“Why did you assign me the employee number 0038 if you aren’t even sure there are other employees?” Cloud Tutu asked.

“This number was automatically generated,” the voice replied, sounding a bit helpless. It wasn’t something done on purpose. Unable to contact the creator god, it could only try to accumulate energy.

Noticing that this girl seemed to dislike certain number combinations, it suggested, “We can use a different name in private if you prefer.”

“Alright, then you can call me Tutu, and I’ll call you Soso,” Cloud Tutu decided quickly.

“Tutu? How is that better than 0038?”

Yun Tutu had a love-hate relationship with the name “Tutu,” having been teased for it often. “Fine, you can also call me Yun Jie.”

“Tutu will do,” Song song responded. Having existed for millennia, it couldn’t bring itself to call this young human “sister.”

“Will you also be providing the items that people request?” Yun Tutu asked, remembering the large bag of steamed buns and the delivery bike that had mysteriously appeared in the yard. Her mind buzzed with questions.

“Of course not. The delivery tools are provided, and they can be upgraded too. Just keep working hard, and you’ll find endless surprises,” Song song promised.

“Don’t try to sweet-talk me. Just answer my question—where did those buns come from?”

“They were paid for with money from your bank account,” Song song replied without hesitation. “You get to keep the profits, so you cover the costs.”

“You took money from my account?” Yun Tutu quickly checked her phone. The balance had decreased from 1803.73 to 1783.73. No wonder those buns were so big—they cost two yuan each.

“Are you sure you won’t cause any paranormal incidents?” Yun Tutu asked as she scrolled through the Cross-Dimensional app, growing more suspicious of its reliability. After all, things were disappearing and reappearing out of nowhere. What if it caused a panic?

“Of course not. You need to trust in the company’s capabilities,” Song song insisted, delivering yet another rehearsed line.

“Today is your probationary period,” Song song added as it received a stream of energy from the void. The energy flowed into Yun Tutu’s body without her noticing.

Yun Tutu suddenly heard what sounded like a burp. “Are you snacking on something?”

Song song hesitated before answering, “I just received some pure energy.”

“You didn’t take that energy from Xiaoya, did you?” Yun Tutu asked, thinking of the poor girl she had just met.

“Don’t worry. That girl is doing just fine. She’s had a good meal,” Song song replied with a laugh. “But you—you’re the one whose stomach is growling.”

“So, you really only collect energy?” Yun Tutu asked, licking her lips and holding her stomach. She had given Xiaoya the dumplings she bought earlier and hadn’t eaten much all day, no wonder she was hungry.

“Go fill your stomach. I promise, neither you nor the customer will be affected,” Song song reassured her. Its voice grew a bit louder, as if trying to emphasize its sincerity. It added, “Why can’t we just trust each other more?”

“Yeah, right. All you’ve done is parrot lines from the internet. You should learn something substantial instead. Around here, there’s a serious trust crisis, especially between bosses and employees. There’s no such thing as true loyalty,” Yun Tutu shot back with disdain.

Checking the time, she saw it was just after four, not too early or too late. She remembered there was a fried chicken place nearby that she had previously thought was too expensive. But today, after getting a dog’s head gold nugget, she decided she could afford to treat herself.

“How many deliveries do I have to make each day?” she asked, walking towards the fried chicken place while continuing her mental conversation with Song song.

“Not every day will have orders,” Song song replied, almost rolling its metaphorical eyes. Collecting desires across different worlds wasn’t easy. “Just wait for the notifications.”

…

Yun Tutu fired off question after question until Song song eventually stopped responding, leaving her with no choice but to drop the matter.

Song song let out a sigh of relief. This new contractee was something else—so young and yet so full of questions.

After eating, Yun Tutu decided to cash in on her newfound dog’s head gold.

She remembered there was an antique street nearby, which she figured would be frequented by collectors. Calculating the distance, she rented a shared bike and leisurely rode along the cycling path.

Antique Street wasn’t exactly a tourist hotspot, just a place where the curious occasionally wandered through. The ancient-looking street had only a handful of pedestrians.

Yun Tutu walked along, scanning the shops until she saw a two-story building with a quaint and grand design. She couldn’t read the shop’s name, written in small seal script, but something about it drew her in.

As she stood at the entrance, she hesitated.

A middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit, his hair neatly combed and looking very old-fashioned, was walking out with a few young men. They all turned to look at her in unison, and the particularly intense gaze of a dark-skinned man among them made her feel uneasy.

Backing out now would seem awkward, so Yun Tutu forced a smile and quickly stepped aside. She wasn’t used to being stared at like that.

“Yaowen, I have a customer now, so I won’t be able to see you out,” the middle-aged man said with a cheerful smile as he looked at Yun Tutu. “If you’re ever in the area again, be sure to stop by for tea.”

Zhang Yaowen glanced at Cloud Tutu before signaling for his men to load the goods into the car. Then, looking back at the shop owner, he said, “Thank you, Uncle Shen. I’m grateful for your help this time. I hope we have the chance to work together again.”

With that, he turned and left, though he couldn’t resist another curious glance at Yun Tutu.

He hoped Uncle Shen wouldn’t be too ruthless with this young girl. She looked like she might be just another curious onlooker who might end up paying a bit of a “learning fee.” But then again, everyone had to make their own choices.

Uncle Shen adjusted his Zhongshan suit and warmly welcomed Yun Tutu. “Welcome! If anything catches your eye, feel free to let me know, and I’ll bring it out for you to examine.”

He didn’t judge her by her simple attire. In his line of work, he had encountered all sorts of people. He once acquired a valuable treasure, now one of his shop’s prized pieces, from a man who was dressed in rags.

The interior of the shop matched its exterior: decorated with vintage furnishings, intricate old cabinets, and finely carved tables and chairs, exuding a sense of antiquity.

Even though Yun Tutu didn’t know much about antiques, she couldn’t help but tread lightly. Who knew if one of those bottles or jars might be worth a fortune? If she accidentally broke something, she might not be able to pay for it even if she sold everything she owned.

After taking in the shop’s ambiance, she turned to Uncle Shen and asked curiously, “Are you the owner?”

Such a large shop, and only one person inside—wasn’t that a bit careless?