Chapter 118

When Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi returned to Store No. 1, Old Li had already moved most of the things on the first floor to the third floor.

The third floor is at least six or seven meters above the ground. Theoretically, it should not be flooded here.

Old Li was standing on the balcony on the third floor. Wangcai and Yinbi were squatting on his left and right, while Yuanbao was lying at a farther distance, looking out of the building together.

Although the flood was fierce, Tang Yu'an felt inexplicably calmed down after seeing this scene.

Since you are here, just make the best of it and do what you can!

"Grandpa, we're back!"

Tang Yu'an came to Old Li, greeted him, and then reached out to touch the heads of the three dogs.

Zhou Qi looked at the flood outside the wall.

Compared to the water level at the swimming pool which has already reached the chest, the water outside Store No. 1 is only up to the knees, and no mutant creatures have been found approaching.

However, you can already see a lot of small insects lying on the wall, probably brought by the flood.

Zhou Qi frowned slightly and quickly took out the dark green spider blood that had been stored in his portable warehouse. They had originally planned to sell it in Jufeng Town, but they found that salt sold better, so they put it on hold for the time being.

"Apply it on your body to prevent insect bites." He said to Tang Yu'an.

"Oh, okay."

The insect repellent powder I exchanged with Lin Zhen before has been used up. I have been busy with the branch's affairs these days and have no time to trade with her again.

Tang Yu'an wiped the dark green spider blood on his hands, and then said, "I don't know how Sister Lin is doing."

"It seems that the chicks will hatch in the next two days." Old Li also took the dark green spider blood, smeared it and said.

Looking at the rising water level outside, Tang Yu'an couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"Grandpa, will this flood really take a month to recede?"

"About the same."

This is already short.

"So how do you find food when you are trapped at home?" Tang Yu'an asked.

Old Li pointed to a snake crawling over the wall and said, "Look, isn't this food delivered to your door?"

“…”

Tang Yu'an's expression froze slightly. Looking at the increasing number of small creatures on the wall, he couldn't help but ask, "Is it really okay to ignore these things?"

"I can't help it. There are too many." Old Li shook his head. "Unless we have a protective barrier like we have at night, we can't drive them away."

As the flood continues, more and more creatures will run to high places and buildings for shelter.

But as he said just now, these are food delivered to the door. As long as they are not unlucky enough to encounter mutant creatures, these snakes, insects, rats and ants can help the residents of the deserted city survive the flood.

Otherwise, who could store so much food at one time, enough for them to survive for one to three months?

Tang Yu'an had no choice but to look away.

Although he's not afraid of insects, there are so many of them! It's even giving him trypophobia.

It seems that I still need to increase the store’s popularity and points as soon as possible, otherwise it will be too difficult to get through the day.

Just then...

"Help... help us..."

There was a faint cry for help coming from outside the wall, and Tang Yu'an quickly glanced at the map.

I saw a golden light spot and a green light spot appear outside Store No. 1. The two light spots were close to each other and circling outside the wall.

The golden light spot also had a name on it: tree root.

Tang Yu'an looked at the attached picture and then remembered that this was a customer who came when the No. 1 store was first opened.

If he remembered correctly, the tree root also said that he had a son who was seven or eight years old. Because he was scared by Yuanbao and the others, he begged for mercy in fear.

There are no red dots showing dangerous creatures on this map, so what is he running away from?

Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi jumped onto the wall and soon saw the father and son -

A man was running in the water holding a little boy. Behind them was a blue-green water snake, which was wriggling its body quickly and chasing them.

He ran along the outside of the wall, as if looking for the entrance to Store No. 1, but because the entrance had been sealed by Tang Yu'an, he could only keep circling outside.

Maybe because he was too flustered, he didn't notice this.

"Where's the door? Where's the door?"

Amidst the splashing water, Shugen shouted for help while desperately searching for the entrance to the grocery store.

