MS Chapter 39

Lu Qingjia was busy all night, working through the script and setting arrangements, and by the time he shut down his computer, it was already the next morning.

He went downstairs, and the staff in the store had already started their busy day.

The cleaner’s shift starts a bit later, and at this time, she was also helping the kitchen handle the day’s ingredients.

Although Lu Qingjia’s place is somewhat remote, the benefits are quite good, including meals and accommodation, with decent dormitory conditions and food.

The dormitory is shared by four people, converted from a large guest room on the first floor, complete with a small living area and a separate bathroom. The rooms are equipped with air conditioning and televisions. The meals are prepared by a nearby chef who excels in home-style cooking, providing hearty employee meals, and Lu Qingjia, as the boss, naturally eats with them, ensuring no corners are cut.

He often purchases good ingredients and usually sets aside some for extra meals.

The monthly salary after tax is around five to six thousand, plus they provide social insurance and housing fund, with few places to spend money, allowing most employees to save a significant portion of their salary by the end of the year.

So even though the location is remote, most employees tend to stay long-term, leaving only for marriage, childbirth, or major life plans.

This morning, the employee meal consisted of steamed buns and sweet potato porridge, with the chef’s homemade pickled radish and minced meat stir-fried with green beans served alongside the porridge.

The buns had thin skins and generous fillings, bursting with rich broth with every bite, making it easy to eat several at once with the porridge.

Xiao Wei, who handles reception, HR, and finance, brought over a tray. This girl seemed to be on a diet lately, as her tray only contained half a bowl of porridge and a plate of pickles, without a single bun.

She set the tray down and sat across from Lu Qingjia: “Boss, A Ping wants to resign. Didn’t she go back to the city for matchmaking during her recent leave?”

“She found someone decent recently. It’s not suitable to date long-distance, so she wants to return to the city to develop her career.”

Lu Qingjia nodded: “Then congratulations to her. If she’s not in a hurry, let her wait until after this week’s Qixi Festival event to leave. We’ll calculate her salary for a month then.”

Xiao Wei smiled: “I’ve already told her that. There’s no rush for now, but if she leaves, we definitely won’t have enough hands.”

“The store is getting busier too. While she’s still here, let’s recruit some more staff, shall we?”

Lu Qingjia replied: “Sure, you take charge. Hiring one or two more is fine. I might not have as much energy to manage the store in the future.”

When Old Uncle was running the farm stay, the staff were directly chosen from the nearby village women.

However, after Lu Qingjia took over and transformed the business, the customer base shifted mostly to young people, so the staff became primarily younger and more flexible, sharing common topics with the guests.

Such individuals generally seek opportunities in big cities, and not many are willing to stay in a small mountain village.

Fortunately, Lu Qingjia offers good benefits and has developed the surrounding area into an industrial chain, creating a picturesque environment. Many young people, tired of the hustle and bustle of big cities, come here seeking opportunities.

Lu Qingjia even arranged for a vehicle to pick up packages for people living near the scenic area every day, removing the barriers for many employees who earn money but have nowhere to spend it, at least for online shopping.

Sure enough, not long after Xiao Wei posted the job listing, she received quite a few resumes, but many backed out upon learning the job location.

However, considering the salary and beautiful scenery, along with a relaxed pace of life, many felt they had struck gold.

After finishing breakfast, Lu Qingjia returned to his room to rest, unaware that not long after he left, Xiao Wei had gathered a few young female employees from the store—

“Come, come, come! I received a resume, and I’m going to reject it.”

The others thought there was something bizarre to share, but when they crowded around the computer, they all gasped—

“Is this person applying for the farm stay service? Which talent agency sent the wrong resume?”

“No, no, no, you’re overestimating the talent agency. A star without packaging can’t have this quality!”

“Even the packaged ones can’t compare, right? Just talking about looks, we’re not even discussing temperament.”

“If this is photoshopped, the skills are impressive.”

“Look at the reason for applying—’homeless’? What’s that about?”

Xiao Wei pushed aside the heads nearly diving into the computer, cleared her throat: “In any case, let’s notify them for an interview. It’s not about whether they’re handsome or not; mainly, our store has gained some reputation among the younger crowd, attracting high-quality employees is beneficial for future development.”

The others nodded in agreement, though they were quite clear on the underlying situation.

The boss had no intention of expanding with a branch store; he was solely focused on managing the surrounding area.

They urged: “So what are we waiting for? Send the invitation text quickly.”

Xiao Wei said seriously: “I think calling to invite them is more sincere.”

Saying this, she dialed the number on the resume, and after a few rings, the call connected.

