"Keuntungan kita tipis banget, Pak," kata Wang Daguo, bersikeras menolak menurunkan harga. Sebelum berangkat, Shen Lu sudah berkali-kali memperingatkan mereka untuk tidak menurunkan harga demi menarik pelanggan.
"Kita pernah jualan air mint dan sosis bakar sebelumnya, bukan cuma Ular Biji Bunga Matahari. Kalau kita seenaknya nurunin harga, itu nggak adil buat pelanggan yang udah beli sebelumnya."
Jika sampai ada masalah, mereka bisa saja mendapat ulasan buruk secara sembunyi-sembunyi, dan nilai popularitas mereka akan lenyap.
Shen Lu tidak keberatan pegawainya membawa keluar gerobak, tetapi dia sangat menjaga agar kepuasan pelanggan dan poin popularitasnya tidak menurun.
Kebijakan tanpa diskon grosir ini membuat banyak orang mengurungkan niat untuk membeli.
Tentu saja, masih lebih banyak lagi yang mengantre untuk membeli—kebanyakan adalah pelanggan tetap yang pernah makan di kedai Shen Lu.
"Aku tadinya mikir gerobak makanan ini nggak bakal buka lagi. Cuma kalian berdua aja malam ini? Di mana Boss Shen kalian?"
Sambil membalik sosis bakar, Cai Su berkata, "Boss Shen lagi istirahat. Dia kerjanya rajin banget."
"Pantesan. Tapi, kenapa dia nggak ikut kesini nonton film?"
Cai Su hanya tersenyum tanpa menjawab. ’Aku kan bukan Shen Lu,’ pikirnya, ’mana kutahu kenapa dia nggak mau datang?’
Xiao Lang berlari menghampiri dengan wajah merona karena gembira. "Ibu, Ular Biji Bunga Matahari-ku habis terjual! Cepat, bungkusin lagi buat aku.
"Beneran?" Cai Su terkejut. Ia menarik sepuluh bungkus kecil Ular Biji Bunga Matahari dari bawah gerobak makanan dan memasukkannya ke dalam kantong kain di dada anaknya. "Jangan lari terlalu jauh, istirahat kalau capek, ya?"
Ia benar-benar khawatir anaknya kelelahan.
"Aku tahu!" jawab Xiao Lang dengan ceria, lalu tangan dan kaki kecilnya buru-buru menyusup kembali ke kerumunan untuk menjajakan Ular Biji Bunga Matahari.
Shen Lu sibuk di dapur sejenak, merebus sebentar kaki babi, iga, dan paha ayam sebelum memasukkannya ke dalam kuah kaldu rebusan. Ia merebus beberapa telur hingga matang, karena tahu telur itu akan lebih mudah dikupas setelah direndam air dingin.
Sambil menunggu, ia melangkah keluar lewat pintu belakang. Langit sudah hampir gelap gulita, hanya menyisakan semburat cahaya redup di balik pegunungan.
Beberapa lampu besar menerangi area pemutaran film terbuka, memancarkan cahaya yang pas di tanah agar orang-orang tidak saling injak di tengah kerumunan yang padat.
Suara KERAS dari pengeras suara yang sedang diuji coba menggema di udara, dan penonton langsung bersorak riuh. Semua orang tahu itu adalah tanda bahwa film akan segera dimulai.
Detik berikutnya, layar cahaya tiba-tiba muncul di tengah malam yang biru gelap. Setelah penyesuaian singkat, lambang naga yang familier pun tampak.
Shen Lu mendesah pelan "ah", baru menyadari hal itu agak terlambat.
’Aku kambuh lagi,’ pikirnya, ’menerapkan hal-hal dari dunia lamaku ke dunia ini. Teknologi di sini sudah sangat canggih, film terbuka di layar laser ini sebenarnya cuma mainan anak-anak.’
Meskipun baru menonton film itu beberapa hari lalu, ia mendapati dirinya tetap menikmatinya dengan penuh minat.
Shen Lu bersandar pada sebuah pilar dan menonton selama setengah jam penuh, baru beranjak kembali ke dalam dengan enggan ketika teringat panci rebusan di dapur.
