Chapter 556 Fading
"Huh? This store is closed?"
The three turned around, surprised, then nodded in understanding. "That's right. There are only a few people in this base anymore. Who can we do business with? Besides, we have a small cafeteria. Eating doesn't cost crystal cores. We just come here occasionally for a bite to eat. It's normal for it to be closed."
Xia Yan smiled faintly, "Well, if I don't earn crystal cores, I still have to put my salary into it, so I can only cut my losses in time."
They smacked their lips, stroked their chins, and exchanged glances with their companions.
One of them turned to 001 and said, "Give us three more ribs. Eating noodles without meat is the same as not eating at all. If you have garlic, give us two cloves. If not, forget it."
After all, 001 was not a real person, so he didn’t understand the customer’s additional request and just went back to bring the big bone.
Seeing this, the customer said nothing and just lowered his head to slurp the noodles.
Xia Yan noticed that someone was staring at him, and turned around to find that it was Xiaowan.
Xiaowan asked, "Boss, are you really going to close the store?"
"Yeah, really."
Xiaowan lowered her long eyelashes, and a look of guilt appeared on her fair and tender face. "I have failed the boss's trust. The store's performance has been very poor recently. I-"
"No, the issue of population transfer is beyond your and my control. No one is going there to create results."
Xia Yan habitually wanted to touch her head, and the moment he reached out his hand, he reacted and moved it to her shoulder. He squeezed it slightly to comfort her.
What does it have to do with Xiaowan? This day will always come, it’s just that the system will take care of it and she will be in charge.
Xia Yan just wanted to see things through to the end.
"Go upstairs and pack up your things. I don't think any more customers will come to the store. Xiongxiong, you should also return the things you moved in to the main store."
The only things Xiaowan and the others could pack were dozens of sets of clothes, which were the benefits given out by Xia Yan from time to time.
Xia Yan looked at the familiar street scene outside the window, and he couldn't describe the feeling in his heart.
She didn't have any special feelings for this place, nor had she experienced anything unforgettable or memorable in this base. She even rarely came to the branch on weekdays.
But when she knew clearly that she would never be able to come back, every wall and every scene outside became full of color.
She still remembered how, when she first arrived at the base, she'd gone to the market specifically to hire a meticulous worker. She also remembered the long lines at the entrance on opening day, the trading scene in the evening, the exotic beast meat sold by officials at the stalls on fixed dates, and the soldiers entering the city who sat in long lines on the long street outside, silently watching the rain fall during torrential downpours...
Those scenes were quickly played in my mind, each frame clearer than the last, making me feel reluctant to leave.
It's such a sad word to say goodbye.
"Well...we have to go first."
Xia Yan had not yet withdrawn his thoughts from his memories, and his eyes were still blurry.
After finishing their meal, the three people who were preparing to return to their posts opened the door a crack, and the cool wind blew away the temperature in the room.
They looked at Xia Yan, smiled faintly and said, "I don't know what to say, so I just wish you all the best."
Xia Yan's pupils narrowed and he came back to his senses.
"Thank you, and be safe too."
The three of them widened the curves of their lips, nodded, and finally waved their hands before pushing the door and leaving.
【Branch recycling in progress...】
[Estimated duration: five seconds]
"Boss~" Xiong Xiong called her from the door leading to the courtyard, "Come here quickly!"
"Here I come."
Xia Yan stood up and walked towards Xiong Xiong.
In front of him, the system countdown numbers were getting smaller and smaller, and Xia Yan couldn't help but look back.
The branch is fading.
At the same time, all the dining tables, chairs, counters and floors were covered with thick dust.
The glass exploded silently, fragments splashing inward, and a breeze passed through, stirring up dense dust and swirling it in the air.
Then it fell layer by layer, like a huge mouth of the abyss that could swallow everything, covering and swallowing until all the furniture that should not be there disappeared without a trace.
They fell to the ground and squeezed together.
The wind blew again, leaving a shapeless trail on the ground.
The spider webs in the corners of the walls spread out like drops of ink in water, with webs here and there, layer upon layer, and the gray threads swayed loosely, with one or two dried-up little flies caught at the ends.
The staircase leading to the second floor rotates and spits out red bricks, which are stacked one by one to gradually complete the wall, and then mottled cement is piled on top and added with miscellaneous putty pieces.
A dilapidated, weather-beaten hut appeared before our eyes.
Xia Yan only saw this when a strong force came from behind and pushed her into the portal.
Xiongxiong and Xiaowan were standing in the courtyard, smiling and about to come over to hug her arms.
Xia Yan hurriedly turned around and saw a bright golden flame burning from top to bottom at the door of the first branch of the resort hotel.
At the same time, Xiongxiong and Xiaowan stood there in a daze, their eyes dull, like a mindless rag doll.
Even Naoki, who was patrolling a high-end restaurant far away, was like this.
They returned to normal only at the moment the door was burned and completely disappeared.
Xiong Xiong blinked his eyes and hugged Xia Yan's arm, his voice still soft.
"Boss, I'm not lazy. I have to do another big cleaning today, and with Xiaowan's help, I won't be tired~"
Xiaowan also came over, hesitated for a second, put her hand down, and said seriously and meticulously: "Although there are not many customers in the store now, we must not neglect the necessary hygiene.
"We will keep the store clean at all times and ensure that customers have a comfortable experience when they come in. This is our responsibility as store managers and managers."
A mermaid and a silly bear stood on either side of her body. Xia Yan looked at them and said with understanding, "Then do as you wish. From now on, you can make your own decisions on hygiene matters and don't bother me."
Hearing this, Xiong Xiong and Xiao Wan exchanged glances. Xiong Xiong lost his patience first and asked doubtfully, "Didn't you ask us to come here to report on our work?"
Xia Yan: "...Really? Go get busy."
Xiaowan was observant and noticed that Xia Yan was not in good condition, so she pulled Xiongxiong and walked towards the main store.
"Oh, I haven't finished talking to the boss yet." Xiong Xiong swung his arms, and his shiny hair sparkled in the light, very lustrous.
If it were usual, Xia Yan would definitely stop and touch him a few times, but now she was not in the mood and just wanted to lie down and bask in the sun.
After the chattering bear was dragged through the door, the courtyard suddenly became quiet.
There are no birds singing, no insects chirping, it is truly quiet.
She lay in the rocking chair, found an old palm-leaf fan, tapped the ground with her toes, and slowly fanned herself with a squeaking sound.
The opposite wall was bare, save for a door leading to the main store.
I don’t feel it on a normal day, but after missing a subject, I feel uncomfortable no matter how I look at it.
If the door to Lidai Island could only be placed in the house, Xia Yan would definitely move it out and fill in the gaps.
However, she always felt like she had forgotten something.
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