I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 294
Chapter 294: I Will Use Crayons to Draw the Grandeur of the Milky Way
Originally, I thought that the publicity I did at the comic exhibition and the flow of customers at the café on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival already reached the “peak” of the past few months. But after the Dragon Boat Festival, on Saturday morning, there were even more people who made reservations to dine at the café compared to yesterday.
Yes, “reservations,” just like at a real five-star hotel.
I spent the whole day of the Dragon Boat Festival wrapping zongzi and serving customers at the café. In the afternoon, I only slept for less than ten minutes before continuing to work, acting as both a chef and a waitress, while Xiao Mo took care of cat-related tasks. We were busy until nearly ten o’clock in the evening before we could catch our breath.
Usually, in a remote place like the café, when it gets dark, around seven or eight o’clock, there aren’t many customers left. Xiao Mo and I could have gone back early. Yesterday, people stayed in the café until after ten o’clock, reluctant to leave, constantly taking photos with me, Xiao Mo, and the cats.
“I’ve really found a treasure trove of a shop, folks. The decorations here are so luxurious, yet it’s not expensive at all. Seriously, folks, look at this zongzi. This huge family-sized meat zongzi is only eight yuan. You might not have a concept of it just by looking, let me compare it with something… Look, this is my phone. Two eight-yuan zongzi placed side by side on the table are as thick as this. One person definitely can’t finish it. If you’re frugal enough, just order one zongzi, it’s enough for you and your three dorm buddies. Only eight yuan, you can see pretty girls, cute lolitas, cats, and be full. If you find it too greasy, you can add three yuan to have Nuo’er fry the zongzi for you. It’s super delicious.”
“I’m not lying, Yin Nuo’er and Yin Xiamo are the most beautiful girls I’ve ever seen in my life. Those who know me know that I have dolls at home. These two are more perfect than the dolls in my house.”
“Yes, I really doubt this café is making money. Right now, it seems to be losing money to gain popularity. Brothers who want to take advantage of it shouldn’t miss out.”
“I heard that one of the maids at this café went on a break. Someone estimated her cup size to be at least… Oh? Two maids? The information I received here only mentioned one, a blonde foreign girl? Is there more to this?”
The effect of Ouyang Xue having me “live stream making zongzi” was astounding.
Sometimes I have to admire Ouyang Xue’s marketing methods. Not only did she keep up with the trend of live streaming in this era, but she also utilized almost all of the resources in the store perfectly.
Currently, Xiao Mo and I are the store’s signature. Our appearances are killer to almost all Earthlings, so Ouyang Xue installed cameras in the café. When people online see this live stream and click in, they naturally get attracted by the environment in the store and how we work.
Apart from this, Ouyang Xue also took advantage of the fast-paced mindset of contemporary young people on the Dragon Boat Festival, who don’t want to go home. Though Shenzhen is not the type of city very suitable for part-time jobs, it’s still somewhat of a big city. There are quite a few people who come here out of curiosity.
Some business owners don’t give holidays, and many people are too lazy to go home or celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, or even buy zongzi. But then they see the café’s advertisement, think it’s indeed worth coming over, especially since the zongzi here is so cheap and made live, hygiene is definitely ensured, so a large group of people come over.
The key points here are “cleanliness” and “cheap.”
Anyone who has stepped into society has probably suffered some losses, more or less. Some zongzi are packaged beautifully but are very expensive and may not even taste good, like opening a blind box. Some zongzi, although cheap, are still not reassuring, as one doesn’t know if the meat inside is expired or from sick pigs.
The zongzi in the café itself have no packaging. They are simply made of glutinous rice and meat filling wrapped in bamboo leaves, packed by me, tied up, cooked in a pot, and served directly to the customer’s table once cooked. It’s a clean and transparent process. If customers are still not reassured, they can even supervise me at the kitchen door to see me make the zongzi and put them into the pot.
After a morning of publicity, naturally, more people came to the shop for lunch in the afternoon.
Many of these people who came to the shop were also live streamers. Some found the meals economical and would promote it to their companions or friends after leaving. They might even discuss it in QQ or WeChat groups, creating a chain reaction that nearly doubled the number of people dining at the café in the afternoon.
?Manager, I have a ticket for tomorrow. I plan to spend two days with my girlfriend in Shenzhen. Can I reserve a spot? Around 2 PM, a table for two will do.?
?Are you sure you’ll still be making zongzi tomorrow? I want to come. Can I make a reservation? I’m afraid there won’t be any seats left. Your café is too popular.?
?I’d like to reserve three spots for tomorrow. Around 10 AM.?
