Chapter 88

Although the system's default compensation is quite low, the process is simple and will not be maliciously delayed, unless the other party wants to be included in the list of dishonest persons, or a double blacklist in the other world and reality.

Shopkeeper Lu: Being so close to the local power, alas, another pawn who thinks he can get on the table.

Bei Qiao fell asleep after logging off, without checking whether the calico cat had transferred money to him. As a cat-loving owner, Bei Qiao helped the calico cat just out of convenience, and wouldn't have cared much if he didn't get paid.

The next day, Bei Qiao got up yawning, opened the door and saw Tang Yuan squatting at the door: "Tang Yuan, are you here to wake me up?"

"Meow! Meow! Meow!" Tangyuan crawled up Beiqiao's trouser legs all the way to her chest, and howled at her a few times with an unhappy look on his face.

Tangyuan: You bastard shit scooper! Last night I dreamed that you left with a beautiful calico cat and didn’t want me anymore!

"Tangyuan, what are you doing!" Bei Qiao didn't understand cat language, so he helplessly pinched the ferocious Tangyuan and held him in his arms, stroking his fur.

"Meow, meow..." Tangyuan lay comfortably in Beiqiao's arms and spread out his belly: Forget it, I forgive you, scratch the left side twice more...

After coaxing Tangyuan who was in a bad mood for some unknown reason, Beiqiao finished his meal while holding the cat in his arms, and then took out his phone to check the messages.

For the past month, she'd been so busy in her other world that she'd rarely opened the class chat, and not many people were messaging in it. To be more precise, shortly after the start of her senior year, everyone started missing classes one after another, and the chat group hadn't been active much. Some had already found jobs with the help of their families, others had sent out resumes everywhere but heard nothing, some were busy preparing for civil service exams, and some simply went home to help their parents with chores... Dream? Reality? It wasn't that complicated; many people were simply busying themselves passively.

The reward the calico cat promised him last night had arrived, a total of fifty yuan. Bei Qiao checked his bank card balance, looked at the sky outside, and decided to go downstairs to exercise before going online.

Today was Monday, and the kids in the neighborhood were all in school, so no one would suddenly show up to become his apprentice. Bei Qiao worked out for an hour in the sun, then went upstairs, showered, and finally went online comfortably. He pushed open the door to his inn and made his way down the stairs. It was already bright outside, and the lobby downstairs was bustling with activity: some were checking out, some were eating breakfast, and some were simply occupying the table, doing nothing.

"Good morning, sir!" Shopkeeper Lu leaned on the counter, supporting his chin with one hand, and nodded at Bei Qiao.

"Good morning, boss." Bei Qiao nodded, turned around and walked into the stable through the back door, checked the condition of his mount, and then set off straight for Wuwei Tower.

Wuweilou was not far from the inn, and when Beiqiao arrived, there were no vacancies on the first floor. Wuweilou's business was always booming, but no one could tell whether the guests were there to eat or to see the proprietress.

The waiter standing at the door to greet customers gave Bei Qiao a number card and suggested that she go to the shop next door for a while. When there was a vacant seat in the lobby, she could sit directly with the card. "There is also a menu here. Guests can take a look at what they want to eat first, and then sit down and order."

"Okay." Bei Qiao took the menu and walked next door while looking at it.

The shop next to Wuwei Building was a grocery store with a wide variety of goods. A few children who didn't go to school squatted by the shelves in the corner, playing with cheap toys. They rarely paid for anything, but they didn't damage anything in the store. The owner didn't chase them away, only speaking out to stop them when they were too noisy, and occasionally acting as a referee for these children.

Sometimes people would pass by carrying candied haws, hawking their wares at the top of their lungs. Near the peanut candy shop next to the grocery store, several greedy children would squat in front of it, looking pitiful and empty-pocketed. They gathered in groups of three or five, whispering to each other about something, while their parents sat in a nearby shop, watching over their children.

Bei Qiao walked around and found a private school two intersections away.

The shops near the private school were much quieter than those elsewhere. The shopkeepers here didn't shout loudly to promote their wares, and they rarely argued with others. Even the old man peddling candied haws from street to street would quietly pass by the school, keeping his mouth shut. If he happened to arrive during the school's break, he would even open his shop.

After wandering aimlessly for a while, Bei Qiao noticed a customer leaving Wuweilou from the corner of his eye. He immediately turned and walked towards Wuweilou. Seeing the number plate Bei Qiao showed him, the waiter was stunned for a moment. Just as he was about to speak, he was stopped by another person: "It's okay, sir, please follow me."

"Is there any inconvenience?" Bei Qiao looked around and found that there was no empty seat in the hall: "Do I need to wait a little longer?" It seemed that the people who left from the door before were guests dining in the private room on the second floor, not guests in the hall.

