I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 417

Chapter 417: Local Specialty Cat Cookies!

 

It was a sunny day.

 

Some time had passed since Xiao Mo and I returned from the other world, and the work at the Shenzhen City Shangjing Cat Maid Café had resumed its normal course.

 

During this period, Su Yunjin held a rather formal meeting, announcing that I had officially become the manager and “chairman” of the Shangjing Cat Maid Café.

 

Tongmeng Network registered a company specifically for the café, named “Shangjing Cat Café Co., Ltd.” I held 26% of the shares, Xiao Mo held 25%, Li Chen and Ouyang Xue each held 5%, Lan Jiajia and Ai Luoti each held 2%, and the rest were given to people from Tongmeng Network.

 

Originally, Su Yunjin intended for Fei Luo, Gabriel, Dolly, and Yueyue to also hold shares. However, these four people from the other world expressed that they had no interest in these matters and would not participate in “human games.”

 

Although it appeared on the surface that most of the company’s shares did not belong to Tongmeng Network, meaning they couldn’t interfere with us, Su Yunjin was straightforward: Tongmeng Network was well aware that the café’s success was purely because Xiao Mo and I were too “special.”

 

Therefore, they planned to grant the project full autonomy, meaning we had full control over it, while Tongmeng Network would only be responsible for collecting money and providing various forms of support.

 

“Nuo’er and Xiao Mo give me the feeling that they aren’t from this world at all. I suspect they can use magic. I believe even the government would be very willing to cooperate with them.” — This was Su Yunjin’s exact words.

 

In the meeting room, Su Yunjin kept hinting that Xiao Mo and I had “strong backing” and that “even a large company like Tongmeng Network has no plans to oppress them.” He implied that Xiao Mo and I had a very good relationship with the mayor. This was the meaning I gathered from his words.

 

As for Lan Jiajia, Ai Luoti, or Chef Wang Jie, who also attended the meeting, they probably only picked up that “Tongmeng Network has a very good relationship with Nuo’er and Xiao Mo, and everyone is very happy to cooperate.”

 

Su Yunjin conveyed the intentions of Tongmeng Network and the higher-ups to us: initially, the higher-ups only planned to make the café a “vanguard” project of the commercial street, not caring about profits as long as there were no severe losses.

 

They sent Ouyang Xue to operate the café partly to let this former logistics administrator relax and partly to test her capabilities. They didn’t expect us to revitalize the project.

 

In fact, anyone with a bit of intelligence could tell from Xiao Mo and me that we were not ordinary. Although one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, in this world, most attractive girls with good figures usually don’t come from poor backgrounds.

 

Suppose a girl is lucky enough to inherit good genes from her parents, with regular features, but she is born in a very remote mountainous area. She has to help with farm work every day, exposed to the sun and rain, her skin won’t be great, and poor nutrition leads to stunted growth. This is a limitation of family resources.

 

This is a phenomenon similar to “big data.”

 

In impoverished families, where parents work away from home, the jobs they find usually require heavy labor, or the employer is not very competent. They face grievances at work, and when they return home, they are likely to vent their frustration on their children, passing on this mood to them.

 

For a person, besides time and money, there is another very important thing: emotions.

 

When a boss is not competent and runs a company poorly, he experiences high emotional exhaustion daily and can only transfer this pressure to subordinates to offset his emotional burden.

 

This phenomenon is similar to “pressure monsters” among teammates in games. When employees bear the brunt of the boss’s frustration and come home to see their child has failed an exam, they become even more upset, leading to frequent instances of scolding or hitting.

 

They lack the emotional resources to cope, so the child’s emotional resources are depleted and they seek other ways to offset this exhaustion, like indulging themselves. For example, a child who previously studied hard but felt miserable might stop studying after being scolded, feeling relieved and restoring their emotional balance.

 

However, in a well-off family, where parents work at good companies or are high-level executives themselves, life is not stressful. They don’t face grievances at work, and even if their child performs poorly on an exam, they won’t place too much pressure on the child or explode. The child doesn’t need to bear this emotional drain and can quickly adjust their mindset.