Ia memasukkan telur yang sudah dikupas dan tahu kering ke dalam panci, mengecilkan api ke tingkat sedang-kecil, lalu kembali ke halaman.
Kali ini, ia membawa kursi bersamanya. Ia menukar sekantong biji bunga matahari panggang dari Mal Sistem dan duduk santai sambil memecahi biji-bijian itu dan menonton film.
Ye Fan melompat turun dari lantai lima dan berjalan santai dengan senyum tanpa beban. "Boss Shen, lagi nonton film? Makan apa itu? Boleh bagi-bagi nggak?"
"Boleh," kata Shen Lu sambil mengangguk, memberinya segenggam.
Ye Fan menerimanya dengan senang hati dan langsung memecahi biji bunga matahari itu dengan lahap. Saat berikutnya, Lin Zhou muncul tanpa suara di samping Shen Lu dan mengulurkan telapak tangannya pelan. "Boss Shen, boleh minta sedikit?"
Shen Lu sedang berbaik hati hari ini. ’Apa salahnya berbagi beberapa biji bunga matahari antarteman?’ pikirnya. ’Kita kan lagi bareng-bareng nonton film ringan. Rasanya kurang pas kalau nggak sambil ngemil.’
"Jadi, gimana menurut kalian filmnya?" tanya Shen Lu tiba-tiba.
Ye Fan menjawab dengan setengah hati. "Bagus. Seru banget."
’Dia adalah pria sederhana yang tidak peduli pada hal-hal mewah seperti film. Kalau punya uang, dia tidak akan pernah menyia-lebihkannya untuk membeli tiket seperti ini. Dia lebih memilih menambah sedikit uangnya untuk melihat kaki-kaki mulus di klub.’
"Lumayan buat tontonan," jawab Lin Zhou lebih pragmatis. "Lagi pula semuanya cuma bohong."
Shen Lu berkata, "Bener juga sih."
Di layar, Dog Hero mengerahkan Kemampuan Ultimate-nya, menghabisi Binatang Berkepala Sembilan itu sepenuhnya. Langit dipenuhi efek khusus yang menyilaukan hingga hampir membuat penonton buta.
Penonton bersorak gembira. Jeritan dari para penggemar Li Zexing terdengar sangat memekakkan telinga.
Shen Lu membersihkan telinganya dan menyerahkan sisa biji bunga matahari kepada Ye Fan. "Makasih ya udah jaga malam ini."
Ye Fan menyengir lebar hingga matanya menyipit. "Sudah kewajiban saya."
Shen Lu membawa kursinya kembali ke dalam, mematikan kompor di bawah panci rebusan, dan membiarkan bahan-bahan itu terus meresap bumbu.
Setelah naik ke atas untuk mandi, ia duduk di sofa menunggu rambutnya kering dan memutuskan untuk memeriksa pendapatan hari ini.
Totalnya, ia telah menghasilkan lebih dari 60.000 Koin Bintang, dan poin popularitasnya mencapai angka sedikit di atas 1800.
Peringkat kepuasannya hanya sepelemparan batu dari Empat Bintang; ia memperkirakan itu akan tercapai dalam sehari atau dua hari ke depan.
Poin popularitas mengalami lonjakan yang bagus hari ini, berkat Wang Daguo dan Cai Su yang membawa gerobak keluar. Kalau tidak, poin itu mungkin hanya akan berkisar di angka 1500.
Belakangan ini, biaya bahan baku hariannya sekitar 1000 poin popularitas. Keuntungan bersihnya terus meningkat setiap hari, meskipun tidak terlalu besar.
Shen Lu menjelajahi Mal Sistem dan membuka tab "Peralatan Dapur".
Selain pisau, panci, dan wajan biasa, ada barang-barang seperti pembersih otomatis, pencacah sayur otomatis, dan mesin pencuci piring otomatis.
Shen Lu sangat tergoda. Ia ingin membeli pencacah sayur otomatis. Tentu saja, hasilnya tidak akan seketat presisi pisau miliknya, tetapi itu akan sangat sempurna untuk persiapan kasar. Rasanya akan seperti memiliki satu lagi Cai Su di sisinya.
Bisnisnya berangsur-angsur membaik, yang berarti semakin banyak bahan baku yang harus disiapkan. Bahnya terasa kaku dan pegal setiap hari karena kelelahan. Jika ia memiliki pencacah otomatis ini, bebannya akan jauh berkurang.
