LSG Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Hyper-inflation 1.1

Time waits for no one.

Su Han quickly moved into action, deciding to look for the nearest supermarket and spend all of her in-game currency. If she were to wait until after 9 A.M., who knows how much 1000 shells would be worth then!

Perhaps due to the system’s efficient game design, after walking for no more than two minutes, she saw an open 24-hour convenience store.

Su Han swiftly entered the store, hoping her 1000 shells could buy her a bit more supplies.

After walking up to the store shelves, she realized that momentarily at least, money still had value. A bottle of mineral water cost 2 shells, a bar of soap 5 shells. A 1000 shells could buy a lot of things.

After seeing such prices, Su Han felt slightly regretful that she hadn’t exchanged more shells. However, she kept her composure. She was just a regular person, not a fortuneteller. Who knows what the future would hold?

After casually strolling around the store, Su Han was surprised to find that in addition to soap:  towels, toothpaste, toothbrushes, face wash, shower gel as well as air fresheners and perfume could all recover one’s Cleanliness stats. However, all these items were all non-reusable consumables. Once used, they would disappear.

As for food items: chocolate, biscuits, cake, instant noodles, and various candies could all be used to replenish one’s Satiety stats.

Because each box of the portable warehouse could only hold 100 pieces of the same item, Su Han promptly grabbed 90 bars of soap and 90 bottles of water before lining up to check out.

Only a few people were in line and soon it was Su Han’s turn.

450 shells for soap, 180 shells for water, a total of 630 shells. Seeing the quantity of the items, the cashier was baffled, casting a weird look at Su Han. Was this girl crazy? Why was she hoarding so much soap and water? 

Su Han didn’t bother to explain, quickly leaving after paying the bill.

Just when she reached the exit, a huge crowd of around 30 people hurriedly rushed into the store.

Suddenly, a single thought surfaced in Su Han’s mind. “A large wave of players are currently approaching the convenience store.” 

She briskly moved to the side of the store, concealing herself in a hidden corner. Only once all these people left could she find a safe place to store all the goods in the portable warehouse.

“Once one step late, you’ll always be behind.” Su Han lightly murmured.

“If I was only late by a single step in the beginning, the Virtual Mall would have been extremely limited in goods. If I spent a few more minutes looking at goods in the Virtual Mall, I would have been delayed in entering the game. By then, I would have been forced to join the mad scramble for supplies and even fight with other players.”

Even worse, some of the players wouldn’t be able to get any supplies at all. Su Han remembered very clearly that after buying 90 bars of soap, the shelf was pretty much bare. Who knows if the store had enough inventory. . .

Nearby, a young lady wearing glasses directly grabbed 100 packs of instant noodles without blinking an eye.

Faintly shaking her head, Su Han hurried to her next stop— the pharmacy.

As soon as she entered the store, she saw the pharmacy clerk watch in stunned silence as a group of customers were essentially clearing goods off the shelves. Su Han felt a bit tight in her chest as she anxiously joined the crowd.

In the end, her spoils of victory were as follows: 5 rolls of medical bandages and 5 boxes of anti-inflammatory medicine for a total of 170 shells.

Anti-inflammatory medicine: Physical stamina +20 after use, negates “Infected” status.

This time, it had nothing to do with arriving late. Plenty of medicine still remained in the store. Unfortunately, it was Su Han who was out of funds this time. She was simply too poor. . . And she still had to keep a bit of money on her for other supplies. . .

Reluctantly, Su Han ruefully took one last look at the store shelves before leaving unwillingly. Even as she was leaving, she could hear the NPC Salesgirl mumbling, “If they hadn’t paid money, I really would have thought those people were here to rob us. . .”

Glancing at the time, Su Han discovered that it was already 8:38 A.M. Unfortunately, the location of the store she had in mind was nowhere to be found. With her limited options, Su Han could only use the most straightforward method— search door by door.

At 8:57 A.M., after 20 minutes of searching, she finally found her destination— the hardware store!

A single slingshot cost 30 shells and a bag of 100 steel ammo balls was only 2 shells.

Su Han bought 2 slingshots and used all her remaining shells to purchase ammo. Instantly, she had finished spending the leftover 200 shells.     

“What do you need so many steel ammo balls for?“ The hardware store boss was particularly perplexed.

Su Han only lightly smiled before casually answering, “Hunting”.

The boss of the hardware store silently contemplated for a moment. He knew that some customers especially like to use slingshots to hunt for birds. But he simply didn’t imagine that this girl in front of him, who looked both rather skinny and a bit weak, also had this hobby.

“I’m heading out.” Su Han knew that the game’s NPCs all had relatively high IQs, their behaviors and thoughts closely mimicking real people. Hence, she calmly greeted him on her way out.

Just as she was one step out the door, the system notification sounded and a mechanical voice started broadcasting, “The time is 9:00 o’clock. The game has officially begun. Day 1: The market price of goods has risen by 50%.”

After the system finished its announcement, Su Han discovered something new had appeared in her portable warehouse. Taking a closer look, it turned out to be a bottle of milk and a piece of rye bread.

Milk: each bottle contains 250 mL, Satiety +15 after use

Rye Bread: Satiety +15 after use

Glancing at her Satiety Status, it was still marked in bright green. She didn’t need to replenish yet and consequently placed the milk and bread into her portable warehouse.

Su Han leisurely strolled through the park on the opposite side of the Shopping Center before sitting down on a bench. Now that everything was prepared, she finally had the time to organize her thoughts and plan her next steps.

