I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 231

A few minutes later, in the café’s ground floor lobby, several muscle-bound men, completely out of place in this setting, were walking under one of the cameras with forced smiles on their faces. They raised their hands to the crowd dining around them.

 

“Everyone, I have an announcement to make!”

 

Then followed several seconds of silence. It wasn’t until they had captured the attention of diners and lounging customers that the muscular man speaking continued:

 

“Today’s bill for everyone present, I’ll cover it!”

 

“Huh?”

“What’s going on?”

“Weren’t these people just demanding an apology for getting sick from the food here? What’s happening? Did they get beaten up?”

“Do they look like they’ve been beaten up with all that energy? And they went out with Nuo’er and others, do you think those girls could handle these kinds of tough guys?”

 

The words of the muscle-bound man instantly sparked heated discussions among the surrounding customers. Some even took out their phones, ready to take pictures or videos.

 

Meanwhile, I quietly sat down with Yin Xiamo on a nearby chair, took out my phone, opened the Tongmeng website, and entered the live broadcast here.

 

Fei Luo returned to his work station, grabbed a broom, and began cleaning.

 

“So they were threatened by Nuo’er and her friends?… I can’t believe that. How could a few girls threaten these beefcakes?”

 

The people around continued to whisper and gossip amongst themselves.

 

As if watching a spectacle, most people here cast bored glances in the direction of the big man.

 

“So they were bribed?”

“Are you stupid? If they had real money, why would they be working as waitress? And Nuo’er just mentioned compensation for lost wages earlier, but these people didn’t ask for it. Money isn’t their motive.”

“Then what’s going on? Can’t be just acting along or publicity stunt, right?”

“Everyone, quiet down and listen to me.”

 

Amidst the murmurs of the surrounding crowd, the lead man cleared his throat, “Well, actually, we didn’t get sick. As you all probably noticed, we just ordered an egg tart and complained of stomachaches afterward… Heh, we were indeed bribed. This café has gained popularity, and some competitors got jealous. They paid a few guys like us. That’s all I can say.”

 

“We apologize for disturbing your meals. Those who’ve paid here will get refunds, and those who haven’t paid need not worry about it. Today’s meal is on us, brothers.”

 

With that said, the young man glanced over at us. “We’re truly sorry, young ladies… We… We’ll take our leave now.”

 

It was evident that these individuals were sincere, both in their expressions and tone, not appearing coerced.

 

Of course, neither I, Xiao Mo, nor Fei Luo actually “coerced” them. We simply asked them to assess the situation and decide for themselves based on their own interests.

 

After all, whether it was Xiao Mo’s terrifying scythe or Fei Luo’s bare-handed interception of two fully grown men’s punches, it had exceeded the imagination of these people. Humans naturally have a fear of the unknown, and although these individuals were reckless, they weren’t foolish.

 

To be honest, if I were an unemployed uncle and received a similar “part-time job” offer one day, asking me to cause trouble at a restaurant, and then I went to that restaurant only to find… the maids there not only looked inhumanely beautiful, but one could conjure a sickle out of nowhere to break a guy’s defense with one slash, while another, seemingly frail, could effortlessly catch two tough guys’ full-force punches, I’d panic too.

 

Though I didn’t know the background of these adorable girls, one thing was certain: they were definitely not to be messed with. This was way beyond the realm of the “ordinary world”.

 

In fact, the only information I shared with these people was this, to make it clear that the café was “not a place for ordinary people to mess with”.

 

There were no cameras outside at the time, and Xiao Mo even interfered with their phones, so there was no recording or anything. No one would truly believe in stories like “three maids defeated three adults” or something of the sort.

 

Of course, relying solely on this couldn’t be considered a “perfect solution”. Fei Luo might follow these people to their “base” tonight, find out who their “boss” was, and confirm the specifics of the situation. Fei Luo didn’t need rest at night, and she was particularly interested in human cities, especially the night markets. She wandered around the city’s dimly lit areas every night, learning about the bright and dark sides of this world. Tonight, she could investigate these people.

 

“Did they really leave? Is that how it’s resolved?”

“Wow! What efficiency! I thought this was just an ordinary café, didn’t expect it to have such power.”

“Tongmeng Net is constantly advertising, and Mayor Ye personally came to chat and catch up with Nuo’er. With that kind of influence, how could it not be powerful?”

“What? Tell me more about Mayor Ye chatting with Nuo’er.”

 

As expected, after those muscle-bound uncles left, the discussions in the café immediately intensified. About half of the people who didn’t enjoy the noise continued playing games or lounging with their companions, while the other half ate and discussed the background of those people.

