I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 217
Chapter 217: Are You Coming Again? Great!
“Hello.”
Accompanying Mayor Ye Yuqing, there was a young girl with a slightly pale complexion but a very good foundation.
The girl was nearly 1.7 meters tall, taller than Xiao Mo by some measure, with a round face, single eyelids, and a very slender figure. She bore some resemblance to the patients I had seen lying in hospital beds for extended periods. However, this girl in front of me clearly lacked the weakness and fatigue of those patients, there was still a considerable radiance on her face.
“Are… are you busy with work?”
Perhaps noticing the maid outfit I was wearing, the girl in front seemed a bit embarrassed.
“Did I disturb you?”
She seemed very polite and humble…
“Not particularly busy at the moment.”
I gestured towards the second floor behind me. “We have more staff in the cafe today, and it’s not peak dining hours, so we’re not in a rush.”
Although it was Saturday and Children’s Day, there were many children coming to the shop today, but most of them were accompanied by their parents. The second floor of the café was advertised as the “coffee area” and “milk tea, dessert area.” Most parents tended to avoid these drinks and didn’t want their children going upstairs. Strictly speaking… coffee isn’t suitable for children, and milk tea contains caffeine similar to coffee. At this age, children are in their growth phase, and parents would prefer them not to consume such beverages if possible.
As for desserts… whether it’s cheese, cakes, or puddings in the cafe, children shouldn’t eat too much because they contain sugar, calories, and fat. This resulted in few customers going upstairs despite the large number of people and children coming to the shop on Children’s Day. Almost all the customers upstairs were college students on break or leisurely adults. Moreover… at this moment, there was also Fei Luo performing his tricks upstairs. Most customers there paid with their phones, and there were cameras everywhere in the cafe, so even the payment process didn’t require Fei Luo’s intervention.
“Well… can we chat then?”
Seeing that I didn’t outright refuse, the girl’s eyes lit up, and she looked around. “Are there any vacant seats here?”
“There should be…”
I scanned the first floor of the café and glanced at the outdoor tables and chairs outside the building. “There are a few spots upstairs, and downstairs… well, if you don’t mind the air conditioning, you can sit outside.”
Actually, I personally wasn’t very keen on discussing matters related to “transplantation” with Li Denghua, Lu Xinmeng, and the mayor’s daughter.
Lu Xinmeng was okay, so far, her attitude towards illness and life was the sunniest and most positive among all the children I had encountered. Li Denghua was too young, she was going through adolescence and rebelliousness. Growing up in a pampered environment, she didn’t have much concept of such matters.
Sometimes she spoke just like a standard elementary school student, being willful. But fortunately, Li Denghua’s parents were somewhat educated, and although they had raised a somewhat mischievous daughter, her moral compass wasn’t skewed, and communication was possible, albeit with some effort.
As for Mayor Ye’s daughter and the sister of the “Big Hush” in the group… I don’t know why, but I always have this premonition that “meeting them will lead to awkward small talk.”
After all, it’s really awkward for me.
It feels like… someone submitted contributions in my name to some newspapers or magazines and placed a “seeking pen pals” ad under those articles, and then I know nothing about it. After a few days, I receive a bunch of messages from potential friends, leaving me both surprised and melancholic.
As a middle-aged man, due to work and personality reasons, I hardly had any friends. Every day, I would clock in and out of work on time, work diligently, then go home, buy groceries at the nearby market, cook dinner, and after eating, I would turn on the computer, type away, and if I had spare time, attend social gatherings or play games before going to bed.
The difference between me and the mainstream “men” nowadays is that back then, I genuinely believed that “work is work” and as an employee, I should “clock in and out on time” and “be modest.” This is also the reason why I never had any friends or girlfriends.
I vaguely remember two years ago, after being laid off by my former boss, I found a job at a bubble tea shop. All three servers at the bubble tea shop were male, and our job was to make bubble tea according to customers’ requests and seal them before handing them to the customers outside.
At that time, my understanding of this profession was that since we were both servers and technicians, we should take every cup of bubble tea seriously, following the recipe and using the freshest ingredients to present the best side of this brand to the customers.
I always believed that as long as I worked hard, earnestly, and rigorously controlled the quality of those desserts, it would be easy to gain the boss’s appreciation. I even fantasized about whether passing girls might be attracted to me because of my “seriousness.” Then reality dealt me several heavy blows.
