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As Cheng Yong disappeared into the alleyway of Shanghai with the 50,000 yuan in cash in his pocket, he left Suning with a light and relieved look on his face.

In less than half a day, Suning, behind the counter of the adult products store, was wiping the accumulated dust and grime from the product boxes with a dusty rag.

The box must contain things that would spark endless imagination in adults, as it is covered with strange and unusual images.

"Clang—Bang!"

The rusty, broken tin wind chime by the door was suddenly struck and started ringing wildly, its sharp sound tearing through the afternoon silence.

Su Ning straightened up, and a gust of wind carrying the smell of sweat and smoke suddenly swept in.

A middle-aged man wearing a faded blue jacket was blocking the doorway. There were a few unidentified oil stains on the collar of his jacket, and the cuffs were frayed.

The man's eyes, like those of a hunting hawk, swept from the dusty shelves to the stack of empty cardboard boxes in the corner, finally fixing on Suning. His booming voice made the cans on the shelf tremble slightly.
"Hey! Where's Cheng Yong? Tell him to get out here! He can't hide forever. He owes me three months' rent, and he needs to give me an explanation today!"

Su Ning paused, the cold touch of the rag bringing him back to his senses.

The image of Cheng Yong counting the 50,000 yuan transfer fee with such gratitude was still vivid in his mind. He turned around and threw the old debts of this dilapidated shop to the winds like trash.

That bastard accurately mistook him for a sucker to take the fall.

He had already cursed Cheng Yong's ancestors to the eighteenth generation in his mind, but his face showed no sign of anything amiss. He simply draped the rag back over the edge of the counter, his voice calm and even:

"Cheng Yong has already transferred the shop to me. Now, I am the owner here."

The man was clearly taken aback, subconsciously taking half a step back, narrowing his shrewd eyes, and carefully scrutinizing Su Ning from head to toe three times.

The young man in front of me was wearing a clean and crisp white shirt, with the cuffs casually rolled up to his forearms, revealing his strong wrists. He still had a youthful air about him, and he didn't look like the kind of person who would take over a half-dead adult products store.

His brow furrowed deeply, and although his tone softened slightly, it still carried an undeniable firmness:
"Transferred? That's perfect! He owes me three thousand three hundred yuan in rent in black and white, for three whole months! You have to pay that money now! Otherwise, you can forget about keeping this shop open today."

In Shanghai in 2004, 3,300 yuan was not a small sum.

It could afford to host ten respectable banquets at the most reputable local restaurant in the alleyway, and buy a state-of-the-art 25-inch color TV for the family, enough to cover the expenses of an average family for several months.

For Suning, which had just invested a huge sum of 50,000 yuan to take over this obviously "money-losing" store, this was undoubtedly an unplanned and heavy expense.

He stared at the landlord's fleshy face, which seemed to say "I'll flip the stall right away if you don't pay," but his mind was once again filled with the task the system had given him: these bastards in front of him were all NPCs made of data.

Therefore, we must not let small things cause us to lose big ones. We should complete the task quickly and carefully examine the memories we have lost.

If the shop is reclaimed due to this rent dispute, the initial investment of 50,000 yuan in transfer fees will be lost immediately, and the system task will be out of the question.

Su Ning's fingers, which were tucked into his pockets, clenched silently and then quickly relaxed, making a decision in the blink of an eye.

The system provided 200,000 in start-up capital; after paying 50,000, 150,000 remained.

Having completed the first task and taken over the Prince Indian God Oil Adult Products Store, Suning received another 100,000 RMB bonus, bringing his total to 250,000 RMB in his account.

Although paying 3,300 yuan is painful, it's a price that must be paid if it can buy peace and quiet, completely stabilize this crucial mission stronghold, and clear obstacles for subsequent plans.

“In principle, I shouldn’t be the one to bear Cheng Yong’s debts.” He raised his eyes, his gaze steady as he looked at the landlord, his tone calm yet decisive. “But since I’ve taken over this shop, I don’t want to cause any more trouble or unnecessary problems. I’ll accept the three thousand three hundred.”

