“Ah, finally off work,” Wen Yu sighed, collapsing into the back seat of the taxi. She unlocked her phone, and the screen displayed the time: 1:30 AM. 

[Congratulations! You have achieved the highest title in the game: City Lord.] 

A notification appeared from the business simulation game she had been playing for the past half month. She gazed contentedly at the endless coins and buildings within the game, her eyes curving into a smile. 

This was the happiest moment for a management game player, and it was also the only hobby she pursued in her spare time outside of work. 

“I really hope I can save enough money soon to open a small shop…” 

A rumble echoed from Wen Yu’s stomach as she closed her eyes to rest, casually giving directions to the driver. 

“Driver, turn left at the next overpass and stop in front of the convenience store.” 

And then, disaster struck. 

A truck, overloaded and taking a sharp turn, swung too wide and crashed directly into the taxi Wen Yu was in. The sounds of alarms and honking filled the air, but she could no longer hear them clearly. 

Before losing consciousness, she vaguely heard a strange mechanical voice. 

[Detected that the host’s enthusiasm for management games surpasses 99.9% of players. The supermarket management system is now loading…] 

Supermarket management… system? What was that? 

✧✧✧ 

The scorching sun and howling wind blew through the yellow sands. 

Wen Yu looked at the environment beyond the clear glass with a hint of confusion. This was not what had been promised. 

Just ten minutes ago, she had reached an agreement with the system to bring her max-level management game to various small worlds and fulfill the required tasks. 

The system had stated that the first world would typically be a peaceful one, with a relatively high consumer capacity and a higher safety factor. 

With many options available, Wen Yu carefully reviewed the descriptions of each world and happily chose the ancient, alternate-world setting. 

Amidst the spinning world, the only sound she could hear was the system’s hurried mechanical voice. 

[Entering the ancient alternate-world setting.] 

[…This is bad.] 

With a loud crash, Wen Yu steadied herself and stood in the middle of a convenience store. 

She stared at the deformed bat, at least five meters long, which had crashed into the transparent glass of the convenience store. Unable to help herself, she took a half-step back. 

“System, is this what you meant by a high safety factor?” 

The system’s mechanical voice carried a hint of guilt. 

[Apologies, during the transition, we encountered a space-time turbulence, resulting in a significant energy loss. We could only land in this world.] 

“And my city?” 

She looked around, but there was no sign of the large shopping mall or the food streets that should have appeared in her max-level management game. All that remained was a small convenience store. 

Where was her huge shopping mall? Where were her countless gold coins? How had everything been reduced to the game’s starting state with just a tiny convenience store? 

[Insufficient construction energy. For now, only the supermarket’s initial form is available.] 

As compensation, a double new player gift package is being issued to you. 

Double? 

Wen Yu took a deep breath and casually glanced at the enormous bat outside the transparent glass. The bat’s sharp fangs were stained with the blood of some unknown animal as it attempted to break into the convenience store. 

“…Ten times.” 

The system, realizing it had made an error, automatically increased the number of new player gift packages. 

The convenience store floor was stacked with shimmering item boxes. Wen Yu counted them with satisfaction, finding the quantity satisfactory. At least she wasn’t starting from zero. 

The enormous bat outside the glass seemed to understand that this was a forbidden zone it could not enter. It flapped its wings and flew away. 

First, she needed to ensure that humans were still alive in this world. Wen Yu opened the control panel at the cashier’s desk and briefly reviewed the basic information of this world. 

It was an unfinished wasteland apocalypse game. 

Forty years after the cataclysmic nuclear war, the harsh survival conditions had drastically reduced the population, with the local inhabitants struggling to survive in the yellow sands. Under the influence of radiation, previously normal animals had mutated, becoming the greatest threat in this wasteland apocalypse. 

Wen Yu suddenly had an idea and raised her head to inquire with the system. 

“System, will radiation affect the interior of the convenience store?” 

At this moment, the system finally regained a hint of pride. 

