I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 90
In the afternoon, I woke up to find that almost half of my hand was numb. It was pressed by a Maine Coon cat. This Maine Coon cat named Dingman in the café really just lay on my hand and slept together for almost half an hour.
“Wake up… wake up!”
In the pleasant sound of the mobile alarm, I carefully withdrew my little hand from under the cat’s belly and also gave a pat to this super-sized cat that looked like a little lion. Well, another handful of fur.
Sitting up, I let out a big yawn, looked around the “café girls’ staff room” where several cats were already lying down. This one is Mosquito Bite, that one is Li Bai, and this one… should be Du Fu? Li Bai and Du Fu are in the same litter. If Li Bai came in, Du Fu should follow.
By the way, why did these cats run into the room? There’s no food or litter box here…
“Why did all of you come over…”
Watching some cats lying on the floor and others exploring and curiously observing the new environment in the room, I yawned again.
Oh… still so sleepy.
But I know I absolutely can’t go back to sleep at this time. Not to mention that work hours are approaching, and usually, the lunch break is about ten minutes. If you go back to sleep after getting up and feel sleepy again, it will only make you more tired, which is also not good for your health.
“All right, come out quickly.”
I turned off the phone alarm, put on the maid’s round-toe shoes by the bed, took the lint roller, and carefully removed the cat hair from my body as much as possible. Then, I walked out of the room.
“Awake?”
Ouyang Xue happened to be organizing goods at the central worktable outside the second floor. She saw me coming out and smiled faintly, “You’ve only slept for less than half an hour. There are still more than ten minutes left in the break.”
“It’s okay.”
I leaned over and checked the situation on the first floor, “I’ve had enough sleep.”
“Then the afternoon work is about to begin, right?”
Ouyang Xue took out a broom and dustpan from the counter, “Go, the cat hair has increased again.”
Increased again? How much time has passed since then?!
I took the tools, quickly went downstairs, and entered the cat living area.
“…”
As Ouyang Xue said, by now, there were already quite a few clumps of cat hair piled up here. Some cats, for some reason, were playing around, pouncing on each other and biting, and around them, cat hair was flying almost everywhere.
“Don’t fight, don’t fight! If you keep fighting, there won’t be any treats for you today!”
I… seem to understand why the maid cat café have such high wages.
Cleaning cat hair is a very headache-inducing task.
It’s not like regular trash; ordinary household trash has weight. For example, in fast-food restaurants, if customers litter, as a waiter, I can quickly sweep it away in a few seconds. But cat hair is different. This thing comes with a “flying” buff. A little breeze will lift it up. Even if you sweep it into the dustpan, a casual swing of the broom will create a breeze, and it will fly out again. Plus, cat hair itself is particularly difficult to sweep. When the broom goes over, it first stirs up a gust of wind, the cat hair flies away, and it doesn’t go into the dustpan. You have to keep chasing and sweeping.
The most uncomfortable thing is that cat hair can’t get wet. Some little cats in the living area playfully mess around with the automatic water dispenser, getting both paws wet and leaving paw prints everywhere. When cat hair gets wet, it sticks to the floor. The hair of some black and gray cats often becomes a wet, messy patch, making it look like the floor is dirty. Using a broom doesn’t work, and wearing gloves doesn’t help pick it up.
If you mop the floor directly with a wet mop, the nearby little cats see the mop as if it’s a new toy and pounce on it like a pendant, resulting in another big pile of cat hair.
I suspect that cats, as creatures, trace back to the earlier periods of the Cretaceous and Triassic eras; they’re probably in the same category as sheep, both being prolific producers of fur.
“Use this.”
While I was sweeping, Ouyang Xue brought down a vacuum cleaner, saying, “Just bought it from the next door.”
Why didn’t you bring this out earlier?!
“Next door?”
I took the vacuum cleaner and turned it on. In the humming sound of the motor, these cats from the cat cafe not only weren’t afraid but a few of them boldly approached, curiously inspecting the machine.
I moved the nozzle toward them and gave it a vigorous suction, causing these cats to meow in surprise.
“Next door, the commercial street. I just found out that a new appliance store opened there.”
Ouyang Xue explained, “They say there are several milk tea shops opening tomorrow, and there’s a small overlap with our business. I guess there will be more people coming in to enjoy cat cuddling, perhaps even bringing their own drinks.”
Isn’t the commercial street next door still under construction?
“There are several businesses opening on the commercial street today, and there’s a discount for renting boats on the Shenzhen River. There’s a fishing competition, and that’s why there are suddenly so many customers today, unlike the past few days.”
