169: Chapter 167 still has hundreds of thousands of words left! I can't wait to read the new chapter.

On stage, one performance after another followed in full swing; below, the audience's attention followed the brilliance on stage like a spotlight. Cheers, applause, and laughter—almost all their passion was poured into that small "Charming Fighting Arena."

Meanwhile, near the side-front of the stage, the "Pisces Sausage Stall"—the one everyone had high hopes for, the one overflowing with aroma—seemed a bit... neglected.

Choi Yena stood behind her sausage cart, looking longingly at the crowded audience area not far away where the sound waves were deafening. She then looked down at the few sausages on her machine—already grilled to a crispy, sizzling golden brown, yet ignored. Her small face was written with disappointment and confusion.

She picked up the tongs, absentmindedly flipped a sausage, then stood on her tiptoes and craned her neck to look around. Clearly, when Eunbi Unnie and Yujin were performing earlier, a few people were lured over by the scent to buy some! Why was it that during Sakura Unnie and Nako's performance, everyone was so busy laughing that they weren't hungry anymore? And during Wonyoung and Hyewon Unnie's performance, everyone was so busy watching that they didn't have any cravings?

"Is no one coming...?"

She muttered into the microphone in a small, pitiful voice. Her words carried through the speakers with a hint of a wronged tremor, and miraculously, they were caught by some nearby audience members amidst the ear-splitting cheers.

A few audience members looked back at her. Seeing her face full of "disappointment" and "expectation," along with the lonely yet stubbornly fragrant sausage stall behind her, they couldn't help but laugh, though they were quickly drawn back to the performance on stage.

Choi Yena felt even more wronged. She pouted, her round eyes seemingly glistening (possibly from the steam of the sausages). No! This won't do! I am the Pisces Sausage Saintess! I carry the hopes of the whole group! How can I fall here!

No! I can't just sit here and wait for death!

An inexplicable fighting spirit (or perhaps anxiety over unsold sausages) surged in her heart. Choi Yena took a deep breath, and the pitiful expression on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of "ferocity" (or so she thought) as if she were going all out. She suddenly grabbed the plastic megaphone next to her (the one used for commentary earlier), switched it on, turned the volume to the max, pointed it at the audience, and used all her strength to let out a world-shaking "promotional declaration":

"EV—ERY—ONE—!!!"

The distortion of the megaphone combined with her massive volume instantly drowned out the faint music from the stage and the clamor of the crowd, attracting countless startled gazes.

Ignoring everything else, Choi Yena continued to roar with the loudest and most "passionate" voice she could muster:

"Are you tired of watching the show?! Tired of laughing?! Are you hungry?!"

"Come to the 'Pisces Sausage Stall'!!!"

"Fresh and hot! Fragrant and crispy! The universe's most invincible delicious sausages!!!"

"Right now—"

She paused, throwing out what she considered an irresistible "trump card," her voice rising even higher:

"THEY'RE—FREE—FOR—EV—ERY—ONE—!!!"

"The first fifty people! No! The first hundred! Free samples!!!"

"First come, first served! Until they're gone!!!"

"HUR—RY—O—VER—!!!"

With the last few words, her voice almost cracked, carrying a sense of tragic heroism as if she would "die of loss if no one bought (ate) them."

"..."

A brief and eerie silence fell over the entire venue.

The music on stage just happened to reach a break.

Everyone heard Choi Yena's "free giveaway" clearly.

The next second—

"Whoa!! Free?!"

"Free sausages? For real?!"

"Go, go, go! Hurry!"

"Wait for me! I want one too!"

Like a stone thrown into a calm lake, the crowd on the side of the audience area near the sausage stall froze for a few seconds before erupting into a massive commotion! Many people didn't even care about watching the next performance (since the third group had just finished anyway) and turned around to sprint toward the source of the aroma! Free! And they were sausages that looked delicious! Who could resist that!

