Chapter 27: Customer Acquisition Successful? The Restaurant Welcomes Its First Batch of Tap Water! ...

Just as Lin Yue was secretly worrying about the population growth problem, and even began to think about whether to put up a job posting sign by the roadside (even though there was no road), an unexpected turning point came knocking on his door!

This is all thanks to one person—Old Tom, the unlucky merchant whom Lin Yue traded a meal for a bunch of treasures.

After leaving Lin's Restaurant, Old Tom continued his nomadic business journey.

Perhaps out of gratitude, perhaps simply out of gossip, or perhaps to boast about his extraordinary adventure, he told everyone he met about the strange safe spot he had found on the edge of the cursed land:

"Oh my, you have no idea! That place is really eerie! There's a strange guy living there named Lin Yue. He wears weird clothes and will use a writing board to trade for food with you!"

"The water there is filtered! It's very clean! And there's something called 'potato' that you can roast and eat, it's so delicious!"

"What's the most impressive thing? They actually have ironware! I saw it with my own eyes! Although it looks a bit rough, it's definitely made of iron!"

These words, after being passed from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, gradually changed their meaning and evolved into various versions:

Version 1 (Conservative Version): "I heard there's a safe spot on the edge of the Cursed Lands where you can exchange for clean water, food, and ironware."

Version Two (Exaggerated Version): "Deep within the Cursed Lands lies a mysterious tribe! Their leader is a stranger! He possesses the secret art of iron smelting! He's incredibly wealthy!"

Version Three (Fantasy Version): "Legend has it that an ancient artifact is sealed in the Cursed Land! Recently, there have been unusual movements! A young man wielding the artifact has appeared on the outskirts, capable of turning stones into gold and summoning delicacies!"

...In short, the rumors spread like wildfire among the homeless, refugees, and even small mercenary groups struggling to survive in the surrounding area.

For those who are starving and living hand to mouth, the words "safety," "food," "water," and "ironware" are all incredibly tempting!

So, on an ordinary afternoon, as Lin Yue and Gray were putting the finishing touches on the newly built fence, Uncle Stone Fist, who was on guard duty, suddenly let out a low shout:

"Someone's coming! Three of them!"

Lin Yue and Gray immediately stopped what they were doing and became alert.

On the distant mountain path, three staggering figures appeared. They were ragged, emaciated, and walked with difficulty, looking as if they had just escaped from some refugee camp.

The three men had clearly also seen the smoke rising from the roof of "Lin's Restaurant" and the nascent fence, and their faces showed a mixture of nervousness and longing as they hesitated to approach.

Lin Yue gestured to Gray and Stone Fist to calm down, while he took the initiative to go forward, maintaining a safe distance.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Lin Yue asked, trying to sound calm but with a hint of wariness.

When the three men saw Lin Yue, they were stunned for a moment, probably because they were surprised by his clothes and relatively clean appearance. Then, one of the men, who looked a little older and had a stubble beard, walked forward shakily and knelt down with a thud!

"Sir! Please! Have mercy! Give us some food! We haven't eaten for three days!" The man's voice was hoarse, and he was almost crying.

The man and woman behind him, who looked like a young brother and sister or a couple, also knelt down, their eyes filled with pleading and despair.

Lin Yue was startled by this sudden act of kneeling and bowing. What's going on? When did I become an "adult"?

[System Scan: Three human refugees detected. Vital signs: Extremely weak, severely malnourished, dehydrated. No apparent weapons, no hostility. Assessment: Seeking help due to hunger and desperation.]

Looking at the three emaciated refugees who seemed as if a gust of wind could blow them over, Lin Yue's initial wariness vanished instantly, replaced by deep sympathy.

What a terrible world!

"Get up! Get up!" Lin Yue quickly stepped forward to help them up. "Talk things out calmly, don't kneel down all the time!"

But the three men refused to get up, only kowtowing repeatedly: "Sir! Please! We are refugees from the west. Our hometown suffered a drought and was robbed by bandits. We can't survive! We heard... we heard there is a kind sir here who can provide food and shelter... Please have mercy on us!"

Lin Yue then realized what was going on. It turned out that Old Tom, that big mouth, had spread rumors that had "deified" him? What "kind-hearted adult"? I'm clearly just a shrewd businessman trying to get resources exchanged!

However, looking at those three pairs of eyes filled with longing and despair, Lin Yue simply couldn't bring himself to drive them away.

"Sigh... never mind." Lin Yue sighed. "Let's come in first. There's some meat soup simmering in the pot, let's have some to tide you over."

He brought the three refugees into "Lin's Restaurant".

