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This day was almost entirely consumed by these tasks, but fortunately, her luck was good, and all the procedures went smoothly.
When Jiang Ci stepped out of the relevant department, the sky outside was gradually darkening.
She had arrived here just in time to be the last one. The staff inside were about to leave for the day, but seeing that she had come, they quickly processed her paperwork.
That’s why Jiang Ci felt her luck was particularly good today. Normally, the staff here weren’t the most friendly.
It was only now that she realized she was hungry. It seemed she hadn’t eaten anything all day.
At this moment, she couldn’t help but think of Song Jinchuan, who was far away in another world. If he were here, he would have already prepared the food for her.
She looked up and sighed, suddenly noticing that this office was near her former company.
Now, looking at the brightly lit building in front of her, she no longer felt the same emotions she had when she was just a worker there. The grievances she had suffered at the company seemed to have already faded with time.
She remembered there was a delicious claypot rice noodle shop near the company, so she parked her car in a nearby parking lot and walked over.
While eating the rice noodles, she ran into some of her former colleagues. While they chatted, they mentioned that the company had undergone a major overhaul, and the atmosphere there was much better than before.
Jiang Ci expressed her well wishes for them, and when they asked if she wanted to return to the company, she firmly shook her head and politely declined them.
After the meal, she drove back to the small courtyard where she lived.
The courtyard had a large iron gate, with a smaller door next to it. The entrance was quite wide, and once opened, the car could easily drive in. There was enough space inside to park one car, and if you included the adjacent dirt area, you could even park two cars.
After finishing her evening routine, Jiang Ci lay down on her bed. The room here was similar to the one she had in the apocalypse; small but fully equipped.
While she lay in bed, she started posting job listings on her phone.
One of the benefits of being back in the real world was the advanced internet. Job listings no longer had to be handwritten, and resumes could be browsed entirely while on the phone.
Indeed, no matter how long she stayed in the apocalypse, her favorite place was still the real world. She wondered if there would ever be a chance to bring Hui Hui’s family and Song Jinchuan here to see it.
[It’s possible, host. Because they signed a contract with you using their lives and souls, it only costs 10,000 points per person or item to accompany you on a cross-world journey. I can also provide services like identity documentation for your companions in this world.] Jiang Ci suddenly realized she had unconsciously voiced these thoughts in her mind. Before she could say anything, the system added, [This is a reward from the main system.]
Jiang Ci’s eyes lit up. This meant she could bring them along next time.
pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:
Before going to bed, Jiang Ci called her parents and told them she had taken over a hotpot restaurant and would be living there from now on. She asked them to close the family supermarket and come stay with her.
Father and Mother Jiang had been living in their small city for so many years and were somewhat reluctant to leave. But compared to their daughter, this reluctance was nothing, especially when she pleaded sweetly with them over the phone, wanting them to be by her side at all times. That’s when they began to waver.
Seeing that her parents were beginning to waver, Jiang Ci turned up the charm, saying she would still be traveling frequently for work and needed them to hold the fort here. After her parents agreed, Jiang Ci told them she would return to pick them up in a few days.
After a few more days of running around and submitting miscellaneous documents, she finally managed to complete all the necessary paperwork.
Jiang Ci then went on to order a grand storefront sign, some greenery, and decorations. She also contacted a security company to install surveillance cameras and negotiated with several suppliers for delivery channels. Knowing that Jiang Ci needed large quantities, the suppliers offered her very competitive prices.
Jiang Ci realized that her time in the apocalypse also had its benefits. Now, she could negotiate prices without showing any emotion, maintaining a calm demeanor. The suppliers’ bosses were impressed by how powerful her presence was compared to how youthful she looked.
Hearing such praise, Jiang Ci herself was momentarily stunned.
Over the past few days, resumes had been pouring into Jiang Ci’s phone like snowflakes. She needed a large number of employees, and her job requirements were quite detailed, so the wages she offered were also slightly higher than those of other hotpot restaurants.
After sifting through the pile of resumes, she selected a few candidates for interviews and eventually hired a group of people who seemed quick and efficient.
She also specifically hired a professional manager to help her run the hotpot restaurant, as she knew she would still be traveling frequently.
Jiang Ci sent them to a nearby training school for an intensive training session before they officially started working.
Taking advantage of this break, Jiang Ci drove back home. Recently, a cousin of hers had gotten married, and she had arrived just in time to attend the wedding banquet.
Father and Mother Jiang hadn’t closed their supermarket but had instead subleased it along with their inventory to someone else.
When mentioning this, Father Jiang sighed repeatedly. After all, it was a store they had run for decades, and suddenly having to close it down was too hard for them to bear.
