Chapter 12: Upgrading the Inn

“Are you okay?”
Lin Dong hurried over to help the boy up.
The boy shook his head and staggered into the lobby. Seeing his unsteady steps, worried that he might fall and get hurt, Lin Dong followed him in.
A staff member came out to greet them. Noticing the boy’s tattered clothes, he frowned. Remembering Lin Dong’s instruction to treat all guests equally regardless of status, he forced a smile and asked, “Young man, do you want to eat or stay at the inn?”
“I… I’m here to apply to be a staff member,” the boy said timidly.
“Apply to be a staff member?” Behind them, Lin Dong frowned. “I’m the inn owner. Turn around so I can see you.”
Hearing this, the boy quickly turned around again. He was only a little taller than Tian Hao, with messy hair and a dirty face full of childishness. His thin arms and legs made it seem like he might fall at the slightest wind. Lin Dong was silent—he had no intention of hiring child laborers.
Nodding at the staff member beside him, Lin Dong said, “Have the kitchen prepare something to eat. Then go to Tian Hao’s room and get a set of change of clothes for him. Take him to take a bath.”
Surprise flashed in the boy’s eyes. “You agreed?”
Lin Dong shook his head and smiled. “He’s not yet sixteen. The inn doesn’t accept him.”
The boy’s expression darkened as he pleaded, “Owner, please take me on. I’ll do anything.”
Lin Dong replied indifferently, “Why do you want to be a staff member?”
Realizing Lin Dong had no intention of hiring him, the boy’s mood grew even darker. “I want to save money to go home.”
“Where is your home?”
“The capital!”
“Stay here for a few days to recover. I’ll give you ten taels of silver to go home.”
Lin Dong thought it was a pity. If the boy had a hundred or so coins to stay at the inn as a guest, helping him would be a hidden task. But giving him another hundred coins now to stay would be cheating.
Unlike in games, where guests are NPCs and their stays and meals can’t be controlled, here it was different. If the inn wasn’t full, he could give some copper coins to beggars to stay there. If there weren’t enough customers, he could also invite some beggars to eat. Without hidden tasks, it was too easy to cheat by finding someone in need and letting them stay at the inn. But Lin Dong didn’t dare—this inn system was a gift from heaven. Cheating would leave no cover, and who knew what consequences might follow.
With proper management of guests and customers, the inn could be full without cheating. Hidden tasks didn’t matter much, whether there were more or fewer.
There was no need to cheat!
Seeing Lin Dong about to leave, the boy panicked and stammered, “I’m… I’m not a beggar.”

Lin Dong was momentarily stunned, then turned around with a smile and said, “If you work as a staff member, it will take five months to save up ten taels of silver.” Hearing this, the young boy was overjoyed and kept nodding, “Thank you, owner! Thank you so much…” Smart and determined. Lin Dong smiled; he felt quite a fondness for this boy. “Go eat first, then change your clothes. Starting today, you’re a staff member at Lin’s Inn. If you have any questions, you can ask the other staff members.” “Mm!” The boy nodded firmly. Ding: Congratulations on completing the upgrade task ‘Hire an Excellent Staff Member.’ Ding: Congratulations! Your inn has upgraded to level 2, and a stable has been added. Suddenly, system alerts appeared in his mind. Lin Dong was confused and took some time to react before quickly opening the inn system. Lin’s Inn: Level 2, 0% Completed. Daily Revenue: 100–300 wen. Spirit Stones: 0/200. Defense Value: 0/200. Guest Rooms: 20/30. Dining Tables: 10/15. Staff Members: 9. Chefs: 1. Stables: 0/5. With the inn upgraded to level 2, the capacity for spirit stones, defense value, and guest rooms had all increased. Additionally, a stable had been added. It was exactly like the game Lin Dong had played. Lin Dong cheerfully patted the boy’s shoulder. “I have some matters to attend to. Wait for me in the lobby tonight; I have something to talk to you about.” With such an excellent staff member available, there was no need to let them stop working to poach customers from others. Seeing the boy nod, Lin Dong called over a few other staff members and instructed two of them to bring Wang Liuzhi and the others back before leaving. As the inn upgraded, the dining tables would gain a comfort bonus. Although it wouldn’t affect the quality of the food, it would make guests feel more pleasant. Once activated, even without the advantage of martial contests, the inn would attract plenty of customers and thrive in business. More importantly, at level 2, the guest rooms could offer cultivation bonuses, which was undoubtedly a solid first step for Lin Dong, who aspired to become a top-tier powerhouse. After walking a few steps outside, Lin Dong excitedly turned back and called Lin Shuang over. “Xiaoshuang, if I’m late, please help take care of the inn. I’m in a good mood today, so everything—accommodation and meals—will be half price.” Lin Shuang widened her eyes, completely puzzled. How could he go from calm just moments ago to so cheerful in the blink of an eye? Rubbing Lin Shuang’s confused head, Lin Dong strode out, happily strolling down two streets before remembering why he had left. He was busy until dusk, finally gathering all the goods listed by Lin Shuang. After setting up the mobile counter, he rushed back to the inn without delay.

