Chapter 62 Hope Tavern: The First Independent Player Shop
The man-eating plant's mood was visibly low.
"Alright, why are you so down?" Lin Nanxing hadn't expected his words to be so discouraging to Da Zui, so he comforted him, "Hasn't Da Tie already figured out how to make it? Are you worried about not having anything to use later?"
“Perfect timing, Big Mouth, come and meet your new partner.”
Lin Nanxing beckoned Xie Yuan, who was staring in a daze at her interaction with the magical plant, to come over: "Little Gray is a mutated hamster that can warn of danger. It can predict where monsters will appear. Take it with you when you go out, so I can feel more at ease."
Seeing that its owner was worried about its safety and had specially found it a companion, the man-eating flower's mood instantly brightened.
Seeing the furry little animal on the stranger's shoulder, it kindly extended its branch.
Although the little hamster was timid towards monsters, it was unusually bold towards magical plants, and happily went off to communicate with its new companion.
Xie Yuan looked at the happy little gray cat, thinking that this was the first time he had been separated from it, and he didn't know if it could handle the job that Sister Lin had given him.
Thinking this, a hint of worry appeared on his face.
"Why are you looking so gloomy at such a young age?"
Lin Nanxing stepped forward and patted the boy on the shoulder, "Big Mouth is of a high level, doesn't act recklessly, and has excellent escape skills. Little Gray will be fine going out with it."
"I didn't mean that..." Xie Yuan saw that Lin Nanxing had misunderstood his expression, his lips trembled, but he still didn't explain his thoughts.
"It's good that you don't think that way. Relax. It's lunchtime, let me take you and Xiaoyi to eat."
Before leaving, Lin Nanxing didn't forget to tell the cherry tree squatting in the corner, "Baobao, remember to go home and sleep after you've had fun. There's no suitable environment for you to grow here in Datie."
I don't know how the socially awkward cherry tree suddenly became so close to the iron tree.
*
"Old Zhou, are you crazy? Going into business with some greenhorn?"
"Exactly, your winemaking skills are passed down from your ancestors, how can you just casually share them with someone as a partner?"
"What if you lose money? Wouldn't all the savings you've accumulated over the past ten years be wasted?"
Inside a house in Yunpei Town, several old friends who knew Lao Zhou well surrounded him, offering words of advice one after another.
The man called Lao Zhou was about fifty years old, with the marks of time on his face.
He listened to his old friends' advice, but his gaze remained firm. "I appreciate your good intentions, but I've thought this through."
"What are you trying to figure out?!"
His closest friend paced anxiously around the room, saying, "I know you love wine and know how to brew it. Before the apocalypse, everyone who mentioned your Zhou Family Wine praised it."
"But this is the apocalypse! That young man's idea of opening a tavern, is that even feasible?"
The young man who partnered with Lao Zhou was named Zhao Ming, a young man in his early twenties.
A few days ago, Zhao Ming approached Lao Zhou, saying that he had seen a notice in the Star Territory that allowed people to freely open shops, and wanted to invite Lao Zhou to invest his technology to open a tavern together.
Zhao Ming was responsible for the initial investment and daily operations, while Lao Zhou was responsible for providing his treasured brewing recipe and technical guidance. The costs were split 50/50 between the two.
The brewing recipes that Old Zhou treasured were passed down from his ancestors and were his only remaining thoughts in this apocalyptic world. Now that he heard there was a chance to bring "Zhou Family Wine" back to life, his heart, which had been dormant for many years, was stirred again.
"Old Zhang, don't worry." Old Zhou comforted his friend. "I've been observing that kid Zhao for a while. He's quick-witted and reliable. He went to Star Territory to investigate and said that it's popular and safe there, completely different from here."
"Different? How could they be different?"
A tall, thin man next to him sneered and said sarcastically, "Old Zhou, I'm not trying to criticize you, but you're too trusting. That kid is probably after your formula. Once he gets it, what chance will he have of you?"
“I don’t think he’s that kind of person,” Old Zhou shook his head. “Besides, the recipe is in my head. Without me, he can’t brew authentic Zhou family wine.”
“But this is too much of a risk for you,” Old Zhang said earnestly. “We live a tight life here in Yunpei Town, but at least it’s stable. You’re so old, why take this risk?”
Old Zhou was silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over his old friends in the room who cared about him, and he slowly said, "Old brothers, I know you mean well, but we've been struggling in this apocalypse for ten years, hiding underground for ten years, and our hopes are almost gone."
What they meant by "hope" was actually hope.
Days passed by, and nobody knew when this damn heatwave would end.
Old Zhou walked to the window, looked at the endless, dull soil outside, and sighed, "I'm fifty years old now. I thought that if this damn game didn't end, our Zhou family's brewing skills might die out in my generation. Now that I have a chance, I don't want to give it up."
"Even if I fail, at least I tried, and that's something I can do right by the craft passed down from my ancestors."
Seeing that Lao Zhou was determined, his old friends knew that further persuasion would be useless.
Old Zhang sighed, stepped forward and patted Old Zhou on the shoulder: "Since you've made up your mind, we won't say any more. Remember, always be wary of others, and don't trust them too much."
