Zhao Xing closed the system menu and started working on cleaning.

The small building hadn’t been occupied for years and was located far from the other houses. Exposed to wind, rain, and a lot of dust, cleaning it was no easy task.

He worked continuously for a day and a half, finally finishing around noon on the second day.

Only then could you get a decent look at the place.

The entire building was a two-story wooden structure, a simple, boxy design without any fancy, ornate carvings. It had a certain rustic, grand simplicity to it.

Inside, the second floor had five rooms. There were two guest rooms on each side of the hallway, making four in total. At the end of the hall was a bathroom.

Each guest room had only a single wooden bed, making them feel sparse and rough.

The bathroom was split into men’s and women’s sections, each with a single toilet. Between them was a row of rusted faucets and a large patch of peeling, mildewed paint on the wall.

On the first floor was a large dining hall, furnished with a few tables and chairs missing arms and legs. Behind it was the kitchen with a back door leading to a now-overgrown vegetable garden.

Everything in the kitchen was unusable. Zhao Xing had cleared it all out, leaving only two gaping, dark stove holes.

On either side of the kitchen were two more rooms, making four storage rooms filled with miscellaneous junk. Zhao Xing only cleaned out one; he had no use for the other three at the moment, so he left them be.

He’d found some bedsheets and mattresses among the clutter. Anything washable, he washed, and they were now hanging to dry on tree branches outside.

On top of everything else, a stubborn, musty smell of rot hung in the entire building. Since it had been empty for so long, it would probably take half a month just to air the place out.

The exterior of the building was in even worse shape. At least the inside was protected from the elements. The outside, after so many years of wind and rain, was a total wreck.

Even though Zhao Xing had done his best to clean it, you could still see the mottled, blackened stains left by moss, rotted-out holes in the wooden walls, and the uneven marks where weeds had once taken root…

And then there were the windows. Not a single one had an intact pane of glass. In the end, he just knocked out all the broken shards and covered the frames with plastic sheeting.

They looked like a series of white patches.

It was tragic. Just too tragic.

He had successfully transformed a filthy, abandoned building into a clean, abandoned building.

To top it all off, this “modern” structure currently has no water, no electricity, and no internet.

Because Zhao Xing had absolutely no money to install them.

He sat on a rock outside, gnawing on a plain steamed bun and sipping tea that Uncle Luan’s wife had given him. With tears in his eyes, he said, “System, I think it would be a crime against nature if this guesthouse ever actually attracted a guest.”

The System was silent.

Then, it skillfully dished out its usual chicken soup for the soul. “Host, please do not give up. You must believe that we will succeed. The lower the starting point, the more your abilities will shine!”

Zhao Xing mumbled around his bun, “I’d rather you give me a bowl of real chicken soup right now…” He was craving meat!

The System pretended not to hear.

After finishing his bun, Zhao Xing looked at the clean-but-still-decrepit building and remembered he still had that wallpaper he hadn’t used. He quickly opened his System inventory.

【Wallpaper: Ancient Wood Fragrance: A highly realistic wooden wallpaper. The scent of ancient wood it emits will relax the mind and create a sense of well-being. Go ahead and try it on!】

【Apply?】

“Confirm.”

Instantly, the color of every wall inside the building shifted. Like a special effect in a movie, the mottled, faded, and even rotting surfaces vanished, replaced by wallpaper with a fine wood grain. It covered every last nook and cranny perfectly.

Though it was called wallpaper, it resembled a thin veneer of real wood applied to the walls. It was smooth and shiny, with a distinct grain that seemed to come from high-quality wood. When he knocked on it, it produced a crisp, clear sound.

Not only that, but once the wallpaper was put up, the musty, rotten smell disappeared, replaced by a woody scent similar to sandalwood. A single sniff was enough to boost spirits and generate a deep, heartfelt sense of relaxation that no cheap, artificial air freshener could ever compare to.

“System products really are something else,” Zhao Xing sighed. “It actually does make you feel good!”

“Thank you for the compliment, Host,” the System replied. “The System never makes empty promises.”

Looking at the guesthouse, which now appeared at least thirty percent newer, Zhao Xing pulled up the System panel again.

【Host: Zhao Xing

Home World: Blue Star Realm

Guesthouse Name: Immortal’s Rest Inn

Guesthouse Level: 0 (Points to next level: 7/500)

System Price: 20 Yuan/Person

System Evaluation: Humble Hovel】

Zhao Xing nodded. Okay, “Humble Hovel” was better than “A pile of rubble.” And the price had gone up to 20 yuan!

The scent of ancient wood did a good job of easing his anxiety. He sat down in the main hall and began to ponder.

No, I can’t just sit here and wait to die, or I’ll literally starve!

Let’s think. With the guesthouse in this state, attracting human guests is impossible.

I have to find another way…

He thought for a good while until a lightbulb went off.

Right! Partnering with the chicken farm is out, but surely I can attract some small animals on my own?

I’ll raise the guesthouse’s level first. A higher level means better conditions. Better conditions will bring real guests, and once we have guests, we’ll have money!

The System thought this plan sounded pretty shaky, but it said, “That’s right, Host! You’re brilliant!”

No sooner said than done. Zhao Xing took out his treasured steamed buns, gave each one a little squeeze, and selected the driest one.

He then stood in the vegetable garden behind the building and crumbled the bun into tiny pieces, sprinkling them bit by bit onto the ground.

“When I was a kid,” he explained, “I learned how to catch birds with the other village kids. We always used wheat grains as bait. Buns are made from wheat, so this should work too.”

“Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth,” the System chirped. “You’re amazing, Host!”

However, he waited until it was dark and hadn’t seen a single bird. He hadn’t even seen an ant.

Zhao Xing was heartbroken. “My bun…”

The System had truly never encountered a Host this poor. It didn’t even have the heart to feed him any more motivational platitudes. “Why don’t you rest for today, Host? Maybe the animals will come tomorrow?”

It was meant as a casual comfort, but who would have thought that Zhao Xing would wake to the melodious chirping of birds the next morning?

He peeked out the window, and sure enough, the vegetable garden ground was dotted with several little gray furballs, hopping about like a bunch of fuzzy bouncing balls.

He quickly got up and went outside. By the time he reached the garden, his vision was already flooded with guest panels.

【Name: None

Reception Points: 1 Point/Visit

Experience: A seven-month-old sparrow. The first guest to discover this pile of food!

Likes: Bun crumbs】

【Name: None

Reception Points: 1 Point/Visit

Experience: A crow family veteran of three whole years. The local gang boss!

Likes: Bun crumbs】

【Name: None

Reception Points: 1 Point/Visit

Experience: An oriole that rarely visits human settlements. It doesn’t think the bun tastes very good.

Likes: Unknown】

…

At the same time, some of the furballs that had arrived early and finished eating took off, and review panels popped up.

【Review Grade: S

Review Comment: Chirp chirp!】

【Review Grade: S

Review Comment: Tweet tweet tweet tweet tweet!】

【Review Grade: S

Review Comment: Caw caw caw?】

…

They were all S-grade reviews! That meant at least 2 points per customer!

Zhao Xing looked at the field of furballs, his face alight with surprise. Were these furballs? No! They were points!

He immediately ran back inside, grabbed another bun to crumble, and instantly attracted even more birds.

Even a little squirrel couldn’t resist the temptation, sneaking out to stuff its cheeks with two pieces of bun before scurrying away.

Zhao Xing watched the scene with a benevolent, gratified expression, like a farmer gazing upon his bountiful rice paddies.

The birds gradually got used to the human squatting nearby. At first, they were wary, but soon they paid him no mind at all.

One was even bold enough to eat a piece of bun right out of his hand.

The first time it happened, Zhao Xing jumped. All he saw was a dark blur swoop toward him. Looking closely, he realized it was that crow family veteran, the local gang boss.

Zhao Xing was speechless. He picked out a large piece for it. “You live up to your reputation, boss. You’ve got guts.”

The big crow snatched the piece of bun—which was as big as its head—let out a few caws, and flew off.

In the afternoon, just as dusk began to fall, the birds departed one by one.

There weren’t many species of birds on Immortal’s Rest Mountain, and most of them were early-to-rise, early-to-bed types that returned to their nests at night.

Zhao Xing brushed the bun crumbs off his hands, a big smile on his face as he opened the System panel to check his haul for the day.

【Host: Zhao Xing

Home World: Blue Star Realm

Guesthouse Name: Immortal’s Rest Inn

Guesthouse Level: 0 (Points to next level: 92/500)

System Price: 20 Yuan/Person

System Evaluation: Humble Hovel】

Zhao Xing was excited. Over ninety points! He knew a lot of birds had come today, but he hadn’t expected to score so high!

At this rate, wouldn’t he be able to level up in just another five or six days?

He quickly took out all the money he had left and counted it. Ninety-nine yuan and fifty cents… Surviving for another six days was definitely not a problem!

Full of confidence, Zhao Xing announced, “System, we’re about to level up.”

The System replied, “…As long as the Host is happy.” It felt that ever since binding to this particular Host, it found itself speechless more and more often.

With the birds gone for the day, Zhao Xing decided to head back to the village to buy more steamed buns. He’d need to buy extra this time, since he and the birds were both eating them.

Besides, it was early spring, and the mornings and evenings were still cool, so they wouldn’t go bad if he kept them for a few days.

When he reached the breakfast stall at the village entrance, he saw a Buick parked by the side of the road.

A car like that was nothing in a major city, but in their small village, it was pretty conspicuous.

He asked the stall owner out of curiosity, “Someone in the village has relatives visiting?”

The owner smiled. “Auntie Wang from the east end of the village, her daughter’s back. You know her grandma broke her hip at the beginning of the year, right? The daughter came back to check on the old lady.”

Zhao Xing nodded. In a village this small, you knew everyone, even if you weren’t close. He knew who Auntie Wang was.

The owner then lowered his voice, beginning to gossip. “Her daughter brought her own daughter back with her—Auntie Wang’s granddaughter. She’s only five. They say the kid’s not right in the head, that she inherited some kind of madness. It’s a sad story. But I’ve never heard of any hereditary illness in the Wang family!”

Zhao Xing didn’t like to gossip about people’s business, so he stayed quiet.

The owner didn’t mind. He packed up the buns for him and asked how the guesthouse business was doing.

What business? Zhao Xing thought. He mumbled a vague reply, paid, and left.

The next day, Zhao Xing spent another day crumbling buns. This time, even more animals showed up.

Besides birds, there were squirrels and hedgehogs. Even someone’s old hen was lured over, and it laid an egg in the yard.

Zhao Xing figured he’d ask around the village that evening. If no one claimed it, he’d eat it himself.

Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly heard a piercing, miserable cry from a child outside.

He frowned. The village kids cried, of course, but he’d never heard a cry so shrill and desperate. Weren’t they afraid of ruining their throat?

Or… could there be a kidnapper?