13: Supermarket upgrade!

“I know where there’s more gold… If you let me go… I’ll take you to get it…”

Ling Zhaorui looked nervously at the indifferent Jiang Fei.

He had heard all the conversations from inside the cabinet.

This person was even more ruthless than the three fugitives, so he could only gamble with gold.

Noticing Ling Zhaorui’s work uniform and the employee badge pinned to his chest, which identified him as the manager of Wanfu Building, Jiang Fei cut his ropes, not worried that he would play any tricks.

His lips were cracked, and his face was pale and weak, clearly having been deprived of water and food for several days; he was no match for her.

Jiang Fei tossed a duffel bag to Ling Zhaorui: “Eat something.”

Ling Zhaorui didn’t bother to thank her, quickly tearing open a bag of bread and stuffing it into his mouth.

If Jiang Fei hadn’t reminded him in time, Ling Zhaorui would have even eaten the desiccant.

After eating three bags of bread and two sausages, Ling Zhaorui drank a bottle of water before he recovered: “I’m sorry, I was too hungry.”

“Those people are absolutely insane, they didn’t give me water or food, they just tied me up and threw me into the cabinet.”

Mentioning this, Ling Zhaorui wanted to cry: “I was unlucky too. The day the typhoon hit, I had already left work, but I forgot my charging cable and came back to get it, and I got trapped here.”

“To make matters worse, my phone service was cut off, so I couldn’t find anyone to rescue me, and I ran into the fugitives who broke in.”

“They were very happy at first, taking all the gold jewelry from the counter, planning to run away once the typhoon stopped. Later, they realized the heavy rain had come and they couldn’t get out at all, so they threw the gold to vent their anger, and scavenged all the snacks employees left behind, not giving me a single bite! They even stuffed my mouth with stinky socks!”

Having held it in for days, Ling Zhaorui finally had someone to talk to and continuously poured out his grievances.

Jiang Fei, unable to bear it any longer, interrupted him: “Where is the gold I want?”

The young girl’s brows showed impatience, and she tightened her grip on the knife in her hand.

It was as if if Ling Zhaorui dragged on for another second, she would chop him to death.

“Upstairs!” Ling Zhaorui quickly scrambled to his feet and led Jiang Fei the way.

The top floor of Wanfu Building was the boss’s office.

With the flashlight Jiang Fei held illuminating the way, Ling Zhaorui passed through the door smashed open by the fugitives and rummaged through a drawer for a key.

Immediately after, he pushed open a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, revealing a large safe nearly two meters tall.

Ling Zhaorui opened it with the key.

Countless velvet boxes were arranged inside the cabinet.

“These are all the most valuable ornaments in the store, exclusively for high-end clients. Besides me and the boss, no one knows where the key is.”

Saying that, Ling Zhaorui casually took out a box to display.

Inside was a lifelike small phoenix figurine.

At least 1000 grams.

The third area of the Supermarket is secured!

For the sake of the gold, Jiang Fei’s attitude towards Ling Zhaorui improved considerably: “There’s a rubber dinghy on the east side of the seventh floor, you can use it to leave.”

“All the food downstairs is yours.”

Being in a good mood, she didn’t mind giving some equipment.

Knowing how precious a rubber dinghy was now, Ling Zhaorui hesitated: “Then how will you leave?”

“I have my ways.”

Hearing this, Ling Zhaorui bowed to Jiang Fei: “Thank you.”

“My name is Ling Zhaorui. The next time we meet, I will definitely return the rubber dinghy to you.”

Ling Zhaorui finished speaking and walked downstairs, not at all afraid that the boss would trouble him.

The flood had already destroyed the city.

People were barely surviving; who would care where the gold went?

Only after confirming that Ling Zhaorui had left in the rubber dinghy did Jiang Fei put all the gold into the Supermarket.

System: [Ding—Detected gold: 19300 grams.]

[Ding—Congratulations, Host! You have successfully unlocked the third area. Food Category—Instant Food Area.]

[Successfully unlocked the fourth area. Food Category—Beverage Area.]

[Ding—All four areas (east, west, south, north) on the first floor of Gold Swallowing Supermarket have been unlocked, upgraded to Lv2. The default quantity for each item is 100, and missing items have been automatically replenished.]

[Hint: Each time the Supermarket upgrades, used items will be replenished for free.]

[Bonus reward: Lucky Turntable 3 times. Host, would you like to use it?]

Jiang Fei ignored the System and eagerly entered the Supermarket.

Not long ago, the cabbages she planted in the ground had already sprouted.

Excellent!

