Chapter 194
This day was peaceful yet unusual for the people of Lanhu Town.
The three distinguished guests who saved Lan Hulin left. One of them was the next lord designated by the mother tree. As long as he nodded, their Lord Yunqing would abdicate immediately.
Before these three distinguished guests left, they left them a precious plant, which has now been planted on the farmland outside Lanhulin.
The brown rice and wheat that were previously planted withered because the revival of the mother trees robbed the soil of nutrients, making the land barren.
However, in such barren land, the plant called star chain fruit can still thrive.
Under the promotion of the wood-type mutants, they grew more and more luxuriantly, and the land where they grew began to change from yellow to brown and even black.
Everyone was talking about this matter with great interest and was also very interested in the small shop that had hung up the sign of "Lan Hu Grocery Store".
Because of the advantageous geographical location of Lanhu Grocery Store, it naturally attracts a lot of attention.
Therefore, when the entire house disappeared, many Lanhu people witnessed the scene with their own eyes.
No one dared to believe their eyes.
"This, this was indeed the Lanhu Grocery Store opened by those distinguished guests, right?"
The old man who was sitting in the doorway across the street basking in the sun pulled his son out with a confused look on his face and pointed at the open space opposite and asked.
"Yes..." His son was halfway through his response when he was also stunned.
He looked at the empty ground across the street and couldn't help but wonder, "Where's that big store? I saw it this morning! How come it's gone all of a sudden?"
The two of them hurriedly joined the others in surrounding the open space over there, and soon touched an invisible wall.
"What is this?"
"I can't get through!"
"Could it be that Lan Hu's Grocery Store is hidden behind this invisible wall?"
The crowd gathered around the invisible wall and found that they could see the people on the opposite side, but if they wanted to go to the other side, they would be blocked by the invisible wall.
Is this some kind of supernatural power? It's so magical!
"Where's that kid Mo Ke? Hurry up and find him to see what's going on."
Because he was a friend of several distinguished guests and ended up staying on as a salesperson, Mok received an even warmer welcome than before.
He went out early today to start a trading mission, but after selling just a few bags of glucose, he was dragged back by Blue Moon, who said something incomprehensible like "Your store is gone."
His two small bosses had just rescued Lan Hulin. It was impossible for Lan Hulin to turn against them all of a sudden and confiscate the store directly, right?
Mo Ke thought so and decided to return with Blue Moon, then he looked at -
"Oh my god! Why is my store gone?"
Like everyone else, he looked around for a long time and finally confirmed that the vacant lot was indeed the original site of the store.
"What about my big store?"
He panicked and quickly pushed through the crowd and rushed to the open space, then...
In full view of the public, Mo Ke was gone!
"Did he go in just now?" Blue Moon pulled the person next to her and asked blankly.
"Is it so?"
"How come he wasn't stopped by that invisible wall?"
Everyone was talking about it, and Mo Ke was standing under the awning in front of the store, looking confused.
Good news, his shop is still there.
Bad news, no one else can see it!
What is going on?
A light bulb went off in Mok's mind, and he suddenly remembered the water wall that blocked the outside of the deserted city home.
This seems to be the protective barrier of the deserted city home? Did Xiao An and the others activate it?
Mo Ke was about to ask on the message board, but he quickly realized that what he said on the store channel could also be seen by Lin Zhen and the others, so he didn't continue.
The teleportation array is a big secret, and the old man repeatedly warned us not to tell anyone else.
So Mok turned and went into the shop and jumped into the basement.
Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi, who were originally operating the interface in the basement, have already left. They want to put the blame on the "God of Business", so of course they have to put on a full show.
When Mo Ke came over, they were pretending to go downstairs to find Grandpa Li, and then they were pulled back to Room 901 by Mo Ke.
"You said that Store No. 5 has opened the protective barrier?" Tang Yu'an asked in surprise.