Namun, pencacah otomatis itu tidak murah—harganya lebih dari sepuluh ribu poin popularitas. Shen Lu hanya bisa menatapnya sambil mendesah.
Teringat bahwa ia belum menggunakan Tiket Lotere dari beberapa hari terakhir, Shen Lu memutuskan untuk melakukan lima kali undian berturut-turut.
[Terima kasih sudah bermain, coba lagi lain kali~]
[Terima kasih sudah bermain, coba lagi lain kali~]
[Terima kasih sudah bermain, coba lagi lain kali~]
[Terima kasih sudah bermain, coba lagi lain kali~]
Shen Lu: !!!
’Tunggu, apa-apaan ini? Apa maksud omong kosong
"We’re already operating on thin margins, man," Wang Daguo said, refusing to budge on the price. Before they left, Shen Lu had repeatedly warned them not to lower prices just to attract customers.
"We’ve sold mint water and grilled sausages before, not just the Sunflower Seed Worms. If we start lowering our prices randomly, it wouldn’t be fair to the customers who bought from us before."
If things went wrong, they might get bad ratings in secret, and their popularity value would disappear.
Shen Lu didn’t mind her employees taking the cart out, but she was very particular about not losing customer satisfaction or popularity value.
The lack of a bulk discount turned many people away.
Of course, even more people were lining up to buy—mostly returning customers who had eaten at Shen Lu’s stall before.
"I was starting to think this food cart would never show up again. Is it just the two of you tonight? Where’s your Boss Shen?"
While turning the grilled sausages, Cai Su said, "Boss Shen is resting. She works really hard."
"That makes sense. Why isn’t she here watching the movie, though?"
Cai Su just smiled without answering. ’I’m not Shen Lu,’ she thought, ’how would I know why she didn’t come?’
Xiao Lang came running over, his face flush with excitement. "Mom, I sold all the Sunflower Seed Worms! Quick, pack some more for me."
"Really?" Cai Su was surprised. She pulled ten small bags of Sunflower Seed Worms from under the food cart and stuffed them into the cloth pouch on his chest. "Don’t run too far, and rest if you feel tired, you hear?"
She was genuinely worried he might overexert himself.
"I know!" Xiao Lang answered brightly, his little arms and legs quickly weaving back into the crowd to peddle the Sunflower Seed Worms.
Shen Lu busied herself in the kitchen for a while, blanching the pig’s trotters, spare ribs, and chicken legs before placing them in the braising stock. She hard-boiled some eggs, knowing they would be easier to peel after a good soak in cold water.
While waiting, she stepped out the back door. The sky was almost completely dark, with only a faint afterglow lingering behind the mountains.
Several large lamps lit up the area for the open-air movie, casting just enough light on the ground to prevent a stampede in the packed crowd.
The CRACKLE of the speakers being tested echoed through the air, and the crowd erupted in a roar. Everyone knew this was the signal that the movie was about to start.
The next second, a screen of light abruptly materialized in the deep blue night. After a brief adjustment, a familiar dragon emblem appeared.
Shen Lu let out a soft "ah," the realization dawning on her a bit late.
’I’ve done it again,’ she thought, ’projecting things from my old world onto this one. The technology here is so advanced, an open-air movie on a laser screen is practically child’s play.’
Even though she’d just seen the movie a few days ago, she found herself watching it with great interest.
Shen Lu leaned against a pillar and watched for a full half-hour, only reluctantly heading back inside when she remembered the braising pot in the kitchen.
She added the peeled eggs and dried tofu to the pot, lowered the heat to medium-low, and went back out to the yard.
This time, she brought a chair with her. She redeemed a bag of roasted sunflower seeds from the System Mall and settled in to leisurely crack seeds while watching the movie.
Ye Fan leaped down from the fifth floor and sauntered over with a shameless grin. "Boss Shen, watching the movie? What’s that you’re eating? Care to share?"
"Sure," Shen Lu said with a nod, giving him a handful.
Ye Fan happily took them and started cracking into the seeds with relish. A moment later, Lin Zhou appeared silently beside Shen Lu and quietly held out his palm. "Boss Shen, could I have some?"