Although he looked very embarrassed, his speed was actually not slow. He ran a circle without being caught up by the water snake.

The little boy with his arms and legs wrapped around him was not idle either. He threw out a cluster of flames from time to time, trying to drive away the water snake.

Unfortunately, the power of the flames was almost offset by the flood, and it had no effect other than slowing down the water snake.

Seeing that the man was finally about to run out of strength, Zhou Qi took action.

He threw the mutated metal dagger and hit the water snake's head accurately. The water snake immediately changed direction and quickly floated up from the water with its belly turned up.

"call out--"

Zhou Qi controlled the dagger back into his hand.

The man did not notice this and continued to run desperately along the wall, fearing that he would be bitten to death by the poisonous snake if he ran slower.

It was his son who patted his shoulder and reminded him: "Dad, Dad, the snake was killed!"

"What? Beaten to death?"

When Shugen heard this, he turned around and saw that the poisonous snake was no longer chasing him. It finally stopped slowly.

He leaned one hand on the wall and gasped for breath. Running in the water was not easy, not to mention that he was holding a child. He was extremely exhausted.

But soon some bugs on the wall crawled onto his hand, and he was so scared that he quickly shook his hand and ran away.

"root?"

A familiar voice came from above the wall.

Shugen looked up and saw Old Li, who had been squatting on top of the wall looking at him. He immediately showed an expression as if he had seen a relative.

"Uncle Li! Help, Uncle Li!" he cried.

Although the venomous snake was dead, he was also exhausted. It would be really difficult for him to survive if he continued to stay in the water in this situation.

Old Li looked at him and frowned: "Didn't you go back? Why are you running back again?"

In the morning, the father and son came to Store No. 1 to exchange salt, and they were received by Old Li.

"Oh, don't mention it!"

The tree root said with a sad face, "We encountered wolfhounds on the way back and were chased all the way. Later, when we climbed up a tree to hide, we encountered a flood."

As a result, the wolfhounds were scared away by the flood, and they encountered a poisonous snake in the tree.

The snake was not afraid of water and chased them all the way here. The tree roots were almost in despair, but they didn't expect that they could still be rescued.

This sounds really miserable...

Old Li did not make a decision immediately, but looked at the two teenagers, his eyes falling on Zhou Qi.

After Zhou Qi nodded, he looked at Shugen and his son.

"You can come in and rest first."

He threw down a rope that was coiled around him and said, "Climb up."

The tree root thanked him profusely, then lifted his son up and let him climb up first. After his son entered the fence, he grabbed the rope and climbed in in a mess.

"Uncle Li, this place is really nice!"

The water outside was up to mid-thigh, but the inside of the wall was still dry, with not a drop of water seeping in.

At this time, Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi also jumped into the yard.

"Hello, Boss An!" Shugen hurriedly greeted Tang Yu'an. Since he had never met Zhou Qi before, he only showed a flattering smile.

"This is my son, Fireball."

"Are you Boss An? My dad mentioned you. Thank you for saving me and my dad!"

Fireball was not as timid as his father, he greeted them very cheerfully and even thanked Zhou Qi in particular.

Because he saw clearly just now that it was this older brother who killed the poisonous snake.

Tang Yu'an nodded. He didn't know if it was because the temperature was particularly high during the day, but he found that there were really a lot of people with fire abilities.

"Uncle Shugen, you are injured."

Compared to the fireball, the tree root not only had many scratches on its body, but its legs, which were soaked in water, were also left with many bite marks from insects, and one or two of them had begun to fester.

If he doesn't get treatment, his legs will probably be crippled.

Tang Yu'an took out a mutant blueberry from his pocket and said, "This fruit can detoxify. Eat it and then treat the wound as soon as possible."

Shugen waved his hand to decline, and Tang Yu'an said, "Just say thank you to me."

"Thank you, Boss An!"

Fireball thanked him generously and then took the blueberry from Tang Yu'an.