Mo Ke was stunned, "Yeah, isn't it you who opened it?"
Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi shook their heads, "We are not the branch managers of Lan Hu Grocery Store."
They are indeed not branch managers, and they are not lying.
Mo Ke also understood their subtext, "Only the branch manager can activate the protective barrier? Eh, that's not right..."
He realized something and couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that master who opened it?"
What he was referring to, of course, was the mysterious businessman, or more precisely, the "God of Business" that had just been discussed in the forum.
The authority of the branch manager must have been granted by the mysterious merchant. If Lan Hu Grocery Store does not have a branch manager, then the mysterious merchant should have opened it.
"It's very likely!" Tang Yu'an nodded seriously.
Zhou Qi also added: "The reason we went to Lanhu Town to build a branch was because we accepted a mission from a mysterious businessman."
"Then why did he suddenly activate the protective barrier?" Mo Ke looked puzzled. "The store is already crowded with people. How are we going to do business in the future?"
Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi also looked at a loss.
Mo Ke sighed, "Then can I ask on the message board?"
"It's better not to. Wouldn't asking reveal our identities?" Zhou Qi said, "We don't know who the other employees are, so it's better not to reveal any information about ourselves."
"Okay, so what now?"
Tang Yu'an said at the right moment: "Brother Yunqing is also an employee, why don't you see how he reacts?"
"Is he also an employee?" Mo Ke was stunned. "Yes, he is the lord of Lanhu Town. The mysterious businessman must have given him a mission. I'll go ask him!"
"We'll go with you to take a look!" Tang Yu'an said.
"No need for that. If you show up in Lanhu Town, won't you expose the teleportation array?"
"As long as we don't leave the store, no one can see us."
Mo Ke nodded, and then heard Tang Yu'an say, "If anything happens, run to the store and hide."
If something really happens, he and Xiaoqige can go out and rescue Mo Ke.
"I don't think so."
Mo Ke felt that the Blue Hu people were much friendlier than the people of the Giant Peaks. Although they had been indifferent before, their attitude changed dramatically after they became one of their own.
In addition to Blue Moon, he has made many friends these days, so he has developed basic trust in the Blue Hu people.
"Grandpa said, it's better to be careful."
Mo Ke agreed with this statement, so he didn't say anything more. The three of them took the teleportation array to Lanhu Town together.
Lan Yunqing naturally knew about such a big thing and appeared outside Store No. 5 at this moment.
Mo Ke took a deep breath and said, "I'll go out and meet him."
The other party was the leader of a faction, so Mo Ke was inevitably a little nervous, but when he thought that they were all employees of the mysterious businessman, he calmed down.
So, Mok tentatively stretched out a hand outside the barrier.
The Blue Hu people who were originally standing outside watching, whether out of curiosity or worry, all took a step back in unison.
When Mok's head popped out, they all took two steps back.
Only Lan Yunqing was still standing there.
The Bluebeard guards who had retreated in fear immediately mustered up the courage to step forward and protect the lord, looking vigilantly at Mok, who had only his head and one hand floating in the air.
Mo Ke also realized something, smiled embarrassedly, and quickly walked out of the barrier, appearing in front of everyone unharmed.
"Lord Yunqing."
He greeted Lan Yunqing, then looked at the others, "Don't be nervous, Lan Hu's Grocery Store is still here."
Lan Yunqing looked at the fire-type ability user, then looked at the Lanhu Grocery Store that was hidden behind him for some reason, and remained relatively calm.
"Let's talk somewhere else."
Thinking of the "God of Commerce" and "Cult of Commerce" mentioned on the message board, Lan Yunqing had to be cautious.
"Okay." Mo Ke nodded.
Listening to his conversation with the lord, the people did not dare to say anything and watched the lord take Mok to the Blue Hulin.
Seeing this, Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi hurriedly chased after them using an umbrella and soon arrived beside them.
"Is this the work of a mysterious businessman?" Lan Yunqing's voice rang out.
