, and that things would work out when the time came.
She went to bed and slept well.
When she came downstairs the next morning, Auntie Yue had already wiped down the entire first floor.
Seeing He Lingyu, Hua Yue smiled. “Morning, Xiao Yu’er. You’re up early. Why not sleep a bit more?”
“You’re the early one, Auntie Yue.” He Lingyu looked impressed. “You’re way too diligent. You don’t have to get up so early. It’s not like we get many customers anyway.”
As she spoke, she could not help thinking of the fifty customer quest and let a bit of self mockery slip in.
“It’s fine. I’m old, I don’t sleep much.” Hua Yue hesitated, then added, “By the way, I checked the vegetables we planted yesterday. Why did they grow like that overnight? That’s way too fast. They really mutated, didn’t they? And I feel like our yard got bigger. The plots were right next to the fence before, weren’t they? Now there’s a whole gap.”
Hua Yue looked worried. She had finally found a place to stay, and the owner was a good girl. If the plants were mutated, they needed to be removed before they grew into a real threat. The yard also felt wrong.
“Uh…” He Lingyu was briefly at a loss, but she answered honestly. “Auntie Yue, the vegetables we grow here have a different time flow. They mature faster. They’re not mutated, so don’t worry.”
As for the yard, it was probably the Level 2 land reward quietly renovating things overnight.
Hua Yue nodded, half understanding. In her mind, her little boss really was formidable, not only with a storage type ability, but possibly plant abilities too, or maybe her storage ability had evolved enough to manipulate time.
A whole storm of speculation followed, none of it spoken aloud.
He Lingyu saw Hua Yue’s expression shift dramatically and quickly changed the subject. “Auntie Yue, a little dog showed up last night. I decided to keep him. Let’s build him a doghouse together!”
Even without the mission, He Lingyu would have built one. Some customers would not want a pet in the dining area.
“A doghouse?” Hua Yue tilted her head. “What kind do you want to build? Any ideas?”
He Lingyu shook her head. When she thought of doghouses, she imagined the fancy ones from anime and games, but with her skills and their resources, that was impossible.
“Auntie Yue, we don’t have many materials. We can only look around for wood and try to build something decent.”
Hua Yue agreed. She did not really know how to build a doghouse either, but making something that blocked wind and rain should be doable.
The area was barren, full of dead trees. They did not walk far before gathering thicker branches and hauling them back.
They found some basic tools in the restaurant’s storage room.
After a long while of tinkering, they finally assembled a simple wooden doghouse.
It was not big, with a small doorway and a pointed roof. In a burst of good mood, He Lingyu even hung a sign on it.
It read: “Vicious dog inside, strangers keep away.”
[Xiao Bai has moved into his new house. Current favorability: 25.]
“Auntie Yue, how do we get people to come eat here?” He Lingyu sounded troubled. “I’m a bit scared to go out myself. If I run into bad people or zombies, I’m done.”
“Isn’t that easy?” Hua Yue looked puzzled. “In the apocalypse, a restaurant like this is a treasure. It’s even a lifeline for some people, like me. How could no one come?”
“Easy, my foot.” He Lingyu sighed. “I’ve been here more than two days and only three people came. When are we going to make this place bigger and stronger? Auntie Yue, if you have ideas, don’t tease me. Save me, save me!”
She clung to Hua Yue’s arm and shook it. Hua Yue started to feel dizzy.
“Alright, alright, I’ll tell you.” Hua Yue pried her arm free and rubbed He Lingyu’s head. “What we’re lacking is fame. If people in the nearby bases hear about this restaurant, business will boom.”
He Lingyu already knew that in theory, but the problem was how to spread the news.
They were just ordinary women with no combat power. They did not dare go out.
“Auntie Yue, is there a good way to get the news to the nearby bases?”
“I’ll go back once.”
“No!” He Lingyu refused instantly.
Hua Yue had not shared her past, but He Lingyu could tell she had not been treated well at her previous base. Otherwise she would not have left to head for the next one.
