Chapter 3: Starting a Business

Qin Qing searched the shop and, sure enough, found a puddle of water near the kitchen entrance.

She was still in shock.

Just then, the proprietress came out of the kitchen and stepped into the puddle. Qin Qing tried to stop her, but it was too late.

The proprietress nearly slipped but managed to grab the doorframe and didn’t fall completely. After getting up, she started scolding her husband: “I just told you that box of frozen goods was thawing, and to wipe up any water. You just let it go in one ear and out the other.”

“Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. Did you hurt yourself? I got busy and forgot.” The boss worried about his wife, then obligingly took a broom to mop the floor. After mopping, he even stepped on it himself to test it, stopping only when it was no longer slippery.

Qin Qing blinked. She noticed that as the puddle disappeared, the predictive text she had seen earlier also vanished. In its place was:

[On May 8th, a total of 415 bowls of noodles were sold, with a turnover of 6225 yuan.]

Can the future be changed?

No, the predictions displayed in the log seemed more like inferences based on the current situation. If the preconditions changed, the future in the predictions would also change accordingly.

Qin Qing tried to process these things.

Her gaze fell upon her Attribute Directory.

[Name: Qin Qing
Gender: Female
Age: 24
Health: 76
Mood: 70
Intelligence: 70
Stamina: 50
Charm: 61
Luck: 90
Sin: 15
Merit: 35
Talent1: Insight-100 (60+40)
Talent2: Luck-90
Talent3: Stability-80
Skill1: Memory-70
Skill2: None
Skill3: None]

What kind of Talent is Stability?

She couldn’t understand it at all.

She remembered that she had received a reward called “Illustrated Guide” today.

The Illustrated Guide was very long, with more Attribute Categories than the Energy Mall. The ones displayed on her System Panel were already lit up on the corresponding icons in the Illustrated Guide.

She found the entry for Stability and read the description.

Stability: Unruffled.

…

That was as good as saying nothing.

Flipping to the end of the Illustrated Guide, there was an explanation about attribute values.

In short, the numerical value displayed for each attribute was a rating for that person. The rating was divided into 10 levels in total.

90-100: SSS-level
80-90: SS-level
70-80: S-level
60-70: A-level
50-60: B-level
40-50: C-level
30-40: D-level
20-30: E-level
10-20: F-level
0-10: G-level

Among them, E-F levels were low-tier, and most people’s data concentrated in the B-D mid-tier. Data reaching A-level was already considered excellent. Each level up from there was a qualitative leap.

This meant that in this System Panel’s evaluation system, 30 and 60 were dividing lines.

Above 60 points was excellent, so the Talent and Skill boxes only displayed entries above 60. The higher the score, the rarer it was, an unattainable height for most people.

And 30 was a safety line; data above or below this line required attention. For example, most people’s Merit and Sin Values were below 30. So far, Qin Qing had only seen the Sin Value of Gui Cheng, the wanted criminal, exceed this line. In the police stations and fire departments she had visited, those with Merit Values above 30 were also more numerous than ordinary people, with Lin Feng having the highest. And many hospital patients had health below 30.

Qin Qing now had some concept of these numbers.

Comparing her own attribute data, they seemed pretty good?

Aha, a little bit happy.

She still didn’t understand what kind of Talent Stability was, though.

Never mind, time to go home.

Today, Qin Qing had originally gone out for a job interview.

Before leaving, her mother had high hopes for her. Recalling today’s interview process, it seemed she could only disappoint her. The interviewers in the latter half were clearly just going through the motions.

But didn’t she have 90 points in Luck? Why had so many recent interviews been unsuccessful? Wasn’t this a paradox?

Qin Qing stopped.

A thin layer of sweat broke out on her back.

She knew why.

Because these were not the jobs she wanted; she was just trying to avoid her mother’s nagging at home.

So, the effect of the Luck attribute was dependent on a person’s subjective will?

No, it shouldn’t be a question. That should be the fact.

She didn’t want those jobs, and even if she outwardly put in effort, there would still be no result. Because this was the result she subconsciously wanted, and the result she wanted to show her mother.

Look, it’s not that I don’t want to work, it’s that jobs are too hard to find, and others don’t want me.

She wanted Gui Cheng, the wanted criminal, to be apprehended, so even though he had been at large and hidden for five years, he was caught today.

Was it too powerful?

Perhaps her analysis was wrong, after all, the Illustrated Guide’s description didn’t say so.

Perhaps.

Overthinking was useless; anyway, she wasn’t planning to cause any major destruction.

Passing a pet shop, a crowd was gathered at the entrance, and sounds of argument came from the center.

