I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 326

Chapter 326: Did Something Go Wrong with Keeping Fish in the Cat Cafe?

 

After receiving the orders, I briefly discussed the graphics card situation with Jiang Wei and Ye Zi in the café, confirming the general cooperation plan. As more and more customers entered the café, I put on my headphones again and grabbed my tablet to greet the customers as usual.

 

Considering that some “big shots” from the city were coming today, along with journalists for interviews, I decided not to switch to my elf form but to work in my human form as usual.

 

After all… if I appeared on TV, there might be a lot of people watching the program, and the cameras used by those journalists were also very clear. If rumors like “The ears of the Cat Cafe’s Nuo’er look real” or “She doesn’t seem to be wearing contact lenses, could she be a real elf?” were to spread, it would be a headache.

 

Even if no one cared whether my elf ears were real or not, if the TV station broadcasted something like “The owner of the Cat Cafe is too enamored with foreign cultures, promoting Westernism with pointed ears, corrupting children,” it would be a big headache.

 

Anyway, the main difference between elf mode and human mode is strength and perception. In human mode, I can carry heavier things, so I can help Ouyang Xue set up the fish tank that just arrived.

 

“You have a new takeout order, please check it.”

 

“You have a new message, please reply promptly.”

 

“A customer has sent you a new message: ‘Have your maid delivery activities stopped? If I place an order now, can I request Nuo’er to deliver it?'”

 

In the software developed by Ouyang Xue, all the headphones worn by the staff in our shop can directly connect to the central system of the Cat Cafe. Just like some order requests in the café, whenever someone places a takeout order, posts a comment, or requests to chat with customer service, the headphones will have dedicated voice prompts.

 

On my end, I was still serving customers when I heard a new AI voice coming through my headphones: “Customer service Jiajia replied to customer JK9***: I’m very sorry, but the promotion has ended. If you place an order, it will be delivered by our exclusive delivery staff, Dolly or Yueyue.”

 

This customer service Jiajia is naturally Lan Jiajia. She’s now considered half of the customer service at the Cat Cafe. Like Ai Luodi, she’s responsible for receiving inquiries from customers who come through the delivery app, in addition to making bubble tea on the second floor.

 

However, unlike us, Lan Jiajia just has a large speaker near her workstation. When she receives a message, the speaker sounds, whereas we mainly receive information through our headphones.

 

This is mainly to accommodate Lan Jiajia. She’s just an ordinary person, and it’s hard for her to multitask. If various miscellaneous messages were constantly coming through her headphones while she was attending to customers in the cafe, most people would be overwhelmed and wouldn’t know how to handle it.

 

It’s similar to how people on the street who are chatting on their phones would often accept items from strangers without question.

 

“Customer JK9*** replied: Dolly and Yueyue? Are they the two new delivery staff you mentioned? Can I request one of them for my delivery?”

 

“Customer service Jiajia replied to customer JK9***: Unfortunately, that’s not possible. To ensure that your delivery order is delivered to you promptly and to maintain the flavor of the food, our delivery staff will deliver orders as they come in. If we were to specify a delivery staff member, it could potentially delay your order and subsequent orders.”

 

“Customer JK9*** replied: Okay, thank you. Random is fine then, it’s like opening a blind box.”

 

“……”

 

Similar voice prompts like this in the headphones would ring almost every few minutes.

 

Actually, customers like this one are okay, just asking to specify a delivery staff member, and after receiving the explanation, they also express understanding. But some customers are really just looking for trouble.

 

I used to work as a waiter before, so I know how idle some customers can be.

 

For example, at midnight, when I was still a service staff member at a 24-hour grocery store, some people had nothing better to do than call over here, saying, “I’m so bored, can you keep me company?”

 

There was a rule in the store that service staff couldn’t hang up on customers, so once the call was answered, they’d ramble on about all sorts of things, bragging about their gaming skills one moment, then talking about who owed them money the next.

