Hearing those words, the system felt like it was plunging into pitch blackness.
Though for the past two days, watching Chu Yi stare thoughtfully at the floor had given it a premonition that something was bound to happen, actually hearing him utter the words “floor cleaning fee” still made the system feel like its future was utterly devoid of hope.
How could anyone possibly charge a fee for something like that?!
Before Wang Yan could even react to the remark, Lu Tianxin let out a shriek: “What kind of nonsense is this? I call bullshit, you’re clearly trying to rip us off! Isn’t it just a barrier to block mutants? The Panlong Base has those too! What’s so special about that?”
Before he could finish, Wang Yan pulled him backward by the arm.
This squad leader, nearly forty years old, was acting like a terrified rookie stepping into the workplace for the first time, continuously bowing and apologizing to Chu Yi.
“I’m truly sorry, this kid hasn’t seen much of the world and doesn’t know any better. I hope you won’t hold it against him, sir.”
The Panlong Base did indeed possess a protective barrier, built collaboratively by a Tier-6 defensive esper and a Tier-5 equipment-modification esper. However, it could only withstand the attacks of Tier-4 and lower mutants; once the mutant numbers swelled past a threshold, even that shield had its limits.
Yet looking at the hotel now:
Three Tier-5 mutants, five Tier-3 mutants, alongside a dozen or so Tier-1 and Tier-2 mutants.
They were swarming the perimeter in a coordinated siege, yet the barrier didn’t even ripple.
Anyone with half a brain could guess that the person who created this shield possessed a strength far exceeding Tier-6!
Small fries like them at Tier-5 wouldn’t even be enough to fill the gaps between this expert’s teeth!
“Sir, your place is truly extraordinary. I’ll go pay the fees right now.”
Wang Yan quickly calculated the expenses required for the four of them.
Breathing fees for four people came to 40 points, protective barrier usage fees totaled 20 points, and the floor cleaning fee ran 40 points.
That made 100 points in total, equivalent to ten Tier-1 crystal cores.
He walked up to the automated billing machine, saw that card issuance cost an additional 1 point, and without a moment’s hesitation, pulled out eleven Tier-1 crystal cores.
[Ding! Payment successful. Cardholder: Wang Yan.]
[Remaining points: 9]
Wang Yan instantly heaved a sigh of relief.
Spending a mere eight Tier-1 crystal cores to secure the protection of an expert above Tier-6—this was an absolute steal!
This was literally life-saving money!
Without this hotel, without this powerful expert…
They would have long since been torn to shreds by those mutants!
At that thought, a wave of gratitude washed over Wang Yan toward Chu Yi once again.
The senior’s temper was truly wonderful; despite Lu Tianxin’s provocation, he hadn’t gotten angry at all!
They were also exceptionally lucky to have run into such a benevolent and kind-hearted expert; otherwise, if they’d crossed paths with some of those eccentric, bad-tempered bigwigs, they might not have even left behind intact corpses!
Recalling the handful of Tier-6 espers back at the base, all of whom were famously eccentric weirdos, Wang Yan felt even more deeply how fortunate they were.
Over on Chu Yi’s end, the system’s broadcast chimed in as well.
[110 points credited. You receive 70% of it, totaling 77 points. As per your request, it has been deposited into the mall.]
[Remaining points: 782]
[Main Quest: Total revenue reaches 1000 points! (110/1000)]
Not bad, there was finally some movement on the ledger.
Seeing the progress bar budge, coupled with the fact that these people had paid the floor cleaning fee, Chu Yi’s expression improved noticeably. He pointed toward the sofa in the lounge and said:
“Very well, go rest over there. Just make sure not to break anything in the shop.”
Yu Qing and Yu Chun curiously surveyed the interior decor of the shop.
The level of technological sophistication here was incomparable to anything inside the base.
Tile floors so clean they reflected the faces of visitors, warm yellowish wallpaper, and plush, soft sofas.
Truly worthy of being an expert’s domain.
The pair of sisters began whispering quietly amongst themselves.
“Do you think the rooms inside this hotel must be amazing?”
“They definitely won’t be any worse than the ones in the base.”
They chatted away, keeping their voices carefully muted for fear of disturbing Chu Yi.
Lu Tianxin, on the other hand, showed zero fear of the strong, scrutinizing everything in the hotel with unbridled audacity until his eyes landed on the vending machine in the corner, his pupils shifting craftily.
He strolled right over.
The robotic assistant Xiao Yi detected activity within the hotel and rolled over on its wheels.
“Hello, intelligent robot Xiao Yi at your service,” it stated, pausing beside Lu Tianxin with a cheerful smile rendered on its screen. “This is the hotel’s vending machine. You can swipe a card to purchase the items inside.”
Lu Tianxin’s gaze locked onto the bottles of mineral water parked on the topmost row.
Transparent bottles filled with transparent liquid.
Any wasteland dweller with basic common sense knew that under normal circumstances, water carried turbid silt and appeared light gray or light brown.
Even water produced by water-attribute espers carried radiation and bore a pale blue tint because humans living in a radiation-soaked environment were themselves infected by it.
Such crystal-clear water was something only upper-city literate espers had ever seen recorded in books.
Lu Tianxin’s eyes darted back and forth as he plotted something in his head.
Without hesitation, he called out to squad leader Wang Yan: “Hey, Wang! Get over here!”
Though Wang Yan was a Tier-5 esper on the verge of breaking through to Tier-6, he still had to live within the Panlong Base, and on top of that, he was employed by the vice-commander (who was also a Tier-6 esper), leaving him with no choice but to dance to the tune of this spoiled young master.
“Young Master Lu, what is it?”
“Swipe a card for me… to get a bottle of this mineral water thing.” He pointed directly at the vending machine.
