182: A reminder from grocery store owners

The long night passed with Lu Chuan on edge.

It wasn't until the first ray of rising sunlight broke through the layers of outer buildings and finally landed in this alley that Lu Chuan let out a huge sigh of relief.

Even though he had stayed up all night, aside from a slightly haggard look around his eyes, his overall spirit and energy were still quite good.

"Let's close the shop and go explore the Great Magic City, experience its local customs and culture!"

He Jingrui had also stayed up all night, but perhaps because his Gourmet Cells awakening rate was higher, he still seemed full of energy.

"Alright!"

At the mention of exploring the Magic City, He Jingrui immediately ran downstairs with a spring in his step, then clanged the shop door shut.

Of course, how much use that lock on the door would actually be... well, it probably served as a psychological deterrent.

"Boss, are you two going out?"

Just then, Ding Xinyang's voice rang out from around the corner of the alley.

Lu Chuan smiled and nodded.

"To be honest, I just arrived in the Magic City yesterday and immediately rushed to open the shop, so I haven't had a chance to properly explore this place."

Ding Xinyang's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he immediately nodded, saying:

"What a coincidence, I also just arrived in the Magic City a few days ago. How about we go together?"

Lu Chuan didn't mind, but he looked at the injured part of Ding Xinyang's calf and couldn't help but ask with concern.

"You're still running around with that injury, are you really okay?"

Hearing this, Ding Xinyang waved his hand dismissively and chuckled:

"Oh, what's this? I'm in sales, I often travel all over the country. I'm used to it. Am I supposed to stay at home and do nothing just because I got a little injured? I'd starve to death!"

Seeing Ding Xinyang say this, Lu Chuan smiled and didn't try to persuade him further.

"Speaking of which, the Magic City is a super first-tier metropolis with no shortage of delicious food and fun things to do. Is there anything in particular you two want to go to?"

Hearing Lu Chuan's question, He Jingrui and Ding Xinyang both raised their hands simultaneously.

"Let's go eat a buffet!"

"Eat something delicious!"

The two spoke almost in unison.

"..."

Lu Chuan nodded speechlessly.

He actually wanted to visit Disney, since it was so famous.

But considering the time, he might not make it. Just taking the subway there would take over two hours, and then factoring in entry and queuing time, they would at most be able to enjoy two or three attractions before having to rush back to open the shop.

It would be better to wait until the task was completed and then enjoy themselves fully on the weekend.

With this in mind, Lu Chuan immediately pulled out his phone and searched for famous buffet restaurants in the Magic City.

The results surprised him a little.

He could only say that the prices in the Magic City truly opened the eyes of this country boy.

Single lunch buffet packages often cost seven or eight hundred, and those with the added bonus of a landmark building were even more exorbitant.

If this were in Yinhua City, he could eat five or six meals for that price.

However—

It didn't matter. Lu Chuan now had a small amount of savings and wasn't short on this bit of money.

And it seemed Ding Xinyang was also very willing to spend money on food.

The three discussed for a while and finally settled on a high-end seafood buffet package costing nearly two thousand.

After making a phone reservation, they walked out of the alley, chatting and laughing, planning to take a taxi to a nearby famous restaurant for breakfast.

As they left the alley, they ran into the young grocery store owner, who was walking towards them, yawning.

"Morning!"

Lu Chuan smiled and was the first to greet him.

If this were him during his mountain-gathering days, he would never have made such an outgoing gesture.

It just goes to show that environment can really change a person.

"Morning... morning!"

The grocery store owner was also a bit surprised.

But then he seemed to think of something, his expression becoming a little strange. He seemed to want to ask something, but felt embarrassed to speak directly.

After hesitating for a second or two, he finally couldn't hold back and asked, beating around the bush:

"Did opening the shop go smoothly last night?"

Lu Chuan looked at the grocery store owner's awkward demeanor and knew what he really wanted to ask.

It seemed gossip knew no age or gender... "It was alright, it's just a new shop, so business isn't great."

Lu Chuan naturally couldn't tell the truth, so he just gave a casual answer.

The grocery store owner saw that Lu Chuan didn't look very tired and believed him.

However, remembering how the previous few shop owners had all closed their shops in a panic and fled, he shook his head and still subtly offered a reminder.

"That's good, that's good. But for business, location is also very important. If things aren't right, you should stop in time. After all, your shop... is indeed a bit too 'out of the way'."

These words were actually a bit overstepping. It was really inappropriate to say such discouraging things to someone who had just opened a shop.

But the grocery store owner had thought about it all night and still couldn't bear to watch Lu Chuan jump into a pit of fire unknowingly.

So, since he encountered him today, he decided to remind him, even if it meant likely offending him.

What he didn't expect was that Lu Chuan actually nodded seriously, indicating that he had taken note.

The grocery store owner was a bit surprised, but seeing Lu Chuan genuinely look like he was considering his advice, he was delighted. Just as he was about to press his advantage and say more—

Ding Xinyang, who had been listening to their conversation, became a little unhappy.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you talking about? Haven't you heard the saying, 'Good wine needs no bush'? You haven't tasted the boss's cooking. If you had, you wouldn't say such things!"

Ding Xinyang's reaction was a bit intense, as if he saw his childhood sweetheart about to be fooled away by a ill-intentioned fellow with just a few words, and he suddenly became incredibly anxious.

To be fair, after tasting that plate of pineapple fried rice last night, he realized that he had truly never eaten good pork before.

In the past, whenever he went to a new place, he would explore various shops, and if he found something delicious, he would exclaim endlessly and frantically tag friends and colleagues, insisting they try that shop.

But now, he understood that compared to that plate of pineapple fried rice, all those so-called delicacies he had eaten before were absolutely nothing!

And now, someone was actually in front of him, advising Lu Chuan to close the shop and run away early?

Could he tolerate this?!

Not even a little, alright!

"Calm down, calm down, I didn't say anything!"

Seeing Ding Xinyang so agitated, the grocery store owner couldn't help but take a step back, waving his hands and repeatedly saying.

Seeing the grocery store owner back down, Ding Xinyang snorted, then turned to Lu Chuan, patting his chest and assuring him:

"Boss, don't listen to him. I already contacted my colleagues and friends in the Magic City last night. They all promised to come and support you. Tonight, there will definitely be so many people that you'll be surprised!"

Lu Chuan also didn't expect Ding Xinyang to react so strongly. His mouth twitched, and he quickly nodded in thanks.

"Uh... ha, ha ha, well, thank you!"

"No problem, it's what I should do! Good food should be shared with more people! Alright, we've wasted enough time. I'm hungry, let's go get breakfast!"

Ding Xinyang seemed afraid that if Lu Chuan stayed any longer, he would really be talked into leaving by the grocery store owner, so he almost coaxed and tricked Lu Chuan into leaving.

Before leaving, he also gave the grocery store owner an annoyed glare.

"..."

The grocery store owner scratched his head, shaking it speechlessly.

Well, well! The main person wasn't anxious, but the customer was the first to get anxious.

However, this also piqued his interest.

To be so highly praised by a customer, could this young man really be a good cook?

Perhaps he should go try it tonight?

But then, he remembered the previous few shop owners who had fled in disarray after taking over that shop, and he couldn't help but swallow.

Forget it, forget it. So-called delicious food, no matter how good, was just that.

But to knowingly approach a shop that was clearly strange, wasn't that foolish?

The grocery store owner stood in place and scratched his head again. Having not slept all night, his greasy hair became a bird's nest with the scratching.

"Forget it, forget it. I'll go back to catch up on sleep and then peacefully watch the shop tonight."