Chapter 9: Qiao Jia Shows Off, The Landlady's Mystery Box!

A powerful aura fluctuation? Qiao Jia’s eyes widened slightly. Was this another protagonist?

The protagonist aura detector was a device her system had borrowed from its predecessor. Its function was self-explanatory.

If Qiao Jia wanted to quickly amass a large number of points, recruiting some of the world’s chosen ones—like Shen Tong—as long-term tenants was an excellent strategy. These so-called protagonists and important supporting characters were ideal candidates.

[Are you sure?]

[Leave it to me!] The system puffed out its chest proudly. It had graduated with top marks, after all!

The next second, this perfect graduate was sent flying by a zombie charging headlong!

“Ah—”

Qiao Jia’s mind followed the system, rising and falling as they were flung about.

After an indeterminate time, the system—battered back and forth by the zombies—finally landed. It fell into a soft embrace.

The system looked up in surprise. It was Shen Tong.

Qiao Jia was equally astonished. It seemed the protagonist’s aura truly lived up to its name; Shen Tong had returned at this critical moment.

Qiao Jia had originally planned to spend points to have the system intervene, hoping to dazzle the new world’s chosen ones. But now, with Shen Tong’s timely return, she could save her points.

She was curious to witness firsthand just how formidable a heroine’s aura could be.

Shen Tong fired a rocket launcher into the heart of the zombie horde, instantly clearing an empty space at the center.

All the zombies turned in unison to glare at their attacker. Even as one of the world’s protagonists, Shen Tong couldn’t help but feel nervous at the sight.

Qiao Jia glanced at the system, which nodded at her emphatically. “You keep up the act, Host. Leave the rest to me!”

A terrifying roar erupted from the tide of zombies. In the next instant, every one of them shifted directions, charging straight toward Shen Tong.

At that moment, Qiao Jia walked calmly out from her blind box stall and patted Shen Tong on the shoulder.

“Boss?” Shen Tong’s face wore a hint of confusion.

“Step back,” Qiao Jia said coolly.

Shen Tong didn’t know what Qiao Jia was planning, but she obediently retreated behind her.

Qiao Jia stretched out her hand toward the surging zombie horde, her palm facing the oncoming mass.

In an instant, an invisible wave of energy radiated from Qiao Jia’s hand!

Though nothing visible happened, both Shen Tong—endowed with the protagonist’s aura—and the five-person team from North Star Base hiding in the shadows could sense it.

The mysterious blind box shop owner exuded a powerful, unnatural energy. A formless, intangible attack was released from her hand!

With a mere gesture, the advancing zombies froze mid-charge.

Then, under everyone’s stunned gaze, all the surrounding zombies were hurled away by the wave of energy!

Wherever they landed, their bodies burst into dust and vanished without a trace!

“Boss, did I see that right?” San’er stared in disbelief as Qiao Jia calmly withdrew her hand. He couldn’t help rubbing his eyes.

Just what kind of person was this blind box shop owner?

The man in the passenger seat gave no reply. He simply stared at Qiao Jia in the video, momentarily lost.

Qiao Jia, as if nothing had happened, returned to her shop, hands steady, waiting for the next customer.

In truth, she hadn’t done much at all. She’d merely raised her hand; the system had handled everything else in exchange for her points.

The zombies dispatched by the system all turned to dust, leaving not even their crystal nuclei behind.

The surviving onlookers felt a complex mix of awe and dread—the boss’s display had clearly intimidated them all.

What a terrifying shop owner. Thankfully, none of them had ever crossed her.

“Boss.” Shen Tong approached the stall, hesitating as she watched Qiao Jia sort through the blind boxes.

“What is it?” Qiao Jia met her gaze, her expression as placid as still water.

Shen Tong opened her mouth, hesitated, but ultimately said nothing.

“I’d like to deposit these crystal nuclei,” she finally said, her attention caught by a few new activities posted at the shop. She placed her backpack on the counter.

The weight made the already flimsy stall wobble, nearly falling apart.

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Shen Tong thought she saw the boss’s eyes light up when she produced the nuclei.

A pile of crystal nuclei spilled onto the table, glittering so dazzlingly that it was hard to look directly at them. Among them were a few second-tier crystals!

As Qiao Jia counted the nuclei to exchange them for points, the five-person team from North Star Base emerged from hiding.

“Boss, please deposit these nuclei for us as well,” the leader said. He was strikingly handsome, stood at least 1.9 meters tall, and even his voice was deep and magnetic.

Qiao Jia glanced at them and nodded softly. Even if they were the main male lead and his team, they would have to wait their turn. She would finish counting Shen Tong’s nuclei first.

“That comes to 759 first-tier nuclei,” she announced.

As she spoke, the system trembled its way back onto the counter, scanning Shen Tong and recording her deposit.

“Thank you,” Shen Tong said politely, then bought two food-themed blind boxes to take back to her cabin—she’d reserved them with Qiao Jia in advance.

“Boss, here are our crystal nuclei for deposit.”

Two suitcases were placed on the counter, making the rickety little cart groan and creak under the weight, as if it might collapse any moment.

When opened, the suitcases revealed a mountain of crystal nuclei.

Qiao Jia’s face remained impassive, but her hands trembled slightly as she counted the haul.

She had never seen so many crystal nuclei before—even dozens of second-tier ones were mixed in!

After exchanging the nuclei for points, Qiao Jia immediately activated the Landlady Blind Box.

Ten thousand points were instantly deducted, leaving her with only 2,765.5 points.

Each Landlady Blind Box cost 2,500 points—just enough for her to buy one.

Out of sight of the five-person team, a virtual screen appeared before Qiao Jia.

The Landlady Blind Box spun on the screen, decorated with the image of a fierce, middle-aged woman with a mop of curly hair and a cigarette dangling from her lips.

Qiao Jia was a bit nervous—this was her first time opening a blind box, and such an expensive one at that.

But as someone who was technically dead, her body showed no physical reaction.

I hope I get a detached villa, she wished.

She had no illusions of drawing a manor, castle, or palace—a villa would be enough.

With that hope in her heart, Qiao Jia tapped the “open” button on the Landlady Blind Box.