88: Foolish words, difficult knots to untie

It was 8:59 PM.

When Lu Chuan and He Jingrui appeared on their tricycle, the long-waiting Regular Customers cheered.

Then, one by one, they all became traffic directors.

“People in front, move quickly! Don't block the Little Boss's vehicle!”

“Little Boss is here! Everyone, clear the way!”

“Everyone, lend a hand! Let's take turns escorting the Little Boss to the stall!”

The shouts were just like the grand scene when a top-tier celebrity travels in China.

Lu Chuan, being swept forward by the Regular Customers, had never experienced such treatment.

His face instantly turned red, so much so that one could almost see steam erupting from the top of his head.

“This is, this is too exaggerated...”

Lu Chuan whispered to He Jingrui beside him, keeping his voice low.

However, He Jingrui was focused on riding the tricycle and didn't hear what Lu Chuan said clearly.

“What? What did you say?”

He turned his head to look, but as soon as he saw Lu Chuan's face, he burst out laughing.

“Hahaha... A Chuan, your face is as red as a monkey's bottom!”

“...”

Lu Chuan glared fiercely at He Jingrui, too lazy to bother with the simpleton.

The tricycle was still moving, as if this road was endless.

Lu Chuan looked at each Regular Customers waving at him, matching them with every face in his memory.

So, everyone who came tonight were Regular Customers?

No, that's not right, there were a few new faces too.

Lu Chuan couldn't help but feel a bit curious.

How did they get here? Did they come with the Regular Customers?

Hmm... no matter what, it didn't matter anymore.

He had already memorized their faces anyway.

Next time they met, they would be Regular Customers.

Lu Chuan rubbed his hot cheeks, then sat up straight, forcing a stiff smile, and after a moment of hesitation, he also started waving back in response to the Regular Customers' enthusiasm.

His wave, however, drew gasps of surprise from the Regular Customers.

“Hahaha, this scene reminds me of a grand military parade.”

“So the Little Boss should tell us 'you've worked hard,' and we should reply 'it's no hardship,' right?”

“No, no, it's clearly a big star getting off the plane and leaving the airport, with fans lining the way to welcome him.”

“The Little Boss is too adorable, isn't he? I just want to hug him and dote on him!”

“Brother from Chengdu, this is offline, not online, please restrain yourself!”

“Little Boss, I love you~ So, can you let me eat my fill tonight?”

Listening to the clamor around him, Lu Chuan almost couldn't maintain his composure; his raised hand was neither good to put down nor good to keep up.

In the end, he could only sheepishly tuck it behind his back and hide it.

But the corners of his mouth, however, uncontrollably curled into a smile.

How could he not give his all, with the most perfect culinary skills, to entertain such enthusiastic and adorable Regular Customers?

The tricycle rode for a while longer and finally reached the spot where he had set up his stall yesterday.

Lu Chuan and He Jingrui quickly got off the vehicle and began preparing the stall.

As for the Regular Customers who had been laughing and joking earlier, after exchanging glances, they quickly returned to their queue.

It wasn't until two minutes later, when Lu Chuan lit up the signboard, signifying that today's snack stall business had officially begun.

“Little Boss, is there a purchase limit today?”

A Regular Customers near the front suddenly asked Lu Chuan.

Lu Chuan looked at the “three-fold” queue and said:

“With so many people, there will have to be a purchase limit.”

The first few people in line, though disappointed, still nodded.

Lu Chuan looked at the even larger crowd than yesterday and, as if by a strange impulse, added another sentence.

“However, the grilled fish prepared today are relatively larger, and we've also prepared a lot of side dishes, so three adults can eat one and still be very full.”

The Regular Customers understood his implication.

Although there was a purchase limit, one grilled fish could be shared by three people.

This way, more people would be able to eat, rather than coming for nothing.

The Regular Customers at the very back, who had been somewhat anxious about whether they would get to eat, heard this and seemed to see a glimmer of hope.

They had arrived relatively late and, seeing the number of people ahead, knew they would most likely not get to eat, but they were still unwilling to leave, just wanting to try their luck.

Now, perhaps, there was hope?

However, a new question arose: how many grilled fish had the Little Boss prepared today?

Under their expectant gazes, Lu Chuan revealed a small blackboard on which he had written the quantity and price of each of the three flavors of grilled fish.

Qi Yuan quickly scanned it and calculated the total number.

“A total of 80!”

If shared by 3 people, that would be 240 people.

Qi Yuan looked back at the dense crowd behind him and quickly calculated.

Soon, he came up with an approximate number.

He immediately shouted loudly:

“All the Regular Customers combined, it's about 230 people! Enough to share!”

Hearing Qi Yuan's words, the eyes of the Regular Customers at the end of the line lit up like stars.

Lu Chuan was also a bit surprised.

If the 80 grilled fish he had prepared were shared by three people, they really could satisfy all the Regular Customers present!

A smile immediately appeared on his face, and he was about to announce it.

He suddenly noticed the displeased expressions of some Regular Customers in the front row, and the words he was about to say were immediately swallowed back.

Upon closer thought, he realized that things were not as simple as he had imagined.

It made sense; the Regular Customers who had queued at the front might have taken their only day off, might have canceled an important appointment, or might have driven thousands of miles specifically to come.

After finally getting the front position, enduring mosquito bites and aching thighs, and waiting for several hours, it was all to happily enjoy delicious grilled fish.

Now, they were being told that they had to give two-thirds of their precious grilled fish to those Regular Customers who had arrived “late,” “slowly,” or “dragging their feet.”

For the front-row Regular Customers who had put in more effort, this was more than just an imbalance of mindset; it was a matter of their mindset exploding in minutes.

The more Lu Chuan thought about it, the more sweat seeped from his forehead.

He realized how foolish his words had just been.

If not handled well, it could really create conflict between the Regular Customers who came early and those who came late.

And he himself would lose the trust of the Regular Customers.

But now, retracting what he had said earlier also seemed impossible.

He looked up and met the gaze of the Regular Customers at the end of the line, seeing the full expectation in their eyes.

Some words should not have been spoken in the first place.

But since they were spoken, he had to bear the potential negative consequences.

All the Regular Customers looked at the Little Boss, who had suddenly become silent, with some surprise and confusion.

What was wrong with the Little Boss?

He was fine a moment ago, but why had he suddenly stopped talking and looked so conflicted?

Qi Yuan was always smart, but he was still young and didn't have a deep enough understanding of human nature.

At this moment, like everyone else, he scratched his head, looking puzzled.

Qi's Father and Qi's Mother, however, seemed to have guessed something.

They looked at Lu Chuan, who was deep in thought, and a hint of scrutiny appeared in their eyes.

To be so adored by Regular Customers, just having excellent cooking skills wasn't enough.

So, this Little Boss, who seemed to possess a unique personal charm, what would he do when faced with such a deadlock?