I Play the Horror World as a Simulation Game

"Ding-dong."

The bus wheezed to a stop, without any voice announcements. Inside the battered vehicle, all the equipment was naturally out of order; it was a miracle it could still run.

Fortunately, Nanding Road wasn't far, just three stops away.

Liao Shen, familiar with the route, reminded them before getting off the bus.

Watching the hearse-like bus disappear into the distance, Qin Nuo withdrew his gaze and focused on the intersection ahead.

There was a small street inside, looking quite desolate, with barely any ghostly figures around.

Most were abandoned buildings and closed shops, with only a few still open.

Liao Shen, carrying a black briefcase, walked ahead: "Boss, let's go, this is Nanding Road."

"Not quite what I imagined," Qin Nuo murmured, following behind and looking around.

With such a remote environment and sparse foot traffic, could his kindergarten really do well here? Heading down the small street to the very end, a leisure park sat by a small river, where a few elderly people played chess, and others engaged in peculiar exercises.

"Number 44, this is it."

Liao Shen looked up at the house number in front of them.

Qin Nuo's gaze shifted to the kindergarten in front of him. The sign looked very old, with the graffiti of blue skies and sun severely faded.

Behind the iron gate, there was a children's play area fenced with plastic, with slides and rocking horses severely faded, showing white edges, left for who knows how many years.

"Boss, this doesn't seem like a hot commodity," Liao Shen said, touching the rusty iron fence and looking at Qin Nuo.

Qin Nuo felt a bit helpless too.

Disappointing.

It was indeed very different from what he had imagined.

The Red Moon Convenience Store had been in a similar situation back then, with business plummeting, the decor severely outdated, and on the verge of closing.

Reviving it had cost him a lot of effort.

Why did the properties rewarded by the System always feel like unwanted leftovers?

A mess that couldn't be shaken off, thrown to him, the sucker?

"Let's go inside and take a look; maybe it's just the exterior."

Qin Nuo pushed open the iron gate and followed Liao Shen inside. The open space was empty, with simple equipment covered in dust and cobwebs, as if untouched for a long time.

Inside the classroom, the chairs were arranged crookedly, with children's books and study materials left behind, but no sign of the kids.

The fan on the ceiling creaked as it turned, making a clear sound, as if it might fall at any moment.

Alright, it was even worse inside.

The fan blades turned slower and slower, eventually stopping, clearly just turned off by someone.

"It needs renovation, or the safety hazards will only increase," Liao Shen said, touching a cracked wall, the crack extending to the ceiling.

He seemed to have a professional habit, like a leader on a surprise inspection, starting to check everywhere.

Qin Nuo noticed a corridor and intended to walk inside when a voice suddenly sounded behind him.

"Which child's parent are you?"

Qin Nuo turned his head to see a girl with a ponytail, about twenty-something, standing there with light makeup on her face, looking at him coldly.

Her gaze felt familiar to Qin Nuo.

Somewhat similar to Zhang Ya, whom he had seen at Saint Yasi Asylum.

"I'm not a parent."

Qin Nuo looked at the girl, confirming her identity as his employee, a teacher at Sunshine Kindergarten.

The Information Panel showed that Sunshine Kindergarten had two employees, one named Zhong Qing and the other Zhong Yi.

"A thief? There's nothing worth stealing here."

"Or are you planning to steal a child?"

Zhong Qing held a craft knife in her hand, the blade reflecting light onto Qin Nuo's face.

Qin Nuo stepped back two steps, with a slight smile: "Sunshine Kindergarten has a new principal, and that's me."

Zhong Qing blinked and asked, "Name."

"Phantom."

Only then did Zhong Qing put away the craft knife, nodding and organizing student files at the counter.

Qin Nuo felt a bit awkward, thinking to himself that as the boss, couldn't the attitude be a bit more amicable? It felt like he owed a huge debt.

"It seems the kindergarten's situation is quite bad. Aren't you going to talk to me about it? And where's the other employee?"

As Qin Nuo spoke, he fiddled with the clay on the table, and after a few attempts, completely ruined the sculpted piece.

Seeing it couldn't be restored, Qin Nuo simply tossed the clay under the table, pretending not to see it.

"What is there to talk about? Talk about how the last boss owed us three months' salary?" Zhong Qing asked.

Qin Nuo was speechless.

Damn it!

Another case of unpaid wages, System, could you be more humane? Is this really a reward?

"Of course, I'll resolve all these issues."

"After all, I'm the principal, right?" Qin Nuo said, sounding a bit weak.

Over there, Liao Shen returned, holding a notebook, and said to Qin Nuo, "I've noted down the kindergarten's issues, but the renovation will cost a lot. In my opinion, abandoning it is the best option."

Zhong Qing's eyes turned cold, glancing at Liao Shen: "Old man, you seem to like meddling in others' business?"

"You're a teacher; can you really teach children well with that temper? I bet the complaint box is full of friendly letters from parents." Liao Shen looked at Zhong Qing with a faint smile, yet it was very cold.

"There are no complaint letters from parents, but I think your family might receive a death notice." Zhong Qing used the craft knife in her hand to cut open a piece of paper, appearing very sharp.

"Heh, little girl..."

Liao Shen began to speak with a smile, but Qin Nuo interrupted him: "Liao Shen, we're all colleagues here, peace brings wealth."

At this moment, there was a commotion from the corridor.