Among the young people I worked with at that shop, there was one with a somewhat frivolous personality. When he made those bubble teas, he almost never focused on the quality of the drinks. For example, for some hand-shaken coffee drinks, the recipe explicitly stated that all the ingredients should be shaken together for at least three minutes to crush the ice and mix the ingredients evenly before serving it to the customer at its best taste. However, every time this young man made it, he would casually shake it a few times just for show but spend a lot of time on “socializing.”
For instance, if he saw a girl ordering, he would greet her with, “Hey beautiful, back again? What are you drinking today? Your new phone looks great, latest model?” or “Haha, hey gorgeous, how many times have you been to our shop? I’m starting to recognize you.” If it was a guy, he would say, “Bro, sit for a while. We have a lot of beauties in our shop. Wait a bit, and more people will come, all beauties. Just sit here and drink, trust me.” Despite most people being first-time customers, these people would still be taken aback by his smooth talk.
Similarly, another young man working at the shop at that time was the same. When he made drinks, he never checked if the ingredients were fresh. Even if it was pineapple that had been sitting for two days or mangoes already turning black, he would still take them out and add them to the customers’ drink cups. He would do so while showing off, making exaggerated movements, saying things like, “Hey lady, remember our shop. Your first time here, I’ll give you a discount. Large mango ice, I’ll upgrade it to an extra-large cup for you. Next time you come, say the code 12345, and while others buy large cups, you’ll get the extra-large cup at the same price,” and then dump the blackened mangoes into the extra-large cup.
Originally, I thought that by doing this, customers would be dissatisfied after tasting the strange flavors. However, to my dismay, almost all the customers couldn’t taste whether the mangoes had been sitting for days or if the coffee had been shaken for the required three minutes. Instead, because of those two young men’s various praises and sweet talk, many people became regulars at the shop.
Occasionally, when they couldn’t come to work for their shift, and I had to cover for them alone, I honestly used the best mangoes to make mango ice for them. These girls would still ask, “Why aren’t those two coming today? It’s so boring. The taste of what you made is far worse than theirs, and the portion is smaller too. So stingy.”
In the end, the first young man and a girl who frequently bought drinks at the shop became a couple, quit, and the young man who used rotten fruits to make drinks every day got promoted by the headquarters and became the store manager. Then he turned around and fired me, citing that I was too wasteful in the shop.
It’s precisely because of such experiences that I’ve become more and more fond of being alone. A room to myself, a dining table for one, a little world of my own.
You could say… the sudden appearance of Yin Xiamo back then opened a small gap in my world. Now, this gap seems to be getting larger, with glaring lights outside, leaving me feeling somewhat bewildered.
Lu Xinmeng, Ouyang Xue, Ai Luodi, Lan Jiajia… and now, Mayor Ye and Ye Yuqing’s daughter.
“Shall we go outside then?”
Hearing that I didn’t outright refuse, a girl wearing a regular-sized T-shirt and shorts pointed to the outdoor tables.
“Do you have any signature morning tea here?”
“We mostly sell breakfast in the morning, but there’s coffee and milk tea on the second floor.”
I casually grabbed a menu from the nearby table. “Take a look at what you want?”
“Just order whatever, Xinxin, but nothing too sweet.”
Ye Yuqing came over and said, “My daughter just got discharged from the hospital. If it’s a drink, please don’t add too much to it, please.”
“Okay, got it.”
I nodded. “I suggest not ordering any drinks.”
Drinks can really damage the kidneys. For example, cola or milk tea, occasionally having a cup is fine, but never treat it like water. Drinking one or two cups a day can cause problems for people with poor health. Lan Jiajia’s situation before was probably like this. High uric acid levels are often caused by a diet that includes lots of soups, seafood, high-protein foods, along with alcohol or high-sugar drinks.
If a girl eats seafood every day, drinks meat soup, loves sweets, and has a cup of milk tea or cola every day, she’s prone to developing this problem. For guys, if they barbecue every day, especially fish or eat a lot of crabs and grilled squid, then chug beer, like the guy who lived in the apartment before, beer can also cause high uric acid levels, leading to gout, organ failure, and alcohol damages the liver. With all these combined, it can lead to sudden death.
“For breakfast, you can try our sticky rice rolls or shaomai (Steamed Dumpling), they’re both good.”
I held the menu. “Today, the cafe also offers free horned melon, which is quite tasty.”