Gray and Stonefist both frowned when they saw the three uninvited guests. Gray's frown was habitually wary, while Stonefist's was undisguised disdain.

"Hmph, are they all here to beg for food?" Stone Fist muttered.

"Uncle Stone Fist, say less." Lin Yue glared at him, then served each of the three refugees a large bowl of steaming meat soup and handed them a few pieces of roasted potato.

The three refugees' eyes lit up when they saw the food! Forgetting all etiquette, they grabbed roasted potatoes and stuffed them into their mouths, grimacing from the heat. They also devoured the broth in just a few gulps, licking the bowl clean.

Watching them wolf down their food, Lin Yue felt a mix of emotions.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill and recovered a little, Lin Yue began to inquire about their situation in detail.

Through conversation, it was mainly the older man who was talking, while the other two young men seemed somewhat dull, perhaps due to prolonged hunger and fright. Lin Yue learned that they came from a small village called "Kumu Village" to the west.

This year, we suffered a severe drought, resulting in a complete crop failure. The little grain we had stored was looted by passing bandits.

The villagers were either dead or had fled. The three of them were lucky enough to escape, and headed east, having heard rumors about safe spots on the edge of the cursed land. Clinging to their last hope, they came here.

The older man was called Old Bad, an honest and simple farmer. The young couple were his son and daughter-in-law, named Amu and Mia respectively.

After hearing their stories, Lin Yue fell silent. This was the cruel reality of the world. Natural disasters and man-made calamities made ordinary people's lives as worthless as grass.

"Alright, I understand your situation," Lin Yue said. "Considering your difficult circumstances, I can take you in for a few days. But..." He changed the subject, "This isn't a charity; we can't afford to support idlers. If you want to stay, you have to work, understand?"

Upon hearing this, Old Bard and his two companions immediately nodded vigorously: "Understood! Understood! Don't worry, sir! We can do any job! Just give us some food!"

“Okay.” Lin Yue nodded. “Starting tomorrow, Old Bard, you’re getting old, so help look after the experimental fields, weed and water them. Amu, you look pretty strong, so work with Gray, cutting down trees, digging, and moving stones. Mia, if you’re good with your hands, help sew things, or… learn how to process ingredients.”

He simply assigned the tasks.

The three men, including Old Bard, were naturally very grateful and thanked him repeatedly.

And so, Lin's Restaurant welcomed its first truly new members.

Their arrival did indeed bring much-needed labor to the small restaurant. Although old Bud was getting on in years, he was a skilled farmer and managed the experimental fields very well.

Although Amu was clumsy at first, he gradually got the hang of it under Gray's guidance and was able to help with a lot of physical work.

Mia, on the other hand, was very skillful. She not only mended Lin Yue and the others' tattered clothes, but also learned from Lin Yue how to process ingredients and cook. She was even very interested in Lin Yue's strange cooking methods.

The restaurant has become much more popular, no longer the dull atmosphere of three grown men with a child.

However, the addition of new members also brought new problems and challenges.

First, there's the issue of resource consumption. With three more mouths to feed, the consumption of food and water has increased significantly. Lin Yue feels that the little bit of wealth he's painstakingly accumulated is dwindling at a visible rate. The pressure of hunting and gathering has also increased.

Secondly, there are management issues. With more people, rules need to be established. Lin Yue had to spend more energy emphasizing hygiene habits, such as making sure new employees washed their hands before meals and after using the toilet, assigning work tasks, and mediating potential conflicts. For example, Shi Quan would occasionally lose his temper with Amu, who was slow to work.

He felt he was becoming more and more like a worried old mother and a construction foreman.

What troubled Lin Yue the most was the issue of trust and integration. Although the three men, including Lao Bade, were respectful on the surface and worked diligently, there was always a trace of restraint and unease in their eyes that was hard to shake off.

They held Gray and Stonefist, especially Stonefist, in awe and even fear, and rarely communicated with them. Gray and Stonefist, in turn, maintained a distance and vigilance towards these three outsiders.

This subtle divide prevents the Lin Family Restaurant group from truly uniting as one for the time being.

"It seems that just providing food and lodging is not enough..." Lin Yue thought to himself as he looked at the group of people who were all engrossed in their meals and the atmosphere was somewhat dull. "I need to find a way to truly integrate them and build their trust and sense of belonging."

Perhaps... we could organize a group activity? Like... a bonfire party? Or... a unique... otherworldly team building event?

Strange ideas started popping into Lin Yue's mind again.

Regardless, Lin's Restaurant is expanding step by step. Although there are many challenges, the growing popularity has ultimately brought more vitality and hope.

It remains to be seen whether the arrival of these first visitors to the tap water system will attract more followers... or... covetous individuals.