After the day's business ended and the store closed, Wei Lingling systematically tallied their first-day revenue and the number of positive reviews they had received.
They had purchased 200 masks in total. After deducting losses, employee benefits, and the fee for having Black Goldfish pose as a customer, 180 remained.
At five human heads per mask, they had collected a total of 900 heads.
However, some customers had made multiple purchases but could only leave one positive review, so they had received 115 positive reviews on their first day.
Including the positive reviews Shen Ru had previously tricked the monsters into leaving, they had 215 in total.
They had received no negative reviews on their first day of business, but that was not because of good service or good luck. It was because Shen Ru had dealt with every customer who wanted to leave one.
So, including the extra income, they had collected 906 human heads that day.
Looking at the accounts, Wei Lingling briefly began to question herself. She had never imagined that the accounting she had studied would one day intersect with such bloody, violent scenes.
Before they officially opened for business, she had also anticipated plenty of difficulties, especially how to deal with unreasonable customers.
She had not expected Shen Ru to simply whip out an iron rod and eliminate any possibility of trouble.
Although this was a space independent of other worlds, few people could completely abandon the constraints of humanity and morality and let their primal selves run free.
After all, habits and shackles that had followed someone for decades were not easily broken by an unexpected turn of events.
But Shen Ru was clearly an exception.
Despite a few minor incidents, their first-day review count was promising. They had three days left for the task. Barring any surprises, they could complete it without trouble as long as they earned at least 95 positive reviews each day.
It was now six in the evening, with nine hours to go until the delivery at three in the morning.
They agreed to take turns on duty while the others slept in the staff dormitory, trying to ensure everyone got three to six hours of sleep.
Cheng Lin took the first shift. After saying goodbye, Shen Ru and the others headed into the dormitory.
It was Shen Ru's first time entering the staff dormitory, and it was not quite what he had imagined. Perhaps the NPCs had made a special effort to tidy it up while cleaning. Although small, the room had clean, neat walls, and the pillow covers and mattresses gave off a faint, fresh scent. Even the iron rails securing the beds had been wiped spotless.
Shen Ru picked a bed at random and sat down in a comfortable, thoroughly relaxed position.
Seeing that Shen Ru did nothing else, Qi Liang and Wei Lingling followed his example, each choosing a bed and lying down.
They were only taking a short nap anyway, and there really was no extra space to divide into separate dormitories. Besides, with a whole roomful of human heads stored in the warehouse next door, Wei Lingling would not have wanted to sleep alone even if they had offered her a separate room.
None of them fell asleep immediately after lying down. Qi Liang and Wei Lingling had brains of their own. Although Shen Ru had not explained the rules governing the circulation of Dungeon Currency, a day of working the register had made the situation perfectly clear to both of them.
As the one keeping the accounts, Wei Lingling understood the severity of the issue even better. She could not help asking, "Boss, we only have 2,000 yuan left in our account. What are we going to do if the supplier insists on payment in yuan again tonight?"
Qi Liang was worried too, but remembering how Shen Ru had dealt with customers through violence that day, he seemed to reach a sudden revelation and said:
"If we really can't reason with them, we'll just rob them."
The young man's voice drifted over quietly. "Are you a bandit?"
Qi Liang: ...
Was there something wrong with this guy?!!!
Wasn't he the one who had taught them that logic????
In the livestream chat:
[Hahahaha, my wife always shows an awareness of the law when I least expect it.]
[I'm dying hahahaha. I'm on Qi Liang's side this time. After watching this long, my first thought was robbery too hahahahaha.]
[I'm really curious what my wife's going to do. They traded in yuan last night, so why would they suddenly change currencies tonight?]
[I'm curious too!!!]
[+1!!!]
The rotating shifts passed quickly, and Shen Ru took the last watch.
The moonlight was not as bright as it had been the night before. Pitch-black darkness surrounded the little store, like an endless abyss whose bottom could never be reached. A glance outside revealed nothing but unfathomable darkness.
The convenience store was completely enclosed by that sinister, evil black fog. It also told the players that the playing field for this game extended no farther than this place. However they struggled, there was nowhere to escape.
Shen Ru sat behind the counter, bored out of his mind, propping his cheek on one hand as he gazed at the moonlight. He had sent the NPCs off to watch the warehouse. Coming face-to-face with them in the middle of the night only reminded him of the six human-face masks he had wasted on them, which was rather upsetting.
Bosses who provided employee benefits during the probationary period were rare indeed.
He really did have the heart of a saint.
The young man kept his gaze on the view beyond the window, turning things over in his mind.
He was gradually growing tired of this game.
Qi Liang had said there were many kinds of dungeon games: plot-based deduction, battle royales, assigned-role scenarios, or this sort of playing house.
Without that man around, the game really was a lot less entertaining.
Just as Shen Ru was inwardly lamenting how dull the game was, he suddenly saw a strange figure stumble out of the black fog beyond the window.
His interest was immediately piqued. His brows lifted, and he even sat a little straighter, eagerly awaiting the shadowy figure's arrival.
He had expected to hear the system issue a side quest, but even after a long wait, there was no response.
Could this person not be an NPC?
Strolling out of that eerie black fog, completely unharmed?
Shen Ru immediately raised his guard, even preparing to use his Talent at any moment.
The figure had only been unsteady at first. Then they regained their balance and carefully straightened their clothes.
As the other person slowly approached, Shen Ru's breathing gradually slowed as well, ready to attack at any moment.
But then he got a clear look at the person's face.
How should he put it?
He had expected a monster with a crooked mouth and misaligned eyes.
Instead, this person was unexpectedly... normal?
Golden hair, an adorable baby face, and eyes that lit up at the sight of him, like an obedient, lovable Chihuahua.
Chihuahua was especially excited to see Shen Ru. Hastily pushing the door open, he charged ahead like a reckless hothead and shouted at the young man, "Sister-in-law! I finally found you!"
A rare crack appeared in Shen Ru's guarded expression.
Then the beauty laughed in sheer fury and said quietly, "Sister-in-law? Who's your brother?"
The soft final note of his voice settled heavily into the night, like a needle pricking the heart and sending a tingling numbness rippling through it.
In the livestream chat:
[????]
[You can't just call him that!!! God Mo already reserved the spot as your brother. There's a first-come, first-served rule for this stuff!!]
[Wait... isn't this Sheng Ziyao, the Dark Night Guild's third-in-command???]
[Now that you mention it, I almost didn't recognize him with his hair dyed!!!]
[Hold on, wouldn't that mean his brother is...]
[Holy shit, when did my wife hook up with Mo Yu behind my back???]
Before you continue