Watching Chu Yi open his mouth like a lion wanting an exorbitant price, the system flickered anxiously twice.
[Host! The bath is included in the suite service; there’s no need to charge extra!]
Chu Yi didn’t listen, completely ignoring it.
His amber eyes blinked as he looked at Xue Xiaobai beside him.
The newly adult youth wore an expression of surprise, as if a pie had dropped straight from the sky.
“Re-really, just one Tier-1 crystal core?! And I can wash for ten minutes!”
Chu Yi merely raised an eyebrow, not directly answering his question.
He retrieved a hotel ID card from his system inventory—the moment the crystal core landed in the business register, the card bound to Xue Xiaobai’s identity was already generated.
“Take it.” He tossed the card to Xue Xiaobai.
Watching the other person scramble to catch it like a startled, panic-stricken rabbit, Chu Yi narrowed his eyes with amusement.
“Just insert the card into the slot by the faucet to use it. The time is calculated automatically, and the water flow will shut off when time’s up. Take your bath while you can.”
With that, he gave Xue Xiaobai a gentle push, nudged him into the room, and promptly shut the door.
Standing outside the door, separated from the room, Chu Yi finally couldn’t hold it in any longer. He leaned one hand against the wall and fell into a violent fit of coughing.
Ringing out concurrently was the system’s cheerful task completion notification.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the novice task: ‘A guest checks into the hotel for one night (1/1)’!]
[System Mall unlocked!]
[Reward: 10 store experience points!]
[You have collected ten Tier-1 crystal cores. According to the contract agreement, 70% of the revenue belongs to you.]
[The exchange rate for Tier-1 crystal cores is 1:10; you have gained 70 personal experience points!]
Dozens of seconds later, he lowered his gaze to look at the displayed system interface.
[Name: Chu Yi Hotel Level: LV.0 (10/100) (Level 5 Protective Shield: Invincible state within the hotel interior and a 3-meter radius around the perimeter) Personal Level: LV.0 (70/100) Ability: None (Unlocked when personal level reaches LV.10) Personal Item: 《Hotel Management Assistant Manual》]
Opening his hands, he could feel a warm energy pulsing through his body, greatly alleviating the discomfort in his throat and lungs.
Chu Yi was born into a wealthy family with a harmonious home and loving parents.
Alas, he was born with congenital deficiencies and low immunity, spending his childhood repeatedly in and out of hospitals.
While trapped in his fragile body and bedridden, he was found by the system.
As long as he completed its tasks, he could repair the flaws in both his body and soul.
That was why he followed it to this wasteland world.
Right now, looking at the extra 70 personal experience points, Chu Yi could clearly feel his body growing stronger step by step.
His complexion eased slightly.
At this moment, however, the system spoke up.
[Host, the shower room works just by inserting the room card; that was pre-set.]
Dragging his frail body, Chu Yi walked back and sat down at the front desk.
He practically collapsed backward, letting out a slow breath only when he leaned against the chair.
“Before signing the agreement, I read the contract carefully. It states—’The store manager has 100% decision-making power over the shop, including adding or deleting paid content.'”
His tone was exceptionally flat, yet extraordinarily resolute.
Leaving the system temporarily speechless.
It truly hadn’t expected Chu Yi to be so meticulous, studying the clauses down to such depth.
[Received, modifications are underway.]
[The exchange rate between Tier-1 crystal cores and in-store points is 1:10. Customer [Xue Xiaobai] topped up one Tier-1 crystal core, leaving 10 points on the card.]
“Mm.” Chu Yi’s gaze landed on the wall beside the front desk.
The tiled wall was completely blank.
He suddenly spoke up: “Help me print out a conversion table for crystal cores and points, then paste it right here.”
[Received.]
A brand new table was affixed to the side of the front desk.
With that done, Chu Yi looked at the newly generated task.
[Novice Task (Two): Three guests check into the hotel for one night (0/3)]
[Description: A stable source of customers is crucial. With the first guest checked in, the hotel will definitely get better and better. Go on and attract more guests!]
[Rewards: 1. Hotel experience 60 points. 2. Vending Machine X1 (commodities must be sourced independently).]
Guests, huh…
Chu Yi gazed out the main door.
A crimson storm raged across heaven and earth with extremely low visibility, making external conditions completely obscured.
This was the wastelanders’ most dreaded waste-dust storm; 80% of scavenging travelers perished within it.
Under such conditions, completing the task today was virtually impossible.
Chu Yi didn’t hold high hopes.
Suggestions written in the 《Management Manual》 like going outside to hand out flyers or doing marketing were simply ignored altogether.
He opened the newly unlocked system mall.
The items inside were indeed all-encompassing.
Ordinary daily necessities, high-spec interstellar starships, special cultivation secret manuals…
If you could think of it, you could buy it.
However, the more powerful items looked, the more mall currency they required.
And right now, Chu Yi’s account balance was still 0.
“System, how do I acquire mall currency?”
[Host, the personal income you earn can be recharged into your mall account at a 1:1 exchange rate.]
[For example, ten Tier-1 crystal cores total 100 points, from which you can obtain 70 points of income. You can choose to convert them into personal experience points or deposit them into your mall account.]
“Then can the points I’ve already converted into experience points still be recharged into the mall?” Chu Yi asked gently.
[No, Host.]
“But isn’t this rather unreasonable?” He curved the corners of his lips, as if having discovered some massive loophole. “Before you helped me recharge them, you never asked for my opinion.”
[…Host, your physical condition was relatively critical. At the time, considering your health based on an emergency protocol, the system allocated it to your personal experience points.]
