Chapter 24: 24 Coffee and Snacks (Combined)

24 Coffee and Snacks (Combined)

"Hiss... it's getting a bit cold..."

Just as dawn was breaking, the diligent worker Li Ang climbed up and walked on the way to work, yawning.

After being blown by the cold wind of late autumn, his brain became a little clearer, and Li Ang subconsciously shrank his neck, wrapped the scarf Anna knitted around his neck again, and then subconsciously thought of what happened last night...

He didn't give an answer to the question Melanie raised in the end, but just mumbled something about you'll understand when you grow up, barely muddling through.

Even if he had told Melanie, she might not have been able to understand, so naturally, it was better to hide what could be hidden about the Cleaning Bureau and the 'other world' news of abnormal objects.

However, although Melanie's question ended here, it didn't seem to be entirely meaningless. At the very least, it answered a small doubt for Li Ang—what exactly the Director had lost.

According to the information given by 【Materialist Soul】, a person who possesses the abnormal object 【Love Without Memory】 must lose one of the three: "parental love, filial love, and romantic love".

Now it seems that what she lost should be the love from her children, and judging from her performance yesterday, she should be very fond of children.

After all, the Veteran's Alley where he lived doesn't belong to the slums, but it's not a good location either. Besides the noisy and dirty companies, there is a prison that holds many serious criminals, so there aren't many residents, and even fewer children, so naturally, there wouldn't be any small candy shops.

So the milk candy wrapped in colored paper she bought for Melanie and the others had to be bought at a department store four or five streets away, and she was willing to walk such a long way to buy candy for two children she had just met, so she naturally wouldn't be someone who hates children.

Hmm... for someone who especially likes children, not being able to have her own children is one thing, but if she had children and would be constantly forgotten by them, that would be quite cruel.

After shaking his head with some sympathy, Li Ang was just about to speed up his pace to the Cleaning Bureau, then take Hearing Heishanyang to visit the nurse suspected of carrying an 'abnormality', but was stopped by a sweet, burnt fragrance.

A handcart with stools and a table, a huge tin hot water boiler and copper faucet, a charcoal stove with red flames, and low tables and stools made of sawn wood frames...

Amidst the coffee fragrance filling his nose, a small, warm space wrapped tightly in old canvas, sheltered from the cold wind of late autumn, suddenly entered his vision.

A coffee stall...

Looking at the warm small stall that looked particularly attractive in this gray, cold morning, Li Ang couldn't help but stop, hesitated for a long time, but ultimately lost to the attractive sweet fragrance, shrank his body into the tent, found a table near the inside, and sat down.

"Boss, a cup of coffee, two slices of thin bread."

"Alright!"

Taking out a cup with a broken handle, shaking in coffee powder with nimble hands, then wrapping his hand with a rag, unscrewing the copper faucet emitting white smoke to pour in hot water, pinching the stirring rod with three fingers and spinning it twice, a steaming black liquid was placed in front of Li Ang.

"Guest, do you want butter on the 'two thins'? If you are interested, I also have ham slices here, fried just before opening the stall this morning, still hot."

"Uh... how much does it cost to add ham slices? Is it expensive?"

"Not expensive, not expensive, very cheap!"

After wiping his hands on his black apron, the boss, who looked to be in his fifties, smiled honestly and raised a black finger.

"One copper wheel without ham slices, two copper wheels in total with them!"

Two copper wheels... adding a slice of ham costs another copper wheel? Why don't you just go rob? Buying a whole one at the department store is less than one silver wheel, okay!

Looking speechlessly at this coffee stall boss who looked honest but was actually extremely cunning, Li Ang couldn't help but curl his lips:

"Forget the ham, just brush butter on the bread... remember to brush it thick!"

"Alright!"

The extra item promotion failed, but the boss's honest face didn't show disappointment. Instead, he smiled, took out a long toast, cut two thin, thin slices with two quick slashes, dipped them twice with a brush smaller than one used for polishing leather shoes, and threw them onto the stone slab above the charcoal stove to bake.

Day... this business of yours, it's too damn stingy.

Looking at the bread slices in the small dish that were almost 'translucent', Li Ang's heart couldn't help but shout that he had been cheated, knowing he had probably met a master of gouging people.

But since he had already come, and couldn't bear to leave the stove fire that was burning very vigorously, he ultimately didn't raise any objections, but picked up the hot coffee and sipped a small mouthful carefully.

Hmm... truly good... feels like I've come back to life...

As his hands were warmed by the cup and his empty stomach was warmed by the coffee, Li Ang couldn't help but narrow his eyes comfortably, and the dead-cunning boss also sent up the 'Lanx bread slices' at the right time.

"Guest, your meal is served, one copper wheel."