Qin Qing went to join the fun.

A customer had bought a puppy from the pet shop and wanted to return it, but the shop owner refused.

The customer believed his reason was valid because the puppy was sick, with an incurable psychological illness, definitely something like autism or depression. The shop, having sold him a sick dog, should handle the after-sales service.

The shop owner, however, did not admit the puppy had problems and thought the customer was being unreasonable.

The two burly men were almost about to fight.

Unlike the crowd, who were excitedly waiting for the two to fight, Qin Qing’s attention was drawn to a half-grown puppy in a cage nearby.

It was a Border Collie, looking about six months old. It didn’t enjoy the commotion at all and was lying down, minding its own business.

The reason she noticed this dog was that its System Panel showed an Intelligence score of 45. This was higher than some people’s Intelligence Value.

Could there really be such a smart dog?

But its Health and Mood Values seemed quite normal, not like the customer said it was sick.

Someone in the crowd saw her looking at the dog and chimed in, “This dog must be sick. A half-grown dog, not lively at all.”

Qin Qing squatted down and reached into the cage towards the puppy: “Little one, do you want to come with me?”

The little one lifted its head from its front paws and looked at her.

“See, neither of them wants you. If you’re willing, you can come with me.”

The Border Collie still looked at her.

Qin Qing spoke softly: “I don’t have any other pets at home, just me and my parents, three of us. My parents are kind people. You might not live a great or easy life if you come home with me. But not having to worry about food and drink, and not being beaten or scolded, at least that much can be guaranteed.”

The Border Collie tilted its head.

After thinking, Qin Qing added: “My home doesn’t cage dogs. If you can find your way home, it’s fine for you to wander around the neighborhood by yourself.”

Someone laughed: “The young lady is talking to a dog.”

She didn’t care, only staring into the cage, being watched by the Border Collie, her gaze not wavering for a moment.

The Border Collie’s tail moved slightly, gently.

It sniffed her fingers, stuck out its tongue, and the tip of its tongue brushed her fingertips. It tickled a bit, but she didn’t pull away.

Finally, the Border Collie’s front paw gently rested on Qin Qing’s hand, and it looked at her with its tongue out and head tilted.

She squeezed its fluffy paw: “Then it’s settled, wait for me.”

She walked towards the two men who were at loggerheads and directly asked the Border Collie’s former owner, who was two heads taller than her: “Hey, big brother, sell this Border Collie to me.”

Both men stopped and looked at her.

Qin Qing: “Neither of you wants it, I’ll take it, and you won’t have to argue.”

Former owner: “Really want it?”

“How much will you pay?”

“I bought it for 3800, I’ll round it down for you, 3500. I’ll pack up the leftover dog food and toys for you. But let’s be clear, once you buy it, it’s yours.”

Qin Qing found it amusing; now he knew about “buy it, it’s yours.”

“A bit expensive,” she turned to the shop owner: “Boss, can you throw in something extra?”

The shop owner also didn’t want people lingering in his shop for too long, and with the mindset of getting things done quickly, he agreed: “Okay, if you really buy it, I’ll give you a box of canned food.”

Canned food would do.

“WeChat or Alipay?”

“Either is fine. Leave me an address, and I’ll mail you all the things I bought for it later.”

Five minutes later, Qin Qing, with a box of canned food on her left shoulder and a dog on her right hand, left this troublesome place.

Former owner: “The cage, you didn’t take the cage.”

“Don’t want it, can’t carry it.”

The Border Collie’s tail wagged twice, slightly.

Don’t let her quick payment fool you; in reality, her heart ached terribly. She had a total of 4,000 yuan in her pocket, and now only 500 remained.

Her parents had said this was her last allowance, though it wasn’t really an allowance, but rather money for clothes, transportation, and printing for her interviews.

Her parents had sternly stated that since she had graduated, if she lived at home, she would have to start contributing to household expenses.

This was understandable. Her parents weren’t really after her money; they just wanted to encourage her to find a job.

But no matter what, it couldn’t hide the fact of her poverty.

She looked down, and the Border Collie pup followed closely beside her.

“How about I call you Sanqianwu (Three Thousand Five)? It’ll be uniquely memorable for both of us.”

The Border Collie trotted along, giving no reaction.

It was just a joke; she wouldn’t dare let her family know that she hadn’t found a job but had spent a huge sum of money on a dog instead.

Opening the door at home, she placed the canned food box on the shoe cabinet. Peeking in, she saw her parents were home.

Qin Qing announced she had a surprise for them.

“Did you pass the interview?”

“When do you start work?”

Heartbreaking!

