Chapter 243: Bus neighbor, back to reality!
When all the children at the kindergarten had been picked up, Qin Nuo and Liao Shen didn't linger there any longer.
The purpose of this trip was to familiarize themselves with and understand the issues of this second enterprise. After getting a general idea of the situation, the rest of the work could be left to Liao Shen to arrange.
The sky was a dull gray, with no sun or moon in sight, but as the surroundings gradually darkened, it was clear that day and night were exchanging places.
"Goodbye, come again when you have time. I'll make even better snacks for you!" Zhong Yi waved at the two figures departing into the distance from the doorway.
Seeing the figures disappear into the white mist, she lowered her hand and smiled, "The new principal is really nice and quite wealthy. Sister, we won't have to pay out of our own pockets anymore!"
Zhong Qing was cleaning up the trash at the entrance and said flatly, "If he's so great, why don't you go with him?"
Zhong Yi stuck out her tongue, "He is quite handsome, after all."
Zhong Qing shook her head helplessly.
...
In the white mist, Qin Nuo and Liao Shen walked out of the small street and returned to the bus stop, preparing to head back to the Red Moon Convenience Store. Liao Shen was still holding a small notebook, recording and calculating the expenses of the Sunshine Convenience Store, and said, "Boss, maybe we should add another person at the kindergarten."
"I don't think it's necessary. The two sisters are doing quite well. Adding another person might disrupt their relationship and be counterproductive," Qin Nuo replied.
Liao Shen nodded and turned his attention back to his notebook.
The bus arrived slowly. This time, it wasn't as terrifying as before. Although the environment on the bus was still eerie, at least there was nothing bloody.
Qin Nuo found a seat by the window and sat down. Liao Shen didn't seem inclined to sit, standing to the side.
"This seat shouldn't be too hot, right?" Qin Nuo asked.
Liao Shen replied calmly, "I'm just used to standing."
With that, Qin Nuo let him be, leaning back in the chair. Even though the bus was quite bumpy, he was probably too tired, and sleepiness crept in, making his eyelids grow heavy.
Half-awake and half-asleep, he heard some noise. When he woke up, he found a passenger sitting next to him, occupying the adjacent seat.
Qin Nuo's expression was a bit strange. With so many empty seats on the bus, why sit next to him?
Liao Shen, standing nearby, remained silent, his gaze calmly fixed on him.
This was a young man, his hair slicked back, his face sharply chiseled, looking very neat and handsome.
He wore a brand-new suit, with a briefcase neatly placed between his legs, embodying the image of a typical office worker.
Qin Nuo looked at him, his expression changing slightly, and with a smile, he said, "Sir, it seems you have something to discuss with me?"
The man in the suit turned his head to look at him, smiling slightly, "Hello, Mr. Phantom, perhaps we should get to know each other again."
"My name is Liquan, the former owner of the Other Shore Convenience Store."
As soon as he said this, a rather subtle ghost aura began to permeate the bus.
The other passengers on the bus glanced over, paused for a moment, then turned back as if they hadn't seen anything.
The ghost aura was emanating from Liao Shen, who was staring at the man in the suit with a hint of coldness in his eyes.
The atmosphere inside the bus gradually became oppressive, but Liquan's expression remained very composed.
Qin Nuo gestured to Liao Shen and said calmly to the man in the suit, "Liquan, I've seen your name on the enterprise property documents. I've heard a lot about you."
"Speaking of which, I should thank you. If it weren't for your support, my Red Moon store might have already closed down."
Qin Nuo had expected this person to come looking for him, but he hadn't anticipated it would be now, right on the bus.
Liquan's expression showed a subtle change, "Yes, I didn't expect to wake up to such a big surprise."
"However, Mr. Phantom, taking someone else's things without a word, isn't that a bit impolite?"
Qin Nuo chuckled, "Back then, when you were employing various strategies to annex my little shop, it wasn't exactly polite either, was it?"
"In the market, such competition is quite normal."
Liquan wiped the genuine leather of his briefcase, "In the real world, when an enterprise is annexed, you can only consider yourself unlucky."
"But here in the Horror World, without the constraints of law, any means are permissible."
"Mr. Phantom, some things aren't yours. It's best to weigh them carefully, or it could be more trouble than it's worth. I've seen too many examples of this around me."
Qin Nuo looked at him calmly, "Are you threatening me?"
Liao Shen suddenly spoke up, "Boss, whether he leaves this bus alive is up to you."