"Yes, I know." Old Zhou's voice was a little choked up.
The atmosphere in the room was somewhat somber; an outsider might have thought the people inside were experiencing a life-or-death separation.
A few days later, Lao Zhou packed his simple luggage, along with his treasured brewing recipes and notes, and boarded the train to the Star Territory with Zhao Ming.
"Alright, all the paperwork is complete. You can prepare to open for business now."
Looking at the two slightly awkward people in front of him, Zhou Qisheng smiled and handed the key to a shop to one of them, saying, "I'm really looking forward to the opening of your tavern. I'll be there to support you on that day."
Zhao Ming was a quick-witted young man who had previously run a bar business. He was eager to talk his way out of anything he could think of when facing the business manager of Star Territory.
After hearing Zhou Qisheng's promise, he smiled and agreed, "Then I look forward to the boss's visit."
After leaving the staff office building of the territory, Zhao Ming led Lao Zhou to a shop that was not yet fully renovated: "This is it, Uncle Zhou. I specifically asked the person in charge for a shop with a yard. The small yard in the back can be converted into a brewing workshop."
"This territory is really good. Every shop has running water, and the water and electricity prices are the same as in the old society. It's as if God is helping us open shops."
Zhao Ming kept rambling on and on, while Lao Zhou, who had been so nervous since entering the Star Territory that he hadn't uttered a sound, walked into the empty shop, looked around, and seemed to already see the bustling scene of the future tavern.
He took a deep breath, opened his eyes again, and hope ignited in them: "Xiao Zhao, let's go to the fresh food supermarket to buy a batch of raw materials and try to brew the first batch today."
"Uncle Zhou, let's not rush. Now that we've decided on this place, let's give our tavern a name first."
Old Zhou thought for a moment and then said, "How about we call it Hope?"
*
A month passed in the blink of an eye, and with Zhao Ming's deliberate promotion, Hope Tavern opened to the public's anticipation in the evening.
Old Zhou sat behind the bar, unconsciously wiping a gleaming glass in his hand, his gaze involuntarily drifting towards the door, completely unsure how many customers would come today.
Zhao Ming was busy making final preparations in the front hall, his young figure revealing an undisguised excitement.
"Uncle Zhou, don't worry!" Zhao Ming turned around and grinned, "The response on our trial opening day was great! So many customers asked when we'd officially open."
Old Zhou gave a vague reply, his palms slightly damp.
He certainly remembered the rave reviews he received for his wine during the trial operation, but those were just free samples. Now that he was actually selling it for real money, would things be the same?
The wine that Zhao Ming brewed for him wasn't cheap.
He couldn't help but recall the advice of his old friends in Yunpei Town, and he began to have second thoughts.
What if... what if business is slow? Not only will we have betrayed Xiao Zhao's trust, but all the precious raw materials we invested will also be wasted.
Just then, the tavern's wooden door was gently pushed open, and a familiar figure walked in.
Lin Nanxing stood at the door and smiled gently at the stunned Old Zhou: "Master Zhou, Boss Zhao, congratulations on your opening! Bring me a pot of your signature bar."
Old Zhou recognized the girl; he had seen her loitering around the bar these past few days, seemingly looking forward to its opening. She was also the first to respond to the trial operation a few days ago.
I heard she's a full-time employee of Star Territory and has plenty of money.
Even Lao Zhou could see the information, so how could Zhao Ming not know it? When he saw Lin Nanxing, he was like seeing a little god of wealth, and said warmly, "Miss Lin, you've come! I specially saved a seat for you. Please come with me."
Zhao Minggang led Lin Nanxing to a suitable seat, and then the sound of laughter and conversation came from outside the door.
Several well-equipped players peeked in, peering curiously: "This must be it! I heard the drinks here are really strong!"
"It's finally open! I've been craving this taste ever since the tasting day!"
Before Lao Zhou could react, Zhao Ming had already strode forward, his voice brimming with barely suppressed enthusiasm: "Please come in, everyone! Today is the official opening of Hope Tavern, and all drinks are 10% off!"
As he passed through the open door, Lao Zhou saw a number of people filing in one after another, following Zhao Ming's greeting. Lao Zhou put down his cup in a daze.
Zhao Ming turned around in the crowd and winked at him, his eyes clearly saying: See, Uncle Zhou, I told you there would be no problem.
Old Zhou took a deep breath, and the aroma of wine in the air suddenly became exceptionally real. He turned and walked towards the wine cabinet, beginning to earnestly entertain his guests.
[Received: 120 points]
[Received: 100 points]
[Received: 150 points]
...
Making purchases in the game world is much more convenient than in the old society. There's no need to scan a QR code to pay; you can simply pay through the game control panel. Similarly, the shop owner can see the amount received in real time.
Old Zhou stared at the fluctuating numbers on the system interface, his hand holding the wine jug trembling slightly.
Within just three hours of opening, his earnings had already exceeded two thousand points. This was almost equivalent to half a month's income in Yunpei Town.
Zhao Ming weaved through the packed tavern, and when he returned to Old Zhou's side, his voice was a little hoarse, but his smile was even brighter: "Uncle Zhou, our signature liquor is almost gone, shouldn't we prepare a new batch?"
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