Chapter 19: Lin Bai is a Good Person

Thinking of how these players, who excel at underhanded tactics, might one day scheme against him, Lin Bai's restless heart began to consider striking first.

He glanced a few times at the Mo Family Sword Hall across the way, very much wanting to walk in and talk to the hall master to take the recruitment project into his own hands.

While building connections and earning pocket money, he could incidentally harvest the players like leeks, earning a few buckets of water for his Negative Emotion Tree.

He was seventy percent sure he could facilitate this; the NPCs currently did not understand the players and would certainly not wield the knife as ruthlessly as he could, wasting such a profitable opportunity in vain.

But after thinking it over repeatedly, Lin Bai ultimately suppressed his restless heart.

There is plenty of time.

If one pushes things too far, the connection is bound to end early.

Let the leeks grow a bit fatter; they are only delicious when harvested then.

After all, this is a long race of life.

Player development relies on NPCs, but he is a cheater; his growth only requires the system!

One relies on others, the other relies on himself.

The final winner can only be him.

Attracting all the NPCs' firepower onto himself at the starting line is not worth the loss; if the natives should be allowed to share the burden, they must be allowed to share it.

……

Having kindly let the players go, Lin Bai went to the surrounding market to look around, preparing for the opening of his shop.

Whether he can grind up his Martial Art and Internal Energy depends on this one move.

……

Nothing happened that night.

The next day.

The sky was just beginning to brighten.

Lin Bai opened his eyes, feeling full of energy.

Facts proved that the +4 Mental Power indeed allowed him to gain more time than ordinary people.

He pushed open the room door, and before he could greet anyone.

The shop assistant Liu Chun was already standing at the door, smiling and holding a basin of water.

Encouraged by Lin Bai, his passionate heart was burning, and he was full of drive; naturally, he was even more willing to serve this guest who recognized him and was generous with his money.

"Guest, the face-washing water is ready for you; it is neither cold nor hot, the temperature is just right." A diligent and expectant smile hung on Liu Chun's face.

Lin Bai looked at the young assistant and revealed a sincere smile: "Thanks, little Guo, keep working hard, you are the best. I have traveled north and south for so many years, and you are the most attentive assistant I have ever seen..."

The same words as yesterday, but Liu Chun widened his eyes; he could no longer hear what Lin Bai was saying.

His smile froze on his face at a speed visible to the naked eye, his head was buzzing, and his mouth was full of bitterness: "Guest... my surname is not Guo..."

【From Liu Chun's disappointment, +1】

The Negative Emotion increased.

But looking at the young assistant who had suffered a blow and whose youthful face seemed disappointed with life, a trace of intolerance flashed in Lin Bai's heart.

He sighed secretly, fished out a few copper coins, and smiled: "I know, your name is Liu Chun, right? I was just joking with you earlier. Actually, I wanted to use this to tell you a principle: on the road to success, those who say all the nice things to you are not necessarily good people; they might also want to use you. One must have self-judgment in how one conducts oneself and does things. Also, one's heart must be strong; one cannot be fickle just because one suffers a little blow..."

"Yes." A smile bloomed on Liu Chun's face again, and he nodded heavily, "I understand, thank you for your instruction, Guest. Is there anything else you need? I will go prepare it..."

"No need, go get busy!" Lin Bai waved his hand with a smile.

What a simple child!

It is a pity the Positive Emotion Tree is not activated; a bowl of chicken soup went to waste.

Otherwise, that would have been double the income just now.

……

After breakfast, Lin Bai arrived at his shop; the daylight was already bright.

The carpenter and the Blacksmith, along with their assistants, were waiting far outside the shop, beside them were various poorly crafted utensils.

The player 【Deng Li Buduo】 was also among them; he was the most spirited of them all, looking at Lin Bai with fiery eyes, as if he were seeing a plate of precious delicacies.

"Morning, everyone!" Lin Bai greeted with a smile, "Why not go inside? It's quite cold out here."

One sentence spoken.

Except for the players, everyone cast resentful gazes at him.

You don't know why we aren't going in?

The Negative Emotion rose up steadily, and Lin Bai poured another bucket of water for his tree.

They are all good people!

He smiled: "Masters, let's get to work! Our shop is opening today, don't miss the auspicious time."

"Shopkeeper, what about those three inside?" Zhang Achun asked cautiously.

"Put your heart in your stomach, they won't come out during the day," Lin Bai said, "Besides, isn't there me? The new shop is opening, I can't let you run into trouble in broad daylight."

What kind of talk is that?

Can't have trouble during the day, but can have trouble at night?

The few craftsmen muttered, not daring to refute, and began to decorate the shop with trepidation, carrying those Flaw-ridden utensils.

The sign for "Kitchen God Rice Divination" was hung up, and the couplet was hung up; the first line had seven characters "Guests come from all over the world," and the second line had six characters "All eat from the four seas."

They entered the door.

Three tables on the left, four tables on the right, either missing corners or having holes.

