Chapter 3: A Customer Arrives

After Bear finished speaking, it slightly bent its waist and stood still, motionless.

Charlotte thought for a moment, then reached out to pat its head, attempting to direct it. "Bear, fold the blanket on the floor outside, please."

"Okay, Boss."

Bear turned, unlocked the door, and went to the living room. It neatly folded the crumpled blanket into a tidy square with agile movements.

"Is there anything else you need, Boss?" Bear asked, standing with its round hands clasped in front of its belly, waiting.

"Please tidy up the bedroom as well."

Seeing the bear's nimble movements, Charlotte felt the draw was worth it and immediately decided to try again.

This time, a gift box appeared.

Excited, she opened it, only to find a small firework shoot out with the words:

[Thank you for visiting]

What? Nothing inside?

Disappointed, Charlotte peered into the box, finding it empty.

Determined to try again, she was met with a restriction message.

"Only two draws per week? And three chances per draw? Too much!" Charlotte grumbled, closing the interface.

Seeing Bear laboriously wiping down tables and chairs with a rag it somehow found, her mood brightened.

Charlotte sat on the bed, watching Bear diligently clean. It even knew to open the windows for ventilation.

After a thorough cleaning, Bear stood by the door, waiting for her next command.

"It's fine now. You can rest. I'm going to bed."

Charlotte yawned. After all this, it was already 10 PM. Early to bed, early to rise—she needed to prepare the rooms tomorrow.

...

The next day, around noon, Charlotte finally woke from her soft and comfortable bed.

She had slept incredibly well.

Jumping out of bed, she ordered a toothbrush, toothpaste, and towel from the store, spending 30 points.

The store's current level wasn't enough; she needed to reach level two to get free toiletries.

Time to level up.

In the lobby, the cleaner Bear was still standing in its place.

Charlotte instructed it to fold the blankets in the bedroom and clean the rooms.

She initially thought she'd have to do these chores herself, but having a little helper meant she could put it to good use.

With a happy mood, she opened the front door. The sun was still shining brightly outside.

Breathing in some fresh air, she stood in front of the lunch machine, not feeling too hungry.

The lunch machine offered five types of meals: cumin duck leg, fish-flavored shredded pork, barbecue rice, Yangzhou fried rice, and spicy potato strips rice.

None seemed suitable for breakfast.

So she ordered a breakfast machine from the store.

It would be available in a minute.

The breakfast machine also had five options: fresh meat dumplings, egg-filled pancakes, fried pancakes with toppings, savory pancakes, and steamed dumplings.

No soy milk or porridge.

Oh well, she'd have hot water instead.

Adding the permissions, she selected fresh meat dumplings. After about 15 seconds, a steaming box of dumplings was dispensed.

After drinking a cup of hot water, she opened the box to reveal six white dumplings, steaming with heat.

Eagerly, she took one and bit into it, the flavorful juice bursting onto her taste buds. Inside was a juicy, chewy pork filling, and the dough had absorbed the juices, making it delicious.

Soon, the whole box of dumplings was gone.

Charlotte patted her belly, letting out a satisfied burp.

After eating and drinking her fill, she decided to take a stroll to digest and supervise.

In room 101, Bear was diligently mopping the muddy floor.

Charlotte wasn't sure where Bear found the mop.

As the bucket of water became murky, Bear washed the mop and carried the bucket to dispose of the dirty water.

Charlotte quickly moved out of the way. Bear steadied the bucket, trying not to spill water as it walked down the corridor.

At the end was a very small room, about a meter wide, containing brooms and rags.

Ah, this must be the storage room.

Charlotte fixed the dangling sign on the door.

Bear poured the dirty water down the drain, refilled the bucket with clean water, and returned to continue cleaning.

The water flow in the storage room was stronger than in her own room?

Charlotte approached and turned on the faucet. After a couple of splutters, a strong stream of water gushed out.

She turned it off, returning to the cashier's desk to sit down.

With nothing to do, she opened the drawer, hoping to find something to entertain herself.

The old, dusty drawer was full of cobwebs and a thick layer of dust.

Finding nothing useful, she was quite disgusted.

Just then, Bear finished cleaning room 101 and carried the mop bucket to the lobby. Charlotte raised her feet, watching it work.

Bear seemed to have a compulsion for cleanliness, scrubbing every tiny mark off the floor.

Charlotte watched as Bear cleaned the floor repeatedly until it shone brightly.

After cleaning the floor, Bear didn't rest. It put on rubber gloves, took a full basin of water, and started wiping the windows.

The windows had mud splashes from the rain and mysterious black stains. Charlotte had planned to replace them after upgrading, so she hadn't bothered with cleaning.

But Bear was so diligent, making the windows sparkle.

Seeing the sun-soaked, gleaming floor, Charlotte smiled, her eyes squinting happily.

The store now looked bright and clean, with the windows clear and shining.

Around noon, while eating fish-flavored shredded pork from the lunch machine, a small group of zombies appeared at the end of the street.

Charlotte squinted and saw a young girl running frantically ahead of the zombies, her face full of terror.

She took another bite of the tender, sweet, and slightly spicy meat, savoring the taste. The system-provided food, though lacking some human touch, was still excellent.

...

Belle felt like she was about to die on this street.

She had the worst luck. Although she was paired with the strongest teammate Rose, she had been tricked into proving herself. Determined to show she wasn't just a freeloader, she had come out for supplies.

But there were no supplies left on this old street!

She regretted it as soon as she stepped out. Especially in this area, known for its dense zombie population. Level 3 or 4 experts could navigate it easily, but she was only level 2.

What a death wish!

Belle chewed on her regret, her teeth nearly grinding to dust.

She quickened her pace, looking around for a place to take refuge.

At worst, she could signal for help. Her father had some influence at the base, so they would have to come. The catch was, she had to survive until then...

But setting off a distress signal would attract more zombies...

Suddenly, she saw a small shop across the street and the girl inside eating at a table.

Someone!

Belle's heart leaped with joy. Ignoring the danger, she pulled out a small firework launcher from her waist, lit it, and shot it into the sky, creating a purple cloud.

As expected, the nearby zombies roared and rushed towards the noise.

Belle ran with all her strength, tears streaming down her face, shouting, "Help me! Please!"

The girl at the table finally looked up from her food, casually pulling out a tissue to wipe her mouth, as if she hadn't noticed the zombies behind her.

"Don't close the door! Wait for me!"Belle's heart raced, fearing the girl would shut the door.

With the shop so close, she forced herself to move quickly, her chest aching, and slammed the glass door shut. She pressed her back against it, crying out, "Move the table to block the door!"

Belle shouted anxiously, afraid she wouldn't be able to hold back the zombies and would be devoured alive.

But the girl by the table continued to casually toss the packaging into the trash can.

In this critical moment, she was acting like nothing was happening?!

Belle's anger flared. She almost wanted to throw the girl out so the zombies would eat her instead!

"Are you crazy?! You—"