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Ma Lu actually wasn't sure he could persuade Zhen Ye, and although the latter's house indeed needed renovation, the idea of convincing someone with social anxiety like Zhen Ye to move out of her little nest was a challenge.
If all else failed, he would have to use some favors from Yan Wu, who had previously eaten the Flameheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew and might feel a bit embarrassed.
Lately, he had been quite proactive with the restaurant renovations and had contributed a lot. The construction team he recommended was said to work meticulously, and the foreman Old He was a reliable person.
Moreover, he had personally pitched in, helping with the procurement of materials and cost control, even providing contacts for the timber mill he had used before.
The only sticking point remained the mortgage loan; no matter what, he still insisted on being served a dish that would impress him enough to hand over those three high-dimensional artifacts.
...
Ma Lu's week was basically spent rushing about until the day for collecting ingredients came again, giving him a chance to take a breath and temporarily escape these mundane worries.
Compared to renovations and licenses, the beast tide seemed less frightening.
Ma Lu balanced the white bug egg on his head, wanting nothing more than to flee this world immediately.
But before he could run away, he did a quick inventory of the week's earnings from his stall, as he usually did.
Thanks to the price increase and the additional 100-pound capacity from upgrading his Collection Bag to level 5, the Earth Dragon Meat sandwiches had brought in an income of 203,849.
Without taking into account the rent and renovation costs, the expenses were slightly lower than the previous week at 1,522.2, resulting in a profit of 202,326.8.
Ma Lu had initially wanted to upgrade his Collection Bag all the way to level 6 in one go, but ultimately, he resisted the urge.
Even though The Universe's Number One Snack Stall's popularity could easily handle another hundred pounds of ingredients, this would mean working more than seven hours a day.
And with Ma Lu needing to prepare for the restaurant's opening, even at his young age, it was a bit overwhelming.
Additionally, since in the past he only needed to upgrade equipment, he could simply buy a new cell phone to feed to number 6, but the desktop farm he was planning to acquire required used value for repairs.
So, Ma Lu was also considering buying some second-hand electronics to see how to exchange them more economically, yet the market for used electronics was quite tricky.
He once saw on Bilibili a fantasy story about a graphics card with a broken core that continued to show up on the Little Yellow Fish marketplace after being passed between several repair vloggers with a white cloth cover. Read latest chapters at m_v-l'e|-novelhall.net
Boggy had met Qin Zhao more than once when she was younger, and Qin Zhao had also helped organize Li's funeral. The last time the two met was around four months ago, when Boggy graduated.
After entering the room, Qin Zhao nodded towards Mai Mai, who was engrossed in a magazine on the beach chair, before turning his gaze back to Boggy, his look carrying a hint of approval.
"Uncle Qin," Boggy said somewhat helplessly, explaining,
"Our reluctance to take on tasks isn't because the guild's rewards are low. Faced with the current situation, all hunters should unite and fight for the Giant Curtain. The Twin Sunflower Hunting Group is of course no exception.
"Even without a reward, we would still do our best. The reason we haven't taken on more difficult tasks is that our core members have some things that are not in place yet. Our current strength is insufficient to complete higher-level commissions, and as the leader, I must take responsibility for the safety of my team members.
"But rest assured, once we are fully assembled, we will be back in action very soon."
"I know," Qin Zhao said, "Courage is important, but knowing the limits of oneself and one's team is equally important for a leader.
"I am glad you realize this point, you are already a qualified leader. I am not here to urge you to action."
As he spoke, Qin Zhao pulled a small box from his pocket.
Mai Mai, who was originally reading the magazine, also looked up at that moment, her voice filled with surprise, "Inside this is...?"
"Silver Badge," Qin Zhao said with a smile, "Congratulations. After the guild's evaluation, your group is now a Silver-Ranked Hunting Group.
"Normally, the guild would hold a small medal awarding ceremony for newly advanced Silver-Ranked Hunting Groups. But given the special circumstances, there is no ceremony, yet as the presenter, I still needed to make an appearance."
Opening the box, Boggy indeed saw a badge made of silver, shaped like the Twin Sunflower.
Had they advanced again so soon?
Noticing Boggy's confused look, Qin Zhao waved his hand dismissively.
"I did not bend the rules for you, this is what you deserve. That battle was very splendid; even the President couldn't stop praising you.
"Hunting a mature Earth Dragon by four people alone is Diamond Level performance in terms of strength, but becoming a Diamond isn't that easy. One must also have made significant contributions to the Giant Curtain."
"Is that so, such as?"
An unfamiliar voice suddenly rang from behind Qin Zhao.