"There's even a place to eat? Hurry and take me to see it. I've been wandering around all morning, and I'm about to faint from hunger."
"Come on, follow me."
Yoimiya grabbed Hu Tao by the hand and led her to a food stall.
Looking at the steaming hot ramen, Hu Tao was extremely surprised and asked, "There's ramen underground too? That's incredible."
"It's not quite like that. Ramen is actually made at home, then delivered down here through the food hatch above. Garbage is basically handled the same way. The underground corridor is everyone's shelter, so there's no way to cook food on-site."
After hearing Yoimiya's explanation, Hu Tao finally understood how it worked.
Thinking about it, it made sense. The underground space was very limited and simply could not support shops or cooking.
Transporting things from above was not only simple but also convenient.
"Then the other products here are the same too?"
Hu Tao glanced around earlier and noticed many stalls in the corridor. From fruits to sewing needles, everything was available.
It was surprisingly complete.
"No, no, no." Yoimiya shook her head and quickly explained, "Things with strong smells, or large items, are not allowed to be sold. Last time someone sold stinky tofu here, and it knocked six people unconscious from the smell."
"So after that, we made new rules. You two, please enjoy your ramen. And after you're done eating, please don't throw trash around. Make sure to put it in the bins."
"Wow, thank you, boss. This looks really delicious."
Hu Tao stared at her seafood ramen, practically drooling.
Yoimiya then said to the stall owner, "Uncle, how much is it? I'll pay."
"No, no. Being able to live like this now is all thanks to you and Thoma's efforts. This meal is on me. Just come by more often in the future."
Faced with the owner's kindness, Yoimiya shook her head and refused.
"No, I must pay. The harsh winter in Inazuma has not passed yet, and everyone's life is very difficult. I can't eat your food for free."
Hu Tao slurped a mouthful of noodles while listening to the conversation between the owner and Yoimiya, feeling very puzzled.
It was just a bowl of ramen.
Why were they being so serious, as if this food were extremely expensive?
Seeing that Yoimiya absolutely refused to accept his goodwill, the owner sighed and accepted the Mora.
Watching him turn and leave, Yoimiya smiled at Hu Tao and said, "Do you find it strange?"
"Yes. I don't really understand what you were talking about."
"Actually, we don't have a choice either."
When the topic turned to what had just happened,
Yoimiya lost her earlier smile, and sorrow filled her eyes.
"In the past, Inazuma was beautiful and prosperous. But after the Sakoku Decree and the Vision Hunt Decree were issued, foreign merchant ships could no longer come. Gradually, prices kept rising. Now, a single bowl of ramen costs almost five times what it used to. Given that, how could I let uncle treat us?"
Hu Tao put down her bowl and chopsticks, finally understanding the situation.
With Inazuma closed off, prices rose, and naturally the common people suffered.
She stirred the bone broth in her bowl and tilted her head as she asked, "Then why would your god choose to do this? It doesn't seem to have any benefits at all."
"I don't know either. Maybe the Almighty Shogun has her own considerations."
Yoimiya let out a soft sigh.
The will of a god was not something that humans could easily change.
Hu Tao quietly kept this matter in mind, planning to talk to Su Han about it later that night.
After that, the two of them strolled around the corridor, looking around and having a great time.
When Yoimiya asked Hu Tao about her plans, the director smiled and said, "Although things turned out a bit unexpectedly, my plan won't change easily. I deal in business for the dead, that is, funeral services. So the first step is naturally to recruit people."
"Recruit people? That might be hard to do."
Yoimiya looked troubled. Given the current situation, everyone was very afraid of inspections, especially when it came to working for a foreigner.
If they were caught, they would end up in prison.
But Hu Tao said confidently, "Don't worry. I don't have any other strengths, I just have money. I believe that as long as the Mora is enough and the benefits are good, someone will be persuaded."
"How much per month?"
"Starting at fifty thousand Mora, plus performance bonuses. For each additional order, five percent of the performance value is added."
Yoimiya suspected she had heard wrong and hurriedly asked, "How much?"
"Fifty thousand," Hu Tao said casually with a smile. "If that's not enough, I can add more. In short, I won't treat my employees poorly."
Fifty thousand?
That number sounded extremely tempting.
With all industries in Inazuma suffering, her fireworks shop was no exception. She had almost no business for an entire month.
Recently, she had been relying on making imitation Visions to earn some extra money.
Now that she heard about earning fifty thousand a month, Yoimiya's eyes went wide.
She hesitated for a moment, then asked softly, "Um, um, do you think I'd be suitable?"
Hu Tao looked at her in confusion.
"For what?"
"I mean, how about I become your first employee?"
"No problem at all. I'm just lacking a local guide. Since we're friends, let's make it fifty-five thousand Mora a month."
"Deal!"
The two of them quickly signed a contract.
Hu Tao's conditions were very lenient. When Yoimiya had matters at home, she was allowed to return to take care of her family business first.
Rich and considerate. Following such a boss was truly blissful.
Nighttime.
Hu Tao stayed temporarily at Yoimiya's home. After the two of them soaked in the hot springs, she finally contacted Su Han.
"Director?"
"Mhm, it's me. I wanted to ask you something today, about the Inazuma Raiden Shogun."
Hu Tao sat on the bed, holding a towel in her small hands as she wiped her hair. Sometimes having too much hair was also a kind of trouble.
Fortunately, she had brought plenty of things with her before coming, otherwise even basic care would have been a problem.
"The Raiden Shogun?"
After hearing this, Su Han's expression became a bit strange.
Wasn't this young lady supposed to be opening a shop?
How did she suddenly get involved with Raiden Ei? What kind of bizarre development was this?
Hu Tao nodded and said, "Yes, the Raiden Shogun. Today I came to Inazuma City and encountered many, many things."
The girl recounted her experiences one by one.
For example, almost being arrested and then being saved by the fireworks shop owner, and later entering the massive underground corridor, among other things.
The more Su Han listened, the more confused he became.
What was this underground corridor in Inazuma? Why was it never mentioned in the original story?
After Hu Tao finished recounting her experiences, Su Han asked in confusion, "So, you're planning to save the people of Inazuma?"
"Of course not. I just want to understand this country a bit more."
"That's good."
Hearing this, Su Han finally let out a sigh of relief.
He was really afraid Hu Tao would get carried away and try to become some kind of leader herself. After all, to save Inazuma, one would have to face the Raiden Shogun directly.
Otherwise, everything would just be empty talk.
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