Going back now sounded dangerous. What if she ran into zombies on the way?
“It’s fine, Xiao Yu’er.” Hua Yue saw her worry and soothed her, stroking her hair. “It’s midday. Zombies aren’t as active. I’ll go quickly and return quickly.”
She did not want to go back, but she wanted to do something for the restaurant that had taken her in. She could not accept eating for free, even if He Lingyu never said a word.
He Lingyu could not win the argument. She watched Hua Yue leave with only a bit of water, and worry gnawed at her.
After Hua Yue left, He Lingyu did not sit idle. She inspected the yard and found that the expanded area had pushed outward about two steps in every direction.
From the outside, the restaurant’s appearance had changed too. The most obvious difference was that it had gone from one floor to two. It still looked like a flat, simple building, and she did not know whether more would be added above later.
He Lingyu thought quietly that the changes were obvious enough that anyone who had visited before would notice.
And it would probably keep changing.
How was she supposed to explain that?
She thought until her head ached and still found no answer. In the end, she shook her head.
Forget it.
If people asked, she would not explain. As long as they were inside the restaurant, no one could hurt her.
Whatever others wanted to believe was their problem. Maybe the visible mystery would even keep bullies away.
Unknown things were always frightening.
After feeding Xiao Bai and settling everything, He Lingyu sat at the computer and waited for Hua Yue to return.
The waiting made her more anxious by the minute.
More time passed.
It felt like Auntie Yue had been gone for most of the day.
He Lingyu kept peeking outside. She did not care whether Hua Yue brought customers back or not. She just wanted her to return safely. The sky was getting dark, and if Hua Yue ran into zombies…
He Lingyu did not dare finish that thought.
She stood abruptly and went to the entrance to look out.
Then she saw a figure in the distance, and relief spread across her face.
Thank goodness. Auntie Yue was safe.
And then she saw the crowd trailing behind her.
“Hua Yue, where’s the restaurant you mentioned?” someone complained. “We’ve been walking forever, and the sun’s about to set. If we don’t get there soon, zombies will get active, and then we…”
Before the person could finish, Hua Yue cut in, “What’s the rush? Isn’t it right there?”
Everyone followed where she pointed. A building was indeed there, though they still could not make out what the sign said.
“Then hurry up!” another voice urged. “I’m starving after all this walking!”
People chimed in one after another, and Hua Yue did not stop them. She simply picked up her pace, leading them forward.
At last they arrived.
“What kind of restaurant is this? What a weird name. ‘Alive’?”
“What’s weird about it? In the apocalypse, the thing people want most is to stay alive.”
They talked themselves into acceptance. In the crowd, Hua Yue met He Lingyu’s eyes. Both of them smiled.
“Everyone, come in.” He Lingyu greeted them warmly, opening the door wide. “The restaurant is a bit small, so you might have to squeeze.”
“We don’t care about the environment.” A woman in the group spoke up. She had known Hua Yue at the base, not closely, but enough to know Hua Yue was not the type to lie. “We came all this way because Hua Yue said there’s food here. Is it true?”
“Of course,” He Lingyu replied. “But the rule here is pay first, then eat. How will everyone be paying?”
They had already heard the rules from Hua Yue, and no one complained. They held up their money and cores, urging He Lingyu to bring out the food.
He Lingyu had them put cash and crystal cores into the payment box, then she went into the kitchen to carry food out. Hua Yue hurried in to help as well.
Hua Yue had not expected the kitchen to dispense food automatically. She had assumed He Lingyu cooked it herself, or took it from some storage space.
Instead, the kitchen seemed to produce food on its own.
It was absurd.
When He Lingyu carried the dishes out, the crowd surged, grabbing and snatching.
She was about to tell them not to fight and that she would bring out more.
Then she felt a sudden force on her hand.
The next instant, someone in the middle of the scramble was blasted backward and sent flying out.