Her job might not be traditional, but it was mattered.
And if mastering dozens of bizarre, curse-laced techniques meant Mo Xixi was equipped to face all kinds of nonsense, then so be it.
She’d devote herself fully, reading every single page on this bed – no matter how dry, confusing, or moldy they were.
The morning arrived quickly, and Hao was up early again, feeling excited about what today would bring.
He moved through the store, whistling as he restocked the shelves.
As he reached for a bag of Original Salted Potato Chips, a thought struck him. He paused, turned slightly, and raised an eyebrow.
“System,” Hao said, holding the chips up, “can these be shared with others?”
[Yes, Host. The Original Salted Potato Chips can be shared – but only under a specific condition.]
[The item may be shared between you and a creature or being that has a contract with you. Not just any contract, though. It must be a legitimate bond, built on trust, loyalty, and mutual consent.]
[Slave contracts or forced bonds don’t qualify. Only genuine partnerships will allow the product’s effects to transfer.]
’So this is about that girl from yesterday, right? Yushou Ya’er. She shared it with her lizard beast.’
[Correct. Her companion was a contracted mixed beast, bonded by choice and loyalty. That allowed them to share the product. Of course, the one who consumes more of the chips will always gain the greater portion of the effect. No getting around that.]
’Yeah, but what if someone starts getting clever. Trying to bend the rules and get more than they should?’
’You know – makes a bunch of fake contracts or tries some shady workaround to hoard more goods and split them up for personal gain?’
[If any such exploitation is detected, such as falsified contracts or attempts to abuse sharing mechanics, the result will be immediate, host.]
[The products will be confiscated. The offender will not benefit from the effects. And most importantly, they will be automatically blacklisted from the Dimensional Convenience Store.]
[We don’t tolerate greedy loophole hunters, host.]
’Hmm… That’s fair enough.’
If the system was the one managing everything behind the scenes, then he didn’t need to worry too much.
It was strict, precise, and way too smug to let people get away with cheating. That was… oddly assuring.
’What about the other products? Do we have any more in the store that work like that?’
[Currently, the Original Salted Potato Chips are the only item in the inventory that can be shared under a contract, host.]
[However, you and all employees are exempt from this restriction, host. Any product can be freely shared among them.]
[For example, if Kurome shares her instant noodles with her kittens, the effects will still apply to them. This is one of the exclusive privileges granted to the employees of Dimensional Convenience Store.]
This cleared out all of Hao’s lingering thoughts. With that, he returned to tidying up the store.
Everything was ready for business once more.
As soon as Hao flipped the wooden plaque on the door to “Open” and turned around –
Someone immediately brushed past his shoulder and walked inside.
’Already?’ Hao blinked, glancing back in surprise.
It was the same old man from yesterday, face lit up like he’d just struck gold.
Old Tiger Zhao.
The old man sauntered in with a grin, looking unusually proud of himself.
And maybe he was.
Because what Hao didn’t know was that Old Tiger Zhao had been out there since before the sky even began to brighten.
He’d spent over an hour in front of the store – grumbling, pacing, and attempting every method short of demolition to open the door.
Push.
Pull.
Qi-enhanced grip.
And at one point, a very annoyed shoulder slam.
As a lifelong body cultivator, Old Tiger Zhao knew his capabilities.
He knew the force behind his knuckles, the tension in his joints, the precise strength of his spine when he straightened his back.
He also knew this: that ordinary wood should’ve cracked like a biscuit the moment he touched it.
But this door?
It didn’t even creak.
He even gave it a light flick with his finger out of frustration – just enough to split a boulder under normal circumstances.
It didn’t move. Not even a rattle.
It was downright insulting.
To make things worse, a few early passersby from Scorching Soul City kept glancing his way.
One poor fellow clutching his stomach made a U-turn mid-step, nearly falling backwards off his squat because of the heavy pressure Zhao was unconsciously releasing.
The ones who just wanted to answer nature’s call in peace suddenly found themselves facing a mysterious old man snarling at a wooden door like it had wronged his ancestors.
Well, none of that mattered anymore.
He was inside.
And he wasn’t here to talk.
Old Tiger Zhao made a beeline past Hao – completely ignoring the counter – and went straight to the ice cream machine.
Then he dropped to his knees.
Palms pressed together. Spine straight. Eyes solemn.
As if a divine altar stood before him.
Hao, halfway through the glass shelves, stared in stunned silence.
Old Tiger Zhao exhaled reverently. “Ah… my sacred, creamy blessing… we meet again.”
He clutched his chest. “That cone yesterday? That wasn’t just a snack.”
“That was heavenly encounter.”
He pointed a thumb at himself. “This old body’s been through more than a thousand battles, but never once has it felt this soothed.”
“You hear me, kid? Not pills, not herbs, not even that expensive scam immortal jelly stuff. Just this. One ice cream.”
He chuckled with pride.
“I’m telling you, kid. This thing unlocked a new meridian in my heart.”
“…” Hao’s face twitched.
Wait. Was he talking to me now? I thought he was offering a heartfelt prayer to the ice cream machine…
Don’t drag me into your crazy ice cream worship, old man. I’m just here to sell products, not officiate your holy dairy rituals.
Suddenly, Old Tiger Zhao stood tall once more. He walked over to the machine with respect in his eyes and gently patted it, like greeting an old war buddy who’d seen him through countless hardships
“I’ve returned, old friend.”
Hao gave Old Tiger Zhao the side-eye of disbelief.
What do you mean, old friend?
Bro, this is your second time here. You entered the store for the first time yesterday.
You’re acting like you two crossed the starry abyss together for a hundred thousand years.
What’s next? You gonna ask it to marry you?
Old Tiger Zhao just kept smiling.
Hao exhaled slowly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. ’Is it the heat?’
Does the temperature in Scorching Soul City cook people’s brains just enough to make them… like this?
Hao knew the products of Dimensional Convenience Store were good.
Extremely good!
But wasn’t this a little much?
