I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 229

Chapter 229: Fei Luo, the Dragon Maid’s Social Learning!

 

The situation at the cafe looks somewhat bad. Considering the aesthetic of the interior decoration, there are no decorations or tables and chairs near the main entrance on the ground floor of the cafe.

 

There’s only a circular carpet with a design similar to the summoning circle in the “FATE” series when summoning heroic spirits. Then, on the left and right sides, there are tables and chairs where people can sit. Further away is the area for cats to live, with various cat climbing frames and decorations such as hanging paintings.

 

At this moment, there are four men in the café who look fierce and clearly have malicious intent. All four of them are wearing sunglasses, and two of them have bare arms with tattoos on their arms and chests.

 

These men are all over 1.8 meters tall, and their muscles are well-developed, giving them the appearance of being trained fighters.

 

Since its opening in May, the cafe has had the philosophy of “as free as possible” regarding customer attire, meaning customers can wear whatever they want as long as it doesn’t violate customs and morals when entering the shop to eat.

 

The attitude towards homeless people here is similar to that of KFC. If nearby workers come in with dirty clothes, including shoes, Ai Luodi, who works at night, will provide them with disposable gloves and shoe covers. Additionally, the tables and chairs have corresponding disposable protective covers. Even if they don’t buy anything, they can enjoy free boiled water and drinks like plum juice. They can also use the disposable bowls and chopsticks provided here to drink rice porridge, provided they don’t cause trouble.

 

Ai Luodi has always said that the people who come to the shop at night are relatively well-behaved. Although Shenzhen City is not a city with a particularly large number of homeless people, and in recent years, it has not experienced a year of unemployment crisis, where there is light in a city, there is darkness.

 

Some people have failed in their businesses, divorced from their spouses, some have lost their jobs and been evicted by their landlords, and some simply don’t want to work and don’t know where to live. When it gets too hot outside at night and there are too many mosquitoes, they come to the cafe to “stay” for the night, and that’s all okay.

 

Everyone has it tough. Many people, after entering the shop, would put on disposable shoe covers and gloves by themselves, then quietly take disposable bowls and chopsticks, pour themselves a bowl of porridge, pair it with a bowl of egg drop soup, eat and drink their fill, then have a cup of plum juice and go sit on a chair to play with their phones.

 

Ai Luodi says her night shift job is really easy. Around three or four o’clock, when the free rice porridge and egg drop soup in the kitchen are almost finished, she goes to the kitchen, scoops some rice into the rice cooker, sets it to cook on a timer. The egg drop soup is the same. Although Ai Luodi can’t cook, she knows how to use the rice cooker and soup pot mechanically.

 

As for the plum juice and orange juice… those are usually given as gifts when we negotiate with the suppliers for ingredients. We don’t even need to juice them, it’s similar to some instant milk teas. As long as we keep the machines filled with water and add the corresponding powder on time, it’s good to go.

 

Apart from the night, there have actually been quite a few “tattooed big brothers” who have come to the shop during the day for meals. But the impression they left on me was pretty good, just slightly… frivolous?

 

The world is vast, and we can’t expect everyone’s dressing style to be the same, nor can we expect everyone who comes to eat at the shop to be obedient students or anime fans. This shop is located in such a remote place by the sea in Nanqi District, so it inevitably receives some big uncles who have images similar to “big brother in the underworld” or “boss Jin”.

 

In my mind, there are generally two impressions of these types of people. One is that they are even shyer than anime girls. Clearly, they’re all wearing tank tops, exposing muscular arms thicker than my waist, but when they enter the shop, their expression is like that of a wizard otaku entering a succubus sanatorium, twisting and turning until they blush and finally find a seat. They don’t say anything, just look around at the customers and cats until one of the maids comes over to interact with them.

 

Moreover, these kinds of “big bosses” are particularly polite. When ordering, they always say things like, “I’ll have one of these, thank you” or “Is this spicy? I want it spicy… Okay, thank you. Add some chili, please.” And when they see little cats in the café, they feel embarrassed and play with the cats, which is quite a contrast.

 

I can still remember a few days ago when those “tattooed big brothers” came into the café and called out to the little cats, “Meow meow, come here quickly.”

 

Besides these “polite” types of “big bosses,” there’s another type, the “tattooed big shots,” who don’t quite fit into the cute style of the cafe. However, they are quite common. They’re more like pure hooligans. They whistle as they enter, then ask if we have any “special services.” We politely reply that this is a regular restaurant. After that, these “hooligans” either leave immediately or sit down with the attitude of “since we’re already here, might as well have a meal.” They eat while discussing the maids in the café and anime posters, jokingly saying things like, “Look at that plastic figurine,” “Is this what kids like nowadays?” “Hey hey, little girl, don’t look, uncle is not a bad person.” After finishing their meal, they pay and leave.