[You completed a loss-making transaction with a new customer, experience points +3]

After developing the little boy into a customer, Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi went into the house first, leaving the place to Old Li.

Old Li pointed to the firewood in the yard and said to Shugen and his son, "Make a fire and warm yourself."

Because he knew that a flood was coming, when he was doing business with his customers, in addition to exchanging wild vegetables and mushrooms, Old Li also collected a lot of firewood.

While waiting for customers, he also collected all the wood around Store No. 1 and brought it to the yard.

He was standing on the third-floor balcony looking out, thinking about how he could move the wood upstairs without much effort.

The subsequent fire and water making will depend on these woods, and they must not be wetted by the flood.

Fireball thanked him crisply and went to move the wood swiftly. Tree Root thanked Old Li profusely and said that he had met a good person.

"You did meet a good person, but it wasn't me," said Old Li.

"Yes, yes, Boss An is kind-hearted!"

"I'm glad you know." Old Li said calmly, "You guys stay here first and don't come into the house."

Then he turned and went into the house.

Shugen didn't dare to follow him, not only because he was afraid of causing trouble and being kicked out, but also because...

After Old Li entered the house, a big dog with golden hair came out and squatted at the door like a gatekeeper.

It is not big in size, but Shugen does not dare to underestimate it at all, for fear that it is the child of the three mutant giant dogs.

If they provoke the younger one and attract the older one, then they and their son will probably die here today!

Shugen smiled ingratiatingly at Wangcai, then took off his pants and began to treat the wound on his leg.

His son brought firewood and started a fire.

As Shugen took out some medicine powder from his pocket, he thought: Although there are many insects on the wall, the yard is quite clean!

He did not notice that Wangcai, who was squatting at the door, had a faint green light in his eyes.

Old Li went into the house and found Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi.

He decided to have a good talk with the two children.

"What are your thoughts?" Old Li asked directly. "We'll probably encounter many more cases like that father and son."

Especially since the validity period of the diversion card has not expired yet, he suspected that the father and son were attracted back for this reason.

Because he had not done any business with Shugen's son that morning, he was still a new customer to the grocery store.

Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi looked at each other and then said, "Grandpa, if we can save him, we would of course want to."

After all, these are all customers. If the flood continues for a month and they cannot go out, if these customers can stay in No. 1 Store, they can earn points and store popularity without leaving home.

"As for whether these customers can be accommodated, it is up to you to decide."

Tang Yu'an said, "You know most of the residents of the deserted city. You should be able to judge their character better than us."

Old Li looked at him and shook his head helplessly.

In fact, he didn't want to take in anyone. It was okay to lend a helping hand for a short period of time, but if they had to stay for a long time, one could imagine how much trouble would arise.

What he was most worried about was that these people would bring harm to the two children.

Although they could also bring in points, they currently had enough supplies and it seemed unnecessary to risk them for these points.

At this time Zhou Qi spoke.

"Grandpa Li, I know what you're worried about." He said, "So no matter who they are, before you take them in, you must do this..."

After hearing Zhou Qi's words, Old Li couldn't help but open his eyes wide in surprise.

"Savior protection?" He asked doubtfully, "Can this really work?"

Anyone who has been treated by Xiao An will not be able to do anything to harm him, and anyone who witnesses or hears about this will respect Xiao An from the bottom of their hearts?

This sounds incredible no matter how you listen to it!

"Just think of this as An An's special ability." Zhou Qi said.

Although he was skeptical, Old Li knew Zhou Qi's character well and knew that he would not be able to fool him with such a thing, so he finally nodded and agreed.

"If they really want to stay, where will they be arranged to live?" Old Li continued to ask.

Zhou Qi thought for a moment and said, "Let's temporarily put them on the first and second floors before the flood comes in."

The rooms on the first and second floors were also sufficient for them. They had no close relationship with these new customers, and they were different from Granny Guo and the others.

