Paper Cups! Quick! We're Running Out of Paper Cups!

Space City's logistics department moved quickly.

Lao Gao thumped his chest and promised, "All living arrangements for Expert Polaris and Comrade Soft Serve must meet the highest standards."

So the next morning, Amy was scheduled to begin a trial operation at the entrance to Space City's family housing compound.

It was called a trial operation, but it really just involved a brand-new electric ice cream cart.

The cart was painted blue and white, with large characters on the side:

[Space City special-supply cold-chain nutrition station]

Below that was a line of smaller print:

[Internal support, available with a meal card]

Amy stood in front of the cart, looking somewhat dazed.

"This... this is for me?"

"Of course."

Sing Sing nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. The wheels are sturdy, and the canopy's thick. But where's the invoice?"

Xiao Wang from logistics was taken aback.

"What invoice?"

Sing Sing's expression changed.

"Comrade, this is a major national project. Financial procedures must be rigorous. Without an invoice, how can it be entered in the accounts? Without an entry in the accounts, how can it be audited?"

"Without an audit, how can we ever prove we didn't snatch this cart from a capitalist black market?"

Xiao Wang was left thoroughly bewildered.

"I... I'll get it to you later."

"That's more like it."

Sing Sing said approvingly, "Remember, leave a paper trail for everything, keep your conduct aboveboard, and make sure your reimbursement paperwork is complete."

Standing nearby, Polaris couldn't help muttering, "That's not what you said when you took the money from Black Shark's safe."

Sing Sing's expression didn't change.

"That was called confiscating illegal proceeds. It's different."

Soft Serve didn't take part in their bickering.

She simply climbed onto the cart to look it over.

There were disposable paper cups, little wooden spoons, an insulated box, a sun umbrella, and a small blackboard for writing a menu.

The ice cream she had made while working odd jobs had been called "weird stuff."

Once, a woman with a child saw ice cream appear out of thin air in her hand. The woman screamed on the spot, scooped up her child, and splashed a cup of cola in her face.

Her boss fired her the next day.

The reason was that she was bad for business.

But now.

The words "special supply" were written on this ice cream cart.

And "support."

Xiao Wang from logistics had even asked her in all seriousness what size work uniform she needed.

"Can I really sell ice cream here?"

Sing Sing corrected her. "You're not selling it. You're providing logistical support."

As he spoke, he picked up the small blackboard and swiftly wrote on it.

[Today's offerings:]

[1. Mung bean and mint, for heat prevention and cooling]

[2. Strawberry milk, for psychological comfort]

[3. Low-sugar, high-protein, for keeping researchers alive]

[4. Refreshing mint ice cream]

[5. Happy vanilla flavor for children]

When he was done, he added another line underneath.

[Please do not waste food. Waste will be deducted from your meal card's moral score]

Polaris looked at the fourth item. "Refreshing? Are you sure nothing will go wrong?"

Soft Serve quickly waved her hands. "It won't. I can control the taste and sensation. It'll just cool people down and perk them up a little. It's not medicine."

"It's fine." Sing Sing grinned. "The veteran comrades at Space City are more professional at staying up late than vampires. As long as they don't ascend to heaven on the spot after eating it, it counts as an improvement in logistical support."

Xiao Wang wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Comrade Zhou, um... we still need to pay attention to food safety."

Sing Sing turned serious.

"Of course we do. We've already conducted a preliminary risk assessment at the 749 Bureau on what Comrade Amy produces with her ability. It's safe, hygienic, additive-free, and made fresh to be eaten immediately. It's much healthier than industrial ice cream with additives listed using all twenty-six letters of the English alphabet."

Amy added quietly, "I can make it low-sugar, too."

Sing Sing clapped his hands.

"See? It's suitable for veteran comrades, people on the verge of diabetes, and researchers who stay up late. This is a life-sustaining supply station for Space City's brainworkers!"

Xiao Wang was convinced.

At least, his expression said he was.

At ten that morning.

People came and went at the entrance to the family housing compound.

There were engineers in blue work clothes, family members holding children's hands, elderly men cycling to the cafeteria, and several young researchers hurrying past with folders in their arms.

They all instinctively glanced at the ice cream cart as they passed.

Then they hurried away.

Amy stood inside the cart, clutching the edge of her apron.

She still wore a smile, but the light slowly faded from her eyes.

Sing Sing sat on a little folding stool nearby, studying a Space City cafeteria meal-card manual with unusual concentration.

"Don't worry."

He spoke without looking up.

"Why isn't anyone coming?" Amy asked in a very quiet voice. "Do they think... there's something abnormal about me?"

"It's not that you're abnormal. People in China are always like this when they first see a new stall."

Amy was taken aback.

"Why?"

"They're afraid it'll be expensive."

Sing Sing said earnestly, "When people see something new, their first thought isn't whether it tastes good. It's whether the thing's a rip-off. Their second thought is whether they can pay with a meal card."

Polaris fell silent for a moment.

"Very realistic."

"Being realistic makes it reliable." Sing Sing stood and dusted off his pants. "Just wait. I'll show you how it's done."