 

Overall, due to its unique location, the cafe does attract many strange customers. However, over the past month, nothing serious has happened. And actually, the impression left by those “tattooed big bosses” is quite good. They value being straightforward—ordering quickly, paying quickly, not making a scene, not bargaining, just eating and leaving without much chatter.

 

After all… reality is not fiction. Only smart, low-key, self-protective people can climb up. If someone is very flashy and always causing trouble wherever they go, sooner or later, trouble will find them.

 

So, in my impression, the people who come to the cafe to spend money, those who seem significant, are very low-key and good at talking.

 

However, the four sunglass-wearing “tattooed big shots” standing on the first floor of the cafe at this moment are not the type to be “good at talking.”

 

They somehow brought in a few chairs, with two of them standing beside the chairs, and the other two blocking the door like grim reapers, looking ready to cause trouble if the issue isn’t resolved.

 

“Everyone, take a look. This place doesn’t meet hygiene standards. It made my brother sick.”

 

Under the gaze of me, Yin Xiamo, and Fei Luo, one of the men addressed the customers dining around them, “My brother was fine when he came here. It’s just after eating their egg tarts, now he’s got stomach pain. Are you still daring to eat here?”

 

“Sir.”

 

Chef Wang, wearing chef’s attire next to him, stepped forward, “If your brother indeed feels unwell, we have a solution. We can help call an ambulance, get him checked out, and cover all medical and loss-of-work expenses. It’s not ideal to delay like this. Your brother’s health is important…”

 

“No, that won’t do.”

 

Before Chef Wang could finish, the tallest of them interrupted, “We want you to admit the hygiene problem first. Otherwise, if we go to the hospital, get treated, and you deny it, what then?”

 

“Don’t you understand reason?”

 

Chef Wang, always straightforward, frowned, “If you’re feeling unwell, shouldn’t you go for a check-up first instead of forcing us to admit something? Looking at you, you don’t seem unwell at all…”

 

“Oh, Chef, according to you, you have discerning eyes, able to judge our health at a glance, right?”

 

“……”

 

I glanced outside the cafe’s entrance.

 

The security guard wasn’t there.

 

Or rather… it’s normal for the security guard not to be there at this time. Even for security, the cafe operates on an “eight days off per month” work schedule. And because they only hired two security guards, considering the cafe opens at eight in the morning, if they were to ensure the guards work “eight hours a day,” their rest time would be quite sufficient.

 

For example, they start their shift at eight in the morning, from eight to nine-thirty is the peak breakfast period, requiring the guard to be on duty. Then they have two hours in the middle to rest, returning to their post around eleven-thirty, working until around two in the afternoon with another two-hour break, and then working from five to eight in the evening.

 

In other words, at this time, both security guards at the cafe are taking a break.

 

Coincidentally, the manager, Ouyang Xue, and the only male, Li Chen, who can handle such “miscellaneous matters,” are out delivering goods. There are only two people left in the café: Lan Jiajia and Chef Wang.

 

Chef Wang is a chef, and his sole job at the cafe is cooking. It’s understandable for him to be upset when he hears someone criticizing his cooking, given the current situation.

 

As for Lan Jiajia, before becoming a maid, she was an editor. Although she knows how to handle social situations, she’s still just an ordinary girl. Faced with four muscular men, she’s certainly afraid.

 

“What’s going on? Why is there suddenly a commotion?”

“Those men don’t look like troublemakers, do they?”

“Such a big place and there isn’t even a security guard? I feel so unsafe…”

“What should we do now? Should we record a video?”

 

The commotion caused by several muscular men made our side the center of attention in the whole room. Not only the customers on the first floor but also some young people who should have been drinking milk tea on the second floor came down and stood at the stairwell, watching towards our direction.

 

This situation is a bit difficult to handle.

 

Seeing that everyone’s attention is on those big men, I took out my phone, opened the Dreamland website, and found the cafe’s official live streaming account.

 

Since its opening, the cafe’s cameras have been connected to the live streaming room, broadcasting 24 hours a day. I remember that even during idle times, the number of viewers can maintain around seven to eight hundred people. Although I wasn’t present when the incident happened just now, as long as I check the barrage in the live streaming room, I should be able to…

 

?It’s obvious they’re causing trouble.?

?Shenzhen City is a bit weird. I’m a local, and Nanqi District is a… center of conflict. Doing something like this suddenly will definitely attract some dissatisfaction from certain powers. That’s all I can say.?

?These people are clearly here to cause trouble. Talking about stomachaches… I’ve been keeping an eye on the kitchen here, and there’s absolutely no problem with the ingredients and the production process.?

?Everyone’s saying these people are troublemakers, and they’ve been planning this for a long time.?

?Of course, the cafe usually doesn’t have many people around two in the afternoon, and just as the manager and the male staff member left, these people came in and ordered an egg tart. After finishing it, they started causing trouble.?