"That's for sure," Mok said. "None of us have the authority to do so."
"You guys?" Lan Yunqing asked in confusion.
Tang Yu'an suddenly became nervous, not knowing what Mo Ke would say.
"Yes, Xiao An and Xiao Qi are not the managers of Lan Hu Grocery Store, and they do not have the authority." Mo Ke said.
"Don't they own this grocery store?"
"They came here because they accepted a mission from a mysterious businessman."
Lan Yunqing thought of Chi Hao. Perhaps he had accepted the mission and therefore exchanged the healing potion for the house.
Before, Xiaotang had told him about a similar task...
Lan Yunqing recalled Mo Ke's words and suddenly said with certainty, "It seems you know what that invisible wall is."
Mo Ke paused. To clear up the misunderstanding, he naturally had to explain it clearly...
So he nodded and said, "This is a protective barrier. It not only hides the shop, but also protects against natural disasters and mutant creatures."
Lan Yunqing's expression changed noticeably. "Defending against natural disasters and mutant creatures? Does such a thing really exist in the world?"
"Didn't you see it?" Mok said, "You should have tried to launch an attack just now, right?"
Lan Yunqing couldn't help but fall silent. The guard had indeed done this before he arrived. He also tried to contact the Lanhu branch in the store, but the communication failed.
At this time, Mo Ke hesitated and said, "But..."
"But what?"
"The protective barriers I've seen before can be seen by outsiders during the day." Mo Ke scratched his head. "I don't know why the one in Lanhu Town can't be seen during the day either."
Lan Yunqing frowned, trying to digest the information Mo Ke said.
Finally, he said, "So this barrier only serves to block sight and provide protection. Lanhu's Grocery Store is still in place, right?"
Mo Ke nodded, "That's exactly what I meant."
Lan Yunqing lowered his brows in thought. This method of concealment, capable of blocking sight, was truly too powerful. Furthermore, Lan Hu's Grocery Store was located in the heart of town...
They had no idea what was going on inside, and it was a terrifying feeling.
"Besides this, is there anything else?" he asked, looking at Mok.
Mo Ke showed obvious hesitation, which was caught by Lan Yunqing.
“So there are other functions,” he said.
"After all, this is the method of the gods. Of course there are other things." Mo Ke could probably understand Lan Yunqing's concerns.
He also didn't expect that the mysterious businessman didn't inform Lan Yunqing in advance, which would easily create a rift between Lan Hu Town and them.
So he began to think about how to eliminate Lan Yunqing's concerns and avoid this kind of estrangement.
After a moment's hesitation, Mo Ke said, "The emergence of this protective barrier is definitely a good thing for Lanhu Town."
"How do you say that?"
"This barrier can be expanded." Mok dropped a bombshell directly.
"The barrier I saw covered an area as large as half a town. Even if a natural disaster strikes, the people living inside will not be affected."
As big as half a small town... Of course, this was a false number reported by Mok, but he felt that with the expansion speed of the deserted city home, it should be achieved soon.
"You mean the entire Lanhu Town can be included?"
"Yes, this protective barrier not only protects against natural disasters, but also against dangerous creatures. Just look at that giant bug from before. There's no way it could have appeared within the barrier."
Mo Ke also saw this with his own eyes. Although he was very active in doing business in Lanhu Town, he also did not neglect his home in Huangcheng.
He had personally experienced the various magical aspects of the protective barrier.
"You didn't lie to me?" Lan Yunqing stared at Mo Ke.
When Lan Yunqing heard Mo Ke say that this protective barrier could resist mutant insects, he was moved.
The thing he is most worried about now is the mutant insects making a comeback. This time, it is because of Zhou Qi that they can get rid of the big insect so smoothly.
If we only rely on him and the guards, we will definitely have to pay a huge price.
"Why would I lie to you?" Mok said, "What I said is absolutely true!"
