"What is it?" Lu Yao was very curious.
Du Qingmei saw some fruit on the low table, so she stood up with Pengci in her arms and knelt down beside the low table. "Can I have some?"
When someone came, Lu Yao was no longer in a hurry and turned to the kitchen, "I've already eaten that. Wait a minute, I'll cut another plate."
A clean tissue box and a knob-shaped cutlery box are placed next to the coffee table to isolate cat hair.
Du Qingmei shook her head indifferently, took out a silver fruit fork from the cutlery box, and directly picked up a piece of honeydew melon. The chilled honeydew melon was crisp, sweet, juicy, and rich in fruity aroma.
After she finished one piece, she forked two or three more pieces and stuffed them into her mouth. "Lu Yao, don't cut it. This is delicious."
Lu Yao brought a glass of rose lychee sparkling water with ice and sat down opposite her. "Have a drink of water then. The employees in my store make their own rose lychee sauce, which is very delicious."
It was midsummer, when the fruits on the continent of Alexandria were at their best and cheapest, so she bought a lot and sent them to the snack bar.
Qi Chen, Quan Shengju and Mo Cheng each made some jam. The flavors were different, but they all tasted good.
Some were left in the coffee shop on the second floor to make drinks, Lu Yao took some to the nail salon and gave them to the alien clerks, and he packaged some and put them in the Impermanence World to make blind boxes.
There was still a lot left, so she took a few cans to the furry shop to entertain customers.
Du Qingmei took it, the fruity aroma of lychee mixed with the floral scent of rose, combined with the fresh fragrance of perfumed lemon, and added some ice to chill.
This bite is absolutely amazing!
She gulped down half the cup and looked at Lu Yao: "It's delicious!"
The window next to the low table was not closed, and hot wind blew in. Du Qingmei was stunned and immediately leaned over the window.
"Oh my god, this is... is it like the shore?"
The scenes inside and outside the window are completely different. On one side is the deep blue sea, and on the other side are lush green mountains. It is enough to shock people so much that they cannot recover.
Du Qingmei wanted to reach out the window, but was blocked by a soft film. She turned around and looked at Lu Yao: "What's wrong with your store? How come it's in the sea, and the scenery outside the window is on the shore?"
Erxin jumped onto the low table with a thump, trying to grab the fruit plate on the table. Lu Yao reached out and hugged her in his arms, saying seriously, "Tell me what happened to those fish first."
Du Qingmei turned to look at the strange array of fish outside the store, "I was there when I woke up, so I guess they were the same as me."
Lu Yao: "You mean they might all be human?"
But the condition of those fish was completely different from Du Qingmei's. They were lying on their stomachs and looked listless.
Du Qingmei stroked the fish one by one, "I woke up and found myself at the bottom, with a white shark lying on its belly next to me. I was almost scared to death. Later I found that they didn't like to move, neither hunting nor moving. The fish nearby basically wouldn't actively approach there, and if they accidentally swam to the edge, they would be frightened and hide away. I guess the fish may have sensed that those fish that look similar to them but are lazy are not of the same species."
"But you are completely different from them," Lu Yao said.
Her words and actions were very cheerful, not at all like those fish that were suspected of being autistic.
Du Qingmei smiled and shook her head. "I don't know how I ended up here. I've been trying to find a way to go back. I need to go back to work, and there are still many things I haven't done. But there's no way out. We're trapped in this sea. Maybe I've been here for a short time, and if I can't find a way to go back, I'll probably end up like them."
Drowning in the sea.
Lu Yao recalled the clue that those who turned into fish were about to drown in the sea.
"Do you think it's possible for them to come to the Furry Shop to play?" Lu Yao looked at the "mermaids" in the distance who were the only possible guests of the Furry Shop.
Du Qingmei lay comfortably on the table, teasing the cat up and down with a thin feather cat toy.
Two small bells were tied to the tail of the feather, and as the rope was pulled up and down, a series of tiny bell sounds were produced.
Even Tianka and Dai Jiaotai were attracted, and their heads moved left and right following Du Qingmei's movements.
"I tried to say hello, but they didn't respond at all, like stones," said Du Qingmei.
Lu Yao thought about how to attract the attention of those autistic fish and turned back to the kitchen.
The sea fish that Du Qingmei brought cannot be left there forever. If it is dead, it will not be fresh anymore. It is best to process it first.
If the customers here bring seafood to the store to pet cats, Lu Yao wants to expand the kitchen to build a large fish tank to raise these fish.
Some of it is then supplied to snack bars to add seafood to nighttime meals.
Blind box shops can also try making blind boxes of seafood ingredients, which should be popular with customers. They can also send some to nail salons for the staff to try.
With the Furry Shop, she will probably be able to achieve seafood freedom.
System: [Shopkeeper, if you want to eat these fish, you'd better handle them carefully.]
Lu Yao's heart skipped a beat: "What's wrong with these fish?"
