“Phew, the road through this desert is really hard to walk on.” 

“After a few more trips, you’ll get used to it.” 

Zhang Yuan wiped the dust off his goggles and closely followed behind the team captain. 

Qingyuan and Qingmiao positioned themselves to the left and right, forming a subtle arrowhead formation with the four of them. 

They had been chasing a mutated cactus for so long that they’d lost track of the exact location and only remembered the general direction. 

“It should be… that way!” 

Thanks to Qingyuan’s excellent memory, she discerned subtle clues in the distribution of weeds, guiding the group back on track. 

After climbing a small dune, they observed faint bloodstains on the desert floor. 

“This is the place!” 

Focusing their gaze, they found the body of a mutated wild hare surrounded by several mutated moles. Wang Chaoyun raised his hand to halt the three others and bent down to carefully survey the surroundings. 

No other creatures were visible nearby besides the mutated moles. 

Though relatively small in size, these creatures possessed extremely sharp teeth and were known for their bloodthirsty nature. 

The worst part was that mutated moles still retained their old-world behavior of traveling in packs—and they could carry infectious diseases. 

However, without retrieving the body of the mutated wild hare, they would find it difficult to procure anything to repay the debt owed to the convenience store. 

Wang Chaoyun calmly contemplated the situation briefly and then signaled for the team to disperse, intending to encircle the creatures from multiple directions. 

Before splitting up, each member took some gasoline; as a seasoned desert hunter, the team captain understood that the mutated moles feared fire and decided to employ a fire-based attack strategy. 

They approached from four different directions at a slow pace. 

The mutated moles were too busy trying to tear open the hare’s fur with their teeth to notice them. 

Any closer and they’d be spotted. 

At a glance from Wang Chaoyun, the team simultaneously splashed gasoline and threw a lit match. 

Flames burst forth, engulfing the creatures and setting them ablaze. 

“Squeak! Squeak squeak!!” 

The mutated moles’ fur caught fire easily. They rolled in agony in the sand, trying to burrow their way to safety but were too weak to escape. 

The group quickly moved in and took them down in just a few strikes. They then covered the hare’s body with sand to cut off the oxygen and extinguish the flames. 

“This is good; we’ve also secured a few mutated moles.” 

“Great! We can repay the store owner now—maybe even buy a few more things!” 

“There are so many things in the convenience store that I’ve never seen before, but they all look delicious.” 

Wang Chaoyun felt his body moving with ease, as if he’d never been injured. He gave a cheerful smile, tied up the mutated creatures, and led the group back. 

“Let’s buy some, and hurry up. It’s almost six o’clock; we must return to the central base before nightfall.” 

Finding the path back to the Oasis Convenience Store was much easier this time. After only about ten minutes, Wang Chaoyun spotted the small orange-green building and felt a wave of emotion. 

If not for this suddenly appearing convenience store, he would have perished long ago. These children lacked experience. Their lives were likely in danger. 

Suddenly, a crimson figure appeared in the distance, rushing straight toward the Oasis Convenience Store. 

Wang Chaoyun lowered his voice. “On alert!” 

The group quickly gathered, lowering their center of gravity and observing the approaching mutated animal. 

“D*mn, it’s an A-grade mutated animal—a crimson fox!” 

Wang Chaoyun’s breathing grew rapid. The gap between each level of mutated creatures was significant. Though the four could kill a B-grade mutated wild hare, encountering an A-grade mutated animal left only one option: escape. 

“Captain, the convenience store…” 

“The store owner is in danger!” 

Zhang Yuan understood what an A-grade creature meant. His muscle memory screamed at him to run, but his legs stayed firmly rooted to the spot. 

“Captain, we cannot leave!” 

Qingyuan and Qingmiao dropped the game they were carrying, grabbed their gear, and prepared to fight. 

Wang Chaoyun knew that letting these children leave was impossible. 

They had to confront the threat together; perhaps with all their strength, they could drive the mutated crimson fox away. 

“Alright, let’s go together. Equip yourselves and coordinate.” 

The group exchanged determined glances, encouraged one another, and charged toward the crimson fox’s path. 

Expecting an attack, they were surprised when the mutated crimson fox merely cast a cold glance at them, circled twice, and continued toward the convenience store. 

Zhang Yuan broke out in a cold sweat from the gaze and turned to give chase, but the crimson fox’s speed was too great. They could only watch helplessly as it reached the entrance of the Oasis Convenience Store. 

“No!” 

“Store owner, don’t come out!” 

The group hurriedly turned, attempting to block the mutated fox’s path, when the convenience store door suddenly opened. 

A slender, fair hand reached out. 

That seemingly fragile hand wasn’t attacked. Instead, it gently patted the crimson fox on the head. Then the shopkeeper leaned halfway out the door and smiled at them. 

“You’re back so soon. Come, Hongye, greet the customers.” 

H-Hongye? 

The four froze, taking some time to realize. 

This enormous A-grade mutated crimson fox was, in fact, the pet of the Oasis Convenience Store owner! 

Hongye lazily lay on the ground, lifted an eyelid to glance at them, and moved its paw slightly in greeting. 

“Yip~” 

It stood up, shook off the sand from its body, and started to walk into the store. 

“Come on in together.” 

✧✧✧ 

Wen Yu entered, holding Hongye by the hand, intending to prepare dinner for it. 

