Soon, the men arrived in large numbers and didn’t need further instructions. Mr. Smith had already explained everything to them beforehand, so everyone immediately got to work.

The entire supermarket building became a hive of activity.

Some men focused on repairing damaged shelves and replacing broken wooden panels. Others cleaned years of dust and dirt from the floors, walls, and windows. Several survivors carried buckets of water back and forth while others scrubbed every corner of the building until it began looking presentable again.

Meanwhile, a group of women volunteered to help wash the floors and clean the glass windows.

The atmosphere was lively.

Everyone worked with a sense of purpose.

Fresh paint was applied to the walls.

Broken shelves were repaired and reinforced.

Damaged glass panels were replaced.

The dusty floor gradually transformed into a sparkling clean surface that reflected the sunlight pouring through the windows.

Even the exterior of the building received attention.

The faded supermarket sign was cleaned thoroughly until it became visible once more.

Some survivors skilled in electrical work carefully inspected the wiring system.

After spending several hours repairing damaged connections and replacing faulty components, the building’s lighting system was restored.

One by one, the lights flickered to life.

Soon afterward, the large refrigerators and freezers that Ivy and Darren had acquired were carefully moved inside.

The process wasn’t easy.

Several men struggled under the tremendous weight of the appliances, grunting and sweating as they slowly carried them through the entrance.

Despite the difficulty, the refrigerators were eventually positioned in place and connected to power.

Everything was beginning to come together.

As the hours passed, supplies were gradually carried into the building.

Boxes of canned food were stacked neatly.

Bottled water was arranged in rows.

Medicine was sorted carefully into designated sections.

Fresh produce, frozen foods, snacks, tools, toiletries, and countless other items slowly filled the shelves.

The once-empty supermarket was beginning to resemble a real store again.

While everyone remained busy, Ivy quietly stepped toward the entrance of the supermarket.

Her gaze swept across the building.

The progress was impressive.

Still, there was something missing.

System, Ivy called inwardly.

Ding!

{Yes, Host?}

Can this supermarket be equipped with an intelligent butler like Melody?

The System remained silent for a brief moment.

Ivy continued.

I mean, Melody already manages most of the operations inside Hope Base. She handles security, household functions, monitoring systems, and countless other tasks.

Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Wouldn’t it be possible for her to assist here as well?

I need something capable of facial recognition. It should identify survivors automatically whenever they enter the supermarket. It should also calculate points accurately whenever someone exchanges supplies or purchases goods.

Can that be done?

Ding!

{It can be done, Host.}

Ivy’s eyes immediately brightened.

Good!

She nearly shouted the word aloud but quickly remembered she was surrounded by people.

Several survivors were already glancing in her direction.

Maintaining her composure, she simply smiled.

Install it immediately.

Ding!

The familiar notification echoed inside her mind.

{Congratulations, Host. Butler Melody has successfully been integrated into Hope Base Supermarket.}

{Functions installed:}

{- Facial Recognition}

{- Resident Identification}

{- Point Calculation}

{- Transaction Monitoring}

{- Inventory Monitoring}

{- Security Alerts}

{- Automated Announcements}

{- Theft Detection}

A wide smile immediately spread across Ivy’s face.

Perfect.

This was exactly what she needed.

A few moments later, a small black camera mounted near the entrance suddenly rotated.

Its lens glowed briefly.

At that exact moment, one of the survivors unknowingly walked through the entrance.

The camera immediately focused on him.

{Good afternoon, resident. Welcome to Hope Base Supermarket.}

The calm mechanical voice echoed throughout the building.

{Facial recognition completed.}

{Current points balance: Zero.}

The man nearly jumped out of his pants as well as the other survivors.

Ivy folded her arms.

"That is the supermarket management system."

"The system responsible for identifying every resident who enters the supermarket."

The survivors immediately listened attentively.

"It uses facial recognition technology," Ivy explained patiently.

"It will automatically recognize every approved resident of Hope Base."

She pointed toward the camera.

"It also keeps track of your points, records transactions, monitors inventory, and helps maintain security."

Several survivors looked impressed.

"It functions much like a CCTV camera."

Ivy’s smile widened.

"So be careful."

She paused deliberately.

"Everything you do inside this supermarket can be reported to me."

The survivors immediately straightened their backs.

Eventually, they all offered respectful bows toward Ivy before returning to work.

Hours continued to pass as more and more supplies were carried inside.

Sweat covered the faces of many survivors as they hauled supplies from the trucks.

Of course, Ivy could have simply ordered the System to place every item directly onto the shelves.

That would have taken mere seconds.

Unfortunately, doing something like that in front of everyone would raise far too many questions.

Questions she had no intention of answering.

As a result, she simply watched everyone continue their work.

Occasionally she offered instructions or suggestions whenever necessary.

Although...

Looking at the shelves, she couldn’t help raising an eyebrow.

The arrangement looked rather messy.

Some products were stacked unevenly.

Others were placed in completely random sections.

The overall appearance lacked proper organization.

Yeah...

Ivy sighed inwardly.

The System is definitely going to reorganize everything after they’re finished.

A warm smile appeared on her face.

At least they’re trying.

Then she communicated with Melody once more.

And you... stop scanning faces and calculating points for now.

Ding!

{Understood, Host.}

The supermarket hasn’t officially opened yet.

{Acknowledged.}

Just monitor everyone quietly.

{Confirmed.}

A mischievous glint appeared in Ivy’s eyes.

However...

If anyone tries sneaking goods into their pockets...

A smile slowly spread across her face.

I want you to scream so loudly that the entire supermarket hears it.

There was a brief pause.

Then....

{Theft detection protocol activated.}

{Maximum embarrassment mode enabled.}

For a moment, Ivy blinked.

Then she burst into laughter.

A nearby Darren looked at her curiously.

"Something funny?"

Ivy simply shook her head.

"No."