“Shopkeeper, one hamburger combo, please!” 

The first wave of customers came in excitedly, waving flyers, clearly knowing what they wanted. 

After receiving the silver coins, Wen Yu efficiently began preparing the ingredients, directing customers to take a seat at the eating area. 

After selling 19 sets, the burger combo returned to its original price of 60 silver coins. Some of the later customers, tempted by the smell, placed their orders without hesitation. Others, short on money, browsed the shelves to see if there was anything else they could afford. 

“My goodness, so much food—and all with zero radiation levels!” 

One customer, equipped with a personal radiation detector, exclaimed in a hushed but audible tone after performing a scan. 

The convenience store wasn’t very spacious, and even though that person instinctively lowered their voice, the surrounding customers still heard them. 

“What? Zero radiation?” 

“At these prices? The owner must be running a charity!” 

“Charity or not, I’m buying first!” 

Those near the eating area could no longer remain seated. They promptly gathered all the silver coins they had on them and selected suitable products to purchase. 

Some families were short on water and took ten bottles of purified water at once. Others, thinking of their children, gritted their teeth and selected a few packs of snacks. 

However, since it was their first visit, most customers remained cautious, selecting only one or two items. 

Chen Zui blended into the crowd with a slight smile, keeping a low profile. She picked up a considerable quantity of portable food items and even bought a few milk candies for Tian Tian, fully aware that the real frenzy would begin once people discovered that zero-radiation food could reduce mutation levels. 

While preparing the food, Wen Yu also squeezed in time to handle the payments. Before long, she was completely exhausted. 

After completing all the orders, she packaged the combos and instructed customers to queue for pickup. 

The store was somewhat crowded, and most people opted for takeout. Only a few chose to dine inside. 

“It looks exactly like the picture!” 

The freshly made burger, wrapped in food-safe paper, was warm to the touch. Upon unwrapping it, a hint of sauce oozed from the edges, releasing a sweet aroma. 

As customers began eating, they collectively fell silent after the first bite, prompting Wen Yu to glance over in confusion. 

Was something wrong? Did it not taste good? 

Those who had taken the first bite were momentarily stunned. They stared wide-eyed at the burger in their hands, chewed dazedly for a moment, then immediately took a second bite. 

Expressions of astonishment mixed with delight appeared on their faces. Chen Zui was the first to react. 

“Shopkeeper, this burger is incredible! And the fries—who knew potatoes could taste like this?” 

The others snapped out of their daze. 

“Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, lightly salted, and with ketchup—absolutely divine!” 

“Starting today, I declare myself a devoted follower of burgers!” 

“Not me, fries are my true god.” 

“Hey, doesn’t anyone care about the cola?” 

The store buzzed with excitement again. Seeing the customers enjoy their meals brought a cheerful smile to Wen Yu’s face. 

A young man with a headscarf approached the counter with two bottles of purified water. Wen Yu accepted the silver coins, and the man quickly glanced at her before attempting to leave. 

[Alert. Alert. Theft detected.] 

[Thief’s physical movement has been restricted.] 

Suddenly, an invisible chain appeared in the air, binding the young man tightly. He struggled but failed to break free, dropping a pile of concealed items in the process. 

Milk candies, beef jerky, basic medications—all easy to hide and carry. 

Wen Yu raised her eyebrows. A thief? 

From the moment she had opened the convenience store, she had reviewed its security protocols: any theft would be detected and prevented before the suspect exited the premises. 

She simply had not expected the method to be quite so… undignified. 

Fear filled the man’s eyes as he fought against the invisible chains, only to be mercilessly overpowered. 

“Ma Shan!” 

Chen Zui jumped out and called him by name, glaring with disgust. 

“You laze around the central base and now you come here to steal?” 

Ma Shan spat disdainfully and rolled his eyes. 

“I didn’t even take it out of the store. How can you call that stealing?” 

“What, your newly opened store is going to kill me over a few cheap things?” 

Chen Zui, furious, kicked him twice. 

“Cheap things? You took three boxes of basic medicine! You couldn’t buy that for even 500 silver coins at the market! And you have the audacity to call them ‘cheap things’?” 

The surrounding crowd murmured among themselves, most condemning Ma Shan’s actions. However, a couple of individuals looked uncertain, watching the store owner’s response carefully. 

“I hate thieves the most. If it weren’t for a thief back then, my grandmother would’ve…!” 

“I support the store owner handling this as she sees fit!” 

“But… it’s just a bit of theft. Isn’t it too much to resort to violence?” 

Sensing hesitation in some, Ma Shan switched tactics. He remained on the floor, shouting loudly. 

“Oasis Convenience Store is killing people! Murder at the Oasis Convenience Store!” 

Wen Yu looked at him silently, a faint smile on her lips. 

“System, release him.” 

“And have him return the stolen items.” 

The invisible chains vanished. Ma Shan glanced at Wen Yu, then quickly put everything back in place with a fawning smile—but his eyes betrayed his contempt. 

“Aiyo, shopkeeper, you really are a good person. Don’t worry, I definitely won’t steal next time! I’ll come to buy from the store!” 

“You don’t have a chance anymore. You’re already on the blacklist of the Oasis Convenience Store.” 

Wen Yu tapped a few times on the control panel, completing the blacklist process. 

From Chen Zui’s reaction, she could tell that the zero-radiation products sold in the Oasis Convenience Store held special significance in this world. 

