Chapter 3 Prohibition of Drinking Disinfectant
"Star Swimming Pool? Who came up with that name? It's so corny."
[...] The system is muted; the system will not speak.
Lin Nanxing naturally saw the slogan as well. She silently complained about the system's naming skills, then raised a fairly professional smile and walked towards the strange group that was wearing thick clothes and wrapped up from head to toe in the high temperature.
"Welcome! Would any of you like to go swimming?"
Lin Nanxing's words brought the group back to their senses, and one of them exclaimed, "It really is a swimming pool!"
"Of course! Didn't you see this pop-up from the system? After so long, the game has finally included content other than monsters. Has the system finally shown some conscience for once?"
Li Zi didn't join her teammates in expressing their feelings. She was actually in much worse shape than she appeared, suffering from the negative effects of heat damage. Upon seeing so much water, she completely ignored Lin Nanxing's hospitality and rushed to the pool, cupping the water in her hands as if to scoop it up and drink.
As an assassin, her professional advantages are thus demonstrated.
Seeing this, the team members next to them also took out their cups and rushed to fill them with water.
Before they even touched the water, they immediately felt an invisible barrier preventing them from moving.
[Warning: You are not currently eligible to use this service.]
"What's going on? Why can't we get access to this water?"
The only one among the five who didn't act impulsively was the team leader, Mao Qindong. He was also the only one who stayed in place to observe Lin Nanxing. Seeing that the woman's expression was getting worse and worse, he stopped his teammates from moving and called them back to his side.
Lin Nanxing was somewhat bewildered by their actions. It was the first time she had ever seen anyone come up and ask to drink the swimming pool water. Were these people, who were behaving so barbarically, really going to be her customers?
Fortunately, someone sober managed to stop the frenzied crowd in time; otherwise, Lin Nanxing wouldn't know how she would have handled the situation. As a result, her gaze towards Mao Qindong softened considerably.
"Sorry, we haven't seen so much water in so long, we're a little excited, please forgive us."
In business, harmony brings wealth, so Lin Nanxing smiled again. "It's alright, I was just speaking too slowly. This is a newly opened swimming pool, and you need to pay to use it."
"As for the pricing..." Seeing how eager they were for water just now, it was clear that this was a scarce industry for her, so Lin Nanxing decisively said, "Only 50 game coins per hour."
As soon as Lin Nanxing finished speaking, she saw the people in front of her freeze again. Her confident expression turned hesitant. "What's wrong with everyone? Do you think it's too expensive?"
The system went into a dormant state after a guest arrived. Lin Nanxing was unaware of the market rates here. The pricing was set by her on the spot, modeled after the pricing of the swimming pool at the five-star hotel where she had previously worked part-time, with a slight premium.
The system clearly stipulates that non-territory residents can only be active within the territory from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, which means the swimming pool is only open for eight hours.
The current daily operating cost within the territory is 50 points. Even if only one customer comes a day, as long as he stays for a full hour, the cost will be recouped, and there will be no loss.
If she wants to upgrade her territory into a camp, two conditions are required: to entertain 50 customers and to generate 10,000 yuan in revenue. On average, each customer would have to spend at least 200 yuan.
So, when you calculate it this way, Lin Nanxing's quoted price is actually a bit low.
Judging from the way these people look, could it be that they can't even afford 50 yuan?
Just as Lin Nanxing was wondering if she had quoted too much and was considering whether to lower her price, a sharp voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Where do I pay? I'll pay even if it's 500 yuan, I want to get into the swimming pool now!"
Lin Nanxing looked over and saw that it was the person who had rushed into the swimming pool to drink water. It turned out to be a girl. "I am the owner of this store. You can just transfer the money to me directly."
Upon hearing this, Li Zi quickly paid, her movements so fast she was afraid Lin Nanxing would change her mind. "Did you receive it? Did you receive it? Can I go into the swimming pool now?"
As the notification sounded that 50 game coins had been credited to your account, the system also appeared.
[Congratulations, host, on completing your first transaction! Please continue your efforts and build your territory into a prosperous city!]