Old Li also approved of this arrangement.

"Okay, let's do it."

He went to the yard to find Shugen and his son and told them the "story" of how Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi saved him.

Tree Root and Fireball nodded repeatedly after hearing this, but they had always respected Tang Yu'an, so Old Li couldn't tell whether they were really affected by the savior halo.

“Woof woof! Woof woof woof!”

At this time, Wangcai, who was guarding the door, suddenly shouted.

Old Li vigilantly grabbed the crossbow and shot it swiftly and agilely towards the top of the wall, forcing a figure back.

Hearing the noise, Tang Yu'an ran out quickly.

"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding!"

A familiar voice came from outside, "It's me, Lao Li! I didn't mean to climb the wall, I just couldn't find the door."

After making sure that Old Li did not continue his attack, Jin Guang popped his head out from behind the wall and gave them a flattering smile.

Old Li looked at him for a few seconds, then for some reason he thought of, he actually waved to him.

"Come here."

Faced with the crossbow that Old Li had reloaded with arrows, Jin Guang swallowed his saliva and could only crawl in from outside the wall obediently.

He naturally came to exchange salt, but he didn't expect to have the misfortune of encountering a flood.

However, the water depth was not a big deal at the moment, so he did not leave immediately, but prepared to exchange for more salt.

During floods, salt becomes even more scarce.

Whether it is for food replacement or for eating on its own, it is very useful.

Old Li pointed to the seat next to him and asked him to sit down. Jin Guang was more afraid of Old Li than a tree root, and sat down by the fire like a quail.

Then, he heard Old Li clear his throat and begin to tell him... a story?

Or how about the grocery store owner who saved him? He really wasn't interested in that kind of story! How about how to change the salt?

But when you are under someone's roof, you have to bow your head, so Jin Guang could only listen obediently.

He was just listening perfunctorily at first, but... as he listened, he actually developed a sense of respect for the grocery store owner. What was going on?

If you don’t respect him, you are not a human being!

Old Li noticed the change in Jin Guang's expression, and while he was surprised, he couldn't help but talk more excitedly.

The three audience members present were listening attentively and devoutly. Even the new customers who were attracted by the drainage cards outside the wall were listening attentively.

They seemed to have no sense of the passage of time, as if they were being controlled!

On the other side, Zhou Qi had a simple meal and then went back to Jufeng Town through the teleportation array.

The most important thing now is the popularity of No.1 Store. As long as dangerous creatures are kept out, the safety of No.1 Store can basically be guaranteed.

Otherwise, with so many mutant creatures running out from the center of the deserted city, even if only a few of them came, it would be enough to get them into trouble.

As for Tang Yu'an, he was left in No. 1 Store.

Anyway, it was useless for him to go to Jufeng Town. As the general store manager, the store popularity he gained after the transaction was increased for the store based on the principle of proximity.

For example, the transactions he made in Jufeng Town were to bring popularity to No. 2 Store, unlike Zhou Qi, the branch manager of No. 1 Store, who would only bring popularity to No. 1 Store no matter where he made transactions.

He originally wanted to sit in the yard, but when he walked to the door, he heard Old Li telling the story of how they saved someone.

Thinking of Mo Ke’s “Mr. Xiao An” before, Tang Yu’an started to tap his toes on the ground.

So he turned around and went back upstairs, deciding to go see Granny Guo and Kang Kang first.

Grandma Guo's condition has obviously improved a lot, but she still has a splint on her leg, and she can't get up and walk until the bone grows back.

"elder brother!"

Kang Kang had recovered from his shock. When Tang Yu'an entered the house, he saw him sitting by the balcony fiddling with his plant friends.

When he saw Tang Yu'an, he first greeted her happily, then stared at her hair with a puzzled expression.

"What's wrong?" Tang Yu'an rubbed the top of his head.

Kang Kang stretched out his little hand and touched his hair carefully, and then the child said a name that surprised Tang Yu'an.

