Chapter 24: Money for One's Life

People came in waves, one after another.

The sound of "You love me, I love you" at the entrance of the Chef God Restaurant was continuous and unbroken, and the sounds of heckling and cheering merged into one.

When people become accustomed to something, shame is no longer shame, but turns into a kind of pleasure.

Lin Bai could see this intuitively from the backend revenue.

But he didn't pay it any mind.

In a single day, the Negative Emotion he harvested had already allowed the small tree to sprout branches and leaves, growing into a sturdy, large tree.

A flower bud had even grown on a branch; blooming and bearing fruit was just around the corner.

Now, Lin Bai was just waiting for the Negative Emotion Tree to bear fruit, and then he would plant the Positive Emotion Tree as well.

When things reach an extreme, they turn into their opposite; the happiness and joy that replaced the sense of shame brought by "You love me, I love you" belonged to Positive Emotion.

There was no Positive Emotion Tree.

These resources were all wasted in vain; it was a great pity.

With both trees planted, he could fully be both a Spirit lad and a Temperament lad.

……

The lively situation continued until dusk.

When the sky grew dark and a cold wind blew, someone shouted, and everyone suddenly remembered that this place was still a Haunted House.

In an instant, they scattered like birds and beasts in twos and threes.

There were also those who remained curious, but they only dared to watch from afar and did not dare to approach.

Lin Bai glanced at the sun about to set, then looked at Zhang Bao and Zhang Dashan, who were already restless in front of him, and smiled: "Let's go, let's talk outside."

The two, Zhang Bao, were visibly relieved and scurried out the door in a few strides.

Deng Li Buduo lingered and refused to leave, his eyes darting around the shop, full of curiosity about the ghosts he had never met: "Shopkeeper, are there really ghosts in the shop?"

"Yes." Lin Bai nodded and picked up the money box, "Let's go, let's go outside and tally the harvest. You did well today, thank you for your hard work."

"It's only right." Deng Li Buduo chuckled, "Shopkeeper, what about my meal money?"

"Forget it." Lin Bai waved his hand, making the decision generously; he was now a nouveau riche of Negative Emotion and no longer cared to harvest the Negative Emotion of the small fry around him.

Besides, the Chef God Restaurant needed to be operated for the long term, and he needed a few handy helpers.

"Thank you, Shopkeeper." Deng Li Buduo was overjoyed; the day's hard work had not been in vain.

They arrived outside the door.

Lin Bai tallied the day's harvest; after deducting the cost of goods, the net income was twenty-seven taels of silver.

Zhang Bao and Zhang Dashan's eyes were so envious they were about to pop out.

Zhang Bao swallowed a mouthful of saliva: "Shopkeeper, you really have a way of making money; in one day you earned what my father makes in two months."

Lin Bai smiled, took out two pieces of silver, and tossed one to each of them: "Your wages."

The two took the silver and were stunned: "Shopkeeper, this is a bit too much!"

"The extra is for your hard work." Lin Bai smiled and cupped his hands, "I'll have to trouble you to come and help again tomorrow."

"Definitely, definitely." Having received the benefit, the two, Zhang Bao, had long forgotten Lin Bai's previous unpleasantness and agreed busily.

Zhang Dashan hesitated for a moment, looked at Lin Bai, and said stammeringly: "Shopkeeper, you must be careful of the people from the Kuangfeng Gang. Two people from the Kuangfeng Gang came to eat today, but after hearing our prices, they didn't eat anything. When they left, they seemed very angry and even said they wanted to teach you a lesson."

Kuangfeng Gang—Zhang Family Boxing Hall—local bullies—

A line quickly connected in Lin Bai's mind, and he smiled: "Got it. Go back and rest early. Come over earlier tomorrow; there aren't enough hands here, and I'll need you to help for a few more days."

Seeing that Lin Bai didn't take it to heart, Zhang Dashan said anxiously: "Shopkeeper, don't take this lightly. The Kuangfeng Gang is different from us small households; everyone in their gang practices martial arts..."

"Rest assured, since I dare to open a shop like this, I'm not afraid of offending people." Lin Bai said, "Walking the world, who can escape the word 'reason'?"

The situation Zhang Dashan described was within Lin Bai's expectations.

After all, the business he was in was one that offended people; it would be strange if no one came to make trouble.

In the vast world, there are all kinds of people; one cannot expect everyone to be as reasonable as Song Qing and Zhu Huan.

When it comes down to it.

The Chef God Restaurant was just a tool for Lin Bai to grow and increase his reputation.

In society, no matter the method, a good name or a bad name is better than having no name at all; what you fear is being unknown, to the point where even players can't be bothered to pay attention to you!

Zhang Dashan wanted to say more, but was stopped by Zhang Bao: "Brother Da Shan, stop talking. The shopkeeper isn't even afraid of ghosts, so how could he be afraid of the Kuangfeng Gang?"

"That's true." Zhang Dashan was stunned, looked up at the shop entrance, suddenly shivered, and his teeth chattered: "Shopkeeper, we... we'll be going first..."

Before Lin Bai could respond, the two had already screamed and scrambled away.

【Depression from Song Jinnan, Wu Xiuxiu, Song Ling; +1+1+1...】

A prompt came to his mind.

Lin Bai turned back.

The three members of the Song Jinnan family, their feet not touching the ground, were pressed against the gate, their faces full of resentment.

"Holy crap!" Deng Li Buduo turned his head and couldn't help but exclaim, "Are they real?"

"Lao Song, you came out quite early today!" Lin Bai glanced at Deng Li Buduo and greeted him with a smile.

Song Jinnan had a dark face and didn't say a word.

Song Ling looked at Lin Bai with resentment: "Brother Lin, you are too much."