 

After chatting for nearly half an hour, they’d even start discussing which girls were at the nearby bars. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and hung up the phone. But soon after, the person would call back, threatening to complain about our store if I hung up on them again.

 

During my two months working at the cafe as a waiter, I encountered quite a few similar situations. And because I’m a girl now, with a particularly cute voice, people often call using public or anonymous numbers to make all sorts of jokes, asking me to act cute or chat with them. Even if I feel helpless inside, I can only maintain a smile and explain to them that we don’t offer such services here.

 

I encountered similar phenomena after becoming an author later on. Readers would often add me on QQ to chat about all sorts of strange things. I didn’t mind, I just thought of it as gaining another friend. But it was inevitable to encounter particularly strange people too. After adding me on QQ, they would start swearing at me or asking for things I couldn’t possibly help with, like asking to borrow 200,000 yuan, or asking if I wanted to sponsor a girl…

 

The reason why I let Lan Jiajia manage the delivery service customer service mainly comes down to her familiarity with it.

 

Lan Jiajia and Ai Luodi are considered “proficient in business” in this regard because they were editors before.

 

“Hello, here’s your ordered roasted chicken.”

 

“These are your ordered hand-held pancakes and cat claw egg tarts, please enjoy.”

 

“Nuo’er, the signature milk tea and a matcha cake ordered at table 18 on the first floor, I’ve prepared them here, can you come up here for a moment?”

 

Amidst the busyness, Lan Jiajia’s voice came through the headphones.

 

“Okay.”

 

I lowered the microphone, opened the team voice channel, and responded, then headed towards the second floor.

 

“Here.”

 

Inside the workstation on the second floor, Lan Jiajia had already prepared the milk tea and cake, placing them on the tray. “Those who order takeaway remind me of my time as an editor.”

 

“Thank you for your hard work.”

 

I picked up the tray. “Is it better here than being an editor?”

 

“Much better.”

 

Lan Jiajia smiled and continued to take milk and the cooked pearls. “The treatment is better here, there are so many lovely girls, the salary is higher too. If possible, I’d like to work here for the rest of my life.”

 

The cafe’s milk used to be powdered milk, but as its reputation grew and it was confirmed to be profitable, it switched to locally sourced milk that underwent high-temperature sterilization.

The tapioca pearls and other toppings are also purchased from legitimate sources and cooked on-site after purchase. From the delivery worker to the pearl cooking process, everything is live-streamed, and the relevant quality inspection reports are prominently displayed, making it truly authentic.

 

Doing this will cause our milk tea costs to skyrocket, making very little profit, but it can garner excellent reputation.

 

Consumers nowadays aren’t foolish, everyone knows how to distinguish between good and bad. Moreover, with the internet being highly developed, things like “Cafe using real milk for milk tea” can spread like wildfire. Once everyone knows that we maintain excellent food hygiene standards here, traffic will naturally increase.

 

This approach theoretically doesn’t apply to small bubble tea shops, as even if you use good ingredients, people won’t know. But Cafe is different, we have cameras, live streams, and many people watching online every day.

Similar situations are a double-edged sword, if you don’t do well, your shortcomings will be infinitely magnified. But if you do well, consumers will pay for it, and it’s easy to turn them into repeat customers.

 

“Sure, when I become the manager, I’ll change Jiajia’s contract to a lifetime employment contract and permanently hire her.”

 

After joking with Lan Jiajia, I carried the tray downstairs and placed it on table 18. “Hello, here’s your signature milk tea and small cake.”

 

“Can Nuo’er meow for us?”

 

The customers at table 18 on the first floor were two young ladies. Seeing me, they jokingly said, “Meow like a cat, can you?”

 

“Yes, but it’ll cost you extra.”

 

I put on a serious face. “One yuan per meow.”

 

“Deal, but make it a bit coquettish.”

 

“Meow meow—okay, just kidding.”