[The supermarket management system transcends the world’s rules; the convenience store is absolutely safe. Please rest assured, Host, and proceed with the operations.] 

So there would be no radiation. 

The beginner’s gift pack was rich in supplies. Wen Yu eagerly unpacked the mystery box, revealing: 1000 silver coins, 100 bottles of purified water, 100 energy drinks, 100 sandwiches, 100 Orleans chicken buns, 100 strawberry ice creams, 100 milk candies, 10 anti-radiation suits, 100 basic medicines, 1 cold drink machine, 1 deep fryer, 1 thermos box, 1 microwave oven, and 1 set of kitchenware. 

The supplies were simple but rich and practical. 

Since she was already here, she decided to settle in. She opened the control panel of the cash register and selected the quantities of goods to be stocked. 

The system provided a timely prompt. 

[Host, please set the name for the convenience store.] 

Wen Yu propped her chin, looking out at the desert. The endless wind and sand stretched across the vast, desolate landscape. 

“Since it’s in the desert, let’s call it Oasis.” 

[The store has been renamed: Oasis Convenience Store.] 

After playing the game for a long time, she had memorized the purchasing prices of various goods. Wen Yu skillfully set the prices for the products. 

Purified water, 10 silver coins per bottle. Energy drinks, 15 silver coins per bottle. Sandwiches, 20 silver coins each. Orleans chicken buns, 10 silver coins each. Strawberry ice cream, 15 silver coins per stick. Milk candies, 2 silver coins each. Basic medicine, 100 silver coins per box. 

Based on the purchase prices, each item had approximately 70% profit. The beginner’s gift pack provided many basic goods, saving Wen Yu a considerable amount on inventory costs. 

In the game world, consumption was relatively low. A bottle of water and a sandwich were enough to sustain local inhabitants for an entire day. Wen Yu raised her head and asked the system, 

“Didn’t you say it was a wasteland apocalypse? Then where do they get their money from?” 

[Silver coins are the original currency from before the disaster in the game world. The local inhabitants can acquire them through market transactions at the central base.] 

[One hundred silver coins can be exchanged for one gold coin. The turnover is calculated based on the number of silver coins.] 

“And what about the people outside the central base?” 

Wen Yu recalled the world background she had seen earlier, where the people outside the central base mainly survived through item trading and rarely used currency. 

The system fell silent for a moment. 

[The convenience store supports item pawning, with a redemption price set at 80% of the market value.] 

This works too, Wen Yu nodded. 

She looked at the somewhat monotonous shelves but didn’t feel discouraged. The control panel still offered a variety of goods to unlock, including snacks, drinks, and daily necessities—everything one could need. 

For now, she decided not to restock. She would wait until the first customer arrived before making any decisions. 

✧✧✧ 

Amidst the vast expanse of yellow sand, Chen Zui wiped her face and adjusted the direction of her helmet. 

This was the third day since she had left the central base. 

The environment outside the base was far harsher than inside. The radiation levels in the desert were extremely high. Using the radiation meter she carried, Chen Zui detected that in some areas, the radiation reached as high as 70, a level that would result in a painful death within half a month. 

During the day, the desert was scorching, with surface temperatures reaching 75 degrees Celsius. 

Chen Zui wiped away the sweat and tightened her patched-up radiation suit. While it was unbearably hot, the radiation level could have dire consequences if she was unprotected. 

“If I keep going forward, even if I can’t find a habitable building, I could at least find an abandoned shack…” 

Chen Zui pressed her cracked lips together. The water she carried had only half a bottle left, and she wasn’t sure if it would last until she reached a camp. 

Staring at the endless stretch of yellow sand, Chen Zui grew increasingly desperate. During this expedition, her team had encountered a B-level mutated monster—a wildcat. 

The wildcat was incredibly fast and skilled at ambushing. One by one, her team members were picked off and met an unfortunate death. 

“Chen Zui! Run! Survive!!!” 