He cleared his throat and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Cold treats for Space City's internal support! Free samples with a meal card! Veteran experts get priority! Priority for anyone who's worked overtime for three days or more! Priority for anyone losing lots of hair!"

Several passersby turned their heads instantly.

A young engineer carrying blueprints nearly tripped over the threshold.

Xiao Wang was scared half out of his wits.

"Comrade Zhou! You can't shout that!"

"Why not?"

"It looks bad!"

Sing Sing frowned. "I'm reaching my target customers precisely."

The moment he finished speaking, a middle-aged man in a wrinkled white shirt staggered over.

His hair was so greasy it shone, the dark circles around his eyes made him look as though he'd been punched twice, and a work badge hung on his chest. Half an unlit cigarette dangled from his mouth.

His whole being gave off the resentment of someone who "hasn't slept in three days but still has to revise the design."

He stood in front of the cart, his eyes vacant.

"Did you just say... priority for working overtime for three days or more?"

Sing Sing immediately became enthusiastic.

"Comrade, how many days has it been since you closed your eyes?"

The middle-aged man held up three fingers.

"Three days and three nights."

"You qualify!" Sing Sing turned his head. "Xiao Ruan, give this research warrior a small sample of refreshing mint ice cream."

Amy nodded nervously.

She held out both hands, and cold air gathered in her palms.

In less than two seconds, a paper cup was filled with pale green ice cream. A faint chill rose from its surface, along with a fresh minty scent.

The middle-aged man's half-dead eyes hadn't noticed at all that the ice cream had formed out of thin air.

He sniffed. "That smell... really clears the head."

He took the little wooden spoon, scooped up a bite, and put it in his mouth.

Soft Serve grew nervous.

The middle-aged man said nothing. He raised his head, and his eyes, which had been clouded and exhausted, as if ready to shut down and restart, gradually lit up.

The accumulated fog, headache, heat, and irritability were swept clean away.

"What is this?"

Amy said quietly, "Refreshing mint ice cream."

"Is there more?"

"Yes."

"Give me a large one."

Sing Sing stopped him at once. "No large servings. There's a limit on your first helping. You haven't slept in three days. If you get too big a boost all at once, you might start hallucinating about your workplace rules, like believing you can work another three days of overtime."

The man grew anxious.

"I really need it! Our team is still adjusting the combustion chamber data, and my brain's turned to mush!"

Sing Sing's eyes lit up.

"How many people?"

"Twelve."

"Is it a major national project?"

"Obviously! Chief Designer Gao just chewed us out yesterday!"

"Do you have a meal card?"

"Yes!"

"Good." Sing Sing turned and waved a hand at Amy. "Logistical support mission, start. Twelve servings of low-sugar refreshing mint, labeled the research life-support edition."

Amy froze for a moment, then nodded firmly.

She gently brought her hands together.

Cup after cup of pale green ice cream appeared out of thin air and landed neatly on the cart's counter.

She moved as quickly as a small production line.

The middle-aged man stared wide-eyed.

"Holy shit? Superpowers? That's awesome!"

Sing Sing pulled a registration form from beside the cart.

"Name, work unit, quantity received, intended use, and feedback after eating. And listen, no reselling it, and no taking it home to freeze and passing it off as New Year's provisions."

The middle-aged man nodded repeatedly as he signed.

He gathered the twelve cups of ice cream in his arms, turned, and sprinted toward the laboratory building.

Five minutes later.

Word exploded.

First, three young researchers came rushing over.

"We heard there's ice cream here that stops your head hurting after one bite?"

Immediately afterward, an elderly expert with graying hair came over, supporting his lower back.

"I don't eat sweets. Do you have anything low-sugar?"

Later still, two family members with children came over as well.

"Can children eat it?"

"Is there a strawberry flavor?"

"Do you have anything that won't freeze your teeth?"

Amy was flustered at first, but gradually became more practiced.

"Yes."

"Low-sugar is fine."

"Less cold for the children's version."

"Strawberry milk for psychological comfort... this one is fine for children."

Ice cream in all sorts of varieties kept forming in her palms.

Pale green mint, pink strawberry, milky white vanilla, and pale yellow mango.

A long line soon formed in front of the ice cream cart.

Amy, who had originally been afraid no one would come, began worrying about running out of cups after a little over ten minutes.

Xiao Wang stood nearby, calling logistics over the walkie-talkie.

"Send more paper cups! Yes! Send all of them! And little spoons! This isn't an ordinary vendor's stall, it's a support station! Chief Designer Gao approved it!"

Sing Sing stood beside the line, keeping order.

"Line up, line up! Researchers and family members are all equal! Don't cut in line just because you're a deputy chief engineer! No matter how big your rocket is, you can't disrupt the people's line!"

An elderly expert pulled his foot back, his face red.

"I was just looking."

"Line up even if you're just looking!"

Amy busily made cup after cup of ice cream. Listening to the praise around her—"Thank you," "This is delicious," "Another cup, please"—and looking at the line that stretched out of sight, she felt her eyes grow moist.

She quickly wiped away her tears, a radiant smile spreading across her face.

So being needed felt this wonderful.