The mascot of the wishing shop is a cat.

"So they've set up their own daycare center?"

Lin Xiyue asked, sounding somewhat incredulous.

"Yes, otherwise how could we be at ease earning that meager salary? No matter what, the cubs are the most important."

Meros replied with a mix of mockery and wistfulness.

"There's another problem: how will they find someone to help them carry things under such difficult circumstances? Labor is so expensive these days."

Lin Xiyue was a little shaken when she said this, because she had considered opening a dessert shop when she was preparing to open a store. There are many desserts on Earth that are not available here, and she felt that opening a dessert shop would be quite profitable.

As a result, when she went to prepare to recruit people, she looked at the salaries on the recruitment website and found that the salary for a pastry apprentice with some basic skills was 12,000 yuan, and there was no qualification certificate.

It's worth noting that prices here are actually quite low. Even 3,000 yuan is enough for a person to live comfortably, unless they're particularly chasing luxury goods. Curious, she checked the wages for other professions and discovered that labor costs were extremely high. Even a simple waiter guiding people to their seats earned 8,000 yuan. Robots, on the other hand, only cost 300 yuan each, and even offered after-sales services like a one-year replacement guarantee and a five-year warranty.

So in the end, Lin Xiyue didn't spend money to hire workers, but instead opened a small handicraft shop that only required her to work alone, since she didn't have very high desires anyway.

"Haha, you didn't just find the information online when you were looking for human resources, did you?"

When Moros heard Lin Xiyue lamenting the high cost of labor, he laughed out loud, as if he were laughing at Lin Xiyue's naivety, or as if he were delighted by her innocence.

He looked down at Lin Xiyue with a smile under the warm yellow light. The warm light reflected on his hair, making it look somewhat ethereal. Moros was originally the type with a cold and aloof appearance, but he seemed to smile often in front of Lin Xiyue, smiling and laughing, always looking very happy.

Lin Xiyue looked into his dark green eyes, which resembled the finest emeralds. She saw the light reflected in them like stars, and the smile in his eyes was filled with an emotion she couldn't quite understand. It seemed as if her image was completely reflected in his eyes.

Suddenly, she felt something strange inside—a sense of bewilderment, an itchy urge to grasp something, and an impulse to take things further, even though she didn't know where she should go. It was a strange feeling, but not unpleasant.

! ! ! ! ! Σ(⊙▽⊙“a

Could this be me being lustful?! I'm not that easily swayed, am I?! (wДw)

No way! I haven't even tried the "rich woman's pleasure shop" yet! How can I fall for it so easily!

But Meros is so handsome! (ˉ﹃ˉ)

He's more handsome than anyone I've ever seen! And he has a special kind of charisma. ┭┮﹏┭┮

What to do! What to do! What to do!

Thinking about all this, Lin Xiyue became dazed. She just followed Molos into the house in a daze, not even hearing what Molos said afterward. She was completely confused and almost tripped on the threshold when she entered the house.

"!"

The fall brought Lin Xiyue back to her senses, and then she awkwardly realized that it would have been better if she hadn't come to her senses at all!

"Why are you spacing out? What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Lin Xiyue was half-embraced by Molos. When she saw Molos asking her question with a smile, her face turned completely red, as if it were steaming.

"No, nothing! Um, what did you just say? Sorry, I was distracted and didn't hear you clearly."

Lin Xiyue hurriedly got up, turned around and plopped down on the sofa in the room. Her face was red, and she looked around nervously, not daring to look at Mo Luosi. She stiffly changed the subject.

"What I mean is, you're looking for human resources in the wrong place. The kind of place you're looking for is a high-end human resources recruitment market. Of course, their prices are very high. They charge service fees and emotional fees."

Meros didn't dwell on what had just happened, but instead sat down next to her and changed the subject.

"Where should I look? I've looked at so many job posting platforms online, and they're all pretty much the same."

Lin Xiyue breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he didn't mention what had just happened, but instead cooperated by changing the subject. However, seeing his calm face, she felt a little unwilling. Shaking off the jumbled thoughts in her mind, she still asked the question she wanted to know.