“But I read the clauses—’The system only provides auxiliary functions to Party A and has no right to interfere with Party A’s operation of the shop. Furthermore, before issuing tasks and making decisions, the system must consult with Party A; otherwise, Party A has the right to file a complaint or replace the system.'”
His words were light, carrying no weight at all.
Yet every single syllable caused the system to shudder.
This newly manufactured little system experienced the malice of human hearts for the very first time.
Because the clauses Chu Yi recited were real, and not a single word was wrong.
He had memorized the entire agreement!
At that instant, the system’s operations even stuttered and crashed!
[P-Please don’t replace me…] It forgot its official tone out of anxiety. [I can give you whatever compensation you want!]
Chu Yi sighed.
“I don’t want to bicker with you either, but this incident really did affect our cooperation. How about this: give me an extra 70 points of compensation and help me load them into the mall account, and we’ll call it even. That’s not asking too much, right?”
After lagging for two seconds, the system immediately agreed: [Host, no problem!]
Inside the system mall, the balance of Chu Yi’s personal account instantly changed from 0 to 70.
For a beginner setting out, this could be considered a massive fortune.
Inside the mall, ordinary items were exceptionally cheap; a hundred buckets of instant noodles only cost 1 point. If he budgeted carefully, it would last him a long time.
Watching Chu Yi pick and choose inside the mall, the system assumed he was stocking up for the hotel or purchasing some extra paid amenities.
To its surprise, he completely ignored the food section, heading straight to 「Hotel Decoration」 and selecting 「Store Manager Room Renovation」!
[H-Host? Haven’t you even gone to look at your room yet?]
The store manager’s room was located directly behind the front desk, its door blending seamlessly into the wall; if one didn’t look closely, it was hard to spot.
“Do I need to?” With that, he pushed open the door.
Sure enough, he saw a room identical to the standard room, with the exception that this room’s bathroom included a toilet.
He sighed and began checking off renovation goals.
Room expansion: 10 square meters expanded to 30 square meters (Currency: 20) Bathroom expansion: 1 square meter expanded to 10 square meters (Currency: 9) Purchase a 3x3m luxury Simmons restful bed (Currency: 5) Purchase a multi-functional massage health chair (Currency: 6) Purchase a complete set of smart home systems (Currency: 30)
System: […]
All 70 points of credit were completely gone!
[Host, aren’t you going to run the hotel?]
“Run what?” Chu Yi asked in confusion.
He had already seated himself in the massage chair, turned on the projector, and queued up a sci-fi blockbuster, looking exceedingly content.
Finishing that sentence, he paused, a look of sudden realization dawning on him.
“You’re right.”
[…Host!] The system’s voice sounded somewhat moved.
As if Chu Yi had finally turned over a new leaf.
The next second, he heard him say: “We really should run some promotion. Let’s make it a grand opening discount of 0.99% off.”
[…?!]
The system was a bit baffled: [According to algorithm calculations, this discount margin is way too low. 0.99% off is practically indistinguishable from no discount at all.]
“You’re just a smart AI, what do you know?” Chu Yi shook his head, displaying an expression of pity. “With 0.99% off, a poor… guest can save a Tier-1 crystal core just by staying here for 10 days.”
As he spoke, his tone grew generous and stirring, as if this were a matter of immense mission-driven significance.
“How many things can that single Tier-1 crystal core help them accomplish? How important is it to them? How many broken families are lacking just this one crystal core to achieve a happy reunion?”
At this point, he let out another heavy sigh.
“I suppose a system like you, who asks ‘why don’t they eat meat porridge’, wouldn’t understand.”
System: […?!]
Just who is the one detached from reality here?!
The 《Management Manual》 suggested that grand opening discounts should ideally sit between 70% and 80% off (30% to 20% discounts).
With pricing like this, would any guests actually be willing to pay?
Compared to the anxious system, Chu Yi seemed like an innate optimist, completely unconcerned about the hotel’s future development.
Pouring himself a cup of hot water, he massaged his entire body while enjoying the visual feast brought by the blockbuster film.
Compared to the howling winds and waste-dust outside, it was cozy beyond description.
While Chu Yi was enjoying life, inside room 101, Xue Xiaobai cautiously laid his clothes aside and inserted his room card into the bathroom slot.
Whoosh—
Clear, warm water sprayed out from the showerhead, clean without a trace of turbidity.
At that moment, he widened his eyes in disbelief.
This water…
It was actually clearer than the best-purified water sold in the base!
He found it hard to credit.
Tremblingly raising his hand, he pointed his wrist-mounted radiation detector at the water cupped in his palm.
[Beep, Radiation Level: 0%]
Before this reading popped up, Xue Xiaobai had run through various figures in his head.
Maybe 11%, or perhaps 5%, but he had never imagined it would be a complete 0%!
Water like this being used to wash his body was simply an extravagant waste of heavenly treasures!!!
At that moment, Xue Xiaobai didn’t even have time to be shocked. He frantically scrambled to search his backpack, pulling out a battered canteen and continuously pumping water into it.
He stopped taking a bath altogether.
Noticing that the deduction display on the card slot interface showed charges of 1 point per minute, he hurriedly finished up the remaining thirty-odd seconds and immediately stopped the shower!
Looking at the 9 remaining points, Xue Xiaobai breathed a sigh of relief.
He needed to find more canteens. If he could carry this water back to the base for his mother to drink, perhaps her waste-dust disease could also be alleviated.
Yet immediately afterward, a terrified thought bubbled up.
If that formidable store manager found out he did this, would he be driven out of the hotel?