At the same time, at the south gate of Notting City.
A delicate little girl kicked pebbles, looking bored.
She looked about six years old and wore a pink dress, with a pair of cute rabbit-ear ornaments on her head. A long scorpion braid hung down her back, making her look soft and adorable.
She was Xiao Wu, who had slipped out of Star Dou Forest early to have some fun.
"This is so boring. Human cities aren't fun at all."
Pouting, Xiao Wu pulled a shriveled carrot from her little bag and took a bite, looking disgusted.
"Even the carrots are dried out. They taste awful."
Just as she was about to find somewhere to sleep,
suddenly,
a breeze swept past.
The rabbit ears that had been drooping on Xiao Wu's head suddenly sprang straight up, twitching twice in the air.
Her little pink nose started twitching like a radar, going into overdrive.
"Sniff, sniff..."
It smelled so good!
First came the rich, sizzling aroma of oil, followed right after by an incredibly powerful sweetness!
It wasn't the fresh sweetness of fruit or the cloying sweetness of honey. It was an incredibly pure flavor that could make someone happy in an instant!
Xiao Wu's ruby-red eyes lit up like two stars.
The carrot in her hand went plop onto the ground. She didn't even glance at it.
"Over there!"
Though Xiao Wu, a transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, didn't have much fighting power right now, her instinct for finding food was fully developed.
She took off on her short legs, racing toward the source of the aroma like a puppy that had caught a whiff of something tasty.
Under the big banyan tree, a crowd bustled around.
"Make way! Excuse me, coming through!"
A small pink figure, astonishingly nimble and flexible, wriggled between the legs of the adults like a loach and squeezed her way to the very front of the stall.
Xiao Wu grabbed the edge of the counter with both hands and stood on tiptoe, bringing her face almost right up to the gas burner.
She stared fixedly at the sizzling, oil-covered meat patty, drooling uncontrollably.
"Wow..."
Xiao Wu let out an awestruck gasp.
"What kind of Soul Beast is this round patty made from? It smells so good! And that sweet water in the bucket—is it for bunnies?"
Su Yun adjusted his Sunglasses and looked down at the little girl who had suddenly appeared. She was so cute it was almost unfair.
"Little girl, you may call me the proprietor."
Su Yun pointed his spatula at the sign.
"This is a Secret Recipe Mini Burger, and that's Snow King Happy Water. The combo costs five Silver Soul Coins. Pay first, then I'll make your order."
"Oh, right, payment. I know the rules!"
Xiao Wu confidently stuck her hand into her little pink carrot-shaped bag and rummaged around.
Five seconds later,
she opened her palm.
In her fair little hand lay three slightly oxidized, blackened Copper Soul Coins and half a leftover carrot top.
The air suddenly went quiet.
Xiao Wu's cheeks flushed bright red, and her rabbit ears drooped with embarrassment.
She fidgeted with her fingers, then blinked her big eyes at Su Yun, trying to get out of it by being cute.
"Well... big brother proprietor, I left in such a hurry that I think I spent all my money on carrots along the way... Could I... could I owe you for now?"
She opened her eyes as wide as she could, trying to look even more pitiful.
"Please, please. Bunny's really hungry..."
Su Yun's face remained cold.
"No credit."
Xiao Wu panicked and waved a little fist.
"Oh, don't be so stingy! I have Innate Full Soul Power, you know! I'm super strong! If anyone ever bullies you, I can beat them up for you!"
Su Yun's expression stayed cold.
"Funny, I have Innate Full Soul Power too. No money, no deal."
Xiao Wu: "..."
Why were human kids so unpleasant?
Just as Xiao Wu was about to throw a tantrum or "borrow" a taste by force,
"Oof, 001, that little girl's tugging at my heartstrings."
Brother Yong watched the girl on the screen, her face red from trying to get something to eat, and shook his head.
"She's so little, and even though she's dressed cutely, it's obvious no adult is looking after her. She's having to squeeze through a crowd just to get something to eat. That can't be easy. Sure, we believe in cash up front when we do business, but we can't be so cold-hearted with a kid like that."
As he spoke, Brother Yong seemed to think of something, and offered a gentle suggestion.
"But now that I think about it, I saw how she slipped through the crowd just now. She's pretty nimble—she'd be good at helping out. Our stall's a mess right now, and we could really use someone to keep things orderly."
"How about this, 001? Ask if she'd like a part-time job. We'll feed her, and she can help watch the stall. That'll make sure she's fed and save us some trouble, too. It's a win-win. Give her a chance—don't let her go hungry."
Hearing Brother Yong speak so earnestly for once through his earpiece, Su Yun understood what he meant.
Quickly, he filled a plastic cup to the brim with Snow King Happy Water and ice.
Holding the cup, he gently waved it in front of Xiao Wu. The ice clinked against the plastic with a crisp sound.
The sweet, overpowering scent of creamer wafted straight into Xiao Wu's nose.
Her eyes followed the cup, and she swallowed audibly.
"Want some?"
Su Yun sounded like a witch holding out a poisoned apple, his voice full of temptation.
Xiao Wu nodded furiously, like a chicken pecking at grain.
"My business is so good that I'm short one employee to keep things orderly."
Su Yun pointed to the crowd behind them, which was getting more restless by the second.
"Help me out, and you'll get all the food and drink you want. Two burgers and two cups of Happy Water every day..."
Su Yun paused and held up two fingers, like a big bad wolf trying to lure Little Red Riding Hood.
"Plus, I'll pay you two Silver Soul Coins every day. Paid daily, no delays. What do you say?"
Xiao Wu froze.
She was the big sister of the forest's kings, Titan Giant Ape and Sky Azure Bull Python. Was she really going to work for a human?
But...
She looked at the chilled cup of Happy Water, then caught another whiff of the fried meat patties. Finally, she pictured those shiny Silver Soul Coins...
She could buy so many carrots!
What was dignity, anyway?
Could you eat it?
Could you spend it?
"Deal!"
Afraid Su Yun might change his mind, Xiao Wu snatched the cup of Snow King Happy Water and eagerly took a big gulp through the straw.
Cold, smooth, and sweet!
A massive dose of industrial sweetener hit her brain, and dopamine surged.
"Mmm!!!!"
Xiao Wu's eyes flew wide open. Her whole body stiffened, then her face broke into an exaggerated expression of bliss.
Her rabbit ears sprang straight up again, even trembling with excitement.
"It's so good! It's amazing! What kind of divine water is this?"
Xiao Wu felt that all the flower nectar she'd ever drunk in the forest was nothing but dishwater!
"If it's good, get to work."
Su Yun nodded with satisfaction, then casually handed her a stainless-steel cocktail shaker. He also pulled over a piece of stiff cardboard and wrote two crooked characters on it in charcoal: [Drink Mixer].
He threaded a piece of straw rope through the cardboard and hung it around Xiao Wu's neck.
"Listen up, Employee No. 002. Your job is simple: pour in the powder and ice water, put the lid on, and shake it like crazy with your single... I mean, with your Innate Full Soul Power speed!"
Before you continue