Ye Yuqing’s daughter looked puzzled. “What’s horned melon?”
“It’s the one Thanos plants.”
“Thanos from the Avengers movie?”
“Yes, as long as you make a purchase in the cafe, you can get one for free.”
“Awesome! Then… let me see the menu.”
After my little “guidance,” the girl who had initially seemed a bit shy seemed to realize that I wasn’t someone difficult to get along with. Soon, the awkwardness from our first meeting disappeared, and she happily took the menu, pushed open the door, and walked out of the café towards the outdoor tables and chairs.
Ye Yuqing and I followed suit without planning it.
Initially, it was a good thing for Xiao Mo to donate Yin Shiren’s organs. After all, when I signed that agreement back then, I also considered that my body could help more people after my death. However, I never thought that the name I signed at the time would bring so much “trouble” now.
Organ transplants must be kept confidential. Apart from considering some ethical issues, such as what might happen if there are problems after the transplant and people might seek out the donor or misunderstandings between the parties involved, the main reason is to eliminate the possibility of “organ trafficking,” which is the most crucial aspect.
By cutting off the intermediary information chain, even if organ trafficking were to occur, you wouldn’t be able to accurately pinpoint which “boss” to sell it to. In some novels, they often write about someone walking on the street, pulling out a handkerchief, covering someone’s nose, and the person faints. Then they are dragged into an icebox, wake up without their kidneys. This is almost impossible.
First of all, there is no such drug that can be sprayed on a handkerchief and then cover the nose for a few seconds to make a person lose resistance and remain unconscious no matter what others do. Even the strongest anesthetic requires a high-concentration environment for several minutes to take effect, and if interrupted, it’s easy for a person to wake up. Otherwise, anesthesiologists in hospitals would all be out of a job. Secondly… even if someone wanted to steal a kidney, it’s unlikely without professional medical personnel and equipment.
Originally, the prohibition of direct communication between the donor and the recipient was essentially a prohibition of monetary transactions. Strictly speaking, it’s a prohibition on donors specifying “who I want to donate to.” However, in later stages… anyway, once the surgery is done, investigations can still be carried out.
I didn’t expect Xiao Mo to donate her body and precisely donate to so many prominent figures.
And indirectly, it brought me this pile of… relationships.
“When I was in my third year of high school, it was because I couldn’t control my mouth, and my health was poor, and my dad… my dad also had the same illness, probably due to genetic issues.”
“Anyway… thank you very much.”
“I’m currently at Shenzhen University, studying in my freshman year. I had to repeat a grade because of my illness.”
“Yin Nuo’er, if you ever… need anything from me in the future, please dial this number directly.”
“Me too, no matter what happens, our family owes you a life, even if I’m the mayor…”
“Okay, okay, don’t be so sad. It’s good to be discharged from the hospital. Look, being a maid here is pretty good. The cafe manager pays a high salary, and there’s enough rest time every month.”
“You’re welcome to come over anytime you’re free. Next time, I’ll treat you to some Thanos melon.”
“……”
Ye Yuqing’s daughter, named Ye Xinxin, is a very lovely name, just like her personality. Or I should say, in my eyes, names in the “ABB” format are all very cute.
Before parting ways, Ye Yuqing, Ye Xinxin, and I exchanged private numbers. The mayor even revealed a “little secret” to us.
“In fact, the submarine cables from Nanqi District to those islands have been laid almost complete. In the next few months, we will prioritize providing electricity to your island and then build the Dragon King Temple.”
“Additionally, this month, the Tongmeng Network will launch a satellite into orbit, primarily for the development of those islands.”
……
Half an hour later, I returned to the cafe and walked over to Yin Xiamo, who was introducing the cats to a large group of children in the cat living area.
“Children, cats and dogs are different. Dogs are loyal to humans, while cats show friendship to humans. So, don’t force cats to do things they don’t want to do!”
“This is a ragdoll cat, a large breed. Their main characteristics are that they look cute like ragdolls and have long fur, which needs careful grooming.”
“This is a Siamese cat. Their characteristic is that their noses and paws are all black around. Do you see them looking like coal miners?”
“Hmm? How come there are kids aspiring to be coal miners when they grow up?”
It’s evident that after this month of adaptation, Yin Xiamo has become very familiar with this job. Whether it’s introducing cats or playing with the children here, she has reached a level of proficiency.
“Hmm? Nuo’er, why did you come down?”
