Chapter 98: Gave a Thumbs-Up
Shen Lu noticed Fu Cheng’s concerned gaze and touched her face.
"Did I get something on my face? No, it looks clean."
After feeding Fu Cheng his breakfast, Shen Lu tidied up the tray and prepared to go downstairs.
Her wrist was suddenly grabbed. Shen Lu glanced down; it was Fu Cheng.
The man didn’t use much force. He patted her wrist reassuringly a couple of times before letting go.
’Is he... encouraging me?’
It took a moment for Shen Lu to realize, but then a smile spread across her face. "I’m not that nervous, but thank you for your concern."
Her foul mood was mainly due to the daily mission’s difficulty increase, which now included a punishment system.
Fu Cheng pursed his lips, made a fist with his left hand, and gave her a thumbs-up.
She gave Fu Cheng a thumbs-up in return. "Alright, I’m off to work."
After breakfast, Ye Fan transferred the money for their meals to Shen Lu before returning to his post. Seeing Shen Lu come downstairs, Wang Daguo came over. "Boss Shen," he asked, "are my mom and sister going to be deveining shrimp again today, like yesterday?"
"For now, yes. I’ll give them something else to do after all the shrimp are processed."
"Oh, okay."
Shen Lu was smarter this time. She brought the crayfish out in 55-pound batches. Wang Daguo took over Lin Zhou’s task, loading the crayfish into the automatic washer, then carrying the clean batches over to the Wang Family women.
Shen Lu and Cai Su were still frying shrimp and preparing the broth to braise them in.
By nine o’clock, the rest of the shrimp were nearly processed.
Shen Lu and Wang Daguo started setting up tables in the fast-food section. They pushed all the long rectangular tables together and covered them with several layers of plastic sheeting to create one long surface.
By now, a few people were already loitering outside. Shen Lu glanced over and saw they were all strangers, peering into her shop with disgruntled expressions.
Shen Lu was instantly on alert. ’Are these people here to cause trouble?’
Recalling the massive flame war online the day before, Shen Lu decided she needed to take security more seriously.
She immediately called Xue Can’s Light Brain.
Xue Can had just finished his morning workout and stepped out of the bathroom. His Light Brain was flashing insistently. He glanced at the caller ID and accepted the call.
"Hello, Boss Shen?"
"It’s me. Mr. Xue, are you free today? I have something I’d like to discuss with you."
Xue Can lit a cigarette. "I’m free. Go ahead."
"I’d like to hire a few more people for security. It won’t be for long, just for today."
"Alright, I’ll bring some people over."
Xue Can agreed without hesitation, rounding up the members who were off-duty for the day and heading to Shen Lu’s shop.
"Boss, did you bring us here specially to eat crayfish?" Little Bei asked, his eyes welling up with emotion. "You’re the best, Boss."
Xue Can shot him a look. "Shut up. You’ll be taking orders from Shen Lu."
Little Bei’s face fell. ’So much for that. We’re here to work, after all.’
When Lin Zhou and Ye Fan saw Xue Can and his men arrive, they asked what was going on in a group chat that didn’t include their boss.
Little Bei: Don’t ask. Got dragged in for last-minute overtime on our one day off.
Little Bei: I hate overtime!
But complaining was one thing. When he saw Shen Lu, Little Bei’s face lit up with a brilliant smile.
"Boss Shen, congratulations on the grand opening!"
"Thank you. I’m sorry to trouble you all today." Shen Lu gave a polite smile and briefly discussed the plan with Xue Can.
Shen Lu planned to hold the competition in the fast-food section, which meant its entrance needed to be guarded. The regular waiting area would naturally become the contestant holding area. The main entrance also required guards to prevent people who hadn’t registered and paid from sneaking in.
There were fewer rules for the crowd outside; the main concern was preventing a stampede.
"You should post two people outside, too," Xue Can advised. "Otherwise, the people in front will block the view, and no one else will be able to see the competition."
Shen Lu nodded. "We can do that, as long as you have the manpower."
Xue Can reminded her, "Don’t forget, this is still Gold Street. As long as you’ve paid the management fee, Ma Laosan and his crew are obligated to help you maintain order."
"Oh, that’s right. I’d completely forgotten," Shen Lu said.
The last time she’d seen Ma Laosan, she had proactively paid a month’s management fee, and they had exchanged contact info.
Shen Lu immediately called Ma Laosan. Just as the call connected, Ma Laosan himself arrived, holding an electronic flower basket.
"Congratulations on the grand opening, Boss Shen! I heard you’re holding some kind of crayfish competition today. I bet a lot of people will show up to watch the fun. I happened to be free, so I came by to lend a hand."
Ma Laosan was acting as warm and considerate as a big brother.
But Shen Lu hadn’t forgotten for a second what their first meeting had been like.
’Shen Lu had no doubt that if Ma Laosan knew she was truly on her own, with no one backing her, he would definitely pull something despicable.’
’But when you were in this world, you had to learn to wear a mask to get by.’
Shen Lu put on a polite smile, accepted the electronic flower basket, and placed it by the main entrance. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Ma Laosan, she said, "I’ll be relying on Brother Ma’s support."
Now, they had more than enough manpower.
Xue Can’s men would handle security inside the shop, while Ma Laosan would manage the crowd outside.
Shen Lu put the Wang Family mother and daughter in charge of serving mint water. This was only for customers who had paid the registration fee to enter, though of course, the Gale Mercenary Corps and Ma Laosan’s crew were entitled to unlimited refills.
The spectators outside couldn’t be completely neglected, either. Shen Lu wheeled out her snack cart, having swapped the teppanyaki grill for a sausage roller.
The sausage roller was simple to use, and Cai Su got the hang of it after a quick tutorial. The flavor options were even simpler: plain, or sprinkled with chili powder.
She also fired up the malatang cooker. It could cook and serve simultaneously, so there was no downtime.
The snack cart and malatang cooker were set up next to the main entrance. With Ma Laosan’s and Xue Can’s people keeping an eye on things, Shen Lu figured there wouldn’t be any trouble and left Cai Su to manage it alone.
As for herself and Wang Daguo, they would be responsible for the crayfish competition.
Shen Lu herself would act as the MC, while Wang Daguo would be the runner, responsible for promptly replenishing the crayfish as they were eaten.
During this time, Granny Jin and Boss Zhou arrived one after the other. Both had sent electronic flower baskets, which Shen Lu accepted with a beaming smile.
"Boss Shen, didn’t you say there’d be crayfish? Where are they?" Boss Zhou’s eyes kept darting inside, but he only saw the long, empty, plastic-covered table, with not a single crayfish in sight.
"Don’t be impatient, Boss Zhou. The crayfish are all prepared in the kitchen. You’ll see them the moment the competition starts."
Boss Zhou had originally intended to be the first to pay the registration fee. But on his way over, his wife had grumbled in his ear that Shen Lu’s crayfish competition was surely a fake, just a publicity stunt.
Now that he couldn’t see any crayfish either, Boss Zhou began to hesitate and said nothing about registering.
Shen Lu wasn’t worried; she knew many people were skeptical.
The crowd gathering at the shop’s entrance gradually grew, a mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces.
Shen Lu activated the Good and Evil Judgment Device, wanting to see how many people in the crowd had ill intentions.
With a WHOOSH, a heart popped up above everyone’s head. Shen Lu scanned the crowd and was left speechless.
The vast majority were gray. A few others flickered back and forth between white and light gray, like a bunch of fickle fence-sitters.