Chapter 5 Exquisite Fruit Milkshake

Su Xiaonuan looked at the new task that had been refreshed on the system screen in her mind, sighed deeply, and resignedly got up from the sofa.

Fifty cups! And it has to be at the middle school gate!

The system is trying to get her to challenge the student market's traffic.

Moreover, that weekly task, the criminal with a crime value of ≥50, doesn't sound like a good guy; he's much more ruthless than that habitual battery thief from before.

She tucked the money for groceries into her pocket, slipped on her slippers, and went downstairs, intending to first go to the largest fruit wholesale market nearby to get the fruit she needed for the smoothies.

The summer evenings were still sweltering, but the fruit shop was a cool and refreshing place, with all kinds of fruits emitting a rich, sweet aroma.

Holding the list provided by the system, Su Xiaonuan carefully selected the freshest mangoes, strawberries, kiwis, blueberries, as well as bananas and yogurt for the base.

The proprietress was a warm-hearted middle-aged woman who was weighing and packing the box for her while chatting with a regular customer next to her.

"Hey, have you heard? In our neighborhood, the apartment in unit 1203 of building A was in complete chaos again this afternoon!" The landlady lowered her voice, but the sigh in her tone was unmistakable.

"How could I not hear it!" the woman exclaimed, slapping her thigh. "I was taking a walk downstairs at the time, and that woman's crying—oh my goodness, it was so pitiful! People on both floors above and below could probably hear it clearly! What a tragedy!"

Su Xiaonuan paused in her work and perked up her ears.

"You bet! I heard that guy's a scumbag!" The proprietress continued gossiping with the older woman while giving Su Xiaonuan her change. "He apparently hit someone with his car and killed someone before, and had to pay a lot of money in compensation, but he still didn't repent. He's an alcoholic, a gambler, he does everything! He even takes his anger out on his wife when he gets home... tsk tsk, I heard she's had three miscarriages! That woman is pitiful, she just can't bring herself to divorce him..."

[Ding! High-crime target detected! Preliminary scan suggests the target is a male resident of apartment 1203, with a crime score of 51. Major crimes: homicide, gambling, long-term domestic violence resulting in multiple miscarriages for his wife. Warning: The target exhibits high dangerousness and violent tendencies!]

The cold system notification sound exploded in Su Xiaonuan's mind, making her jolted awake.

51!

Just enough to meet last week's target!

And this crime... made Su Xiaonuan's fists harden instantly.

Killing someone in a car accident, domestic violence, and causing three miscarriages? Is this guy even human?!

A surge of anger welled up inside her, and she wanted nothing more than to rush up to 1203 right now, drag that scumbag out, and give him a good beating, so he could taste what it's like to be beaten.

But she took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed the impulse.

No, not now.

She was also carrying a large bag of fruit; she still had fifty milkshakes to make tomorrow.

Rushing in without any evidence would only alert the enemy.

To deal with this kind of scum, you need to use your brain and find an opportunity.

She forced a smile at the fruit shop owner, took the change, picked up the heavy bag of fruit, and left with somewhat heavy steps.

Back home, Su Xiaonuan put the fruit into the refrigerator's crisper drawer, but her mind was still preoccupied with the matter of the family in apartment 1203.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and the more she felt she couldn't just let it go.

Since the system has given a prompt, it means that this target is "legal" and the crime value meets the requirements. Taking him down will not only complete the weekly task and unlock the new store, but also rid the people of a scourge!

She thought about it and decided to first find out what was going on.

Before it got completely dark, she washed a plate of strawberries she had just bought, took it out the door, and pretended to visit other people's homes. She chatted with a few neighbors in the hallway who looked friendly and seemed to be long-time residents.

"Auntie, have some strawberries, I just bought them, they're so sweet." Su Xiaonuan smiled sweetly, easily starting a conversation.

She casually remarked, "Hey, the soundproofing in this building doesn't seem to be very good, does it? I think I heard someone arguing quite loudly this afternoon, were the kids crying?"

A kind-hearted middle-aged woman immediately pursed her lips and lowered her voice: "Where? It's the apartment in 1203! That man is beating his wife again! Sigh, what a tragedy! They're at each other's throats every other day!"

Another neighbor chimed in, saying mysteriously, "That couple, the man is fierce, the woman is weak, and you can't reason with them. But it's strange, the man is quite particular about food, they both love to eat, especially lobster! Before things got this tense, I often saw them bringing lobsters home."

Lobster? Su Xiaonuan's heart skipped a beat.

She immediately remembered the recipe she had just bought at the charity shop—[Juicy Lobster Balls]!

A plan instantly took shape in her mind.

Since forcing our way in won't work, let's lure them out!

Once I finish setting up my stall tomorrow, I'll set up a temporary stall downstairs tonight, specializing in selling incredibly juicy and fragrant lobster balls!

I don't believe that a man who loves to eat but is also a jerk won't be attracted to him!

Once he goes downstairs, leaves the relatively closed environment of domestic violence, and enters a public place... Su Xiaonuan's eyes turned slightly cold, and she had plenty of ways to make him "reveal his true colors" and let the police "just happen" to pass by!

Su Xiaonuan made up her mind and immediately felt much calmer.

She thanked her neighbor, returned to her cottage, and began preparing for tomorrow's tough battle.

She first carefully washed, peeled, and chopped all the fruits needed for the fruit smoothie, and then packed them into different categories in airtight containers.

Except for some easily oxidized items that need to be prepared and cut immediately.

They then checked the special syrup, concentrated fruit juice, and the small but powerful commercial milkshake machine provided by the system.

Finally, she asked the system to transmit the recipe for the [Linglong Fruit Milkshake] to her. With a thought, a massive flow of information instantly flooded her mind.

The precise proportions of various fruits, the cooking temperature of the syrup, the required consistency of the yogurt, the timing of adding ice, the speed and time of stirring... even the technique of spreading jam on the cup wall and the art of arranging fruit pieces, all the details are presented with unparalleled clarity.

"Hiss... This system's recipes are really accurate, not a single one is fake." Su Xiaonuan rubbed her slightly throbbing temples and couldn't help but sigh.

The variety of fruit smoothies alone far exceeds that of products from ordinary milk tea shops.

The next afternoon, before four o'clock, Su Xiaonuan rode her simple tricycle food stall to the vicinity of the entrance of Shuhua Middle School.

Just as she expected, the place was already bustling with parents picking up their children, as well as some students who had slipped out of school early. It was a lively and vibrant place, brimming with youthful energy.

She found a spot a little distance from the school gate that was neither obstructing the way nor too conspicuous and parked her car.

I had just hung up the blackboard that read "Linglong Fruit Milkshake, 15 yuan/cup" and hadn't even had time to set out all the ingredients and tools when my attention was drawn to a scene in a corner not far away.

Three tall boys wearing Shuhua Middle School uniforms were seen forming a semi-encirclement, blocking a small boy against the wall.