The storefront was completely different.
It had expanded more than twice its old size.
Not quite three times bigger, but definitely more than double.
The shelves holding the products were longer now, stretching neatly across the walls.
Even more empty shelves had been installed, waiting to be filled.
It made the place look like a real store now, not just a cozy corner shop.
’Damn… when did we get this legit?’
The old table and chairs that used to sit along the wall and window had changed too.
The wall itself had been stretched out, making the whole area longer and wider.
’Whoa… this really isn’t the small store I started with anymore’
It had never been tiny before, but compared to now, it really felt like a whole new world.
The original corner seating was still there, but now extra chairs had been added neatly along the wall.
It could now fit more customers who preferred sitting alone or in pairs.
’Solo squad gonna love this.’
The changes became even more obvious near the sitting corner.
Now, there were four warm medium oak tables placed a short distance away from the wall.
Each table had four wooden modern bistro chairs, the kind you would find in a quiet coffee shop.
Their colors were a soft mix of light oak, ash, and birch, blending nicely with the tables.
There were no chairs on the sides, only one at the front and one at the back of each table.
It made sitting down and getting up easy without squeezing past others.
Near the wall, a small stack of extra chairs had been prepared too.
If needed, customers could quickly add more seats and expand their group.
Maybe even fit six people at one table if they really wanted.
The whole sitting area appeared much more open now.
Breathable, welcoming and ready for more customers.
’Man… we’re leveling up fast.’ Hao laughed.
He walked further into the store.
Almost right away, he noticed something new.
There wasn’t just one water dispenser anymore.
Now, there were two!
Both were placed side by side, ready for use.
This was extremely good.
If multiple customers came in wanting noodles, there would be two lines for hot water, speeding up the process.
It rarely got busy, but when it did, a single dispenser could cause delays while customers waited to fill their cups.
This addition was definitely for the better, just in case.
With two water dispenser machine, there was less waiting time – and that would make things smoother when the store was packed.
Less chaos, more efficiency.
’This will definitely make things faster,’ Hao thought, satisfied with the improvement.
But what caught his eye next made him broke into huge smile.
In the far corner of the room, where it had been empty before, a single machine now stood proudly.
It looked clean and slightly futuristic, with a simple design.
A soft, glowing text on it read: “Vanilla”, with a small swirling logo floating above it.
Hao squinted.
It didn’t take a genius to guess this was for soft-serve ice cream.
Below the text, the machine had a sleek nozzle.
Right beside it, there was another machine – much smaller, like the size of a toaster.
There was a small opening, just big enough to fit a hand inside.
Hao tilted his head, confused.
’What’s this for?’
He walked closer and poked the side of the smaller machine.
’System, what machine is this?’
[That’s the cone dispenser, host . You have to insert one token into the slot just above the opening.]
[Tokens can be found in the drawer under the front counter. After inserting the token, just place your hand into the opening.]
[The machine will automatically place a waffle cone into your hand. Only once a cone is detected will the ice cream machine serve the correct amount of soft-serve.]
Hao blinked.
Then he chuckled.
That’s so damn practical.
No chance of customers fumbling around, trying to figure out how much ice cream to pour.
No one would accidentally break the machine by twisting the lever too hard.
He and Mo Xixi wouldn’t even have to babysit the machine during busy hours.
Plus, by needing a token first, random freeloaders couldn’t just sneak free ice cream without paying.
Hao gave the small cone machine an approving slap.
’As always… the store’s thinking about everything.’
Hao looked back at the counter to check for the tokens.
His eyes caught something, a small screen on the wall.
It displayed a perfect swirl of Soft Serve Vanilla Ice Cream in a cone.
The text below read: “Perfect for the heat! Vanilla Soft Serve – 2 Crystals.”
“Cheap.” Hao muttered, surprised by the low cost.
It was more affordable compared to other new items.
His eyes narrowed. How had he missed this?
His senses should have been sharper by now.
Then again, there was so much going on with the store’s new upgrades.
It had been an exciting day, after all.
’Guess that’s why I missed it.’
Hao walked over to the counter, where a drawer sat quietly.
A small sign read: “Token required for Soft Serve Ice Cream.”
Hao opened the drawer.
Inside was a small, hexagonal token.
It was silver, polished and clean.
An engraving of an ice cream cone was in the center.
Fine lines ran around the edges, giving it a coin-like look.
On the reverse side were tiny markings: “DCS.”
Hao stared at it, a faint smile forming.
It reminded him of something from his childhood.
He had been to arcades back then.
Tokens were used for everything.
Exchanging them to play games or grab prizes.
It had always felt like a small ritual.
Hao picked up the token, examining it in his hand.
’I shouldn’t do this… but let’s see.’
With a smirk, Hao gathered all the force in his arm.
He squeezed the token with all his might, trying to bend it.
Nothing.
Not even a dent.
The token didn’t budge.
He tried again, putting even more strength into it.
Still nothing.
His strength should be enough to crush a boulder.
’Alright. Might as well try everything.’