The NO.1 Food Stall in the Wasteland

Shen Lu stepped out the back door into the vacant lot behind the shop. She had exchanged contact information with Lin Zhou and Ye Fan that morning, and she now sent them a message asking them to come over.

Ye Fan jumped down from somewhere above Shen Lu’s head. His sturdy body landed on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and making for a rather heroic entrance.

Lin Zhou, meanwhile, materialized soundlessly from a patch of shadow. His unsettling double pupils looked rather terrifying in the twilight.

"Boss Shen, you needed us for something?" Lin Zhou was a man of few words. Since the two were frequent partners, Ye Fan usually did the talking.

"Today’s my first day here, so I’ve prepared a big meal. Why don’t you two come have a bite?"

Lin Zhou shot Ye Fan a look, clearly signaling he didn’t want to go.

Ye Fan pretended not to see it and asked Shen Lu a question. "Boss Shen, does our captain come here to eat often?"

"I suppose so?" Shen Lu wasn’t entirely sure. ’For all I know, Xue Can eats at other places too.’

"In that case, we’d be delighted." Ye Fan had been curious for a while. On their last few missions, the captain had been eating actual, fragrant food instead of drinking nutrient liquid, which was highly unusual.

Not to mention that after returning from a mission, he would go out every afternoon and come back smelling of food.

What surprised him most was that the captain’s temper seemed to have gotten a little better.

Don’t let Xue Can’s perpetually blank, seemingly calm expression fool you. In reality, he had a firecracker temper. If something displeased him or one of them made a mistake, someone was bound to suffer the consequences.

The team members didn’t dare say anything to Xue Can’s face, but in private, they all discussed his recent strange behavior.

Little Bei, who had been with Xue Can the longest, stated unequivocally that he had to be in love.

"I’ve seen it several times. The Boss goes to that little stall on Gold Street to buy food. You’ve all met the owner—it’s that young lady he brought to the stronghold last time, the one he even escorted home at night."

Their cold and detached leader, fallen in love?

The mere thought of such a shocking event was terrifying enough for the team members.

What surprised Ye Fan even more was that Xue Can had suddenly taken on a security job, assigning him and Lin Zhou to watch over a small shop—which just so happened to be the shop belonging to Shen Lu, the Boss’s suspected love interest.

Now that they had a legitimate working relationship, Ye Fan could barely restrain his inner gossip.

There’s no smoke without fire. Even if Shen Lu and the Boss weren’t actually together, the special treatment he gave her was undeniable.

He wanted to see for himself what was so special about Shen Lu that had earned her the Boss’s favor.

Since Ye Fan had agreed, Lin Zhou had no choice but to go along with it. The two of them followed Shen Lu into the shop.

Wang Daguo had set up the tables in the waiting area. Two long tables from the fast-food section were pushed together, making just enough space for ten people.

Grandma Wang’s anxiety peaked when Shen Lu led Lin Zhou and Ye Fan inside.

You could tell at a glance that these two men were not ordinary people, especially the one with the double pupils. ’He must be a Superpower User!’

"Grandma, Mom, Xiao Hui, Xiao Ci, this is Shen Lu, Boss Shen." Completely oblivious to his grandmother’s anxiety, Wang Daguo eagerly introduced his new boss to his family.

"Hello." Shen Lu smiled and nodded, then introduced Ye Fan and Lin Zhou to the others. "These two are Ye Fan and Lin Zhou. They’re responsible for security, so you won’t normally see them. Today is a housewarming for the new shop, so I invited them to join us for a meal and for everyone to get acquainted."

Lin Zhou’s expression remained cold and distant. Ye Fan kept it short and sweet: "Hello."

Everyone else already knew each other, which saved the trouble of further introductions. Shen Lu gestured for everyone to take a seat.

"Please, have a seat, everyone. Don’t be so formal."

At her words, Granny Jin and Cai Su were the first to sit down. Xiao Lang was still weak, so worried that he wouldn’t be stable in a regular chair, Cai Su settled him into a large high chair.

Wang Daguo sat down near Ye Fan and Lin Zhou. The seat at the head of the table was naturally for Shen Lu. Catching sight of the four members of the Wang Family still standing, she said gently, "Please, take a seat."

Wang Xiaohui and Wang Xiaoci were still young, and their eyes were glued to the delicious spread on the table. But their grandmother kept a tight grip on them, so they could only turn to her with pleading looks.

After many years of being her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Wang had some idea of what her mother-in-law was thinking. Since the older woman wasn’t sitting, she wouldn’t sit either.

Wang Daguo thought his family was just being shy. "Grandma, Mom, Boss Shen is really nice. Come on, sit down."

"This meal... I’m not eating until you make things clear." Grandma Wang looked at the beautiful young woman. "We don’t accept rewards we haven’t earned. A feast like this must have cost over ten thousand Star Coins to prepare. Boss Shen, what exactly are your intentions? Daguo is an ordinary person with no superpower. There’s a limit to what he can do, and he hasn’t done anything to deserve a meal like this."

Shen Lu was left speechless.

’Am I being seen as some kind of ruthless, scheming boss?’

’But I’m just in a good mood.’

’Because Wang Daguo became my employee, I was able to complete a new side quest in record time. On top of that, I’ve moved into a new shop and a new home, starting a new life. Don’t I deserve a good meal to celebrate?’

’My motivations were so simple and pure. How did they get twisted into a conspiracy theory?’

’What an injustice!’

"Grandma, Boss Shen isn’t the kind of person you think she is," Wang Daguo immediately interjected, trying to explain on Shen Lu’s behalf. "I just do odd jobs at the shop. Boss Shen is just a kind person; she doesn’t have any other motives."

Grandma Wang shot her grandson a disappointed glare. ’This foolish boy, he’s been completely hoodwinked by Shen Lu. Where in the world would you find such a good deal? You’re just a handyman, and she’s inviting your whole family to a feast?’

"Actually, I do have an ulterior motive." Shen Lu’s voice was even. "My new shop opens the day after tomorrow, and it’s going to be very busy. Right now, I only have two employees, Sister Cai and Brother Wang, so we’re short-staffed. I don’t know many people, so I was hoping to use this meal as an opportunity to ask if a couple of you might be able to come and help out for the next two days."

’I really have no choice,’ Shen Lu thought. She had invited them for a meal out of kindness, only to be seen as someone with ulterior motives. She had to invent an excuse on the spot.

The excuse was a bit of a stretch, but it was a plausible reason. Grandma Wang was still skeptical. "Is that really all there is to it?"

"What else would it be? I’m just an ordinary business owner, and Wang Daguo is an ordinary man. What could I possibly ask him to do? I’ve already hired other people for security. Honestly, if we hadn’t worked together so well when I had my food stall, and if I didn’t know he’s a decent person, I wouldn’t have hired him."

Her words were blunt, but they were also the truth.

Grandma Wang thought it over and felt somewhat relieved.

Wang Daguo quickly tried to smooth things over. He apologized to Shen Lu, then briefly explained to his family how Brother Wu had fired him for no apparent reason.

Only then did Grandma Wang finally sit down, though she remained wary of Shen Lu.

’These days, people who trust too easily die young. Her husband and son had both lost their lives for being too trusting. Having been taught the same harsh lesson twice, she had no choice but to be cautious.’

"Alright, let’s eat." Shen Lu didn’t let the little incident bother her. After working for a couple of hours, it wasn’t just her guests who were hungry—she was starving herself.

’It’s been so long since I’ve had a proper meal, especially something spicy. I’m dying for it.’