151: Long queues

At this moment, the open space in the flower garden was already packed with people, and a long queue stretched outside the flower garden.

Passersby who saw such a long queue immediately went forward to ask about it.

Upon learning that delicious beggar's chicken was being sold there, they were tempted and joined the line.

As a result, the queue grew longer and longer, even extending all the way to the North Plaza.

This drew exclamations of wonder and envy from the surrounding vendors.

Meanwhile, Lu Chuan and He Jingrui were like two spinning tops, constantly moving around the stall.

If not for the Regular Customers helping to maintain order, the scene would have long since devolved into chaos.

Even so, facing the ever-growing queue, the Regular Customers felt immense pressure.

“Isn’t it true that more than half the people in the plaza have come here to queue?”

“That’s an exaggeration, but there really are a lot of people!”

“There are at least seven or eight hundred people, and the queue has extended all the way to the East Plaza.”

“You wouldn’t believe it, but a few aunties in the queue were chatting earlier, and I almost burst out laughing! They thought they were queuing to get tissues or eggs!”

“Hahahahaha, didn’t you explain the situation to them?”

“I did! But they didn’t believe me and even scolded me for being nosy!”

“...That’s normal, that’s normal.”

Several Regular Customers guided the queuing crowd while chatting about what they had seen and heard during the wait.

Just then, a customer suddenly said excitedly:

“Hey, brothers, look at the group chat, the young boss said that to thank us, he’s treating us to beggar's chicken after the stall closes!”

As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed that the other customers suddenly fell silent.

The next moment, clear sounds of swallowing saliva rang out one after another.

The customer looked up and saw that everyone had already taken out their phones, eagerly looking at the group chat.

【Qi Yuan: @everyone, good news, good news! Great news! All Regular Customers who helped maintain order at the stall tonight, pay attention!】

【Qi Yuan: @everyone, after the stall closes, don't leave, all come to the young boss's place!】

【Qi Yuan: @everyone, the young boss is very grateful for everyone's help tonight, he’s treating everyone to beggar's chicken later!】

After three consecutive @everyone messages, there was a long string of “Received” replies from the group members.

【Customer 1: It’s amazing, I, who am currently maintaining order, suddenly don’t feel tired anymore!】

【Customer 2: I’ve already left the airport! Rushing to the scene at top speed! Over!】

【Customer 3: I’m almost there! Of course, I’m in such a hurry not because I heard the young boss is treating, but purely because I have a heart for dedication!】

【Customer 4: I’m honest! I want free stuff!】

【...】

Of course, some rejoiced while others worried.

In a group of hundreds, there were more “regret,” “drooling,” and “crying” emojis.

【Customer 5: I regret it! I hate it! I actually missed the chance for free stuff! And it was free food from the young boss!】

【Customer 6: Don’t say it, don’t say it! I’m on a business trip and can’t hear such good news!】

【Customer 7: Why did I go traveling! Why! Ahhh!】

【Customer 8: I’ve always wondered how to make the young boss’s food taste even better? I finally have the answer now, just add the words “free” in front of it! Wuwuwu~】

【...】

The group chat was buzzing, and the Regular Customers at the stall also became highly enthusiastic.

“Come, queue here!”

“Everyone, no cutting in line, form a good queue, and it will be your turn soon!”

“Everyone, please note, there are no tissues or eggs to collect at the front, it’s a ring toss stall, and the prize is delicious beggar's chicken, please don’t queue in the wrong line!”

“Please queue in an orderly and civilized manner! Also, do not block the exit!”

“If you have lost anything, please inquire at the lost and found in front!”

“...”

Almost visibly, the originally crooked queue suddenly became much more orderly.

It was even specifically adjusted to avoid affecting passersby and surrounding vendors.

At the same time, under the continuous guidance of the Regular Customers, the speed of the queuing crowd’s movement also suddenly picked up.

This change not only confused the people in line.

Even the vendors and pedestrians watching the excitement nearby were confused.

At this time, not far outside the flower garden, at three adjacent stalls.

The Yellow-Haired Vendor was full of surprise.

“No, is the street vending scene so competitive now? Are they even hiring people to maintain order?”

