Chapter 10 Reward: Random Fruit Sapling
Chu Jiangyue explained the room entry procedure to the two of them.
Su Zhucheng and Lin Xuyuan had just witnessed Xie Silin swiping his card to enter the room, so they already knew what to do without Chu Jiangyue's instructions.
After swiping their ID cards and paying with copper coins, the two couldn't wait to take their cards back to try them out.
Seeing the exact same room layout as Xie Silin's, their moods visibly improved.
Staying here somehow felt more secure than living in Villa No.1.
Unfortunately, there weren't enough rooms now—two members of their four-person team couldn't move in yet.
Meanwhile, Chu Jiangyue was examining the new rewards after completing the mission.
[Mission: Host must receive customers and successfully accommodate them (3/3), Completed
Mission Reward: Unlock 5 single rooms on 1st floor, Reward random fruit sapling*1, EXP +30]
[Current Hotel Level: 2 (150/1000)]
[New Mission: Issue 100 hotel ID cards
Mission Reward: To be unlocked]
When Chu Jiangyue saw the fruit sapling, she immediately stood up straight.
After the zombie virus outbreak, there followed three months of scorching weather that killed most plants.
The surviving ones mostly mutated into dangerous variants - encountering these while scavenging meant almost certain death.
But now she's obtained fruit tree rewards - does this mean she can start selling fresh fruits?
Chu Jiangyue immediately claimed all rewards, and the saplings materialized at her feet.
Fortunately, the hotel lobby was empty - nobody witnessed this miracle.
『Little Fox, where should I plant these fruit trees?』
There's no space inside the hotel, and outside isn't ideal either - with temperatures about to soar, ordinary people would struggle terribly outdoors, risking severe sunburns.
「Just plant them by the hotel entrance, Host. The system will automatically incorporate them into hotel territory - no need to worry about their survival.」
The little fox looked at the fruit tree sapling Yun Zijin had drawn, actually feeling quite surprised.
Weren't the rewards in this series supposedly very difficult to obtain?
It had heard many seniors complain about this issue - how come its host got it on just the third mission?
However, despite its surprise, the little fox didn't show it outwardly.
Planting more trees would bring the host benefits in the future.
Chu Jiangyue was unaware of the little fox's inner thoughts, but was surprised by its words.
『Just plant it directly like this? Does it need watering?』
「Water it once after planting, then every two days after that. The host doesn't need to worry too much.
Of course, if the host wants, you can also feed it some wood-type energy - you might get a pleasant surprise～」
This reward that had all the seniors complaining about its low drop rate was naturally different from the delicate saplings the host imagined!
This fruit tree sapling from the post-apocalyptic hotel was absolutely bursting with vitality.
『Alright, while no one's around, I'll go plant it now』
Chu Jiangyue carried the sapling to the hotel entrance before realizing she had no tools for planting.
『Little fox, do you have a shovel?』
Without a shovel, how could she dig the soil?
「...」
The little fox fell silent, because the drop rate for plant series rewards was too low—it had forgotten to equip the hotel with a tool shed.
Chu Jiangyue: @#$%^!!
"What is Boss Chu doing?"
Chu Jiangyue was cursing the little fox's programmer in her mind when Shen Zhigui unexpectedly appeared at that moment.
Weren't they supposed to be cooking?
"Oh, I just found this sapling. It looks quite healthy, so I wanted to plant it at the hotel entrance to add some greenery.
Who knew I'd bring the sapling back but have no tools to plant it with."
Shen Zhigui eyed the exceptionally healthy little sapling and almost remarked that the nearby plants all seemed wilted—this one clearly wasn't from Shengshi Huadu.
However, he didn't expose Chu Jiangyue's thoughts either. He knew that to stay at the hotel smoothly in the future, he needed to understand what should and shouldn't be said.
Those who understand the times are the ones who can survive till the end.
"I'll go ask the others."
After saying this, Shen Zhigui went back inside.
Not long after, Shen Zhigui came out holding a large iron shovel.
To be honest, seeing such an elegant man like Shen Zhigui holding an iron shovel was rather disillusioning.
Chu Jiangyue used great effort to finally suppress her laughter.
Jiang He, who followed behind Shen Zhigui, subtly raised his eyebrows when he saw the vibrant sapling by Chu Jiangyue's feet.
One could only say it was no wonder she was capable enough to run a hotel during the apocalypse.
Chu Jiangyue took the shovel from Shen Zhigui and prepared to dig a hole about one meter to the left of the hotel entrance.
"Do you need our help?"
Looking at Chu Jiangyue's slender arms and legs as she prepared to dig with the iron shovel, Shen Zhigui felt it didn't quite match her image.
「Sorry host, the hotel's trees must be planted by yourself now, otherwise they won't survive」
Chu Jiangyue withdrew the shovel she was about to hand over: "Thank you, but no need. I can manage on my own."
Chu Jiangyue pressed down hard on the shovel, trying to dig out as much soil as possible with each stroke.
After digging to about half a meter deep, Chu Jiangyue finally stopped. She set aside the shovel, went back to the hotel entrance to fetch the sapling, placed it in the hole, then filled, watered, and channeled her wood-type ability in one smooth motion.
"All done. Thank you for the shovel. I'll wash it clean before returning it."
Chu Jiangyue took the iron shovel and headed to the public restroom on the first floor to wash off the dirt.
"No need, I'll take it back and have them wash it when convenient."
Shen Zhigui took the shovel from Chu Jiangyue's hands and walked back toward the guest room.
"Oh, by the way, the hotel just added a few new rooms. I assume you two will also be staying?"
Su Zhucheng and Lin Xuyuan had already checked in, so Chu Jiangyue guessed that Shen Zhigui and Jiang He would definitely need accommodations as well.
Sure enough, upon hearing about the new rooms, a flicker of delight flashed in the eyes of both Shen Zhigui and Jiang He.
Truly, perseverance pays off—success came effortlessly.
Their last-minute change of plans hadn't been in vain.
"We'll stay!"
With prior experience, Chu Jiangyue handled the check-in process with increasing ease, quickly arranging a 20-day stay for the two.
Unnoticed by those inside the hotel, the soil around the newly planted sapling gradually began returning to its normal color, while the sapling itself slowly started sprouting new buds.
The color of the land outside the hotel perimeter contrasts starkly with that inside, creating a remarkably clear boundary.
After all four members of Shen Zhigui's group successfully checked into the hotel today, they had dinner in Xie Silin's room before returning to Villa No. 1 to pack their belongings.
After packing, they took the opportunity to eliminate some zombies in the nearby area before dragging their exhausted bodies back to Jianglin Hotel.
Chu Jiangyue spent the entire day waiting at the hotel but failed to receive any third-wave guests seeking accommodation. After 6 pm, he closed shop and started cooking for himself.
The aroma of Chu Jiangyue's cooking wafted all the way to Shen Zhigui's group in their rooms.