Wang Yan also noticed the product description inside and froze for a moment.
However, sensing Lu Tianxin’s mounting impatience, he quickly pulled out the hotel points card he had just acquired, swiped it at the reader as instructed by the machine, and pressed the button for the mineral water.
Ding.
A bottle of water immediately dropped into the retrieval slot at the bottom.
Plastic bottles existed in the wasteland.
They were scavenged from the ruins of various old-world cities, some of them boasting a history of over a hundred years.
Because they were portable and durable, many outer-city residents used them as storage containers.
Naturally, everyone knew how to use them.
With a sharp click, Lu Tianxin unscrewed the cap and eagerly chugged a mouthful down his throat.
At that instant, his pupils constricted sharply, as if he had just tasted something meant only for the gods!
Th-this texture! This fresh water completely devoid of any fishy odor!
He lifted his wristband tracker, pointed it straight at the water inside the bottle, and selected the detection scan!
[Radiation Level: 0%]
Ha…
Hahaha!
This was actually clean water with absolute zero radiation!
Even Wang Yan, standing right beside him, was utterly dumbfounded!
An item recorded in textbooks, existing only in stories of golden eras centuries past, was actually, right now, a tangible reality!
And they had acquired it for a mere 2 points!
This place was far more than just a simple hotel!
Wang Yan turned his head, preparing to strike up a conversation with Chu Yi.
A tight, vice-like grip seized his arm.
It was Lu Tianxin.
His eyes glued wide to the water inside the vending machine, the young man muttered in a low voice: “Go convert every single crystal core on your person into points, and buy out every single bottle of water in this place!”
Within a single breath, Wang Yan understood his intentions.
Lu Tianxin’s father, Lu Chenggong, was the second-in-command of the Panlong Base. He and the base commander frequently locked horns, and their factions within the inner city were locked in an ongoing, covert power struggle.
If they could bring back a batch of supplies capable of shattering human common sense, it could serve as a pivotal trump card for Lu Chenggong to seize absolute control over the Panlong Base!
Even…
Wang Yan quietly swept a glance over Lu Tianxin’s face, clearly reading a flicker of unbridled possessiveness in his eyes.
He didn’t just want to carry the water back; he wanted to… take over this hotel!
This was nothing short of sheer, unadulterated audacity!
Wang Yan discreetly looked over toward the front desk. Chu Yi was sitting in a recliner, holding a rectangular device and tapping away at something.
He didn’t seem to be paying attention to the commotion here.
Fearing disaster, Wang Yan hurriedly lowered his voice: “Young Master Lu, the protective barrier here is so overwhelmingly powerful; judging by that alone, as the hotel manager, this man’s strength must be at least Tier-6. Bringing back the water should be enough, let’s leave the rest for your father to decide…”
“Stop nagging, don’t you think I know that?” Lu Tianxin frowned, his face falling in displeasure. “Hurry up and buy the water, buy as much as you can!”
They had a vehicle; although they’d had to ditch it near a city ruin when they ran into the Hurricane Bird and the mutants, the car had gas and plenty of cargo space. Stashing a few crates of water wouldn’t be an issue at all.
Though Wang Yan felt uneasy about the plan, Lu Tianxin was ultimately his “master,” leaving him no choice but to obey commands. He converted his remaining three Tier-3 crystal cores, five Tier-2 crystal cores, and eighteen Tier-1 crystal cores into points.
[Remaining points: 1039]
The exact moment the top-up succeeded, a notification popped up in Chu Yi’s mind.
[Main Quest: Total revenue reaches 1000 points! Completed!]
[Reward: Hotel EXP 100 points! Current level: LV.2 (20/500)]
[Reward: Restaurant development rights unlocked!]
[Congratulations to the host! Hotel level upgraded to LV.2! Firewall level upgraded to Tier-7! Protective radius expanded to 10 meters around the perimeter! The hotel will expand to a fourth floor! A complimentary elevator has been granted!]
[Next phase of quests issued!]
[Main Quest: Total revenue reaches 2000 points! (140/2000)]
[Rewards: 1. Hotel EXP 200. 2. Underground parking garage development rights.]
[Hotel earned 1030 points. Per the agreement, the host receives 721 points, which have been deposited into the mall according to your instructions.]
[Remaining points: 1503]
Observing the rapidly completed quest, Chu Yi looked rather surprised. He lifted his gaze away from the tablet playing a show and let it fall upon Wang Yan, who was standing in front of the vending machine.
Out of nowhere, why had so many points suddenly been topped up?
A sudden realization struck him, and the corners of his eyes curved into an amused smile.
There were four people in this squad, with Yu Qing and Yu Chun forming a pair of twin sisters.
Under Wang Yan’s arrangement, they had stationed themselves inside the protective barrier to pick off straying mutants before heading out to retrieve their vehicle.
Right now, only Lu Tianxin and Wang Yan remained inside the shop.
Wang Yan frantically mashed the buttons on the vending machine, packing bottle after bottle of dispensed water into his backpack.
It matched Chu Yi’s hypothesis precisely.
He cleared his throat and spoke up right on cue: “Resale is prohibited in this shop. You are only permitted to sell goods to others at their original price or lower. If you violate this rule, the shop will confiscate the items you purchased without offering any compensation.”
Wang Yan instantly stiffened.
Lu Tianxin, however, scoffed, shoved him forward, and urged him to keep buying water.
After repeating the process countless times, buying ten bottles at a time until the vending machine flashed [This item is sold out], they finally ceased their efforts.
By this point, the floor was stacked solid with mineral water.
He counted them up—a full 500 bottles.
A triumphant smile spread across his face.
Only Chu Yi watched them with a cool, detached gaze, as if looking at walking corpses.
“Truly… two complete morons.”