Chapter 4 Delicious Instant Noodles

Seeing that there was nothing for her to do at the moment, Lin Nanxing naturally sat down on the folding chair and, under the cover of the cashier, took out two bottles of mineral water and a cup of instant noodles from her backpack.

She's been exercising all morning, but hasn't eaten a single grain of rice.

After drinking a whole bottle of water in one go, I finally felt a little full.

Lin Nanxing wiped the water from her mouth, deftly opened the instant noodle package, and poured in half a bottle of mineral water. She knew better than the customers that the water in the swimming pool was only for use and not for drinking.

The plastic fork secured the lid, and then without hesitation, the instant noodles were extended out of the enclosure and placed on the scalding sand.

That's ridiculous. The ground temperature outside is 100 degrees Celsius; there's absolutely no need to start a fire.

The most common flavor of instant noodles is braised beef noodles. After half a minute, the rich aroma of the seasoning bursts out as the noodles are simmered in boiling water.

For the first time, Lin Nanxing found instant noodles to be so delicious. With a 'gulp,' she swallowed the saliva that was gushing from her mouth and reached out from behind the barrier to bring the bowl of noodles inside.

"!! Hot hot hot!" The temperature was higher than expected, and Lin Nanxing placed it on the cashier's table somewhat awkwardly.

Without the barrier to block it, the aroma of the seasonings became even more intense. Lin Nanxing didn't care that the noodles weren't fully cooked. After stirring the undercooked noodles, he couldn't wait to pick up a fork.

The smooth and chewy noodles slid down her lips and into her mouth, and her taste buds savored the spicy flavor. Lin Nanxing's eyes lit up instantly. This tasted better than any instant noodles she had ever eaten before.

The vegetable packet isn't made of starch; it contains real beef and real lettuce, which regain their original luster after being boiled in hot water. The broth isn't made with industrial seasonings either; it's more like a pure broth simmered with an authentic old hen, with extremely high-quality ingredients.

Is the food in this world really that realistic?

In less than five bites, Lin Nanxing finished all the noodles in the bowl. She picked up the now-cooled instant noodle cup and was about to drink the soup in one gulp when several pairs of glowing green eyes in front of her startled her so much that she almost dropped the bowl.

The newcomers were none other than the customers who had just patronized Lin Nanxing's establishment. They had already finished showering, taken off their thermal underwear, and revealed their original appearance.

However, their current state was more like that of wolves that hadn't eaten for ten days and ten nights. The way they looked at the instant noodles made Lin Nanxing a little scared.

"Boss, where did you get that instant noodle? Are you selling it? I can offer 200 game coins!"

"You have no conscience. The boss's swimming pool is already priced very reasonably. Instant noodles are a food that is not even available in the system store, and you only paid 200."

The speaker was a man with blond hair. His hair didn't look dyed; it looked more like the yellow color was caused by long-term malnutrition.

The blond-haired man sternly condemned his teammate's appalling behavior, then turned to Lin Nanxing with a fawning smile: "Boss, I'm willing to pay 400 points for a cup of instant noodles!"

Lin Nanxing looked at the half-finished instant noodle soup in her hand, somewhat speechless. She didn't seem to have said she was going to sell instant noodles.

And isn't this instant noodle something you can get by killing goblins? Why do these people look like they haven't eaten it in ages?

At this moment, the system, which had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke.

[Host, the loot dropped by monsters differs between survival players and management players. Survival players obtain the monster's own materials, such as hides and bones, which are used to craft equipment or exchange for in-game currency to buy food.]

"What kinds of food can they buy?" Lin Nanxing remembered that Huang Mao had just said that instant noodles were something that couldn't be found in stores.

Nutritional purees provide essential nutrients that the human body needs. They are affordable and come in large quantities. The only downside might be that they don't taste very good.

"..." Lin Nanxing already knew that the people here were living a hard life, but he didn't expect that they could be living even harder.

Eating mud all day long?

Just thinking about that slippery texture made Lin Nanxing's skin crawl, and he felt an overwhelming sympathy for the people in front of him.

"I have some extra here, but the inventory is not much. I can only sell you five barrels. Let's set the price at 150 points."

Lin Nanxing was still exploring this world and was unaware of the market prices here. Out of compassion, she did not set the price as they suggested.

The group was surprised that the shop owner was so easy to talk to, and they immediately started saying all sorts of nice things to him.

[Received: 150 points]

[Received: 150 points]

......

Lin Nanxing accepted their flattery without a second thought, and then, watching the sound of gold coins arriving in her account ring again, she took a satisfied sip of noodle soup.

When Mao Qindong finished showering and came out, he smelled the familiar aroma of food in the air. His teammates were all squatting by the swimming pool barrier, doing something, including Li Zi, who was already in the pool.

Mao Qindong thought something serious had happened and instinctively reached to put on the protective suit he was holding. Fortunately, Huang Mao caught a glimpse of him coming out and quickly waved him over, "Captain, come quick, come quick, there's something good here."

Huang Mao's expression didn't seem like he'd encountered anything bad. Mao Qindong was a little puzzled, but trusting his teammates, he got closer and closer to them, and the familiar fragrance became more and more overpowering.

Mao Qindong was somewhat dazed. This seemed to be the smell of instant noodles? He quickened his pace, his mind filled with doubt.

