Chapter 114: Boss Su Waits for Powers Like Waiting for the Stars and Moon
When it came to the grand opening, Ma Dapao seemed even more nervous than Su Tao.
“Boss, not many people know about our Panliu Mountain yet. I estimate we won’t have many customers in the first few days. Should I go to the old station and bring some guests over?”
Su Tao, however, was indifferent. “No rush. Let’s take it slow. Drawing too much attention early on isn’t great either. Also, to the outside world, we’re the Taoyang Panliu Mountain Supply Station. You haven’t been to Taoyang yet, have you? Tonight, I’ll take you to meet some of our team working there.”
Ma Dapao only knew that Taoyang was Boss Su’s territory in Dongyang, supposedly with conditions just as good as Panliu Mountain. Beyond that, he wasn’t sure about the details.
Hearing that he would be meeting his colleagues, he suddenly felt a little shy, even considering whether he should buy a new outfit or fix his hair…
But then he remembered that traveling to Dongyang meant being on the road for a whole week. His hair would end up a mess anyway.
Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard his boss say, “Dapao, you know how things are here at Panliu. I can’t always be around, so we still need a manager. Over these past few days, I’ve noticed that you’re truly responsible, so I’m leaving the whole place in your hands. No problem, right?”
Ma Dapao’s eyes widened—he suspected he was hearing things.
Su Tao, deliberately teasing him, added, “Not interested? Then could you help me find someone else outside who’s competent enough to manage this place—”
“I’m interested! Very interested! Boss, I’m just so happy I got dumbfounded for a moment. I—I, Ma Dapao, don’t know what I did to deserve this trust, but with your faith in me, I swear I’d rather be buried on this mountain than let you down!”
Su Tao chuckled. “You better stay alive and well. Once business picks up, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy. As for your salary, I’m giving you two options. The first includes housing—6,000 a month, with a shared double room. Later on, there may be other employees living with you.”
“Second, without accommodation, the salary is 12,000 Federation Coins per month. Just like the first option, meals are included, along with an additional heat allowance.”
Ma Dapao’s heart pounded. Whether it was the first or second option, the benefits were ridiculously good.
Back at the old station, he had to hustle for customers. There was no food or lodging provided, and his base salary was only 6,000. The rest of his income depended on overcharging guests for commissions—otherwise, he could barely survive.
Only one phrase filled his mind: rising with the tide. Without thinking, he blurted out,
“I—I’ll take the second option, Boss Su! I’m an orphan, never planned on getting married or having kids, so I don’t have any family burdens. I don’t care if I sleep in a storage room as long as I have a place to stay. Besides, I know how good the double rooms are. Honestly, picking the second option feels like I’m getting the better deal.”
Su Tao chuckled. “Sounds like you used to sweet-talk a lot of customers.”
Ma Dapao scratched his head sheepishly. “L-Life forced me to.”
The first day of business was indeed slow. Only three customers checked in, and that was only because the old station was full. They happened to see the Open sign at Panliu Mountain and decided to give it a try.
Having been idle for most of the day, Chef Qin rushed to Su Tao, anxious.
“Boss, I’ve been free all day with nothing to do—I feel uneasy! The kitchen is fully equipped, but there are no ingredients. Just now, when I saw customers coming in, I was afraid they’d order food…”
Su Tao reassured him, “Don’t worry, just think of it as a few days of paid leave. Once the ingredients arrive, you can put up a menu. If anyone wants to eat in the meantime, direct them to the vending machine for ready-made meals.”
That reminded her—she needed to bring some vegetables from Taoyang and buy some meat from Dongyang’s farm.
Chef Qin nervously returned to the kitchen, wiped down all the cooking equipment again, and when he ran out of things to do, he started competing with the cleaning ladies for chores.
Later, more than ten people showed up, but most of them were job seekers who had heard about the opening. Among them were a few familiar faces—men who had helped Ma Dapao dispose of corpses in the parking garage a while back.
Seeing them, Ma Dapao sighed, then turned to Su Tao.
“Boss, maybe you should head upstairs. They’re probably here to settle a score with me.”
Su Tao raised an eyebrow. “You offended them?”
Ma Dapao hesitated. “Well… remember when we were hiring two strong security guards? These guys are acquaintances of mine, so they came to me first. But I knew they weren’t the right fit for the job, so I… kinda ghosted them. I’m guessing they found out Panliu Mountain opened and came looking for an explanation.”
Su Tao thought back and teased, “Weren’t you praising these four before? Said one could fix cars, two were literate, and one even had powers.”
Ma Dapao was impressed by her memory.
“Boss, back then, I didn’t know your hiring standards. I thought having some skills was enough. But if we’re talking about character… these four really don’t make the cut.”
He pointed to the surveillance screen, where a scruffy-looking man stood out.
“That’s Xiong Tai. He’s the one with powers—an uncommon offensive ability from the spatial category called Cage. I’ve seen him fight before. With just a thought, the air around him ripples, and his opponent suddenly gets bound by invisible ropes, completely immobilized. Then, he just beats them into the ground.”
Ma Dapao looked envious.
“That’s a strong power, right? If he joined a mercenary team, he’d be a core member. He could trap zombies instantly, massively reducing casualties for his squad. But he refuses to do it. He only takes odd jobs like corpse disposal when he’s completely broke and starving.”
“And that’s not the worst of it—he sold his newborn daughter for booze. When he’s out of money, he steals from passing convoys. He’s lazy and always looking for shortcuts. There’s no way I’d dare bring someone like him in.”
Su Tao thought, This is the textbook case of wasting a golden opportunity.
With that power, all he had to do was put in a little effort, and he could live a life that most ordinary people in the apocalypse could only dream of.
She couldn’t help but feel envious. Some people, like her, waited forever and never got powers, while others had them and just threw them away.
Ma Dapao sighed. “The other three are just as bad. They have skills, but they aren’t reliable. Boss, you should really head upstairs. I’ll go deal with them.”
Su Tao warned, “Stay inside Panliu Mountain. If you step out and they beat you up, I won’t be able to help.”
Then, she called over the two security guards on duty.
“Lao Zhu, Lao Qi, go with Dapao. And remember what I told you last night?”
The two burly men nodded and recited,
“No fighting inside Panliu Mountain. No destruction of public property. Unauthorized entry into non-public areas is prohibited. If someone refuses to comply, report it to you immediately.”
Reporting to Su Tao meant one thing—instant ejection from Panliu Mountain and permanent blacklisting.
Ma Dapao waved dismissively. “There won’t be a fight. I’ll talk to them properly.”
Sure enough, within twenty minutes, Xiong Tai and his crew left without a single argument.
But when Ma Dapao returned, wiping sweat from his forehead, he looked utterly speechless.
“I told him that Boss was looking for diligent workers and that he wasn’t a good fit. I swear I was extremely polite. But somehow, he misunderstood and thought he got rejected because he didn’t bribe you. So now… he’s gone to fetch a gift.”
