Town Hall

Lin Zhuyue looked at her co-worker on the screen. She tilted her head. "Now, that certainly is something new."

But Ran Wei appeared firm with her rejection. In the first place, the reason she came to talk with Shou was not because of love or attraction; It was Zhuyue that wanted to further explore her chances with that enigmatic store owner. She only came here to compete, as she could not let a co-worker get ahead of herself, even when it came to love.

Though one should not misunderstand. She was perfectly capable of catching a man (or so she believed, and even hoped to prove today), but for her, all men not related to her work were a distraction.

She came from the countryside to earn money, not smooch around with good-for-nothings who only thought with the thing between their legs! That went for men and women alike. Now, even if it was an illusory world, she was not keen to hang out with a random person clearly from a poor part of the town.

The chef rubbed his head, not particularly offended. "Well, a townhouse might be useful too," he said and laughed lightly. "If you go across the street and walk straight, you should eventually reach a home bigger than others. You will find the info you need there."

Ran Wei bowed her head. "Thank you very much." Though she wasn't particularly fond of men, she still knew how to show courtesy. That may be the reason why she came so far in the service business.

Ah Liang grinned, his cheeks moving up. "Hoh, even in my store, there are all kinds of workers I suppose. It might be good to get to know them more, even beyond their names, I mean."

Lin Zhuyue watched her boss talk. She did not dare to interject, seeing such prolific man talk. For her, seeing Ah Liang was like meeting a dragon. She felt respect for the man who created a financial empire and gave her a job but also fear for his immense influence.

Her eyes slightly darted to Shou. That boy seemed unfazed. She became more and more interested in that youth's background. "Boss, can you open that instance for me too?"

"Calling me Shou is fine. I'll feel old otherwise. And sure. You don't want to watch your friend anymore?"

"She's hardly my friend. And seeing this wondrous magic, I'd love to try it for myself." Her eyes seemed to glitter a little, obvious excitement lingering within her irises. Shou was reminded of Li Yinyi, seeing that womans expression. Well, but only a little. That Yinyi girl was one of the kind after all.

Ah Liang looked at his employee and smiled calmly. But unbeknownst to anyone, sweat was running down his neck, drenching his back. 'These youngsters these days aren't scared of anything. . .' In the end, his true nature as a coward could not stay hidden.

Shou guided her to one of the artifacts.

Si talked. "That's another new customer, we are getting close to the finish line of the Quest, huh?"

"Oh, you're speaking again."

"[mad] If I weren't so busy repairing the damage you did on the core, I could talk even more." She sighed. "I've never expected an undefined completion rate. Well, I suppose it was my fault for expecting anything else from you. I've reset the rate to 0% again, so you better hard."

"That seems kind of unfair, you know?"

"[stomps feet] You reap what you sow!"

Lin Zhuyue watched Shou silently. She then asked, "Will I fall asleep like Ran Wei over there?"

"Yes," Shou answered matter of factly. "Does it bother you?"

"You know, it does not inspire much confidence leaving my defenseless body to a boy that talks with himself." Zhuyue scratched her cheek.

". . ." Shou couldn't say anything to counter that woman. She was right, after all. Still, that was a bitter pill to swallow. 'This is hardly my fault,' he thoguht.

"If I may recommend something," Ah Liang spoke from afar, "You should offer some seating for the customer to rest in. Ah, but I suppose it is not my place to advise you on how to run a business."

Shou shook his head, indicating he took no offense. Truthfully speaking, he had the idea- But he had little control over how this shop was run. To him, he was only the owner by name. The one that truly ran it was Si. Still, he imagined himself luckier than all the other people with systems, as at least he seemed able to communicate with her and offer ideas. Still, he had trusted Si with the machinations of this shop and imagined there must be a real reason for her not implementing it.

"Oh wow [lightbub], a place to sit. That is actually a good idea," Si said in a voice of genuine surprise.

". . . You are telling me you haven't thought of that?"

Si didn't reply directly. "I should think of a new quest so I can update this shop again," she muttered.

"Alright, I am never trusting you again."

Putting that little fuss aside, Shou guided Lin Zhuyue to one of the cores. The girl put in some of her spiritual energy and quickly fell into a trance. Shou caught her in a timely manner, and laid her to rest, together with her co-worker Ran Wei. If the two of them knew they were lying next to each other, there'd be complaints reaching the top of a mountain, but thankfully, they were each busy with their respective instances.

Ran Wei had reached the town hall. Unlike all the rich scions who had entered Shou's shop before, she was the only one from the working class, with a commoners background. Used to traveling villages and rural towns, she of course knew how to find her way. Thus, it could be said that this may be a unique encounter by itself.

As it was told by the chef, the hall was a slightly larger building than the other ones, making it easy to identify. Entering, Ran Wei was met with a tavern-like design, with only a few people inside. They all met her eye, though she thought of nothing unusual, as she was not part of this community after all. In a small place like this, everybody knew thy neighbor, and words got around fast—that's how it went with her old town too.

"Welcome. It's been a while since we met anyone new," the receptionist, and older lady, with gray strands and a potbelly said. She had big red lips and a mole underneath it, giving her a homely and welcoming.

"Ah woman," Ran Wei muttered by herself. "That is a lot more palatable." She approached the receptionist and spoke, "Sorry I am from the neighboring village and seem to have followed the wrong tracks. Say, where may I find some lodging? And what route shows me the way out?"

As soon as she spoke, the few people listening in started to laugh boisterously. even the old woman chuckled wryly. Ran Wei had not expected this kind of reaction, almost fell on her butt, trying to retreat.

Ah Liang, who was looking at her screen tilted his head in confusion. "Did she say something wrong?"

Ran Wei was wondering the same thing. She didn't think that she was behaving unnaturally. Her head turned red, being barraged by their laughter.

The old receptionist wiped her tears. "Oh sorry, sorry." She still chuckled. "It's not like I am making fun of you. It is only that what you said is a little hard to believe," the woman spoke. She smiled and leaned against the table. "As there are no other villages next to us. No town, no city, no country. It is only us, a wicked witch in her cottage, and countless shadowy beasts freely roaming around. So miss, you'd have to think of a better lie than that?"

"Wait, that can't be possible. How is that at all sustainable?" Ran Wei asked in a quizzical voice. The plot did not make any sense. She understood this world was just an illusory place, no matter how real it seemed, but it should still adhere to some logic right? A village, just like that, with no animals, nor a river, and no connection to trade. . . there's no way it could ever survive here. "Okay, I admit it, I may not have come from close-by, but we both aren't being entirely truthful here, right?"

"Oh miss, it's a good thing that you came to me. If you interact with any of the other residents, I don't think they'd have the nerve to explain everything to you." The old lady sighed.

Ran Wei's eyebrow twitched. "Alright, that's it! I am leaving this run-down shack! I wish your village good luck, but I am done here." She puffed up her chest. This world created by the store is so vast and offered much more to explore. Why did she have to stay in this forsaken little town that reminded her of her parents' home?

Her words made the old lady giggle. She did not take it to heart. "You can try if you want to," she said, "but I'll let you know. Once you enter the village, nobody has ever been able to leave. Those that tried, left naught a grave. Would you still like to try?"

Ran Wei stopped walking. Her face froze as she turned around. ". . .Did I get myself into something dangerous?"