Ouyang Xue sighed while sipping her coffee, “Now, the area near the Shenzhen River is full of people fishing. Moreover, from their fishing spot, you can see the big mushroom cap of our mushroom house.”
Full of people fishing?!
I looked curiously in the direction of the Shenzhen River.
Is there an event for fishing? Isn’t it just luck?
“Fishing enthusiasts are quite mysterious.”
Ouyang Xue put the broom aside, “They squat there all day, often catching only a few fish. However, pufferfish, frogs, water monkeys, and the like are frequently encountered. Previously, someone even found a litter of abandoned kittens by the river, and someone rescued a passerby who accidentally fell into the water…”
“Ding dong! Welcome!”
As we were talking, the sound of customers entering through the door came from behind us.
Ouyang Xue quickly took the vacuum cleaner from my hands, “Go ahead.”
“Hello!”
I, too, reflexively hurried towards the entrance, addressing the two men with fishing gear who were entering, “Welcome! Large items can be stored in the storage area over there!”
“The buckets with fish go here… cover the lids, as the fishy smell might attract the cats and they might sneak a bite!”
“That’s not the issue. Currently, we don’t feed raw fish to the pet cats in the store…”
As a waitress, the most challenging aspect is dealing with all sorts of peculiar customers. Like those who come in with fish and request assistance with cooking, those who want to feed the cats with small fish, those who walk in wearing flip-flops and immediately take off their shoes, or those who come in smoking and demand to “see pretty girls” without any preamble.
The world is vast, and there are some customers who are unreasonable and lack common decency. While cats can eat fish, and eating raw fish isn’t a significant issue, after all, cats are natural hunters and had the ability to catch fish and birds before encountering humans, they were never taught to start a fire and cook. However, this feeding method is more applicable to free-roaming rural kittens. For cats in a cat cafe, feeding them raw fish directly might pose the risk of parasites.
Here, a large group of cats lives together. If one cat gets infected, there’s a risk that the entire group of cats could fall ill in a few days. Since there are better options, we don’t need to take the risk of feeding them raw fish.
Similarly, for those who smoke, take off their shoes, or have particularly poor personal hygiene, Ouyang Xue’s directive to me is — to persuade them to leave. Alternatively, we can suggest they dine at the small tree stumps outside, but they are not allowed inside.
Of course, in the majority of cases, customers dining in the café are quite reasonable. Smokers apologize immediately after being reminded and extinguish their cigarettes. Customers who initially wanted to feed the cats with raw fish, after my explanation, express understanding and refrain from doing so. No one acts like in the movies or as in the case of some troublemakers, deciding not to do something just because it’s difficult.
“Why is your whole menu fried chicken? Do you have hand-pulled chicken? No? Then I’ll have the Rooster’s Comb.”
“How much is it to cuddle the cats? Free? Seriously? Do you have any cat treats here? Give me some.”
“Maid sister, maid sister! Table 32, extra rice!”
“Maid sister, we want a group photo!”
“Waitress! Add two chicken legs. The chicken legs here are so small, they’re not filling!”
“…”
As I predicted, the number of people coming to the café surged starting from 4:30 in the afternoon. The evening crowd was even more terrifying than the peak lunchtime flow. Even with me, Ouyang Xue, and the driver all pitching in, we were barely able to meet the demands of the customers in the store, let alone pay attention to the cats that had run out from the cat living area.
So, many cat-loving customers simply brought the cats onto the nearby chairs, bought some snacks, took a bite themselves, and fed the cats a bite. This led to a significant increase in the sales of cat food and treats at the café.
It’s worth mentioning that the customers who came to eat at the shop seemed to have a high opinion of me.
“I originally just wanted to experience the legendary cat cafe, but it turns out the maid little sister is even cuter than the cats?”
“Indeed, she looks very pretty when she smiles, just seems a bit young.”
“I guess she’s here to help because she’s the manager’s relative or something?”
“…”
From 4:30 to 7:00, I had almost no time to rest, constantly running around and cleaning. It wasn’t until after 8:00, when the sky outside had completely darkened, and most of the customers in the shop had left, that I finally had a chance to sit down on the massage chair on the first floor of the shop and catch my breath.
“I feel like my legs aren’t my own anymore…”
I turned on the switch of the massage chair, and in the buzzing vibration, I relaxed my body, letting my calves rest on the massage device, enjoying the “café staff benefit” after finishing work.
Ouyang Xue arranged this massage chair, placing it in a corner on the first floor. There were a total of three. Sitting on it, you could directly see the sparkling sea view outside.
If other customers wanted to use this chair, they had to pay. Scan the code, swipe the card, five yuan for ten minutes. I don’t know what others think about this kind of amenity, but I personally love it.