"Is the place you're talking about in Jufeng Mountain?"
"No." Mo Ke shook his head.
Lan Yunqing did not ask any further questions. He thought carefully and realized that if this barrier could really cover Lanhu Town and protect Lanhu Lin and his subjects, it would indeed be a huge benefit.
But the prerequisite is that this barrier can really expand.
"So, how can we achieve the effect you mentioned?" Lan Yunqing asked humbly.
"I don't know about that..."
Mo Ke scratched his head. "Perhaps you haven't gained the mysterious merchant's trust yet, or perhaps some other conditions need to be met before the protective barrier can be expanded."
Lan Yunqing pursed his lips slightly, and at this moment, a new message suddenly popped up in front of his eyes.
Because of your outstanding potential, the mysterious merchant has decided to transfer you to "Ping An Grocery Store No. 5" as a salesperson.
[Congratulations! Triggering the normal task "New Employee Assessment"]
[Description: You need to meet the assessment standards to get more employee benefits]
Mission: Bring 2000 store popularity points to Ping An Grocery Store No. 5 (0/2000)
[Reward: Unlock the right to stay at "Ping An Grocery Store No. 5"]
[Warm Tip: When you develop new customers and achieve profitable transactions, the store you are working for will increase its popularity]
Lan Yunqing carefully browsed the information, so in the internal records of the Shangshen Sect, Lanhu Grocery Store was "Ping'an Grocery Store No. 5"?
There are at least 5 such stores in the world?
"Are you an employee of Store No. 5?" Lan Yunqing suddenly asked.
Mo Ke shook his head subconsciously, "No..."
He couldn't help but pause, then laughed and said, "It seems that Lan Hu's Grocery Store is store number 5?"
Lan Yunqing nodded.
Seeing him so straightforward, Mo Ke hesitated for a moment, feeling that it was okay to tell him this information, so he said, "I'm from Store No. 1, and I was assigned to Lanhu Town for a mission."
Lan Yunqing nodded. It seems Xiaotang and the others are also from Shop No. 1...
"So the employees at No.1 Store are all relatively experienced, which is why they are sent out to build new stores?" he asked.
Mo Ke laughed.
In fact, he was recruited only after arriving in Lanhu Town. The ones with more experience were Xiao An and the others, but there was no need to let Lan Yunqing know this.
"We have no hostility towards Lanhu Town," Mo Ke said, "otherwise, Xiaoqi and the others wouldn't be running back and forth for Lanhu Lin."
"The opening of this protective barrier really has nothing to do with us," he emphasized.
"Well, I just received the mission." Lan Yunqing briefly recounted, "So as long as I get the permission to enter, I can enter this protective barrier, right?"
"Yes, I also have this authority." Mo Ke couldn't help but sigh that this task came at the right time.
"Then I understand." Lan Yunqing said, "I will complete the task as soon as possible."
Since he could also enter the protective barrier, everything inside the barrier was knowable, which ultimately eliminated Lan Yunqing's vigilance.
"One last question."
Lan Yunqing looked at Mo Ke and said, "The mysterious businessman... is he really a god?"
The protective barrier function that Mok mentioned is really very attractive. If it can be expanded infinitely, the territory will be even safer than a fortress.
Is this ability really something humans can possess?
Mo Ke didn't expect Lan Yunqing to ask this.
He hesitated for a moment and said, "There's something to gain from this, so it's okay to believe in it. After all, regardless of the church's tenets or rules, it doesn't look like an evil god."
Lan Yunqing agreed with Mo Ke's last sentence.
From the current perspective, this God of Business is indeed very upright. Everything he does is to save people from suffering and rescue the dying, which is quite to his liking.
Tang Yu'an, who was eavesdropping nearby, was somewhat amused, but Zhou Qi felt helpless.
It seems that the employees' opinions cannot be changed.
Fortunately, after Mok's explanation and guidance, the blame was put on the mysterious businessman and they were completely cleared.
