Chapter 76 Planning Ahead: Crimson Glow Town's overtures
Before the group even stepped into the swimming pool branch, they felt a chilling coldness just by entering the protective barrier, and the whole team froze on the spot.
Stepping from the near 150-degree Celsius heat outside into this cool place, everyone shivered with relief.
The most hot-tempered tank crew member glanced at the sky in disbelief, confirming they were still outside and hadn't gone indoors, and exclaimed in shock, "W-why is it so cool in here?!"
Qi Ruiyi took a deep breath, and the cool sensation that penetrated her lungs dissipated most of her irritability over the past few days, making her believe the advertisement even more.
A waiter in a bamboo fiber short-sleeved uniform greeted us with a smile and offered us a cool, disinfected towel: "Is this your first time here? We offer shower and swimming services. Would you like me to explain?"
The kind-looking team member went up again to inquire, and the information he received was exactly the same as what he had heard in Yunpei Town.
Seeing the exhausted team members after taking off their heavy protective suits, Qi Ruiyi immediately made a decision: "Let's rest and wash up here first, and then head directly to the Star Territory."
Upon hearing this, a waiter kindly reminded them, "Are you going to the main store, sir? There have been a lot of tourists from out of town lately, and accommodations in the area are often fully booked. If you set off now, you might not be able to find a place to rest tonight."
"The Star Territory currently does not support outsiders staying without accommodation. Why don't you rest in Yunpei Town for the night and take the first train tomorrow?"
This suggestion was indeed reasonable. After exchanging glances with his teammates, Qi Ruiyi calmly accepted the arrangement.
The following morning, when the group stepped into the Star Territory, the sight before them made them feel as if they were in a dream.
Fine snowflakes fluttered down under the bright sunshine, but instead of melting, they accumulated in a thin layer on the fruit trees laden with heavy fruit.
The teammates stared blankly as they reached out, the snowflakes they caught feeling a slight chill in their palms: "Is this... really the apocalypse?"
Someone in the group inexplicably reached out to pick an orange that was within reach, and a system warning immediately popped up:
[WARNING: This crop belongs to the Star Territory and unauthorized harvesting is prohibited]
The man sheepishly withdrew his hand.
Qi Ruiyi paid no attention to her teammates' little actions; her gaze was drawn to the scene within the territory.
Groups of players, dressed in light clothing, walked by, all looking relaxed. One little girl even skipped and hopped past them, carrying a glass of chilled juice.
The only two women in the team, and the only priest, were also gathering information. She whispered to Qi Ruiyi, "Captain, the barrier strength here is probably more than three times higher than in our city, and the overall defense level is even higher than in Dongling City."
With each train arrival, many new tourists arrive. Star Territory has already arranged for dedicated personnel to receive them. While the group from Dongling City was still observing the situation, a staff member in work clothes stepped forward at the opportune moment, with a warm smile: "Welcome to Star Territory. Would you like me to introduce you to our special services?"
The way they greeted me was exactly the same as the service staff at the swimming pool branch I encountered yesterday; it was obvious they were trained by the same company.
Lin Nanxing was talking with Hu Wei, the mayor of Chixia Town, in his office when a system notification suddenly sounded in his mind:
[Residents of Dongling City detected entering the territory]
Dongling City? Has the world already developed into a city?
Lin Nanxing's expression shifted slightly. He picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and used this action to quickly check the visitor's information.
This team has ten members, representing various professions, with an average level of over 70. The highest-level member is the female archer, who is about to break through level 80.
This is an elite team without a doubt, Lin Nanxing thought to himself. Since the reputation of the efficacy of bamboo products spread, more and more visitors have come from afar. He never expected that even experts with a level of nearly 80 would be attracted.
If an ordinary squad has such a high level of strength, then wouldn't the others in Dongling City be even stronger?
"Does Mayor Lin have other ideas about my proposal?" Hu Wei couldn't help but ask when he saw her lost in thought.
The mayor of Chixia Town, taking advantage of his brother Hu Ba's friendship with Shu Yi, came specifically to discuss the matter of opening a branch of the swimming pool.
Since the swimming pool branch was built at the entrance of Yunpei Town, residents from the surrounding territories have flocked to it. Although the number of customers is not as high as the original store in Xingxing Territory, it is still quite considerable.
More importantly, these tourists never just stay in the swimming pool; they shop and stay overnight in town. I heard that Yunpei Town's overall income has increased by more than 30% during this period.
Hu Wei had long coveted this benefit, and the conditions he offered were incredibly sincere. Not only did he not take a share of the profits, but he also promised to send an elite guard team from Chixia Town to be responsible for the branch's security and in-store services.
His only request was to open a similar swimming pool at the entrance of Chixia Town.
For Lin Nanxing, this was certainly a sure-fire way to make money.
By befriending the town, one can gain reputation points. Lin Nanxing, who has only accumulated 13 reputation points so far, naturally wouldn't refuse Hu Wei's suggestion.
In any case, building a swimming pool would only cost her 10,000 game coins, and the system would automatically generate the complete facility. As for the cost, that was negligible; it was a pure profit.
“I have felt Mayor Hu’s sincerity, and naturally I have no other thoughts. It is an honor for our Star Territory to cooperate with Chixia Town.”