System: [It has been detected that this sea area is seriously polluted and is now called the Garbage Sea. Most deep-sea fish have accidentally eaten plastic and industrial waste containing chemicals, so it is not very safe to eat.]
Lu Yao: “…”
The dream of "seafood freedom" was shattered in an instant.
Lu Yao stood there angrily for a while, but still unwilling to give up, he took out a sea bream from the pond and drew a magic circle.
This was the magic circle that she had originally intended to use to obtain the compass fragments. The magic power was injected into the fish body along with the formation, and after a while, black mucus oozed out of the fish body.
Afterwards, the system tested the processed sea bream and was somewhat surprised: [Clean. Non-toxic and parasite-free, completely edible.]
Lu Yao took a bucket of sea water, filtered out the toxic substances in the sea water in the same way, threw the processed sea bream in, and looked at his hands: "This world seems to be a high magic world. Using magic circles continuously, there is no sense of difficulty like in the impermanence world."
System: [The ocean is full of energy, just like the earth.]
Lu Yao squatted beside the bucket and watched the fish.
I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but these fish seem to have become more energetic than before, and their scales look more beautiful.
Erxin came in from outside, meowing as he moved closer, and discovered the fish in the bucket.
With a special work badge, the furry clerk can also enter the different space.
Erxin squatted beside the bucket, staring at the swimming fish intently, waiting for the right opportunity to pounce.
Lu Yao stood up and pointed to a small area in the corner of the refrigerator. "I want to build a large fish tank here to raise processed marine fish. When I have enough, I can send them to snack bars and blind box stores."
System: [Shopkeeper, there is a new notification. ]
Lu Yao: “What?”
System: [It is detected that the store owner's popularity is not enough to support the operation of the new store, so a popularity support plan is launched - completing the support tasks can be exchanged for additional popularity. ]
Lu Yao: "What mission? Can you give it up voluntarily?"
System: [The support plan will be automatically activated when the store owner's popularity is insufficient, and the task type will be automatically generated according to the current world situation. The store owner can choose to give up. However, due to insufficient popularity, all upgrades and expansions of the store will be postponed indefinitely. This fish tank expansion requires at least 200,000 popularity points. Due to insufficient popularity, it cannot be achieved.]
Lu Yao: "…What is the mission?"
[The popularity support plan has been launched. The tasks are as follows: Pick up marine garbage to exchange for popularity points. Each gram of garbage can be exchanged for 1 point of popularity. ]
Lu Yao was a little surprised. The mission was more reasonable than expected, but also very challenging: "... You want me to dive into the sea?"
System: [Yes.]
Lu Yao turned his head and looked at the door. Outside the transparent membrane was an unfathomable ocean. He was silent for a while: "What should I do? How can I ensure my safety?"
The system thought that the store owner would definitely refuse first, and then refute it to the point where he had nothing to say.
Judging from her tone at this moment, she seemed to have decided to take on the task.
[Special props have been distributed to the warehouse to ensure the safety of the store owner. Once the marine garbage is picked up, it will be automatically converted into points. ]
The ultimate mission of the blind box store left a deep impression on Lu Yao, and she made decisions faster and more decisively than before.
There is no point in worrying about tasks that cannot be avoided. The most important thing is to take action.
There is now a diving suit and a portable garbage disposal in the portable warehouse.
Lu Yao went to the bathroom to change clothes. He was wearing a thin black diving suit that was almost imperceptible.
"Is this dress really safe?" She gently pulled the fabric that was against her skin, a little skeptical.
System: [The diving suit is made of special materials. When you put it on, your senses become as sharp as those of deep-sea fish, and your body functions become similar to those of fish. You can breathe freely and swim faster. In times of crisis, you can also turn on a special stealth mode to avoid top predators.]
Lu Yao: “…I’m always a little worried.”
System: [… Everything is bound to the owner because of his wish. If something happens to the owner, everything will lose its meaning. How could it put you in danger? You are always suspicious, and everything is very sad.]
I have learned a lot of sales skills on the Internet recently and can't wait to start applying them.
Lu Yao didn't want to expose its thoughts, so he put the garbage disposal on his back and said, "...Okay, let's go."
"Now?" The system thought she just wanted to try on the diving suit, but it didn't expect that she would complete the task immediately.
Lu Yao sent a message to Ji Feiming, asking him to come over to look after the store.
The fruit plate on the table was half eaten, the rose and lychee sparkling water had been finished, and Du Qingmei curled up under the coffee table and fell asleep.
The scammer's head was resting against her cheek, and the man and the cat were sleeping soundly.
Ji Feiming took the temporary worker badge outside the store, and when he entered the store and saw Du Qingmei, he was quite surprised.
Are there guests arriving so soon
Are there really humans living in the deep sea, or are these actually mermaids
Lu Yao noticed his fleeting expression and without explanation, ordered: "Look after Erxin and her son and the guests. I'm going to go out for a while and will be back soon."
