I Built an Inn at the End of the World

[Excellent manager, thank you for your generosity in providing your guests with breakfast free of charge!]

[Your guest's rating has risen again, reaching the maximum!]

"Maximum? Does that mean she can get five stars?!"

Qian Zhenzhen was full of anticipation. Seeing the mother and daughter sitting still, she said, "Sister Li Lan, please eat quickly—the food won't taste good when it gets cold. I'll go clean up yesterday's leftover materials. Make yourselves at home."

After saying this, she put down the account book and walked toward the back door.

As the back door opened, daylight poured in, and the system panel burst with fireworks as golden text slowly appeared—

[Congratulations! You've received a five-star rating [★★★★★]! The guests love you and your inn. This was perfect service!]

Qian Zhenzhen closed the back door and made a victory gesture with her fist.

"Yes!"

[You've received a [150% settlement bonus]. Would you like to end the hospitality and begin settlement? (If no choice is made, the system will automatically settle after the guests leave the inn)]

[You've achieved the special reward goal of "four stars or above." Would you like to view the special reward?]

Qian Zhenzhen initiated the settlement and checked the rewards.

[NO.1 Consumption Bill [Summary] (Unit: Koi Vouchers)

Day One: 9.14

Day Two: 10.08

Subtotal: 19.22

...

*Pending Settlement]

[NO.1 Special Income [Summary] (Unit: Koi Vouchers)

Labor Income: 27

Kill Earnings: 45

Subtotal: 72

*Clear Bill -19.22

Surplus: 52.78]

[You've received Koi Vouchers*52.78]

[You've received Koi Vouchers*79.17—[Five-star Rating·150% Settlement Bonus]]

[Beginner Mission (1): Host one guest (Completed)

Rewards distributed as follows (after bonus):

Your inn gained Experience Points*2500

You received Koi Vouchers*45]

[You've received a special reward: "Lost Traveler's Radiance" [Permanent BUFF]]

Lost Traveler's Radiance:

No matter who they are or where they are, lost travelers will always be guided by an invisible force, drawing them closer to your inn.

After reading the BUFF description, Qian Zhenzhen was delighted—especially since it was "permanent"—and immediately applied it to the inn in the system.

By the time she had swept the wooden cabin's debris into a pile, Li Lan and Zhou Shuxuan were ready to leave.

Qian Zhenzhen walked them to the front door, opening the passage between the barriers. "Sister Li Lan, I wish you and Xuanxuan a safe journey. May we meet again if fate allows."

"Goodbye." Li Lan seemed to have more to say but held back, finally tightening her backpack and leading her daughter forward.

Zhou Shuxuan looked back, waving her small hand, her innocent eyes lingering reluctantly. "Big sister, goodbye..."

Qian Zhenzhen smiled softly and waved back.

On this clear autumn day, with red leaves dancing in the forest, the mother and daughter stepped over tree roots, avoided holes in the ground, and gradually disappeared behind the trees.

The surroundings fell silent, save for the whisper of mountain winds.

Qian Zhenzhen took a deep breath, turned to close the barrier exit, and walked back into the inn.

In the kitchen, clean utensils were arranged neatly on the stove, the swept floor gleamed spotless, and even the soup pot on the charcoal stove had been polished to a shine.

A note lay on the wooden lid of the large iron pot, torn from a notebook, water-stained and dried, its edges crinkled—

"Little Zhen, thank you for taking us in when my daughter and I had nowhere to go. We will always remember you. Wishing you peace, joy, and success in everything.

Li Lan

Big sister is awesome, cooks delicious food, thank you big sister.

Xuanxuan(*￣︶￣)"

...

Although she had long since learned to take partings and reunions lightly, Qian Zhenzhen was deeply moved.

She would keep this paper as a memento!

There were photo frames for sale in the voucher shop, and they weren't expensive. As she glanced around, she remembered how some tourist spots or restaurants she'd visited before would have a message wall or wishing tree for guests to write down their thoughts—her inn could have one too.

Qian Zhenzhen walked to the living room, surveying the walls, considering where to make modifications.

Suddenly, a call came from outside: "Little Zhen!"

She walked to the door and saw Li Lan and her daughter standing before the barriers—they had somehow returned.

Under the brilliant autumn sun, red leaves dancing in the wind, they smiled with eyes sparkling like freshly washed gems.

Li Lan took a deep breath, as if having made some determination, and called out firmly, "Come with us to the Anxi Base. If we work together, we can surely find a better life!"

At this moment, her face was gentle, trust and appreciation, affection and care melding into something close to family attachment.

[Your guest [Li Lan] has actively extended an invitation to you!]

[Clever innkeeper, please note that different responses may lead to different outcomes, affecting your future relationship with the guests.]

[Have you considered carefully? Please give your answer.]

Qian Zhenzhen was stunned.

Such invitations weren't uncommon in the post-apocalyptic world. Whether from a well-coordinated battle or a friendly conversation, people who had lost their loved ones often sought new companions to entrust their lives to and journey together.

If this had been two years ago, when she had spent an entire year accepting her parents' passing and desperately needed new emotional connections, she might have accepted such an invitation.

But those vulnerable, helpless times had passed. She was now strong enough to face the unknown alone.

So Qian Zhenzhen answered, "Sister Li Lan, I understand your kindness, but this is my home, and no matter what happens, I won't leave. If there's a chance, you and Xuanxuan are welcome to return here. I believe we'll meet again!"

Li Lan sighed softly and smiled.

Regret dissipated with the wind as she nodded and led her daughter away.

This time, they truly left.

The mother and daughter passed through the forest, climbed the eastern slope, going forward and forward, walking for an entire day until they finally saw abandoned farmland, orchards, and an empty small village.

When they carried picked tangerines into a shelter they could stay in and opened their backpack, they discovered it contained six packets of compressed food, two sausages, and new disinfectant powder and lighters.

"Mama, where did these come from?" Zhou Shuxuan asked, half-understanding.

Li Lan gazed at the moon outside the window, silent for a moment. Only when her daughter gently pulled her hand did she come back to herself and answer hoarsely, "The big sister from the inn gave them to us."

"Xuanxuan, after we find your uncle, shall we go back to visit that big sister together?"

"Yes!"

…

[You've gained a new [Bond], guests are sincerely hoping to return to your inn.]

[Your inn has gained 20 prestige points!]

[Excellent manager! Under your operation, your inn can become a mysterious realm known worldwide and yearned for by all. Keep up the good work!]

When she received the notification, Qian Zhenzhen was checking the system's refreshed task list. They were all "side quests" without time limits, similar to weekly tasks in games:

Kill zombies/beasts (0/1)

Build defensive fortifications (0/1)

Provide food for guests (0/1)