In an instant, the sausage stall that had been deserted just moments ago was surrounded by a surging tide of people, packed so tightly not even a drop of water could leak through!

"I want one!"

"Give me two!"

"Over here, over here!"

"Is it really free?!"

"It smells so good!"

The excited shouts of the crowd and the voices asking for sausages instantly turned the sausage stall into the liveliest (and most chaotic) corner of Myeong-dong.

Choi Yena was first startled by this sudden "grand occasion," but then a huge, dazzling smile bloomed on her face, her eyes narrowing into two slits. She became frantically busy, shouting to maintain order: "Don't push, everyone! Line up! One by one! It's really free! I keep my word!" Meanwhile, she quickly used her tongs to pick up sausages, skillfully brushed on sauces (sweet chili, honey mustard, ketchup), put them in paper bags, and handed them to the countless reaching hands.

"Thank you for your business! Ah, no, thank you for tasting!" "Careful, it's hot!" "Come back if it's good... oh, only one for free, you'll have to buy it next time!" She was running in circles, sweat beading on her forehead, but her smile never faded, and she even started humming a tuneless little song.

However, in the eyes of someone backstage, this "grand occasion" was nothing short of a "disaster."

In the monitoring area, Jiang Zhiyu, who was looking at the screen preparing the flow for the next group, sharply caught the words "free giveaway" from Choi Yena's distorted megaphone.

"Mo... Mworagu?!"

He froze for a moment, doubting his own ears.

Immediately after, he saw the explosion of the crowd in the corner of the monitor (one camera was pointed at the sausage stall area), as well as the "evil scheme succeeded" smile (actually just a silly, happy one) on Choi Yena's face and her hands constantly handing out sausages.

Jiang Zhiyu's eyes widened instantly, his mouth hanging slightly open.

"Shibal—!!! (Korean exclamation)"

A suppressed low roar, full of shock and financial pain, squeezed out of his throat.

"Sausages cost money! Yena, you brat!!" He almost jumped up, his finger trembling as he pointed at the rapidly depleting sausage inventory on the screen (the sausages on the machine were visibly disappearing). He felt his heart bleeding. Those were all real meat sausages! Plus the sauces, paper bags, labor... Even if it was a small stall, the cost was still money! This spendthrift child!

But the next second, he suddenly remembered something. He paused, and the pained expression on his face instantly turned into realization and a hint of awkwardness.

"Oh... right..." He rubbed his chin and muttered softly, "It seems... these sausages, including the machine and ingredients, were all sponsored by 'Happy Amusement Park Food Group'? They were specifically provided as shooting props and ingredients to match the 'Pisces Sausage Saintess' setting?"

He recalled a specific detail in the contract appendix. In that case... these sausages were, theoretically, "zero-cost" shooting materials? Although Choi Yena's "free giveaway" messed up his "sales challenge" plan (he originally wanted them to experience how hard it is to earn money), it seemed... like it didn't cause any actual economic loss? Instead, because it attracted a huge crowd and created buzz (free food), it might have brought unexpected publicity for the sponsor?

Thinking about it this way, it seemed... not a loss? Maybe even a gain?

But—

He looked at Choi Yena on the screen, who was happily giving things away like a wealth-scattering child with zero concept of cost, and the group of hungry audience members whose numbers far exceeded a hundred...

"Hey! Choi Yena! At least leave some for me!" Jiang Zhiyu couldn't help but growl softly again, this time with a hint of being stuck between laughter and tears. "Sponsorship doesn't mean you can waste it like this! And... I'm hungry too!"

He had been busy setting up the venue in the morning, and his mind wasn't on food when he ate with Im Yoona at noon. Now that he smelled the aroma of the sausages (the monitoring room wasn't far, and the scent had drifted over), his stomach was actually growling. Seeing those sausages being snatched up on the screen while he didn't get a single one, a strange feeling of "losing out" welled up again.

No! I can't just watch!

His eyes darted around, and his gaze landed on Im Yoona sitting next to him.