"How am I too much?" Lin Bai asked.

"You turned our home into such a ghostly state, and what's more, it was noisy all day, so noisy that we couldn't rest." Song Ling said.

"Rest during the day?" Lin Bai asked in surprise.

"Yes." Song Ling pointed to her own haggard eyes, "We can't come out during the day, but we can hear and see the situation outside. Before you came, we could still sleep. But today it was noisy all day, and we never had a moment of peace. If it's like this every day, we're afraid we'll really turn into fierce ghosts..."

Listening to the conversation between the two sides, Deng Li Buduo suddenly had doubts about Lin Bai's identity; this didn't look like he had subdued a fierce ghost!

Lin Bai was stunned: "This is the first time I've heard that ghosts sleep."

"It's not sleeping," Song Jinnan said, "It's a strange feeling of being neither asleep nor awake, neither dreaming nor conscious. In that state, our bodies are nourished..."

"Ahem!"

A cough interrupted Song Jinnan's words. Lin Bai turned his head back. He didn't know when, but a fat Daoist in his forties or fifties had appeared behind him. He couldn't help but frown; trouble had come knocking!

The moment they saw the Daoist, fear gripped their hearts, and Song Jinnan's family immediately huddled together.

Deng Li Buduo's eyes lit up, and he trembled with excitement. His hard work hadn't been in vain; the plot had truly arrived.

Lin Bai was silent for a moment, then bowed to the Daoist: "Greetings, Daoist."

The Daoist returned the salute: "Greetings, Shopkeeper Lin."

Lin Bai smiled: "Daoist, the shop is already closed. If you wish to dine, please come back tomorrow."

"Shopkeeper Lin, this poor Daoist is not here for a meal, but to save your life." The Daoist shook his head, not exposing Lin Bai's feigned ignorance, and pointed at the three ghosts in the shop, saying bluntly, "Humans and ghosts walk different paths. The shopkeeper has astonishing courage; knowing there are strange entities in the shop, you still dare to pull chestnuts from the fire. It is admirable."

"But forgive this poor Daoist for speaking bluntly: although they have kind personalities, they are ultimately not living people. Staying with them for a long time will inevitably lead to your body being eroded by Yin energy. In the best case, your life will be shortened; in the worst, you will lose your life. Seeking wealth that harms the body and ends one's life is of no benefit. Take this poor Daoist's advice: leaving early is the wise course of action."

He had finally built up this mission-linking mechanism and was just waiting to reap the rewards. Now, with a single "it's for your own good," he was being asked to quit. On what grounds?

Lin Bai engaged in Belly-Defamation.

He hated any surprises.

He had only arrived in this world ten days ago and knew nothing about the Martial Arts and Daoist techniques of the outside world.

Not only that, the Daoist had arrived suddenly, and he wasn't even very clear about his own abilities. He couldn't even make a comparison, and without a comparison, he didn't know where his own martial strength stood in the social hierarchy.

Facing the mysterious and unfathomable Daoist, Lin Bai didn't want to take risks. He cupped his hands at the Daoist, deciding to use a delaying tactic: "Daoist, would you allow me to consider this for one night?"

"Shopkeeper Lin, he who hesitates is lost." The Daoist said with a smile, "There is no point in hesitating over such matters. Shopkeeper, why not leave now? This poor Daoist can then perform his methods to seal this Haunted House again, so as to prevent others from going astray."

Song Jinnan's family shivered. Having been fooled by Lin Bai, they had already developed a deep sense of wariness toward the Daoist and no longer trusted him.

Holy crap!

So overbearing?

Even a demolition crew isn't as efficient as you!

Lin Bai took a deep breath and smiled: "Daoist, I have invested five hundred taels of silver into this shop. Today's net profit alone was nearly fifty taels, and tomorrow it will only be more. If you want me to move out, how much money are you planning to offer? I won't do it for a small amount."

Deng Li Buduo widened his eyes.

Isn't this just lying through your teeth?

Although I don't know how much you invested, I just calculated today's profit—it was twenty-seven taels. After paying those two their wages, you only walked away with twenty-five taels. You open your mouth and ask for fifty? Are you really that black-hearted?

Besides, this Daoist is here to save your life. Is it appropriate for you to talk money with him?

Deng Li Buduo had a new understanding of Lin Bai's character.

The Daoist seemed to be encountering such a scene for the first time and couldn't help but be stunned on the spot.

【Resentment from Daoist Qingfeng; +1+1...】

Regaining his composure, the Daoist flicked his horsetail whisk, suppressing the anger in his heart, and reminded him: "Shopkeeper Lin, this poor Daoist is saving your life."

"Daoist, men die for wealth just as birds die for food. If I can earn more money, what does it matter if I live a few years less?" Lin Bai felt the Internal Energy circulating in his body, as well as the Xianglong Shipi Zhang in his mind that he was as familiar with as if he had practiced it since childhood. He counted on his fingers: "My shop earns fifty taels a day. I don't ask to work for long. Just for one year, that comes to eighteen thousand two hundred and fifty taels. Plus the initial capital of five hundred taels, the Daoist only needs to give me eighteen thousand seven hundred and fifty taels as 'life-buying money.' Then I will listen to the Daoist's arrangements and move out of the shop. How about that?"

Lin Bai said this with righteous indignation.

Beside him, Deng Li Buduo, Song Jinnan's family, and the old Daoist all looked at Lin Bai, falling into a state of stupor.

Their brains couldn't quite process this; is that how 'life-buying money' is calculated?

Thanks to Dai Ge for the rudder master status, and to book friends 20210301106597353882 and Great Grandpa Cat for the tips!

(End of this chapter)