 

Symbolically gesturing a small cat gesture to the two young ladies, I stood up. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go back to the kitchen. There are still two orders.”

 

The two young ladies waved behind me. “Sure, go ahead.”

 

“Chef Wang, is table 23 ready?”

 

Entering the kitchen, I took out the tablet and glanced at the list. “It’s been almost 15 minutes. The customers will start getting impatient soon.”

 

“Right away.”

 

Chef Wang inside glanced at the steamer. “Just two more minutes.”

 

“I’ll wait here then.”

 

Hearing this, I picked up the tablet, opened the barrage voice reminder at the bottom right corner, clicked on the live broadcast room, and casually checked the WeChat group and QQ group messages in the Cafe.

 

Just now, Lan Jiajia mentioned the “time when she was an editor,” and I knew a little about it.

 

?User “Miss Jialan’s Dog” sends a barrage: Nuo’er is so cute, just standing there feels super cute?

?User “Mutated Snail Cow” sends a barrage: Who’s going to tip to turn the camera over here? Nuo’er looks so short from this angle?

?User “Fat Leaf Green Bean” sends a barrage: Nuo’er is originally short. Rumor has it she’s not even 1.5 meters tall?

?……?

 

Listening to various prompts in my headphones while checking the messages in the two groups on the tablet, the various complaints from editors I heard over the past two years of writing books echoed in my mind.

 

Editors, like authors, also have a profession that requires them to face the public and provide various “services” accordingly. Editors serve authors, and authors serve readers.

 

Most people might think that an editor only needs to deal with a few hundred authors, clock in to work every day, have a cup of coffee, and then casually assign a few recommendation spots to the authors under their supervision.

 

But the reality is… the number of authors an editor is responsible for cannot be simply quantified. A senior editor may have thousands of signed authors under their supervision, while a junior editor may have hundreds. However, they all share a common obligation: to review submissions from all authors.

 

Some people, just entering society, hear that writing novels can make money. A quick online search reveals they can directly submit manuscripts to editors. They hastily write the beginning of a novel and send it to the editor’s email.

 

Some people, after failing in their entrepreneurial ventures, hear that top-tier novelists can earn millions per month. They promptly change careers, add the editor on QQ, and then directly send files. Even if the editor is in a meeting, these files will pop up on their desktop.

 

Some people have never even ventured into society, ranging from very young ages, including middle and elementary school students. They somehow find the editor’s contact information, add them as a friend, and then bombard them with messages, asking for guidance even though they haven’t written a novel yet.

 

Editors are responsible for signed authors. Every day, they are tormented by various messages like “Are you there?” “Can you take a look at my manuscript?” and “I’ve sent you a message window shake.” Some authors are students themselves and will chat with the editor whenever they have something on their mind.

One moment, they might say they have a new idea and don’t want to continue their current book, the next moment, they might want to discuss national events or the recent upheaval in the online literary community. Because they are signed authors, the editor has to respond to them as best as they can.

 

This is not to mention that most authors who can sign contracts are at least adults, and the quality of their manuscripts is not too bad. What’s worrying are those authors who add editors on QQ or directly email them, and even impolitely point out in the notes, “Please see if this can be signed. If not, please provide reasons.”

 

Some authors start with a long description of the setting, describing the beginning of the world, the chaos of all things, and the division of the continent into five rune regions, with ten levels and ten stages per level, and ten fights per stage. The protagonist hasn’t even appeared by the end of the first chapter, there are no paragraphs, and punctuation is not used correctly. They simply copy and paste and ask the editor: “Please help me, give me reasons why it can’t be signed.”

 

Some authors are elementary or middle school students themselves, with improper grammar and numerous spelling mistakes. They write eight hundred words, not even reaching the word count for a chapter. When the editor says it can’t be signed, they continue to ask how it can be improved. They wonder if they need to reach a thousand words, they’ve never even written an essay of that length.