 

“Do you think it’s possible that the café staged this as a publicity stunt? Were those people hired by the café?”

“It’s unlikely. They’re busy every day. Would they go to such lengths? Highly doubtful.”

“But Shenzhen City seems fine to me. If it’s not staged, do we really have such shady competitors?”

“Don’t think just because you haven’t seen it means it doesn’t exist. Let me tell you, our family bought a house in ’06, promised to be delivered by ’09, but it was still unfinished until ’12, barely completed by ’15. The swimming pool and coconut trees in the community were all gone, replaced by a few patches of grass, all because of internal conflicts among developers, resulting in many casualties…”

 

It was clear that the majority of people were quite satisfied with the outcome of this situation.

 

Originally, when they came to a place like the café, they hoped for “a safe dining environment.” When a situation like what just happened occurred, everyone’s first reaction was surely “get rid of the troublemakers, I just want to enjoy my meal.” So, my handling of the situation this time… was spot on.

 

It’s just like novels. People used to like those mysterious-sounding novel titles, which seemed sophisticated and high-class. Now, people prefer concise titles that can summarize the highlights of the novel in one sentence. Times are changing. In the past, people dining at restaurants loved watching the hustle and bustle.

 

If they encountered someone making a scene like “this place has issues,” there would always be diners stepping up to “maintain justice” or “stand up for what’s right.” However, nowadays, everyone’s lives are generally exhausting, and they carry a mentality of “less trouble, the better.” Encountering similar situations, the immediate reaction has become— “Who’s this person? They’re so noisy. Can’t you make them leave?”

 

But that’s not enough.

 

Because as one customer in the crowd just mentioned, the behavior of these people is “not quite logical,” hinting at the possibility of the café staging the incident themselves. With 24-hour surveillance in the store, the several intimidating individuals who were taken away by me and Fei Luo soon returned, claiming they were “bribed.” It was all a bit… abrupt, wasn’t it?

 

What I need now is some assistance…

 

“A buzz…”

 

Before long, my phone in my pocket rang. It was Ouyang Xue calling.

 

“Nuo’er, I’ve got the details. Li Chen and I are on our way back.”

 

From the sound of it, Ouyang Xue seemed to be with Li Chen in a car. The background music from the car could be heard clearly.

 

“Are you and Xiao Mo still at the café?”

 

“Yes,” I replied.

I scanned the situation in the store. “Those troublemakers have been persuaded to leave, and we got them to make a statement in front of the camera.”

 

There was a brief silence from Ouyang Xue. “How did you manage that…”

 

“Well… just let Fei Luo and them handle it,” I replied casually.

 

“After all, Fei Luo is a dragon. She just had to go out and give them a good beating, and they behaved.”

 

“It’s late, and you’re still joking around,” Ouyang Xue’s tone carried a hint of resignation.

 

“Okay, okay, I won’t ask how you managed to reconcile with them. How’s the situation over there now? Everything okay?”

 

“Everything’s fine now. They’ve all left.”

 

I thought for a moment. “Oh, by the way, I told Su Yunjin about this. He might come over later.”

 

“He really should come,” Ouyang Xue grumbled. “This is the kind of mess he should be dealing with.”

 

“Don’t be like that,” I chuckled. “The son of the big boss is quite busy.”

 

“I don’t care how busy he is. Since he’s been appointed as the regional manager here, he should be doing similar preventive work,” Ouyang Xue paused.

 

“So, here’s the deal. We should arrive in about ten minutes. You’ve been watching over the café during this time.”

 

“Is there overtime pay?”

 

“Yes, yes, two boxes of crispy sharks.”

 

“I don’t want those. They’re too sweet, and I can’t finish two boxes. I heard that you know many movie theater owners, could you…”

 

“Ohh~, do you want to watch a movie with Xiao Mo tonight?”

“Alright, alright, you can choose any movie theater tonight. How about that?”

 

“Great!”

 

“……”

 

After hanging up the phone, I opened the café’s live stream and checked the barrage content:

 

?Can this even happen? Is it staged??

?What were the previous messages saying? You own a store and you act like this? Can’t get along with customers??

?But isn’t it suspicious that Nuo’er and the others asked someone to leave for a few minutes… and then they come back with changed expressions??

?Doesn’t this show that this café has some capability? Don’t forget that on the opening day, Tongmeng Net gave it a big recommendation on the homepage. Without any background, would they get such treatment??

?However, it’s also possible that they intentionally staged it for popularity and traffic. You can’t deny that possibility, can you??

?Indeed, no matter how you put it, I feel like reporting to authorities because of this reason is too far-fetched. There are so many shady dealings in Shenzhen City, right??