[You have received a reward: New Player Gift Pack x1, which has been added to your inventory.]
At the same time, information about the customers who made the payment appeared in front of Lin Nanxing.
Name: Li Ziqi
[Occupation: Assassin]
[Level: Lv.32]
[Negative condition: Thermal damage]
[Heat damage: Prolonged exposure to high temperatures causes skin and body tissues to age prematurely.]
[Impact: This will reduce the player's defensive capabilities, slow down wound healing, and may even lead to infection.]
Seeing the eager customers, Lin Nanxing didn't bother to check the information from the system and hurriedly replied, "Received."
While granting Li Ziqi one hour of access to the swimming pool via the system, Lin Nanxing explained, "Behind me are the changing room and shower room. You need to shower first, then put your clothes in the changing room before you go swimming."
Although the swimming pool has its own cleaning function, seeing how travel-worn these people looked, Lin Nanxing felt that they needed to take a shower and do a simple cleaning first, otherwise it would be too unfriendly to the customers later on, and no one wants to use a dirty pool.
"These also cost money, right?" a teammate watching from the side questioned. "Li Zi, you're too impulsive. I always said there's no such thing as a free lunch. This is all interconnected, and the final cost will definitely be more than 50 points."
After all these years of gaming, who doesn't have 50 points of spare cash? But they couldn't believe that someone could access so much water to open a shop and only make so little money. They were afraid they wouldn't even make back their costs; it was like they were doing charity.
Lin Nanxing had no idea what they were thinking, so he honestly shook his head and said, "These are services included in the 50 points, and they are all free to use."
These three rooms require no operating costs, and Lin Nanxing doesn't consider himself a heartless capitalist; he has no intention of making a profit from them.
The girl's real name was Li Ziqi, but most people called her by her nickname, Li Zi. After receiving the system notification that "[Payment successful, you can use the swimming pool for 1 hour. Please go to the shower room to clean up first]", she couldn't wait to chat with her teammates and turned around to go to the shower room.
High temperatures are much harder to endure than severe cold. When the temperature is low, you can wear more clothes or stay indoors in a closed space to warm up.
But high temperatures are different. You'll be covered in sweat as soon as you go outside, your clothes will feel sticky, your hair will be greasy, and your lips will be chapped. The sun is scorching during the day, and it's still too hot to sleep at night, making you very irritable.
People suffering from heat injury are twice as sensitive to temperature, so it's easy to imagine how uncomfortable Li Ziqi must have been, and her behavior was understandable to her teammates.
Hearing the sound of running water coming from the shower room, and hearing the owner say that showers were free, several people couldn't resist.
In today's world, water resources are scarce. People who can afford to wash their face and brush their teeth every day are high-level players with extra money. People like them, who are not at a high level, are still struggling to buy drinking water every day. Heaven knows how long it has been since they took a bath.
The shop owner said that swimming and showering for an hour only costs 50 yuan. Li Zi also used her personal experience to tell them that this is not a scam, but a real swimming pool.
So what are we waiting for? Who cares how the shop owner makes money? They still need to spend money!
Even the most mature and composed captain, Mao Qindong, pulled up his personal panel and started transferring money.
For a moment, Lin Nanxing's ears were filled with notification sounds of game coins arriving in his account.
The first thing they did after paying and receiving the system pop-up was to repeat their initial actions: run to the poolside, pick up a cup, and start scooping water.
This time, without the transparent membrane blocking their way, they easily filled a glass with water.
"This water really works!" The man was overjoyed. The next second, he took off his mask, raised the cup and put it to his mouth, but after pouring for a long time, no water flowed into his mouth.
[Friendly Reminder: Pool water is for swimming only, not for drinking, and must not be taken away.]
Let's work together to maintain the quality of the pool water and enjoy a healthy and refreshing experience! ^▽^
Didn't they say you could use it after paying? What a shady shop! The man was about to lash out, but he chickened out when he caught Lin Nanxing's expressionless glance at him.
In fact, while Lin Nanxing was observing the players, the players were also observing her.
