Dimensional Store: Welcome to the Apocalypse Apartment - Chapter 149

Chapter 149

Secretary Wang scrolled through her phone for a while before finding the news article and handing it to Gu Huaiwei. Gu Huaiwei lowered her head to look at the screen.

The news report detailed an incident from over six months ago where several students at a local university laboratory exhibited symptoms of poisoning. The cause of the poisoning was unknown, only mentioning that they had been infected by an unidentified strain while conducting metal research.

This research project was funded by a famous multinational corporation, Xiyuan Group. The group’s headquarters was located in a two-hundred-story skyscraper in Country M, with branches spread across the globe, controlling the lifeblood of the international economy.

The group was involved in many fields. A quick search through public online channels revealed their remarkable achievements.

They held controlling stakes in several international banks, owned top-tier private equity funds, and controlled the flow of global capital. They also had significant accomplishments in high-end technology, medical and biotechnology, entertainment media, luxury goods, and new energy.

Their most striking achievements in recent years included spatial storage technology, the successful development of anti-aging drugs, the discovery and attempted production of new clean energy sources, and the discovery of new gold mines in several underdeveloped countries.

Looking at their list of achievements, Gu Huaiwei felt something was off.

For a single group to have such diverse business interests and yet reach the pinnacle of every industry felt like they were using a cheat code, as if they were bringing things from other Dimensions into the Real World.

In fact, Gu Huaiwei had initially thought about doing the same thing.

If not for that trial in Paradise and her sister’s warning in her dream, Gu Huaiwei would have brought things from other Dimensions over while searching for her sister and started her own business in this world.

Paradise had selected many Operators in the past.

They all had the opportunity to do exactly what Gu Huaiwei was doing.

If that was the case, were there other people like her hidden in the Real World?

Since an appointment for a prison visit wouldn’t be available until next month, Gu Huaiwei returned to the Alien world first.

The dating reality show previously filmed by the Oasis Matchmaking Agency was playing on a loop on the local television station. The revenue generated could be deposited directly into the Oasis Matchmaking Agency’s account.

After the upgrade, the scale of the Oasis Matchmaking Agency had expanded to occupy the entire mountaintop. Gu Huaiwei sat on the windowsill with her knees pulled up, watching the torrential rain outside. The raindrops hit the red roof of the Matchmaker God Temple, falling from the eaves like broken strings of pearls.

A sense of loneliness from being in the Other World surrounded Gu Huaiwei. In the damp weather, her mood was as somber as the rainy day, heavy with thoughts of her sister.

Work helped Gu Huaiwei forget her troubles. As long as her body was busy, her mind would relax and stop wandering into dark places.

Fresh spring water gushed from the dry well in the backyard.

Gu Huaiwei put up a wooden sign labeled “Wishing Well” by the edge of the dry well. She then had He Xueyi promote it to the visiting customers, telling them that if they threw valuable gemstones into the well, lovers would find their happy ending.

The Heavenly Ladder by the waterfall had also been upgraded to a safer stone staircase. Gu Huaiwei arranged for it to be an experience attraction. It was free for members registered with the agency who were looking for a partner, but if a couple wanted a private experience, they had to pay in Magnetic Value.

Since Bai Miemie’s arrival, the interior decor of the Oasis Matchmaking Agency had become much more tasteful than before.

Gu Huaiwei had once thought about decorating the Oasis Matchmaking Agency in a vibrant, festive red according to her own aesthetic.

However, the Matchmaking Agency had a mind of its own. Every time she brought in decorative paintings, potted plants, or craft ornaments, the Oasis Matchmaking Agency would disrespectfully break them.

Over time, Gu Huaiwei gave up.

Yet, when Bai Miemie tinkered with these things, the Matchmaking Agency seemed to accept them quite well.

For instance, right now, Bai Miemie had placed a bouquet of preserved flowers – yarn sunflowers – in Gu Huaiwei’s office, and the Oasis Matchmaking Agency showed no signs of rejection whatsoever.
Unlocking a single branch required 100,000 Magnetic Value.