 

Some authors, after being rejected by editors, are very unhappy and post on various forums complaining about the editor’s lack of vision…

 

These kinds of manuscripts fill the editor’s inbox every day. According to the website’s regulations, editors must respond to all submissions, providing reasons for not signing or giving guidance. Even if they are not signed authors, as long as they intend to write novels, they can add editors on QQ and engage in various conversations. All kinds of people mix together, making editors spend almost… more than half of their time reading all sorts of strange novels and dealing with all sorts of strange people.

 

It’s precisely because of these reasons that Lan Jiajia, who comes from an editing background, thinks… it’s quite nice to work part-time as a café’s customer service.

 

“Table 13, steamed chicken, and… egg with cheese!”

 

After waiting for a while at the kitchen door, Chef Wang came out with the finished items.

 

“Be careful, it’s hot.”

 

“Okay.”

I put away the tablet, tucked it behind the big bow on my back, put on the gloves nearby, carefully arranged the food in the tray, picked it up, and turned towards table 13.

 

“Be careful with it.”

 

“Nuo’er, Nuo’er, come and help, the fish tank has arrived.”

 

While handing over the items to the customers at table 13, I heard Ouyang Xue’s voice in the earpiece. “Xiao Mo, take over Nuo’er’s work.”

 

Then it was Xiao Mo’s voice, “Got it.”

 

I pulled down the microphone, “Sister Ouyang, are you outside the door?”

 

“Yes, we’re almost there, along with the fish tank and the big table to place the fish tank. I’ll first help Li Chen put the table on the cart, and then we’ll push the cart in together. You stay inside and maintain the scene, don’t let the customers get too close.”

 

“Got it.”

 

I walked to the café door, and just then, Li Chen’s large truck arrived at the empty space outside.

 

“Buzz—”

 

The large truck stopped, and the rear door opened.

 

“Be careful, this thing costs thousands of yuans.”

 

Getting off the truck, Li Chen and Ouyang Xue together lowered a board from the back of the large truck, and then, with great coordination, they used a large cart to bring down a wooden table from inside.

 

I walked over. “Need any help?”

 

“No, it’s fine. Just stand at the door and make sure customers don’t get too close and knock into anything.”

 

Ouyang Xue gave Li Chen a nod. With one in front and the other behind, they effortlessly pulled the especially heavy table into the café.

 

?What are you doing??

?Such a big table??

 

“It’s a fish tank table. A few days ago, a mysterious merchant sponsored us with a large fish tank and bought many ornamental fish.”

 

Seeing the barrage of comments in the live broadcast discussing the table, I casually switched to the live broadcast channel and explained, “This way, when everyone comes next time, they can see the fish.”

 

?Are you keeping fish in a cat café? Won’t the cats eat them??

?That looks too big. That fish tank must be two meters long.?

?I suspect you’re not keeping fish at all, but rather cat food.?

 

As the AI voice in the earpiece kept reporting the barrage of comments from the live broadcast, I gestured to the customers around, indicating that this was just a minor project and there was no need to worry.

 

I’ve only recently started to adapt to this kind of “multithreading” task. The café’s voice broadcast system can simultaneously access several channels: WeChat groups, QQ groups, live broadcast barrage messages, comments, takeaway messages, takeaway customer inquiries… Several types of sounds can be played in real time.

 

If the maids in the café are working when the information is being broadcasted, they might ignore these messages or disrupt their normal service. So, only people like me and Xiao Mo Fei Luo, who have “efficient analytical brain capabilities” from another world, wear them.

 

“Just leave it here, we’ll go and bring the bathtub over.”

 

After placing the table and quickly wiping off the dust with a towel, Ouyang Xue and Li Chen once again turned very smoothly and hurried to the truck.

 

“Use that lift platform with the cart. That fish tank is too heavy!”

 

To this, I could only silently stand beside the fish tank table, watching as the two of them brought down the lifting device from the back of the truck and pushed the fish tank onto it.

 

“One, two… three!”

