Chapter 68: Final Preparations Before the Dungeon Starts

Very soon.

It took only as long as Yan Jing needed to drink a few sips of water.

The waitress had already finished writing down the requests of the twenty regulars she had served.

Pocketing the list, Yan Jing smiled, nodded at the waitress, and promised to give her a five-star review.

Next, Yan Jing observed the surrounding guests and their requests.

He didn't make a special effort to memorize them, merely scanning the room to record as much as possible in his mind.

Once he entered the Dungeon and switched identities to cross-reference, he should be able to find overlapping targets.

"You're out too."

A voice tinged with a faint sense of death sounded behind him. Yan Jing turned his head and saw Chen Nian standing there with his hands in his pockets.

"How did you get out?"

Yan Jing smiled. He still remembered that the Cleaner role profile mentioned an immense workload.

"I brought a few cores in my suitcase."

Chen Nian casually sat down across from him. "I threw together a few simple, automated small machines."

"They stopped and started a lot, but they still saved me two or three hours."

"Of course you did," Yan Jing said, nodding with a smile.

During a pause in their conversation, the nearby waitress seized the opportunity to smile at Chen Nian.

"Sir, sorry to interrupt. I'm going to find a dedicated waiter for you now. If you have any requests, you can tell me."

"Or you can place your order first."

Before Chen Nian could speak, Yan Jing smiled. "My treat today."

Chen Nian's eyes lit up. Just as he was about to speak, Yan Jing continued.

"Get this gentleman a glass of plain water. A small one."

"..."

Chen Nian sighed. He should have known.

"Just listen to him."

Hearing this, the waitress did her best to maintain her smile.

"Then, as for the waiter... what do you..."

This time, she didn't face Chen Nian, looking at Yan Jing instead.

"Just grab anyone. Or you could do it."

The moment he spoke, the waitress immediately replied, "I'll go find you someone popular and experienced! Please wait a moment!"

With that, she hurried away.

"She's smart."

Chen Nian heard Yan Jing say this seemingly out of nowhere, then watched him pick up the brown cardstock from the table. Yan Jing looked at him and smiled.

"Every guest can make one request of their waiter, as long as it doesn't exceed their capabilities. Do you have any extra requests?"

Chen Nian blinked, his eyes lighting up.

"Any request at all?"

"There are a few extra restrictions. For example..."

Two minutes later.

A newly arrived male waiter stared at the writing on the back of the brown cardstock, instantly doubting his own eyes.

[Help find discarded aluminum alloy, titanium alloy... alloy fibers, liquid metal mixed rubber... energy-conducting materials including but not limited to (energy domain discretized liquid...)... at least 0.5kg of any of the above materials, regardless of purity or metal mixing ratio.]

"I'm counting on you."

Chen Nian took a sip of his plain water.

The male waiter walked away with a bitter expression. This request genuinely didn't exceed his capabilities.

Aluminum alloy... if he really tried, he might actually be able to find some.

The two of them sipped their water. Whenever they finished, they ordered another glass, passing two hours just like that.

By the time the cocktail party ended, Yan Jing stood up, his pockets stuffed with brown cards detailing the guests' preferences.

Nearby, the waitress was on the verge of a breakdown.

The past two hours felt as if they had dragged her straight back to her childhood, receiving her education in the Tower.

That teacher from Solitude Lane had also demanded she write from memory over and over again, saying in that same unflappable voice: "Continue."

As for this man today, even though he allowed her to ask others for answers and offered five-star reviews and encouragement every single time, she felt his behavior was no different from that teacher's.

Of course, someone else was even closer to a breakdown.

Chen Nian pushed the protruding metal instruments down into a burlap sack by his feet, then picked it up.

"Thanks."

He said this to the male waiter, who had collapsed in exhaustion nearby, before turning to Yan Jing.

"I'll make a few more for Mantou Girl. Contact me anytime if you need something."

With that, Chen Nian carried the sack out of the main reception hall.

Yan Jing also stood up. He looked at the waitress with a polite smile.

"See you tomorrow."

"S... see you... tomorrow... sir..."

The waitress's smile looked worse than if she had been crying.

...

...

Yan Jing stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the second floor.

Employee dormitories for those below Grade D in the Tower were generally double rooms located on the fourth floor.

But he had already spent 15 Points to rent a single dorm room in advance.

The room used a combination lock. After he spent the Points, the Points Board provided the corresponding temporary password.

Yan Jing pushed the door open and walked in.

It looked just like a very ordinary single standard room from the Surface World.

The only additions were a small kitchen partitioned off by a panel, a balcony, and a refrigerator.

Sitting on the bed, he began to summarize his gains for the day.

In terms of Points, his rank had been promoted to E1. Although business at the bar wasn't great tonight, since he was both the boss and the bartender, he hadn't earned any less than he had in the morning.

The bar's debt had been paid off. Combined with his fixed salary of 35 Points for the E1 rank, he had 60 Points left on hand.