However, when asked recently why they had suddenly closed the supermarket, his face was full of pride despite the humble reply, “Oh, it’s all because of our Cici. She opened a hotpot restaurant in A City and bought a house there, saying she wants to take us there to retire. But I say, we’re still so young, why would we need her to take care of us? Ah, this child.”
The neighbors who came to inquire but ended up being humble-bragged to: “…”
When Jiang Ci returned home, she happened to see her father, beaming with pride, in the middle of the small square outside the neighborhood. She honked the horn, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.
Father Jiang’s eyes lit up when he saw Jiang Ci, “Cici, you’re back? We’ve been waiting for you for so long.”
Seeing the new car Jiang Ci was driving, the neighbors gathered around.
“Wow, Cici must be making big money in the city, driving a new car already.”
“Do you have any job openings there? My son just quit his job and is just at home now…”
Everyone chimed in with their own comments, their enthusiasm almost overwhelming Jiang Ci. After just a few exchanges, she decisively drove away with her father.
“Cici, when did you buy a car?” her father asked. “Now that you have some money, don’t go spending it recklessly.”
“I know, Dad. This car belongs to my business partner. He’s often abroad on business trips, so he let me use it,” Jiang Ci lied without batting an eye. She had already stashed all the necessary documents in her space. She had previously told her parents that the hotpot restaurant was a joint venture, with her partner providing the capital and her the effort, so they didn’t suspect a thing.
“Your partner, the boss, must be a really good person,” her father nodded. Both he and Jiang Ci’s mother were simple, honest folk who wouldn’t delve into the details. He just advised her, “Since he trusts you enough to hand over such a big hotpot restaurant, you must work hard and not let down his trust in you.”
During a video call with her parents, Jiang Ci had already shown them the six-story hotpot restaurant. On the other end of the call, they had marveled at its beauty, exclaiming at how impressive it looked.
She also showed them the small courtyard where she lived. Seeing the peaceful and comfortable yard with its decorations, they were quite pleased.
They knew that the talk of “overseeing” everything for her was just an excuse; their daughter simply wanted to bring them there to enjoy their retirement.
Back home, Mother Jiang was especially happy. Jiang Ci noticed they had already packed some of their belongings, with several suitcases already packed full to the side.
“We’ll leave after we attend Huihui’s wedding tomorrow. You’ll probably have to go on another business trip soon, right?” her mother said in her usual gentle voice.
“Mm,” Jiang Ci leaned into her mother’s embrace, feeling a deep stirring of clinginess. Although it had been less than a month, she had actually already spent over a year in the apocalypse without seeing her parents.
The wedding gift for her cousin Huihui was a gold and diamond bracelet she had found among the pile of jewelry given to her, both elegant and beautiful.
When she handed it over, she wasn’t surprised to see genuine delight in her cousin’s eyes.
Jiang Ci had grown accustomed to judging relationships based on benefits rather than sincerity, and it didn’t bother her anymore.
After the wedding banquet, she distributed gifts to her grandparents and other relatives. After another round of compliments and flattery, the family headed home under the moonlight.
Early the next morning, Jiang Ci drove her parents away from the neighborhood they had lived in for decades.
The furniture at home was already covered with dust cloths, and the house keys were given to their closest uncle, who would check on the place occasionally.
Jiang Ci had asked the system and found that her vacation time had increased. She could now return every few days or even every couple of days, which was why she felt comfortable having her parents accompany her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t feel at ease leaving them alone in the big city.
The car headed towards A City, and the family enjoyed their journey together.
They stopped at a service area along the way to rest and grab a bite to eat.
By the time they reached A City, it was already evening. Jiang Ci took them to a nearby restaurant for dinner before driving back to the courtyard.
Although they had seen the hotpot restaurant and the courtyard in the video, seeing it in person was far more grounding and awe-inspiring.
Their fatigue seemed to melt away as they eagerly took the elevator from the first to the sixth floor, marveling at what a wonderful place it was.
Standing on the sixth floor, Jiang Ci led her parents to look outside. The city was still bustling with bright lights and lively activity. It was the tourist season, and the city was at its most vibrant.
“Look over there, that’s the museum, and that’s the old city wall…”
This was indeed her parents’ first time in a big city. Previously, their daughter had shared an apartment with others, so it wasn’t convenient for them to visit. Now, everything they saw was new and fascinating.
“Tomorrow, I’ll get you city passes. Then, no matter where you go, whether it’s for transportation or tickets, you can just swipe the card,” Jiang Ci said.
“I’ll also make time to take you around. There’s a convenience store right here on the sixth floor. If you need to buy anything, just take the elevator up. There are subway and bus stops nearby, so everything is convenient,” she added.
the translator has nothing to add ◡̈
