18: Chapter 18 The Girl Taking Pictures

The girl's name was Xiao Su, twenty-two years old, and she studied photography.

On her first day, she arrived carrying a huge camera bag, standing at the doorway, afraid to enter.

Lin Feng was squatting there; he looked up and glanced at her.

"Come in."

Xiao Su gripped the strap of her camera bag and said in a low voice, "I... I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

Lin Feng pointed inside, "Find Joe. He's the Chief Memory Officer and specializes in handling newcomers."

Xiao Su walked in, dazed, and found Joe sitting in the corner.

Seeing her, Joe smiled, "Another one?"

Xiao Su nodded.

Joe pointed to the chair beside him, "Sit. Listen to the stories first."

Xiao Su sat down and listened to Joe talk for the whole afternoon.

He talked about how run-down this shop used to be.

He talked about how Lin Feng bought it for four hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

He talked about how the Miserable King Championship started.

He talked about how Maria came, how Li Ming came, and how Carlos came.

Xiao Su listened, her camera bag resting by her feet, never opened.

By evening, Joe finished talking.

He looked at Xiao Su and asked, "Did you understand?"

Xiao Su thought for a moment, nodded, then shook her head.

Joe smiled, "It's okay. Listening to stories like this—once isn't enough."

He pointed to the people in the shop, "Come every day, listen every day, and you'll gradually understand."

The next day, Xiao Su came again.

She didn't bring her camera.

Lin Feng raised an eyebrow, "Where's the camera?"

Xiao Su said softly, "I don't dare to take photos."

Lin Feng was taken aback, "Don't dare to take photos of what?"

Xiao Su lowered her head, "I'm afraid they won't want me to."

Lin Feng was silent for three seconds.

Then he stood up, walked to the middle of the shop, and clapped his hands.

"Everyone, stop for a moment."

Everyone looked at him.

Lin Feng pointed to Xiao Su, "Her name is Xiao Su, she studies photography. From now on, she wants to take photos of you. Whoever doesn't want to, raise your hand."

No one raised their hand.

Maria was the first to speak, "You can take photos of me, but you have to make me look slimmer."

The Bald Strong Man followed, "Make me look more handsome."

The old man said slowly, "Make me look like I did the year I married my wife."

Li Ming raised his hand, "Can you make me look not like a student? Customers keep asking me if I've finished my homework."

Carlos followed by raising his hand, "Can you make me look not like an illegal immigrant? Customers keep asking me if I have my documents with me."

An explosion of laughter erupted in the shop.

Xiao Su stood at the doorway, her eyes turning red.

Lin Feng squatted back down, biting on his straw, and said slowly,

"See? It's not that they don't want to. It's that they're afraid you won't take good enough photos."

Xiao Su was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

She ran out, retrieved her camera, and started shooting.

The first day, she took fifty photos.

Maria's profile while frying chicken.

The Bald Strong Man's back while maintaining order.

The old man's appearance while sitting in the corner, dazed.

Li Ming and Carlos competing at peeling potatoes.

Joe telling stories to a newcomer.

Lin Feng squatting at the doorway, biting his straw, scrolling on his phone.

After closing time that night, she exported the photos and showed them to everyone.

Maria stared at her photo, frowning, "Am I this fat?"

Xiao Su quickly said, "It can be edited!"

Maria shook her head, "No need to edit. Just like this. I am fat, after all."

The Bald Strong Man stared at his photo, grinning, "Handsome! I want to print this one out and mail it to my ex-wife."

The old man stared at the photo of himself dazed, silent for a long time.

Then he said, "Can you send this one to me?"

Xiao Su nodded, "Of course."

The old man pointed to himself in the photo, "Before my wife passed away, I often sat like this, dazed. She always said I looked like a fool."

He paused, smiled,

"Now she can't see it anymore. But I can look at it."

Xiao Su listened, her eyes turning red.

She suddenly understood that she wasn't just taking photos.

It was the stories of these people.

A week later, Xiao Su held a small photography exhibition in the shop.

The photos were posted on the wall, forming a circle.

There was Maria frying chicken.

There was the Bald Strong Man laughing loudly.

There was the old man dazed.

There was Li Ming peeling potatoes.

There was Carlos being amused by a customer.

There was Joe telling stories.

There was Lin Feng squatting and scrolling on his phone.

The one in the very center was a group photo of everyone in the shop standing together.

Lin Feng was squeezed into the very middle, his expression a bit dazed, as if he hadn't even reacted before it was taken.

He stared at that group photo, stunned for three seconds.