The land in the Supermarket really could grow vegetables!

Before she had fully processed the first surprise, Jiang Fei walked into the Supermarket and saw a large pile of convenience foods in the south section of the third area.

Instant noodles in cups and bags, mixed noodles, ramen, rice vermicelli, hot and sour noodles, luosifen, potato noodles, self-heating rice, self-heating hotpot, sweet potato noodles, instant porridge, instant soup, etc., with every flavor imaginable.

And the north section of the fourth area was filled with red wine, beer, white wine, yellow wine, fruit wine, sparkling wine, whiskey, brandy, tequila, Rémy Martin, and other domestic and international, low-alcohol and high-alcohol beverages, and there was even an entire shelf of moutai.

In extremely cold weather, a small amount of alcohol can warm the body and also help start a fire.

She hit the jackpot this time!

Noticing that the white mist on the stairs had dissipated, Jiang Fei walked up and took a look.

Because she hadn’t unlocked the area, she was blocked by an invisible barrier at the entrance to the second floor.

White mist obscured everything.

Yet, Jiang Fei couldn’t hide her excitement.

If Gold Swallowing Supermarket was modeled after large Supermarkets in the real world, then she wouldn’t have to worry about supplies for the rest of her life.

“System, how much gold is needed to unlock the first area on the second floor?”

She was full of drive now!

System: [16000 grams of gold.]

[Current unlock progress for the first area on the second floor: 25%]

[Currently owned gold: 4000 grams.]

Jiang Fei: “…”

Never mind.

The amount of gold required doubled each time an area of the Supermarket was unlocked.

She dared not imagine how many mountains of gold it would take to reach the top floor.

She hoped she could see it in her lifetime.

Jiang Fei sighed and chose to use the “Lucky Turntable.”

System: [Ding—Congratulations, Host! Your luck is excellent! You have received “Thank you for your patronage!”]

[Ding—Host’s luck is overflowing! You have received “Thank you for your patronage!” again!]

[Ding—Host, please don’t be disheartened, you have received “Couple.”]

Jiang Fei: “?”

What the hell is “Couple”??

Was the System going to make a living person appear for her???

The eerie music of the turntable ended, and a familiar-looking badge appeared in Jiang Fei’s hand.

It had a duck wearing a red cloth strip on its head, with a serious expression, and it read—

“Effort Duck”

[Hint: “Go-Go Duck” is the male baby, “Effort Duck” is the female baby. They are a happy and sweet pair of ducks~]

Jiang Fei: “...Get out of here, you duck!”

I’ll kill you sooner or later!

Jiang Fei exited Gold Swallowing Supermarket and looked around the office.

Vases, carpets, sofas, ornaments, books, pens, tables, chairs, and benches... everything usable was put into the Supermarket warehouse, embodying the principle of taking everything possible.

Reluctant to leave behind the gold thrown away by the fugitives, Jiang Fei returned to the seventh floor, changed into diving gear, and jumped back into the water.

It took one bottle of oxygen to retrieve 2 kilograms of gold.

Two consecutive dives to search had severely exhausted her physical strength.

Jiang Fei had no choice but to climb ashore.

She really wanted to kill those three fugitives again.

Why did they throw away innocent and lovely gold?!!!

Jiang Fei gloomily took out the assault boat and returned to the department store.

Jumping onto the fifth-floor platform, Jiang Fei put away the assault boat, took out a few items to make it look like she had been scavenging, and walked back.

Xiao Chuxia sat alone in the rubber dinghy.

Lu Yu had not returned yet.

“Miss!”

Seeing Jiang Fei, Xiao Chuxia excitedly ran from the rubber dinghy to the shore, carrying a bulging backpack in her hand:

“I found a lot of food on the fifth floor, including instant noodles, compressed biscuits, bread, and canned fruit, all clean!”

As Jiang Fei expected, Xiao Hua Lao had successfully picked up the supplies she left behind.

Xiao Chuxia suddenly became mysterious: “Miss, put out your hand, I’ll give you something good.”

Jiang Fei, puzzled, complied.

Two packs of sanitary napkins were placed in her hand.

“I found a total of four packs, all for nighttime use, and none of them got wet! Isn’t it as exciting as winning the lottery?!”

Jiang Fei: “...Mhm.”

“You keep them for yourself, I have a stash at home.”

Xiao Chuxia didn’t refuse and put the sanitary napkins back into her backpack: “I also found a bag of White Rabbit milk candies, Miss, do you want some?”

Just then, a beam of light shone over.

“Big Brother! Someone’s here!”