On the other side, Conrad was quite satisfied with the outcome of the negotiation, as his main goal was to make Hu Tao his subordinate, and sacrificing some "benefits" for that was harmless.
Next, he sent someone to hand over the backpack he had prepared: "Hu Tao, since an employment relationship has been established between us, I naturally must provide you with more convenience."
"Inside this backpack is your ID card and a wallet containing ten million Dini, which counts as your salary for this month."
"Since you are not very familiar with the urban environment of the district center, I will send someone else to help you find a suitable location for opening your business."
"In the meantime, you can use this money to familiarize yourself with city life. Of course, I hope you can start working as soon as possible." (Note: 1 Yuan ≈ 100 Dini)
After a simple thank you, Hu Tao took the backpack and turned to leave. As soon as she left the cemetery, she ran into Amber, Nicole, and Billy, who were waiting for her.
Seeing Hu Tao emerge, Nicole quickly rushed over: "How was it, Little Sister? That Conrad guy didn't force you to sign some oppressive contract, did he?"
Seeing Hu Tao's confused expression, Amber explained, "Just now, when Nicole saw Conrad keep you behind, she insisted on waiting here for you, saying things like, 'We absolutely can't let our sister become a capitalist's blood bag,' and 'If we hear Hu Tao scream later, we rush in immediately.'"
Nicole's cheeks flushed, and she whispered, "Amber... you... why are you exposing my secrets again!"
Seeing this scene, Hu Tao couldn't help but chuckle, returning to her usual lively self.
Immediately after, she pulled out the contract from her backpack and handed it to the three, saying proudly, "Don't worry, I'm not that easy to trick."
After reading the contract, Nicole said with a slightly unnatural expression, "That's amazing, Little Sister. How did you negotiate with that old fox Conrad? I couldn't find a single trap."
At this moment, Billy, who was standing nearby, spoke up first: "Boss Nicole, your face looks strange. Are you feeling unwell?"
Amber replied thoughtfully, "Perhaps she connected Hu Tao's monthly guaranteed salary of two million Dini with the financial deficit of our Cunning Rabbit House."
Nicole covered her face again: "...Amber, some things don't need to be said out loud."
Suddenly, as if remembering something, she swept away the gloom on her face and said cheerfully, "Besides, how could Cunning Rabbit House have a financial deficit? We haven't spent any of Conrad's bounty yet!"
"Let's go, let's go! We're having a good meal today! Little Sister Hu Tao, you come too. Big Sis will introduce you to the modern city!"
Afterward, the four of them happily spent the day at Guangying Plaza. Hu Tao was arguably the one who gained the most; she not only purchased a set of modern equipment and gained a clear and comprehensive understanding of New Aili, but also gained her first friendship since transmigrating... The next day at noon, a phone call woke Hu Tao from her hotel bed: "Madam Hu Tao, I am the temporary assistant Mr. Conrad assigned to you. The store location has been chosen. Can you come over now?"
"Okay~" Hu Tao yawned. "I'll take a taxi over now. Where is the address?"
"Sixth Street."
...Upon arrival, Hu Tao saw a standalone building with a simple yet grand exterior.
The temporary assistant was already waiting there. Upon seeing Hu Tao, he immediately stepped forward to introduce the property: "Madam Hu Tao, this building is in an excellent location. Not only is the transportation convenient, but the surrounding facilities are complete, and the internal layout can also be modified according to your needs."
Hu Tao circled the building and nodded in satisfaction.
Walking inside, she carefully examined every detail, contemplating her future plans. She decided to choose this location as the first branch of Wang Sheng Funeral Parlor.
Next, she would start the renovation and decoration work, striving to open for business as soon as possible.
However, filling her stomach was more important right now. After instructing the temporary assistant on the relevant matters, Hu Tao decided to take a stroll down Sixth Street first.
After walking a few steps, she saw a ramen shop called "Koi Noodle House." As soon as she sat down, the owner enthusiastically said, "Hi, I'm Master Qiao Pu. I haven't seen you before; did you just move here? What would you like to eat?"
"Hmm... I'll have a bowl of Black Bowl Red Pepper Chicken Soup Noodles."
After eating, Hu Tao was slightly surprised to feel that the Pyro Elemental Energy within her had been strengthened. It seemed this place held some mysteries.
After getting up, Hu Tao saw a shop next door called "RANDOM PLAY," which appeared to be a video rental store.
At that moment, she suddenly remembered that Amber had mentioned during idle chat at dinner yesterday that they had originally planned to invite Ling, but she and her brother Zhe were busy stocking the new batch of video tapes and couldn't spare the time.
At the time, Hu Tao had also asked and learned the name of the video store they ran.
It seems that was the name?
Hu Tao walked into the shop and was pleasantly surprised to find Amber there, currently talking to a young girl holding a videotape.
The girl had dark blue short hair and was wearing a hooded vest, a high-necked long-sleeved shirt, and a gray skirt, giving her an overall lively appearance.
Her round, small face also featured a pair of sparkling large eyes, giving the impression of a sunny and lovely girl next door.
At this moment, the two noticed Hu Tao entering. The girl smiled, looked up, and said, "Welcome, customer. What type of videotape are you looking for?"
Then, she recognized Hu Tao and exclaimed in surprise, "Eh, aren't you Hu Tao? Nice to meet you. I'm the manager of this shop, Ling."
Subsequently, Hu Tao recognized Ling by her voice. Since Amber had already explained this Ropemaker's special ability to connect to Bambou via a special network, she was not surprised: "Hi, nice to see you again. I'm Hu Tao, your new neighbor."
Ling's eyes lit up, and she said excitedly, "Hello, new neighbor! We should look out for each other from now on."
"Oh, right, do you want to rent some videotapes to watch? We have a lot of different kinds in our store."
Hu Tao browsed the store with interest, her heart full of curiosity as she looked at the dazzling array of videotapes.
Suddenly, she saw a videotape with strange ghosts and monsters drawn on the cover, and she reached out and picked it up.
Ling leaned over and introduced it: "This one is really exciting! It's about urban tales, and the ghosts inside are terrifying."
After hearing this, a flicker of excitement crossed Hu Tao's eyes. "That's exactly what I want. I'll rent this one."
After paying, Hu Tao held the videotape and prepared to leave. Just then, Amber suddenly remembered something and said, "Hu Tao, Nicole and I plan to gather at your place tonight to celebrate your successful settling down after transmigrating. Is that okay?"
Hu Tao nodded with a smile, "Of course, that's fine. I was also looking forward to a good get-together with everyone."
With that, she said goodbye to everyone and hummed a tune as she went back to her new storefront, eagerly anticipating the evening gathering.