The current hidden danger lay in what that man with the glassy, staring eyes had said.

This business model wouldn't last, so he needed to change his revenue model as soon as possible.

Regardless, he wouldn't have to worry about his meals after entering the Dungeon.

For the waiter task, he had the information provided by Shen Youran, plus the details he got from the waitress tonight. Old Liu should have some information as well.

Cross-referencing the three sources should be enough.

If not, he would just close the shop early tomorrow night and find a few more waiters.

Finally, the Gluttonous Weird task.

This task was currently the most difficult to execute.

Yan Jing pondered for a moment, then swept the room with Weird Energy. Finally, he used the curtains to conceal his body and exited the Inner World.

...

"Hello? Teacher Shen."

Yan Jing had dialed Shen Youran's number.

"Yeah, Xiao Yanzi, go ahead."

Shen Youran answered the call. It was already past midnight. She had just finished showering and was sprawling on the bed in her worn-out cotton pajamas.

"Do you have any heavy-duty Inner World sleeping aids? Can we get some before the Dungeon starts?"

Yan Jing asked.

"Heavy-duty... sleeping aid..."

Shen Youran frowned. "How heavy-duty?"

"Preferably something that can knock out a Second Tier."

Yan Jing added, "As for the onset time, within ten minutes."

"Second Tier..."

Shen Youran froze, thinking she had misheard. "What do you need such a powerful item for?"

"It doesn't have to be a permanent item, just a one-time consumable. Preferably something small, ideally in powder form. Colorless and odorless would be best, of course, but it's fine if it isn't..."

The more detailed Yan Jing's description became, the blanker Shen Youran's expression grew.

"Why does everything you're describing sound like something I'd only see in pop-up ads on sketchy websites?"

Yan Jing coughed lightly.

"Anyway, that's what I need. Do you have it?"

"I could definitely find it if I looked..."

Shen Youran thought carefully. "But if it has to meet all those conditions and knock out a Second Tier, it feels like the money we have on hand won't be enough..."

"It doesn't have to meet all of them."

Yan Jing's spirits lifted.

The two of them discussed the matter for nearly an hour before hanging up.

After ending the call, Shen Youran didn't wait until morning. Instead, she went through her channels overnight, ultimately securing the desired item for the price of 700,000 Surface World Currency. Furthermore, she used two different channels to guarantee she would get it by the next morning.

If she couldn't get it by morning, she still had a full day to adjust her plans.

Afterward, she dialed another number.

"He agreed."

A voice came from the other end of the line.

"What do you mean, he agreed?"

"Are my words that hard to understand?"

Shen Youran's voice turned cold.

Several years ago, the person on the other end wouldn't have dared to speak to her in that tone.

"The death contract has already been triggered. Just do what you're supposed to do."

"...Got it."

The other side hung up.

Shen Youran closed her eyes, but she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

This state had lasted for several days now.

The closer they got to the Dungeon, the more restless she felt, worrying that an accident might happen inside.

If she could, she would have liked to enter the Dungeon alongside Yan Jing, but a few critical issues made such an idea nothing more than empty talk.

Finally, she dug out a Peach Wood Charm from under her pillow—one she had prayed for at a temple in a neighboring village the day before yesterday. Placing it between her palms, she pressed her hands together.

"Bless Xiao Yanzi. Bless Xiao Yanzi..."

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Yan Jing had already re-entered the Inner World.

At this moment, he was sleeping soundly.

He slept straight through to the next morning.

...

"Good morning, Xiao Mei, Xiao Yan."

After finishing the employee breakfast, Yan Jing arrived at the bar and greeted Rose and the little boy waiting at the entrance.

The boy's full name was One-Eye.

Xiao Yan was the nickname Yan Jing had given him.

"Good morning, boss!"

The two of them said in unison.

"Very good. Full of energy!"

Yan Jing pumped his fist.

Unlocking the door, Yan Jing found a pen and paper, wrote down a passage, and handed it to Rose.

"Copy this down a few dozen times. Then, use your connections to find the customers who came here yesterday, or even new ones today, and hand these copies to them."

"Remember a few rules: cover your face, don't speak, and be quick."

Hearing this, Rose took the note in confusion. When she read its contents, her eyes went wide.

[You and your best friend (no quotation marks) are invited to the most memorable bar you can recall. You can drink a glass of alcohol together; the only difference is whether or not it's spiked.]

[You will be able to sit by and observe the entire process.]

[Just a little harmless prank, solely to enhance the bond between you and your friend.]

[We welcome your visit.]

Rose looked at Yan Jing in sheer astonishment.

Indeed, as long as they changed their target demographic, the meaning of the drinks seemed to change along with it.

"No need to worship your boss."

Yan Jing wore a calm expression.

"I've named this project: Turning the Shady Bar into Entertainment!"

So you admit we were a shady bar yesterday?!

Rose was so speechless she almost wanted to laugh.