Even if Ouyang Xue were to follow the “unscrupulous boss” model and charge employees and customers for using the massage chair, I would still choose to pay and lie down at this time.
Because it’s just too comfortable…
After spending a day together, I roughly understood Ouyang Xue’s philosophy of running the café. She is genuinely good to her own people or “employees.” Rest when needed, work when required. As long as you don’t have the intention of taking things with the idea of “selling them for money,” everything in the café is free for the staff to use.
In other words, I can casually eat the fried chicken snacks in the shop, freely drink the beverages here, and use tools like the massage chair that are usually paid experiences.
At first, I thought she was treating me so well because of my “background.” Later, I realized it wasn’t the case. Ouyang Xue seems to be this way with any employee in the café.
Today, only one chef came to the shop, which is Chef Wang. When Chef Wang gets tired and wants to rest, Ouyang Xue takes over his duties, whether it’s cooking, frying chicken, making egg tarts—Ouyang Xue is proficient in everything. Even if Chef Wang is not in the shop, she can perfectly handle his work.
Similarly, the male driver who drove today is currently taking on the roles of “logistics” and “cleaning” in the shop. His task is to drive and bring back the ingredients and various props needed by the café, move them into the house. When this guy wants to rest or has some temporary matters to attend to, Ouyang Xue can step in—driving, moving heavy objects, cooperating with people at the market…
I haven’t seen anything here that Ouyang Xue can’t do.
The café manager acts as a store clerk, a woman acting as a man, one person doing the work of two…
This is the first time I’ve seen such a lead-by-example store manager. Ouyang Xue, through her actions, has demonstrated to me what “store leadership” and “leading by example” truly mean.
Under her leadership, with the thought of “effort leads to bonuses,” I remained spirited throughout the entire evening, even if I was tired.
“Meow.”
Buzzing from the massage chair for a while, several cats that had been keeping me busy throughout the day gathered around, seemingly interested in the machine.
“You guys go play, there aren’t many customers in the store now. Play as you like…”
I was so tired that I didn’t even want to move: “I’ll come brush your fur in a bit.”
At this time, the moon in Shenzhen City had just emerged, casting a beautiful reflection of countless stars on the sea. After a day of exhaustion, sitting in the cool coffee shop with the air conditioning on, lying on the automatic massage chair, my mood at this moment could be described as quite pleasant.
If I had a bottle of ice-cold cola now, it would be even better, but it seems that the little girl’s stomach may not be suitable for it.
My gaze fell on a lighthouse in the distance on the sea.
Like the Pearl Tower in the central district, this tower is a landmark in the Nanqi district of Shenzhen City. People online like to call it the Nanqi Tower. The Nanqi Tower has at least 50 years of history. It was built here long before the Nanqi district became an independent area.
I once watched live broadcasts and related videos online about the Nanqi Tower. The caretaker of the tower is an elderly man who lives in a small wooden house next to the Nanqi Tower. He usually tends to a small vegetable garden behind his house, and in the evening, after the tide goes down, he goes to the seashore to catch some seafood to cook for himself. Day after day, year after year, he maintains this routine unwaveringly.
It is said that the old man has been guarding this tower for at least forty years. The Shenzhen City government ceased maintenance of the tower twenty years ago. The old man takes care of the equipment on the tower and covers the cost of replacing the lights using items he collects as scrap and the retirement pension provided by the government.
Because this area is relatively remote and not part of the shipping routes around Nanqi Port, except for those who go fishing in the evening, hardly anyone visits the vicinity of Nanqi Tower. Over the decades, the tower has become the only structure in the area. When night falls, the tower emits a glow comparable to the moon, illuminating the surrounding darkness.
From my current perspective, I can hardly see the actual shape of the tower. I can only see a bright light hanging high on a hillside.
A broadcaster once asked the old man on the tower why he is so persistent and why he insists on living nearby. The old man said he is waiting for his loved one to come back.
Decades ago, this area of Nanqi was still barren land. The old man and his loved one wandered here from elsewhere. Hungry and seeing a small boat with fishing nets by the shore, they decided to go out to sea to catch fish. However, a wave struck, and the old man fell into the water. When he woke up, he found himself drifting under the lighthouse—rescued by the lighthouse workers.
Since then, the old man settled near the lighthouse, waiting for his loved one.
This wait lasted for over forty years.
“How do you feel?”
Gazing at the faint light of the lighthouse in the distance, I saw Ouyang Xue approaching through the reflection in the store’s glass. “Getting used to it?”
“Quite well.”
I smiled. “Although tired, I’m very happy.”
