Chapter 140: The System Doesn’t Need to Eat

Early the Next Morning

The island residents woke up from their sleep.

"I haven't slept so well in a long time!"

"This sleep was amazing. Honey, I even dreamt of you~"

"Look at you, acting all silly!"

"Hehehe..."

"You stay in bed a bit longer, I'll go make some porridge for you."

"You're so sweet, honey. Give me a kiss..."

Shy whispers drifted from a bedroom on the island. 

A few minutes later, a woman walked out of the room, carrying a basin, ready to rinse some rice in the courtyard.

As soon as she stepped outside, she shouted, "Honey! Get up! Something's happened!"

### Twenty Minutes Later

Island residents gradually gathered on the north side of the island.

"When did they land on the island?!"

"How come we didn't hear anything?!"

They stared in shock at the scene before them. 

At the northern part of the island, a huge sky-blue barrier had been erected around the ruins. Sounds of hammering and wheels rolling came from within the barrier, indicating that construction was already underway.

"The boss's construction crew is really sneaky!"

"Not a peep. I didn't hear a thing last night."

An islander cursed through gritted teeth.

"Exactly!"

"If we'd heard any noise last night, we would have driven them away!"

Unlike other construction crews that make a lot of noise, these sounds were very light and, combined with the barrier, didn't disturb the islanders' daily lives at all. No wonder they all slept so soundly last night, completely unaware of any construction noise.

"I just checked the pier. Our boats are blocking it well. There's no way a boat could get through!"

A young islander ran back, panting, to report to the others.

"Let's go! See what's going on!"

Several islanders rushed to the pier, boarded their boats, and sailed to the northern coast of XiaoMajia Island. They saw two brand-new ships docked near the island, with various machines and equipment shining with a metallic luster in the sunlight.

"Are they... building a dock?"

### Meanwhile

In Nanjing City, Huanhai Road, Langai Hotel.

Boss Chen groggily climbed out of bed, twisted open a bottle of mineral water by the bedside, and drank half of it in one go. Then he flopped back onto the bed, lounging lazily. 

Yesterday, Boss Chen walked more than 20,000 steps and partied at the poolside bar until late into the night. He was utterly exhausted. Today, he just wanted to lie in bed like a salted fish. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't even get up to go to the bathroom.

"Ding-dong~"

The WeChat notification sounded. Chen Jianhai picked up his phone and saw a photo sent by Old Yan. 

The photo showed construction personnel, vehicles, ships, and tools branded with "Ocean Star," clearing the ruins on the island. They also appeared to be breaking ground near the coast, possibly to build a pier.

Construction had started?! 

Chen Jianhai jumped up from bed. Although he had great confidence in the system, he had also seen the islanders' attitudes yesterday. They were not easy to deal with.

"Boss Chen, you need to inform your construction crew. Although the island chief strictly instructed us not to disrupt the construction and delay the hotel project, the islanders are still very upset with us. They've agreed not to provide you with food and water."

Old Yan's messages kept coming.

"Also, the island's pier is off-limits to you."

"You need to figure out how to solve their food issue quickly."

"I understand, Uncle Yan. Thank you."

"I'll find a way."

After sending the message, Chen Jianhai locked his phone screen and lay back down on the bed. The system needed food? That was a joke.

As long as the islanders didn't cause trouble, that was enough.

"In 14 days, when the system clears the island, I'll visit and check it out."

He lay there until 2 PM. 

He was too hungry...

The system might not need to eat, but he did!

Although he could have his staff bring food to his room and stay holed up inside, it wouldn't look good for the boss to be lazy while his employees worked hard. Asking them to deliver food would make him seem shameless.

After a satisfying bowl of seafood porridge in the restaurant, Chen Jianhai walked toward his poolside bar.

Not being a fan of alcohol, he rarely paid much attention to the bar. To his surprise, he found that after last night's visit, the poolside bar had a pretty nice atmosphere!

Unlike the bustling bars along the seafront, the hotel's poolside bar had a vibe similar to a small, quiet bar. 

In the evening, many guests would come here after dinner and a bath, enjoying the cool night breeze, sipping drinks, and listening to music. The bar mainly featured individual high stools around small, round wooden tables, so even solo drinkers wouldn't feel awkward or lonely. 

They could daydream, scroll through their phones, and listen to music without worrying about others' opinions.

Moreover, the poolside bar's privacy and safety were top-notch. Only hotel guests could enter, and there were staff available 24/7. Even young women could feel safe sitting there until the moon hung high in the sky, with stars filling the night.

As he approached the bar, Chen Jianhai saw a bartender practicing mixology, following a video on his phone, carefully adding different ingredients to a glass.

"Hey! Mixing drinks?!" Chen Jianhai's interest was piqued.

"Yes, boss. We don't have a bartender, so I thought I'd practice with some online tutorials."

The bartender smiled and, while answering, tossed three peeled cherry tomatoes into a glass.

Chen Jianhai's eyes lit up! Not bad, this guy even knew how to mix fancy fruit drinks!

He had always wanted to try mixology after seeing it on TV, with all the tossing and shaking looking so cool. He planned to watch his employee's skills and maybe try it himself.

The bartender seriously added a pinch of salt to the glass. Then, to Chen Jianhai's shock, he began adding ingredients like he was making a marinade—two chunks of chili sauce, black pepper, soy sauce, and a splash of tomato juice—before crushing the cherry tomatoes with an iron pestle.

After pouring in a large cup of crushed ice, he inverted a small bottle of alcohol into the glass and, seemingly dissatisfied with the appearance, added a stalk of celery.

When he finally finished, he excitedly pushed the glass to Chen Jianhai.

"Boss! This is my new homemade Tomato Mary!"

"Give it a try!"