The so-called hyperinflation was really a huge reduction in purchasing power. The money that originally could be used to buy a whole pig could only be used to buy half a pig. As time passes, you can’t even buy half a pig but only a chicken and then eventually only a single drumstick. In the end, it was worth as once as scrap paper. 

Ergo the sooner she spent all her shells, the more things she could purchase.

After spending so much time purchasing goods before the inflation, Su Han still wasn’t sure about what to do next.

All of a sudden, she was struck by a revelation, “When I was leaving the supermarket, the crowd of people I encountered should’ve all been players. The people who just got the news about the inflation and are rushing there now should be NPCs. However, why do I see the same thing when I click on their in-game status?”

To test it out, as a man wearing a suit who looked to be in his 30s rushed by on his way to the market, she focused on his status which read: “Satiety: 85%, Cleanliness: 70%, Physical Stamina: 90%, Overall State: Satisfactory.”

Nearby there was also a 5 or 6-year-old little girl, who was currently being held in her parent’s arms. Upon focusing on her, the screen now read: “Satiety: 80%, Cleanliness: 85%, Physical Stamina: 70%, Overall State: Average, currently feverish.”

Su Han seemed to have developed a major realization, “Could it be that in this game there was no way to distinguish a player from a NPC?”

After contemplating for a moment, she finally came up with an idea.

Meanwhile, in a certain noodle shop in town, the proprietress was still worrying over the sudden increase in good prices. “How did the prices suddenly start soaring? Aiya. . . How’s one to survive in times like these?” Nearby the storefront, a hiring notice was posted on the wall.

“Hello, I’m here to apply for the waitress position.” A voice suddenly rang out. Su Han’s words just fell as she stepped into the noodle shop, warmly smiling to reveal two small dimples.

The proprietress’s face had a look of hesitation. Although the girl in front of her had short hair, clean, delicate features, and looked to be rather clever. Considering the current circumstances. . .

“The salary’s 3000 shells and it won’t raise for the time being.” The owner declared after some consideration.

Under these skyrocketing prices and the current inflation, it seemed a bit unreasonable to not increase wages at all. However, the noodle shop’s business was only relatively average and the owner truly couldn’t afford to pay any higher employee salaries.

“If the job could provide a place to live and 3 meals a day, 3000 shells didn’t seem that difficult to accept.” After considering for a bit, Su Han asked, “Can wages be paid on a daily basis?”

“Yes!” The proprietress was also a straightforward person and immediately agreed. “Daily salary is 100 shells and I’ll pay you after closing.” 

“Okay, what do you need me to do?” Su Han rolled up her sleeves, preparing to work.

The owner said, “The chef is in the kitchen making noodles. You only need to take care of the customers. When no one’s here, you can take a break.” 

“Alright.” Su Han nodded in agreement

Around 10 o’clock A.M., the restaurant still didn’t have any customers and Su Han was casually standing by the side. At around lunchtime, the noodle shop had more customers come in.

Before Su Han could even greet them, the customer cried out in alarm, “15 shells for a bowl of noodles? It was only 10 yesterday!”

“Daylight robbery!”

“Why is it so pricy?”

The proprietress tiredly sighed before responding, complaining as well. “What can I do if market prices are skyrocketing? I can only raise my store prices accordingly!” 

”Whatever! I’m not eating here!” Someone immediately stormed out angrily. 

A few of the other customers uneasily shifted in place, seemingly about to follow along.

The owner continued to complain, “It’s all the same outside! Who isn’t raising their prices now?”

This sentence was like a basin of ice water to the customers’ faces. Slowly, they quietened down before each ordering the cheapest noodle dish, reminding themselves to pack lunch tomorrow.

Su Han immediately put herself to work.    

After a while, the first customer who left discreetly returned.

Su Han pretended not to notice and carried out her work of taking down orders and serving food.

At 1 o’clock in the afternoon, the customers slowly began to leave, gradually emptying the shop. The chef made a bowl of beef noodle soup and brought it over to Su Han.

“Thank you.” After thanking him, Su Han began to eat.

Beef Noodle Soup: Satiety +25 after use.

Eating the noodles directly brought Su Han’s Satiety levels back to 100.

“You’re so young, why do you want to be a waitress?” The proprietress asked out of curiosity.

Su Han told her very solemnly, “Being a waitress allows me to fill my stomach, have a place to stay and some money to spend. It’s very good.“

The proprietress secretly commented in her heart, This little girl really is too simple. She doesn’t want much out of life at all. However, considering she finally found an employee who didn’t mind the low wages, she was hardly going to chase Su Han away. Consequently, the owner earnestly gave her some encouragement. “Work hard to make money and increase your savings. Life will get better.”

“Mm.” Su Han smiled in acknowledgment but thought in her heart. This money could definitely not be saved. She had to spend it all as fast as she earned it. 

At dinner time, the restaurant became busy again, up until 7 P.M. when the shop closed up.

As the owner began closing up the shop to go home, she pointed Su Han to a small room that was barely 5 square meters. “You’ll sleep here.”

Su Han carefully looked around the bedroom and decided that the conditions were not too bad, at least she had a bed and a quilt.

Perhaps also thinking that the living conditions were a bit too shabby, the proprietress awkwardly tittered, taking out 100 shells. “Here are today’s wages. If you’re hungry later, you can go to the kitchen to make some noodles to eat. Free of charge.” 

“Great.” Comparatively, Su Han didn’t mind at all and was quite thrilled.

The owner was silent for a moment, thinking. Ah, this girl is really. . .a bit silly. 

Of course, what the proprietress didn’t know was that for this new employee, having a place to stay with free food and even a daily salary was a huge advantage.