?Is Nuo’er watching the cameras on her phone? Nuo’er! Nuo’er, look here! I’m your dog!?

 

“……”

 

Just as I was about to go through those weird barrage messages one by one, the front door of the café on the ground floor was pushed open with a ‘ding dong’.

 

Several people dressed formally walked in from outside.

 

“Hello, we’re from the Market Supervision Bureau of Nanqi District, Shenzhen City.”

 

The four people who came in consisted of three men and one woman. They were all dressed in deep blue clothing with badges, and all wore sanitary gloves. One man was holding a video camera behind them, another held a pen and paper, and the man at the front was accompanied by the remaining woman, who had her hands behind her back, ready to inspect at any moment.

 

“Hello.”

 

Lan Jiajia and Fei Luo greeted them. Lan Jiajia took the initiative and asked, “May I ask what this is about?”

 

Because I hadn’t told anyone about the report, neither Lan Jiajia nor Fei Luo, nor Chef Wang, who had just heard the commotion and come out of the kitchen, had any idea what was happening. Chef Wang, probably having worked in a big restaurant before and experienced, quickly realized upon seeing the attire of these people, “Boss, both the kitchen and the raw material warehouse in our store are live-streamed 24/7. There’s no problem…”

 

“I know. Here are our credentials.”

 

The man at the front looked at Fei Luo and Lan Jiajia in their maid outfits, smiled slightly, seeming to indicate for them not to be nervous. “Just a routine inspection. Are you two the waitresses here? Is your manager around?”

 

“The manager has gone out for deliveries. It might take a while for her to come back,” Lan Jiajia replied, looking somewhat worried.

 

“Is everything alright?”

 

“Everything’s fine. It’s just a routine check.”

 

With the camera behind him, the man gestured towards the direction of the kitchen. “Business license, food operation permit, and health certificates, let’s have a look.”

 

“Alright.”

 

After a brief moment of panic, Lan Jiajia led the enforcement officers towards the kitchen. “The business license is over there, just… turn left after entering, you’ll see it there. This is the food operation permit, and these are our health certificates.”

 

“You have so many staff members here. Do they all have health certificates?”

 

“They’re all properly obtained.”

 

“Let me take a look…”

 

As I watched this scene, I silently breathed a sigh of relief.

 

The café wasn’t afraid of this kind of inspection. Ouyang Xue was very cautious. Since she dared to have cameras streaming 24/7, she had already made the necessary preparations. Even the kitchen was completely transparent. Every morning around four or five, the ingredients cart would deliver the materials needed for the day.

 

Chef Wang would process and organize them, and then all day long, he would prepare meals in front of tens of thousands of viewers behind the camera. If anything accidentally fell on the floor or wasn’t made properly, Chef Wang would discard it and make a new portion. The kitchen’s organization had been rectified several times by Ouyang Xue after reviewing numerous cases.

 

Perhaps the only behavior of Chef Wang that didn’t comply with regulations was that sometimes, when there were no customers around, he would get bored and take off his gloves to play mobile games in a corner. However, that area was far from the food and trash, so it wouldn’t contaminate the ingredients and wouldn’t be discovered during inspections.

 

In any case, I was very confident in the food safety of the café. Sometimes when I was too busy at lunchtime, I would eat here. During my free time, I often gathered in the kitchen to learn how to cook. I was clear about everything in the kitchen.

 

Also, precisely because we dare to install cameras in the kitchen for 24-hour live streaming, whenever we promote the café externally, we always emphasize that our food safety is exceptionally good. If you’re willing, you can even come to the café, place an order, and then pull out your phone to watch how your ordered food transforms from raw ingredients into delicious dishes.

 

In such circumstances, if the Market Supervision Bureau comes to enforce regulations, anyone witnessing this scene would only think that we’ve really been “set up.”

 

?Market Supervision Bureau people??

?Look, who said Shenzhen City isn’t this shady? Just as troublemakers left, the market regulators showed up. Obviously, someone reported us.?

?Geez, is it really this dark? What’s the situation in Shenzhen specifically? Does anyone know??

?First of all, let me clarify, I’m here in Shenzhen as a tourist. Secondly, I’m not familiar with the insider situation in Nanqi District here. Lastly, didn’t anyone notice how cute Nuo’er’s hands are? They’re so small, white, and tender. Hand enthusiasts would be trembling just by looking at them.?

?……?

 

“You bear some resemblance to him.”

 

As I watched the barrage in the live stream, I heard Yin Xiamo’s voice beside me.

 

“Huh?”

 

I turned around. “Him… the hero?”

