I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 139
Chapter 139: My Worth Suddenly Went Up
On Saturday morning, unexpectedly, it was quiet in the Nanqi District of Shenzhen City. It was noticeably different from the central district. Based on my years of experience living in the central area of Shenzhen City, the number of people there only slightly decreased during the rush hours on Sunday, and Saturdays were not much different from regular weekdays.
Because people in the city had already accepted that Saturday was essentially a working day, and the majority of private companies had a one-day or alternating-week rest policy, everyone worked on Saturdays just like any other weekday.
However, in the Nanqi District, this Saturday truly made me feel what a “day off” meant.
“It feels like there are a lot fewer people around today.”
“It’s Saturday. Most people are probably sleeping in at home right now.”
“But Nuo’er still went to work.”
“For saving money to buy a house.”
“So touched… Nuo’er is working so hard for our future home.”
“Hmph, I’m not doing it for you.”
“Tsundere alert, even the fur on your head is standing up.”
“……”
Walking on the streets outside the neighborhood with Yin Xiamo, compared to the days when I used to work here, it was evident that there were fewer pedestrians. Even the customers at the breakfast stalls on the roadside had decreased significantly.
For example, the breakfast shop that I liked to visit a few days ago, which sold noodle rolls allowing you to wrap them yourself, was a typical county-style bungalow personal shop. It had a large area but was simple in decoration. Many chairs and tables in the store were considered “heirlooms,” having been sat on so much that they shone. During the time I usually left the neighborhood in the morning, this shop would typically have about ten customers. Today, there were only three or four people, and it looked deserted at a glance.
“Hey little girl, why so early today?”
It was quite apparent that my current appearance was attracting attention. The owner of the breakfast stall recognized me and greeted me from a distance, “Are you working today?”
“Yeah, we are going to work.”
I waved back at the elderly couple as a response to their greeting, “Resting on Mondays!”
We had exchanged a few words when I came to buy noodle rolls before. They knew that I, at a young age, had joined the ranks of the “working class.” I also learned that they were the famous “Love Stronger than Gold” couple – as Ai Luodi had mentioned. They didn’t rely on selling breakfast to make a living. Their son in the city was doing well financially, sending them a monthly allowance. The reason they kept opening the shop every morning in the Nanqi District was that they couldn’t bear to leave the locals here, their fellow townspeople.
“Oh, be careful on the road!”
“Yeah, yeah!”
As time entered May, the temperature in Shenzhen City gradually became hot. When I went to the convention center for the comic expo, the highest temperature in the weather forecast was not even reaching 32 degrees. The average daily temperature was around 27 degrees. Now, the average temperature has exceeded 30 degrees, with the highest temperature nearing 40 degrees. Even in the morning, it was still unbearably hot.
Ah… speaking of which, why is Yin Xiamo a grim reaper instead of an “Ice Goddess”? In that case, even if she doesn’t say it, I would probably still willingly stick close to her in this kind of weather.
“So early?”
Walking along the familiar path through the cobblestone-covered shady avenue, and checking the coconut trees planted just yesterday, Yin Xiamo and I arrived at the familiar café. Upon pushing the door open, we saw Ai Luodi, who wore an expression that seemed like she could fall asleep at any moment, cleaning the café.
What surprised me a bit was that there were several strange cars parked outside the café. They looked quite expensive, and I wondered who had driven them here.
“Did the new editor Catnip mention the details of the contract for the new book with you last night?”
Ai Luodi in the shop yawned, “The assignments should have been sorted out by now, right?”
“Yeah, I checked the group rules, they are similar to Tuzi’s. I’ll keep updating from now on.”
I nodded and looked around the café. “You’ve been working for almost 24 hours. Are you okay?”
“It’s okay. There were hardly any customers last night.”
“Alright, let’s switch shifts.”
At this moment, several young people were lying on some of the chairs in the café. They gave off a vibe of being “kicked out by their wives” or “unable to afford accommodation,” looking quite dispirited. The Shangjing Cat Maid Cafe was free to enter, and it also provided some free drinking water. So, during the nights when Ouyang Xue worked the night shift, there would occasionally be people coming in to take advantage of the “accommodation fee.” Most of them would voluntarily leave at dawn the next day.
“Meow—”
While chatting with Ai Luodi, Dingman, who sensed my presence, trotted down from the second floor. His small head kept rubbing against my ankles, and I had to squat down and rub the top of his head. “How did you sleep last night?”