Three out of the five people led by Wang Liuzhi had returned. Lin Shuang was sitting at the counter, fiddling with the abacus, occasionally glancing up at the already crowded guests. Her little face showed signs of distress; clearly, she was calculating how much silver she would lose after applying the half-price discount today.
Telling Lin Shuang to go back to her room to sleep and instructing Wang Liuzhi to wait for her in the lobby that night as well, Lin Dong hurried up to the second floor and headed straight to Bai Jingtai’s room.
Upon learning Lin Dong’s purpose, Bai Jingtai became inexplicably excited and knocked loudly on Bai Qi’s door.
Bai Qi opened the door and, upon seeing the two of them, immediately looked displeased. “I’m in the middle of cultivation!”
“Brother Lin says the spirit array can be set up tonight. Come out quickly!” Bai Jingtai urged.
Bai Qi glanced at Lin Dong sideways. The finger marks on her face had disappeared, but the shadow left in her heart filled her with hostility toward him.
Lin Dong didn’t bother waiting anymore. He stretched out his right hand, pushed Bai Qi aside, and stepped into the room.
“How dare you…”
Bai Qi was about to explode but was pulled out by Bai Jingtai.
With a bang, the door closed, leaving the excited Bai Jingtai and the pale-faced Bai Qi outside.
Lin Dong took out eighty spirit stones from the mobile counter and silently invoked the equipment command. All the spirit stones vanished instantly. Checking the inn’s system, the spirit stone count now showed 80/200.
Recalling the location of Bai Qi’s room, Lin Dong accessed the room’s attributes and set its cultivation bonus to double for one person.
With everything sorted, Lin Dong naturally wouldn’t give this first cultivation bonus to Bai Qi. He carelessly sat down on the bed, crossed his legs, and placed a spirit stone in his lower abdomen. Spiritual energy surged from his dantian and flowed through his meridians at twice the usual speed.
After a full cycle, Lin Dong let out a long sigh, his eyes filled with indescribable joy and satisfaction. What used to take over a minute now only took half a minute. At this pace, in another two months, he could definitely reach the second level of the Spirit Mobility stage.
Opening the door, Lin Dong nodded at Bai Jingtai.
“Hurry, go in and give it a try,” Bai Jingtai said eagerly, pushing the reluctant Bai Qi into the room.
Bang!
Bai Qi’s slamming of the door was more than ten times louder than Lin Dong’s.
Although he knew this “spirit array” was foolproof, Lin Dong didn’t want to appear too confident, so he waited outside with the agitated Bai Jingtai.
In terms of talent, Bai Qi was clearly superior. In just a moment, the door creaked open. Her originally pale face was now rosy and charming.

“Dad, the speed of the spiritual energy flow has really doubled. In just one month, I can reach the seventh level of the Spiritual Mobility stage.” Her voice was sharp and high-pitched, sounding somewhat grating to Lin Dong, but Bai Jingtai regarded it as heavenly music, his expression becoming dazed. Bai Qi took a deep breath and resolutely said, “Dad, I need to focus on my cultivation. Don’t disturb me unless it’s necessary.” “Okay, okay! I’ll prepare meals for you. You can eat whenever you’re done,” Bai Jingtai nodded eagerly. “And you—come less often to my room,” Bai Qi added, glancing at Lin Dong. Ignoring her, Lin Dong turned to leave but was pulled back by Bai Jingtai. Glaring at Bai Qi, Bai Jingtai snapped, “How dare you speak like that? Don’t you call him Uncle Lin? Don’t forget who set up this spiritual array. At a time like this, how can you be so ungrateful?” Bai Qi froze. She finally remembered why her cultivation speed had doubled. Her expression changed unpredictably, and under Lin Dong’s meaningful gaze, she blushed fiercely, unable to utter a word. The owner of a small inn, barely a few years older than her, demanded that she call him uncle? “You brat, do you want to get beaten?” Bai Jingtai was furious, hopping on the spot. After a long while, as if making a huge decision, Bai Qi gritted her teeth and managed to say a few mumbled words. “Un- Uncle Lin…” Bang! Another loud noise followed as the door was shut. Lin Dong shook his head in secret. This girl was truly unique. With such a temper, he doubted she wouldn’t cause trouble sooner or later.