Seeing me, Yin Xiamo straightened up from the group of children around her. “Is there no one upstairs?”
“There are some.”
I felt a bit awkward. “But they’re all watching Fei Luo’s performance upstairs, so I came here to see if you need any help.”
“I’m fine here. These kids are all well-behaved!”
With one hand holding a cat toy to show the children how to play with the cats and the other hand holding cat food to feed the cats on the ground, Yin Xiamo gestured to me to go elsewhere.
“You go check somewhere else, or ask if Lan Jiajia needs help. I just saw her going to the bathroom over there.”
“Okay.”
I turned and walked towards the direction of the bathroom. Halfway there, I happened to see Lan Jiajia coming out with a mop to clean the floor.
Without thinking, I asked, “Sister Jiajia! Do you need help?”
“Huh? Nuo’er, why did you come down? Aren’t you usually upstairs making milk tea?”
“I…”
I felt a bit embarrassed. “Fei Luo is upstairs.”
“Oh… So the new girl with the big chest took away our lovely Nuo’er’s job?”
Lan Jiajia showed a slightly mischievous expression. “But sorry, I don’t need help here either. If you help, it means I’ll have nothing to do. How about you go to the kitchen? Maybe Chef Wang needs an assistant.”
Why are you all like this…
Feeling frustrated, I turned around and ran towards the kitchen.
Alright, even if Chef Wang doesn’t need an assistant, I’ll still learn cooking here in the kitchen. I’ll learn to make rice noodle rolls, spring rolls, dim sum, and all kinds of handmade buns. I’ll show you all!
However, when I arrived in the kitchen, I was stunned by the peaceful scene here. Because Chef Wang, dressed in chef’s clothes and wearing a chef’s hat, was watching short videos on his phone.
“Pay attention, this woman named Xiao Mei, she has a cat named Stinky Roll Treasure…”
“Chef Wang.”
I poked my head in from the side of the curtain. “Do you need any help? I can assist you.”
“Huh? No, I’m good.”
Chef Wang Jie shifted his attention from his phone screen to me and gestured towards the numerous baskets of buns, dumplings, wontons, and rice noodle rolls behind him.
“I’ve already prepared everything here. When someone orders, I’ll just heat them up with the machine. It’s not even lunchtime yet, right?”
I persisted, “Are you sure there’s nothing for me to do?”
Why is it like this…
There are so many customers outside, but why is it that only Fei Luo came to the cafe…
“Anyway, I don’t have anything here for you. You can go find the manager.”
Chef Wang Jie glanced back at his phone screen. “Sister Ouyang should be in that utility room working on some promotional video. She asked me about your whereabouts ten minutes ago, but it doesn’t seem urgent.”
Ouyang Xue looked for me?
“Oh, thanks!”
Hearing that, I quickly left the kitchen and ran towards the utility room behind the cat living area on the first floor.
The utility room wasn’t large. Usually, it was used to store some parcels or unused items. For example, if the store bought more cat climbing frames, the staff would equip them with extra screws or a pipe. Boxes for receiving parcels were temporarily left there because there was no time to take them to the flea market to sell as scrap.
In addition, there was a small bed and a small computer desk inside the utility room, mainly used by Ouyang Xue for computer work when she didn’t go home much.
With a creak, I pushed open the door and, feeling like I had found my “life goal,” I said to Ouyang Xue, who was sitting at the computer desk with a worried expression, “Sister Ouyang, did you need me?”
“Hmm? You finished talking with that mayor?” Hearing the sound, Ouyang Xue turned her head.
“It seems like our little Nuo’er has quite a background, being able to chat and laugh with such big shots.”
“Don’t mock me, Sister Ouyang. I just… coincidentally met her daughter.” I leaned in behind Ouyang Xue.
“What does the manager need from me? Tell me quickly.”
Ouyang Xue was puzzled. “Hmm? Why do you seem like you have nothing to do? Aren’t there any customers on the second floor?”
“Fei Luo completely replaced my position.” I forced a smile.
“There’s a cleaning robot on the second floor now. Everyone orders using their phones, so there’s no need for manual service. Plus, the counter is in the middle now, so there’s no need to deliver orders. Everyone went to watch Fei Luo perform and make bubble tea…”
The more I spoke, the more melancholic I felt. “Am I going to be phased out?”
