A sudden wolf howl came from the rooft. Wen Yu turned around. The orange-yellow light from below shone upward, tinting the silver wolf’s fur a golden color. 

The moon hadn’t risen yet, but the sky had already darkened. In the shifting shadows, the silver wolf stood proudly on the rooft, tossing down the last piece of mutated meat. 

Raindrops slid off its thick fur without leaving a trace of moisture. 

Awooo~ 

With a graceful leap, it descended from the roof, landing nimbly before Wen Yu. 

It didn’t come closer. Its gaze remained as cold as the snow from yesterday, but in its emerald green eyes, Wen Yu’s figure was faintly reflected. 

“Tianbing, are these all the prey you hunted today?” 

Hearing its name, Tianbing showed no reaction. Instead, Hongye grew anxious and bit Wen Yu’s clothes. 

“Woo woo.” 

Wen Yu laughed. If Hong Ye could speak, it would probably be shouting wildly right now. 

What’s the fuss about? That’s exactly how a pet’s duty works! 

She patted Hongye’s head and looked seriously into Tianbing’s eyes. 

“The convenience store doesn’t need this much meat. You don’t have to hunt anymore.” 

Suddenly, confusion appeared in Tianbing’s gem-like eyes. In its understanding, help must be repaid with prey. 

This human had saved its life, solved its mutation problem, yet asked for nothing in return. 

So how should it repay him? 

Sensing the wolf’s softened demeanor, Wen Yu cautiously stepped closer and extended both hands toward the silver wolf. 

“If possible, let me touch your ears.” 

Tianbing looked at the human before it. She was facing it with a warm smile on her face. 

Something stirred faintly within the wolf’s heart. Though this human was weak, she evoked no hostility. In fact, she felt trustworthy—entirely incapable of provoking even the slightest urge to attack. 

The crimson fox beside them was still competing for the human’s attention. Tianbing suddenly felt a strange emotion rise within. 

It wanted to be touched by her, wanted to be close to its master. 

The rain gradually stopped. The fragile human folded away her rain cover, her figure bathed in warm orange light, as if glowing. 

It had once been the proudest wolf king in the forest. After the apocalypse came, it was the only wolf left alive. It watched the forest disappear, yellow sand swirl, and the rich, colorful world turn into monotonous withered yellow. 

If no repayment is needed, then… please accept my loyalty. 

Tianbing lowered its head. 

Wen Yu smiled more deeply and reached out to touch the silver wolf’s ear. 

Contrary to appearances, the silver wolf’s fur was dense and coarse, quite different from the softness of the crimson fox’s coat, carrying the fierce spirit of a hunter. 

“If I touch your ears, then we’re family.” 

“Let’s go. Today I’ll cook you some fried mushrooms.” 

Wen Yu packed away the mutated meat. The two furry creatures followed her on either side. 

“Hm… Looks like the door’s too small. You’ll have to wait outside, I’m afraid.” 

The silver wolf didn’t mind. It stood alert by the left side of the gate, watching the surroundings carefully. 

The crimson fox looked a bit proud. It wagged its tail and made soft noises, silently competing with the silver wolf. 

As if to say, I’ve been inside before, you know. 

✧✧✧ 

Inside the convenience store, Wen Yu waved her hand decisively and bought three jin (about 1.5 kg) of mushrooms. 

Fortunately, the vegetables purchased through the control panel were all pre-washed; otherwise, handling so many ingredients would have taken a long time. 

The mushrooms were coated with Chef Wen’s special batter and slowly fried over low heat in oil. 

After being taken out, the fried mushrooms were drained of excess oil and then deep-fried again on high heat until crispy. 

Wen Yu sprinkled cumin powder and chili powder on the fried mushrooms, pinched a piece, and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes couldn’t help but narrow with delight. 

The initial sensation upon biting was a remarkable crispness; the mushrooms had been fried dry, with no excess moisture. The batter, seasoned with a savory saltiness, had its crunchiness further enhanced by high-temperature double-frying. 

After chewing a couple of times, the inside of the mushroom remained fresh and tender, and its unique aroma filled her entire mouth. 

Wen Yu ate with great enjoyment and quickly finished a large plate. Then she took two large bottles of freshly squeezed orange juice to cut through the grease. 

The sweet and sour orange juice balanced the oiliness of the fried mushrooms, bringing a fresh sensation to the palate. 

Meanwhile, the two furry companions’ dinners were also ready. Wen Yu grabbed a few feeding bowls and placed their fried mushrooms and orange juice separately. 

One portion for each—no fighting allowed. 

The mutated animals’ sense of smell had become more sensitive than before. Before the bowls were even placed down, Hongye was already stretching its head in to sniff. 

Tianbing, while seemingly focused on watching the distant monsters, was sniffing faster than before. 

Wen Yu asked Xiao Xin for help, and the two dinners were served simultaneously in front of the two furry creatures. 

It wasn’t Hongye’s first time eating convenience store food. It didn’t hesitate and quickly finished a whole bowl of fried mushrooms and fresh orange juice. 

Tianbing was more cautious. It lowered its head to sniff, momentarily overwhelmed by the aroma before its eyes cleared again. 

This smell… was like the aroma that used to drift from cooking smoke at the foot of the mountain before the apocalypse. 