As he spoke, he bent down and took out the black satchel from under the counter, unzipped it, and pulled out a stack of brand-new 100-yuan bills tied with bank paper tape.

With nimble fingertips, he rubbed the bills together and counted out thirty-three precisely. With a soft "snap," he slapped them onto the glass counter, which was covered with a thin layer of dust.

The bright red color was particularly glaring in the dimly lit shop.

Before the landlord could fully recover from the shock of that stack of money, Su Ning's fingers moved again, counting out an even thicker wad from the pile and placing it firmly on top of the three thousand three hundred yuan...

That was a full six months' rent, a total of six thousand six hundred yuan.

“This is the rent for the next six months, which I will also pay in advance.” Su Ning pushed the two sums of money toward the landlord, tapping her knuckles lightly on the glass counter twice, making a clear, crisp sound. “Make sure the agreement is signed. I will pay the rent on time from now on. From this moment on, handle all matters related to this shop, inside and out, with me. This has nothing to do with that Cheng Yong anymore.”

The landlord's eyes lit up instantly at the two stacks of banknotes. His face, which had been tense and full of threats, relaxed as if spring snow were melting, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but stretch upwards, almost reaching his ears.

He grabbed the banknotes, moistened his fingers with saliva, and quickly counted the money twice. The rustling sound of the paper rubbing together conveyed a sense of satisfied joy, and his tone underwent a complete 180-degree turn, even his address becoming extremely respectful:

"Oh my! Mr. Su! Look at the mess this has made... You're such a generous and easygoing person! You can rest assured about this shop and use it with peace of mind! If there are any minor problems with the water, electricity, gas, doors, windows, or roof, just let me know and I'll be there in no time!"

He offered several more polite compliments with a beaming smile before carefully putting the money into his inner pocket, pressing it down with his hand, and walking briskly outside.

Before leaving, he even went out of his way to carefully straighten the broken tin wind chime that had been knocked askew.

The shop fell silent again, even more so than before, as if the commotion had never happened.

Only the lingering smell of smoke and the distinctive ink of banknotes in the air testified to everything that had just happened.

Su Ning looked at the noticeably thinner stack of cash in her handbag and shook her head helplessly.

The start was bad; before even seeing the target, the shameless former shop owner had already swindled out three months' rent. Their luck was truly unbelievable.

But he quickly composed himself.

Money is merely a tool provided by the system; completing the ultimate task is the only goal.

Spending a few thousand dollars to completely eliminate potential risks in exchange for a stable base with clear property rights, no disturbances, and the peace of mind to wait for the "key NPC" to come to you—from a strategic point of view, this deal is worthwhile.

He turned around, dragged an empty cardboard box off the shelf, and began to tidy up the shop, which was full of traces of his ex.

The evening glow struggled to penetrate the dusty glass windows, casting a hazy, warm gold hue over the dusty shelves and faded posters.

Tiny dust particles floated slowly within the beam of light.

Su Ning leaned against the door frame, lit a cigarette, and gazed into the depths of the alley.

As the sun sets, the dim streetlights gradually illuminate the scene, casting a soft glow on the mottled walls and clotheslines.

Bicycle bells jingled as children carrying children home from school passed by; housewives carrying shopping baskets chatted with their neighbors as they walked; the sounds of clattering spatulas and the aroma of food wafted from the stone gates on both sides, creating a noisy yet authentic atmosphere of everyday life.

In the late autumn of 2004, the night gently and irresistibly enveloped this ancient alleyway in Shanghai.

His mission truly began only after this first unexpected obstacle was cleared.

……

After seeing off the satisfied landlord, Su Ning returned to the empty shop. The unique ink smell of new banknotes still seemed to linger on her fingertips, cold and pungent.

He leaned against the cold glass counter, the aluminum alloy edges digging into his spine, but it was nothing compared to the frustration in his heart.

