Chapter 338: What a Little Minx
Chapter 338: Chapter 338: What a Little Minx
"What the hell," Old Zhuang muttered. "Why are there so many fewer orders today?"
The chef walked over and offered him a cigarette. "Business is always hit or miss in this kind of weather. It’s normal."
"That can’t be right. Take these two, for example. They’re regulars at Jiaoyao Garden. They’ve been eating here since the day I opened. Whenever the weather’s bad, they almost always order delivery from my place."
"Maybe they’re not home today?"
"In a heavy sandstorm like this? You think they’d dare go out?" Old Zhuang snorted. "If my son hadn’t awakened a superpower, who could even make deliveries in this weather?"
Old Zhuang’s son, Zhuang Qiang, had awakened a body-strengthening superpower that allowed him to plant his feet firmly on the ground.
The superpower was pretty useless, and since Zhuang Qiang had no interest in being a mercenary, his Superpower Level had always remained at one.
He just slacked off at home, occasionally making deliveries for the family restaurant, which was, in a way, making the most of his ability.
The chef fell silent. With no delivery orders, he was bored to death. He sat down across from his boss, taking listless puffs from his cigarette and chatting.
As soon as it struck twelve, the faint sound of an engine could be heard from within the yellow sandstorm.
At first, the chef thought he had misheard, but when the vehicle appeared before his eyes, he couldn’t help but let out a "whoa."
"Isn’t that a military armored vehicle? What’s it doing here?"
Old Zhuang froze for a moment. The butt of his finished cigarette burned his fingers.
He hissed, dropped the butt, and walked to the door. After taking a closer look, he cursed viciously.
"Son of a bitch!"
"What’s wrong, boss?"
"That’s Little Deer Cuisine’s vehicle!"
Cursing, Old Zhuang opened his Light Brain, found the Little Deer Cuisine app, and logged in. Just as he’d suspected, its delivery range for the day had expanded to include his shop’s area.
No wonder none of his customers had ordered from him. It turned out they had all ordered from Little Deer Cuisine instead.
’Fine, fine, fine. What a little brat. Stealing my business, is she?’
Old Zhuang opened the Commerce Association’s main group chat and started spamming the chat.
Jiaoyao Garden Old Zhuang: @Little Deer Cuisine What’s the meaning of this? Don’t you know the Twelve Blocks is my turf?
Jiaoyao Garden Old Zhuang: @Little Deer Cuisine You deliberately added the Twelve Blocks to your delivery area today. Are you targeting me on purpose?
Jiaoyao Garden Old Zhuang: @Little Deer Cuisine Get out here and talk! What the fuck is your problem?
Jiaoyao Garden Old Zhuang: @Little Deer Cuisine Stop playing dead! I’m telling you, you little brat, if you don’t give me an explanation today, I’ll make sure you earn money you won’t live to spend!
Only Old Zhuang was freaking out in the group. Everyone else had a tacit understanding to just lurk and watch the drama.
Shen Lu only noticed that Jiaoyao Garden Old Zhuang had spammed over a hundred messages in the Commerce Association group chat after she finished lunch.
Every single message @’d her. They were all either demands or vile curses. Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought she’d killed his wife and stolen his son.
Shen Lu thought for a moment, then replied at a leisurely pace.
Little Deer Cuisine: It’s so cold out, yet Boss Zhuang is so hot-headed. Could it be menopause? You should really take that seriously, you know.
Jiaoyao Garden Old Zhuang: You damned girl, you dare show your face? Stop putting on an act! Aren’t you afraid of retribution for doing something so shameless?
Little Deer Cuisine: Huh? Why is there a dog barking in here?
Jiaoyao Garden Old Zhuang: Shen Lu, fuck your mother!
Little Deer Cuisine: Oh my, so noisy. I don’t understand the language of beasts.
Little Deer Cuisine: So many orders today. I’m tired, going to get some rest. Good afternoon, everyone.
And just like that, she said good afternoon and was gone. Shen Lu closed the chat window, no longer paying any mind to the raving Old Zhuang.
Old Zhuang froze, his heart nearly exploding with rage.