The green-haired vendor also looked bewildered.

“Yes, I completely don’t understand, smidda.”

The Yellow-Haired Vendor suddenly looked enlightened.

“With such good business, hiring people to maintain order, although it sounds ridiculous, isn't entirely incomprehensible!”

Just then, the blue-haired vendor opposite them suddenly spoke with a mysterious expression:

“Hey? How come I heard they are also customers, and they just helped out voluntarily because they saw the stall owner was too busy...”

The Yellow-Haired Vendor immediately laughed upon hearing this.

“Hey, brother, you’re not drunk, are you? Do you want to hear what you’re saying?”

The green-haired vendor also burst into laughter.

“Hahaha, you’re killing me! Brother, you have a talent for telling jokes!”

The blue-haired vendor, hearing their mockery, said somewhat angrily:

“Why don’t you believe me? I heard them say it themselves!”

The Yellow-Haired Vendor waved his hand and sneered:

“It’s normal not to believe it, right? In this world, how can customers voluntarily help the boss work? Isn’t that a fantasy?”

The blue-haired vendor was unconvinced.

“Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. How about this, want to make a bet!”

Upon hearing this, the green-haired vendor’s face immediately showed a hint of mockery.

“A bet is a bet, whoever loses has to gnaw on their pushcart!”

The Yellow-Haired Vendor gasped, but quickly said excitedly:

“That harsh? Good, I’m in!”

The blue-haired vendor looked at the two with a complex expression.

“Alright, don’t regret it! Anyway, there’s no business, let’s go together and verify the truth with those people?”

The Yellow-Haired Vendor and the green-haired vendor exchanged glances, then immediately stepped out of their stalls.

“Okay, let’s go!”

A few minutes later.

The Yellow-Haired Vendor and the green-haired vendor walked back to their stalls with incredulous expressions.

The blue-haired vendor looked at their faces, a slight smirk on his lips, and pointing at their pushcarts, he laughed:

“Come, come, come, a bet’s a bet, start eating.”

The Yellow-Haired Vendor and the green-haired vendor made a bitter face, hesitated for a moment, and finally chose to bow their heads in apology.

The blue-haired vendor immediately felt utterly refreshed and threw his head back, laughing a few times... Similar conversations and bets among the three vendors were continuously playing out in the surrounding area.

Those who profited from the bets were naturally thrilled, no longer watching their stalls, and went around looking for people to start a new bet.

And those who lost also saw an opportunity and joined in.

Slowly, word spread from one to ten, from ten to a hundred, and soon the entire plaza knew about it.

Many people, out of curiosity, flocked to the vicinity of the flower garden, either to watch from the sidelines or to join the queue.

The queue, which had stopped growing, now “grew” again, gradually “growing” from the northeast corner all the way to the East Plaza, and finally reaching the South Plaza.

At this point, the organizers of the “Food Culture Carnival” finally couldn’t sit still.

The person in charge, sweating profusely, looked at the increasingly sparse food exhibition and finally couldn’t help but call his boss.

After a few busy tones, a stern voice came through.

“Xiao Yang, what is it?”

The person in charge nervously swallowed and said:

“General Manager Li, there’s been a situation at the food exhibition!”

Hearing this, General Manager Li’s voice rose several octaves.

“What? Explain clearly, what’s the situation! Is it serious?”

The person in charge heard the roar from the other end of the phone, and sweat immediately seeped into his palms.

He almost bowed and apologized, but realizing he was on the phone, he quickly wiped the sweat from his palms and said:

“An unknown ‘cross-river dragon’ set up a stall in the corner of the plaza and siphoned off about half of the food exhibition’s foot traffic.”

The person in charge looked at the no longer bustling food exhibition and, feeling guilty, changed “more than half” to “about half.”

However, General Manager Li was still confused.

“Did I mishear, or did you mispeak? What ‘cross-river dragon’? What stall? I don’t understand any of it?”

The person in charge gave a bitter smile, carefully chose his words, and then explained everything he knew about the situation in detail.

General Manager Li on the other end of the phone fell silent.

After a long pause, he finally spoke.

“I’m coming over now!”