Cheng Yong's greedy yet shrewd face as he counted money played repeatedly in my mind's eye, like a slow-motion replay.

She had been thoroughly outmaneuvered by a man whose life had been so hard that he had lost an extra 3,300 yuan. This feeling of humiliation was stuck in her chest and wouldn't go away.

He was staring blankly at the dusty, untouched "Indian God Oil" on the shelf when a sudden idea flashed through his mind.

When the store handover was completed, the system seemed to have given a reward and partial memory recovery!
I was interrupted by the landlord and completely forgot about this!
The previous frustration was instantly washed away by a strong sense of anticipation.

Su Ning suddenly straightened up, his heart pounding with anticipation, his fingertips trembling slightly. Having been transported to this completely unfamiliar 2004, like a piece of duckweed uprooted, what he longed for most, what he desperately needed, was the memory of "himself"!

This was his original motivation for being willing to be driven by this mysterious system to complete these inexplicable tasks!

"Watch!" he almost roared in his mind, filled with urgency and longing.

The next second, a massive and icy stream of information surged irresistibly into his mind. It wasn't the warm or painful fragments of his personal life that he had expected, but rather more like a high-speed projector being forcibly crammed into his consciousness.

He felt as if he were in a dark movie theater, with a movie called "Dying to Survive" playing clearly on the only screen!

From Cheng Yong's destitution in his run-down herbal oil shop, to Lü Shouyi's ailing body and humble hope as he came to his door, to the formation of a team, a trip to India, and the enormous risks taken to bring back a generic version of the life-saving, exorbitantly priced drug...

Scenes and plots, including laughter, struggles, fears and sacrifices, flashed before his eyes at an astonishing speed, with every detail vividly presented.

The video abruptly ended after a full 116 minutes.

Suning stood frozen in place, as if he had been doused with ice water from head to toe. He was completely dazed, and his blood seemed to have frozen.

It seems he was just "forced" to watch an entire movie?
Is this what the system calls "partial memory recovery" and "reward"?
"Damn it!" he couldn't help but curse under his breath, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, a mixture of absurdity and anger.

So the system never intended to give him any clues about his past, but instead forcibly spoiled the "plot" that was about to happen in this world?
This isn't some kind of memory recovery; it's clearly another instance of that damned system subtly outmaneuvering him, leaving him speechless and unable to express his suffering!

Frustration and disappointment surged like a tide, but he quickly suppressed them.

At this point, anger is useless.

At least now he is no longer completely in the dark. He knows about Cheng Yong's future, about Lü Shouyi, Pastor Liu, Si Hui, and Huang Mao, and about the joys and sorrows surrounding "Grenin".

This information may be the key to the mission.

The sky darkened completely without anyone noticing, and the last sounds of people in the alley disappeared, leaving only the lonely glow of the streetlights casting long, narrow shadows on the shop floor through the glass door.

A new practical problem is facing him: what if the "key NPC" happens to come to his door late at night or in the early morning if he leaves the shop at night?
If the trigger point is missed, the task may fail directly.

This store is the only designated location by the system, and there can be absolutely no mistakes.

Without much hesitation, Suning made a decision: Tonight, we'll stay here!
He turned and crawled into the cramped inner room. By the dim light coming through the window, he found a few old cardboard boxes left by Cheng Yong and haphazardly stuffed in a few yellowed old shirts, half a box of cheap cigarettes of unknown origin, and a chipped enamel mug.

Despite being outmaneuvered by Cheng Yong, he subconsciously still wanted to retain a last shred of dignity.

I'll return all this junk to that guy intact when I run into him again someday.

……

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Suning locked the store and followed the road signs to find a large supermarket a few streets away.

With a clear goal in mind, he went straight to the home furnishing section and bought a thin quilt, towels, toothbrush, toothpaste, and of course, a change of clean clothes.

As for meals, it's best to just eat at the snack shops and restaurants next door.