Lin Nanxing thought they were strange, and they thought Lin Nanxing was strange too.
The woman stood behind the cashier's counter at the swimming pool, dressed in the most ordinary hotel waitress uniform. She had fair skin, a gentle demeanor, and wore no protective gear whatsoever.
Her expression was completely different from theirs. Since the apocalypse, most of the surviving humans had lived like zombies, their eyes filled with numbness. But this shop owner was different; there was light in her eyes, and she still carried hope for life.
Furthermore, her willingness to open a shop alone in the desert demonstrates her formidable strength.
After overcoming their urge to water, the players finally regained their senses.
Being able to shower and swim at 50 o'clock was already a bargain for them. Moreover, near the pool, they could smell the water vapor mixed with the smell of disinfectant, which seemed like it was indeed not safe to drink. They quickly convinced themselves.
Lin Nanxing had no idea what they were imagining. He just watched as the group's expressions changed several times before they suddenly quieted down and stopped causing trouble.
This is a good thing; she can't be bothered to care about what they're thinking.
Li Ziqi was the first person to use the shower room, and she almost cried when the warm water was poured over her head.
God knows how long it's been since she had a proper shower. In the sweltering heat, all sorts of stench mingled together, and she couldn't wash it away. Over the years, she felt like her nose had become useless.
Now, as warm water slid down her hair and washed over her body, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and the long-lost fresh scent of water rekindled a glimmer of hope in her almost numb emotions.
Actually, the equipment in this shower room is very basic. Apart from the shower head that can run water, it is empty and has nothing else.
But Li Ziqi didn't care. She spent 50 points of her own money to buy shampoo and shower gel from the system store.
Covered in foam, the dirt and sweat were washed away by the clean water, and the long-lost feeling of freshness made Li Ziqi sigh with satisfaction.
After rinsing herself clean and turning off the tap, she dried herself, threw on a T-shirt, and opened the door while holding her protective suit.
She spent twenty minutes taking a shower, and she still had forty minutes to swim, which she couldn't wait for.
The teammates waiting outside were stunned when they saw Li Ziqi's condition.
Since the apocalypse of high temperatures arrived, people have been forced to wear heavy heat-resistant suits, even in their homes in the underground city, where they must be wrapped up from head to toe. They haven't exposed their faces to the air for a long time.
At this moment, Li Ziqi had just finished taking a shower. Her hair was wet and hung down her shoulders. Her skin was pink and tender, her eyes were clear and bright, and she looked refreshed and lively.
"Li Zi, I didn't know you were so beautiful." A boy in the group said subconsciously.
Li Ziqi's appearance immediately caught the eye of another girl in the group. She pushed past her teammates who were surrounding her and shouted, "Let me go wash next!"
"No way, first come, first served, I'll go first." It's the apocalypse now, so there's no such thing as ladies first. Everyone is scrambling to be the second to take a shower.
Mao Qindong called out to Li Ziqi, who was about to put her clothes in the dressing room, and asked hesitantly, "Li Zi, has your negative state been eliminated?"
In the game world, it is very offensive not to allow others to snoop on other people's information. Mao Qindong subconsciously checked when he saw that Li Zi was completely different. He was shocked to find that her negative status had disappeared in just twenty minutes!
After taking a shower and cooling down, Li Ziqi felt much calmer. She wasn't angry at the captain's behavior; instead, she nodded and added, "Actually, my negative state disappeared ten minutes ago."
Ten minutes ago? Li Zi was taking a shower then. It seems that this swimming pool is more amazing than imagined. Mao Qindong's mind immediately started working.
The reason why it costs 500 points to have a priest remove a negative status effect is because negative status effects are difficult to remove, and each treatment takes at least two hours.
If the water in this swimming pool can really remove negative status effects so quickly, and it only costs 50 points per hour, then if we use this place as a transit point when we go out, and take a bath here whenever we have a negative status effect, wouldn't our efficiency in killing monsters double?
Mao Qindong immediately thought of several other teams he was familiar with.
A note from the author:
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