[Ding! Shop upgrade complete.]
A sudden “ding” rang in her mind, startling Qian Chuanchuan into snapping her eyes open.
The first thing she saw was a pure white ceiling.
Her first reaction was that something was wrong. She quickly sat up and scanned her surroundings. She was actually in a very spacious bedroom, and instead of a folding bed, she was lying on a large, soft double bed!
“What’s going on? Did I transmigrate again in my sleep?”
[Host, you did not! This is your bedroom after the shop upgrade!]
Qian Chuanchuan’s eyes widened, and a grin spread across her face so wide it nearly reached her ears. “This upgrade is way too powerful!”
She paced around the bedroom barefoot, the cool touch of the solid wood flooring making her toes curl with delight. She had originally thought she would be satisfied with just a private place to sleep, but she hadn’t expected the System to be so generous. This bedroom had to be forty or fifty square meters.
The bathroom was also very spacious. The first thing Qian Chuanchuan did upon seeing it was purchase the constant-temperature bubble bath tub she had previously spotted in the System Mall.
Next, she looked at her large wardrobe. It was currently empty, save for the off-shoulder grey cinched top and light-colored flared jeans she had worn on her first day, which hung there lonely.
The System was surprisingly thoughtful, even hanging her clothes for her.
Qian Chuanchuan opened the mobile mall again. Twenty sets of various styles of clothing instantly filled the wardrobe, and five thousand points evaporated in the blink of an eye. She had earned quite a bit over the last two days, accumulating over fifty thousand points.
Five thousand points was nothing.
Sigh! I really have been corrupted by capitalism. After only a few short days, I feel like five thousand points is nothing!
People really do change.
After a brief moment of self-mockery, Qian Chuanchuan bought herself two sets of silk pajamas and a pair of adorable bear slippers. Then, she bought a fluffy giant bear roughly her height and placed it on the bed. She had always liked hugging a big bear while sleeping, but her previous folding bed—which only had enough room for herself—didn’t allow for one.
Now, everything was perfect! She could go back to sleeping with a big bear!
By the time Qian Chuanchuan finished fully decorating her bedroom, an hour had passed. Only then did she remember the shop. By now, she was brimming with anticipation for the upgraded premises.
She pushed open the bedroom door, and the solid wood stairs made a pleasant creaking sound under her feet.
—It was actually a two-story building!
She rushed downstairs two steps at a time but came to a sudden halt.
The evening sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, flooding the main hall. Ten solid wood dining tables were neatly arranged, and in the open kitchen, stainless steel steamer baskets gleamed with a silver light. But the most shocking thing was…
“An automatic bun-making machine?!” She lunged toward the stationary mechanical arm.
The system’s light screen popped up at the right moment:
[New Equipment Added]
Fully Automatic Bun Machine x1
Smart Ordering System x1
Constant-Temperature Display Cabinet x2
Refrigerated Display Cabinet x1
Porridge Cooking Barrel x3
Soy Milk Maker x1
Rice Cooker x1
Deep Fryer x1
Sterilization Cabinet x1
Bun Steamer Stove x2
…
Qian Chuanchuan suddenly clutched her heart—this wasn’t just an upgrade; it was a complete overhaul! It had transformed from a tiny bun shop directly into a luxury breakfast diner!
After the initial shock passed, she felt a bit worried. The bigger the shop, the more work there was. Although she no longer needed to wrap the buns by hand because it was now fully automated, and there were various machines to do the heavy lifting, she still had to operate them.
Furthermore, this meant the shop would have to stay open all day. She couldn’t just work for a short burst of time like she did when she was only selling buns. She would be busy from morning till night.
Maybe I should only open for the morning and close in the afternoon?
However, as soon as that thought appeared, it was ruthlessly rejected by the System.
[Host, the breakfast shop has specific operating hours. You must operate according to the regulations.]
“Fine, tell me. What are the operating hours?”
[Operating hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.]
Oh-ho! Quite respectful of labor laws, then.
“What happens if I open late or close early?”
[1,000 points will be deducted from the Host.]
“One thousand points! You really dare to deduct that much!” Qian Chuanchuan gritted her teeth. “What if I close late?”
[That does not matter.]
Qian Chuanchuan: “…”
Fine, I won’t lower myself to the System’s level.
She felt it was truly necessary to recruit an employee to help with the chores and share the workload. But she would have to choose carefully. Ideally, it should be someone with no strings attached, someone who had lost hope and was willing to stay in the shop peacefully.
Besides, wouldn’t they have to sign some kind of contract with the System? It would probably be a life-long indenture; they would have no freedom and wouldn’t be able to quit whenever they wanted. They’d likely have to work until they died.
Qian Chuanchuan walked over to the refrigerated display cabinet. Rows of various drinks were neatly arranged inside. She casually took out a bottle of lemonade and took two sips. After drinking, she glanced back and noticed that the empty spot had already been refilled with a new bottle of lemonade!
“Wow! High tech! It even has an automatic restocking function.”
Not bad, not bad. That’s one less chore for me.
Next, she walked over to the two constant-temperature display cabinets. Currently, they were filled with all kinds of pies, fried dough sticks, purple rice wraps, sandwiches, and steamed cakes. They all looked incredibly appetizing and of high quality.
“Sansan, can these be eaten as soon as they’re taken out?”
[Yes, Host. And they are fresh and hot!]
“Do they also restock automatically?”
[Yes, Host. The items in the display cabinets can be automatically restocked infinitely!]
Hearing the System’s words, Qian Chuanchuan’s mood brightened even further.
She then went to the freezer and opened the door to see what was inside. She found it filled with many frozen semi-finished products: xiaolongbao, sesame balls, shaomai, dumplings, wontons, juicy grilled sausages… The freezer was packed to the brim.
By the time she finished inspecting the entire breakfast shop, another hour had passed. During the process, she even finished her dinner.
Qian Chuanchuan looked through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the sky, which was gradually darkening. A thought suddenly occurred to her. Since the interior had changed so much, the exterior must have changed significantly as well. She had to go out and see.
She pushed open the shop door, and a cool night breeze blew against her face.
The shop’s exterior had indeed changed drastically! The originally dilapidated small storefront had now become an exquisite Chinese-style two-story building!
It had grey tiles and flying eaves, with vermilion pillars that remained striking even in the night. Between the two floors hung a sandalwood plaque. On it, the four large characters for “Satisfy You” were embossed in gold, gleaming with a low-key luxury under the moonlight. Below the plaque, the three smaller characters for “Breakfast Shop” were outlined in the same sophisticated gold paint, clarifying the shop’s function without overshadowing the main name.
She murmured to herself, “I open the day after tomorrow… this is going to make the jaws of those who have been here before drop right off…”