His deep gaze remained fixed on the man in the suit, the corpse spots on the back of his hand becoming more pronounced.
The man in the suit didn't look at Liao Shen, only smiled and said, "Is this gentleman your bodyguard?"
"My employee."
The man in the suit nodded in understanding, waving his hand with a smile, "Sir, don't be nervous. I'm just here to talk to your boss. I mean no harm, and certainly no violence."
"Although I don't know how you managed to take over my enterprise, it's indeed quite a skill."
Qin Nuo dug at his ear, "I don't like beating around the bush. I'm about to get off, so you'd better get to the point."
"We admire Mr. Phantom. The Other Shore Convenience Store is just one of our enterprises. Perhaps we could become allies rather than mortal enemies."
"Not interested." Qin Nuo had encountered countless people offering olive branches, and the "we" Liquan mentioned was likely a guild.
Liquan wasn't surprised by this response, "No need to rush your answer."
"I'm just here to deliver a message."
"Creating your own enterprise in the Horror World requires weathering many storms. One person can't support it alone. I hope you'll consider it seriously."
"If you still refuse, all I can say is, Mr. Phantom, we will meet again."
Just as he finished speaking, the bus arrived at the stop. Liquan stood up, completely unfazed by Liao Shen's aura, and got off the bus with composure.
"Boss, I can investigate for you."
"If necessary, I can remove such obstacles." Liao Shen seemed quite experienced in this area.
Qin Nuo glanced at him and didn't refuse, "Do as you see fit."
"But everything must be done with assurance."
Liao Shen nodded, "I understand."
...
After getting off the bus, it was already dark, and a light drizzle had started to fall.
Returning to the Red Moon Convenience Store, Li Tongtong and Yuan Shan were inside, huddled together eating.
When Qin Nuo and Liao Shen entered, the two quickly stood up, wiping the oil stains from the corners of their mouths, "Boss, Deputy Manager, you're back?"
Qin Nuo took off his already wet trench coat and said, "Continue eating, it's fine."
"I'll just sit for a while and then leave."
The employees were used to Qin Nuo's routine. He never stayed in the store for more than two days. They nodded and asked, "So when will you be back next time, Boss?"
"We'll see."
Qin Nuo gave some instructions and prepared to leave.
"The twin sisters at Sunshine Kindergarten can have their wages raised appropriately. After all, the workload of that enterprise is entirely handled by the two of them. We shouldn't shortchange them."
"I understand." Liao Shen nodded.
Qin Nuo patted Liao Shen on the shoulder, "Liao Shen, I'm counting on you for many things."
Liao Shen replied calmly, "I work according to my salary. If the workload increases, my salary should also be adjusted accordingly."
"Although your response is a bit hurtful, I agree and will allow it."
As Qin Nuo walked to the store entrance, Yuan Shan timely brought over an umbrella, smiling, "Boss, the rain hasn't stopped yet!"
Qin Nuo took the umbrella, nodded, and disappeared into the night with it.
Back at the bus stop, the light drizzle made the pervasive fog seem even more ethereal.
Sitting on the bench, Qin Nuo opened the system panel, clicked on the Red Moon Convenience Store enterprise, and then clicked on personal monthly income.
"Ding! Congratulations, Player Phantom, your enterprise is operating normally. This month's personal earnings have been credited to your personal account."
"The earnings amount to ghost currency: 75,555 points!"
Even though he was somewhat prepared, seeing this income, he couldn't help but take a deep breath.
"In the real world, I lived in poverty, even needing to ask that sister for living expenses, living quite miserably."
"But in the Horror World, I've finally experienced what it's like to be a tycoon, even if it's just a fictional world."
Qin Nuo's mood improved significantly. This month was just the initial stage of operation, and in the coming months, this figure would continue to grow.
He shouldn't have to worry about things that require money anymore.
"I just wonder what the cost of living is like in Yuan City?"
Qin Nuo muttered, closing the property earnings interface, retreating to the main page, and switching to the game interface, preparing to exit the Horror World.
"Finally going back, why does it feel like it's been over half a year? It's only been a little over half a month."
"I wonder how that cheap sister of mine is doing?"
Muttering to himself, Qin Nuo clicked to exit.
"Transporting player back to the real world!"
"Preparation for transport complete, welcome back to the Horror World next time!"
As the voice fell, a beam of light enveloped Qin Nuo's entire body, and he vanished from the bus stop...