From the moment Chen Zui heard the words “anti-radiation suits,” her eyes fixated intently on Wen Yu, to the extent that she even forgot to continue eating the bun in her hand. 

Wen Yu smiled slightly. 

“Wait a moment, let me see what an appropriate price would be.” 

Since the stock of anti-radiation suits was limited, Wen Yu checked the purchase price displayed on the control panel. After a brief pause for consideration, she listed the item for sale. 

“Anti-radiation suits: 500 silver coins per set.” 

At 500 silver coins, this price was very reasonable; within the central base, that amount could only purchase a damaged radiation protection suit. 

Chen Zui opened her backpack and retrieved three gold coins and fifty-two silver coins, feeling somewhat embarrassed. 

This was all the money she possessed. 

Given the already modest price, Chen Zui felt reluctant to request a discount from the shopkeeper. After searching through her backpack carefully, she was unable to find any additional silver coins. 

If she could purchase a new anti-radiation suit, her chances of survival outside the central base would significantly improve. 

Observing her predicament, Wen Yu offered a reassuring smile. 

“The convenience store supports item pawning, although prices will be somewhat lower than in the marketplace. For example…” 

Item pawning! That was excellent! 

Chen Zui suddenly looked up and, without waiting for Wen Yu to finish speaking, pulled out a large piece of mutated monster meat from her backpack. 

The chunk of meat landed heavily on the cashier’s counter, startling Wen Yu. 

Due to the high external temperature and dry weather, the monster meat was already bloodless. Its surface was marked by purplish-red veins, giving it an unappetizing appearance. 

Chen Zui scratched her head sheepishly and looked at Wen Yu expectantly. 

“Boss, can this be exchanged?” 

In the wasteland apocalypse, mutated monster meat was not highly valued. These mutated creatures were altered by radiation, and even after death, their meat retained a certain radiation level, making it dangerous to consume in large quantities. 

However, Wen Yu was not concerned about disposing of the meat; if it could not be sold, it could be directly exchanged for silver coins through the system. 

She scanned the meat at the checkout machine, which registered a value of exactly 160 silver coins. 

Perhaps because of its substantial size, the meat was quite valuable. 

“It can be exchanged. This piece of meat is worth 160 silver coins.” 

Upon hearing this, Chen Zui smiled brightly and eagerly completed the payment with the remaining silver coins. 

After receiving the anti-radiation suit, Chen Zui could not help but touch it repeatedly; she had never seen clothing so new before. 

Wearing the anti-radiation suit, she felt significantly more confident. 

Although uncertain whether she could ever return to the central base, Chen Zui decided to spend the remaining twelve silver coins on an Orleans chicken bun and a milk candy, politely expressing her thanks. 

After putting on her helmet and equipment, Chen Zui prepared to leave but couldn’t resist glancing back at Wen Yu once more. 

The young and gentle shopkeeper stood at the cashier’s counter, smiling at her—a scene as beautiful and unreal as a dream. 

Chen Zui turned back, hiding her slightly flushed face behind her helmet, and earnestly bowed to Wen Yu. 

“Shopkeeper, my name is Chen Zui. From now on, you are my lifesaver!” 

“I don’t have anything to repay you right now, but when I find a way to survive, I will definitely come back and buy more things from your convenience store!” 

At this, Wen Yu felt somewhat embarrassed. Just as she was about to offer something from her own pocket to this appealing young woman, Chen Zui was already jogging out of the convenience store, calling back as she ran, 

“I will definitely visit again!” 

✧✧✧ 

Upon stepping out of the convenience store, Chen Zui immediately perceived a holographic screen before her eyes. 

[Please submit a rating or suggestion to encourage merchants to improve their services. Customers are invited to evaluate the service just received.] 

Without hesitation, Chen Zui selected the “five-star rating” and composed a brief, approximately one-hundred-word positive review. She then set off to search for a place to reside. 

Although she initially intended to travel farther away, having lingered briefly at the convenience store, the yellow sand obscured her previous path. Chen Zui inadvertently took a wrong direction and found herself back at the Central Base. 

The entrance to the Central Base was deserted, save for several individuals whose mutation level exceeded thirty, who were angrily shouting beneath the city wall. 

“D**n it, roaming patrols! A mutation level over thirty doesn’t cause immediate mutation — why am I not allowed in?” 

“What kind of ridiculous rule is this? If you have the ability, keep your mutation level below thirty your entire life!” 

“Bah, better to die early and be reborn. Even if your mutation level exceeds the limit, you come out here to wait for death!” 