"Emerald!" Kang Kang clapped his hands and said happily, "Cute!"

Then, as if introducing himself, he patted his chest and said, "Kang Kang! It's me, Kang Kang!"

Tang Yu'an looked at him blankly, somewhat confused, but he soon realized something and opened the map to check.

On the map, the five-pointed star icon representing himself actually showed a small label: Emerald.

Isn't the Emerald in the swimming pool?

Tang Yu'an quickly pulled the map to the swimming pool. The emerald light spot was naturally there, marked with the three words "Emerald".

What's going on? Two emeralds?

One of them on him?

Thinking of Kang Kang’s reaction just now, Tang Yu’an raised his hand and touched his hair.

Soon he felt a hint of coolness, and at the same time a feeling of pleasure and intimacy came over him.

It is indeed an emerald!

Then, the thin vine that was wrapped around his hair broke free from his hair and wrapped around his fingers.

When Tang Yu'an withdrew his hand and looked at it, small leaves grew on the thin vine, and the emotions conveyed to him by the emerald became more intense.

"Emerald, when did you come here?"

Tang Yu'an looked at the thin vine in surprise, and what was going on with it?

Thinking of something, he quickly opened the pet panel.

I saw that the image of the emerald in the pet panel had changed a little. Next to the original huge vine, a small vine had appeared at some point.

Hey, is this Emerald's child?

That doesn't seem right, because the map shows that they are all emeralds.

Tang Yu'an clicked on the introduction of the new vine and saw the words: [Plant Clone].

So both are emeralds, one is the original and the other is the clone?

Tang Yu'an was a little surprised. He looked down at the thin vine on his finger and asked, "Do you need to plant it in the soil?"

Xi Teng sent a somewhat complicated message.

Tang Yu'an didn't quite understand, but he now had a capable little helper - he looked at Kang Kang who was sitting in front of him.

"Water!" Kang Kang said, "Baby wants water!"

Xi Teng was filled with joy and happiness, not sure if it was because Kang Kang had accurately expressed his feelings, or because Kang Kang had called him "baby".

Tang Yu'an took out a cup, poured out the water in the automatic water storage thermos, and then put the thin vine in.

“Gurgle—”

Then he looked at the large glass of water, which was completely absorbed by the thin vine in the blink of an eye, and its two small leaves looked even greener and more juicy.

After absorbing enough water, the thin vine came out of the cup again and wrapped around Tang Yu'an's fingers again.

"So you don't want to stay in the cup?" Tang Yu'an asked Emerald, but his eyes were looking at Kang Kang.

"No, it's boring."

Kang Kang continued to narrate, "Play, play with my brother! Play!"

Tang Yu'an finally understood.

For intelligent creatures, staying in one place for a long time without being able to move is indeed a very torturous thing.

He touched the emerald soothingly, "Then you can continue to entangle it in my hair. I'm afraid I might accidentally hurt you if you keep it trembling in your fingers."

Then, the emerald obediently returned to Tang Yu'an's hair, looking like a green ribbon.

"Brother, play games!"

Tang Yu'an smiled and nodded.

Although the mutant lantern fruits are all hung in the surface stores for sale, he still has mutant blueberries and refreshing fruits.

So when the game was finished, he earned more than a thousand points. It was a pity that Jin Lili was not here, otherwise he could have doubled the points!

I wonder how Lily and her mom are doing? It would be great if Uncle Tiejin and his family could come stay at No. 1 Inn... And Sister Lin and Amu, I wonder if the chicks have hatched yet?

Tang Yu'an hesitated for a moment, then made a decision.

He said goodbye to Granny Guo and Kang Kang, and after saying something to Zhou Qi on the message board, he took out the umbrella again and walked lightly on the water to leave Store No. 1.

The author has something to say:

Anzai: I won’t keep silent this time!

Xiaoqi: There is no way to feel at ease :(