When Su Chen woke up, he had become himself in a parallel timeline and inherited the “scenic area” left behind by his grandfather.
But all he could see was a barren mountain, a ramshackle house, a crow's nest, and a young woman who'd been left behind to wait for her wages to be settled.
With tears in his eyes, he used an online loan to pay out the last of the money, then stared in despair at the bankrupt attraction.
Just then, the leisurely voice of an old man rang out in his mind:
“Boy, your grandfather used the last of his good fortune to get you a ‘temporary historical worker’ trial card.”
“Two hundred a month, paid daily, no meals or lodging included. You can summon historical figures from every dynasty to work, and they'll be sent back when their shift ends. Interested?”
And so, history's poorest scenic attraction owner was born:
Two Qin Dynasty soldiers stood guard at the entrance, their security uniforms stretched tight across their chests as they seriously studied the “enemy nation's coded message known as a QR code.”
At the ticket booth sat a young apothecary from the Ming Dynasty, working an abacus to balance the books while politely reminding visitors, “Tickets are ten coins. No change.”
The tourists snapped photos like crazy. “These NPCs are incredible! Even their eyes are in character!”
Su Chen looked at the crumpled ticket money in his hand, then at the employment contract listing a monthly salary of two hundred, and guiltily looked up at the sky.
Then one day, the System notified him:
“Your reputation is high enough to unlock a new employee...”
“Option A: Tang Dynasty Poet Immortal (Requirement: unlimited alcohol during working hours)”
“Option B: Song Dynasty Culinary Master (Wants to try the power of chili peppers from later generations)”
“Option C: Mohist craftsman (Very interested in the ‘glowing iron tree’ by your entrance)”
As Su Chen hesitated over whom to summon first, a mysterious inspection team arrived from down the mountain.