Not a single stool beside the tables was without a stone propping it up.

Iron chopstick holders were placed on the tables; looking closely, the chopsticks inside were all different in size and thickness, and not a single pair could be matched.

The teapots were iron, the spouts were either crooked, or the lids wouldn't close tightly...

Hanging on the wall were Wooden Tablets inscribed with dish names, reading "Deep-fried Flower Beef," "Yuan Yang Zha Men Tu," "Red Bean Bow Rice," "Sun Spring Noodles," "Owe Cakes," and other bizarre dish names.

The tables, stools, pots, bowls, ladles, and basins were all new, yet not a single one was intact; it was a rhythm guaranteed to drive anyone with OCD to the brink.

……

"An eccentric, he must be an eccentric."

Deng Li Buduo had watched the shop being set up bit by bit, and while he felt it was awkward, he became increasingly certain of his guess.

Everything was ready-made, and Lin Bai's requirements for the restaurant were not that strict; once the items were in place, a notification of task completion echoed in his mind.

【Congratulations on owning a restaurant of your own, reward (10 taels of silver, can be withdrawn at any time)】

【A Chef God must also support himself, please sell your first delicacy, reward: 1 tael of silver】

"Is this damn Chef God System broken?" The follow-up tasks and rewards left Lin Bai utterly speechless.

Spending one hundred taels of silver to open a restaurant, and you reward me with ten taels; selling a single meal, and you reward me with more silver...

Are you trying to cultivate a Chef God, or a God of Wealth?

Did you never consider that the system holder might not know how to cook at all?

What about knife skills?

What about signature dishes?

Without these, how could I possibly keep the restaurant running? Everyone is so busy, you can't expect me to go outside and learn culinary arts!

However.

Complaining was just complaining; Lin Bai didn't pay much attention to the follow-up tasks.

In his view, this so-called Chef God System was merely an add-on to other systems, something dispensable.

If he were truly relying on the Chef God System, he wouldn't have opened the restaurant in this place, nor would he have set up this kind of decor.

With players everywhere, could he really just guard a restaurant and cook for the rest of his life?

Still, the silver should be withdrawn; it would at least recoup some of his capital.

He silently thought the word "withdraw."

"Please specify the withdrawal location."

Lin Bai was stunned, then silently said: "Palm."

Subsequently.

An ingot of gleaming white silver appeared in Lin Bai's palm.

The silver appearing out of thin air made Lin Bai's eyes light up. Damn, the Chef God System isn't entirely useless. The withdrawal location can be specified; once there is more money, he could completely release it suddenly to smash people. This silver feels quite hard...

……

The items were all in place.

The carpenter asked the Blacksmith in a low voice: "Zhang Shutang, what about the money? Do we still want it?"

The Blacksmith's expression was uncertain: "We want it! If we don't take the money, we'll be at a loss!"

If Lin Bai were still that fool deceived by the agency, asking for money would be only right and proper.

Now that Lin Bai had become a fierce person capable of suppressing ghosts, asking for money had become a difficult problem.

"You go first, I still have some things to busy myself with, I'll go after I'm done." The carpenter glanced at the Blacksmith and reached out to shake the table beside him to see if it was stable.

"……" The Blacksmith choked on his breath and reached out to fiddle with the chopstick holder, "I'm damn well not finished with my work either!"

Before he could finish speaking.

The two men, who had been keeping a constant eye on Lin Bai, saw silver appear in his hand at the same time, and their eyes lit up instantly.

The silver was already out; this meant he didn't intend to welsh on the debt!

Classy!

The carpenter immediately straightened his back and muttered: "I heard that those who cultivate the Dao do not owe karma; it turns out to be true."

Hearing this.

The Blacksmith stopped fiddling with the chopstick holder and rushed toward Lin Bai.

The carpenter hurriedly followed.

Seeing the two craftsmen arrive before him, Lin Bai asked: "Is there anything else?"

The carpenter chuckled: "Shopkeeper, the work is done. Do you think we should settle the labor costs and material costs?"

Lin Bai raised an eyebrow, and his face suddenly sank: "Two masters, are you joking with me? Look at the work you've done. The characters on the sign are written wrong, and the couplet has seven characters on one side and six on the other. If outsiders see this, it won't look good, will it! It's already generous of me not to ask you for compensation, and you still have the nerve to ask me for money?"

Zhang Achun's face turned red instantly, and his throat surged: "This is clearly your..."

"My what?" Lin Bai said, "Was I kicked in the head by a donkey to spend money for you to make furniture like this?"

【Anger from Zhang Achun, +1+1+1...】

【Anger from Zhang Shutang, +1+1+1...】

That's right.

Lin Bai was a good person and couldn't bear to bully the weak like the shop assistant, but the two craftsmen had colluded with the agency, clearly intending to swindle his deposit.

If it weren't for the ghost, if he were truly an ordinary person, he might have died in a foreign land after being swindled by them.

Should good people be bullied?

(End of chapter)