Shen Lu was in a good mood today. ’What’s a few sunflower seeds between friends?’ she thought. ’We’re all watching a popcorn flick together. It wouldn’t be right without something to snack on.’
"So, what do you guys think of the movie?" Shen Lu suddenly asked.
Ye Fan gave a noncommittal answer. "It’s great. So much excitement."
’He was a simple man and didn’t care for fancy things like movies. If he had the money, he’d never waste it on a ticket for something like this. He’d rather throw in a little extra and go look at some legs at a club.’
"It’s something to watch," Lin Zhou replied more pragmatically. "It’s all fake anyway."
Shen Lu said, "True enough."
On the screen, Dog Hero unleashed his Ultimate Skill, overwhelming the Nine-headed Beast completely. The sky filled with dazzling special effects that nearly blinded the audience.
The audience erupted in cheers. The screams from Li Zexing’s fans were especially piercing.
Shen Lu cleaned out her ear and handed the rest of the sunflower seeds to Ye Fan. "Thanks for keeping watch tonight."
Ye Fan grinned so wide his eyes vanished. "All in a day’s work."
Shen Lu carried her chair back inside, turned off the heat under the braising pot, and left the ingredients to continue soaking up the flavors.
After heading upstairs for a shower, she sat on the sofa waiting for her hair to dry and decided to review the day’s earnings.
In total, she had earned over 60,000 Star Coins, and her popularity value was just over 1800.
Her satisfaction rating was just a stone’s throw away from Four Stars; she figured it would get there in a day or two.
The popularity value had seen a nice boost today, all thanks to Wang Daguo and Cai Su taking the cart out. Otherwise, it would have been hovering around 1500.
These days, her daily ingredient costs were about 1000 popularity value. Her net gain was increasing daily, albeit not by a huge margin.
Shen Lu browsed the System Mall and opened the "Kitchenware" tab.
In addition to the usual knives, pots, and pans, there were items like an automatic cleaner, an automatic vegetable chopper, and an automatic dishwasher.
Shen Lu was sorely tempted. She wanted to buy the automatic vegetable chopper. Sure, it wouldn’t be as precise as her own knife work, but it would be perfect for rough prep. It would be like having another Cai Su on hand.
Business was gradually picking up, which meant more and more ingredients to prepare. Her shoulders were stiff and sore every day from the fatigue. If she had this automatic chopper, it could take a significant load off her.
However, the automatic chopper wasn’t cheap—it cost over ten thousand popularity value. Shen Lu could only stare at it and sigh.
Remembering she hadn’t used her Lottery Tickets from the last few days, Shen Lu decided to do five draws in a row.
[Thank you for playing, try again next time~]
[Thank you for playing, try again next time~]
[Thank you for playing, try again next time~]
[Thank you for playing, try again next time~]
Shen Lu: !!!
’Wait, what is this? What’s this "Thank you for playing, try again next time" nonsense?’
’I’ve drawn so many times, and I’ve never gotten a complete dud! At the very least, I’d get some green onions or garlic!’
Shen Lu furiously called out the system. "GET OVER HERE! You guys are playing dirtier and dirtier! How could you let me draw a ’Thank You for Playing’?! I earned those Lottery Tickets one meal at a time! Do you have any idea how hard that is?!"
[Host, please calm down. The probability of winning a prize from this blind box lottery machine has never been high!]
Shen Lu: "Bullshit! What do you mean, ’not high’? I won something every single time before! You must have secretly lowered the odds to make things harder for me!"
The system felt wronged. Adjusting the win rate was truly not its doing.
[Host, you still have one result you haven’t seen. Why don’t you check that first?]
Shen Lu replied menacingly, "If this fifth draw is another ’Thank you for playing,’ I can’t guarantee I won’t lose my mind."
[Congratulations, Host! You have won Blind Box Prize #10000: one Level 1 Kitchen Robot.]
[Kitchen Robot: Possesses the skills of a junior chef. Can assist with ingredient preparation and cooking. A single charge provides 4 hours of use.]
[Note: Do not submerge in water for extended periods. Do not expose to high-temperature environments for extended periods. Temperature must not exceed 200 degrees Celsius, or damage may occur.]
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