Chapter 134: Boss Su’s Gratitude and System Upgrade
Su Tao was slightly excited but held back, deciding to wait until the evening to upgrade the system.
Just then, an impatient person in the queue outside stuck their head out of their car window and shouted:
“How much longer until someone checks out?!”
Ma Dapao loudly responded, “Brothers, don’t wait anymore! The next batch of checkouts won’t be until tomorrow morning!”
Surprisingly, the people in line refused to leave.
“I’m not going anywhere! If I leave, I’ll have to line up all over again tomorrow. Damn it, can’t you guys build more rooms? There are only 60-something available!”
“That’s right, boss! The Old Station can house 600 people at once. Why can’t Panliu Mountain do the same?”
“Hey, you in front! At the Old Station, they cram ten people into one room. Here, it’s only two per room—you can’t compare the two! If you think the Old Station is so great, why don’t you give up your spot and let me move up faster?”
The scene outside turned chaotic, but no one was willing to give up their place in line. They all stubbornly held their ground.
Su Tao admired their persistence—truly unyielding.
When she arrived at the Restaurant on the first floor, Zhuang Wan and the others were already there. They had pushed several tables together, and five or six dishes—both meat and vegetables—had already been served.
Chef Qin was still in the kitchen, stirring the wok with enthusiasm. Soon, three more dishes were brought out.
When all the dishes were finally on the table, the fragrance filled the air. However, everyone insisted that Su Tao say a few words to kick off the meal.
Left with no choice, Su Tao raised her juice glass and sincerely said:
“Everyone at the plantation, thank you for your hard work these past few days. You’ve brought so much greenery to Taoyang and Panliu Mountain, as well as our first pillar industry. Manager Qian, if you hadn’t followed me without hesitation back then, this plantation might never have been built. Wu Zhen, thank you again for joining us. A toast to all of you.”
“To our logistics staff—without you, Taoyang and Panliu Mountain wouldn’t have the environment they do today. Aunt Qi, the security responsibilities will now be in your hands. Thank you for your hard work!”
“Dapao, back when Panliu Mountain was still barren, you ran around helping without asking for a single cent. Even after opening, you’ve been the one worrying the most. And Chef Qin, you’ve let us taste the delicious flavors of the pre-apocalypse, bringing immense popularity to Panliu Mountain. Thank you both!”
“Zhuang Wan, we’ve known each other the longest. In the beginning, it was just the two of us in Taoyang. You took on so many trivial yet crucial tasks, to the point where you didn’t even have time for Chenxi and Chenyang. Enough said—this toast is for you!”
“Old Mei, you are both my elder and my teacher. The blueprint for Taoyang today is the result of your tireless efforts. A toast to you from this little girl.”
…
Su Tao’s words carried weight, and everyone, eyes red with emotion, silently accepted her gratitude.
People in the apocalypse didn’t ask for much—a place to take shelter from the storm, a full meal, and that was enough.
But here was someone who pulled them out of their suffering, gave them refuge, provided quality housing and delicious food, acknowledged their worth, and gave them jobs so they could support themselves and their families with dignity.
The meal stretched on until nightfall, filled with food and conversation.
Zhuang Wan, unable to hold her liquor, insisted on drinking despite everyone trying to stop her. By the end, she was crying and clinging to Su Tao, demanding to become sworn sisters.
Su Tao, speechless, helped her back to her room and instructed Chen Xi and Chen Yang to take care of her.
Lin Fangzhi had also had a little to drink—not because he wanted to, but because that troublemaker Ma Dapao tricked him into trying beer.
When Su Tao turned around, she saw Lin Fangzhi’s face flushed red.
But even when tipsy, he remained obedient, sitting properly on the sofa, watching Su Tao with a goofy smile. No matter where she moved, his head followed.
Su Tao teased him, “Do you recognize me?”
Lin Fangzhi’s face was bright red as he grinned and answered with a single word: “Tao.”
“Say the full name. What did I teach you? No missing words—it’s not a good habit.”
Lin Fangzhi patted his chest, “My Su Tao.”
Su Tao burst out laughing, treating him like a child. She ruffled his hair, “Alright, sleep now.”
Lin Fangzhi shook his head, “Something important.”
He suddenly took out a crystal core from his storage space. “Hot. Feel it.”
Su Tao thought something was wrong with the core, so she quickly took it and examined it. She felt it all over but was confused.
“What’s wrong? It’s not hot—it’s the same as always. You must be drunk. Put it away and go to sleep.”
Lin Fangzhi was persistent, anxiously pushing the crystal core back into her hands, repeating over and over, “It’s hot. Feel it. I’m not lying.”
Su Tao tried again but couldn’t notice any difference. She gave up and coaxed him, “Sleep first. I’ll check again when you wake up, okay?”
Only then did Lin Fangzhi relent, staring at the crystal core for a few seconds before reluctantly putting it away.
By the time Su Tao finished washing up, she found him curled up on the sofa, fast asleep.
Shaking her head, she walked over, covered him with a light blanket, and returned to her room.
Opening the system again, the notification popped up once more:
[The conditions for leveling up to LV5 have been met. Would the host like to spend 1,000,000 Federal Coins to upgrade the system?]
This time, Su Tao didn’t hesitate—she clicked “Confirm.”
Total Assets: -1,000,000 Federal Coins.
Su Tao: “Back to square one.”
[Congratulations, Host! The Landlady System has upgraded to LV5. You have unlocked a three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment (1) and the Agricultural Supplies Store. Please check your rewards.]
Su Tao was overjoyed—it was an agricultural supplies store! Just what she needed right now.
Just as she was about to eagerly open the Agricultural Supplies Store to see what was inside, the system notification sounded again:
[LV6 upgrade requires 500 tenants and 6,000,000 Federal Coins. Upon upgrading, you will unlock multi-person rental housing and the Livestock Supplies Store.]
Great. Each upgrade was harder than the last.
It had taken her nearly half a year to gather 1,000,000—now they wanted 6,000,000…
But the livestock supplies were seriously tempting. She had always envied Dongyang’s farm and had long wanted to set up one for Taoyang as well.
It seemed that once she reached LV6, she could finally fulfill that wish.
And the multi-person rental housing—essentially a dormitory-style setup—was also something she needed.
Ah, she wished she could upgrade right this second!
