The next morning, as there were no major classes, Liang Minfeng spent a pack of soft red Double Happiness cigarettes to bribe a close classmate to answer the roll call for him. The four of them had a simple breakfast at the canteen before rushing to the shop on the pedestrian street. Today, besides installing the air conditioner, the more important task was a thorough cleaning.
"Screech~"
Shortly after, a small truck stopped in front of the shop. Chen He emerged, and two men in appliance city work uniforms followed him in. Li Haochen handed each of them a small red envelope of 20 yuan, a gesture to bring good luck and prosperity as per local custom.
Receiving the red envelopes, the two installation masters were in high spirits, and the air conditioner was installed with impressive speed and efficiency. Of course, they charged for everything; factoring in high-altitude work, drilling, and the stainless steel bracket, it cost another 400 yuan.
The blue mountain white cylindrical air conditioner blended perfectly with the simple white and warm-toned decor.
It had to be said that thousands of yuan later, the results were evident. The four of them gathered under the air conditioner, enjoying the cool air.
"This is much better. Otherwise, being constantly covered in sweat would really deter customers."
"Indeed, they've mastered the core technology. Good air conditioners are really made well by them."
"Brothers, it's time to unleash your masculine hormones." Li Haochen picked up a pile of cleaning tools, including small shovels, steel brushes, and brooms!
The four of them divided the labor clearly and began their cleaning tasks, their faces beaming with joy, for this was their venture, their foundation.
"I am a diligent little bee, unafraid of heavy rain or wind,
When spring passes and autumn arrives, I will surely succeed. Do you understand the joy within..."
Before long, some howling children's songs echoed through the shop. If BabyBear knew about this, then...!
Of course, this cheerful singing only lasted for about 10 minutes. The rest of the time was filled with groans of pain, and various exclamations of "Grass, damn, fuck..." were constantly heard. Despite the curses, the cleaning efforts of the four men were not at all slackened; they remained extremely rigorous, even cleaning the corners and crevices spotlessly.
It was clear that all four had underestimated the workload of the cleaning. Even Li Haochen, who was in the best physical condition, was exhausted, let alone the other three.
No wonder domestic cleaning services are so expensive; they truly earn it!
Several hours later, even though Miss Dong was still diligently serving, the four burly men were drenched in sweat, lying on the ground, panting with their tongues hanging out.
Despite the hardship, seeing the bright and clean shop, a surge of exhilaration filled them, and the four looked at each other and burst into laughter.
"Gurgle gurgle~!"
"Brothers, let's go out to eat. Feng Ge is treating today." Liang Minfeng generously declared, leading Li Haochen and the others to Fujian Dumplings across the street.
"This is what you call eating out?"
Liang Minfeng's face turned red, and he shot them a glare, "What, you don't like it? Eat or don't..."
Li Haochen and the other two exchanged glances and gave Liang Minfeng a stern look.
"Boss, four portions of dumplings, four portions of braised chicken, plus four braised chicken legs, and six cans of pure draft beer."
A bill of over a hundred made Liang Minfeng grit his teeth, glaring at Liu Dehui, who was ordering, with bulging eyes.
"Second brother, you're ruthless!"
"Boss, add eight more braised eggs!"
"Feng Ge is so generous..."
"Fourth brother, one for each of us is enough."
"How can a man have just one? We must have more..."
"......?"
After being depleted by the strenuous exercise, their stamina needed replenishing. The table full of food was cleared by the few of them in less than a few minutes.
"Brothers, cheers!"
Li Haochen raised his beer and shouted.
"Alright, cheers! Let's strive to drive Wuling Hongguang cars and bring our girlfriends home to impress everyone during the New Year."
"Wuling? Why not a Mercedes?"
Chen He said smugly, "They're durable..."
Well, his words left everyone speechless.
When it was time to pay, Liang Minfeng once again gritted his teeth and tearfully settled the bill.
"168? How many condoms could that buy!"
Returning to the shop, thinking about opening tomorrow, the four of them felt a surge of excitement again.
"Did we forget something?" Liu Dehui scratched his head, unable to recall if anything was left unprepared.
"Coconuts...!"
Instantly, three pairs of wolfish eyes shot towards Li Haochen.
"Accident... accident...!"
As Li Haochen spoke, he was immediately subjected to the ultimate moves of the three major schools from The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Shaolin's Dragon Claw Hand, Nine Yin White Bone Claw, and Eagle Claw Skill. The three attacks converged, creating a truly stunning spectacle.
"Oh... damn you, fuck... my bird...!"
"......"
Li Haochen pleaded and cajoled, patting his chest and making solemn vows before he was finally freed. Otherwise, he didn't know how much of his "down below" would have been rubbed off.
"Hmph, you bunch of beasts. Just you wait until your Brother Chen fuses these three claws to create his own unique style. When I master this divine skill, I will avenge this insult to my bird!" Li Haochen grumbled as he fled the shop, giving the impression that he was going into seclusion to practice his divine skill for revenge.
Leaving the pedestrian street, Li Haochen followed the Gaode Map for over an hour and finally found the agricultural market. He visited several stores before finding the tool he wanted – a fruit picker, a high-branch telescopic pruning shear, which could extend up to 5 meters. For coconut trees that were about five meters tall, this length was more than sufficient.
Carrying the fruit picker, Li Haochen rode his electric tricycle at full speed back home. Mu Rong Yanran was attending classes at school during this time, which suited Li Haochen perfectly, allowing him to enter and exit the space without any restraint.
As a precaution, Li Haochen also specifically locked the courtyard gate from the inside.
Holding the fruit picker and entering the space, he breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the aluminum alloy pole in his hand.
Since he had accidentally discovered that he could bring items into the space, Li Haochen had been trying. Unfortunately, the space could not accommodate large items; anything exceeding five meters in length or weighing over 20 jin was not allowed. Moreover, the seafood he purchased still could not enter.
Li Haochen attributed this to the limited species and quantity of creatures in the space's ocean. He also noticed that the island's expansion speed had recently increased, adding 15 centimeters daily. This discovery further solidified his conviction that the space's development was definitely related to the variety and number of creatures within it.
"It seems that once the coconut shop is stable, I'll have to contract Butterfly Bay from Uncle Yuan. I'll also need a boat and deep-diving equipment. Otherwise, relying solely on the coconut trees won't be enough to overthrow the Mu family and the Murong family."
Li Haochen shook his head, pushing these distant thoughts aside. He adjusted the telescopic fruit picker and walked into the coconut grove. "Those are too far off; let's focus on what's in front of us first."
The fruit picker was indeed quite useful. As long as he inserted it into the stem of the coconut cluster and gently pressed the handle button, with a "click," a cluster of coconuts could be detached.
"Holy cow..."
A cluster of coconuts fell rapidly. Li Haochen, caught off guard, was startled and stumbled, falling onto the beach.
"Damn, I almost died."
Li Haochen patted his chest, still shaken, and looked at the seven or eight large coconuts that had landed less than five centimeters away from him.
"It's hard to imagine how dangerous the durian harvesting process is in that country of transvestites; it's definitely no less perilous than catching crabs in Alaska."