Du Qingmei was very alert and sat up immediately after hearing the voice: "You want to go out? Where to?"
Lu Yao opened the shop door and the salty and fishy steam hit him in the face.
She turned her head and said as a matter of course: "In the sea."
Ji Feiming turned around in shock. Why did he suddenly want to dive into the sea
This decision was too hasty.
The sea looks deep and calm, but it is a completely unfamiliar area, full of dangers that humans are unable to detect.
"This is too dangerous." Ji Feiming persuaded with difficulty.
During the time they worked together, he got to know the owner.
She probably won't listen.
really-
"Are you going to check out the fish over there?" Du Qingmei was also surprised. She couldn't think of anything that could make Lu Yao so courageous.
Lu Yao glanced at the strange school of fish that seemed to be drowning in the sea not far away and shook his head: "I mainly want to go out and pick up trash. If I swim over there, I can take a look."
Du Qingmei looked at her for a while and said, "Let's go. I'll go with you."
Lu Yao: "Don't want to continue petting the cat?"
Du Qingmei shook her head: "You can pet a cat anytime. You are not familiar with this place, so I will show you the way. There is indeed a lot of garbage in this sea area, especially in that direction. The opposite side is simply a mountain of garbage."
She was pointing in the direction where the autistic fish were hovering.
It is indeed better to have more people. Lu Yao nodded and said, "Thank you."
[Successfully received a guest, the initial task is completed. Popularity value +10, upgraded to a one-star store. Please keep working hard! ]
[You have a new task! Receive ten guests and you will be rewarded with 1,000 popularity points and +1 furry species! ]
The door of the shop opened and closed, Du Qingmei stepped out of the furry shop, and the task reminder sounded. Then a man and a manta ray appeared outside the door.
Ji Feiming rubbed his eyes desperately to make sure he was not seeing things.
The guest who just left turned into a baby manta ray.
“…” This world is indeed not that simple.
Following a fish to dive into the sea, the shop owner has an extraordinary courage, and Ji Feiming feels inferior to him.
Pengci and Tianka were both sleeping. Dai Jiaopai was playing with a ball by herself when she suddenly noticed Lu Yao was outside. Her little eyebrows raised in the middle, and she chased after her for two steps with a wronged look on her face, calling her in a baby voice.
Lu Yao turned around and gently patted the soft wall membrane.
The silly cat rolled his eyes and whimpered, then stretched out his furry cat paws to high-five her.
After playing for a while, Lu Yao turned around and prepared to leave. Du Qingmei, who had turned into a manta ray, was still waiting for her.
The diving suit provided by the system is indeed special. She does not need to wear a respirator and can breathe freely in the water. She is really as free as a fish.
Lu Yao looked at Du Qingmei, his eyes moved slightly, and pointed at her chest, "Why is there a scar?"
She hadn't noticed it before, but now, while still in the water, she could clearly see a cross-shaped wound on the little manta ray's abdomen. The inside was bright red and it seemed like there was no scab, but it wasn't bleeding either.
Du Qingmei swam around Lu Yao twice, opening and closing her mouth, but no sound came out, but Lu Yao miraculously understood what she meant.
"I don't know. I was there the day I woke up. But it didn't hurt, so I ignored it. Come on, I'll take you for a walk."
There is a lot of garbage in this sea area, including plastic bottles sunk to the seabed, tattered fishing nets tangled with corals, and glass jars that octopuses use as their homes.
Lu Yao carried the machine on his back, holding the mechanical claw that picked up garbage in one hand and kept picking up garbage.
[Plastic bottle, 18 grams, popularity value +18. ]
[Milk box, 10 grams, popularity value +10. ]
[Colored glass bottle, 50 grams, popularity +50. ]
…
The little manta ray swam out for a long distance and saw many sea urchins crawling slowly under the coral reef. He turned back excitedly to find Lu Yao and said, "Owner, there is a sea urchin buffet over there!!!"
Looking back, she found Lu Yao obsessed with picking up trash, so she swam back, put her head on Lu Yao's lower back, and pushed her forward, "There are a lot of sea urchins over there, catch some and bring them back so we can eat them together."
Lu Yao is also a seafood lover, so he immediately sped up.
Those sea urchins will most likely need to be dealt with, but with magic it’s very convenient and reassuring.
The two of them swam unknowingly near the autistic fish school. Lu Yao and Manta Ray were dazzled by the sea urchins that looked like black gemstones in the sea and did not notice anything.
She spent a thousand popularity points, exchanged them for a pair of gloves and a small frame from the system, and happily picked up sea urchins in the sea.
The little manta ray used its long and thin tail to flick the sea urchin, which bounced into Lu Yao's frame.
At some point, among the school of fish that were turning over on their bellies nearby, one of the fish slowly turned its eyes and looked sideways at the man and the fish who were shouting in the sea.