Then he asked Xiao Su, "When was this taken?"

Xiao Su smiled, "Yesterday, when you were eating. I took it secretly."

Lin Feng raised an eyebrow, "Secretly taken?"

Xiao Su nodded, "Secretly taken."

Lin Feng stared at that photo, and stared for another three seconds.

In the photo, Maria was laughing, the Bald Strong Man was making a peace sign, the old man was holding fried chicken, Li Ming and Carlos were squeezed together, Joe was holding up a cola cup, and the Mexican Guy was making a funny face.

And he himself was squeezed in the middle, his expression dazed, like a distant relative forcibly pulled into a family portrait.

He smiled.

"I want this one."

After the news of the photography exhibition spread, more customers came to the shop.

They didn't come to eat fried chicken.

They came to see the photos.

Some stood in front of Maria's photo, watching for a long time, then ordered a portion of fried chicken, saying, "I want the one she fried."

Some stood in front of the old man's photo, watching for a long time, then went to sit in the corner, ordered a cola, and became dazed.

Some stood in front of Li Ming's photo, watching for a long time, then went to the kitchen door and asked if they could take a photo with him.

Li Ming was annoyed by the questions and came to find Lin Feng to complain.

"Boss, customers keep wanting to take photos with me. I can't even finish peeling the potatoes."

Lin Feng, biting on his straw, said slowly, "Then let them help you peel."

Li Ming was stunned, "Huh?"

Lin Feng pointed to that basket of potatoes, "You say, a photo is fine, but peel five potatoes first."

Li Ming stared at Lin Feng, staring for three seconds.

Then he smiled.

"Boss, you really are a psycho."

Lin Feng nodded, "I know."

The next day, there was an extra sign at the kitchen door:

[Notice for taking photos with the Potato Hero: Peel five potatoes first to exchange for one photo.]

Customers saw it; some laughed, some actually went to peel them.

Carlos watched from the side, laughing so hard he couldn't straighten his back.

"Li Ming, you're an internet celebrity now."

Li Ming glared at him, "What are you laughing at? You're next."

Carlos's laughter came to an abrupt halt.

Lin Feng, squatting at the doorway, watched this scene, the corners of his mouth curling up, unable to be suppressed.

His phone vibrated.

[Ding—Congratulations to the host for triggering a hidden achievement—]

[Achievement Name: Make the Seen Become the Scenery]

[Achievement Reward: Emotional Perception Ability range extended to 200 meters]

Lin Feng stared at that message, stunned for three seconds.

Then he smiled.

He put his phone back into his pocket, continued squatting, and watched the group of people in the shop.

Maria was frying chicken.

The Bald Strong Man was maintaining order.

The old man was in the corner, dazed.

Joe was telling stories to a newcomer.

Li Ming and Carlos were taking photos with customers.

Xiao Su was photographing all of this.

A group of people who were once down on their luck.

Now they had become scenery in the eyes of others.

After closing time that night, Xiao Su squatted beside Lin Feng.

Lin Feng turned his head to look at her, "What is it?"

Xiao Su looked across the street and said softly, "Boss, thank you."

Lin Feng raised an eyebrow, "Thank me for what?"

Xiao Su said, "Thank you for letting me take photos."

Lin Feng was stunned, "I didn't do anything."

Xiao Su shook her head, "You let me in. You made them willing to be photographed by me. You—"

She paused,

"You made me feel that the things I photograph are things people want to see."

Lin Feng was silent for three seconds.

Then he said, "It's not that people want to see them. It's that people need to see them."

Xiao Su was stunned.

Lin Feng pointed to the photos on the wall,

"Look at those people. Before, they didn't know what they looked like. Now they see it."

He paused,

"What you gave them wasn't just photos. It was mirrors."

Xiao Su stared at those photos, staring for a long time.

Then she lowered her head, her eyes turning red.

Lin Feng didn't speak.

He just squatted beside her, waiting.

After a long time, Xiao Su raised her head and smiled.

The kind of smile that rippled from the bottom of her eyes.

"Boss, I'll come again tomorrow."

Lin Feng nodded, "Come then. The camera is yours anyway."

Xiao Su was stunned, then smiled.

She stood up, brushed off her bottom, and walked toward the bus stop.

After walking two steps, she turned back and waved at Lin Feng.

Lin Feng also waved back.

Watching Xiao Su's back disappear into the night, he suddenly remembered that achievement from the system:

[Make the Seen Become the Scenery]

He looked down at his phone.

No new messages.

But he knew, this achievement had already been completed.

[Chapter 18 End]