A moist, magnetic voice came through, as if the person had just finished exercising and showering: “Hello?”

The call was on speaker, and the surrounding female employees gasped at the tone and quality of the voice.

Xiao Wei quickly said: “Is this Mr. Zhong Liyu? This is Jiajia Country Theme Hotel. We received your resume and think—”

At that moment, Lu Qingjia was lying on his bed, feeling a sudden chill for some unknown reason, but it passed quickly.

Taking advantage of not being too sleepy yet, he sorted through the task rewards for this time.

According to the Game, due to various reasons leading to a fermentation reaction, the difficulty of the originally peak-level beginner dungeon had now reached intermediate difficulty.

Moreover, Zhong Liyu’s involvement had greatly misled the Player’s thinking and added difficulty to the Game.

For Players who complete tasks at a higher level and perform perfectly, the corresponding evaluation will also increase.

Lu Qingjia’s evaluation this time was an SSS level, a rating that had rarely appeared in history. It’s worth noting that the upper limit for a dungeon’s evaluation is only SS.

He had essentially completed an Intermediate Level Game task while still in the beginner stage, achieving a perfect SS level performance, so the rewards were naturally more generous.

Among them, the credit for eliminating the Villainous Player contributed to Lu Qingjia’s accumulated reward points, which reached a staggering 125,000.

Adding to the points he had saved up previously, it was already an impressive sum.

Lu Qingjia was quite satisfied with this number because he knew that once entering the Intermediate Level Game, the prices of items would no longer be counted in dozens or hundreds of points as in the beginner stage; thousands of points would be considered efficient items.

Once in the Intermediate Level Game, even seemingly insignificant items could cost over a thousand, while truly good items could easily reach several thousand or even tens of thousands.

He even knew about the exchange student system.

This system allows promising Players in the Intermediate Level Game to be exchanged to two other major Games for completion. If they survive and succeed, they can shop in that Game’s exchange mall.

When he initially got the information from Zhong Liyu, he claimed that company employees were going to competitors for exchanges and praised the open shopping channels of competing companies.

Although precious items always require a high price, some weapons that are hard to sell in terrifying Games and difficult to obtain in reality piqued Lu Qingjia’s interest, so he looked forward to the exchange student quota.

In any case, accumulating points before becoming an exchange student was undoubtedly the right choice.

Next came the abilities Lu Qingjia gained in this round.

To be honest, since the task did not involve exorcising vengeful spirits, Lu Qingjia had not had much contact with ghosts, which greatly reduced the chances of him unlocking abilities.

Fortunately, this time he received a rare SSS level evaluation, which basically allowed him to ignore other obstacles.

The abilities Lu Qingjia unlocked this time were three. The first was Shadow Separation, obtained from the Transgender Ghost.

It was a mutated version, allowing the Player to split their shadow and merge part of it into another target’s shadow, enabling them to constantly monitor the other’s movements. As the ability improves, they could even control the other’s words and actions.

In necessary situations, they could manipulate shadows to surprise attack, making it a great stealth ability.

The second ability, Subspace Manipulation, was obtained from the No-Foot Ghost. This ghost could manipulate blood to seep through tiny gaps into a room and store items.

In fact, its abilities were far beyond what was displayed; it was just that the small gaps in the room limited its performance.

In reality, its tricks were quite powerful. When other Players encountered her, a pool of blood the size of a room spread across the ground, directly sucking people into the subspace. Fortunately, the Players were alert at that time.

The female Player Lu Qingjia had high hopes for used a rope to hook onto the large crystal chandelier on the ceiling, leveraging it to escape the ghost’s range.

Lu Qingjia certainly couldn’t afford to spill a large pool of blood every time he used this ability; even if he bled out, he wouldn’t reach the desired area.

However, the usage conditions weren’t so harsh; he only needed to mix his blood into a liquid.

The larger the volume of the liquid, the more blood was required. Dropping two drops of blood into the Pacific Ocean wouldn’t turn it into his territory, that would be a dream.

The last ability was Hair Strand Manipulation, obtained from the Water Ghost.

Lu Qingjia could change the length, density, and sharpness of his hair, turning fine strands into sharp weapons or tools like ropes.

This was a very good ability. Fortunately, Lu Qingjia had brought back some of the Water Ghost’s hair and some red silk, so he didn’t even need to use them; the fundamental ability had already been unlocked, and it was even more convenient.

He tried it out, and his short hair instantly grew to his ankles, glossy and black, cascading over the pristine white sheets like a work of art.

In the mirror, a somewhat unfamiliar long-haired handsome man appeared. Lu Qingjia brushed back the excess hair and murmured, “So this is what I look like with long hair?”