Upon hearing her agreement, Hu Wei was overjoyed and immediately made the decision, "I will go back and prepare for site selection. Within three days, I will definitely find the best location and the best service staff. I hope Mayor Lin will come and visit."
After seeing off the Hu brothers, Hu Wei and Hu Ba, Lin Nanxing looked at the 14 reputation points displayed by the system, sent a message to Zhou Qisheng, and told him to keep an eye on the new guests from Dongling City. He then returned home in a very good mood.
Just as Shu Yi had finished serving the last dish of stir-fried vegetables for lunch, he heard the sound of the door lock turning. Lin Nanxing walked in humming a song, her eyes and brows full of smiles.
"Did you reach an agreement?" he asked while setting out the bowls and chopsticks.
"Of course!" Lin Nanxing leaned closer to the dining table and took a deep breath, the aroma of the food filling the air.
"Hu Wei took the initiative to ask me to open a branch of his swimming pool. We don't need to put in any manpower or effort. It's like spending 10,000 points to get a stable income. How could I refuse such a good thing?"
She casually picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs, but Shu Yi gently slapped it away: "Go wash your hands."
Lin Nanxing muttered as she went to wash her hands, her voice coming from the bathroom, "He got the excitement he wanted, and I gained my reputation. It's a win-win situation!"
After their relationship progressed further, Shu Yi moved into Lin Nanxing's villa.
Despite his quiet demeanor, he possesses exceptional culinary skills, allowing Lin Nanxing, a complete novice in the kitchen, to escape the daily grind of eating canteen meals.
At this moment, three dishes and a soup are steaming on the table. The sweet and sour pork ribs look tempting, the stir-fried vegetables are bright green, and even the most ordinary tomato and egg soup has a perfect aroma of sesame oil.
"Shu Yi, have you ever heard of Dongling City?" Lin Nanxing asked suddenly while eating.
Shu Yi was serving her soup when he heard this and nodded, saying, "Of course, this is the closest city to us. I've been there twice. Although most people still live underground, many high-level players have moved to the surface. It's more than ten times larger than Yunpei Town, with a permanent population of over 200,000."
"So there are cities in the game after all. I thought they were all small towns."
Shu Yi put another piece of pork rib on her plate. "There really aren't that many. There are only five that can be called cities by the game system, and they are all far away from us. Just Dongling City alone would take two months to walk there. It's normal that you don't know. Why are you suddenly asking about Dongling City?"
"So far?" Lin Nanxing exclaimed in surprise. After being enhanced by the system, the player's daily walking speed was comparable to that of a speed-limited electric car. If it took two months for such a physical condition to walk, then the distance was really far.
"A group of players from Dongling City happened to arrive today. It's the first time I've encountered city-level residents. Oh, and there's an archer in there who's almost level 80. With such high combat power, I'd really like to see what he's got."
Shu Yi immediately felt a sense of crisis, but pretended to be calm and said, "What's the difference? Aren't they all just one nose and two eyes? If they were really special, they would be monsters."
These words were laced with sarcasm. Lin Nanxing looked up from her rice bowl, glanced at her expressionless boyfriend, and suddenly realized, "You're not jealous, are you?"
Shu Yi remained silent.
Lin Nanxing put down his rice bowl, laughing and crying at the same time, and said, "What are you thinking? That archer is a female player, and my sexual orientation is perfectly normal."
That being said, Lin Nanxing was still exhausted that night, as her boyfriend proved with his actions who was truly capable.
Meanwhile, the two brothers, who had traveled back to Crimson Glow Town via the train between Star Territory and Cloudpei Town, were also discussing cooperation.
"Brother, I don't understand. Our town doesn't have a large population and doesn't lack resources. Why bother helping to set up a branch store when it's a thankless task?"
In Hu Ba's view, Yunpei Town was not far from his own town, and if the residents of Chixia Town wanted to have fun, they could just come to Yunpei Town.
Moreover, with the train connecting Yunpei Town to the Star Territory, it has a natural geographical advantage. Most tourists from other places will choose Yunpei Town, while the swimming pool branch in Chixia Town will probably only be frequented by local residents.
The older brother doesn't want any profit, and he still has to send people to maintain and operate it. It doesn't seem like a good deal at all.
"You don't know anything!" Hu Wei rolled his eyes at his younger brother, feeling a bit disappointed in him. His brother was all muscle and no brains. He told Lin Nanxing that he was envious of the customer traffic, but everyone knew the truth was that it was just an excuse.
Seeing that his younger brother still looked confused, Hu Wei sighed and explained, "This is the eleventh year of the game. As you can see, the climate has been changing since last winter, which has made me very anxious."
"Brother, are you worried that a major disaster might happen in the game?"
Hu Wei thought so, but seeing his younger brother affected by his words and looking worried, he quickly adjusted his expression and said reassuringly, "Of course, this is just my personal opinion. You know I always think a lot. This is just being prepared for the worst. It's not certain that anything will actually happen."
After ten years of gaming, the emergence of Star Territory is everyone's hope. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this territory is the key to breaking the deadlock, and befriending it is a necessary move, even if it means sacrificing some interests.
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