In this world, instant noodles are practically a legendary existence. Mao Qindong almost jogged over to the team members and stood there. He noticed five paper buckets with familiar packaging standing outside the barrier. The plastic lids on the outside were open, and steam was bubbling up.

"This is..." Mao Qindong's voice trembled slightly.

"Captain, you finally made it out!" Huang Mao excitedly explained, "The manager of this swimming pool is really resourceful. He even had instant noodles on hand, exactly five servings. I've made yours too."

Mao Qindong said in a trembling voice, "How much? I'll transfer the money to you."

"No need. Captain, you've done so much for the team. Consider this instant noodles my way of showing my respect. Just eat it."

The instant noodles cost 150 game coins, plus 50 game coins for drinking water. This meal only cost 200 game coins, which is about the same price as the nutritional supplement. Huang Mao could afford it.

The instant noodles were already cooked while Mao Qindong and Huang Mao were chatting, and Li Ziqi, who had been watching the noodles closely, was the first to notice.

"Captain, you try it first." Li Ziqi handed the plastic fork in her hand to Mao Qindong.

Those present were all brothers who had risked their lives for each other, so Mao Qindong didn't stand on ceremony. He took the instant noodles, carefully picked up a noodle with his fork, and tasted it. The long-lost deliciousness instantly brought tears to his eyes.

At that moment, he felt as if he had returned to the past, to a peaceful era when he could enjoy delicious food at will.

"It really is instant noodles!" Mao Qindong's voice choked with emotion. "After ten years, we can finally eat real food."

Upon hearing this, the others stopped waiting and began to wolf down their instant noodles, as if they were trying to regain the taste they had lost over the past ten years.

The aroma of instant noodles filled the air, and everyone's expression was a mix of crying and laughing.

Lin Nanxing witnessed the whole thing and felt somewhat heavy-hearted.

"Host, your existence is hope for them." The system suddenly spoke.

Lin Nanxing was a little stunned, then pursed her lips thoughtfully.

In the end, this group of generous and easy-going customers extended their swimming pool usage for another two hours, and it wasn't until 4 p.m. that they reluctantly left the pool.

If they don't leave soon, they'll have to head home under the cover of night. After nightfall, without sunlight, visibility is low, affecting the players' eyesight. Monsters, on the other hand, all possess night vision, making it twice as dangerous to walk in the wild.

It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. The thought of returning from the comfortable temperature barrier to the high-temperature desert made the group slow down in putting on their heat-resistant suits.

It's a pity the swimming pool only stays open until 6 pm, otherwise they would have loved to stay there forever.

Seeing this, Mao Qindong approached Lin Nanxing and asked, "Manager, will you be open for business tomorrow?"

"Of course." Lin Nanxing answered without hesitation. She understood what Mao Qindong meant and promised, "Don't worry, the facilities are very basic right now because the swimming pool has just opened. But don't worry, I will work hard to upgrade them. Maybe it won't be long before I can open the accommodation function."

Upon hearing this, Mao Qindong smiled and said, "Then we'll look forward to that day. When I go back this time, I'll definitely recommend your place to my friends."

Lin Nanxing's first business venture was incredibly successful. Looking at the data on the domain panel that read "[Account Balance: 1713]", she lay contentedly on the folding chair, swinging her legs a few times.

It's so much better to be the boss! She worked herself to the bone killing monsters all morning and only got 63 game coins, but after just three hours of running the swimming pool and selling six packs of instant noodles, she earned 1,600 yuan.

After deducting today's operating costs of 50 points, she made a net profit of nearly 1,700.

With the money, Lin Nanxing immediately felt the urge to spend it. She glanced at the other two functions on the information panel that she hadn't had time to explore during the day and tapped them.

[Player level is insufficient, world chat access is not enabled, unable to view.]

Lin Nanxing paused, then, still not believing it, clicked on another function.

[The lord's account balance has exceeded 1,000. The in-game store function is now available. Please begin your shopping journey.]

Fortunately, one function was still working, and Lin Nanxing excitedly clicked on it.

The shop was divided into many modules, of which only the food, clothing, building, and decoration modules were lit up. Lin Nanxing couldn't tell what the other modules contained, and clicking on them would display "Not yet unlocked, cannot be viewed".

The system did not specify the unlocking conditions.

Having accepted even the outdoor swimming pool, Lin Nanxing remained calm and clicked through the various options. He discovered that only the nutrient mud was unlocked in the food module, and only the expensive protective suit was unlocked in the clothing module. Even a pair of slippers cost 100 points. Lin Nanxing immediately grasped the price levels of this world.

She spent those 100 points without hesitation. Her shoes from before she time-traveled had melted the moment they touched the ground, and it was quite remarkable that she received Mao Qindong and his group while barefoot.

With slippers on, his bare feet finally felt a little safer. Lin Nanxing opened the building module with little interest, and felt a pang of panic when he saw the long string of zeros on the price tag.

The pricing in the store is very clear. All buildings are treated the same. Unlocking a new building requires 100,000 game coins. Every building can be upgraded, but fortunately, upgrading is cheaper than unlocking. Each upgrade only costs 10,000 game coins.

Lin Nanxing suddenly felt that the thousand points he had were pitifully few.

Unable to afford the big items, Lin Nanxing had no choice but to settle for second best and decided to browse home decor. However, as soon as she clicked into the decor section, the sunlight above her head suddenly dimmed abnormally.