“Meow.”
“You’re getting used to the new environment, right?”
“Meow…”
The name Dingman (Timon) comes from a very old animated film called “The Lion King.” It is based on an animal called a meerkat. It also has a very good companion named Pumbaa. If I remember correctly, there was also a spin-off of “The Lion King” called “Timon & Pumbaa.” In it, Timon has a very famous line or spell: Hakuna Matata!
It is said that when the owner named this Maine Coon Dingman, it was because it was exceptionally talkative. People who have had cats know that, usually, unless they are hungry or have some needs, cats don’t meow. Most “meows” are actually initiated by humans to play with cats. However, Ding Man is completely different, it loves to meow randomly. If you meow at it, it will respond with a meow. If you don’t, it will meow on its own, just like the talkative nature of Dingman (Timon) in “The Lion King.”
However, I haven’t found the cat named “Pengpeng” among the cats introduced by Ouyang Xue. I don’t know if it originally wasn’t there, if the previous owner only had Dingman, or if there’s some sad story behind it.
“There’s something I think I need to tell you.”
While interacting with Dingman, Ai Luodi in a maid costume placed the broom in the corner of the café, yawned, and pointed to the cars outside, “Do you recognize the type and model?”
“Huh?”
I stopped petting Dingman’s head and turned to look outside the café, “Is it a sports car?”
I don’t have much knowledge about cars. When I was still an Uncle, my salary barely supported myself, so I never considered things like cars. I never bothered to learn about these things.
Most guys have an instinctual fondness for cars, like how most guys like guns. However, whether it’s because I’m a reincarnated hero, and there are no cars in the otherworld, or because my salary was too low to pay attention, I’ve always been clueless about types and models of cars, and I can’t even recognize most logos.
At most, I can judge a car’s type by its appearance, like “this is probably an ordinary car,” “this might be a taxi,” “this is a van,” or “this is a Wuling Hongguang.” Anything more complex than that is beyond my knowledge.
Because I’m not really into cars, my main mode of transportation has always been a bicycle. Bicycles can go anywhere, and there’s no issue of traffic jams, making it the perfect fit for an ordinary office worker like me who only needs to go out to buy groceries.
Speaking of which… it’s about time to bring back the bicycle from the apartment. I wouldn’t want it to be stolen.
“They say it’s a luxury car worth several million. I’m not sure.”
On the first floor of the café, Ai Luodi yawned again, “Just now, around seven o’clock, a few men came in those cars. They claimed to be directors of some group or something, specifically wanted to see you. I told them you haven’t started work so early, asked them to wait on the first floor for a while. They didn’t even sit down and complained about too many people sleeping on the first floor, so they went upstairs to have tea.”
“They specifically wanted to see me?”
I’m a bit puzzled, “Did they mention their names?”
Directors of some group? I don’t know anyone like that…
“They didn’t say, but I think they might have been attracted by your recent popularity on the internet. Those guys felt like spoiled young masters to me.”
Ai Luodi turned her gaze towards Yin Xiamo beside me, “Xiao Mo, why are you clenching your fist?”
“Huh? No, I’m not.”
Yin Xiamo smiled, “It’s a good thing that Nuo’er has become popular.”
Yeah, why do I feel like you’re ready to open a portal to the void and pull out a scythe to reap souls at any moment?
I stood up, “Are they still upstairs now?”
“Yes, they’re still upstairs.”
Ai Luodi walked towards the staircase leading to the second floor, “You can talk to them yourself.”
Sure.
Following Ai Luodi, I went upstairs and saw several young people drinking coffee at the largest table here.
There were three of them, dressed in a way that was noticeably different from what I recognized as ordinary people. They exuded an air of the “upper class,” feeling like they were from a completely different world than me.
“Nuo’er! Over here!”
Seeing me upstairs, one of them immediately waved towards me, “Here, here! We’ve been waiting for you for a long time!”
“Is there something you need?”
Although I had a rough idea of their purpose in coming, I still put on a smile and walked over, “Would you like a coffee refill?”
“No, it’s not about coffee.”
The young man who spoke wore an exquisite watch and had a very decent appearance, but his tone was a bit frivolous, “I want to ask if the maids here are for sale.”
“Sir…”
I smiled, trying to maintain my composure, “Please don’t make such jokes.”
“No, I’m serious.”