 

Emotional resources are intangible and cannot be measured by any physical means, but they are indeed a form of wealth. They are equal for everyone and can be bought or offset with various things.

 

Workers who do 9-9-6 (working from 9 AM to 9 PM, six days a week) are exhausted after work, with their emotional resources depleted. They just want to eat junk food and relax, without even thinking about exercise or skincare.

 

In contrast, those who don’t need to toil for a living can enjoy cooking, researching health and beauty, and exercising regularly. Even though exercise is tiring, their ample emotional resources mean they can exercise daily without issue. Over time, these people appear very healthy, with good skin, high spirits, and full of energy.

 

Additionally, people with good family backgrounds can enjoy ample resources, healthy and perfect food, and expensive skincare products, making their appearance relatively more attractive than ordinary people.

 

Su Yunjin himself is part of the “upper society,” so he knows these “secrets.”

 

Moreover, Xiao Mo and I used various connections to recruit many people for the café, including Fei Luo, Gabriel, Dolly, and Yueyue, who are not ordinary individuals. Even if they don’t know our real “trump cards,” they certainly understand that they should avoid any conflict with us, as working together to make money is the best approach.

 

Therefore, I’m not surprised that Tongmeng Network made this choice. If they were foolish, they wouldn’t have been able to establish such a large company in the first place.

 

“Since everyone has no objections, from today onwards, Miss Yin Nuo’er will be the manager and chairman of the Shangjing Cat Café. Although I hold the title of general manager here, I’m basically just a messenger. If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions for Tongmeng Network, you can tell me directly. The same goes for Nuo’er and Xiao Mo, if there are matters they can’t handle personally, they can inform me.”

 

“Also, although Ouyang and Li Chen have gone to the cat cafe, you both still own shares here. Li Chen, you are in charge of logistics for both sides. If you feel overwhelmed, you can apply to hire another person. You will be their mentor, and you will set their salary yourself.”

 

“The leisure area of the café is not an internet café. If there comes a time when it’s overcrowded, Ouyang, you can assist with the overflow.”

 

The meeting went very smoothly, and Su Yunjin did an excellent job hosting it. He even invited Sikong Yue, the representative of Jialan Company in Shenzhen City, and Jiang Wei, the agent for Jialan Company. The group discussed the future development direction for nearly two hours.

 

“My stance is very clear,” Jiang Wei said.

 

“I’m a man and can’t get involved in maid café or anime-related stuff. Ye Zi now has a child, and it will be several years before the child is born and goes to kindergarten. During this time, I won’t let Ye Zi work, so my business with you is limited to the computer hardware market. For the next year, I plan to focus on graphics cards, set up an official Tongmeng Network account, run an online store, and do some live streaming.

 

“As for Nuo’er, we can collaborate on anime virtual characters. I’ll use the images of Nuo’er and Xiao Mo and leverage their fame to sell graphics cards. I only understand computers, so for other products, you should ask Miss Sikong Yue, their company might manage other products.”

 

“We mainly develop in the computer field as well, but we know many furniture manufacturers domestically. If Nuo’er needs anything in that regard, we can help. Of course, there’s no problem with the current cooperation. Mr. Su Yunjin has already sent you the contract.”

 

Later, after confirming the general direction of the café’s development, Su Yunjin turned his attention to me.

 

“No objections? Nuo’er, do you have anything to say?”

 

“Didn’t we just discuss everything that needed to be discussed? I have nothing more to add.”

 

“Isn’t it customary for the new manager to stand up at this time and say something like, ‘Thank you all for your trust. I, Yin, will certainly lead everyone to success’? You can at least give some encouraging words.”

 

“I won’t.”

 

I shrugged. “I don’t like that sort of thing. Everyone here knows what to do. The sensitive issue of salaries has already been discussed. Salaries will be increased in June and December every year. If the café’s revenue goes up, so will everyone’s income. Giving empty promises is meaningless. It’s better to end the meeting early and have a cup of milk tea.”

 

“This manager of yours doesn’t seem very reliable,” Su Yunjin joked as he looked around at the attendees. “A boss who doesn’t make promises or give motivational speeches won’t go far, right?”