 

Sure enough…

 

After checking the previous barrage, I roughly understood what was going on and scrolled to the beginning of the live chat room’s barrage list—

 

?Why did Nuo’er and Xiao Mo come back? Weren’t they supposed to have the day off today??

?Nuo’er… Haha, my Nuo’er is wearing that cute little dress, so petite. Feels like you could just scoop her up with one hand.?

?It should be Fei Luo who called Nuo’er and Xiao Mo over, but even if they come, it’s useless. I suggest we still call the police. How can a few young girls reason with four big guys??

 

At this moment, I’m not sure if it’s an unexpected accident or not, but the live streaming room, which usually has at most a thousand viewers, shows more than 30,000 people watching, and the number is still rising steadily. The speed and quantity of barrage messages are also several times more than usual.

 

I took a quick look, and almost all the viewers from just now to now have concluded that these people “are here to cause trouble,” and the mainstream opinion is worrying about “how us few girls will handle this.”

 

?I just checked the map of Shenzhen City. The nearest police station is about ten minutes away. The main issue is that no one has reported it, so it’s hard to determine the situation.?

?So I said, only hiring two security guards for the cafe is really asking for trouble. Now, with something happening, how are these little girls supposed to handle it? Can cuteness protect the place??

?Isn’t Nuo’er supposed to be an elf? Xiao Mo is a demon, and Fei Luo is supposed to be from the dragon race, right? Why are they just standing there??

?The keyboard is clicking away. Why don’t you go then? Four girls, the most beautiful girls in Shenzhen City are there. It’s up to you to be the hero.?

?I just find you guys in this anime world laughable. Someone’s character is a giant dragon, and that’s it? If this Fei Luo you’re talking about can’t even beat a single uncle, then I’m not impressed.?

 

In no time, the direction of the barrage in the live stream room shifted from “Should we call the police for something happening at the cafe?” to “The girls’ character designs at the cafe are laughable,” and then to mocking terms like “otaku” and “delusional.”

 

?A woman at 20 years old really shouldn’t be wearing these kinds of clothes, like maid outfits…?

?I won’t even mention elves and demons. Just look at that new girl, Fei Luo. Aside from having a big chest, what part of her fits the description of a giant dragon??

?Where did you guys come from with all this trolling? Is now the time to discuss character designs? Can’t you distinguish between anime and reality??

?Stop arguing. I think we should still call the police. If you guys won’t dial the number, I will…?

 

“Nuo’er.”

 

At this moment, Yin Xiamo leaned in close to my ear, “How should we handle this?”

 

“Huh?”

 

I was a bit slow to react at first. “Asking… asking me?”

 

How to handle it… usually, in this kind of situation, you call the police, right? Even if I’m dumb, I can see that something’s not right here. It’s definitely not on the level of a regular customer getting a stomachache.

 

Ordinary people come out to eat, and most of the time, they won’t have any intention of causing trouble. If they really experience something like a stomachache, they might leave on the spot, either because they’re timid and don’t want trouble, or because they don’t think it’s serious. The braver ones might argue with the staff. In this case, the solution proposed by Lan Jiajia and Chef Wang doesn’t seem to have any major issues—calling an ambulance, going to the hospital for a check-up, all expenses covered by us, including compensation for lost wages.

 

If it were me, I’d probably accept this proposal, go to the hospital for a comprehensive check-up. If I’m healthy, it’s just a precautionary measure, essentially getting a free health check. If there’s something wrong, I’ll get treatment and compensation for lost wages.

 

However, these people in front of me are insisting on getting an apology from the cafe? What kind of mentality is this?

 

Most importantly, the behavior of these people is just like what the barrage in the live stream was saying: too coincidental. It’s just too coincidental that they chose the time when the cafe security guards were off duty in the afternoon, when Ouyang Xue and Li Chen were out delivering goods, and there were only two people in the shop. Claiming to have a stomachache but refusing to go to the hospital for a check-up, only demanding an apology from the cafe—it’s a bit too purposeful.

 

“Ask you.”

Yin Xiamo placed both hands on my shoulders. “Nuo’er is growing up, and she should learn to stand on her own. Your position in the shop should be the highest… Give it a try. What choice would Nuo’er make in a situation like this?”

 

Hmm…

Why did Xiao Mo delegate the decision-making authority to me?

She should be the strongest among us here…

 

In confusion, I glanced at Fei Luo for an answer.

Then I realized that this “dragon maid” was also looking at me with a “waiting for orders” expression.

 

I looked back at Xiao Mo behind me, and her face also wore an expression of “make the decision.”

 

This scene felt oddly familiar.

 

It’s as if a long, long time ago… we had encountered a similar situation.

 

I felt the scene in front of me blur slightly.