Thus, denying someone access to the store would become one of the most severe punishments possible. 

“The Oasis Convenience Store is no longer open to you.” 

Ma Shan’s face twitched like he had spilled a bottle of seasoning, and he thought to himself that at worst, he could ask someone else to buy for him. 

As he turned away in anger, the young store owner seemed to read his mind. Her voice drifted calmly from behind. 

“Oh, by the way, the blacklist has a collateral effect. All your relatives, including yourself, will never be able to touch any products sold in the convenience store again.” 

“This includes resale.” 

“System, remove the guest.” 

Only then did Ma Shan become shocked. He rushed to the counter, trying to snatch items from customers’ hands, but found all the products were like transparent. 

He could see them but couldn’t touch them. 

“Why? Why?!” 

The chains reappeared. As he was thrown out of the store, Ma Shan continued to shout powerlessly until even his voice faded into silence. 

Along with his departure, the flickering ambition in the hearts of the other onlookers also extinguished. 

This store was clearly extraordinary and powerful. Offending the owner meant losing access to high-quality, reasonably priced goods forever. 

“Shopkeeper, well done!” 

Chen Zui, ever straightforward, gave a thumbs-up. No matter what some had thought earlier, now everyone echoed her sentiment. 

They picked out a few more items, paid, and left—all in tacit agreement not to mention the mysterious chain that had appeared earlier. 

In the wasteland apocalypse, not asking too many questions was an excellent quality. Fortunately, most people who survived until today possessed this quality. 

✧✧✧ 

After a busy morning, the flow of customers finally subsided. A few more trickled in during the afternoon, and Wen Yu managed to sell a considerable amount of products. 

One customer entered the store and immediately requested an anti-radiation suit, showing no interest in any other items. Without hesitation, they picked up the suit and paid swiftly, leaving with repeated words of gratitude. Their eyes gleamed with excitement as they muttered, 

“With this, I can venture even farther to hunt mutated creatures!” 

It turned out they were a combat enthusiast. 

Exhausted from the day’s work, Wen Yu massaged her wrist and jokingly addressed the system, 

“System, I really can’t manage this all on my own. Why don’t you turn into a human and help me out? I’ll pay you a salary as store owner.” 

As always, the system responded with a serious tone, though this time it provided some useful information: 

[Apologies. The system cannot assume human form, nor is it equipped with cashier functionality.] 

[Automated checkout can be obtained through the lottery interface. Automated cooking will be unlocked in the next phase of the convenience store’s development.] 

Oh? Automated cooking? 

Wen Yu’s interest was piqued. Even those who love cooking can lose patience after preparing the same dish two or three dozen times. 

Just as she was about to ask more, the door to the convenience store creaked open slightly. 

“Excuse me, is this… Oasis Convenience Store?” 

A thin hand appeared through the doorway. The owner of the hand was a small, frail figure, seemingly no older than ten. 

Survival in the wasteland apocalypse was harsh, but younger children usually lived in the central base and rarely went out. 

First, they lack the experience necessary to survive; their mortality rate when facing mutated creatures is significantly higher. Second, children’s bodies are more sensitive to radiation, and their mutation level increases more rapidly outside the central base. 

Wen Yu quickly stepped forward. The child was wearing a bulky anti-radiation suit and did not appear malnourished, just very small. 

The girl timidly raised her head and fumbled through her clothes, finally producing five silver coins wrapped in several layers of cloth. 

“Big sister, I saw on the flyer that you sell sanitary pads here… Is it really just five silver coins? I only have five.” 

Wen Yu’s gaze softened. She crouched down to meet the child at eye level. 

“All prices are clearly marked. Fair trade for all customers.” 

She got up to fetch the sanitary pads but wondered—girls usually start their period around 13 years old, and this child looked younger. Why would she come to buy them herself? 

“Little one, who are you buying this for?” 

Under the warm lights of the convenience store, the girl visibly relaxed. She tilted her head and said, 

“Sister, just call me Jin Xia~” 

“I’m buying it for my mom. It’s almost her birthday.” 

Her tone suddenly grew somber, and her eyes turned red with emotion. 

“I know… Mom bleeds every month. She used to use sanitary pads. I’ve seen them before.” 

“But in recent years, sanitary pads have become more and more expensive in the base. Mom always says they’re unnecessary, but I saw her using ash and old cloth in secret.” 

“I read in a book that doing that can make you sick…” 

Wen Yu sighed inwardly. As expected, in the aftermath of a natural disaster and in a post-apocalyptic world, even if people manage to secure basic resources, few pay attention to women’s physiological needs. 

She bent down and gently embraced the little girl, softly stroking her head before slipping a large package of sanitary pads into her bag. 

“These are the five silver coin pads. Hurry back, your mom will worry if you stay out too long.” 

Jin Xia looked at the now bulging bag, let out a joyful gasp, and threw her arms around Wen Yu’s arm. 

“Thank you, big sister! This will last my mom a long time! Once I save up more money, I’ll come back and buy more!” 

She wrapped herself back in her anti-radiation suit and waved goodbye as she left the store. 

No other customers arrived afterward. The system’s voice sounded again: 

[You have received 27 new positive feedback points today. Total feedback points have surpassed 10. Achievement unlocked: First Small Success.] 

[Reward: One lottery draw opportunity. Would you like to use it now?] 

A lottery draw? Great!