The few middle-aged men shouting were well equipped, presumably members of the top-ranking teams within the Central Base. 

Nonetheless, the ironclad rule established by the city lord, You Ye, forbids anyone with a mutation level above thirty from entry. The guards at the gate were highly skilled, loyal to the city lord, and ensured that no one could violate this regulation. 

Recalling her own mutation level, Chen Zui sighed and decided to try a different direction before nightfall. 

Holding onto her last shred of hope, she wondered whether the mutation detector had malfunctioned earlier. The previous reading was only 31; if there were even a slight margin of error this time, she might be allowed entry. 

She bit her lip nervously and stood at the gate of the Central Base. 

The guard, not recognizing her, dutifully scanned her mutation level. 

“Mutation level 29, you may enter.” 

Chen Zui was momentarily stunned and grasped the guard’s arm to confirm once again. 

“Brother guard, what was my mutation level just now?” 

The guard assumed she was worried about future access, having seen many like her, and was unfazed. 

“Twenty-nine, almost thirty. Once inside, find some work to do and try not to come out unnecessarily.” 

Even though she had entered the central base so smoothly, Chen Zui still felt a bit confused. Could it be that she really remembered the mutation reading from the last measurement wrong? 

But if she hadn’t been blocked from entering the central base, how would she have ended up exploring in the direction of the Oasis Convenience Store? 

Suppressing her doubts, she hurried toward her residence within the base. 

✧✧✧ 

[Congratulations, Host, on completing your first transaction. Current turnover: 562; positive rating points: 1.] 

[Upon reaching a turnover of 5000, you may upgrade the convenience store to a mini-supermarket. Please check your control panel.] 

[Positive rating points may be exchanged for personal skills: 1 point for basic skills, 10 for intermediate, and 100 for advanced skills.] 

[Achievement unlocked: Novice (serviced your first customer). Reward: one lottery draw. Use now?] 

A series of system notifications appeared. Wen Yu reviewed them one by one and decided to draw once. 

The lottery interface was integrated into the control panel, a system bonus. The design was simple: a large circular wheel divided proportionally into colorful segments. 

The rewards were generous. Wen Yu glanced over them roughly. Besides basic merchandise, there were special features such as garbage-cleaning robots, delivery services, and product enhancement options. 

Wen Yu rubbed her hands, closed her eyes, and pressed the draw button expectantly. Although her luck was typically poor, the least valuable prize was worth 1,000 silver coins, so it could not be too disappointing. 

“Ding ding ding ding—” 

The wheel spun with a coarse sound effect. Wen Yu covertly peeked through one eye, watching the pointer pass over delivery services, daily necessities, then product enhancements, finally stopping at — the garbage-cleaning robot. 

Jackpot! 

The garbage-cleaning robot was a small, goofy-looking device that could even speak. 

Tilting its head, the robot looked at Wen Yu. Its indicator light glowed in colorful hues. 

“Hello, shopkeeper. I am your garbage-cleaning robot, Xiao Xin. My function is automatic waste disposal without requiring supervision!” 

Having always liked robots, Wen Yu was charmed by this talking little machine. She reached out and gently patted Xiao Xin’s head, her tone softening noticeably. 

“Alright then, it looks like Xiao Xin will have to work hard~” 

The little robot, reassured by the confirmation, spun around in place three times, instantly recharged with energy, and began cleaning every inch of the convenience store without missing a spot. 

Wen Yu then opened the control panel again and located the personal skills option in the upper right corner. 

On the personal skills page, there were only three greyed-out icons, each labeled respectively as Purification, Taming, and Personal Enhancement. 

No detailed descriptions of the skills were provided on the control panel, so Wen Yu looked up and inquired of the system. 

“What do these skills represent?” 

[Currently, the host may choose to unlock any personal skill at the basic level.] 

[The basic mode of the Purification skill reduces the radiation and mutation levels of objects to zero (excluding living organisms).] 

[The basic mode of the Taming skill allows unconditional taming of mutated animals of Grade B or below, with a loyalty of 100% to the host upon taming.] 

[The basic mode of Personal Enhancement increases the host’s physical attributes to the top 50% compared to the average physical qualities in this world.] 

All three skills appeared useful, and Wen Yu hesitated momentarily. 

Since she did not plan to leave the convenience store in the near future, she decided to exclude Personal Enhancement. 

As for Taming, there were no suitable mutated animals nearby, so it was unnecessary for now. 

She made her decision and selected Purification. 

After clicking on the Purification icon on the control panel, the icon changed from grey to a slightly translucent blue. 