If it weren’t for the modern pajamas he was wearing, he would truly resemble a refined gentleman stepping out of a classical painting.

With a thought, his long hair retracted back, and Lu Qingjia fell back onto the bed.

In addition to the points rewards and unlocked abilities, the extreme completion evaluation also elevated Lu Qingjia’s previous abilities by several levels.

For instance, using his x-ray vision to see what was inside the safe would now be a trivial matter.

Although it was rushed, Lu Qingjia had indeed stepped into the ranks of intermediate Players in various aspects, bringing him significantly closer to his goal.

After all, with his attitude and philosophy, the Game would surely arrange for him to encounter treacherous Players in the future, and there would eventually be a day when he could catch clues about Old Uncle and unearth the murderer.

Lu Qingjia suddenly asked, “Game, do you know who the murderer is?”

Although the Game usually had a sharp tongue, it didn’t make any jokes this time: “I know!”

“But you can’t get any hints from me, and of course, Zhong Liyu won’t be able to either.”

Lu Qingjia chuckled lightly: “Of course, such major cheating would fundamentally deny your existence. For Zhong Ye, who might directly or indirectly help me, they would certainly be on high alert.”

“That’s what I want. I sincerely hope the murderer is still alive. Just the thought of them possibly being dead in some corner, at the hands of someone even more sinister, makes it hard for me to breathe, even if they died a hundred times worse than my uncle.”

“Because enemies, you see, if they don’t die by your hand, it’s utterly meaningless.”

The Game had seen its fair share of grudges and vendettas, but the madness that seeped through Lu Qingjia’s calm still made it tremble inside.

The greed and slaughter among mediocre talents were merely the norm, but those outstanding individuals, in the Game’s view, would one day have a place in each other’s private domains, even if they were still in their growth phase; every word they spoke carried different weight.

After Lu Qingjia sorted out his resources, he fell asleep. When the hotel was built, his uncle personally supervised the entire process, using solid materials, so the soundproofing was excellent.

He slept until the afternoon before waking up, washed up, changed clothes, and went out to find something to eat. As soon as he entered the lobby, he saw a group of female employees excitedly discussing something.

Lu Qingjia walked over and asked, “What’s going on?”

He usually got along well with the staff, and aside from work, he was quite casual, so everyone felt no pressure of being caught by the boss.

Excitedly, they said: “Xiao Wei is interviewing right now, and this time, there’s a super handsome guy applying.”

“Yeah, we thought the photos were edited, but who knew the real person was even more handsome? The photos didn’t capture his charm and presence at all, it’s incredible.”

“Cough, cough! Of course, in our eyes, you’re still the most handsome boss.”

Lu Qingjia smiled. He had no worries leaving the recruitment to Xiao Wei.

Xiao Wei had previously been a senior executive at a large company, with strong work capabilities, but after long hours of overtime, her health deteriorated, and she fell seriously ill. The intense work and overwhelming pace of life had pushed her to the brink of collapse.

After recovering, she chose to slow down. During a trip here, she fell in love with the scenery and relaxed pace, and when Lu Qingjia was hiring, she volunteered.

In fact, Lu Qingjia had benefited greatly from this; she was naturally more professional in recruitment.

Lu Qingjia understood the girls’ thoughts and laughed: “Just don’t get too distracted by the handsome guy and neglect your work.”

“How could we?” they laughed. “With you as our boss, our immunity to handsome guys is quite strong.”

They added: “Want a cup of coffee? Wenwen just brewed some fresh.”

Lu Qingjia replied: “I’ll have a—”

Before he could finish, the small meeting room used for interviews opened, and a figure stepped out.

The person was tall, having to slightly lower their head when exiting, but that figure and face were unmistakable to Lu Qingjia, even if he turned to ash.

He was completely stunned. Given his understanding of that idiot, after the previous incident, even if it couldn’t be resolved once and for all, it should at least keep him quiet for a while, right?

Yet it had only been twenty-four hours.

The other party also saw him, their expression one of noble coldness, looking down at him from their height.

This guy had a particularly aggressive appearance; if he didn’t speak, he really looked the part.

Xiao Wei followed closely behind and, upon seeing Lu Qingjia, introduced: “This is our hotel’s boss, Mr. Lu. He’s very easygoing, so don’t feel pressured.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the usually gentle and warm voice of the boss coolly interjected: “Don’t you have any self-respect? In this little rundown hotel, not only would you not want to work, but you’d also find it shabby to even stay here, right?”

Xiao Wei and the other female employees shuddered, momentarily confused about the situation, watching as the atmosphere shifted to an incredibly awkward one.