Being able to earn money, a lot of money, and see the future makes me happy.
“In the future, when you can independently manage the entire store’s operations and become familiar with everything here, it will be about time for you to take over the position of the café manager.”
Ouyang Xue looked somewhat relieved. “Then you’ll need to guide the new maids we hire, just like what you’re doing now.”
I turned my head. “Doesn’t Sister Ouyang like working here?”
“It’s not really about whether I like it or not.”
Ouyang Xue leaned on the armrest of the massage chair beneath me. “It’s just work. Whether it’s being a virtual idol, handling logistics, or being a store manager, it’s all work.”
“I feel like Sister Ouyang, who says these things, suddenly aged a lot.”
“It’s impolite to casually comment on a woman’s age.”
Although she said this, Ouyang Xue didn’t seem to mind me saying she looked old. “I just think this kind of work suits you young people better.”
Well… I can’t exactly be considered young.
“I’m talking about mental age.”
Ouyang Xue, who seemed to have the ability to read minds all along, explained, “My mindset is not up to par. If I continue to manage this cafe, there won’t be much improvement. But you, it’s different. With you… the company’s decision is correct, you are indeed more suitable for this place.”
Does that mean this macho guy is suitable for being a maid? That’s impossible, right?
“About that lighthouse, Nanqi Tower.”
Speaking, Ouyang Xue leaned close to my ear. “Have you heard its legend?”
“The Old Man and the Sea one?”
I thought for a moment. “A somewhat melancholic love story.”
“In my eyes, that kind of ending is quite good for the old man, actually.”
I don’t know why, but Ouyang Xue’s words seemed somewhat sorrowful. “Every day, guarding the sea, watching the passing ships, every day tending to the lighthouse, going to sleep with hope, waking up the next day full of hope, and continuing to gaze at the sea…”
“Is that really okay?”
I turned my head. “I think… I think it’s quite cruel.”
“I was a left-behind child. My parents worked far away, and at that time, nobody in our village had a cellphone. I had to go to the town three kilometers away for school. On average, my parents would come home two or three times a year, and when they came back, they would bring me a lot of gifts.”
Ouyang Xue looked at the distant sea horizon. “When I came home from school as a child, walking those three kilometers, I would hope in my heart that when I got home, I could see my parents. This anticipation, disappointment, and the feeling of being let down accompanied me throughout my childhood, becoming my happiest memories.”
“The days when my parents came back are not as deeply remembered because even though they brought gifts, they were mostly study materials. Also, I only saw them a few times a year, so our relationship wasn’t deep. Plus, they liked asking about my grades, and my grades were not good when I was young, often leading to scolding and punishment. In the end… the days waiting for my parents to come back were the sweetest for me because I had no idea what would happen when I returned home each day.”
Ouyang Xue suddenly changed her tone: “But what I want to talk about is not the legend of the old man and the sea. It’s about… the solitary end, one of the urban legends in Shenzhen City.”
“The solitary end?”
I seem to have heard of this urban legend before. If someone jumps from the highest point near the lighthouse, they will be trapped in the world of the end, and they can only be rescued when others repeat the same action, and then the one who jumped last becomes trapped there.
Is it true or not…
I believe in other worlds, but the end world… that’s impossible, right?
Similar to the elevator legend at Mingzhu Square before, I generally don’t believe in these urban legends.
“Huh?”
Seeing me silent, Ouyang Xue was somewhat surprised. “Aren’t you scared at all?”
“Huh?”
I was puzzled. “Should I be scared?”
“Usually, little girls shouldn’t be very… I mean, very scared of this kind of urban legend?!”
“It’s okay if you treat me like an uncle.”
“How can there be such a cute uncle like you…”
“Ding dong! Welcome!”
I was still enjoying the supreme comfort brought by the massage chair while chatting casually with Ouyang Xue when suddenly, the previously quiet main entrance echoed with the sound of incoming guests.
“Welcome!”
Almost reflexively, I stood up, quickly adjusted my maid dress and garter stockings, and turned to run towards the entrance. “May I help you with something… Oh?”
My words came to a sudden halt as I saw the person who had just arrived.
Jituto?
Oh no, it should be Su Yunjin, the son of the CEO of Tongmeng Net, the largest video website… probably.
What could he be doing here at this time?
“This outfit suits you well.”
At this moment, Su Yunjin, at the entrance, also noticed me and casually waved in our direction. “Sister Ouyang is here too.”
“I knew it was you.”
Ouyang Xue walked over. “I thought for a while. The only idler who can persuade the management of the headquarters and has a certain understanding of the secondary element culture is you.”
