Chapter 6 I Dare to Knife
"Uncle Wan, calm down and tell me what happened." Randall blocked Qi Huan with half of his body and explained in a gentle voice how Qi Huan was injured and lost his memory in the hunting area.
"What else could it be? He bought several batches of food ingredients from me on credit more than half a month ago, and we agreed to settle the bill at the end of August. But the date never came, and he didn't reply. I went to the store twice to look for him a few days ago, but couldn't even find him." Although the boss let go of his hand, he was still very angry. He stared at Qi Huan up and down, as if he still didn't quite believe that he had lost his memory.
"The food expenses for the restaurant in the human world usually total about 700 to 800 silver coins a month. How come they owe so much?" Rondo had helped in the store for many years and had a rough idea of the store's business situation. September of each year is the period of restlessness for the stone beasts, and the Waste Star also enters the peak hunting season. Only then can the profits double or triple. But this is last month's account, and no matter how you calculate it, it will not reach more than 3,000 silver coins.
The boss pointed at Qi Huan and said in a gruff voice, "Because he asked for a lot of C-grade ingredients."
"Grade C?" Rondo was surprised. On the waste planet, grade D ingredients are the mainstream. Grade C is more than ten times more expensive than grade D. Unless a customer specifically requests it, the store generally will not stock it.
"Would I lie to you? If I can't find anyone in a few days, I will go to the command hall of the base!" The boss went back to the store and searched for a while, then took out a stack of ordered invoices and threw them in front of Rondo and Qi Huan.
Below were several receipts arranged by category, each with a detailed date and the original owner's signature. Qi Huan flipped through them and found that the signature was very similar to the handwriting in the diary. There were indeed many ingredients marked as Grade C. The top one was a summary settlement sheet with a total of 3,572 silver coins.
The boss sat next to him with a dark face. If it weren't for his friendship with Lin Sen for more than ten years, he would not agree to give the boy credit. But a few thousand silver coins was not a small amount for a food store like his.
"Uncle Wan, don't worry, I will find a way to pay back this debt." After checking the numbers, Qi Huan expressed his opinion while holding the stack of receipts.
Now that he is 'Qi Huan', he should help him shoulder all the responsibilities.
"Return? Why are you returning it?" The boss glanced at him sideways. Good-looking people just like to say nice things.
After he took over, the store's business plummeted, and he was still a weak human who couldn't even get a spot when picking up garbage.
"Of course, I will continue to run the Renjian Restaurant."
Although the situation was difficult, the door-to-door business this morning also made Qi Huan realize that the location of the Human Restaurant was actually quite good for Base 3. Uncle Lin Sen must have considered this factor when he chose the location near the west gate. If he could use his cooking skills to run the business well, and add some assistance such as live streaming, there should still be hope for profitability.
It just so happens that he needs some time to recuperate and slowly replenish all kinds of information before considering his future. Although the conditions on the waste planet are backward and difficult, the cost of living is also low, which is actually just right for him at the moment. The technology on the advanced planet is advanced, and the situation is unclear. If he goes there rashly, what if some machine finds out that he is not the "original"? For the sake of safety, it is better to take a long-term view and make plans after understanding the situation clearly.
What's more, inheriting this store was also the original owner's wish. Although it seemed difficult, he was willing to give it a try.
The boss frowned, his expression full of disbelief. If he remembered correctly, he had heard people mention before that Lin Sen, his adopted son, had failed the chef certification exam several times and had no talent for cooking at all.
"This money is what I earned at the morning market today. I was going to use it to purchase goods. You can take it first. I will pay the rest back every day after my arm heals and resumes business." Qi Huan took out the bag of silver coins he brought with him and handed it to the boss with a sincere look. "As for the time of recuperation, I will also find a way to do some odd jobs."
"Uncle Wan, don't worry. If it really doesn't work out, I will pay it back with him." Rondo said, patting his chest.
Boss Wan sighed, took the money bag and counted it.
There were 192 silver coins in the bag, not even enough to pay off the debt, but their attitude made Boss Wan feel a lot more comfortable. This was already the worst situation. There was no point in forcing people into a desperate situation. Giving them a chance could at least reduce some losses.