Was the boss dissatisfied with this employee?

The handsome guy looked quite arrogant, and it seemed he was about to be driven away.

Sure enough, the other party raised their chin slightly, revealing a proud smile: “It’s just so-so. Don’t belittle yourself. For a novice like you to manage to this extent is already quite impressive.”

“However, there are still many areas that are lacking. But don’t worry, there happens to be a professional guide here who is both affordable and hard to come by.”

Lu Qingjia lazily replied: “To be frank, I’m only hiring someone to serve plates and clean floors. With your ambitions, you must have come to the wrong place.”

Saying this, he turned to Xiao Wei: “Do not hire them, let’s recruit someone else.”

Zhong Liyu could no longer act cool at this point, humiliated, he lowered his noble head: “Cleaning and serving is fine. I’m not someone who can’t handle hardship.”

Seeing no reaction from Lu Qingjia, he gritted his teeth and continued: “I can do anything. I really need this job. Please reconsider, boss?”

Lu Qingjia had seen this guy’s shamelessness before, but the procedure and reaction were clearly off.

Moreover, he was clearly putting on a forced expression of being put in a difficult position, having just called him out and unable to drop the act, which made Lu Qingjia guess what was going on.

Lu Qingjia raised an eyebrow: “Did your family kick you out?”

Zhong Liyu immediately displayed an expression of utter disbelief: “Kicked out? By whom?”

“Don’t you know who’s in charge of my family now? I, Zhong Liyu, am a person who speaks and acts decisively. How could I be kicked out?”

“Then you came here to pick a fight?” Lu Qingjia said lightly: “Get out.”

He no longer dared to act tough, lowering his head even further: “I was kicked out. I wasn’t allowed to take any clothes, and I was thrown out in the middle of the night. Life is tough with a stepmother[mfn]He really says stepmother but it should be his real mother right? It is probably said in a joking manner?[/mfn] in charge.”

“I’m asking the boss for shelter, just a place to stay and something to eat.”

Lu Qingjia sighed, holding back his anger, and asked again: “Do you think I’m stupid or that I’m as easy to fool as you? What did you say yesterday? What about dignity? What about pride?”

“Well, I can’t live like this anymore. Even eating has become a problem. How can I talk about self-respect?”

Lu Qingjia: “Stop pretending. Do you lack a place to live? Who points at the city skyline every day and complains about dissatisfaction, wanting to tear down this building and that building to create a landscape that fits their aesthetics?”

“With the act you put on back then, don’t say Madam An kicked you out; even if she cut you into ten thousand pieces and threw you out, you could find a place to stay for each piece.”

Zhong Liyu disagreed: “How is that showing off? The daughter of a broke real estate tycoon with debts of billions can do it, so how does it make me pretentious?”

“Besides, didn’t you complain that the glass of that skyscraper was too glaring?” he muttered quietly, “Who am I doing this for?”

Lu Qingjia didn’t want to get entangled with this idiot: “What does that have to do with me? Even if you have nowhere to stay, there are plenty of homeless people in the world. Am I supposed to take them all in? Get lost.”

Zhong Liyu: “You really want to force me to pull out the big guns, don’t you?”

Lu Qingjia: “…”

Zhong Liyu: “I dare to do it; I’m just afraid you won’t dare to accept.”

Lu Qingjia: “What do you want, idiot?”

Zhong Liyu shouted: “I’ll take a pay cut! Let’s see who competes with me!”

“If you don’t hire me, I’ll just find a cardboard box outside your hotel to live in, and I’ll write on the box, ‘Bastard boss Lu Qingjia makes people homeless and doesn’t take responsibility.’”

“My house was taken by my stepmother, my money was frozen by her, and my business was taken over by her. I have all the time in the world; don’t push me.”

These words were packed with explosive information. The employees were left in the dark, but they felt an inexplicable thrill.

Seeing that this idiot was really getting into it, Lu Qingjia crossed his arms, a half-smile on his face: “Do you think this tactic will work on me?”

“Believe it or not, I’ll directly arrange a marriage for you in the village. There are several widows in a few households who are worried about not having men to work; plenty of people would be willing to take you in.”

Zhong Liyu gasped: “Are you even human?”

Lu Qingjia didn’t want to get entangled with this guy for now, but Madam An was not easy to deal with. Lu Qingjia felt guilty towards her, and with Zhong Ye being this idiot, it was clear that trying to handle things quietly wouldn’t work.

However, looking at it from another angle, it wasn’t impossible to turn trouble into opportunity, especially if he couldn’t avoid it.