 

“We also employed similar tactics back then, to drive off wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

 

Yin Xiamo neither confirmed nor denied, “At that time, he was very weak, almost not on the same level as the Demon King, plus the limitations of water magic… The Resistance alliance could only outsmart him.”

 

As she spoke, the girl looked towards the inspectors at the kitchen door. “He’s always like that, always coming up with strange ideas, very mature outwardly, but after the scheme succeeds, he’ll share his joy with me like a child.”

 

“Huh?”

 

I turned to Yin Xiamo. “Are you reminiscing about the past again, Xiao Mo?”

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

The girl beside me shook her head, taking out a bottle of water from the rabbit backpack for me. “You’re on your period today, drink more water.”

 

“Okay, okay.”

 

I took the water bottle and gulped down a big sip. “You knew about it?”

 

“Pfft.”

Under my gaze, the girl chuckled lightly. “What do you think?”

 

Well, she truly is a deity in this world.

 

“Ding dong! Welcome!”

 

Shortly after, the front door of the café was pushed open, and Ouyang Xue and Li Chen hurried in from outside. They glanced at me first, then turned to the kitchen.

 

“Hello, I’m the manager here, Ouyang Xue.”

 

“Oh, Ms. Ouyang Xue, hello. You see, we’re from the market supervision bureau, just here for a routine inspection. There shouldn’t be any major issues with the hygiene here…”

 

“It’s okay, our store opened just last month, so it’s normal for consumers to be wary of us. It’s really great that you could come. If you see anything that doesn’t meet the standards, please point it out. We’ll definitely correct it immediately…”

 

Almost as soon as Ouyang Xue entered the room and had a chance to talk to the personnel from the market supervision bureau, the door was pushed open again.

 

This time, several people wearing firefighting suits walked in. “Is the person in charge here? We’re from the Nanqi Fire Brigade in Shenzhen, conducting inspections on fire equipment to eliminate safety hazards…”

 

…

 

Half an hour later, Su Yunjin walked into the bustling café.

 

“Sorry, sorry, I’ve been too busy these days and didn’t pay attention to what’s happening here. I didn’t know they would really dare to do something like this.”

 

Su Yunjin headed straight to me and Yin Xiamo after entering the room. “Those people didn’t give you any trouble, did they?”

 

“No, they were fine, very polite and easy to talk to.”

 

I shook my head. “Just a little intimidating in appearance.”

 

Each of those strong men was around six feet tall, while I’m barely even five feet tall. I had to look up at them almost the entire time. Without Fei Luo and Xiao Mo’s help, I probably wouldn’t have been able to handle those guys.

 

“I’ve already told Uncle about the situation. Tonight, we’ll go and resolve this matter once and for all.”

 

Su Yunjin sat down opposite me and Yin Xiamo. “You two don’t seem to be working today?”

 

“Yeah, Xiao Mo and I were just eating barbecue outside earlier. We came here to borrow some barbecue ingredients from Chef Wang, and then this happened.”

 

I lowered my voice. “Is the Zhao family behind them?”

 

Su Yunjin was taken aback. “How… how did you know?”

 

“I also know that you have an uncle who works in the Procuratorate, in the anti-corruption department, Chief Prosecutor Su, right?”

 

I said in a voice that the cameras couldn’t pick up. “Is this matter… difficult to handle?”

 

“Not difficult, just a bit troublesome.”

 

Su Yunjin sighed helplessly. “It takes time.”

 

“Phew…”

 

Just as we were talking, Ouyang Xue walked over from the kitchen and sat down next to Su Yunjin.

 

“Troubles keep coming one after another. Why can’t those people just give up? The construction of Tenth District is already a done deal. Is it worth it to be so disgusting?”

 

“They’re just resorting to some petty tricks for now. When Mayor Ye’s side settles the score, none of them will get away.”

 

Su Yunjin gestured towards me. “It’s been hard on you and Xiao Mo.”

 

“Nuo’er, at the Nanqi Tornado Cinema, I’ve already talked to the boss there. You can go anytime you want, and you’ll get free tickets.”

 

She took out her phone and showed me the message on it, then pointed to Fei Luo and Lan Jiajia. “Later, you tell them both that we’re closing early today. The café might need to do some cleaning, so we might not be open tonight.”

 

Su Yunjin fell silent for a moment. “What are people saying online?”

 

“What else can they say? It’s obvious now. Someone is targeting us with these reports. Even a blind person can see that.”

 

Ouyang Xue sighed bitterly. “I guess I’ll have to work on public relations these days. But currently, public opinion is very favorable to us. Just a casual explanation will do.”