Looking at the bread slices in the small dish that were almost 'translucent', Li Ang, although honestly taking out the money, was still somewhat dissatisfied in his heart, and couldn't help but mock:

"Boss, your knife technique for cutting bread is so nimble, you must have earned quite a bit, right?"

"Heh, it's okay, barely making a living."

Estimating that there were many guests who said strange things like Li Ang, the boss didn't get angry when mocked, but pointed to the stove behind him with a smile:

"Look at my stove, it burns the best charcoal, and it's always being filled, ensuring that no matter when guests come, the coffee poured out is the hottest. This charcoal money is also a cost!"

That's true... but with your face that sells a slice of ham for one copper wheel, plus that bread-cutting technique comparable to a Lanx master, the extra money spent on charcoal can probably be earned back several times over in a turn. You definitely haven't earned less.

"I won't lie to you; for early guests like you who go to the municipal district to work, what you value most is actually not that bit of benefit, but the real temperature."

Seeming to want to develop Li Ang into a regular customer, seeing that he didn't seem to take his words to heart, the boss pointed to the other side of the street and explained patiently:

"The coffee here might not be sweet or strong enough, but the temperature is definitely the best, and the stove fire is also the most vigorous, always able to heat up to the outside of the tent.

Even to make it convenient for you to warm your hands without being scalded, I even use thickened ceramic cups here, instead of thin iron cups that you can only hold for a second before having to put down because they are too hot, ensuring that no matter how you come, you can leave warm from the inside out.

Otherwise, look, there are so many stalls over there, why is mine the most crowded? That's because what I sell you is far more than this cup of coffee, but also a warmth in the cold morning. Don't you think that's the truth?"

"Oh, by the way, don't tell anyone else what I told you!"

Seeming to suddenly react that he had leaked many 'trade secrets', the boss with an honest face waved his hands and said shyly:

"This small coffee stall, I plan to pass it on to my daughter in the future, so no matter how she lives outside, she can have a living when she comes home. If even these tricks are learned by others, she will be in trouble!"

"..."

I believe your ghost! You are such a shrewd person, can you just tell anyone everything?

Not to mention, your coffee isn't sweet at all, but I came here following the sweet fragrance just now, so there must be a trick in that pot. If I really learn to do it like you, I'm afraid I'll lose my pants!

Tsk... but then again, although you are stingy to death when selling things, since you put so much thought into it, this money is indeed deserved by you!

Convinced by this set of value-added business philosophy from the coffee stall boss, Li Ang couldn't help but give him a thumbs up sincerely, then quickly finished the bread and drank the coffee, and left in a hurry toward the Cleaning Bureau.

And not long after he left, a doll-faced girl wearing a professional suit followed the sweet fragrance all the way here.

Seeing the honest-looking coffee stall boss, the girl's big watery eyes lit up, and she ran over, pulling the boss and complaining:

"Dad! Your body just got better, why are you sneaking out to open the stall again? Mom will be furious when she finds out!"

"Hmph! My old man is opening a stall, what is there for her to be angry about?"

Hearing the doll-faced girl's words, the boss, who was just honest and kind, twisted his nose and turned into an unreasonable stubborn old man, asking back angrily:

"What? You also look down on my small stall? I tell you, if it weren't for this small coffee stall, our family of three would have starved to death long ago, and could our family have today?"

"Oh! No one looks down on your small stall! But do you have to set it up today?"

Looking at the father who suddenly started acting stubborn, the doll-faced girl said helplessly:

"Our family's gas company pipeline cracked, and we just paid a large sum of money, and the water company also had an accident, it's just a troublesome time.

Mom is angry that you are running around at this time, not focusing on dealing with the company's affairs, and actually running out to open a stall early in the morning..."

"What is there to deal with? What should be earned, earn it; what should be compensated, compensate it! Why play tricks? Also, I only open the stall for two hours a day, and that has to be managed? Can the company not turn without me?"

The coffee stall boss became even angrier upon hearing this, blowing his beard and staring:

"Besides, I said from the beginning, these municipal projects shouldn't be touched!

Although doing these makes money fast and stable, basically there is a large sum of money coming in every year, but the problem is that the power to be the master is not in our hands. In the end, we can only suggest but not decide. Can this work?

I knew from the beginning that according to the style of those grandsons doing things, sooner or later something will happen! It's better to continue honestly doing our family's department store. Although the risk is high and the profit is thin, at least I can watch it myself, and it's easier to solve if something happens.

It's your mom who is stubborn! She insisted that relying on our family's reputation, people would restrain themselves a little, and she drilled into it with all her heart, and I couldn't pull her back!

As a result? Those grandsons, in order to save a little filtration money, directly poured the sewage from the sewage river into the public water pipes! It caused the medicine for diarrhea in the whole Capital to sell out! They restrain a **! *** simply don't want their faces anymore!"

