At 7:00 a.m., the system woke Wen Yu on time. 

She stretched lazily, counted down “three, two, one,” and sprang up from the bed. 

“Ha! The spring-out-of-bed technique—Shopkeeper Wen’s exclusive invention.” 

Entertaining herself with this little routine, she stretched once more, completed her personal hygiene, and stepped out to prepare for the day’s business. 

“System, turn on the lights.” 

As soon as the lights were activated, Wen Yu was startled by the sight of two bright, intense eyes staring in through the glass window. 

After taking a closer look, she recognized one of them as Chen Zui from the previous day. The other appeared to be a companion she had brought along. 

She tapped the control panel to begin store operations and waved at Chen Zui. 

“Come in. Why are you here so early?” 

Chen Zui hurried inside, pulling Hu Jiang along. She removed her helmet and outer gear. 

“We were worried the convenience store might not be open today.” 

Wen Yu couldn’t help but notice the man beside Chen Zui. From the moment he entered, his mouth had hung open in astonishment, and even after removing his helmet, he had yet to recover. 

“This is…” 

“My… neighbor, Hu Jiang. He wanted to come and buy a few things as well.” 

Chen Zui smiled awkwardly and jabbed Hu Jiang sharply in the waist, letting out a loud cough. 

“Ahem! I’m back to my senses!” 

Only then did Hu Jiang snap out of his daze, though his gaze remained fixed on the neatly arranged shelves. 

Directly to the right of the entrance stood the merchandise racks. Even setting aside the cozy decor and various modern facilities of the store, the sheer variety of products was enough to keep his eyes glued. 

In addition to the purified water and buns that Chen Zui had previously brought back, there were colorful energy drinks, sandwiches filled with lettuce and sausage, and in the refrigerated section, strawberry ice cream misted with cold vapor. 

Peeking further in, he could even see a range of basic seasonings and cooking utensils. 

Hu Jiang recalled the food he had eaten before. People at the central base relied mainly on potatoes as staple food, just roasted over fire. 

As for vegetables and meat… After radiation contamination, few plants survived, and even fewer were edible. If they encountered mutated cacti, they had to fight first. 

Due to severe material shortages, whenever they brought back meat from mutated creatures, it was usually boiled with plain water, perhaps with a little iodized salt added at most. 

That taste was both fishy and foul, nearly impossible to swallow, and even Grandma Liu’s cooking skills couldn’t save it. 

If these goods truly have zero radiation levels… Hu Jiang’s eyes turned red. I have to buy them. I must. I’ll earn enough money when I get back! 

Wen Yu smiled faintly and introduced the store’s new products. 

“I’ve added a few new items: fried pork cutlets and iced cola. Would you like to try a serving?” 

“One serving of pork cutlet is 10 silver coins, and an iced cola is 15.” 

Chen Zui had brought a considerable amount of silver coins with her today and trusted the shopkeeper unconditionally. She generously paid for two full meals and pulled Hu Jiang to the eating area. 

Wen Yu nodded and took out the marinated mutated meat from the refrigerator, placing it into the fryer. 

The refrigerator provided by the system ensured 100% freshness, so she no longer had to worry about food spoilage. 

At the eating area, Hu Jiang counted the silver coins he had brought and discussed with Chen Zui what they should bring back. 

“One bottle of purified water and a sandwich would be enough for a whole day… but it’s a bit expensive. Maybe we should buy some flour and eggs instead, and ask Grandma Liu to cook something?” 

“But…” 

Chen Zui hesitated for a moment. 

“Did you forget what Grandma Liu said? Food with zero radiation levels can reduce mutation. If we bring it back, won’t the flour’s mutation level keep rising otherwise?” 

“We don’t even know if that’s true yet. Let’s test the mutation level first. If it really decreases, we’ll come back with Grandma Liu and Tian Tian to buy more.” 

“For now, the priority is still filling our stomachs.” 

“You’ve got a point.” 

Before leaving the central base, the guards measured their mutation level. Chen Zui’s remained at 29, and Hu Jiang’s stayed stable at 24. 

“If there’s no way to reduce it… I probably won’t be able to come out again. Eh, what’s that smell? It’s amazing!” 

The sizzling sound of frying meat patties filled the air with a rich aroma, interrupting their conversation. Both of them turned toward the fryer simultaneously. 

The meat patties were turning a golden brown as they flipped in the hot oil. Chen Zui couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. 

“That smells so good…” 

After Wen Yu removed the meat patties from the fryer and sliced them, Hu Jiang immediately stood up and strode toward the food counter with unusual agility, saying: 

“Can’t trouble the boss to bring it over, I’ll grab it myself!” 

Wen Yu smiled knowingly and poured two glasses of iced cola from the dispenser. A thin layer of frost formed on the transparent glasses, with bubbles faintly visible. 

She handed over the tray to Hu Jiang and added a small plate of pepper salt as seasoning. 

“Your meal’s ready. Please enjoy.” 

Hu Jiang grinned sheepishly and took the tray. Chen Zui, who had been waiting at the eating area, couldn’t hold back any longer. She picked up a piece of fried meat cutlet and popped it into her mouth. 

“Mmm… so crispy!” 

Resting her chin in her hands with a satisfied expression, Chen Zui leaned to one side and asked Wen Yu: 

“Boss, this meat cutlet is delicious. Is it made from ingredients sold in your convenience store? Can we buy it?” 

Looking at the two enjoying their food, Wen Yu felt a mischievous urge. She raised an eyebrow. 