It licked a piece of fried mushroom and chewed it carefully. 

So fragrant! 

Moreover, it seemed as though a mysterious energy was slowly repairing the radiation damage in its body. 

After finishing its own bowl, Hongye eyed Tianbing’s half-full bowl restlessly but was stopped from grabbing it by a tap on the head from Wen Yu. 

“Eat your own, no stealing!” 

“Whimper~” 

Tianbing ate gracefully but quickly; in less than three minutes, its bowl was clean. 

It slowly licked the remnants from its mouth and leaned over to nuzzle Wen Yu’s face. 

Hongye joined in, and the three fluffy tails, already dried, wrapped around Wen Yu’s waist together. 

Wen Yu felt itchy from the fur tickling and laughed as she pushed the playful wolf and fox away. 

“All right, all right, it’s getting late, let’s head back.” 

As closing time approached, Hongye left as usual. After circling the Oasis Convenience Store once, Tianbing also departed into the distance. 

Wen Yu returned to the cash register to count the day’s earnings. 

[Days of Operation: 4] 
[Current Total Revenue: 4,485 (Upgrade to Mini Supermarket available at 5,000)] 
[Cumulative positive feedback points: 35 (33 already redeemed)] 
[Achievements Unlocked: Novice, First World.] 

The day’s business had ultimately been affected by the weather. Supporting her chin with one hand while restocking inventory, Wen Yu looked up and asked the system: 

“System, will it rain again tomorrow?” 

[Scan complete: Cloud moisture content below 0.2g/m³. Tomorrow’s forecast: Sunny.] 

“That’s great! I should be able to reach the upgrade revenue target tomorrow!” 

Looking through the thick transparent floor-to-ceiling glass, she shuddered thinking of the crowded scene outside yesterday. 

“Better install some curtains, system, start work!” 

Three minutes later, a cream-colored curtain was hung inside the glass. She nodded with satisfaction. 

“Now I can feel at ease.” 

After washing up, Wen Yu went to bed peacefully. 

“After upgrading, I must set up a cozy nest for Hongye and Tianbing!” 

Muttering about the supermarket upgrade plan, she turned over and fell asleep. 

✧✧✧ 

The sky was clear, with not a cloud in sight. 

The next morning, just as the system had predicted, it was a rare sunny day. 

Although for survivors in the wasteland apocalypse, sunny days meant higher temperatures, after forty years of the apocalypse, most people had already adapted to the desert heat. Especially children born in recent years—some could even survive in temperatures exceeding fifty degrees Celsius. 

The people who had gone on a shopping spree two days ago brought back news. Now, the Oasis Convenience Store had gained a small reputation within the Central Base. Although many still didn’t believe it or were unable to go outside, most residents had quietly made up their minds: 

Next time they went out, they definitely wanted to visit the Oasis Convenience Store. 

Outside the convenience store, customers lined up voluntarily, exchanging information with each other. 

Apart from the exploration teams, residents of the Central Base usually did not go out for several consecutive days, so most customers today had never seen Wen Yu in person. 

“I heard the owner of the Oasis Convenience Store is a god who fell from the sky!” 

“What god? That’s ridiculous.” 

“Exactly! I heard the owner is eight feet tall, has a full beard, and is a fierce enforcer of justice. If he catches anyone stealing, he’ll blacklist them on the spot!” 

“Not just blacklist — I heard the owner keeps a whole group of mutated creatures. If someone steals, they just get thrown out to be fed to the dogs.” 

“What? Mutated creatures? That sounds dangerous. Maybe we should just leave…” 

“Come on, that’s all fake. The Oasis Convenience Store is actually a spaceship from another planet. I saw it myself—the glowing planet landed, built the store, then left. If you ask me, the owner must be an alien!” 

Through the thick electric curtains, Wen Yu quietly listened with a look of disbelief. 

What is all this nonsense… Are rumors really this wild? 

“System, start business.” 

[Received.] 

The thick blackout curtains were pulled aside, revealing Wen Yu’s appearance to the crowd. 

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then in the next instant, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured into a hot oil pan, everyone burst into excitement. 

“So this is the… bearded, alien owner you were talking about?” 

“Oh my…” 

“I think the god story might be the only true part…” 

“Wow, sister is so pretty!” 

Wen Yu’s appearance was not exactly stunningly beautiful; with the system’s enhancement, she was at most delicately pretty. 

She had graceful eyebrows and dark eyes, apricot-shaped eyes and rosy cheeks. Her features carried a subtle freshness that made people instinctively feel close to her. 

But after forty years of the apocalypse, with drought, extreme cold, and radiation, the local inhabitant’s skin had become rough and darkened. People could barely afford meals and were emaciated, let alone being considered beautiful. 

Besides, this job truly suited Wen Yu’s heart. She shook off the weary attitude of her previous life as a corporate worker; her eyes were bright and expression relaxed, radiating a natural, comfortable beauty. 

The glass door opened, and the first customer hesitated to step inside. No one behind urged her forward, but the growing whispers revealed their true thoughts. 

“Go in already!” 

A hand suddenly pushed the hesitant customer inside. Wen Yu raised her eyebrows and smiled, greeting her first customers of the day. 

“Welcome to the Oasis Convenience Store. How can I help you today?”