 

“That’s just Nuo’er,” Lan Jiajia said with a reassuring smile. “In fact, if she did make empty promises, she wouldn’t be Nuo’er. When I was job hunting, I hated bosses who made grand promises. If Nuo’er did that, I’d probably be planning to leave soon.”

 

“Me too.”

 

Ai Luodi yawned, “This is fine. Like today, we focus directly on the key points in the meeting, finish talking, and then adjourn. No need to make it like a bureaucratic meeting… The first company I went to had meetings every week, and we had to write reports daily: weekly summaries, monthly summaries, year-end summaries. It was so annoying. We’re all adults, and this kind of formalism is meaningless. I prefer it here—there are fewer rules… In other companies, if I dared to say something like this during a meeting, the boss would scold me. That’s why I chose to stay here.”

 

“Nuo’er’s method of managing the café only works with well-educated and high-quality people,” Li Chen said, crossing his arms.

 

“Although Ouyang uses a similar management style, she maintains a certain distance from the employees and gets serious when necessary. We all recognized her as the manager, but Nuo’er… I’ve never seen her serious. Is that really okay?”

 

“Don’t worry, the people Nuo’er and Xiao Mo recruited are absolutely loyal to them. As they would put it, it’s like demons obeying the demon king. Besides, do you think there’s anyone in our café who’s an unstable factor? Me? Or Lan Jiajia?” Ai Luodi yawned again, “Or Chef Wang Jie?”

 

“I don’t have any issues with loyalty. I’m just a cook,” Chef Wang raised his hand. “I don’t understand all these rules.”

 

“Li Chen, it sounds like you’re trying to stir up trouble.”

 

Ouyang Xue pinched Li Chen’s shoulder hard. “Did you hear what you just said? Are you questioning Nuo’er’s abilities?”

 

“He actually has a point,” Lan Jiajia said, raising her hand.

 

“Nuo’er is indeed very cute, both in appearance and personality. It’s hard for people to see her as the head of a café. This kind of manager tests the employees the most. For example, if Nuo’er asks us to do something, and we’re used to being comfortable, we might suddenly not want to do it, thinking it doesn’t matter since Nuo’er won’t blame us. This could lead to a lack of respect for management over time.”

 

“In other words, according to Nuo’er’s management style, the future of the café depends entirely on the employees’ self-discipline,” Lan Jiajia glanced at Ai Luodi. “Or rather, it depends entirely on my and Xiao Ai’s self-discipline.”

 

“Whether I’m self-disciplined or not doesn’t matter much. I work the night shift, and there’s not much to do at night,” Ai Luodi said with a “why are you looking at me” expression.

 

“It’s mainly up to you.”

 

“Do you really think I’d let Nuo’er down?”

 

Lan Jiajia seemed slightly annoyed.

 

“I’d love to do more for her. If the café does well, our salaries will increase too. We have shares, after all.”

 

“Exactly,” Ai Luodi turned to me. “So, I think there’s no problem with Nuo’er being the manager.”

 

“Don’t make it sound like I’m just a cute mascot!” I put on an unhappy expression.

 

“If you slack off or defy me as your boss, I can be strict, and I will get angry, I swear!”

 

“See, she’s getting mad,” Ai Luodi shrugged. “At least for now, I don’t think there’s any issue with our management style. The only potential problems might be with the outsourced cleaning lady and the security guards, but they’re the type of employees we can easily replace.”

 

“That’s the main reason we’re giving Nuo’er full control,” Su Yunjin interjected. “Nuo’er and this café’s management style are unique, probably one of a kind in the whole country.”

 

“Not just the country,” Xiao Mo, who hadn’t spoken much, chimed in, “Even in another world, Nuo’er is one of a kind.”

 

“……”

 

With this meeting, I officially gained the title of manager of the “Shangjing Cat Maid Café” and gradually took over related duties from Ouyang Xue. Subsequently, Ouyang Xue took her belongings and moved to the luxury internet café in the commercial street behind the café.

 

“……”

 

That day, after finishing some work at the café, I rode my bike alone, still wearing the café’s uniform, and arrived at the entrance of a snack wholesale and retail store in the Dadong District.