“How could that be possible? Nuo’er is our cafe’s eternal maid. You have the most fans online. There’s no way this place could do without you.”
Ouyang Xue pushed her computer chair with her feet, shifting out with a clatter. “Perfect, I do have something to discuss with you.”
“What is it?”
“I’m preparing the second concept PV for the cafe and I need you to come up with a few lines.”
Saying this, as if remembering something, Ouyang Xue added, “These lines are just for the trial phase. Feel free to come up with anything. I’ll just add them to the video to see how it works. Once I have some free time, I’ll get a more professional microphone.”
“Lines?” I was surprised. “Sister Ouyang, what exactly are you planning to do?”
“It’s a concept PV, and there’s also a small game, just in the experimental phase.”
Ouyang Xue took out her phone and aimed the recording hole at me, then handed me a piece of paper. “Read these lines according to what’s written here, try to use your natural voice, you know, that lazy, soft, and gentle voice. Go through these lines once.”
“These lines?”
I took the paper that Ouyang Xue handed to me and glanced over it. “Um… Sister Ouyang, are these… are these lines really appropriate?”
“500 yuan bonus.” Ouyang Xue didn’t beat around the bush and held out a hand. “And I’ll try to finish last month’s accounts in the next couple of days and aim to pay you on the 3rd.”
Pay on the 3rd?! My… my salary for this month, it should be at least ten thousand yuan, right? Isn’t that how it is?
At that moment, the thought of having a huge sum of money instantly made the lines on the paper much more appealing to me. I cleared my throat and asked, “Read them all in one go?”
“Yes, read them all in one go, using your usual signature tone. If you can add a bit of disdainful emotion, that would be perfect.”
Disdainful tone too?! I remained silent for a moment, nodded, and took a deep breath before leaning towards Ouyang Xue’s phone recording hole.
“Nuo’er Meow, here to be everyone’s favorite… kira kira!”
“Guru Ring Wave!”
“I’m~ right~ here~ oh!”
“Fool! Pervert! Go die!”
“Hello, would you like a milk tea today?”
“Choosing Nuo’er is the right choice!”
“Nuo’er thinks it’s not right, not good! Never ever trust… Uncle weirdo…”
“……”
After spending a few minutes reading through these lines, I took another deep breath.
“Sister Ouyang, are you sure these voice clips will be used in a formal setting?”
“Hmm?” Ouyang Xue tapped on her phone.
“Nuo’er, don’t you know? Your audio files are quite popular online.”
With that, Ouyang Xue turned around and opened the laptop in front of her. She accessed Tongmeng Net and opened her account’s history, randomly clicking on a video.
?Popular Internet Café Maid Nuo’er’s Audio Compilation?
“This is a video I’ve been working on for almost half a month, cutting together clips from the café’s surveillance footage. Nuo’er’s cutest voice lines are mostly here. Please give it a like, comment, and share, it means a lot to me.”
“Alright, enough talk, let’s enjoy Nuo’er’s perfect voice that’s sure to captivate——”
“Sir, we don’t offer that kind of service at our café.”
“Are you an idiot?”
“Ahahaha… Sorry, sorry, I lost control…”
“Saying such things is impolite, I will call the police. Our security here is quite strong.”
“Oh, you want to go again? Fine… Hey, you perverted man, can you just go die? Alright, I’m done talking, I need to attend to the next customer.”
“No, you’re too perverted. I suggest having security drag you out and teach you a lesson.”
“……”
What… what is all this?
Just listening for less than a minute, I was already overwhelmed by the various voice clips coming from the computer, which even I found unbearably cute.
“Did I really say these things?”
“Yes.”
Ouyang Xue turned away. “These are all voice clips extracted by your fans from our surveillance footage. Similar videos are everywhere now. If you want to see them, I can—”
“No need!” I quickly grabbed the mouse and closed the page.
“Sister Ouyang, did you call me here just for this?”
“Uh… it’s one of the reasons.”
Ouyang Xue looked around and pulled out a large stack of papers from a box behind her.
“Actually, I was going to ask Li Chen to do this, but he seems busy today. If you’re free, you could give it a try.”
I took the pile of leaflets-like things. “Handing out flyers?”
“Yes, there’s an event happening today in Nanqi District’s commercial street and that area. Plus, it’s the weekend, so there will be a lot of people coming over. If you’re bored, you can go there and promote.”
“Also, I suggest you wear this maid outfit for better effect.”
“……”
……