“What do you mean by an idler with a certain understanding of secondary element culture?”
Su Yunjin looked a bit embarrassed at being described this way. “I just came to Shenzhen for business recently and, by the way, helped the headquarters find a maid. How can you call that idling?”
“Whatever you say, my little master.”
Ouyang Xue seemed completely unafraid of Su Yunjin, crossing her arms. “So, what are you here for today? Checking the shop’s financial losses?”
“I came to eat chicken and pat some cats. What’s wrong with that?”
Su Yunjin looked a bit awkward and casually took a seat. “You haven’t recruited any maids except for Nuo’er, huh?”
“You guys insisted on leaving the position vacant unless the girl is pretty and has a good figure.”
Ouyang Xue sighed. “Given the current situation, where would you find a pretty girl willing to do this job? It’s just your luck that you found Nuo’er.”
Speaking of this, Ouyang Xue glanced at me. “Found yourself such a silly scapegoat like Nuo’er.”
Hey… I’m not a scapegoat, okay? The conditions here are so good, the salary is high. How am I silly or a scapegoat?
“Is everything in the store settled now?”
Su Yunjin didn’t argue with Ouyang Xue, surveying the brightly lit cafe. “I remember the maids here work three shifts, eight hours each, right?”
“Nuo’er wants to do the work of two people alone and plans to stay until midnight,” Ouyang Xue explained. “But considering today’s situation, we’ll probably close around 10 o’clock. There aren’t many people around here at night anyway.”
“Then you let Nuo’er go back first, and I’ll discuss some headquarters matters with you.” As if afraid I would misunderstand, Su Yunjin winked at me. “It’s confidential company information.”
Oh? Can I go back now?
“Nuo’er, you can go back first. Today’s wages will be calculated until midnight,” Ouyang Xue said, gesturing towards the second floor. “I’ll take care of things in a while.”
Why do these two seem a bit strange? Have they known each other for a long time?
Although I was puzzled, since Su Yunjin mentioned it was company confidential, and Ouyang Xue didn’t object, and I could go back early, I didn’t make a fuss. After saying, “Then, Sister Ouyang, I’ll go change first,” I quickly went upstairs.
“Meow?”
The cats on the second floor, upon seeing me in a good mood, lazily made meowing sounds.
“Meow!”
I responded by shouting back at them, making several cats show surprised expressions, as if saying, “Your ‘meow’ had at least ten grammar mistakes.”
Taking off my shoes, carefully unfastening the garters of the thigh-high stockings, I removed the pair of white silk stockings from my legs, which had been soaked with sweat countless times and naturally dried. Folding them neatly, I put on the short socks and then the maid’s uniform.
Ten minutes later, dressed in the new outfit, I walked down from the second floor with a bunny backpack containing three maid costumes.
“The company’s future strategy… mainly focuses on short videos and domestic anime. We lack our own intellectual property (IP), and the collaboration with the Yae-do and Honeydew is just the first step.”
“This place might become a promotional point for Tongmeng in the future…”
What surprised me was that, at this moment, Su Yunjin on the first floor was indeed discussing business with Ouyang Xue, both sitting on a bench.
“Sister Ouyang, and Brother Ji.”
Passing by them, I waved my hand voluntarily. “I’m going back!”
“Hey! Take care.”
Ouyang Xue turned her head. “Have you collected everything?”
“Yes, all done.”
“Great. Go back and rest early. Remember the old rule, be here at eight tomorrow!”
“Okay.”
With a silly loli-like expression that the two of them found amusing, I pushed open the cafe’s door with the backpack on my back.
At this moment, the moonlight was bright outside, and the stars filled the sky. The lighthouse on the distant sea swayed gently, exuding a mysterious atmosphere.
“Hum—”
Before I could take a few steps on the small path outside the café, the familiar sound of space tearing came, and a grim reaper girl dressed as a store clerk emerged from the crack.
“You almost scared me.”
Glancing around to make sure there was no one nearby, I looked at the “Miss Grim Reaper” Yin Xiamo: “Off work?”
“Yeah, just finished.”
The girl, wearing a pair of worn-out casual shoes, walked towards me as soon as she landed. “What about you? Didn’t you say you were working until 12?”
“There weren’t many people on the first day, so we closed early.”
I blurted out, “Have you had dinner?”
“No, waiting for you.”
“What are you waiting for?”
I was puzzled, “If you’re hungry, go eat yourself.”
“It’s up to me.”
She gave me a glare, then seemed to remember something, and her cold demeanor thawed, replaced by a hint of anticipation.
“I heard there’s a new buffet restaurant that just opened up. Would you like to go with me?”
“……”
……