Chapter 417: Who Is This Sucker?
Chapter 417: Chapter 417: Who Is This Sucker?
"Five hundred thousand Star Coins."
Shen Lu was stunned. ’Who is this big spender? It’d be a waste not to take free money. I can use it to buy ingredients and save a little more, right?’
Shen Lu washed her hands, neatened her appearance in the mirror, and went to the private room on the second floor.
Ever since she got Mimi, she hardly ever came to Dragon Hall.
Before entering the private room, Shen Lu knocked. She only pushed the door open after hearing the person inside say, "Come in."
There was only one person in the room—a man with charming, almond-shaped eyes. An unreadable smile played on his lips. His left hand rested on the armrest, while his right held a teacup, which he gently set down after Shen Lu entered.
"Boss Shen, hello."
Shen Lu put on a polite smile. "Hello. And you are?"
Shen Lu had a pretty good idea why he had asked to see her.
Similar things had happened more than once. If it weren’t for how generous this person was, she couldn’t even be bothered to show up and would have just sent him away.
"My surname is Wei, and my given name is Xun."
"Mr. Wei, are you satisfied with the food at my restaurant?" Shen Lu had no interest in beating around the bush and got straight to the point.
"Satisfied. Boss Shen’s cooking isn’t just the best in the Imperial City; it’s second to none across all four major survival bases."
You can’t hit a smiling face, as they say, especially when this Mr. Wei was laying the praise on so thick. The smile on Shen Lu’s face grew a little more genuine.
"You’re too kind."
"Boss Shen, I was wondering if it’s possible for you to reserve a private room for me every day?"
"I’m very sorry, but we don’t have a precedent for that at the moment." Shen Lu refused.
Wei Xun wasn’t angry, nor was he surprised. "It seems I’ll have to figure something out myself, then."
Shen Lu gave a magnanimous nod. "That would be your own business, Mr. Wei. However, please familiarize yourself with my restaurant’s rules to avoid any unnecessary trouble."
"Of course." Wei Xun stood up. "Thank you for your time."
With that, he turned and left.
Shen Lu was a little slow to react.
’Huh?’
’That’s it? We’re done talking?’
’Isn’t he going to ask why my cooking can soothe the Spiritual Sea? Or about a deep collaboration or something?’
’He just asked if he could reserve a private room?’
Still, the man had paid an appearance fee of 500,000 Star Coins, so Shen Lu respectfully saw him to the door.
Watching Wei Xun’s retreating back, Shen Lu sighed to herself. ’Could I get a few more of these rich, hassle-free spendthrifts? I really wouldn’t mind having more money. Really.’
"That man is very strong." Xue Can had appeared behind Shen Lu at some point. He spoke in a low voice, "I can’t see through to his true strength."
"Is that so?" Shen Lu shrugged nonchalantly. "It doesn’t matter how powerful he is. As long as he steps into Little Deer Cuisine, he’s no match for me."
After the last customer finished their meal and left, it was time for Shen Lu and the others to have their own lunch.
She had only taken a few bites when her Light Brain began flashing frantically. It was a call from Sang Yue.
Shen Lu didn’t answer right away, but the other person kept calling, seeming very anxious.
She swallowed the food in her mouth and answered the call.
"Boss Shen, help me!" Sang Yue’s first words were a bombshell—a cry for help.
Shen Lu froze for a moment before asking, "What’s wrong?"
On Sang Yue’s end, she could faintly hear ferocious shouting and the sound of someone pounding heavily on a door.
"SOB, SOB... A group of people claiming to be from the Dragon and Tiger Gang are here to cause trouble! Boss Shen, you have to save me!"
"For something like this, why didn’t you call Jiang Gong?" ’Since Jiang Gong was the one Sang Yue saved in the original plot, he should be the one running around helping her now,’ she thought.
"I did call him! But it’ll take him forever to get here from the Upper City District!"
Sang Yue was on the verge of a breakdown. The house she rented was nowhere near as sturdy as Shen Lu’s. The people outside had switched from pounding on the door to kicking it. A few more kicks and the door would break!
In the end, Shen Lu wasn’t completely heartless. Besides being a bit annoying, Sang Yue hadn’t really done anything to offend her.
"Alright, I get it. I’ll send someone over."
’I don’t know if that Shadow Organization is still lying in wait to assassinate me.’ Shen Lu didn’t leave the restaurant unless it was absolutely necessary.
So, the task of rescuing Sang Yue naturally fell to Xue Can.
Shen Lu mused internally that after all the twists and turns, it was still Xue Can who ended up helping Sang Yue deal with the Dragon and Tiger Gang crisis.
If she recalled correctly, in the original plot, the Dragon and Tiger Gang had also caused trouble for Sang Yue. After they did it a few times, Xue Can simply wiped out the entire gang.
Xue Can didn’t want to go, but since Shen Lu was the one asking, he couldn’t refuse.
About an hour and a half later, Xue Can returned with Sang Yue in tow.
Sang Yue’s hair was slightly messy and her clothes were dirty. The moment she saw Shen Lu, she threw herself at her, whimpering.
"Those people are horrible! I already paid the protection fee!" Sang Yue cried, aggrieved.
Shen Lu steadied her and pushed her down into a seat. Deng Ying brought over a glass of water. Sang Yue said "thank you" and gulped down half of it.
"The Dragon and Tiger Gang is a gang that roams the Lower City District, mainly surviving on robbery and extortion," Xue Can explained briefly. "They don’t belong to any street’s jurisdiction. And since they’re just a bunch of jobless vagrants, they’re like weeds—cut them down, and new members pop up just as quickly. That’s why no one bothers to deal with them."
There were actually quite a few similar gangs, both large and small, lurking in the various streets of the Lower City District.
Gold Street was an exception. Because of its unique status, the Lower City District’s government placed great importance on it and would never let a few bad apples spoil the goose that lays the golden eggs.
Shen Lu thought for a moment. "Why don’t you hire a couple of bodyguards? That gang is just a disorderly mob; they’re no match for mercenaries."
"How much would that cost?" Sang Yue asked, her eyes welling with tears.
"You should ask Mr. Xue."
Shen Lu successfully passed Sang Yue off to Xue Can, letting the two of them negotiate on their own while she went to the back kitchen to prep ingredients.
With the System Warehouse, keeping things fresh was no problem at all. If not for a shred of professional pride as a chef, Shen Lu would have been tempted to prep all the dishes in advance, so she could just heat them up and serve them when an order came in.
She didn’t know what Xue Can and Sang Yue discussed. When Shen Lu came out midway through, Xue Can’s expression was a bit sour, and Sang Yue was pouting, looking very displeased.
Shen Lu quietly slipped out to use the restroom, then quietly slipped back into the kitchen.
’Some things are best left alone,’ she thought.
In the end, the two of them finalized a contract. Sang Yue hired a female, Third Level Superpower User. Shen Lu didn’t ask about the specific terms.
"Boss Shen, please let me stay here for the night. Zhizi can’t come until tomorrow, and I’m too scared to go back to my shop alone."
Zhizi was the Superpower User she had hired. Xue Can had already sent her a message; she would be back in the Imperial City tomorrow at noon.
What could Shen Lu do? Of course, she could only agree.
Sang Yue happily linked her arm with Shen Lu’s, her previously gloomy face blooming into a brilliant smile.
"You’re the best, Boss Shen! By the way, can I ask you for some cooking advice? I keep failing when I try to make sweet and sour pork ribs. The ribs turn out gamey and tough, and the sauce isn’t sour at all. It’s so weird."