"Because you can't search online anymore, and the prices you see are so expensive. If everyone charges like that, what will happen to small and medium-sized restaurants and other small shops? They can't all be family members, can they? And there aren't that many people being born these days. So, they all come here, to the border between the slums and the safe zone. Every day, there are large and small gathering points here, where undocumented immigrants gather, waiting for work."

"So, the parents of these children are also like this?"

"Yes. But they've probably all gone home by now."

"Are those workers also from the slums? But how can we guarantee the children's safety?"

"Most of the people taking care of the children here are elderly people with high reputations in this slum area. They are the few elderly people who have lived to a ripe old age. The person who is the director is the person we are going to meet later, Luo Xiaolou's mother. She has been doing voluntary charity work for many years. Everyone trusts her, so most people feel at ease. They also bring food for the children and give some food and daily necessities to the place."

"They bartered?!"

"Not entirely. The main reason is that this area is mostly populated by elderly people and children. If we were to give them money directly and people found out, it could put them in danger. Besides, most people in the slums don't have much money to save; they're lucky if they can manage to save enough for food and daily necessities."

Melos patiently explained everything to Lin Xiyue.

"Brother Mo! Mom is here!"

Luo Xiaolou helped an elderly man with mobility issues slowly down the stairs. The old man had completely white hair, was hunched over, and leaned on a cane. He also looked somewhat old and his eyesight was failing.

Although Luo Xiaolou called the old woman "Mom," they seemed to be older than each other, more like grandmother and granddaughter.

"Little Mo is here again?"

The old man and Luo Xiaolou walked up to Molos and Lin Xiyue, smiling kindly.

"Yes, Grandma Luo, I've come to see you and Xiaolou again."

Molos helped Grandma Luo to sit down on the sofa and answered her questions with a smile.

"Oh, Xiao Mo brought his girlfriend! Come on, good boy, sit next to me. This is really rare, it's been so many years! Let me tell you, the first time I met Xiao Mo, he was so tiny. It was a rainy day, he was soaking wet, standing in front of my door like a poor little kitten. But he was so stubborn, no matter what I said, he wouldn't come in, like he was wary of everyone because he'd been hurt before. In the end, it was that same guy from back then who called..."

Grandma Luo saw a girl standing nearby, smiled kindly, and took Lin Xiyue's hand, inviting her to sit next to her. Lin Xiyue awkwardly sat down, glancing at Mo Luosi with a hint of pleading in her eyes.

This is the first time I've ever encountered something like this! (ー`′ー)

Why does this suddenly feel like meeting the parents?! Σ(⊙▽⊙“a

Aren't you boyfriend and girlfriend yet?!

Moros was initially smiling as he watched Lin Xiyue awkwardly being pulled into conversation by Grandma Luo, until Grandma Luo started talking about the past.

"Grandma Luo."

Moros interrupted Grandma Luo.

"I came here to ask you if that thug who always comes to cause trouble has come back again?"

"Ah? That hoodlum, him? Sigh, he got sick during that lockdown and search last time, and he's still not better. A lot of people say he's going to die, and if it weren't for his daughter taking care of him, he would have been gone long ago. Although he's a scoundrel, I can tell from his own experience that he's a good father. Sigh, if he really dies, what will happen to that little girl!"

Grandma Luo was interrupted in her recollection, but she didn't mind. She thought about what Mo Luo had said and replied to him.

"Oh? You got sick during the search?"

"Yes, they can't even get out of bed. I still share some of my food with them every day; I can't just watch them starve to death. I still have some food, and I can still receive government pensions and subsidies!"

Grandma Luo looked quite proud when she talked about her pension; clearly, she was very proud of it.

"Grandma Luo, I heard from Molos that many people here are undocumented, so..."

Lin Xiyue asked Grandma Luo with curiosity.

"Yes, this is an unrecognized daycare, but the house is mine, and I am a full citizen."

“I saw how pitiful they were back then. They were already being exploited, with low wages, and they had to take their children with them, which made it especially easy for the children to get into accidents. I once saw a child who was killed by a drunk driver because no one was taking care of him.”

"After that, I decided to open this daycare center, and it's been over seventy years now. Xiao Lou is a child I found. He was born to a girl who had been deceived. That girl was only fourteen years old at the time. She believed the man who said he could give her citizenship, so she got together with him. But it was all a lie. Everything about that man was fake. After finding out the girl was pregnant, he never came back. The girl died after giving birth. She entrusted the child to me, saying she only wanted him to live. So I adopted him. Xiao Lou is such a good boy."