 

The area around here is full of wholesale stores, mostly dealing in food, snacks, roasted goods, ice cream, and the like. They primarily supply retail stores in the central district and Nanqi district. Due to its remote location, only large trucks usually come in and out.

 

So, it’s quite rare to see a girl like me, dressed in a cute Lolita dress, wearing a ribbon beret, long socks, and little leather shoes, riding a bicycle alone.

 

“The weather has been hot recently, making it hard to preserve dried fish. Can you try contacting a few more merchants? Otherwise, we’ll have to cut it, and we’ll take a loss.”

 

“And about the eel, people often say it’s too spicy and not suitable for Shenzhen City’s taste. Should we try modifying it…?”

 

Inside the wholesale store, a young man with glasses was discussing something with a driver who seemed to be loading goods. My arrival didn’t catch their attention.

 

“Zheng Zisheng…”

 

I parked my bike under a large tree across from the store, locked the wheels, and walked towards the young man with glasses. “Um… Brother?”

 

Zheng Zisheng, we first met near a hospital in the Nanqi district. He was eating a birthday cake alone in his car, and when the driver made a sudden stop, the cake flew out of his hands. I helped pick it up.

 

The second time we met was at an anime convention hosted by Sikong Yue’s Jialan Company. He had a stall near the restroom selling snacks. I recognized him and ended up buying a lot of food there.

 

I remember back then he had obtained the agency rights for a snack called “Papa Rotti,” either from his relatives or something like that. At that time, Zheng Zisheng gave me his business card, indicating that I could contact him if I ever needed anything in that regard.

 

“Hmm?”

 

Upon hearing my name, Zheng Zisheng at the entrance of the wholesale store first looked surprised, then raised his head, adjusted his glasses, and after a moment of hesitation, exclaimed, “It’s you, little angel… Wow, what brings you here?”

 

“Your business card has this address on it.”

 

I walked over and gestured towards the driver. “Discussing business?”

 

“Not really. This is my university classmate. He bought a car and got laid off, so now we’re partners. He drives, and I handle the business.”

 

Zheng Zisheng scratched his head awkwardly and then pulled the driver over. “Ali, this is… uh, her name is Yin Nuo’er, have you seen the news or TV recently? The ‘Shangjing Cat Maid Cafe’ is very popular now, and she’s the manager.”

 

“Oh? That cat cafe? No wonder, I just thought this girl was too cute.”

 

The driver, about 1.78 meters tall with a simple and honest face, looked very surprised. “Zisheng, you two are still friends?”

 

“Where? We… just know each other from a couple of encounters.”

 

Zheng Zisheng looked a bit embarrassed. “Nuo’er… Can I call you that?”

 

I nodded. “Sure.”

 

“My university classmate, Wang Li, you can call him Wang Li or Ali.”

 

I smiled, “Classmate Wang Li.”

 

“How come you came over here today…”

 

Zheng Zisheng gestured to the desolate surroundings, “We’re so far from Nanqi District… If you… if you ever want something to eat, just give me a call.”

 

“Do I look like the kind of kid who’s always hungry in your eyes?”

 

I entered the store and glanced around at various snacks and tidbits inside.

 

“Let me be direct. We’ve always had a suggestion box in our cafe, and over the past couple of months, we’ve collected a lot of feedback. One suggestion that has been repeatedly mentioned is that although we sell snacks and bubble tea, the variety of snacks is too limited. Some customers come here to pet cats and see the cats eating snacks, and they also want to snack, but the cafe doesn’t offer them. The nearby convenience stores are too far away. We hope to expand our snack offerings.”

 

“Just a few days ago, the city added tourist attractions near the cafe, and many tour guides from the city have included the cafe in their tour packages. They hinted that I should consider adding some local specialties to the cafe’s offerings…”

 

As I spoke, my gaze fell on boxes of spicy fish snacks, small eel snacks, and shredded squid snacks inside the store, despite their simple packaging, they looked particularly fresh judging by their aroma and colors.

 

“You’re the only person I can think of who sells these snacks, so I thought I’d come and see if you’re interested in collaborating.”

 

“……”

 

……