In the end, under Su Su’s persuasion, Qiao He not only bought the laundry detergent and soap she needed most, but also towels, bath towels, and even toothpaste and toothbrushes. When she heard there were brand-new sets of underwear and pajamas, she directly purchased three sets.
Her total spending instantly broke the 200-point mark, completing the mission set by the system with just one person.
Su Su was secretly delighted. With an automatic vending machine, she wouldn’t have to buy these things for them manually anymore.
As Qiao He went back to her room to organize her new purchases, Bai Bai, who had been watching the scene in a daze, finally regained her senses and walked over.
“Boss, you even sell things like this?”
“Of course. If you want to buy something, just wait a moment.”
As she spoke, Su Su conjured a vending machine, one meter wide and two meters high, as if performing a magic trick. She placed the machine directly next to the notice board.
Currently, the vending machine could only hold eight types of goods. This meant she could no longer directly profit from the price difference by buying items from the mall and handing them to customers herself.
Su Su cursed the system for being a profiteer in her heart; no wonder it had issued such a temporary mission.
However, it wasn’t without benefits. As a fixed piece of equipment inside the hotel, the automatic vending machine didn’t require her to make additional purchases to sell items; she only needed to select which goods to stock.
Since she could only sell eight items, Su Su picked and chose through the mall, finally selecting a few things people needed most right now.
Toothpaste and Toothbrush Set: 10 points.
Towel: 10 points.
Women’s Simple Underwear Set: 30 points.
Men’s Simple Underwear: 10 points.
Universal Pajamas: 30 points.
Laundry Detergent and Soap: 10 points.
28cm Plastic Basin: 10 points.
Su Su set the selling prices at double the mall’s cost.
Once she finalized the selection, the vending machine quickly adjusted itself into eight distinct display areas.
Ding.
The system’s completion notification sounded in her ear, and the previously empty vending machine was now filled with goods.
The right side of the machine featured a display screen where customers could select items and quantities and pay by swiping their cards. The bottom of the machine was the pickup slot.
Now that the machine was active, Su Su clapped her hands.
“Alright, go see for yourself what you want to buy.”
After saying that, Su Su left the lobby and went out onto the platform outside the hotel.
“What kind of person is the Boss, exactly? Is this her superpower?”
Bai Bai only snapped out of her shock after Su Su had already walked out. But now wasn’t the time to think about that. She rushed to the vending machine, and seeing the items inside, she couldn’t help but let out a cry of joy.
This was wonderful!
Ever since she knew she could shower, she had been dying to experience it herself. Especially when she saw Qiao He reappear looking clean and refreshed, the desire almost overrode her reason.
After all, in this season characterized by a lack of fresh water and rising heat, no one wanted to go to sleep without a comfortable shower. However, because she didn’t even have a single change of underwear, Bai Bai had been forced to endure. she had planned to wait until her next visit to the sea base to buy a change of clothes before returning.
Before a shower, she could tolerate her undergarments being soaked in sweat, sticky, and foul-smelling. But after a shower, she would be completely unable to bear that massive drop in hygiene.
But now, it was fine. This hotel actually sold these things!
Bai Bai quickly calculated the number of Cores she had. Pulling several crumpled ones from her pocket, she deposited them into her membership card. Once the points were credited, she immediately began selecting items at the vending machine.
Toothpaste and toothbrush—needed.
Towel—needed.
Underwear—needed.
…
Finally, Bai Bai placed all her items into a plastic basin and walked toward the bathroom with her membership card and a face full of smiles. It was finally her turn to wash up properly.
After Su Su stepped out of the hotel, she took a walk around the lighthouse platform.
The entire platform matched the lighthouse’s appearance; it was circular, but the radius extended about three meters beyond the main building itself. She walked halfway around to the back of the hotel entrance. Standing there and looking into the distance, she saw a calm, ripple-less blue sea.
It was hard to imagine that this soft, quiet ocean had been so turbulent and stormy just a few hours ago. Su Su only glanced at it before withdrawing her gaze.
She had come out mainly because she realized that after Qiao He finished washing her clothes, there was no place inside the hotel to dry them. To earn more points, she needed to improve the comfort of the guests staying here.
Thus, Su Su spent 10 points to install a three-meter-long drying rack on the back wall of the hotel. The rack came equipped with ten movable hangers.
“There. This will be the hotel’s drying area from now on.”
Having finished her task, Su Su headed back. Before she reached the hotel door, she happened to run into Yu Xin and his companion coming up from the basement. Judging by the direction they were walking, it seemed they wanted to return to their boat.
Hearing footsteps, the two looked up.
“Hello, Boss.”
“Mm.”
Su Su nodded and returned to the hotel without saying anything more. Now the room count was sufficient, and the vending machine was installed. Su Su only had to wait for new guests to arrive to complete the hotel upgrade as quickly as possible.
Not long after Su Su sat down behind the checkout counter, Qiao He finished organizing her new purchases and walked out of her room. She was carrying the plastic basin, likely looking for a place to dry her clothes.
“The drying area is at the back of the hotel. You can hang your clothes there.”
Su Su called out to Qiao He just as she was about to head out. Qiao He paused mid-step, then turned around and flashed a smile at Su Su.
“I understand, Boss.”
With Su Su’s tip, Qiao He quickly found the drying area on the back of the lighthouse. After hanging her clothes one by one on the rack, she didn’t head back immediately. Instead, she stood to the side, gazing out at the endless blue sea.
As it approached noon, the surrounding temperature grew higher, and the calm sea reflected the dazzling sunlight. A thin mist hung above the water, created by the high-temperature evaporation of the sea.
Qiao He stood in a daze for a while, feeling an indescribable peace. But as she stood there, she suddenly felt something was wrong.
Wait!
On such a hot day, she should have felt uncomfortable long ago. But right now, she felt perfectly fine; the temperature was completely within a bearable range.
She pulled a thermometer out of her space—it read only 28°C.
How… how was this possible?
It was already past nine in the morning. Normally, the ocean temperature during this season would already be approaching 35°C. At noon, the temperature at sea would reach a staggering 50°C. An ordinary person standing in the sun for any length of time would faint from heatstroke.
She had been standing here for so long; how could she be okay?
Since the sea had submerged the entire planet, the temperature in every corner of the world was the same. There was no such thing as some sea areas being cool while others were hot. Furthermore, when she was out at sea yesterday, the temperature was normal. The only difference was…