Remembering her companion’s dying scream, Chen Zui gritted her teeth and held back her tears. 

She had intended to return to the central base, but her only anti-radiation suit had been damaged in the fight, and on her way back, her mutation level had surpassed 30. 

The central base only allowed residents with a mutation level below 30 to enter, and she had lost her right to return. 

Chen Zui pulled her foot out of the sand and continued walking. 

The environment outside the central base was extremely hostile. Not only was the radiation level high, but there were also mutated monsters everywhere. Once expelled, there was little hope of ever returning. 

The heatwaves rose in the desert. She leaned on her staff, carefully stepping forward in search of a direction. 

So thirsty… She took a labored breath, her dry lips cracked and oozed a few drops of blood. Her throat felt as if it had stuck together, and even swallowing was a struggle. 

Suddenly, the sky darkened. 

In an instant, the world went from bright to dark, as if the light had been sucked away. 

Chen Zui immediately became alert, straining her ears to listen for any sounds in the surroundings. 

The wasteland world in the dark was even more dangerous, as many mutated monsters were accustomed to hunting in the dark. 

But it was noon. Why would the sun suddenly set? 

A brilliant purple-green light suddenly erupted from the southwest, like a festival firework, pulling open a magnificent sky and leaving behind a ribbon-like aurora that streaked across the air. 

The sky gradually lightened again. In the distance, a small house appeared faintly in the desert. 

What is that? 

Chen Zui couldn’t help but take two steps toward the building. Gradually adapting to the light, her vision still blurred, but she could faintly make out the outline of the building. 

In the midst of the vast desert, a brand-new orange-green small house stood upright. 

Chen Zui rubbed her eyes, thinking she was dreaming. In the wasteland apocalypse, all buildings were eroded by the yellow sand and worn down; even those in the central base were rusted. 

The small house wasn’t large, but it was very new. The surface seemed to have an invisible shield; when the sand blew against it, it scattered, leaving no trace behind. 

The roof was decorated with orange and green stripes. Three sides were walls, and directly facing Chen Zui was a transparent floor-to-ceiling window. 

“Oasis… convenience store?” 

Chen Zui hesitated. The strange aurora and the suddenly appearing building looked nothing like a safe place. 

She stopped at the door, glanced back at the path already buried by sand, and couldn’t help but peer through the clear, bright glass, closely observing the goods on the shelves. 

Purified water, sandwiches… even the packaging of the goods on the shelves was brand new… 

Chen Zui hesitated as she felt the half-bottle of water and a dry biscuit left in her bag. Gritting her teeth, she pushed open the door. 

Forget it. Even if this is a store run by mutated monsters, she was going in today! 

✧✧✧ 

So refreshing! 

Even through the thick helmet, Chen Zui could feel the abrupt drop in temperature as the cool air rushed toward her face. 

It was noon, and the perceived temperature in the desert had reached 40 to 50 degrees Celsius. After trekking a long distance in a chaotic ensemble of protective gear, she was already severely dehydrated from the heat. 

Inside the convenience store, however, the temperature was a mere 22 degrees. The sudden coolness jolted her into full alertness. 

Ding-ling-ling~ 

A pleasant chime from the door startled Chen Zui, prompting her to instinctively recoil to the side. 

Behind the cashier’s counter, a young shopkeeper, hearing the sound, looked up and greeted her with a warm smile. 

“Welcome to Oasis Convenience Store.” 

✧✧✧ 

Wen Yu was surprised that her first customer had arrived so quickly. She examined the figure curiously. 

It was impossible to discern much from the person’s physique—every inch was wrapped in layers of patched-up protective gear. The anti-radiation suit, bound tightly with hemp rope, was worn and uneven in length. A bulging backpack was strapped to the figure’s back, and a rusted steel pipe served as a walking stick. 

It was difficult to determine not just the person’s appearance, but even their gender. 