Seeing the boss's expression relax, Qi Huan and Rondo looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing them standing there stupidly, the boss pointed to the cabinets on the right side of the store and said, "Why are you standing there? Aren't you here to pick out ingredients?"
"Okay, good." Realizing that the boss was willing to continue supplying him with food, Qi Huan quickly pulled Rondo and walked towards the cabinet.
"What you take today will be deducted from this," the boss tossed the purse in his hand, still with a stern face, "Don't blame me for not reminding you, if you need ingredients in the future, you must pay in cash. No credit."
"Of course, of course." Qi Huan responded repeatedly. This boss was obviously a good person with a hard mouth and a soft heart.
There were more than a dozen kinds of eggs in the food cabinet. Qi Huan didn't recognize any of them except chicken eggs and star eggs. He could only pick the ones that looked familiar or ask Rondo. The difference in eating habits was also not small. For example, there were chickens in the cabinet. Except for being a little bigger, they looked similar to the chickens Qi Huan remembered. But because people here don't eat bones, most of the chickens are only used to make soup.
Qi Huan estimated the appetite of Lin Jian and others, and picked out twelve pieces of animal meat, three plates of eggs, and two boxes of shrimps. After he had made the selection, it was almost time for Rondo, so he gave him a few instructions and hurried back to open the store.
Qi Huan walked around twice and added a box of tofu and a box of green vegetables. The vegetables were too expensive and he was reluctant to buy more.
Glancing at his painful expression, the boss shook his head and said, "In our area, more than 90% of the food ingredients have to be transported from other star regions. Especially those that need to be kept fresh, the transportation cost is high, the loss is large, and the price is of course expensive."
No wonder the most expensive signature dishes in the restaurant are Kung Pao Pork and Purple Melon Scrambled Eggs. It turns out that the cost of vegetables is too high. Qi Huan's mouth slightly shrank, and he silently put things into the thin wire basket in his hand. The basket was borrowed from Boss Wan. There was an additional shipping fee for door-to-door delivery. He was now in a lot of debt and could not afford it.
"Why don't you go to the discount counter in the back?" The boss pointed to the aisle behind him.
Discounted? Qi Huan's eyes lit up. When people ordered food, they would prepare the ingredients as much as possible, but if they ate it themselves, they could take a look. This body was too thin. Just eating that low-level nutrient supplement was not enough. It still needed to be nourished as much as possible.
It was probably late, and the discounted ingredients left in the cabinet were of poor quality. He was picking and choosing in the discount cabinet when a tall, thin man like a bamboo pole ran over from the backyard, panting, "Brother, when will Zhu Jiehu arrive? Another hunting team has arrived, waiting to skin and bone the stone beast. Lao Wu can't handle it alone."
"He's sick and can't come these days. Lao De is in East City and said he can come over after he finishes what he's doing." The boss slapped his thigh and said, "I'll hurry up and urge him."
"If it doesn't work, let's hire a temporary helper. The hunting season will start in a few days, and there is a lot of work in these two months every year." The tall and thin man rubbed his hands and sighed. His thinness was mainly due to his height. If you look closely at his body, he is actually more "thick" than most people in the base.
The boss said with a bitter face, "Temporary helper? Skinning and bone removal is hard and tiring work. After spending half a day learning, there will be no work in a few days. How many people are willing to do it? If it is not possible, let's learn it by ourselves. At least it will be useful every year in the future."
"I'm afraid even if that thing dies, so I dare not cut it." The tall and thin man half covered his face evasively.
The boss scratched his head anxiously, "Do you think I dare? Aren't people always forced to do things?"
"If it really doesn't work, I'll come and try tomorrow." Qi Huan next to him volunteered.
The two brothers looked over at the same time, and the boss asked in surprise, "Can you dismantle stone beasts?"
"I dare to cut."
boss:……
Not quite sure whether Qi Huan was just trying to show off, the boss took him directly to the backyard for a 'field inspection'.
The yard of the food store is much more spacious than the one where Qi Huan lives. It has three courtyards, with a cross-yard on the east and west sides, which have been converted into a fresh-keeping storage and a freezer respectively. The backyard is also fully utilized and a unloading yard has been built.
When the heavy curtain was opened, a strong smell of blood hit me in the face.
On the left side of the yard stood a row of giant, liftable iron racks, with several iron chains as thick as wrists and sharp iron hooks hanging with four or five pieces of animal meat of varying sizes.