Behind them, four trembling individuals dragged the carcasses of mutated creatures inside, lowering their voices to speak quietly. 

“Is this… really safe?” 

“The store owner probably won’t eat it, maybe, possibly, it won’t harm us either…” 

“An A-grade mutated animal… we’ve never been this close before…” 

Qingmiao, braver than the others, kept stealing glances at Hongye’s tail. 

The three fluffy tails, each with red tips, appeared remarkably smooth to the eye—inviting to touch. 

Zhang Yuan noticed her thoughts and pulled her back sharply. 

“Don’t fool around, it’s dangerous.” 

Hongye obediently lay at Wen Yu’s feet, tilting its head upwards as it waited for her to select dinner, occasionally raising a paw to paw at her gently. 

Qingmiao could no longer see the sharp claws on Hongye’s paws; her eyes were solely focused on the three large tails, which swayed rhythmically. 

“Um, sister, can I touch it?” 

Wen Yu lifted her head from the refrigerator and smiled kindly. 

“You need to ask Hongye about that.” 

Hongye raised its paw to smooth the fur on its head, its mind preoccupied with thoughts of food. It glanced at Qingmiao without objection. 

After another quick look, Qingmiao, despite Zhang Yuan’s hesitation, stepped forward boldly, then took another step and gently touched Hongye’s tail. 

So soft! 

Her eyes suddenly brightened, too excited to speak, her hand moving carefully to gently stroke the fur twice. 

Qingyuan struggled but ultimately could not resist the allure of the fluffy tails. She stepped forward and knelt on the other side, lightly stroking Hongye’s tail as well. 

Though their movements were gentle, the expressions in their eyes conveyed deep emotion. 

They were utterly exhilarated. 

The team captain, seeing them safe, exhaled in relief and called Zhang Yuan to drag in the carcasses of the mutated creatures for the shop owner to inspect. 

The small convenience store was already crowded with several people and a fox; adding the body of a mutated wild hare made the space excessively cramped. 

Wen Yu temporarily stopped them and typed an inquiry into the control panel. 

“System, can the items be processed without bringing them to the checkout?” 

[Yes, but the host needs to touch the items.] 

“Hmm…” 

Wen Yu glanced at the massive mutated wild hare outside; given its size, it would not be eaten quickly. She attempted to negotiate with the system. 

“Can I just process part of it, and put the rest in the freezer?” 

[Processing by system agent requires a 5% handling fee.] 

Five percent was acceptable. Wen Yu thought that although some silver coins would be deducted, it saved considerable trouble. 

“Then please process the mutated creatures outside and retain five kilograms of edible meat.” 

[Received.] 

The term “corporate slave” was something Wen Yu couldn’t bear to hear anymore; she instinctively closed the control panel, then realized she had already evolved from a worker into a small boss. 

At the entrance, Zhang Yuan had already dragged five mutated moles and one mutated wild hare inside, standing there helplessly. 

“All right, I’ll handle this.” 

Wen Yu gently placed her hand on the mutated wild hare’s body. A faint green glow flashed, and the bodies of the mutated hare and moles disappeared at the same time, while five kilograms of edible meat appeared in the freezer. 

The four members of the hunting party watched this scene in shock. Although many unscientific phenomena appeared in the wasteland apocalypse, this still exceeded their expectations. 

Wang Chaoyun suddenly recalled a fantasy TV show he watched when young, with immortals descending to save the people. 

Then the immortal walked over gracefully and said to them, 

“You owe a total of 280 silver coins. After deducting your medicine, 147 silver coins remain. Do you need anything else?” 

Wang Chaoyun snapped back to reality—it was not an immortal, but the convenience store owner. 

As dusk approached, they picked some convenient food and water, spent 120 silver coins, and hurried off. 

Before departing, the twin sisters volunteered to distribute flyers for the Oasis Convenience Store as a task. 

In return, perhaps they could touch Hongye’s tail again on their next visit. 

After the customers left, Wen Yu began preparing dinner for Hongye. 

She took the freshly processed mutated meat from the freezer, purified and minced it, then added various seasonings, intending to make a braised lion’s head meatball dish for Hongye. 

Braised lion’s head is a complicated dish; after shaping the meatballs, they must be fried to brown, then simmered to infuse flavor, and finally thickened with sauce and evenly stir-fried. 

Though the process is lengthy, Hongye patiently awaited, drawn by the aroma permeating the air. 

Since simmering takes considerable time, Wen Yu entertained Hongye with a game. 

A pet mini-game: Guess which hand holds the beef jerky. 

Wen Yu hid a small piece of beef jerky secretly in one palm behind her back, rubbed both hands to carry the scent, then clenched her fists and put them out in front of Hongye. 

As a crimson fox with acute olfactory senses, the game was easy for Hongye. 

However, after mutation, Hongye’s intelligence had increased; beyond simply finding food, she understood she was playing with her owner. 

Pretending to be unsure, she licked both of Wen Yu’s hands and hesitated before selecting the correct one. 

“Hongye, you’re so smart~” 

Wen Yu smiled with relaxed eyes, allowing Hongye to lick the beef jerky from her palm. 

Outside the convenience store, a young man with a drooping head peeked inside, hesitant to enter, but the aroma gathered at the door was strong, so he couldn’t bring himself to leave. 

Wen Yu looked up and recognized an old customer. 

“Oh, it’s you. What would you like to eat today?”