The Magical Bar Waiter

Since Zhang Hupan had just started working, Zhu Yan didn't dare let him entertain guests. After all, it wasn't just about polite phrases and proper actions; nearly a third of the guests were foreigners. Zhu Yan hadn't seen Zhang Hupan speak English before, and since he was only a freshman, she figured he wouldn't be any good. If he stammered and couldn't utter a word in front of foreigners, it would be a disaster. Therefore, Zhu Yan instructed Zhang Hupan that his main job for now was to help out, clear tables, wipe dishes, dispose of leftovers, and serve plates. Finally, she told Zhang Hupan to pay close attention to how others entertained guests and to study the daily menus when he had the chance.

As a master from the cultivation world, he was destined for an extraordinary life. Even a mundane job as a waiter could be imbued with endless charm by him. This was precisely the case with Zhang Hupan at this moment. Tidying bottles and jars, wiping tables, and cleaning stools – tasks so simple became as graceful and fluid as flowing water under Zhang Hupan's magical hands. With a gentle sweep of his arm across the table, all the wine glasses and bottles neatly arranged themselves on a tray as if by magic. A simple shake of the tablecloth by Zhang Hupan caused it to ripple like waves, folding itself into a small square. Everyone's attention was captivated by the extraordinary skill of this ordinary-looking young man. Some foreigners even applauded in appreciation. Liu Xizhen, sitting in the corner, had her eyes sparkling with a strange light as she silently wondered why this young man always acted so unexpectedly. First, his daughter, who never spoke to strangers, could chat and laugh with him. Then, a freshman student could speak English more fluently than she could. He remained unfazed by beauty, and now, he could perform even the simplest task with such dazzling flair.

Zhu Yan found it incredible that such elegant and smooth cleaning movements, polite greetings to all guests, and fluent English were all displayed by a freshman university student. Zhang Hupan's gentlemanly demeanor even led Zhu Yan to suspect that he might be a scion of a prominent family, working as a waiter in this bar to experience ordinary life. Her fanciful thought wasn't entirely off the mark; however, his other identity wasn't that of a noble heir, but a legendary immortal!

"Have you really never worked in a bar before?" Zhu Yan finally couldn't help but whisper to Zhang Hupan as he walked past her.

"No!" Zhang Hupan replied concisely.

"You've really never been to a bar before?" Zhu Yan asked persistently, thinking that perhaps he frequented bars, which explained his exceptional performance.

"No!"

Looking at Zhang Hupan's honest face, Zhu Yan was convinced he wasn't lying. "Then how did you manage all of this?" she couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

"Heh, I read some books on the subject before coming to the bar," Zhang Hupan replied casually.

"It's that simple?" Zhu Yan stared at him in disbelief.

"Yeah, I spent a whole day and a half studying culinary culture!!" To Zhang Hupan, studying culinary culture took him a day and a half, and he still felt he hadn't learned much, considering the slow progress. He couldn't imagine how anyone could comprehend tens of thousands of years of human culinary heritage and accumulation in such a short time and then integrate it so quickly.

Zhu Yan could only shake her head, the word "monster" involuntarily popping into her mind.

Perhaps Zhang Hupan was indeed a monster in everyone's eyes: unaffected by beautiful women, skilled in cleaning, fluent in English, and possessing gentlemanly etiquette – all concentrated in a freshman student who had only been in the city for just over a month, having come from a remote mountain village. However, today was destined to be a day of mental strain for everyone. Zhang Hupan's mastery of fruit platters left Li Da, who had extensive experience with them, blushing with shame, almost to the point of wanting to find a piece of tofu to end it all. As a cultivator, Zhang Hupan had been taught by Zhang Sanfeng from childhood to experience nature, comprehend the Heavenly Dao, learn to communicate with heaven and earth, and integrate with them. Therefore, his understanding of the natural world, including all the flowers, plants, fruits, and vegetables nurtured by the earth, was incomparable to that of ordinary people. Zhang Hupan could even sense and experience the life force of all plants on earth – when they bloomed, when they bore fruit, and when they were at their most beautiful. For Zhang Hupan, who was at the Nascent Soul Stage, all of this was child's play.

When the fruits were in Zhang Hupan's hands, they seemed to regain the vitality they had before being picked. The platters he casually assembled imbued the fruit bowls with infinite life. No matter how they were viewed, Zhang Hupan's fruit platters were flawless works of art. Their vibrant, dewy appearance made one want to devour them instantly, yet their perfection made it feel like any attempt to touch them would be destroying the most beautiful thing in the world. Zhu Yan and the others had never seen such magical platters in their lives; with just a few casual movements, he could create such perfect fruit arrangements. For the first time in their lives, they saw customers hesitating to touch the fruit platters, and they knew they would have done the same.

In reality, Zhang Hupan's seemingly simple arrangements were far from simple. All such perfect arrangements were based on his profound, life-imprinted understanding of the fruits. Each fruit was pieced together along its life trajectory, and every angle showcased its unique fragrance and freshness to the best effect. Furthermore, the combination of fruits was incredibly natural, as if they were meant to be together. Not everyone could appreciate the work with a professional eye like Li Da, who had abundant experience, but everyone naturally knew that the fruit platter before them was incredibly enticing and perfect. This was the power of life, the mystery of the Heavenly Dao, the magic of nature.

While the fruits temporarily brought a surprise and a touch of coolness to people accustomed to nightlife, as true night fell and the DJ's high-pitched music began, hearts grew hot and restless. The dancers on stage, in turn, ignited the passion in the hearts of all the night owls. The Way of Nature was meant to be experienced quietly with one's heart. When people's minds became agitated and the environment grew noisy, a fruit platter was just a fruit platter. No one would pay attention to the craftsmanship of what could be called the world's number one fruit platter master. Although there were those in the cultivation world who could surpass Zhang Hupan, none of them, as Nascent Soul experts, would be making a fruit platter.

However, Zhang Hupan's outstanding, or rather, perfect performance conquered all the bar staff. Even Shangguan Yun, the bartender who always looked down on others, no longer underestimated this young freshman. (To be continued)