Wen Yu took a few steps forward. She had already checked the store’s basic security system: any act of aggression would be neutralized within the premises. If faced with troublesome customers, she could blacklist them, permanently barring their entry. 

With these measures in place, she felt no fear. The newcomer, however, still seemed on edge. Through the helmet’s visor, only a pair of wary eyes were visible. 

Wen Yu tried to appear as warm and approachable as possible. 

“Hello, may I help you with anything?” 

Only then did Chen Zui respond. Ignoring the question, she hurriedly fumbled with a radiation detector and scanned the interior of the store. 

Beep. A green light flashed. 

Chen Zui stared at the device in disbelief. 

Zero? The radiation reading was actually zero??? 

Her pupils contracted in shock. Even within the central base, radiation levels hovered around 10. Yet this small convenience store had somehow achieved complete insulation from all radiation. 

She glanced at the young shopkeeper again, this time with newfound respect. In the wasteland apocalypse, someone who could reduce radiation levels in a shop to zero might well be more formidable than even the city’s ruler. 

No wonder… she could remain indoors in just a thin long-sleeved shirt. No wonder… her skin was so pale and unblemished, as though she had never struggled to survive in the harsh environment outside. 

But… the items here must be very expensive… 

Afraid of appearing rude by staying silent too long, Chen Zui spoke up quickly. 

“How much are food and water here?” 

So it was a young woman. Wen Yu’s smile became even more genuine. 

“We accept silver or gold coins. Prices are marked below the products.” 

Chen Zui removed her helmet and approached the shelves. A single bottle of water cost ten silver coins—still within her budget. 

At the central base market, purified water was also sold, priced according to radiation level. Water with 30+ radiation units cost ten silver coins; water with 20–30 units, fifteen coins; and so on. 

Any water with radiation above a certain threshold was deemed unsafe for consumption, as it increased the risk of mutation. 

Although the store’s interior was radiation-free, she was still unsure about the source of its products. Cautiously, she lifted her radiation meter. 

“May I scan this, please?” 

Wen Yu noticed the girl’s chapped lips and weathered skin and, out of sympathy, picked up a bottle of purified water and handed it to her. 

“Of course.” 

Beep. The green light appeared again. The bottle’s radiation level was still zero. 

Chen Zui was both shocked and somehow unsurprised. 

If the environment itself had zero radiation, then it stood to reason the products were similarly uncontaminated. 

Still, to encounter water with zero radiation—she had never seen such a thing, not even in the central base. 

She could now say with near certainty: every food and beverage item in this convenience store was completely free from radiation. 

“I’ll take five bottles of water, please!” 

“Absolutely, just a moment!” 

The first transaction is complete. 

Wen Yu beamed as she accepted fifty silver coins and handed over five bottles of purified water, along with a steamed Orleans chicken bun. 

“Since you’re our first customer, here’s a little something on the house.” 

Though the air in the store was cool, Chen Zui’s thirst remained. She resisted the urge to drink until the transaction was complete, then hastily twisted open a bottle of water. 

Her parched cells seemed to cry out in unison. Gulping it down in three large swigs, she felt herself come back to life. 

Her throat, finally soothed, allowed her a moment of peace. With her basic need fulfilled, she turned her attention to the Orleans chicken bun in the bag. 

The steamed buns were still steaming hot and gave off an enticing aroma. Chen Zui swallowed her saliva and couldn’t help but take a bite. 

Its snow-white exterior was soft and full, and the interior burst with juicy, flavorful meat, enhanced by the signature sweetness of Orleans seasoning. 

For a moment, Chen Zui was completely lost in the taste. 

Wen Yu, seated behind the counter, rested her chin on her hand and observed the tattered anti-radiation suit Chen Zui wore. Suddenly, she remembered that a set of new suits was included in the store’s starter package. 

“By the way, I have new anti-radiation suits in stock. Would you be interested?” 

Chen Zui jerked her head up. Her eyes lit up instantly. 

“Yes! I absolutely need one! Please, whatever the cost, sell one to me!”