That’s how, by 10 PM that night, when Ouyang Xue went to deal with the messages under the official account of Tongmeng Net, the overwhelming “request for reservations” directly startled her.
Even we ourselves didn’t expect this shop, located in such a remote place, to become so popular, to the point where customers are actively requesting “reservations.” Ouyang Xue stayed up all night organizing everyone’s messages and came to a conclusion: the number of people coming to the shop tomorrow will increase, so we must temporarily add staff and increase the tables and chairs in the shop.
Although the café’s exterior resembles a giant mushroom house, its footprint is still quite large. However, usually, considering the living space for the cats in the shop, and at that time, Ouyang Xue didn’t think that the customers coming to dine at the café would crowd this place, so our tables were set up quite spaciously, making the place look very open, and there weren’t many outdoor tables and chairs either.
If the comments from those netizens under Tongmeng Net are all true, combined with the traffic at the café today, these seats in the shop definitely won’t be enough to handle the “coming in full force” customers the next day.
“I’ll order a batch of new tables and chairs. There’s no time to waste, we need to solve this problem tonight.”
When finishing work at night, Ouyang Xue directly stretched out her hand towards Su Yunjin.
“Funds, expand the shop.”
Su Yunjin’s mouth twitched, “Funds? Why are you asking me for that?”
“You can always get reimbursed from the company later, what’s the big deal.”
Without hesitation, Ouyang Xue snatched the guy’s phone.
“Remember to make good use of your dad’s company resources, and remember to come to work on time tomorrow. There are several hundred girls from Tongmeng Net who specifically mentioned coming to take photos with you.”
“Huh… several hundred girls?”
Su Yunjin was first stunned, then suddenly realized.
“Wait a minute, am I not your general manager? How come you’re arranging for me to go to work at the café?”
“Are you coming or not?” Ouyang Xue gave him a disdainful look.
“You really stole the spotlight today. So many girls were smitten with you and asked me for your contact information. If you don’t come back tomorrow, the café’s revenue will likely decline. With a drop in revenue, we’re probably going to go under. If we go under, you’ll be out of a job as the general manager. And without a job, you’ll have to go back home and inherit your family’s fortune. You don’t want to go home and inherit the family business, do you?”
Ouyang Xue’s words left Su Yunjin speechless.
“Alright, alright, I just have to come to work tomorrow…”
In the end, Su Yunjin could only go back with his sweaty employee uniform.
After tidying up a bit, Xiao Mo and I left the café, leaving the shift to Ai Luodi. First, we made a routine visit to the top of Nanqi Tower to watch the sea for a while, then we went to Moon Orchid Island to water the Tree of Life there. We played around under the moonlight for a bit, and when we returned home, Fei Luo and Gabriel were already busy with the new computer in the operating room.
“I’ve almost completely understood the logic of how this world operates.”
Gabriel in the room was still wearing that T-shirt with the words “Fallen Angel” printed on it, but her Mandarin had become much smoother compared to before.
“I never expected that in a world completely devoid of magic, ordinary humans could develop science and technology to this level…”
“That guy Su Yunjin said he’s already posted a pre-heat activity online. He plans to have Little Gabriel set up a platform during the Dragon Boat Festival these days and open the café’s basement for everyone to visit for free.”
Fei Luo handed me a half-filled milk bottle when she saw me return, shaking the two large rabbits on her chest.
“Here, we couldn’t resist eating a lot today, so this is extra.”
“Don’t treat me like a little kitten who can’t resist milk, hey!”
I subconsciously took the milk jug and glanced at the nipple on top. “There’s no alcohol in it this time?”
“Don’t worry, it’s already late today. Adding alcohol now, the two of you probably won’t be able to sleep until dawn.”
“You!”
I suddenly realized, “So you knew how I’d become after drinking?”
“Elves are all pretty similar after drinking. Either they become great wandering poets, or they trigger their inner desires to find partners and reproduce little elves.”
Fei Luo looked innocent. “I thought you knew, Nuo’er. So, I help you prepare to charm Xiao Mo, and besides, haven’t you already learned how to switch modes? If you want to quickly metabolize alcohol, just drink in human mode.”
“I…”
“I really didn’t know.”
Although I am an author, most of my impressions of the Elven race come from comics. Elves have always been a symbol of pity; they are either captured by evil humans and enslaved, or their homes are destroyed by attacks from orcs or other races, leaving them wandering in exile.
Alternatively, they are portrayed like in some transformation novels, where the protagonist becomes an elf and doesn’t want to be treated as a pet. Throughout, the protagonist is oppressed, with a focus on the psychological aspects of the Elven race. But I really haven’t studied Elven habits…
“Oh, by the way, Little Gabriel and I are planning to rent a house in the city area.”