He knew Shen Lu wasn’t a pushover, but he never expected her to be so unreasonable.
Feeling deeply wronged, Old Zhuang turned to the newly appointed head of the Commerce Association, President Pan.
Jiaoyao Garden Old Zhuang: Chairman Pan, are you free? I have a small idea regarding the delivery platform.
President Pan and Old Zhuang actually knew each other. It was from many years ago, back before President Pan was married. Every time he made some money, he would go to Jiaoyao Garden for a meal. Over time, the two got to know each other.
But as President Pan’s business grew bigger and bigger, they saw each other less often, though a bit of their old rapport remained.
President Pan: Old Zhuang, you’re being too formal again. I’ve told you, just call me Old Pan. All this ’Chairman Pan’ business makes us sound like strangers.
Jiaoyao Garden Old Zhuang: I couldn’t possibly do that.
President Pan: Alright, let’s get down to business.
President Pan: This delivery platform matter has been a real headache for me, too. As you know, the biggest reason we can’t get it off the ground is the lack of suitable vehicles.
President Pan was happy to have become the head of the Commerce Association, but cleaning up the mess Boss Jin left behind was a major headache.
Last year, Boss Jin had used the pretense of building a delivery platform to fleece a huge amount of money from the merchants. He hired someone to create a half-assed program, and then there was no follow-up.
Of course, Boss Jin never actually intended to build a delivery platform; he was just looking for an excuse to line his own pockets.
Now that President Pan was in charge, he wanted to accomplish something tangible to prove himself. With the sandstorm season upon them, the delivery platform was what everyone was clamoring for the most.
But he was at a complete loss as to what to do about it.
Jiaoyao Garden Old Zhuang: That’s exactly what I came to talk to you about. I know someone who can help with that.
President Pan: Who?
Jiaoyao Garden Old Zhuang: The owner of Little Deer Cuisine somehow got her hands on a military armored vehicle. Chairman Pan, I think we could requisition her vehicle. Wouldn’t that allow the delivery platform to launch?
President Pan: A military armored vehicle? For real?
Jiaoyao Garden Old Zhuang: It’s real. If you don’t believe me, I can take a picture for you. It’s right near my shop.
Old Zhuang quickly ordered his son to go out, take a picture, and send it over.
President Pan took one look and saw that it was true.
President Pan: Alright. I’ll have someone go and negotiate with her. Thanks, Old Zhuang.
Jiaoyao Garden Old Zhuang: Don’t mention it. I’m just trying to help the merchants of the Lower City District have an easier time. It’s the least I can do.
Old Zhuang gave a cold smirk, poured himself a cup of tea, and began to savor it with delight.
’How dare a junior like her act so arrogantly in front of me?’
’She’s truly courting death. I’ll be the one to teach her what it means to tuck her tail between her legs!’
’So what if she was skilled enough to get her hands on that vehicle? Can she hold onto it?’
’Strictly speaking, his relationship with President Pan was just a casual acquaintance. It would have been foolish to run to President Pan and ask him to serve justice just because he felt wronged.’
’But if he brought Shen Lu’s vehicle to President Pan’s attention and linked it to the delivery platform, there was basically no way Shen Lu could keep it.’
’Heh, he couldn’t wait to see that damned girl force a smile as she had to hand over the vehicle with her own two hands. The thought was so satisfying, so wonderful!’
Shen Lu had no idea Old Zhuang was digging such a huge pit for her behind her back.
But even if she did know, she wouldn’t be afraid.
’So what if it was President Pan?’
’Boss Jin was the head of the Commerce Association before, and he still died a swift death.’
However, Shen Lu wasn’t one to stir up trouble. If Old Zhuang hadn’t first come to her store to cause a scene and then spouted a bunch of obnoxious nonsense in the Commerce Association group chat, she wouldn’t have deliberately opened up delivery to the Twelve Blocks.
The Twelve Blocks wasn’t on the same route as the Silver Sea Building and the Gale Mercenary Corps’s base. Making deliveries there required a detour and wasn’t convenient at all.
She had done it purely to teach Old Zhuang a lesson for his nasty mouth.