Chapter 81: A Home Should Be Full of Warmth
"That won’t be necessary." Xue Can looked directly into Shen Lu’s eyes. "I told you I’d do three things for Boss Shen as an apology. This can be one of them."
"Business is business. I prefer simple financial transactions." Shen Lu forced a polite smile. "Wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Xue?"
Xue Can, of course, had no choice but to agree.
’Clearly, Shen Lu was willing to give him another chance. If he performed well this time, perhaps their relationship could return to the way it was.’
"It’s 1,000 Star Coins a day. That’s the standard rate. If anyone causes trouble, that’ll be an additional fee." Xue Can didn’t offer Shen Lu any special discounts. "We offer a discount for a monthly contract. It’s up to you, Boss Shen."
"How much is the discount?"
"Twenty percent off."
"In that case, I’ll take a month to start."
Xue Can had a Light Brain specifically for coordinating work, as well as a dedicated Communication Device for missions.
The two exchanged Light Brain information. Xue Can sent over the contract. While the law in this world wasn’t very effective, that was only true for the upper class.
Neither Shen Lu nor Xue Can were among them, so the contract was binding on both parties.
Shen Lu skimmed through it. The contract wasn’t complex. She asked about a few parts she didn’t understand and, after receiving explanations, paid half the amount as a deposit. The remainder would be settled at the end of the month.
Xue Can extended his hand. "Boss Shen, it’s a pleasure doing business with you."
Shen Lu shook it briefly. "A pleasure."
"I’ll head back and arrange for my people, then. Shall we meet at the unfinished building tomorrow at seven in the morning?"
"Sounds good."
"Oh, right." Xue Can hesitated for a moment, then finally asked the question that was foremost on his mind. "Will I be able to purchase food from you in bulk after this, Boss Shen?"
"Bulk? Can you be more specific?"
"Something like 100 orders of the family combo."
"I can’t give you a definitive answer right now. I’ll have to see how the shop’s revenue looks."
’Once the shop is open, my production capacity will increase, but there’s no guarantee that foot traffic will.’
’My ingredients have to be purchased from the System Mall using popularity value. I can’t predict the daily ratio of gaining versus spending popularity value yet, so I can’t just agree to Xue Can’s request.’
Xue Can was a little disappointed but didn’t let it show. He replied graciously with an "Mm," "Alright, I understand."
By the end of their conversation, Xue Can had finished his food. He said his goodbyes to Shen Lu and left to return to his stronghold.
Shen Lu returned to her post and continued stir-frying food for her customers.
Around three-thirty, Shen Lu’s Light Brain vibrated with an incoming call request.
She checked the caller. It was Boss Xu.
Boss Xu: "Miss Shen, are you busy?"
Shen Lu lowered the flame. "Not too busy. Boss Xu, are you calling because the renovation is done?"
"That’s right. If you have a moment, Miss Shen, you can come over and inspect the work."
"Alright, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes."
After hanging up, Shen Lu checked the progress of her daily tasks. There wasn’t much left to do. ’With Cai Su and Wang Daguo here, they should be able to finish.’
"I have to step out for a bit, but I’ll be back soon. If we sell out of fried rice and fried noodles, give anyone who missed out a free portion of the cold-tossed radish skins. I’ll be back as fast as I can."
Shen Lu gave these hurried instructions and then walked briskly toward the unfinished building.
Boss Xu and a few of his workers were waiting on the ground floor. When they saw her approaching, he greeted her with a wide smile.
"Boss Shen, the structural renovations for the rooms on the second floor are finished, all according to your requirements. Please, go take a look. If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, just let us know, and we’ll correct it right away."
"Thank you for your hard work." Shen Lu exchanged a few pleasantries before heading to the second floor.
The door lock could be connected to a Light Brain. For the convenience of the renovation, it was temporarily linked to Boss Xu’s Light Brain.
Boss Xu swiped his hand over the lock’s sensor, and the door clicked open.
"You can format the lock later and set yourself as the new administrator, Boss Shen."
"Alright."
Shen Lu pushed the door open and stepped inside. She was greeted by the sight of a cozy but empty living room.
She had chosen a pale, cream-yellow for the walls, which easily created a feeling of warmth.
’A home should be filled with warmth.’
This was Shen Lu’s personal philosophy. She loved the idea of enjoying a meticulously prepared meal in a cozy home after a long, busy day.
There were no lingering chemical smells in the rooms. Shen Lu inspected each one and found no issues. They happily settled the final payment, concluding their business.
"Congratulations, Boss Shen." Boss Xu wasn’t giving up on getting the job for the storefront downstairs. "So, why don’t you let us handle your shop as well? You’ve seen the quality of our work for yourself. It’s excellent, isn’t it?"
"I’m sorry, but that’s already been contracted out to someone else. They’re starting today, in fact."
"What company? They can’t possibly be as professional as we are. Besides, if we worked together again, our synergy would be even better."
"It’s a friend of my fiancé. He’s only charging me for materials. My apologies, Boss Xu."
Whenever a difficult question came up, Shen Lu found that blaming it on Fu Cheng was an exceptionally effective tactic.
Boss Xu reluctantly shut his mouth. Still, he showered her with pleasantries. After all, the unfinished building had several more floors. As long as Shen Lu’s business thrived, she would eventually need to renovate them.
After seeing Boss Xu and his men off, Shen Lu formatted the door lock, connected it to her Light Brain, and set herself as the master administrator with full permissions.
Then, she called the furniture store to ask for their location.
"Five minutes. We’re almost there."
Shen Lu said, "Okay," and hung up. She walked around her new home, looking this way and that, growing more satisfied with every glance.
Five minutes later, a horn honked downstairs. Shen Lu walked out onto the balcony to look, and sure enough, it was the crew from the furniture store.
Shen Lu opened the front door and had them bring the furniture in piece by piece, unwrapping each item and placing it according to her instructions.
The once-empty apartment was gradually filled, feeling more and more like a home. It was as if Shen Lu’s perpetually drifting heart had finally found solid ground on which to settle.
After having the delivery crew take the packaging and trash with them, Shen Lu plopped down onto the sofa she had so carefully chosen. It was perfectly firm yet plush—incomparable to the sagging, worn-out couch in her old rental.
Instead of a long coffee table, she had opted for a small, movable side table, making it easier to grab snacks while sprawling comfortably on the couch.
’Just have to wait for Boss Zhou to deliver the TV and other appliances tomorrow, and then I can move right in.’ Shen Lu nestled into the sofa, savoring the wonderful thought of life after moving in. She wished time would speed up; she could hardly wait.
Reluctantly pulling herself away from her new home, Shen Lu decided as she walked downstairs that she would come back tonight to handle the shop’s renovation.
The moment she returned to her stall, she heard the task completion notification.
[DING! Detected sales: Mint Water 80/80, Egg Waffles 70/70, Malatang 70/70, Fried Rice 70/70, Fried Noodles 70/70, Braised Delicacies 40/40. Task complete. Reward: One Lottery Ticket.]