Chapter 91: How Interesting
Fu Cheng was well aware of his condition.
The Military Hospital had been unable to do anything for his injuries. Sending him back to the Fu Family was essentially their way of saying he should live out his final days in the warmth of his family, so as not to waste medical resources.
He had long since been deemed incurable, his name written on Death’s list.
Yet Shen Lu hadn’t abandoned him. Instead, she was slowly healing him.
So much so that he could now manage a slight movement with his left hand. A change like that was enough to give him confidence.
’I will get better.’
Failing to eat by himself today hadn’t discouraged him in the slightest.
Seeing his calm expression, devoid of anger or frustration, Shen Lu quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
She took the spoon. "I’ll just feed you today."
Fu Cheng cooperatively finished his dinner. Shen Lu was very pleased that he hadn’t thrown a tantrum over his failed attempt to eat on his own.
When she took the empty bowls downstairs, Cai Su had already finished cleaning. The moment she saw Shen Lu, Cai Su subconsciously reached for the tray.
"It’s fine. It’s just a few bowls, I’ll wash them myself. You haven’t finished packing your things, have you? You should head back to the dorm. Tomorrow’s going to be busy."
Cai Su nodded. She knew Shen Lu was a decisive person whose word was law. Whatever Shen Lu said, she just had to follow.
With the "Permanent 80% Cleanliness" perk, Shen Lu only needed to give the bowls a quick rinse to get them spotless.
She washed the bowls in under two minutes, placed them in the sterilizer, and switched on the sanitation cycle.
After checking that the stove and all electronics in the kitchen were off, Shen Lu left the back kitchen and returned to the living room on the second floor.
Shen Lu went to her room, grabbed her clothes, and headed into the bathroom. She could finally take a comfortable hot shower, something she’d been looking forward to for a long time.
She turned on the showerhead, and as the warm water sprayed down, Shen Lu let out a contented sigh.
Showering at the public bathhouse was convenient, sure, but it was nothing compared to the comfort of a hot shower at home.
Shen Lu washed herself thoroughly from head to toe—twice. By the time she was done, the steam had flushed her cheeks a delicate pink. Only then did she turn off the water, completely satisfied.
The only downside was that she’d forgotten to buy body wash and shampoo, not to mention skincare products. She couldn’t help it; she hadn’t had the luxury back in her rental unit, so she’d gotten used to a rougher lifestyle.
"I’ll have to go out and buy some things tomorrow," Shen Lu muttered. She liked the feeling of talking to herself. "It’s not just body wash and shampoo. I also need to buy two sets of pajamas, and Fu Cheng’s medicine and bandages need to be restocked."
She really had so much to do. Sometimes, she wished she could split herself in two.
After drying her hair, Shen Lu decided not to tie it up, letting it fall freely over her shoulders.
She flopped happily onto the brand-new sofa and opened her Light Brain to edit the video she’d filmed that day.
While reviewing the footage, Shen Lu realized that the way Wang Daguo ate his noodles was genuinely captivating. No wonder so many customers had ordered the fried noodles today.
So, when she edited the clip of Wang Daguo eating, she slowed down the playback speed and added a few special effects, tripling the mouth-watering impact.
At the end of the video, Shen Lu added an ad for the new shop. She made the words "Crayfish Competition" big and bold, using eye-catching yellow text on a red background. It was practically visual pollution.
She confirmed the changes, saved the file, and uploaded it to the backend. Once it passed review and was published, Shen Lu went to tally her income for the day.
She hadn’t sold as much as she did before, but her Star Coin income was still substantial.
Her popularity value had long since surpassed ten thousand. Even after the 1,000-point deduction for opening the shop, she still had over ten thousand remaining.
Staring at the slowly climbing popularity value, Shen Lu suddenly realized something.
Shen Lu: "By the way, the system charges for the shop’s utilities, right?"
[Yes, Host.]
Shen Lu: "...Can’t they be free?"
[Host, it won’t cost that much popularity value.]
Shen Lu said, aggrieved, "Resources should be used where they matter most! Popularity value isn’t like Star Coins; I can’t just get more whenever a customer eats something."
The system fell silent. It admitted Shen Lu had a point, but there was nothing it could do. It hadn’t made the rules, so it couldn’t just change them on a whim.
After she was done complaining, Shen Lu felt another headache coming on as she saw her hidden mission progress was still stuck at a firm 5%.
She opened her chat window. Her message history with Zeng Xiaodao still only showed the automatic system greeting from when they’d added each other as friends.
It wouldn’t be right to contact Zeng Xiaodao too proactively. He’d already made his stance clear—he didn’t want her getting too involved. If she seemed overly eager, it would backfire.
She needed Zeng Xiaodao to contact her first. Only then could she subtly work her way in.
Bai Wanwan, on the other hand, apparently had nothing better to do and had been spamming her with messages all day.
Bai Wanwan: My brother and I have something to do today, so we can’t make it. You don’t have to wait for us.
Bai Wanwan: I said you don’t have to wait, but you’re not actually going to take me at my word, are you?
Bai Wanwan: ???
Bai Wanwan: You closed up shop before 3:30? Shen Lu, what the hell are you playing at?
Bai Wanwan: Where are you? Get your ass out here right now! Closing up this early, do you even want to be in business or not?
Bai Wanwan: Shen Lu? Shen Lu?? Short Shen, answer me!
Shen Lu decisively swiped away Bai Wanwan’s chat window.
’This young miss must be bored out of her mind. If she wants to eat, she could just ask nicely. Why does she have to talk in such an obnoxious way?’
It was getting late, so Shen Lu decided to use her Lottery Ticket before going to bed.
[Congratulations, Host. You have drawn prize #005 from the blind box: Shop Defense Level +5.]
[Shop Defense Level +5: The shop’s initial defense level is 1 and the maximum is 10. After increasing the defense level by 5, its fireproofing, waterproofing, electrical resistance, and damage resistance will be comprehensively enhanced, creating a secure operating environment for the Host.]
’Huh? You can get something like this?’
Shen Lu got up from the sofa and walked to the window.
She didn’t notice any other differences for the moment, but a steel-wire electric fence had suddenly appeared, encircling the wasteland behind the shop.
The fence was two meters high, and arcs of blue and purple electricity occasionally crackled across it, making it look incredibly secure.
She had no idea how effective it would be against Superpower Users, but it was better than nothing.
Lin Zhou and Ye Fan, who were hidden in the shadows, noticed the electric fence the moment it appeared. They both stared at it, careful not to make any rash moves.
Ye Fan sent Lin Zhou a message: "Anything unusual on your end?"
Lin Zhou: "Yeah. The unfinished building seems... sturdier."
Ye Fan: "Exactly. I noticed that too."
Lin Zhou: "Could this be Boss Shen’s superpower?"
Ye Fan: "Can’t be. Boss Shen doesn’t have a superpower. She’s just a regular person."
Lin Zhou: "Then how do you explain the fence appearing out of thin air, or the unfinished building suddenly getting sturdier?"
Ye Fan: "Let’s report it to the chief. This stuff isn’t our concern anyway. Our mission is just to protect Boss Shen’s shop."
Lin Zhou: "Fine. You make the report."
Ye Fan quickly reported the incident to Xue Can.
Xue Can mulled it over for a moment before sending a two-word reply.
Xue Can: Understood.
In the darkness, the man lit a cigarette.
He wouldn’t have been surprised by any number of incredible things happening around Shen Lu. In fact, it only deepened his interest in her.
’Just how many secrets does Shen Lu have?’
’How interesting.’