“No, I brought back a little cutie.”

Mother Qin: “Did you buy another plush toy?”

…

Can we please not mention that?

“It’s a puppy, super cute.”

Father Qin took off his glasses: “Where is it?”

Qin Qing looked back and found the little Border Collie squatting outside the door, not having entered the house.

Father Qin quickly walked over: “Oh, what a handsome dog.”

He squatted down and beckoned: “Come, come, come~”

The little Border Collie didn’t move.

Father Qin: “This dog is a bit shy, but it’s good to be vigilant. There are many dog thieves outside.”

Mother Qin: “You bought it? How much?”

“Three hundred fifty…”

“You can’t even take care of yourself, and you bring back another one that can’t take care of itself.” Mother Qin’s tone was displeased, but she didn’t say anything about returning the dog. “You’ve graduated now. I won’t object to any decisions you make, but think clearly about the consequences and responsibilities. If you want to raise this dog, you can. You’re responsible for its food, drink, and waste. If you need my help, you can pay me according to the market price for pet care.”

Qin Qing promised: “I definitely won’t trouble you. Border Collies are very smart; it can take care of itself. Right?” The last sentence was directed at the little Border Collie outside the door.

The little Border Collie barked at her.

Father Qin exclaimed in wonder: “Wow, can it understand?”

Mother Qin also looked sideways in surprise.

Qin Qing called to the Border Collie: “Come in quickly, I’ll show you your future territory.”

Mother Qin slapped her head hard.

Qin Qing corrected herself: “Oh, it’s Ms. Wang’s territory.”

Mother Qin’s name was Wang Xiangyu.

The little Border Collie lowered its head, bit its leash, quickly ran to her side, and sat down, looking up. Its tail wagged rapidly behind it.

Goodness, it even understood human expressions.

Qin Qing introduced her parents to the little one. It cautiously approached each of them, sniffing as if recognizing them.

After settling the little one and defining its activity area, she opened a can of food for it, which was a meager celebration.

Watching a small animal eat is a very therapeutic thing. The canned food given by the shop owner seemed palatable, and the little Border Collie buried its head and ate voraciously.

Stroking the dog’s head, Qin Qing squatted beside it, muttering.

It was a good thing she made the boss bleed a little and send the canned food. The former owner also said he would mail dog food. Otherwise, with only 500 yuan left in her pocket, she and the little one wouldn’t even make it through this month, and she didn’t know where the household expenses for next month would come from. If she still couldn’t find a job, both of them would starve.

The little one was adapting well. Qin Qing left it to eat obediently and went inside to change her clothes.

When she came out, she found that the canned food hadn’t been finished; a fist-sized lump of meat was neatly half-left in the bowl. Qin Qing had never raised small animals and didn’t know if this meant a good or bad appetite. She thought that in the future, she could find a smaller airtight container, so when opening a can, she could give only half at a time and put the other half in the refrigerator for freshness and to avoid waste.

The little one was already in the living room, playing fetch with Father Qin.

“Mumu, watch out, I’m throwing it~”

“Woof woof~”

“Mumu?”

Had a name already been chosen so quickly?

“It’s Qin Jiamu.” Mother Wang Xiangyu passed by and said, “When I was pregnant with you, your father and I prepared two names. If it was a girl, we’d use the name I chose, Qin Qing, hoping you’d be independent and strong, growing into a towering tree. If it was a boy, we’d use your father’s name, Qin Jiamu, hoping you’d become a talent. Later, we found raising just you was difficult enough, so we didn’t have a second child, and your father’s name was never used. Now it has a purpose.”

Qin Qing: “…”

So, in less than ten minutes, the new family member’s status was already established?

Alright, Mumu it is. She was too lazy to think of another name anyway.

Clapping her hands, she tried to call: “Mumu…”

Her newly acquired, unrelated, interspecies brother sharply turned his head, dropped the ball, and ran towards her.

The Intelligence Value on the System Panel was no joke; it had only been this long, and it already knew its name.

Mumu ran over, but instead of stopping at her, it went to its dog bowl. It nudged the bowl with its head towards Qin Qing.

It pushed the bowl to her, sat down, and wagged its tail, looking at her.

Qin Qing put the bowl back in the corner and lectured: “Don’t leave your food bowl anywhere; if someone walks by in the middle of the path, they might kick it over.”

Mumu wagged its tail and barked twice. It repeated the previous action, moving the dog bowl towards her. This time, Mumu also gently placed its front paw on the rim of the bowl.

Qin Qing belatedly guessed: “Are you sharing it with me?”

Mumu wagged its tail frantically.