Chapter 149

Without offering any explanation or excuse, she casually took the plate and slipped back into the kitchen. What are you still doing here?! (Working, working, working, working...) (Don't look at me, don't look at me, don't look at me, don't look at me, don't look at me...) A wave of nervousness and fear washed over her, causing her to ignore the men and women still casting comforting glances and disappear from sight, head bowed, like a pink-haired rock- 2D- roll anime character. Waaaaaah. "Xiao Hua..." Li Xue, who had just finished restocking, popped her head out, looking at Hua Xin who had brushed past her and the lively scene before her with some confusion, initially thinking some kind of conflict had occurred. But then, seeing everyone's expressions, she couldn't help but chuckle softly. It seemed... she hadn't misjudged her, and this idea had been quite successful. After all, sometimes a good employee is better than those who only know how to eat and sleep. Thinking of this, Li Xue couldn't help but grab a lazy Blue and White British Shorthair that was wandering away from her feet, ready to take a nap. "Revolver! Look at him and then look at you?!" "Your cat treats for the next three days are being withheld! No food until you improve your sales!" Li Xue said fiercely to Hachimi in her arms. "Meow..." Revolver wagged its tail, looking completely bewildered. ———————— A few hours later. Time flew by, and it was already afternoon. Due to the strange theory of the "celebrity effect," the cat café indirectly gained many potential repeat customers. Several particularly distinctive Hachimi naturally left a deep impression on many customers. The bulletin board on the wall where Li Xue gave employee ratings also played a significant role. Each cat had several notes attached to it, filled with customer complaints. For example, Moya would roll her eyes and was very aloof; Grenade would fall asleep as soon as someone put it in someone's arms; Rifle loved cat treats and would meow if they weren't available... all the complaints were pasted all over their photos. Fortunately, none of the employees dared to urinate or defecate on anyone on the first day; these well-trained employees still had a strong sense of professional ethics. After all, the Hachimi from Li Xue's hands were generally already properly trained. As lunchtime approached, the number of customers dwindled considerably, with only a few young people playing board games around a table with their cats, though judging from their progress, they were nearing the end. Only the lord who had killed a loyal subject and the nephew who had just gained the lord's trust but hadn't finished the game remained, staring at each other in bewilderment. Li Xue, having finished her busy work, sat there frantically checking her bills on her phone, her eyes gradually becoming ethereal, uttering some kind of indistinct "heh heh" sound, barely audible if one were close... "One dollar, two dollars, three dollars, four dollars..." She seemed to already see countless gold coins flying into her pocket. "Alright, alright, stop looking, dinner's ready soon." Shan Qing shook the pot in his hand, which was emitting a fragrant aroma. The golden fried rice inside was beautifully separated, and he turned to Li Xue, who was completely absorbed in her work, with a hint of helplessness. However, seeing Li Xue so happy, he was happy too. After all, compared to the previous times... this was already more than 100% success. Because no one would feel nostalgic for the past when businesses had repeatedly failed. "Tch, how could you understand the excitement I feel after finally building up this business?" "Do you know how happy I am today?!" Li Xue pouted, looking fierce and unapproachable while clutching her phone, her eyes glistening with tears of excitement. So many years... so many years! Five years ago, she embarked on her journey from Xuzhou... uh, from Shanghai, and after four or five battles, big and small, she finally achieved success today?! Opening a cat cafe instead of a maid cafe was definitely the right choice! Li Xue, tears welling in her eyes, picked up the revolver at her feet and wiped her tears with its fur. Who could know the bitterness in her heart over the years? Who could know the heartache of having to pretend to be strong and indifferent after failing at something? But today's opening day revenue has already proven that she is not some so-called born entrepreneurial jinx, but a true entrepreneurial genius! The entrepreneurial Xiao Yan! (And because she found a cat that is more useful than a bunch of cats.)... "I'm exhausted..." "I can't move... I can't move at all." Hua Xin slumped weakly on the table, her cat ears that she had been wearing were now aside, her tone revealing a lifeless exhaustion, her body like a non-Newtonian fluid. Although her workload was not much, just introducing products and getting desserts... the long hours of standing had made the untrained girl feel sore and achy. "Sister Xin Hua ... me too." Xia Fen, who was always full of energy and seemed to have inexhaustible strength, also slumped on the table like the girl, showing no signs of vitality. Xia Fen leaned forward, pressing her entire body against the table, and said weakly, "My legs are numb from standing. I've lost count of how many people I've said 'Welcome!' to." "Waaah... At home, I'm basically always on my bottom." "I'm hungry?" Hua Xin suddenly clutched her stomach and cried out in pain. "I'm hungry too..." Xia Fen looked like she was about to collapse from exhaustion. After a long day, having only eaten a few noodles for breakfast, all she really wanted was a big bowl of delicious rice... If only there was some meat too... The girl whimpered inwardly, but her mind was filled with the scene of so many people staring at her earlier. "Why did everyone come to take pictures with me...!" Hua Xin belatedly opened her eyes, her beautiful eyes filled with shock. How could she have accidentally blurted out her innermost thoughts? If she said it out loud, could it still be called her innermost thoughts?! "Hmph... because Sister Xin Hua is pretty." "I wish I were as pretty as Sister Xin Hua, since no one ever asks me for a photo..." "Sister Xin Hua is a big star!!" Xia Fen suddenly straightened up, looking at Hua Xin with a slightly teasing gaze. On the surface, her tone was one of envy towards Hua Xin, but in reality, she was indirectly praising the girl and stirring up her self-awareness. How could Xia Fen not see that Hua Xin, despite her beauty and great personality, showed no arrogance, as if she were completely unaware of her own good looks? "A... star??" The girl looked up with some confusion, a hint of pride flashing in her eyes after hearing the praise. Okay, she really was pretty. She must have looked like a young Daniel Wu, Eddie Peng, or Edison Chen—a rich and handsome guy, right? "Time to eat." A gentle voice came from beside her. "I didn't have time to buy groceries today, so I just made Spicy Shredded Pork fried rice and scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Don't mind." But for Hua Xin, it was the aroma that instantly whetted her appetite that caught her attention before the voice even spoke! Two plates of incredibly appetizing fried rice and a tempting scrambled eggs with tomatoes were placed in front of them. The girl almost burst into tears. How could there be meat, rice, and vegetables?! Is this heaven?! I could work ten more hours straight, waaaaaah!!