 

“Alright, you handle the online stuff, I’ll take care of the offline matters.”

 

Su Yunjin stood up. “Let’s leave it at that for today. Nuo’er, Xiao Mo, along with Fei Luo and Lan Jiajia, these matters have nothing to do with you guys. Go back first and take a good rest.”

 

“……”

 

……

 

Around four o’clock in the afternoon, wearing casual clothes, Xiao Mo and I waited at the café entrance for a while. We saw Fei Luo and Lan Jiajia coming down from the second floor after changing their clothes.

 

“It’s been quite a rollercoaster today…”

 

Lan Jiajia sighed. “I thought those people were here to extort money. I didn’t expect such a big background. When did Nanqi District become so dark?”

 

“It’s normal. Since the moment this café was established, it was destined to have many strange things happen.”

 

I changed the topic, “What do you want to eat tonight, Lan?”

 

“As for me? How about I go buy groceries?”

Lan Jiajia continued, “Wasn’t it always me who bought groceries and cooked at this time before? What do you guys want to eat?”

 

“Xiao Mo and I want to take Fei Luo to get familiar with the nearby market environment.”

 

I shook my head, “And Lan, you’ve worked hard all day and haven’t rested yet. Let us handle the cooking.”

 

“Alright then. If you’re going grocery shopping, you can check out the new supermarket behind Starlight Elementary School. The entrance is in the middle of the free market area, and they’re having some promotions there, seems pretty cheap.”

 

Lan Jiajia gestured towards the direction of Starlight Elementary School, “By the way, we’re running low on green beans at home, buy around two pounds, and we’re also running low on eggs, if the price is good, you can get some of those too.”

 

“There’s a new supermarket near Starlight Elementary School? Is that true?”

 

I was curious, “Isn’t that area kind of remote? Wouldn’t the supermarket lose money by opening there?”

 

“I heard that the owner signed contracts with the surrounding small-scale farmers, like the old ladies and gentlemen who grow vegetables behind our community. Apparently, their vegetables can be directly supplied to the supermarket. I’m not entirely sure.”

 

Lan Jiajia explained, “Didn’t they say the government of Shenzhen City is planning to develop Nanqi District? The area near Starlight Elementary School is actually quite close to the commercial street and the Mianyun City. If it’s developed in the future, there should be no shortage of customer traffic. You could say the supermarket owner is taking a gamble.”

 

“That makes this owner seem quite insightful.”

 

Following Lan Jiajia’s suggestion, Fei Luo, Xiao Mo, and I returned to the Starry Garden community. We gave Lan Jiajia our backpacks and some personal items to take back to the house first. The three of us then playfully walked towards the backyard vegetable garden and then to Starlight Elementary School.

 

“I never thought we’d one day be walking together like this to buy groceries.”

 

At the entrance of Starlight Elementary School, Fei Luo sighed, “Several times I thought all of Xiao Mo’s efforts would be in vain, feeling like we could never find…”

 

“We didn’t find him.”

 

Xiao Mo interrupted Fei Luo, “Nuo’er is our new friend, Fei Luo. Have you forgotten what the priest at the Holy Heaven said? Those who are fixated on the past… cannot step into the future.”

 

“I know! That’s why I’ve been trying to treat Nuo’er as a new friend these past few days!”

 

Fei Luo leaned in and took my arm, saying, “After all, such a cute little girl… can’t possibly be that boring like that clueless old uncle who flirts with girls everywhere, right?”

 

“Why do I feel like you’re mocking me?”

 

My lips twitched. “Damn, it’s so unfair. Why do you two get to have your memories from before, and I’m just an ordinary person!”

 

“Nuo’er is anything but ordinary!”

 

“Yeah, wait until all those girls flirted with by the hero come chasing over to this side of Earth, then Nuo’er, you can talk about how ordinary you are.”

 

“I really want to give each of you one bite!”

 

“Only little kittens bite!”

 

“……”

 

“Amidst the playfulness, Fei Luo, Xiao Mo, and I found the newly opened ‘Starlight Supermarket’ that Lan Jiajia mentioned.

 

Just as Lan Jiajia said, this supermarket was built right next to the market. At the entrance was a luggage storage area, and upon entering, you could take an elevator up to the second-floor supermarket entrance.

 

“Maternity… Kids’ Exclusive… Baby Soothers… Pushchairs?”

 

At the entrance of the supermarket, Xiao Mo noticed several small pushchairs available for children to sit in.

 

“Children restricted to a height of 140 centimeters or below.”

 

Looking at the information, Xiao Mo turned to me.

 

“Nuo’er, I have a bold idea…”

 

“……”

 

……