Chapter 38: Guardian Project, Reactivated
Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Guardian Project, Reactivated
*Sniffle*. ’My precious pork knuckle...’
’Thank goodness I’m in disguise. If all these sect members saw me here, they’d probably tear me limb from limb.’
’Needless to say, starting tomorrow, this place will become a second Yanliu Street.’
’Especially the Cultivators who frequent the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons—they’ll never pass up a chance to get Boss Lu’s pork knuckle.’
’Having that pork knuckle is like having an extra life in the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.’
At that moment, Lou Xiaotian could see plenty of malicious gazes fixed on Lu Wu.
But it didn’t matter.
’As Boss Lu’s Guardians, as long as we’re here, no one can even think about interfering with her pork knuckle business!’
"Mission issued..."
A message from the Great Elder suddenly appeared in the Bun Sect’s chat.
The Boss Lu Protection Plan was activated once more.
Jiang Yunhe, feeling like a complete idiot, finally realized his mistake after hearing Qin Zhan’s explanation and spotting the people who had asked him for directions earlier in the line.
He quietly cast a spell on himself to block their perception of him.
Turning his head, he saw Qin Zhan staring at his One World Communication device, fiddling with it.
He peeked over and the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Don’t worry, Great Elder. I will definitely complete the mission. No evildoer will escape my watchful eye."
"It’s on you and me to protect the best Boss Lu in the world."
’How shameless.’
Jiang Yunhe recognized it as Qin Zhan’s alt account.
"What’s this? The Holy Sword Sect can’t hold on to you anymore?"
He couldn’t help but tease.
Hearing this, Qin Zhan was about to explain himself but instead gave an odd smile.
He could see that Jiang Yunhe had also been captivated by Boss Lu’s cooking, but he had yet to realize the gravity of the situation.
’Boss Lu is only setting up her stall here in the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons for seven days. When that time is up and Jiang Yunhe can’t find her, I’ll be waiting for him to come crying to me and calling me Senior Brother.’
After a sinister chuckle, Qin Zhan sprang into action.
The large crowd made it convenient for the sect members to keep watch.
They were happy for everyone to enjoy Boss Lu’s food, but they would never let anyone with malicious intent get near her.
Anyone who got in the way of their meal was an enemy.
From within the crowd, a few people were led away by the sect members, never to be seen again.
Immersed in her work, Lu Wu was completely oblivious.
Gou Aotian, however, who was squatting by her side, saw Qin Zhan and the others’ actions.
He was naturally sensitive, with an almost intuitive perception of malice.
Though he appeared relaxed, Gou Aotian’s muscles were tensed. If anyone dared to make a move on Boss Lu, today would be the day he, Gou Aotian, went on a rampage.
"WOOF!"
Gou Aotian barked a few times at a customer. When the man didn’t react, the dog ran over and clamped his teeth onto the hem of the man’s robe, refusing to let go.
"What’s this all about?"
The customer, holding a pork knuckle, wore a puzzled expression.
"Boss Lu, hurry and get this dog away from me! I’m a little scared of dogs."
As he spoke, the customer’s body even trembled slightly.
But his fear seemed far too theatrical.
Lu Wu put down her spatula, glanced at the man, and spoke in a cold voice.
"Dahuang isn’t letting you leave because you haven’t paid."
With so many customers, Lu Wu didn’t have time to collect payment and make change for each person. Instead, she had set out a large basin where customers tossed their Spirit Stones.
Anyone who needed change had to make it themselves.
Most customers were honest, but it was inevitable that some would try to take advantage.
Like this man, for example. He’d bought a pork knuckle and made a show of tossing in the Spirit Stones, only to snatch them back the moment Lu Wu looked down.
That’s why Zhaocai Dog Huang had sprung into action.
"That’s nonsense! I clearly paid."
"Boss Lu, I know your cooking is amazing, but you can’t just go around falsely accusing people! I’ve been buying your food since you were on Yanliu Street."
The customer refused to admit it, retorting loudly.
"This is no way to do business."
"Or has Boss Lu decided she’s famous enough to start ripping off her customers?"
The man’s words immediately put Lu Wu on the spot, and some of the uninformed onlookers began to murmur amongst themselves.
"How could Boss Lu make a mistake?"
"Exactly! Stop talking nonsense. It’s not like Boss Lu is hurting for your few Spirit Stones."
But these people were all on Lu Wu’s side.
Given how wildly popular her business was, it would be easy for her to make a fortune.
Would she really slander him over a mere ten low-grade spirit stones?
When he realized he couldn’t turn the crowd against her, a flicker of regret showed on the customer’s face.
"You say I didn’t pay? Where’s your proof?"
He stubbornly refused to admit it.
At these words, the expressions on some of the other customers’ faces soured.
A few members of the Bun Sect began to discreetly close in, ready to apprehend the man at a moment’s notice.
But Lu Wu just smirked.
There was no anger on her delicate features.
"Proof? As a matter of fact, I have it right here."
Lu Wu straightened up and fumbled around somewhere above her stall, prying loose a Memory Stone.
She had installed a Memory Stone on her stall when she first started her business to avoid exactly this kind of situation. The device was similar to a security camera, capable of recording events over a period of time.
Upon seeing the Memory Stone, the customer’s face fell.
"It’s just ten Spirit Stones, right? Here, I’ll give them to you."
Without waiting for Lu Wu to play the contents of the Memory Stone, he hastily tossed down the Spirit Stones and fled, the very picture of a guilty conscience.
Lu Wu pursed her lips and turned to the crowd.
"I’m very happy that everyone enjoys my food, and I’m grateful for all of your support."
"But this kind of behavior cannot be tolerated."
"This person will be blacklisted. I will no longer sell any of my food to him. I hope everyone takes this as a lesson."
’She, Lu Wu, would never do business at a loss.’
"We support you, Boss Lu!"
The crowd of customers voiced their approval of Lu Wu’s decision.
Paying for what you buy was just common sense.
In fact, they wished more fools like him would show up; it would just mean less competition for them.
The minor incident didn’t affect Lu Wu’s mood.
"Alright, next in line!"
Lu Wu called out, digging her spatula into the pot and pulling out a large pork knuckle.
The skin of the tender pork knuckle jiggled. The customer drooled, then went off to the side to enjoy it.
Before long, the day’s supply of pork knuckles had run out again.
"Are they really all gone?"
A customer stood before the stall, looking deeply disappointed.
"They’re really all gone!"
Lu Wu lifted the pot lid to show him.
There wasn’t even a scrap of meat left at the bottom of the pot.
"Isn’t there still some right there?"
The customer smiled and pointed to the bottom of the pot, earning a questioning look from Lu Wu.
She scraped the bottom with her spatula. There was nothing there. ’Is this the Emperor’s New Pork Knuckle?’ she wondered. ’Why else can’t I see it?’
"The sauce. Sell it to me for the same price as a pork knuckle."
the customer explained calmly.
As he spoke, he pulled a bowl of white rice from his Storage Space.
The steaming rice was pristine white. Right in front of Lu Wu, he dumped the rice into the pot, then snatched her spatula and gave it a few stirs.
As the white grains of rice were slowly stained a savory brown, a satisfied smile spread across the customer’s face.
He had prepared himself for the possibility of not getting a pork knuckle the moment he heard that’s what Boss Lu was selling today.
But it didn’t matter; he had bought a bowl of rice before coming.
He had still managed to secure the most essential part of the braised pork knuckle—the sauce.
Only when the very last drop of thick sauce had been absorbed from the bottom of the pot did he slowly scoop the rice back into his bowl.
’If the opportunity isn’t there, you have to learn to create it yourself.’