“These meat cutlets? They’re made from the meat you sold me yesterday.” 

Chen Zui froze, blinking twice before she found her voice. 

“W-Was that the mutated creature meat?” 

Wen Yu touched her chin and gave a mischievous smile. 

“Yep. Tastes good, right~?” 

Chen Zui stared at the golden, crispy cutlet in front of her, unsure whether she should continue eating. Consuming mutated creature meat typically raises one’s mutation level… 

…but it just tasted too good! 

Forget it. If it increases, it increases. She could just drink two bottles of purified water afterward. 

With that thought, she made up her mind, grabbed another piece of meat cutlet, and stuffed it into her mouth with resolve, barely chewing before swallowing. 

“Delicious!” 

Wen Yu laughed heartily at Chen Zui’s look of noble sacrifice and decided to stop teasing her. 

“Don’t worry. I’ve processed this mutated meat. Its radiation level is zero. It’s completely safe to eat.” 

With her mouth full of meat cutlet, Chen Zui’s emotions soared and crashed so fast she nearly choked. Hu Jiang, quick to react, handed her a glass of cola. 

After gulping down half the glass, she finally recovered. 

“I can also sell you processed meat cutlets, but they’ll be more expensive than the raw mutated meat. Would you like to buy some?” 

Listening to their conversation, Hu Jiang shuddered and declined quickly. 

“No, no, food like this is better enjoyed here at your place.” 

Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, the two of them return the trays to Xiao Xin and selected the items they wanted to take with them from the shelves. 

“Four energy drinks, four sandwiches, one bag of flour, one packet of salt, one bottle of cooking oil, and ten eggs.” 

Flour was 30 silver coins per bag, salt 5 silver coins per packet, cooking oil 30 silver coins per bottle, and eggs 2 silver coins each. Wen Yu quickly calculated the total. 

“That comes to 235 silver coins. Thank you for your patronage.” 

Hu Jiang handed over two gold coins and 35 silver coins. The two left with their bulging backpacks. 

Moments after they departed, Wen Yu received a notification. 

[Congratulations on earning 2 Positive Rating Points; the host may redeem personal skills via the control panel] 

Another lengthy string of praise left by Chen Zui popped up on the light screen. Wen Yu smiled awkwardly and tapped the personal skills icon. 

Currently, the only unlockable option was basic physical enhancement. 

“The average physical fitness in this world is at 50%…” 

Wen Yu pinched her arm. As a busy office worker, she had little time to exercise, and her body felt soft. 

However, even if she had the time, she probably would not choose to train; since middle school, Wen Yu’s physical education grades had consistently hovered around the borderline passing mark. 

She was barely passing, a typical underperformer in the 800-meter run. 

She wondered whether enhancing her physical fitness would result in any changes to her appearance. 

Imagining herself as a muscular Barbie figure made her chuckle, but she nonetheless pressed the confirmation button without hesitation. 

[Initiating physical enhancement for the host.] 

Closing her eyes, Wen Yu felt a warm current flowing through her body, enveloping her in a comforting warmth. 

She seemed to perceive a faintly glowing, illusory miniature figure drifting away from her body into the air. 

An invisible stream of energy seemed to circulate through her body, cycling endlessly from top to bottom. 

[Basic physical enhancement complete. The host can now resist natural radiation levels up to 30.] 

Wen Yu opened her eyes and curiously looked down at herself. 

Her height and body shape remained unchanged, but her senses had become more sharper; she could now hear the sound of yellow sand striking the convenience store’s glass doors outside. 

She lifted her arm and gave it a squeeze. Still soft. No visible change. Maybe the upgrade was mostly in radiation resistance and sensory enhancement. 

In the world of wasteland apocalypse filled with radiation, having a body that could resist it was already more than good enough. She casually picked up a stainless steel tong from the counter—one the customer hadn’t taken back—and planned to warm up a bun for breakfast. 

“Ah.” 

The tongs were stuck. She gave them a firm pull, and the stainless steel snapped cleanly at the stress point, the break smooth and even. 

In other words, she had just torn a piece of stainless steel with her bare hands. 

Well, that was a pleasant surprise. Wen Yu silently took another pair of tongs from the cabinet and started getting used to her newly enhanced strength. 

Even the strong shopkeeper needed breakfast. 

✧✧✧ 

Before the hottest part of the day hit, Chen Zui and Hu Jiang made it back to Central Base. The route was becoming increasingly familiar. It now took her only about an hour for a round trip. 

The guards at the central base remained vigilant, stationed at the entrance to check the mutation level of those entering and exiting. 

“Your mutation level is about to exceed 30. Do not linger outside; return promptly.” 

The guard today was polite and warned those nearing the mutation limit. 

Still, if someone could stay inside the Central Base, who would choose to wander outside? The man gave a bitter smile and didn’t respond. 

Chen Zui hadn’t gotten her turn yet, but her hands were already clenched in nervous anticipation, her palms soaked with sweat. 

Hu Jiang patted her shoulder, also somewhat anxious. 

When it was their turn, Chen Zui took a deep breath and stepped up to the guard. 

“Mutation level: 28. You may enter.” 

Her heart leapt as if propelled by a spring, pounding violently in her chest. Chen Zui stepped forward, moving aside from the line, and watched Hu Jiang’s result closely. 

“Mutation level: 23. You’re clear.” 

Yes! The food sold at that convenience store really did lower mutation levels! 

The two exchanged a glance, instinctively quiet, and excitedly returned to their residence. 

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