Kevin was still sitting at the living room table when the System finished processing the five upgrades.
A soft chime sounded, and five glowing notifications appeared one after another. He read them quickly, a small smile forming on his face as he saw the useful rewards.
Then, without warning, a bright flash filled the room.
A large cardboard box materialized on the floor beside him with a heavy thud. At the same time, five young, bright-red Martian cows suddenly appeared in the middle of his living room.
The small alien cattle looked around curiously, their big eyes blinking.
One of them let out a soft "Moo?" that echoed strangely in the house.
Kevin stared at them, completely frozen. "You gotta be kidding me…"
The cows were real, solid, living, and currently standing on his brand-new living room carpet. They were surprisingly cute for alien livestock: smooth red hides, small horns, and curious expressions.
Kevin pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long sigh.
He had been thinking about expanding to a farm, but he hadn't expected the System to drop five living cows directly into his house.
He didn't even have a proper place for the growing jellyfish yet, and now he had cattle wandering around his living room.
"This is getting ridiculous," he muttered.
He stood up, gently herded the five young cows toward the backyard, thankfully they were docile and followed him easily, and closed the glass door behind them. The cows immediately began exploring the grass, looking surprisingly content.
Kevin sat down heavily on one of the backyard chairs, pinching his nose as he stared at the five red cattle grazing peacefully.
They were a good reward, animals he could raise ethically for superior ingredients. But right now, they were just another problem.
He didn't have a barn, a pasture, or even enough space in the backyard for long-term keeping. The jellyfish tanks were already starting to feel crowded, and now he had five living cows with no proper home.
He also had twenty Abyssal Chicken Eggs waiting to be hatched, but no farm to raise them on.
Kevin sighed again, then made a decision.
He pulled out his phone, searched for "Tweedy Farm for sale," and found the listing. The price had dropped even further due to the scandal. He dialed the number listed.
It was picked up almost immediately.
"Hello?" came a tired but hopeful female voice.
"Hi," Kevin said calmly. "I saw your farm is for sale. I'm interested. Can I come take a look today?"
There was a brief pause, then the voice brightened noticeably. "Yes! Of course! When can you come?"
"I can head over now if that works."
"Perfect! I'll be waiting."
Kevin hung up, grabbed his keys, and checked the map. The farm wasn't too far, just outside the main city area, near the border between Toontownsville and the wild zones.
Before leaving, he took a moment to review his finances properly.
He had started with $1,000,000 from the System reward. He spent $245,000 on the restaurant renovation, another ~$180,000 on initial ingredients, equipment, furniture, and other shop supplies, $68,000 on the black 1968 Dodge Charger, and roughly $95,000 on home appliances and furniture.
After accounting for the upcoming house payment of $320,000, he still had approximately $92,000 in liquid cash left, not to mention the steady profit the restaurant was already generating.
In the last three weeks, the Krusty Krab had brought in roughly $285,000 in total revenue. After salaries, ingredients, utilities, and other operating costs, the net profit was around $112,000. That meant he still had a considerable amount of breathing room, especially if he could negotiate a good price on the farm.
Satisfied with the numbers, Kevin got into his black 1968 Dodge Charger and drove out of the quiet subdivision and headed toward the outskirts of Toontownsville, following the map to Tweedy Farm. The landscape gradually changed from neat suburban houses to open fields and scattered barns as he left the main city area.
When he arrived, he parked the car beside a weathered wooden fence. The farm looked exactly like the pictures online and exactly like the infamous setting from the old Chicken Run stories.
From the outside, Tweedy Farm was a sprawling but rundown property. A large, dilapidated red barn with peeling paint stood in the center, surrounded by several smaller coops and sheds.
The fields were overgrown with weeds, and rusty fences leaned at odd angles. An old sign reading "Tweedy's Egg Farm" hung crookedly above the main gate, faded and chipped. The whole place had a tired, neglected feel, with scattered feathers still blowing across the dirt yard. It was clear the farm had seen better days before the scandal.
Kevin stepped out of the car. As he did, the front door of the small farmhouse creaked open.
A woman stepped out to greet him.
She was tall and thin, with sharp features and a stern expression that hadn't softened with age. Her hair was pulled back tightly into a severe bun, and she wore a faded floral dress with an old cardigan over it. Her face was lined with years of stress and frustration, and her eyes had a calculating, almost predatory glint. She carried herself with the air of someone who had once been in control but was now desperately trying to salvage what was left.
"You must be the one who called," she said, her voice clipped but hopeful. "I'm Melisha Tweedy. Welcome to the farm."
Kevin nodded politely and extended his hand. "Kevin Harlan. Nice to meet you."
They shook hands, then Melisha gestured toward the property. "Shall we take a look around?"
She led him on a tour of the farm. The main barn was large but dusty, with old wooden stalls and scattered hay. Several smaller outbuildings contained broken egg-sorting machines and rusted equipment. Kevin noticed the infamous pie machine from the movie he watch in the past, now dismantled and lying in pieces near the back of the barn, a grim reminder of the farm's dark past.
The fields were overgrown, but the soil looked decent, and there was plenty of space for expansion. A few abandoned coops stood empty, their doors hanging open.
After walking the entire property, Melisha led him back to the small farmhouse. They sat down at a worn wooden table inside the modest living room, opposite each other.
Melisha folded her hands on the table and looked at him expectantly.
"So… what do you think of the farm?" she asked, her voice carrying a mix of hope and resignation.