"No need, sir. There are also empty tables upstairs." The woman who stopped the waiter smiled and turned to signal Bei Qiao to follow. "I'm the manager of Wuweilou. My last name is Wu."

Bei Qiao glanced at the waiter, then at Manager Wu, and finally followed her across the hall toward the stairs. The hall was crowded with people dining, the aromas of various dishes blending together without seeming to clash. Taking in the aroma of the food, Bei Qiao actually felt a little hungry, even though she had only just finished breakfast.

Bei Qiao hadn't seen or encountered any of those pretentious, face-slapping plots here. With all the delicious food in front of them, everyone was busy eating and drinking. Even if they encountered a powerful figure, they would still eat a few more mouthfuls of food before paying their respects.

Manager Wu took Bei Qiao up to the second floor and pushed open the door of a private room in the corridor. Seeing this, Bei Qiao stopped and did not continue to walk in: "I remember that I booked a seat in the lobby. Also, it seems that there is a minimum consumption limit for the private room."

She came alone this time, and even if she ate herself to the point of developing stomach problems, she still wouldn't be able to reach the minimum spending limit. The signature dishes, which were quite expensive, were quite generous in portion. Bei Qiao had seen them on the first floor before, where a single dish could easily fill a small bowl.

"You've naturally reserved a seat in the main hall, but there's no charge for this private room today." Qi Guanwei, the beautiful woman I met last night, smiled as she approached from the other side of the corridor with a graceful gait, her figure swaying like a lotus blossom gently pushed aside by the waves. "Nice to meet you again, handsome guest. No one has reserved this room today, so you can have it all to yourself." This was the room Qi Guanwei had reserved for herself, occasionally hosting friends or distinguished guests. The rest of the time, she'd rather leave it empty than let anyone else use it.

When he reached Bei Qiao, Qi Guanwei stopped, with a perfect smile on his face, and bowed slightly to Bei Qiao: "I'm sorry, I caused a little trouble for the guests yesterday."

"Beauty is innocent." Bei Qiao slightly sidestepped: "But since it is the shopkeeper's good intention, I would rather obey than be respectful." You can say polite words, but there is no need. The other party is a person with his own ideas. If you continue to pull, it will only waste each other's time.

"Great, you're such a straightforward person!" Qi Guanwei patted his chest and said, "I thought it would take me a while to convince you. Please come in, guest?"

"Okay." Bei Qiao smiled the same smile as Qi's official Weibo post: "If the arc of your smile changes even a little, I'll believe you." A sincere killer move? It specifically targets sincere people.

"Shopkeeper, it's you. Such a beautiful voice! I knew it couldn't be anyone else!" Just as Qi Guanwei was about to say something, the door of the private room next door suddenly opened, and a drunken man walked out, supported by a servant. "Your restaurant is amazing, but it's a bit boring. There are no songs or music... How about you dance for us, shopkeeper?"

"What song? Wuweilou is not a brothel, just eat your food!" Qi Guanwei glanced at the man lightly, raised his leg and kicked him.

"Ouch!" The male guest fell on the waiter with a smile on his face, and in the middle of the fight, he didn't forget to give Bei Qiao a provocative look. Someone in the private room next door opened the door and looked out to watch the fun. When he saw the man being kicked, he actually let out an envious sound.

Bei Qiao: "..." It's hard to understand why he's still thinking about dealing with me, his suspected love rival. Am I the only one present who heard that crisp, cracking sound? This guest must have had several broken bones.

The sudden appearance of the male guest didn't affect Qi Guanwei's mood at all. In fact, the curve of her lips remained almost unchanged. After another round of compliments and pleasantries, Bei Qiao walked into the private room and took a seat. At Qi Guanwei's warm greeting, she ordered a dish, a main course, and a plate of dessert. To express his apology, Qi Guanwei even gave her an extra dessert.

Manager Wu wrote down the menu, then followed Qi Guanwei out and closed the door of the private room.

Bei Qiao stayed alone in the room, looking at the large table in front of him that could seat ten people. He decided expressionlessly to try sitting at each seat. He had no particular purpose, he just wanted to have fun.

After wasting two uneventful minutes, Bei Qiao randomly chose a seat, avoiding the doorway so as not to block the waiter from serving the food. Sitting sideways in the chair, Bei Qiao fiddled with a fan with one hand, resting his chin on the other, his eyes blank as he began to browse the forums.

Wuweilou served the dishes very quickly, and the waiters who came to deliver the dishes were all girls. Seeing Beiqiao with his head propped up and his eyes blank in the private room, the girls holding the plates immediately brightened up: What a pleasing customer, today is my lucky day!