 

?……?

?No, there’s no way forward.?

?Fei Luo is seriously injured and can’t fly. We…?

?Don’t worry about me, you guys… *cough* You guys go on, I’m the princess of the black dragons, the demons won’t harm me…?

?What are you joking about! None of us can leave one behind!?

?But…?

?No buts, Fei Luo. I was the one who brought you out of the Dragon Forest, so I will take care of you no matter what, even if it costs me my life… Momo?

?Ah… I’m here!?

?You protect Fei Luo, prioritize treating her wings. Don’t act without my command. I’ll handle the demons behind us!?

?But…?

?This is an order from the captain!?

?Okay…?

 

“……”

 

After a brief moment of confusion, I regained my composure and walked towards the group of men.

 

“Hello, I’m very sorry for the unpleasant dining experience you’ve had. Our manager had to leave suddenly for a purchase, so I’m the acting manager here.”

 

Stopping a few meters away from the men, I spoke in the most “adorable” tone possible, “I’ve got a general idea of the situation. You arrived at 14:13, and our waitress, Lan Jiajia, attended to you. At 14:18, you ordered a 4 yuan egg tart, which was served at 14:32, and eaten by this gentleman here, correct? Then, at 14:39, you claimed there was an issue with the food, mentioning symptoms like stomach pain. Lan Jiajia attempted to call emergency services, but was stopped by you. Chef Wang proposed a solution of a full-body examination at the hospital with compensation for lost wages, which you declined. You’ve been disrupting the order in the café until now. May I ask, sir, is your stomach feeling better now?”

 

Actually, with a little thought, it’s easy to understand that today’s events are probably caused by the “Nanqi District Vortex” again.

 

Ye Yuqing and the others are planning to reorganize the Nanqi District, revive the economy here, and expand the “Mianyun District”. Some measures have touched the interests of certain people, and these people have secretly caused trouble to stop the project from being implemented.

 

Causing trouble at the café is obviously one of their means of sabotage. They hope to send people to cause trouble at the café, tarnish its reputation, and make the businessmen preparing to invest in the Nanqi District commercial street feel “unsafe,” thus serving as a deterrent.

 

In other words, the few “big guys” in front of me right now didn’t have any stomach problems from the beginning.

 

When I write novels, I often encounter similar situations. Some readers find the novel group through the QQ group number left outside, find me, the “author,” through the group management information, and then they curse at me, saying things like “I don’t like your book, I don’t want to read it anymore, can I unsubscribe and get a refund?” Whenever this happens, we authors usually choose to resolve the issue peacefully. We simply confirm that they have indeed read our book and then refund the subscription fee in full.

 

It’s the same in the restaurant business. Since we opened in May, we’ve encountered difficult customers who say “it’s really bad” or “I got food poisoning” and go to Ouyang Xue to demand a refund. As long as they’re not asking for three or five times the refund amount, Ouyang Xue will refund them.

 

Or in fact, the vast majority of the catering and even service industries operate like this. If you buy a novel and want a refund, if you eat something and want a refund, if you tear a ticket and want a refund… as long as the customer makes a fuss, everyone knows what to do, and they will refund the money.

 

But if a customer causes a scene and refuses to accept a refund or any form of coordination, then one needs to consider which interest group they represent.

 

“Who said the pain stopped?”

Under my barrage of words, the lead man jumped off his chair. “Who are you? Do you represent this place?”

 

“I’m the acting manager.”

To be honest, the fierce look of the man did make me a bit scared, but in front of so many people, I still forced myself to remain calm.

 

“We have two solutions here. The first is to refund you for the meal you just ordered and compensate you for your loss of income for a certain period of time according to the average hourly wage in Shenzhen City. The second option is to call an ambulance to take your friend to the hospital for a check-up. We’ll cover the cost of the check-up and compensate you for lost income. What do you think?”

 

“I already said, I don’t want any compensation for lost income.”

The man raised his voice. “I want you to apologize. There are so many cameras here. Apologize to my friend in front of all these viewers in the live stream and admit that there are indeed hygiene issues in this store.”

 

It seems he’s indeed here on someone else’s orders to cause trouble.

 

Since it’s like this, I can’t be bothered to argue with you anymore. I’ve fulfilled all the obligations I need to.

 

“Well, how about this, we’ll give you a third option.”

Facing the main camera in the hall, I gave a glance to Fei Luo beside me. “There are many cameras here, and some things are better left unsaid. Let’s settle this outside.”

 

“Settle it?”

The lead man was initially puzzled, then seemed ecstatic as if he’d just received a great boon. “Are you sure? Discuss it outside?”

 

“Yeah.”

I gestured towards Fei Luo. “Her character setting in the café is a dragon maid. After we go outside, you can talk to her. The dragon will teach you what manners are.”

 

“……”

 

……