From now on, Lan Yunqing should no longer suspect that they are the mysterious businessmen.
Now Lord Lanhu has accepted the existence of the protective barrier. After he completes the task and obtains access, they will guide him step by step to complete the task to upgrade Store No. 5.
The more he invested, the deeper his sense of belonging to Store No. 5 became. As time went on, he would push himself to "activate" the teleportation array.
Of course, the specific arrangements will depend on the future development direction of Store No. 5.
If Lan Yunqing can run Store No. 5 and continue to provide them with points and experience points, then there is no need for them to station employees here.
At that time, whether there will still be a need for Huangcheng Home and Lanhu Town to exchange resources will need to be re-evaluated.
Seeing that Mo Ke was safe, Tang Yu'an and the others returned to the store before Mo Ke returned to Store No. 5, and then discussed and summarized the subsequent arrangements.
"When we open branches in other places in the future, we can also learn from the ideas of Lanhu Town." Tang Yu'an said.
They previously just wanted to use the branch as a teleportation point, but it would be great if they could develop a second and third home!
"Let's take it one step at a time." Zhou Qi was not so optimistic. "Not all places are like Lanhu Town."
Because of the Lanhu forest in Lanhu Town, people here live a relatively comfortable life and their customs are naturally simple.
And elsewhere in the wasteland...
Zhou Qi's reminder reminded Tang Yu'an of the Jufeng grocery store that was robbed and burned, and his heated mind calmed down.
Yes, Lanhu Town is an exception. They still need to be cautious when going to other places in the future.
unless……
"Then what if we put on the vest of the Shangshen Cult from the beginning, just like Store No. 6 did?" Tang Yu'an said, "That seems more refreshing!"
Zhou Qi had to admit that this was indeed the case.
"We can make use of the Thousand Faces Cloak in the future." He came up with another idea.
“Haha, this is going to be fun!”
Tang Yu'an laughed.
After waiting for Mo Ke to come back and listening to his conversation with Lan Yunqing, they went back temporarily.
In the following period, profitable trading reminders from Lan Yunqing sounded frequently.
Originally, Lan Yunqing would complete about 500 profitable trades a day, but since Lan Hulin was cured, his trading volume has dropped significantly.
But that day, he made more than 700 profitable trades before he stopped!
It gave Tang Yu'an 720 experience points and 28,000+ points, and also brought more than 700 store popularity to No. 5 Store.
According to this progress, it will probably only take two days for him to get permission to stay at store No. 5!
I have to say, sometimes people really need a little stimulation.
Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi returned to the deserted city and filled up the reservoir of Store No. 3 again. Then they spent another 48,000 points to build two reservoirs of the same specifications.
Even so, their points balance is still over 400,000.
This is the benefit of having more employees!
Now, a month has passed since the flood. They have to build as many reservoirs as possible before the water passes.
After filling the three reservoirs, they returned to Store No. 6 and transferred the water to the lake.
It consumed about one and a half reservoirs and finally filled the entire lake.
Afterwards, Tang Yu'an released the construction robot and began to dig ditches around the lake according to the design drawings drawn by Zhou Qi.
Plants can only grow with water. After digging ditches to form a water network, suitable grasslands for grazing can be formed more quickly.
Because they were worried that the robots they were building would be attacked by animals, they stayed at Store No. 6.
However, when Tang Yu'an opened the map to see if there were any good places nearby, he saw two marked light spots appear near the lake.
"It's Obsidian and the others!" Tang Yu'an said in surprise, "They really migrated here with the wolves!"
"Do you want to go see them?" Zhou Qi asked.
Tang Yu'an was about to say yes, but suddenly stopped because he saw new news popping up on the store channel of No. 1 Store.
[Pu Wei]: Little doctor, the guards said that the Jufeng grocery store has been rebuilt and they hope we can go back to sell salt.
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