 

“Li Chen, did you not exert enough force?”

 

“How dare I… Ah, this is really too heavy…”

 

Watching the two of them cooperate to move things, Xiao Mo also walked up beside me. “Do you need me to help?”

 

“No, I think we’re good.”

 

At this moment, Dingman and Nian Gao, who were always curious about everything, also ran over and jumped onto the new table.

 

“Since they can move the fish tank from over there, they can definitely bring it down from the truck.”

 

I picked up Dingman from the table, rubbed the big guy’s head, and said, “Be good, no mischief.”

 

Cats are like this. Whenever there’s something new in their familiar environment, they’ll come over to take a look, sniff around, then rub their heads on it a few times, marking it with scent glands behind their fangs – this is mine.

 

“One, two, three, one, two… three!”

 

Before long, Li Chen and Ouyang Xue brought in the fish tank, which was less than one-third full of water. They used the lifting machine, activated the device, raised the fish tank to the same height as the table, and then, together, they pulled the fish tank onto the table.

 

It wasn’t until then that I noticed how truly large the fish tank was. Close to two meters long and about a meter high, I could probably slip and fall in if I wasn’t careful.

 

A tank of this size, when filled with water, might be too heavy for even three Li Chen to push.

 

“Phew…”

 

After placing the fish tank on the table, Li Chen wiped his sweat and took a long water pipe. “I’ll go outside to get water.”

 

“Go ahead, I’ll bring the souvenir over.”

 

Ouyang Xue said, then left the café. Before long, she came back with a very large salted fish plush toy.

 

Wait, a salted fish plush toy?

 

I sized up this salted fish plush toy, which was easily over 1.5 meters tall, taller than me, and widened my eyes.

 

Dingman and Nuomi also noticed the large salted fish immediately, constantly meowing at my feet.

 

“This is a souvenir from the café. I don’t know where to put it. Nuo’er, you hold onto it.”

 

Ouyang Xue handed me the giant salted fish sword and stretched lazily, leaning towards the fish tank.

 

“They’ve made this scenery so unique…”

 

“These are…”

 

I also approached with the salted fish plush toy, taking a look at the scenery inside the bathtub.

 

In this large fish tank, there were various beautiful landscapes everywhere: some artificial mountains and large rocks arranged to give a feeling of “Dragon Valley.” Scattered around were dragon bones, and there was even a piece of a dragon skull, looking quite cool.

 

In addition, there were plenty of aquatic plants and unidentifiable aquatic plants in the bathtub. Beneath them was a layer of mud, and judging by the roots under these aquatic plants, they should all be alive.

 

Some plants were even close to half a meter tall, but because the water level was low, they had drooped down.

 

There were many ornamental fish in the fish tank, and various colored prawns crawled on the mud, probably used for cleaning garbage or algae.

 

“The water’s here!”

 

As I observed, Li Chen had already brought the water pipe, which was connected to the tap outside, and placed it in an inconspicuous spot in the fish tank.

 

He then headed back the same way. “I’ll go prepare some water.”

 

“I’m raising fish for the first time,” Ouyang Xue said as she found the power cord behind the fish tank and plugged it in.

 

With a buzzing sound, the top cover of the fish tank lit up with beautiful lights, and the circulating water system started working.

 

“I remember them saying that we should wait until the water is almost full before turning on the water pump.”

 

With a click, Ouyang Xue turned off the water pump and walked out from behind the table.

 

“Alright, Nuo’er, you go ahead and start working.”

 

“Oh…”

 

With the salted fish plush toy in my arms, I pondered for a moment and then handed the large salted fish to Xiao Mo beside me.

 

“Wife, this is for you.”

 

Xiao Mo remained silent for a moment. “Are you implying that I should use this tonight, with you…”

 

“No, no, no, I just thought Xiao Mo would like it.”

 

I hurriedly ran off to the side. “Okay, I’ll go work now. Love you.”

 

“……”

 

……