"Sister, it's almost time for the kids' nap to end; we should prepare the afternoon snacks."

The curtain in the corridor lifted, and a girl with twin ponytails walked out, looking identical to Zhong Qing, except with twin ponytails and a face less cold, with more smiles.

"Why are there guests? Are they the parents of that child?"

Zhong Qing brought over a plate of fruit, saying two words indifferently: "The principal."

Zhong Yi's eyes lit up, and she quickly approached to greet Liao Shen: "Principal Grandpa, we've been waiting for you. If you didn't come, I thought we might have to close down. I can't bear to part with so many adorable kids!"

Qin Nuo coughed awkwardly twice: "Um, I'm the principal."

Zhong Yi blinked, surprised: "You look younger than me."

"Young and capable, you know," Qin Nuo didn't bother with modesty.

"So, can the young and capable principal pay us our wages? We've spent all our money on the kids, and my sister loves makeup but can't afford it now," Zhong Yi pleaded.

"Of course, I'll reimburse the wages owed by the previous principal, and an additional ten percent as compensation."

Qin Nuo glanced at Liao Shen: "Liao Shen, report this to finance later."

Liao Shen paused, said nothing, and nodded: "Understood."

"Any other issues or expenses that need reimbursement, just let me know. I'm here to solve problems."

With the Red Moon Convenience Store as a solid financial backing, these issues didn't seem as daunting anymore; it all boiled down to money.

But these actions and lines made him seem like a benevolent nouveau riche.

Zhong Yi, hearing this, jumped up happily and hugged Qin Nuo, showing no reservation, with a hint of naive sweetness.

Zhong Qing, seeing this, frowned slightly and said, "There's only ten minutes left until nap time is over; are you still going to waste time?"

Zhong Yi stuck out her tongue and ran over to help.

Although they were twins, their personalities were completely opposite, reminiscent of a good-and-evil dream.

The sisters were quite skilled, making distinctive snacks for afternoon tea, with cute designs that appealed to the children's tastes, even the afternoon tea exuded a cute vibe.

Soon, plates of snacks and afternoon tea were placed on the table.

At this moment, a nursery rhyme played in the classroom.

Qin Nuo gestured to Liao Shen, sitting in a corner.

Zhong Yi brought over a plate of fruit and snacks, smiling at Qin Nuo and Liao Shen: "This is all we can offer you; the snacks are a bit sweet. Do you like sweets?"

Saying this, she took off her apron and ran into the corridor.

Liao Shen picked up a piece of sweet and put it in his mouth, chewing a few times, and said, "This girl is quite likable."

Then he glanced at the still-busy Zhong Qing: "That one, not so much."

"It's always like this; one has to play the bad cop, the other the good cop. Leaning too much to one side would cause chaos managing so many kids."

Qin Nuo said, picking up a piece of snack and putting it in his mouth, finding it indeed too sweet, he forced it down and lost interest.

Soon, Zhong Yi brought the children out.

A group of little ones, over thirty, woken from their nap, many with grumpy faces, some grumbling at Zhong Yi, others showing their grumpiness.

Zhong Yi patiently soothed them to sit down, while Zhong Qing came out with a fruit plate, her face as cold as frost: "You have two minutes to shake off your grumpiness and sit in your seats."

The kids were clearly afraid of Zhong Qing, and the loudest ones immediately shut their mouths and obediently returned to their seats.

The sisters brought up snacks and fruit, one for each, clearly a big task, but they were used to it.

In the kindergarten, not only teaching the kids, but almost all the workload was taken on by the sisters.

This indirectly showed Qin Nuo that they truly loved their work; otherwise, they wouldn't have supported the kindergarten out of their own pockets during the three months of unpaid wages and the dire situation of almost closing.

Perhaps this was passion, not something money could measure.

"If these kids complained to their parents, the complaint box would be full," Liao Shen said.

"But I've seen the complaint box, and it's empty," Qin Nuo laughed.

"Sunshine Kindergarten's environment might be poor, possibly unprofitable, even losing money, but the atmosphere is great."

"I really like this atmosphere; the two girls haven't given up, so why would I?"

Liao Shen looked at Qin Nuo's expression and simply said, "I know what to do."

With the Red Moon Convenience Store now highly profitable, the small loss from Sunshine Kindergarten was insignificant.

After the kids finished their afternoon snacks and fruit, the sisters implemented their planned courses.

The environment might be poor, even a bit shabby, but the sound of reading was loud and full of energy.

Qin Nuo and Liao Shen sat there for a long time.

Looking at the clock, it was nearing five in the afternoon.

Outside the gate, shadows were moving, likely the kids' parents.

The school bell was still a nursery rhyme, which Qin Nuo found familiar, but couldn't recall where he had heard it.

The parents came in to pick up their kids.

The children waved goodbye to the sisters and left one by one.

"How are the teachers treating you?" a pale-faced parent asked.

The child, still with a runny nose, looked chubby and cheerful, said, "Teacher Zhong Yi is very nice to us! I like her the most!"

"And the other one?"

The child paused, glanced at the busy Zhong Qing.

Zhong Qing, holding a fruit knife, merely glanced at him.

The child's face stiffened, then turned to his mom with a smile: "Teacher Zhong Qing is also very nice, I like Teacher Zhong Qing the most!"

In the corner, Qin Nuo watched this scene, unable to help but sweat: "I finally understand why the complaint box is empty..."