Gu Huaiwei currently had nearly 500,000 Magnetic Value in her account.

She started by unlocking four Oasis Matchmaking Agency branches in neighboring cities.

[Oasis Matchmaking Agency: Four-Star]

[Current phase unlockable areas: Oasis Matchmaking Agency Chain Stores (4/10)]

[Remaining Magnetic Value: 95,920 points.]

Once the unlocking process was complete, four doors appeared side-by-side on a previously blank wall in the main lobby of the Oasis Matchmaking Agency.

Those four doors led directly to the branch agencies in the other cities.

The scale of these chain stores was identical to a one-star matchmaking agency. There were no staff members inside; Gu Huaiwei would have to hire them herself.

The “Employee Handbook” had also become significantly thicker after the upgrade.

Gu Huaiwei flipped through the newly appeared rules and regulations in the handbook. The laws of this Dimension were different from the Wasteland World. Even after the final upgrade was complete, it wouldn’t be possible to implement fully automated robotic management. Gu Huaiwei needed to hire external employees herself and ensure that the main branch and the ten sub-branches formed a virtuous cycle, operating healthily.

This meant that simply unlocking ten branches wasn’t enough to complete this upgrade. She also had to ensure that these stores could continue to operate and avoid bankruptcy after she left.

Otherwise, if the Oasis Matchmaking Agency fell into a deficit after she jumped to a new Dimension, she would lose her steady stream of management profit shares from this world.

Since the four branches hadn’t opened yet and were still in the preparation stage, Gu Huaiwei posted new recruitment ads online and appointed He Xueyi as the interviewer.

Because the dating show had become a massive hit, the peaceful lives of Ji Xuan and He Jiarui had been disrupted. They were preparing to move away from the city. Before leaving, He Jiarui wanted to see Gu Huaiwei one last time, so Ji Xuan accompanied her for a visit.

Following the upgrade, the Oasis Matchmaking Agency now had several Matchmaker’s Cottages used to receive VIP guests. Business had been booming lately, to the point where even Lin She, who wasn’t particularly good at business talk, had to help attend to customers.

Gu Huaiwei invited He Jiarui into a Matchmaker’s Cottage for a private chat.

He Jiarui’s eyes were wrapped in thick white bandages. She looked older than before; there were faint fine lines at the corners of her eyes, and her nasolabial folds were deeper. However, her complexion was rosy, and she had gained a bit of weight around her midsection. Overall, she actually looked much healthier than she had back at Chen Liuxiang’s manor.

Magnetic Value could nourish a person.

But so could careful, devoted care.

Ji Xuan wanted to stay by He Jiarui’s side every second, but she waved him away, telling him she wanted to speak with Gu Huaiwei alone.

Ji Xuan couldn’t win against her and could only wait in the lobby with a slightly worried expression.

“Slow down, there’s a step here.” Gu Huaiwei supported the nearly blind He Jiarui as they entered the Matchmaker’s Cottage.

He Jiarui felt for the edge of the chair and slowly sat down.

Gu Huaiwei handed her a Magnetic Beverage, which she began to sip in small gulps. The Magnetic Value Ji Xuan could provide her wasn’t much, so she had broken her previous habit of never letting a Magnetic Beverage leave her hand.

“Miss Gu, do you consider us friends?” He Jiarui’s voice was very soft, tinged with melancholy.

Though she relied on an Alien, she still craved human friends.

“Of course.”

Friends came in many forms-acquaintances, or soulmates.

He Jiarui had contributed 100,000 Magnetic Value; how could she not be considered a friend?

“I’m leaving this city tomorrow. Before I go, I want to ask you something.” He Jiarui’s fingers tightened around the Magnetic Beverage, her knuckles turning white as her brow furrowed slightly. “Do you think… the person who kidnapped me was really that murderer who committed suicide?”