After muttering a few words angrily, seeing that the temperature slowly came up after the sun came out and there were almost no guests, the coffee stall boss covered the stove, extinguished the charcoal fire, packed up the tent cloth, pushed the small cart, and left angrily with his daughter, continuing to ask while walking:

"How is the gas pipeline cracking thing? Did you apologize to people properly and give compensation?"

"Given, given! It's just that one family didn't seem to want it, saying they didn't suffer any major injury, just pay for their bandaging expenses."

"Whether they want it or not is their business, but our company's problem must be compensated in place... By the way, what is that family's name?"

"The surname is a bit hard to remember... ah! Laien! Yes! Li Ang Laien! He is a good person who, although he doesn't have much money, always smiles very gently and is particularly gentle to his sister!"

"You ask about the newcomer in our bureau? His name is Li Ang, Li Ang Laien."

Besides the coffee stall father and daughter, two other people were also discussing Li Ang's situation at this time.

"Laien?"

Hearing this somewhat familiar surname, the small woman in the gold mirror blinked her eyes, took a fierce bite of the sponge cake in her hand, and asked curiously:

"Someone from the Lionheart Duke's family? You hate nobles very much, why did you accept him into your Virgin Bureau?"

"It's just that the surname is the same, actually they are two words."

After simply explaining Li Ang's surname, looking at the woman in the gold mirror who put down the cake and chewed the puff pastry, the red-haired Director couldn't help but frown:

"Why are you asking about him? Want to poach someone?"

"I do have a bit of that idea."

After admitting her plan without any avoidance, the small woman wearing a black and white Lolita dress picked up an almond cake ring, licked the sweet almond powder on it, and then laughed:

"I read the file you reported. This is an 【Forced Information Acquisition】 ability with a status higher than a Great Demon. If used well, it is very impressive. Which Director wouldn't covet it?"

"..."

After looking at the eyes of her best friend in the mirror that suddenly narrowed, the small woman ate the cake ring in one bite, and then picked up a small piece of oil tea pancake, brushing it with strawberry jam while explaining:

"But don't worry, I really am not trying to poach him this time, but want to make a small deal with him... has the abnormal object of that hospital director been taken out?"

So that's it... you are eyeing that abnormal object that absorbs patients, right?

After looking at the lion carving on the dung ball on the gold mirror, the red-haired Director thought for a moment, and a look of realization flashed in her eyes.

In the jurisdiction of the Bobby Laien Bureau where Beverly is located, there is a port occupied by an out-of-control infected person. Nearly ten thousand residents in the nearby ten or so villages and towns have been forcibly given some kind of incurable epidemic. As long as that out-of-control infected person dies, everyone will die together.

Although the people in the Bobby Laien Bureau reacted fast enough and sealed the port in time, not causing greater trouble, they really couldn't do anything about the out-of-control infected person who kidnapped nearly ten thousand people, and it wasn't good to use their trump card for this kind of medium-scale incident, so they had to leave it alone for the time being.

But it's different now. The ability of the hospital director killed by Li Ang is to absorb patients, which happens to be the nemesis of that out-of-control infected person. And according to the rules of the Cleaning Bureau, those who complete cleaning missions have the priority to apply for the extracted abnormal objects.

So she suddenly contacted herself through the 【Celestial Mirror】 today, not to reconnect the feelings between best friends after a long time, but to communicate with herself in advance so that Li Ang wouldn't fight with her for this abnormal object...

After looking at the good sister who started eating cheese pudding in the gold mirror, the red-haired Director blinked her pretty fox eyes, and her face was somewhat embarrassed:

"This... I understand this thing is very important to you, but Li Ang witnessed the power of the out-of-control infected person during the cleaning process and is also very interested in this abnormal object, so..."

"Tsk! Stop talking nonsense!"

Knowing her best friend's personality too well, Beverly on the other side of the gold mirror rolled her eyes, and while gnawing on coconut pine bread, said angrily:

"Just say it directly, how much money do you want to borrow from me this time?"

"Oh my, this is not a matter of money."

The red-haired Director waved her hand and smiled:

"Li Ang is just a newcomer who just joined the job, worked hard to complete his first mission, and finally got his first abnormal object.

For something with such commemorative significance to be asked for by you in one sentence, can you feel at ease without compensating him with a good thing?"

"..."

Hearing this, looking at her best friend's pair of ill-intentioned fox eyes, Beverly on the other side of the gold mirror stiffened slightly, feeling that the orange cream pie in her mouth was no longer fragrant.

After eating the snacks in her hand in two or three bites, Beverly took out the momentum that the Director of the Bobby Laien Cleaning Bureau should have, reached out and slapped the table fiercely, widened her eyes like a lion, and roared:

"Say it quickly! What exactly do you want?"

"I want you to exchange the Witch's Broom for him."

"Pah! You're dreaming!" ===== CHAPTER 25 =====

"Bah! In your dreams!"