As Grandma Luo spoke, she patted Luo Xiaolou's head and smiled kindly.

"Mom! I will always be with you!"

Luo Xiaolou expressed his thoughts firmly. He knew about his background, but he always loved his mother very much, even though they were very different in age.

……

Lin Xiyue and Mo Luo chatted with Grandma Luo for a long time. Before leaving, Lin Xiyue transferred two thousand yuan to Grandma Luo.

Grandma Luo originally didn't plan to accept it, but Lin Xiyue told her.

“This is not a donation, nor is it charity. Grandma Luo is investing. I’m investing in Luo Xiaolou, hoping he will study hard and then come work for me.”

Upon hearing this, Grandma Luo was stunned. She reached out her hand, which was covered with age spots, and pulled Lin Xiyue close to her face, as if she wanted to take a good look at her.

"It's so similar, so incredibly similar! How could it be so similar..."

Grandma Luo muttered to herself, as if she had witnessed something impossible.

"Grandma Luo, it's not possible right now, is it? We'll be going now. Take care of yourself, and we'll come to see you again next time."

Moros left Grandma Luo with a cryptic remark, then pulled Lin Xiyue out.

"Eh?!"

Lin Xiyue was dragged out, completely bewildered.

"Let's go, our schedule isn't over yet tonight. You can't just attend one event! (〃′o`)"

With Melos interrupting, Lin Xiyue realized that Melos didn't want to continue the topic, so she suppressed her curiosity and didn't ask any more questions.

..............................

After leaving the small daycare, Moros led Lin Xiyue to a riverbank on the border between the safe zone and the slums.

This place is beautiful.

It was already evening when Lin Xiyue and the others arrived.

The weather is exceptionally fine today. The moon hangs high in the sky, and there are hardly any stars. The bright moonlight shines on the river, making it shimmer and sparkle, creating a dreamlike and enchanting scene.

Lin Xiyue and Mo Luo walked side by side along the riverbank. On the opposite bank was the slum, which was pitch black with only a few scattered lights, while this side of the river was brightly lit.

Standing in the middle, Lin Xiyue looked to the left and then to the right, feeling somewhat disoriented.

If there were more high-rise buildings on this side of the shore, with their lights changing to red and blue, it would be no different from a cyberpunk city, with the same psychedelic atmosphere and stark contrast between the rich and poor.

"Yueyue."

After walking for a while, neither of them spoke, each admiring the scenery around them. Suddenly, Moros called out to Lin Xiyue.

"Ok?"

Lin Xiyue tilted her head, looking at Molos with a puzzled expression.

"You... I have something I want to tell you."

At this moment, Meros spoke less incoherently than when he spoke to Lin Xiyue, and instead became somewhat serious and solemn.

"You say it."

"I believe you can see that there are some things I haven't told you about this place I brought you here today. Please believe me, it's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just that it's not the right time yet, you can't know these things right now."

Lin Xiyue initially wanted to say something to express her unhappiness. After all, being explicitly kept in the dark, especially since it seemed to concern her, would make anyone angry. However, seeing Moros's sincere face—and mainly because he was so handsome—she couldn't bear to blame him. —Lin Xiyue forgave him.

"Fine, I believe you. Anyway, you already know my secrets. If you really want to harm me, there's nothing I can do, right?"

"I won't hurt you, I can't bear to..."

Melos spoke softly; if it weren't for the quiet surroundings and Lin Xiyue's proximity, she probably wouldn't have heard him.

How could he say such a thing! It's outrageous!

Aaaaaaah! How could he do this? Either confess your feelings, or stop seducing me like this! I can't resist temptation! o(╥﹏╥)o

He didn't even confess his feelings, yet he tried to seduce me! What a jerk! [○?｀Д′? ○]

Lin Xiyue's face flushed again, and she didn't know what to say. The scene suddenly fell silent.

A gentle breeze blew by, and the night air, carrying a slight chill, lifted a few strands of Lin Xiyue's hair.

Melos reached out and caught the strand of hair, then tucked it behind Lin Xiyue's ear.

"Stop thinking about it, let's go, we'll be there soon."

"it is good……"