While changing clothes, Fei Luo added, “In the Craftsman District. Little Gabriel says she really likes the research atmosphere there.”
“Why are you going there?” I asked, puzzled. “The Craftsman District is quite far from here, isn’t it?”
“No worries, it’s just a few minutes for Little Gabriel and me,” Fei Luo said casually.
Fei Luo looked a bit embarrassed. “We’ve already talked to the manager. She’s willing to advance part of our wages so we can rent a place there. It’s mainly because it’s a bit inconvenient for us to live here with you, right?”
Yin Xiamo, who had been silent, spoke up, “You’re just afraid of taking care of Dolly, aren’t you?”
“Well…”
Fei Luo suddenly looked embarrassed.
“Um… not exactly, we… you see, it’s the same for us wherever we live, right? We’re not usually home at night, and if we’re free in the afternoon, we can come here to eat together…”
“I’m really not used to taking care of horse girls,” Fei Luo admitted.
On the other hand, Gabriel looked serious. “Especially the child of the last champion horse, I have psychological trauma from that.”
Was it really that exaggerated?
I threw a questioning glance at Yin Xiamo.
That Dolly… is she very lively?
“Indeed.”
Under my gaze, Yin Xiamo seemed to sigh lightly. “It’s better if you handle it, Nuo’er.”
Huh?! Why me!!
“I… uh… let me just ask.”
Taking a sip of dragon milk, I tentatively raised my hand. “What does a centaur child… look like exactly?”
“Just a bit taller than you, not very busty, short hair, likes to tie her hair into a short ponytail.”
Fei Luo gestured with his hand. “Her butt is probably about this big.”
“I wasn’t asking about her body!”
I twitched my mouth. “What I mean is… why are you all afraid of her becoming like this? Isn’t she a child?”
“Dolly is indeed a child, barely over a hundred years old at most.”
Yin Xiamo patted my shoulder. “But mentally, she’s probably like a fourteen or fifteen-year-old human, and she’s very curious. All horse girls are natural troublemakers.”
“How mischievous are they?”
“You didn’t get what I meant,” Yin Xiamo continued to explain. “Like Pichu, the one from Pokémon.”
“Does she explode at the slightest thing?”
“Not really. Dolly is still very cute, she understands the big principles and won’t do anything out of line, but her energy is like Pichu. You have to play with her until she’s exhausted before she can calm down completely.”
Yin Xiamo patted my shoulder. “That’s roughly the feeling. Nuo’er, as long as you understand. You can imagine Dolly as… a husky with the curiosity of a cat.”
What a strange imagination…
“Dolly will probably come over the day after tomorrow. Let’s see if we can let her try delivering takeout. Otherwise, I won’t be able to keep exhausting her energy every day.”
“Anyway, let’s all do our best.”
“Oh…”
“……”
That night, for the first time ever, Xiao Mo didn’t make any moves on me while sleeping.
Instead, she gently held me from behind as we looked at the comments on our official account on Tongmeng Net.
?Waaah, you two are so sweet! Wishing you all the happiness!?
?Have Nuo’er and Xiao Mo officially announced it? What kind of fairy-tale couple is this? So envious…?
?Tomorrow, I’m also going to your place to have the Dragon Boat Festival set meal. Damn company made us work overtime today and still won’t pay us overtime.?
?I watched the surveillance footage all day today. Xiao Mo really spoils Nuo’er, not letting him do any dirty or tiring work.?
The “Little Xia Nuo Does Not Hide in the Cardboard Box” dynamic column on Tongmeng Net has almost become the place where Xiao Mo and I post our daily life photos.
Now the number of fans has almost reached two hundred thousand, with comments under almost every photo, and every time I log into Tongmeng Net, there are over 999+ messages.
Previously, our bet with Xiao Mo, “to post a video with over a hundred thousand views,” sort of fizzled out because our fan base alone has already exceeded that number.
In addition to photos, I also often post short videos of Xiao Mo and me playing around in our daily life, with views starting from tens of thousands.
With this trend, the traffic on this account could bring in a considerable income in the future.
“Feels like everything is moving in a good direction.”
Reading the blessings and comments on the phone screen, lying on the bed, I couldn’t help but sigh, “Time flies so quickly…”
Because it’s the internet, speaking irresponsibly, there are also some private chats and comments on Tongmeng Net that are not suitable for viewing.
For example, those who try to force their own interpretations on us, accuse us of hyping things up, criticize us for being unclean, and there are even some who come straight to throw insults without stating any reasons, just foul language.
