The Basement Opens Before the First Money Has Even Cooled

"None of you go down."

Xia Che blocked the metal staircase and pushed Yan back first, since he was the most eager to poke his head inside.

"You don't know what's down there either, do you?" Yan asked.

"That's why I'm not letting you go down."

"I can take the lead."

"Even less reason to let you."

Yan still wanted to argue, but Pancham had already sat at the top of the stairs, clutching its injured wrist. It did not put up a fighting stance, merely stretched out its short legs and neatly blocked the entrance.

Yan looked at it, then at Yue Guan standing nearby.

He had already heard Xie Yue tell the story of Yue Guan being sent flying into a chair three times.

"I'm just taking a look."

"Pancham."

Pancham turned its face away, making it clear that it did not believe him.

Indeedee fetched a red rope from beside the wall and strung it around the stairway entrance. Then it hung up the sign Rotom had just made.

[New area not inspected. Anyone who goes downstairs without permission will be responsible for cleaning. (⊙_⊙)]

Seeing those last few words, Yan finally took a step back.

Hu Liena did not stay long today either.

It was Eevee's first time leaving the shop. Its new home, food, and route all needed time to become familiar. She hung the Premier Ball at her waist and slung Eevee's little bag over her other shoulder. Inside were a shallow food bowl, a brush, and two days' worth of rations.

"When will it come back tomorrow?" she asked.

"After it wakes up," Xia Che said.

"No fixed time?"

"Don't rush it with a clock on the first day."

Hearing its name, Eevee poked its head out from behind Hu Liena. Indeedee crouched down to straighten its paw pads, then placed a small card with a picture of the shop into its bag, telling it that it could lead someone back here if it wanted to return.

"Eevee."

The little one gently bumped her hand.

Hu Liena glanced down at the Premier Ball at her waist. "Does it have to stay in there tonight?"

"Let it choose for itself," Xia Che said. "A Poké Ball makes traveling easier and gives it a place to rest. Whether it sleeps inside or beside the bed depends on what it wants."

Hu Liena thoughtfully pressed the button on the ball.

Eevee turned into red light and returned to the ball. Only two breaths later, the Premier Ball gave a soft shake, and it ran out on its own, sitting at Hu Liena's feet and flicking its ears.

Yan blurted out, "What's the difference between that and not putting it away at all?"

Eevee looked up at him.

Yan paused. "As long as it's happy."

"It'll probably have trouble sleeping in a new place on the first night." Xia Che handed Hu Liena a small packet of dried sweet apples. "If it keeps calling in the middle of the night, first check whether it's hungry. If it still calls, sit with it for a while. Don't rush to train it, and don't let people crowd around to stare at it."

"I'll remember that."

Hu Liena accepted the packet gently. She had heard countless teachings about soul beasts at Spirit Hall, yet this was the first time someone had told her that a little creature willing to follow her might simply want someone to sit beside it at night.

Eevee raised its head and cried out, seemingly rather satisfied with the arrangement.

Seeing this, Yan's gaze fell on the form that had been returned to him.

Xie Yue patted his shoulder. "Add one less round tonight."

"How much time can one less round free up?"

"At least enough for you to rearrange those four cards."

Yan did not argue this time. He folded the paper and followed them out.

Yue Guan walked last.

He took the old booklet containing the five-year-old deed. Before leaving, he glanced once more at the basement entrance.

"Tomorrow, I'll have someone come verify this building."

"Knock before you come," Xia Che said.

"What about that rope?"

"Don't pull it twice."

Yue Guan gave a soft huff and pushed the door open to leave.

Before the door closed, Eevee suddenly ran back from Hu Liena's feet, circled around the counter, and bumped foreheads with Indeedee. Then it ran over to Pancham, carefully avoiding the wrist wrapped in an ice pack, and swept its tail across Pancham's knee.

Pancham had been putting on the airs of a senior just moments ago, but the instant Eevee turned away, it pulled out a hidden Berry candy from beneath its cushion, chased after it, and stuffed it into Eevee's little bag.

"Pancham."

It raised a paw and made a very imposing farewell gesture.

Zorua had been crouching on the counter watching for ages. It also conjured an identical candy, but unfortunately, the illusion scattered the moment it rolled into the bag, leaving only a faint black gleam.

Eevee looked back at it.

Zorua casually began licking its paw.

Hu Liena's lips twitched as she led Eevee away.

A moment later, the front hall finally quieted down.

Xia Che flipped the sign to closed and immediately started counting the day's earnings. Hu Liena's payment lay neatly inside the counter, including the cost of the roasted Berries used during their first meeting.

"We've finally opened for business."

