The NO.1 Food Stall in the Wasteland

Shen Lu immediately began to consider whether Wang Daguo was suitable to be her employee.

Right now, he was only working odd jobs for her, not full-time.

For now, there seemed to be no issue with Wang Daguo’s character. Though he looked fierce, he was actually a very honest man.

"Brother Wang, have you thought about changing jobs?" Shen Lu asked.

"Change jobs?" Wang Daguo shook his head. "I haven’t thought about it."

The job title "corpse collector" certainly didn’t sound pleasant, and it was only a temporary position, but Wang Daguo knew his own limitations.

He didn’t have any special skills, just brute strength. If he hadn’t called in a favor, he wouldn’t have even gotten this temporary job.

"What I mean is, if I were to hire you as my employee, would you be willing?"

"Huh?" Wang Daguo’s hand paused on the pushcart. "Boss Shen, you’re looking to hire?"

"Yes. I’m selling more things now, and it’s getting a bit too busy for me to handle."

Wang Daguo scratched the back of his head. "I don’t think I’m a good fit. How about you consider my sister?"

He had two younger sisters, one ten years old and the other eight.

"You don’t have to pay them. Just giving them a bite to eat is enough."

Shen Lu didn’t agree, only saying she would think about it.

Wang Daguo said no more. It dawned on him that he might be treating Shen Lu like a fool, constantly trying to take advantage of her.

Shen Lu hadn’t thought that far ahead. She had seen Wang Daguo’s sisters at the junkyard once before. They were scrawny and small, looking much younger than their actual ages.

’Child labor is out of the question.’

Wang Daguo first pushed the food cart to its spot, then came back by himself to move Fu Cheng.

While Shen Lu was still making fried rice, a customer had already arrived, asking eagerly if buying fried rice today still came with a free side of cold-tossed radish peels.

"Yes, it’s free. The first ten customers still get a free serving of cold-tossed radish peels."

The customer was a very young girl, and she cheered happily upon hearing this.

"But Boss, why haven’t you set out any tables yet?"

Shen Lu let out an "ah." She had planned to buy them this morning, but she had gotten sidetracked by the matter with Cai Su and forgotten.

Just then, Wang Daguo had wheeled Fu Cheng over and placed him in a shady spot at the back. Shen Lu immediately roped in the extra muscle.

"Brother Wang, could you help me go buy two tables and a few chairs?"

"Sure."

Shen Lu gave him the money, and Wang Daguo was back with the items in less than ten minutes.

The tables were secondhand, but they were usable and cheap. Besides, people in the Lower City District weren’t that picky; as long as they could sit down to eat, it was good enough.

"It was 195 Star Coins in total. Here’s the change," Wang Daguo said, handing over a handful of coins.

Shen Lu took the change and tossed it directly into the System Warehouse. "Thanks. The usual time this afternoon?"

"Alright."

Wang Daguo nodded and turned to leave.

The fried rice and fried noodles sold out quickly today, gone in less than an hour.

However, Shen Lu had prepared plenty of ingredients, so she frantically started cooking a second batch.

The Bai Family Siblings arrived just as the second batch of fried rice was ready. Both wore baseball caps and masks, keeping themselves thoroughly hidden.

Seeing the line of more than a dozen people ahead of them, Bai Wanwan grew agitated.

"Don’t tell me the fried rice and noodles will all be sold out by the time it’s our turn, will they?"

"So, Sis, why don’t you take off your mask and show your face? Maybe Shen Lu will let you cut the line," Bai Lei goaded.

Bai Wanwan crossed her arms and shot her brother a look. "It’s not like she doesn’t recognize you. Why don’t *you* take off your mask and show your face?"

"That still can’t compare to the deep bond between you two arch-enemies."

"Stop saying such disgusting things."

"Then we’ll just have to wait in line properly. Don’t worry, it won’t sell out. Doesn’t she have rules? She doesn’t let people buy too much."

Shen Lu was so busy her head was spinning. She didn’t even realize her old classmate had returned until Bai Wanwan was standing right in front of her.

"One of everything," Bai Wanwan said, handing over a lunch box and a thermos as she placed her order in a hushed voice.

"You can only have one serving of either the egg fried rice or the egg fried noodles, or get them combined into one portion."

"But yesterday we could buy one of each separately, couldn’t we?"

"That’s right. It’s a new rule starting today."

"What gives you the right to change the rules just like that? This is outrageous!"

Shen Lu sighed. "I’m only one person, and I have my limits. I can only make so much in a day."

She had to make the fried rice and noodles, prepare the egg waffles, serve the malatang, clear the tables, and wash used dishes all by herself. She was as busy as a spinning top. To let as many people as possible get a chance to buy something, she had no choice but to impose a small restriction.

"Hey, you at the front! Are you buying or not? If not, then get out of the way!"

"Anyone who doesn’t follow the rules can get the hell out!"

"Judging by your clothes, you’re from the Upper City District. Don’t you people from the Upper City District look down on us from the Lower City District? Why are you here competing with us for food?"

"Boss Shen, don’t sell to her! She’s so whiny and never shuts up!"

...

Seeing that Bai Wanwan was still trying to argue with Shen Lu, the people in line behind her started ganging up on her.

A cold glint flashed in Bai Lei’s eyes. With a slight crook of his finger, he manipulated the Wind Element to teach the ones with the foul mouths a little lesson.

The men’s faces suddenly stung, as if they had just been slapped, a sharp, piercing pain on their flesh.

"Fuck!"

They couldn’t imagine anyone but a Superpower User capable of such a phantom-like attack. The men were furious, but they were just ordinary people. They had no choice but to swallow their anger.

Who were they to argue? They couldn’t win a fight against a Superpower User.

Shen Lu noticed the strange reaction from those men, and her gaze fell on the boy standing behind Bai Wanwan.

The young man met her gaze without flinching, raising a defiant eyebrow.

Shen Lu recognized those eyes. He was the boy who had pulled out the enormous lunch box yesterday.

’Oh,’ she thought. ’So that’s who he is.’

"If you want to eat here, you have to follow my rules." Shen Lu’s tone was lazy, yet it held an authority that couldn’t be denied. "Or... are the two of you planning to use force?"

"Fine, fine! I give up! Do you even know how to run a business?" Bai Wanwan urged. "Just hurry up and put it in the lunch box."

’Expose my true identity in the Lower City District just for a bite to eat?’

’Bai Wanwan couldn’t even imagine doing something so stupid. If those people in the Upper City District found out, wouldn’t they laugh at her for the rest of her life?’

Shen Lu took Bai Wanwan’s lunch box and packed the items inside one by one.

"That’ll be 220. Thank you for your business."

"We’re paying together," Bai Wanwan said, moving aside and pointing to her brother with her chin.

Bai Lei pulled out his own enormous lunch box. "I’ll have the same as my sister. Just put the mint water in my sister’s thermos."

Shen Lu worked quickly, packing his order in less than two minutes.

After paying, the two siblings left as if they were walking on wind.

Shen Lu let out a small sigh and shook her head.

’Those two siblings are as childish as ever.’

Bai Wanwan had driven, and her car was parked at the end of the street.

The moment they got in the car, Bai Wanwan urged Bai Lei to take out the lunch boxes.

"Didn’t we say we’d eat when we get back?" Bai Lei didn’t move.

Bai Wanwan’s car was cool, but it had one drawback: the interior wasn’t very spacious. It was particularly uncomfortable for a tall guy like Bai Lei.

"I’m hungry," Bai Wanwan said without a shred of shame, unfolding the car’s built-in tray table. "Enough nonsense. Get the food out, or I’m not bringing you with me tomorrow."