Chapter 24: You're Told to Open a Food Shop, But You Operate at 3 AM

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Protagonist:

Lu Feng

After Lu Feng saw Li Jiang and the others off, he walked into the kitchen and brought out the freshly steamed xiaolongbao.

"Boss, sorry about that, didn't mean to rush you."

At this moment, standing at the front of the queue was a young man wearing black-rimmed glasses, dressed in a plaid shirt — the standard programmer attire.

Ma Wenliang worked in a nearby office building; he was a programmer with three years in the industry.

He was currently developing a shooter game in a project team at a game company.

Because the game they were making had undergone several major changes midway, the project progress had slowed down a bit.

Recently, for the past month, the company had started requiring the entire project team to work overtime.

They say programmers are born destined to work overtime, and that saying isn't wrong at all.

Overtime not only came with no overtime pay, they didn't even provide dinner.

They only gave them half an hour at nine in the evening to go outside and fend for themselves.

Usually Ma Wenliang would just eat something random on Food Street, make do, and go back to work overtime.

But today when he came down and saw the long queue lined up at Lu Feng's shop entrance, he suddenly felt a bit curious.

Although the fifty-yuan price made his heart ache a little, the fragrance drifting from the shop still made him unable to resist joining the queue with everyone else.

When it was nearly his turn, Ma Wenliang's colleague sent a message saying the manager had something to see him about.

He checked the time again and realized he had already been out for over half an hour.

If he didn't go back soon, he might get a scolding from the manager.

But he had finally queued up to the front; leaving just like that made him a bit unwilling.

That was why he couldn't help urging Lu Feng.

Lu Feng glanced at the dark circles under Ma Wenliang's black-rimmed glasses; one look and you could tell they were from long-term overtime exhaustion.

Isn't that just like me a few years ago?

As for Ma Wenliang's urging just now, Lu Feng didn't take it to heart, and said with a smile, "It's fine, I understand."

"Boss, one portion fresh meat filling, takeaway." Ma Wenliang gave Lu Feng a grateful look and said quickly.

Lu Feng proficiently packed a portion of xiaolongbao into a takeout box, included a pair of chopsticks, and handed it over.

Ma Wenliang was in a hurry to get back to the company; he said thanks, grabbed the takeout box, and rushed out the door, running toward the company.

The people behind had been waiting impatiently; they all pulled out their phones, ready to pay.

"Lu Boss! My turn, my turn! I want one portion fresh meat, eating in!"

"I want fresh meat too!"

"I had fresh meat yesterday, today I'll have one portion shrimp filling, takeaway, I can wait."

"Okay, right away, everyone behind line up properly, one by one!"

Lu Feng nimbly handed out portions of xiaolongbao to the customers; although he was sweating profusely from exhaustion, his heart felt very satisfied.

The freshly steamed fresh meat xiaolongbao were gone in less than ten minutes.

"Young man, any fresh meat filling left?"

An old grandpa, still four people back in the queue, saw the xiaolongbao sell out again and couldn't help asking.

"The next pot is shrimp filling; the fresh meat will take a bit longer. Grandpa, why not try a portion of shrimp filling first? It's also very delicious."

Lu Feng had a bit of an impression of this old grandpa; he vaguely remembered he had come once yesterday.

"No need, I only want fresh meat. It's fine, young man, I can wait slowly." The old grandpa said this and left the queue, standing to the side with his hands behind his back.

This old grandpa's clothes were very clean; although his hair was a bit sparse, it was combed meticulously, and his whole person didn't look frail like ordinary elderly people — his bearing looked extraordinary.

The old grandpa wore a kindly smile, looking benevolent and harmless, but the people around him involuntarily moved a little farther away from him.

For no other reason.

Someone recognized him; this old grandpa was one of those who had driven Li Jiang and the others to the back of the queue not long ago.

And that line "I just got out of the hospital, full of sequelae" was shouted by this very grandpa.

Who would dare get close?

Although this old grandpa looked like he had nothing wrong with him, even his spirit seemed better than some young people's.

But still no one dared take that risk.

Lu Feng didn't know about this old grandpa's "glorious deeds" just now; he only regarded him as an ordinary customer.

"Alright, I'll go wrap them now, everyone please wait a moment."

Lu Feng nodded at the old grandpa with a smile, then returned to the kitchen once more.

After wrapping the next pot of fresh meat xiaolongbao, Lu Feng washed his hands clean, and carried the freshly steamed shrimp buns out of the kitchen.

"Young man, is the fresh meat filling steaming yet?" The old grandpa walked up and asked as soon as he saw Lu Feng.

"It's already in the steamer, about ten minutes or so." Lu Feng replied with a smile.

"Good, good, good." The old grandpa nodded in satisfaction, then praised, "Young man, you're so young yet your hands and feet are quite nimble! Your speed at wrapping xiaolongbao is even faster than some old masters."

"Not at all, just practice makes perfect." Lu Feng smiled humbly, turned his head, and continued serving the customers behind.

At this moment a commotion suddenly came from outside the door, mixed with a few dissatisfied voices:

"Young lady! Queue up!"

"No cutting in line here! Want to eat xiaolongbao, queue at the back!"

"Hey! Your daughter's quite pretty, so why's she cutting in line?"

"Hmph! Does being good-looking mean you can cut in line?"

"Hey hey! Young Lady! You stand here with me, I'll go queue at the back!"

"Simps die a bad death……"

"This old man is willing!"

A clear, pleasant voice emerged from a pile of noisy quarrels: "Trouble you to let me pass, I'm not here to buy food, I'm here to find someone."

The Eldest Brother, who had originally been standing to the side with hands behind his back, clouds light wind gentle, heard the female voice from outside the door, and his face changed in an instant.

"Young Man, trouble you for a thing, do you have a place here that can let me hide for a bit?"

"Eldest Brother, what situation is this for you?"

The Eldest Brother's sudden request made Lu Feng confused.

"You just don't ask for now, wait until the person leaves and I'll explain to you then! Young Man, you rest assured, I won't screw you over!"

Seeing the voice outside getting closer and closer, the Eldest Brother with an anxious face, grabbed Lu Feng's hand and urgently said.

"This…… alright then, then Eldest Brother, you've been wronged, go hide in the kitchen for a bit, though it's slightly a bit hot inside."

Although Lu Feng didn't understand what had happened, seeing the Eldest Brother's anxious appearance, he still agreed.

"Thank you, Young Man!"

The Eldest Brother overjoyed, hurriedly burrowed into the kitchen.

In the queuing crowd, a few diners' eyes flickered, seemingly wanting to remind Lu Feng something, but in the end still couldn't speak it out, only able to be anxious in their hearts silently.

Boss Lu, you're muddleheaded!

This old grandpa is a time bomb.

You're not afraid something might happen, and then you'll have to compensate the shop into it?

This side the Eldest Brother had just entered the kitchen, outside the door walked in a fashionably dressed pretty girl.

The girl looked twenty-something, tall figure, a rarely seen beauty.

Upon entering the door, the girl scanned back and forth in the hall, her face carrying a few parts anger.

The girl looked back and forth for a long time, didn't find the person she wanted to find, turned her head and looked at Lu Feng busy at the front desk, then walked over towards this side.

"Hello, buying xiaolongbao please queue at the back."

Lu Feng merely glanced at the girl once, tone neither salty nor bland, said.

"Hello Boss, I'm looking for someone." The girl's tone was quite polite, speech rapid-fire, asked: "May I ask if you've seen an old grandpa?"