Rotom circled the cash box. "The shop's first successful external companion service deserves to be commemorated, Rotom!"

Zorua also hopped onto the counter and stretched out a paw toward the coins.

Indeedee snapped the cash box shut.

"Indeedee."

"It just wants to take a look," Xia Che explained for the little fox.

Indeedee looked at him.

Xia Che immediately changed his tune. "It says it wants roasted Berries."

This time, Zorua nodded very quickly.

The question of how to spend their first income soon divided the shop into several camps.

Pancham wanted a thicker training mat. It had sent Yue Guan into a chair today, but its own wrist had turned red. It had clearly learned the importance of soft padding.

Zorua only had its mind on the roasted Berries from East Street. It even created an illusion of a small mountain on the counter, attempting to prove that it was not asking for much.

Rotom requested two more compatible outlets, so it would not have to take a detour every time it flew from the front hall to the backyard.

Indeedee took out a measured diagram. The low cabinet in the Encounter Room was not wide enough, forcing towels and cleaning supplies to be stacked together. It wanted a carpenter to make another one.

Once everyone had finished, they all looked at Xia Che.

"You've already arranged everything. Why ask me?"

Indeedee pointed to the end of the account book.

There was still a small amount of money left.

Xia Che thought for a moment. "Add a cushion to the chair by the window."

Rotom's screen immediately displayed an expression that said, Just as expected.

"Improving the manager's work environment is important too," Xia Che said without changing expression.

Indeedee ultimately added the cushion to the list, only writing one extra note behind it: It must not take up the bulk of the operating funds.

With everything settled, Xia Che had originally planned to sleep first before dealing with the basement entrance.

He had barely reached the window when the system's voice rang out in his mind.

[The first external companion has established stable contact.]

[Shop Anchor has completed its first calibration.]

[Underground Defense Layer unlocked.]

[Historical document completion time: five years ago.]

Xia Che stared at the final line and finally understood what was going on with that old booklet.

"You filled in five years in advance?"

[Ensuring legal business operations.]

"What about me?"

[Identity is legal.]

"I'm asking about that fingerprint."

The system fell silent again.

Whenever it encountered something that actually required an explanation, it always managed to pretend nothing had happened.

Xia Che waited for a moment, then had no choice but to stop pressing the issue.

Since the Underground Defense Layer had opened, leaving it unexplored would only cause more trouble. He called Indeedee over and had Rotom enter the lighting controls beside the staircase first. Pancham wanted to come too, but Indeedee pressed it back onto the cushion to continue icing its wrist.

Zorua, meanwhile, slipped unnoticed into Xia Che's shadow.

The metal staircase went much deeper than it appeared from outside.

They descended the height of two floors before a circular hatch appeared ahead. There was no lock beside it, only a palm-sized silver-gray sensor panel embedded in the wall.

Xia Che placed his hand on it.

The hatch slid open without a sound.

A dry, cold current of air rushed toward them, and Rotom's screen flickered twice.

"Internal power supply normal. Air is breathable. No standing water detected, Rotom."

"That last one sounded like an addition you made on the spot."

"Basement inspections must guard against leaks."

Indeedee sent a small white ball of light into the doorway first. The gentle glow rolled more than ten meters along the floor, illuminating several dormant silver lines near the walls. Only then did it nod to Xia Che.

Zorua, hidden in the shadows, quietly stretched out one front paw as well.

Xia Che looked down. "When did you follow us?"

The paw immediately retracted.

"Come out. If something really happens, it'll be harder to look after you if you hide in my shadow."

Zorua slowly crawled out, first pretending it had just woken up. Then, under Indeedee's gaze, it obediently pressed itself against her leg.

"If anyone says retreat later, we all retreat together," Xia Che said. "No turning into me and touching things at random, and no biting electrical wires."

Zorua nodded seriously.

Rotom added quietly, "The first rule is obviously more important, Rotom."

Inside was a vast circular hall. The floor and walls were entirely covered in dark metal. There were no crates in sight, nor were there any of the defensive mechanisms they had expected. At the center of the hall floated a massive silver-gray silhouette in silence.

Zorua poked its head out of the shadows, its eyes widening more and more.

The thing had four thick metal arms, while its main body looked like a heavy iron disc. Golden crisscrossing patterns were carved across its front, and its eyes were tightly shut.

"Is this a new shelf?" Xia Che asked.

Rotom flew a circle around the silhouette, the expression on its screen gradually stiffening.

"Shelves don't have heartbeats, Rotom."

The moment it spoke, the enormous metal life-form opened its eyes.

Two red beams fell upon Xia Che at the same time.