Universe Infinite Canteen

After the barbecue, He Xiaoqian hadn't spent a cent, but somehow earned an extra 500 yuan, leaving her somewhat bewildered.

Mainly because after Old Wang wrongly accused the stall of serving goat instead of duck, the young clerk became agitated, claiming that Old Wang was slandering and extorting, and threatened to call the police, which alerted the boss.

After the boss learned what happened, he immediately apologized on behalf of the employee, admitting that the chef had accidentally taken the wrong meat. Not only did he waive the bill for their table, replaced with real lamb, but he also secretly slipped them 500 yuan.

Ma Lu told a somewhat perplexed He Xiaoqian to accept the money.

The five of them had been eating from 6 PM to 9 PM. He Xiaoqian, who kept thanking everyone and continuously proposing toasts, got drunk the quickest, while Shen Yue seemed to be in high spirits, opening 8 bottles of beer in one go.

In the end, she only drank half a bottle before collapsing motionless. Conversely, Han Feifei, who appeared demure and was the epitome of a rich, beautiful white-collar worker, surprisingly chugged beer from the bottle.

And after two bottles, her complexion hadn't changed, leaving only her and Ma Lu, plus Old Wang, who hadn't touched his chopsticks from the start, still sober.

But even Ma Lu was starting to feel it now, his cheeks slightly warm, his throat dry, and his bladder under some inexplicable pressure.

Just as he was about to go to the restroom to relieve himself, Han Feifei across from him suddenly spoke up.

"Senior, do you remember?"

"Huh?"

"During the Winter Olympics, we volunteered together."

"Oh, oh, oh... Did we?"

"Yes, we did. At that time, I encountered a troublesome foreign tourist, and it was you and Yu Xuejie who helped me out, though according to the rules, you shouldn't have been there at that time."

"Oh, now I remember. Was it that Italian guy who lost his wallet? He insisted on dragging you to the parking lot to look for his bag," Ma Lu recalled.

"Yes," Han Feifei took another sip of beer and said indifferently, "But it seems that back then, Senior, you only had eyes for Yu Xuejie, you've already forgotten about me."

"Uh... Everyone has their young and naive moments."

"I heard from Shen Yue that Yu Xuejie has also returned to the country, and she even visited the school last week. It seems like you two have made up."

Han Feifei paused, "Senior, don't you have any thoughts on that?"

"What a joke, we broke up a long time ago," Ma Lu shook his head.

"I should say, thankfully we broke up. Looking back now, that woman is full of flaws, and her personality is terrible. I don't know why I fell for her in the first place.

"Now, she and I only have professional interactions. She's at that… what's it? MeiPingNet. It seems to be quite popular among young people lately. Discover more stories at empire

"She insisted on interviewing me, and as a trade-off, I let her include a plug for my new store at the end of her article."

"I've read that interview," Han Feifei said, "It doesn't mention your new store."

"What?"

Han Feifei took out her phone, opened MeiPingNet, tapped into the community, and the featured front-page special was an article titled "Big Dig for City B's Hidden Gourmet Gems".

Opening it revealed seven or eight articles within, all with high hit counts. Each article had tens of thousands of reads within a day, and the article on The Universe's Number One Snack Stall at the top had already surpassed 100,000.

Leaning forward slightly, Han Feifei pushed the phone towards Ma Lu.

At this moment, Ma Lu was feeling a strong urge to pee, but he still forced himself to start reading the article.

The first part was similar to the draft Yu Yitong had sent to him before, simply introducing The Universe's Number One Snack Stall.

It included how popular the stall was, how delicious the food was, and the usual content about the owner's alumni background.

But towards the end, the tone suddenly changed, mentioning that The Universe's Number One Snack Stall was now seeing dwindling popularity, with customer flow no longer what it once was.

It implied that Ma Lu's snack stall was just a fleeting internet-famous hit chased by the online crowd, and that true gourmet food needs time to settle.

And not once did she mention Universe Infinite Canteen's upcoming grand opening until her very last sentence.

Having read the message, Ma Lu revealed a cold sneer on his face and handed the phone back to Han Feifei.

"It's my fault, things have been going too smoothly for me lately, and I've lost my basic vigilance, especially when dealing with certain malicious individuals. Indeed, not a single tear from a crocodile can be trusted."

Han Feifei said, "Yu Xuejie might have her own difficulties, after all, when you're in a career, often times you do not have control over everything, but...

"Some things are indeed hard to change. I've heard that Yu Xuejie grew up in a modest household and was raised by her mother, so it's not surprising that she would prioritize her job and career over personal relationships.

"However, the person who dates her is very likely to have a tough time. Moreover, if there isn't external pressure, it's one thing, but once there's pressure to sacrifice certain things, she would probably make the same choices."

"So, if you're still planning on getting a girlfriend, it's better to find someone who doesn't place such a high value on material things. That way, even if you face problems with your career one day, she won't leave you, and might even be able to provide financial support."

"It doesn't matter anymore, let her boyfriend worry about that kind of thing."

Ma Lu belched, "I've been busy getting ready to open the shop recently, so I don't have time to deal with her. Let her be arrogant for a while."

"By the way, when do you plan to open Universe Infinite Canteen?" Han Feifei then changed the subject.

"Hmm, next week, I suppose. I plan to spend the next two days getting the restaurant in order and sorting out all the permits."

"I don't have much going on tomorrow, so I'll come and help you out, Senior."

"You? Hahaha."

"What's so funny?" Han Feifei asked, puzzled.

"Oh, nothing. I just remembered Shen Yue mentioning that your family runs a logistics company and that you also receive a hefty allowance each month. Are you sure you want to work as a laborer, cleaning windows and mopping floors for me? Starting from scratch with cleaning can be pretty tough."

"How about a bet?" Han Feifei took another small sip of beer and pointed at He Xiaoqian, who was already slumped over the table.

"She's your official employee, right? I guarantee I can do a better job than her tomorrow."

"Really? In that case, if you manage to outdo Xiaoqian in work tomorrow, from now on, whenever you come eat at my restaurant, I'll give you a 20 percent discount!"

"Deal," Han Feifei said as she stretched out her pinkie finger.

"What for?"

"To pinkie swear."

"Ha, are you a child or something, needing to pinkie swear?"

"Well, Senior, you seem a bit drunk. Who knows if you aren't just spouting drunken nonsense. Pinkie swearing is a bit more secure."

"Fine then." Ma Lu, anxious to go to the bathroom, also extended his pinkie finger and hooked it with Han Feifei's.

Afterward, Han Feifei solemnly recited that childish chant, "A pinkie swear, we hang by a thread, a hundred years, may it never be shed."

Then she tapped her thumb against Ma Lu's as if to seal the promise.

While Shen Yue, who had been drooling in her sleep on the table, suddenly jolted awake, opening her eyes.

"I still want..."

She didn't finish her sentence and froze, her mouth forming an O shape.

Then, closing her eyes again, she collapsed back on the table, murmuring.

"I didn't see anything, I didn't see anything at all."