The young man took out a business card from his jacket pocket and handed it to me, “I heard that when the manager recruited you, she only offered a monthly salary of a few thousand. So, whatever salary she’s giving you, I’ll pay you three times that, and if there’s a breach of contract, I’ll cover it.”
“And Xiamo as well.”
At this point, the young man turned to Yin Xiamo, “If you have any intention to switch jobs, contact me directly, and I’ll offer you three times the salary too.”
Huh? What is this all about?
People are already trying to poach me after just a few days at work? Is it because of Ouyang Xue’s illness?
“Or, if you prefer, you can get in the car with us now. Our legal team will handle the contract.”
Seeing me silent, the young man pointed to the cars outside the café, “Have you seen those cars? The lowest is eight million.”
Are you sure they are really here to recruit?
“Thank you very much for the invitation and recognition, but I’m not considering working elsewhere in the short term.”
Under the frivolous gazes of the group, I handed back the young man’s business card, saying, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, you can keep it. When you change your mind, feel free to contact me.”
Instead of taking back the business card, they walked around us towards the stairs, saying, “If it’s about money, we can discuss it slowly. Call us when you’ve thought it over.”
After speaking, the group walked down the stairs.
“It seems Nuo’er has caught the eye of a wealthy suitor.”
Ai Luodi teased, “People fear fame, and little kittens fear getting strong.”
“No, I have no interest in changing jobs now, and their offer was vague and suspicious.”
I casually tossed the business card into the nearby trash can, saying, “I prefer staying at the café as a maid and then going home to write novels in the evening. I enjoy a simple life.”
“Oh, isn’t this Brother Zhao? Coming here for coffee so early?”
As we spoke, Su Yunjin’s voice echoed from downstairs.
Following that were the voices of those young men, “Su Yunjin? Why are you here?”
“I came for tea, is that not allowed?”
“Hehe, I remember that you guys from Tongmeng Net have shares in this café. Do you think I’m unaware of your intentions?”
“Oh? Then why don’t you tell me what my intentions are?”
“Forget it, let’s go.”
“Farewell. Next time, don’t bring such expensive cars. It’s not good to have them scratched and bumped.”
…
Soon after, Su Yunjin walked up from the first floor. “Nuo’er, it’s early.”
“Don’t you, as a rich second-generation, have to work?”
I placed the items from my bag behind the workbench and said, “The sun hasn’t even come up yet.”
“No, I came here today mainly to check the progress of those coconut trees. I heard that a tycoon sponsored us yesterday. This is the first time we’ve received an investment.”
Su Yunjin joined us by my side.
“Nuo’er, I’m increasingly unable to understand your connections. Come clean, do you still know any big shots?”
“I still know the Dark Night Envoy from the other world, the Hero and the Demon King from the other world, and the Grim Reaper from this world.”
I pointed to Yin Xiamo, “And now you know her too.”
Yin Xiamo corrected, “Not the Grim Reaper, but your husband.”
“Hehe, you two still love to joke around.”
Su Yunjin cleared his throat, “Alright, I admit, I came here today with two purposes. The first is to prevent weirdos like those just now from bothering the mascot of the café.”
“Mascot…” I twitched my mouth. “So, what do those people do?”
“The son of a boss from a listed company in Shenzhen City, he belongs to the type who indulges in a life of luxury, eats, drinks, and plays all day without doing anything productive, relying on his family. He often has ambiguous relationships with female internet celebrities.”
Su Yunjin explained, “Yesterday, when I saw that Ouyang Xue’s promotional video went viral, I guessed that they would definitely set their sights on you. Also, I know your personality, you would definitely refuse.”
“Hmph.”
Yin Xiamo beside me made a disdainful sound, “They dare to overstep, I don’t mind collecting a few more heads.”
“Yes, my Grim Reaper.” Su Yunjin seemed to accept Yin Xiamo’s identity as a “Grim Reaper.”
“The second thing is about the café itself. I don’t know if Ouyang Xue mentioned it to you, but if the café really takes off in the future, meets expectations, and completes the external recruitment with walking, there will be rewards for the café manager from Tongmeng. Do you know what the reward is?”
“What is it?” I thought for a moment. “Three months’ salary? Six months’ bonus?”
“It’s on a bigger scale.” Su Yunjin took out a map from his pocket. “It’s a resort island about ten kilometers away from here.”
“……”
……