The system prompted: 

[Click on an item to be purified to complete the purification.] 

Looking at the mutated monster meat on the cashier’s counter, Wen Yu rolled up her sleeves and gently tapped the surface of the meat. 

The entire piece of meat briefly turned white before reverting to its original color; however, upon closer inspection, the purplish-red patterns appeared somewhat lighter than before. 

“Is it done already?” 

Still uncertain, Wen Yu requested the system to conduct a test. 

“System, what is the current radiation level of this mutated monster meat?” 

[The radiation level of the mutated monster meat is currently 0.] 

This skill was excellent! 

From now on, she could attempt to cook by herself. 

She adjusted the positions of the cold drink machine, fryer, and microwave, setting up a small food preparation area within the convenience store. 

Before crossing over, Wen Yu had little time to cook, but her culinary skills were not bad; those who had tasted her food often praised her. 

This time, she intended to prepare the mutated monster meat into a dish everyone would love! 

✧✧✧ 

At the central base. 

Chen Zui hurriedly returned home, which was, in fact, a small room with a door inside an abandoned building. Apart from a thin bed, the only other item inside was a rusty pot. 

Nonetheless, this living condition was still far better than most others in the wasteland apocalypse. 

Chen Zui made a living through expeditions and did not know how to cook. She usually exchanged items found on expeditions for canned food at the market or traded with neighbors for sustenance. 

Staring at her bulging backpack, she hesitated to open it, fearing that everything she had just experienced was merely a dream—there was no convenience store, nor any food and water with zero radiation. 

After much deliberation, Chen Zui finally opened her backpack. On the way back, she had consumed half a bottle of water, and now four bottles of purified water were neatly arranged inside. 

Despite the high-temperature trek, the Orleans chicken bun inside was still warm, and the milk candy had slightly melted. She swallowed nervously and checked the radiation levels of her belongings with a radiation detector.

Purified water radiation level: 2. 

Orleans chicken bun radiation level: 3. 

Milk candy radiation level: 2. 

Only then did Chen Zui breathe a long sigh of relief — it was not a dream. 

Nearby, she heard a young girl softly singing; it was Grandma Liu and her granddaughter living next door. 

Coincidentally, Chen Zui had some matters to discuss with Grandma Liu. She took a bottle of purified water and a piece of milk candy and knocked on the neighbor’s door. 

The Liu family was fortunate to have resided in the central base area before the apocalypse. 

The little girl, seven years old, had a mutation level of 10 since birth. Although sheltered in the central base, her mutation level had slowly risen to 17. 

Her parents, like Chen Zui, earned a living through expeditions but had died last year under the tusks of an A-grade mutated monster—a pigman. 

Since then, only Grandma Liu and her granddaughter Tian Tian remained. The surrounding people, feeling sympathy, often helped them. 

“Grandma Liu, are you home?” 

The door creaked open, and Grandma Liu squinted to recognize the visitor. 

“Zui Zui, back from an expedition?” 

Tian Tian peeked out from behind Grandma Liu, blinking her big eyes excitedly and rushing over. 

“Sister Chen Zui! Tian Tian missed you so much!” 

Chen Zui picked up the child and sat in front of Grandma Liu, producing a piece of milk candy and offering it to Tian Tian. 

Though young, the girl understood the rarity of food in the apocalypse and shook her head politely. 

“Sister, I’m not hungry. You should eat it.” 

Chen Zui felt a pang of sadness and stroked her head. 

“I have more. This is specially for Tian Tian.” 

Smelling the candy’s aroma, Tian Tian licked her lips, glanced around, then ran to Grandma Liu. 

“Grandma, you eat it~” 

Grandma Liu smiled kindly and shook her head. 

“I’m too old to chew it well. Tian Tian, eat it quickly and remember to thank Sister Chen Zui.” 

Despite her sweet name, Tian Tian had only tasted one small rock sugar in the seven years of the apocalypse. She obediently held Chen Zui’s hand and, in a childish voice, said, “Thank you, Sister,” before unwrapping the candy. 

Eating candy seemed instinctive for all children. Once the milk candy touched her tongue, Tian Tian’s eyes widened in surprise. 

How could something be so delicious! 

She savored the sweetness happily, carefully licking it without chewing. 

While Tian Tian enjoyed the candy, Chen Zui looked toward Grandma Liu and asked the question she had pondered for some time. 

Older people tended to know things unknown to others. 

“Grandma Liu, the central base does not allow anyone with a mutation level over 30 to enter… Among those expelled, has anyone ever returned?”