Chapter 123: NPC Shop Assistant

First, following Zhang Min’s advice, Xu Feng renovated the blacksmith shop. Then he told Zheng Yi that from now on, the equipment he forged would be sold directly at the Miracle Blacksmith Shop. He also gave Zheng Yi Zhang Min’s communicator number so the two could stay in contact.

Zhang Min quickly posted a recruitment notice in front of the blacksmith shop, looking for blacksmiths. At this stage, relying solely on Zheng Yi’s unreliable forging success rate, Xu Feng would soon go broke. Recruiting other blacksmiths was absolutely necessary.

“I have a list here. Try to recruit these people. Look for them in Nuwa Town first. If you can’t find them, don’t go out of your way to search.” Xu Feng thought for a moment, wrote down a few names, and handed the list to Zhang Min.

These were all blacksmiths who would achieve some success in the future, and they had all lived in Linhai City before. It was very likely they would come to Nuwa Town, a safe shelter close to Linhai City.

“You might be too busy alone. I’ll hire two NPCs to help you.” After saying this, Xu Feng pulled up the hiring list.

He selected the two gold-named shop assistants who were still available.

“Boss, you only need to hire the NPC with the trading skill. The other one isn’t cost-effective.” Zhang Min hesitated for a moment before giving her suggestion.

Xu Feng nodded and hired the gold-named shop assistant that Zhang Min recommended. However, he also hired the other gold-named shop assistant.

Zhang Min was thinking from a manager’s perspective, while Xu Feng saw that even the less useful gold-named shop assistant would appreciate in value later. Once Nuwa Town survived the Monster Siege to upgrade to a District-level City, the property value in the town would increase at an astonishing rate. Various shops would spring up like mushrooms, and such gold-named NPCs would be highly sought after by different factions. By then, he could sell them for ten times the price.

“These gold-named shop assistants are non-renewable resources. If we secure them now, they’ll be worth a fortune later,” Xu Feng said.

Zhang Min suddenly understood and immediately said, “In that case, Boss, I suggest we also buy all the purple-named and even blue-named shop assistants…”

Xu Feng slapped his forehead. He had only thought of the most valuable ones, but the purple-named shop assistants also had great potential for appreciation.

There were nine purple-named shop assistants in total. Xu Feng bought them all, spending nearly twenty thousand Fate Points. And this price had to be paid every month.

There were too many blue-named ones left, dozens of them. Xu Feng looked them over and picked a few with good skills to purchase. Now, Xu Feng had less than twenty thousand Fate Points left in his pocket. Money came quickly, but it went even faster.

“Boss, there’s one more important thing: we need to give the blacksmith shop a good name,” Zhang Min suggested.

“Let’s call it Miracle,” Xu Feng said after thinking for a long time.

Being reborn was a miracle. Having everything he had now was also a miracle. Xu Feng felt that “Miracle” was the most fitting name for him.

Soon, a sign with the name “Miracle” appeared above the door of the blacksmith shop.

Then, after paying a small fee, Xu Feng took all the unsold items from the auction house off the shelves and placed them in the Miracle Blacksmith Shop. He also set up the names and prices for purchasing forging materials, so Zheng Yi wouldn’t have to buy them from the auction house himself.

Additionally, he chose to hide the shop owner’s name. Xu Feng had many enemies now, and if people found out the blacksmith shop was his, they would surely send people to cause trouble.

After arranging everything and giving Zhang Min a few more instructions, Xu Feng walked out of the shop.

In the apocalypse, there were too many people who needed saving. Xu Feng was not a saint; he couldn’t save or hire all the thousands of helpless people in the town.

If Xu Feng hadn’t remembered the name Zhang Min and wanted to take a chance, he wouldn’t have hired a human to manage the shop. In the apocalypse, Xu Feng preferred to trust NPCs over humans, whose hearts could change at any moment.

“Mom, are you going to work for that big brother from now on?” Zhang Min’s daughter asked quietly, biting her finger.

The little girl was very sensible. While Zhang Min and Xu Feng were talking, she didn’t say a word. She just held her mother’s hand tightly and stared at Xu Feng with curious eyes. Now that Xu Feng had left, she looked up and asked her mother.

“Yes, Niu Niu. He is the benefactor of our mother and daughter.” Zhang Min had already lost hope. If it weren’t for Niu Niu, she would have followed her husband after he was eaten by Insect Humans while protecting them.

The pressure of life had been like a heavy stone weighing on her heart, making it hard to breathe. Xu Feng’s appearance saved them. Otherwise, she didn’t know how they would have survived. They probably would have starved to death in a few days.

“Mom, I’m hungry,” Niu Niu said softly.

“Okay, Mom will take you to buy some good food and check out our new home,” Zhang Min said, wiping her tears and smiling.

With so many NPC shop assistants in the shop, Zhang Min didn’t need to stay there all the time. Her job was to plan the future direction of the blacksmith shop and manage it well to make money for Xu Feng.

…

“Hey, when did a blacksmith shop open here? It wasn’t here this morning.” A group of people passing by on the street looked over in surprise when they saw the large sign with the word “Miracle” on it.

“I wonder if it’s run by an NPC or a real person.”

“Probably an NPC. Who has enough Fate Points to buy this place now?”

“Should we go in and take a look? Maybe there’s a surprise.”

“Sure, let’s go check it out together.”

As they talked, the group walked into the blacksmith shop.

“My Black Iron Grade weapon isn’t cutting it against monsters anymore. I hope I can find a better Bronze Grade weapon. I wonder if this new shop has any…”

“Let’s see. If they don’t even have Bronze Grade weapons, why bother opening a shop?”

Xu Feng smiled slightly when he heard their conversation.

A moment later, exclamations came from inside the blacksmith shop: “Silver! Gold!”

Xu Feng left Nuwa Town and headed toward Blackwater Swamp.

After entering Blackwater Swamp, Xu Feng arrived at the edge of an area affected by undead strength.

Beep, beep, beep~

His communicator buzzed. When he opened it, he saw it was Sun Lei from the Thunder Martial Hall.

“Xu Feng,” Sun Lei’s voice was filled with exhaustion.

“Hall Master Sun, what can I do for you?” Xu Feng asked calmly.

“Xu Feng, I’m sorry for what happened before. You saved our entire elite team, but we…” Xu Feng interrupted Sun Lei and said, “What’s done is done, Hall Master Sun. Is there anything else?”