Carrying large and small bags back to the store, he immediately began setting up.

The narrow inner room was completely cleared out, with a folding bed set up in the far corner and brand-new bedding laid out; towels hung on nails on the wall; and toothbrushes and toothpaste were neatly arranged on a small stool in the corner.

This small space, which was originally filled with clutter, permeated with a musty smell and a sense of loss, has miraculously been transformed into a simple yet tidy "home".

His actions, of course, did not escape the ever-present, keen eyes of the people in the alley.

Around noon, Aunt Zhang from the fruit shop next door sidled up to the door, peeked inside a few times, and immediately widened her eyes.

Turning to Old Wang at the shoe repair stall next door, he whispered, "Hey! Old Wang, look! That young man, he really took over this struggling 'miracle oil' shop? What's he after?"

Old Wang put down his hammer, squinted his dim old eyes, and peered through the glass door at Suning, who was tidying up the shelves. He shook his head: "Who knows? This store is weird. Cheng Yong ran it for half a year, his wife ran away, his father got sick, and he finally slunk away. What kind of tricks can a young, tender-skinned guy like him pull? I bet he's just rich and has nothing better to do than come down here to experience the lives of us ordinary folks."

Just then, Brother Li, who runs a noodle shop across the street, came out to splash water and chimed in, his tone carrying the certainty of someone with experience: "I doubt it! This location is so remote, and he's doing this shady business. Where will he get customers? If he really wanted to do business, he should have changed his signboard long ago and sold some cigarettes, alcohol, or groceries. Sticking to this 'miracle oil'... tsk tsk, he'll be starving!"

Su Ning was not unaware of these hushed whispers, curious glances, and even slightly pitying pointing fingers.

He sat behind the counter, expressionless, wiping the glass jars that would never sell, but his ears were like the most sensitive radar, picking up every little sound outside the door.

All external opinions are nothing more than irrelevant background noise to him.

His goal is clear and singular.

Hold this outpost, like a lurking hunter, and wait for the "key NPC" who may appear at any time.

That was the whole meaning of his existence in this alleyway in Shanghai in 2004.

Just then, a sleazy-looking old man walked in, looking around. "Hey! Cheng Yong's aphrodisiac shop really got sold?"

"That's right! I'm Su Ning, the new owner of this aphrodisiac shop."

"What are you after if you take over this run-down shop?"

"Hehe, you are not a fish, how can you know the joy of a fish?"

"Right!"

……

Days passed by like this.

Suning strictly adheres to its own set schedule: getting up in the morning, brushing teeth and washing face, opening the store, wiping the shelves and counters until they are spotless, and even arranging those brightly colored Indian herbal oil boxes neatly.

Occasionally in the afternoon, he would use that small electric cooker to cook himself a small pot of plain porridge, which he would then eat quietly with the pickles he bought downstairs.

The nearby merchants gradually got used to it, instead of being surprised, curious, and making various guesses at first.

They were used to the clean-cut young man in the white shirt always appearing in that gloomy shop without fail, used to his quiet and aloof demeanor, and even occasionally someone would nod at him through the glass door.

Suning has become a new, slightly strange, yet stable sight in this alley.

Only Suning itself knows what undercurrents are hidden beneath this day-to-day calm and watchful waiting.

He wasn't running a store; he was carrying out a mission.

Every time the wind chimes at the door rang, his heart would skip a beat; every figure that stopped at the shop entrance would be carefully scrutinized by him out of the corner of his eye.

The evening breeze once again swept through the alleyways, bringing with it the aroma of stir-fried dishes from every household and the warmth of lamplight.

Suning remained leaning against the cold counter, her gaze fixed on the window.

As night falls, the streetlights gradually illuminate the quietly hanging tin wind chime, outlining its dim yellow silhouette.

He exhaled softly, and the question that had been lingering in his mind for so long resurfaced, tinged with a barely perceptible anxiety:

When are you finally coming, key NPC?
...(End of chapter)