I automatically ignore these people and block them with a single move. Years of experience as an author have taught me to filter out information—don’t dwell on the dark side, you still have many supportive companions.
“I feel the same way.”
In the darkness, Xiao Mo, who had just finished bathing and exuded a faint fragrance, slowly hugged my waist from behind.
“The day he died, I thought the whole world had collapsed.”
“So we need to keep pushing forward in the future.”
I turned off the phone screen, turned around, and faced Xiao Mo, lowering my voice, ” Let’s all dance the Capucine…”
Xiao Mo also reached out her hand, “The pantry’s empty at home, neighbors have plenty, but we can’t eat…”
“But we can’t eat any… Yeay!”
“Yeay!”
Finally, I planted a kiss on the girl’s face in front of me, pulled up the blanket, “Goodnight, my dear.”
“Goodnight.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too.”
“……”
The moonlit night was silent, the starry sky boundless.
I had completely adapted to being held by Xiao Mo while sleeping, and slept particularly soundly.
The next day, as usual, we got up, freshened up, then did skincare and makeup like ordinary girls, and changed into our outdoor clothes.
June 8, 2022, the sixth day of the lunar calendar, Saturday, sunny weather, with temperatures in Shenzhen ranging from 28° to 33° Celsius.
Considering that the café might be crowded today, long hair would be inconvenient, so I found a hairstyle online similar to “double buns” and, with Xiao Mo’s help, I managed to recreate the hairstyle.
Xiao Mo, on the other hand, tied up her entire hair, creating a queen-like hairstyle similar to “Saber.”
After playing outside all night, Fei Luo and Gabriel were still lively.
After having breakfast together, we went straight to the café.
From afar, we saw a large sign erected at the entrance of the café. Upon closer inspection, it had a notice related to the “arena battle” mentioned by Fei Luo last night—
?The Shangjing Cat Maid Café’s mysterious basement will be open for trial operation for two days! Each person can play in the secret base for 2 hours with their ID card!?
?Starting at noon, the Shenzhen APEX Team Lone Wolf “GL” and the League of Legends Team Big Maple Tree “DFS” will arrive on-site to supervise the competition and guide players interested in esports?
?At 3 PM, part of the closed beta dungeons of “Age of Aquarius” will be showcased and demonstrated through the computers in our store!?
?As long as you’re here, no need to spend money, no need for any threshold or skills, enjoy the battle, heroes, and transcendence!?
?Jiaran Apocalypse, opening the cyberpunk Age of Aquarius!?
The main tone of the bulletin board is eye-catching yellow and purple, continuing the design style of cyberpunk “Dohna Dohna: Let’s Do Bad Things Together,” very prominent, I guess every passerby can see it.
What is Su Yunjin up to again…
Yesterday, he also suddenly called professional team players like this to come and play custom games with Gabriel…
Quietly muttering this sentence in my heart, I walked to the second floor of the café with my little backpack as usual. Just as I was about to enter the changing room, amidst the smell of small cakes and green tea, a familiar voice came from a window-side position on the second floor.
“Hi, little Nuo’er, little Xiamo.”
Turning around, I saw Sikong Yue sitting at a small table on the second floor, with delicious chocolate cream cake and some cookies and snacks in front of her. Sikong Yue herself was holding a small cup of tea elegantly and blinked at us.
“And… Fei Luo, as well as the little angel, good morning!”
What’s completely different from usual is that today Sikong Yue is wearing a soft and beautiful little dress, her graceful long legs wrapped in white silk stockings, her hands adorned with pristine gloves, a beautiful gemstone necklace around her neck, and even her long golden hair tied into twin ponytails with satin ribbons.
Most importantly, this little dress of hers completely fails to contain the massive assets of her youthful bosom. A pair of snow-white spheres, with soft cleavage visible in between… If the giggly and playful bear from before only made me feel like she had a big chest, now she truly embodies that… she’s become that kind of… golden-haired, big-breasted young lady.
Not only has her appearance changed, but even her demeanor is completely different from before.
Is this… still the same Sikong Yue?
“Are you here this early today?”
After a brief moment of astonishment, I walked over to the golden-haired young lady by the window.
“Is there a big event today?”
“Well, isn’t that Su Yunjin planning to hold a tournament here? Our company is responsible for providing prizes and we’ll also organize a few small activities. It’s a bit sudden, so we didn’t have time to tell you.”
Sikong Yue elegantly took a sip of tea. “Our team will come to help after dealing with the matters at the comic exhibition.”
“Happy Dragon Boat Festival, everyone! Let’s all work hard today!”
“……”
……
Xiongxiong / Sikong Yue