In the middle were three large black stone platforms. On one of the platforms was a half-cut head of a Dodo beast. Apart from the skin, its bones seemed to have turned into jade, and were white and translucent. Its blood was white with a hint of green, and it shone green on the platform. A dark, thin man in a leather apron, shirtless, was moving along the half-solid, half-transparent bone seams with a sharp knife in his hand.
There was a muscular man standing next to the stage. Although he was not wearing the iconic jumpsuit, it was obvious that he was a member of the hunting team.
The reason is simple. Most of the indigenous people in the base are skinny and have dark yellow skin. They do not have the healthy and nutritious body and superior aura of the hunting team.
There were two airships parked on the open space on the right. The front one was empty, and there were two people sitting in the back one, with their feet resting on the handlebars and chatting lazily. In the trailer behind the vehicles were several fiery red stone beasts, with sharp teeth and claws stained with residual blood. They were obviously ferocious beasts, and their scales all over their bodies shone with a ruby-like luster, dazzling and gorgeous.
"Found it!" As soon as they got nearby, they saw the shirtless man took out a light green stone the size of a kumquat and handed it to the man standing next to the platform.
The man took out a small box and put the stone in it. Within three seconds, a mechanical electronic prompt sounded from the box, "D-level."
"There's another one." The shirtless man dug out another stone the size of a grape.
Hearing him take out the second one, the two people on the airship turned around and looked over.
The tall and thin man rubbed his hands happily and said, "It's rare to have two. Old Five is just lucky."
The man at the counter also smiled and put it in the box for inspection. It was also D-grade.
At this time, the man named Lao De also arrived, and the two platforms started working at the same time, and the speed immediately increased. Qi Huan subconsciously moved to the edge of the stone platform. Boss Wan was slightly relieved when he saw that there was no discomfort on his face, and he was even carefully observing the angle and position of Lao Wu's cut. But then he glanced at his arm in a splint and sighed softly. His left hand was still injured. Even if he was willing to learn, he probably couldn't help much.
He had to go back to the store to prepare dinner for Lin Jian. Qi Huan agreed with Boss Wan on the time to come the next morning, and then hurried back.
On the way home, he met a few people wearing red uniforms and carrying ray guns. He didn't know how many dishes they had eaten, but they were drunk. They seemed to be searching for something, rushing around arrogantly and domineeringly. Qi Huan followed the others' example and stood obediently against the wall for a long time, waiting for those people to pass before continuing to walk back.
When I reached the intersection of Jinwan Street, I ran into Quan Hai who was coming back from the other side. Most of his body was covered with black oil stains, and it seemed that he had just finished work.
Quan Hai was still carrying the helmet basket, which contained a dozen tubes of nutrients and several bottles of purified water. He glanced at the full iron basket behind him and asked in surprise, "Are you going to cook tonight?"
"Someone has booked a table for dinner." Seeing an acquaintance, Qi Huan felt a lot more at ease.
Quan Hai was stunned, and his expression seemed to say, how could anyone order it if it tastes so bad?
"Did you find anything good this morning?" Qi Huan raised the corners of his lips slightly. This kid probably went straight to work after going to the garbage dump in the morning, and didn't get to eat the animal meat pancakes that he sent over. But it doesn't matter, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.
"A half-full E-level energy stone and a piece of gray iron." Quan Hai puffed out his chest proudly.
"6!" Qi Huan actually didn't quite understand the specific value of these things, but looking at Quan Hai's appearance, it was obvious that he had gained a lot.
"If you want to go, I'll call you next time."
"Okay." Qi Huan nodded. Since he couldn't open the store normally now, it would be good to have more other income.
"Do you know who has a cat nearby? I found a kitten at home." Qi Huan thought of the 'uninvited guest' at home.
Cat? Quan Hai shook his head. It's hard enough to live, why keep a cat?
The two chatted for a while and arrived at Quanhai's door in a blink of an eye.
"I almost forgot." Quan Hai took out four tubes of nutrients and two bottles of purified water from his basket and stuffed them into Qi Huan's backpack.
"Thank you, I'll pay you back later." Qi Huan didn't refuse the kindness. Anyway, if he didn't eat it tonight, he could still eat it when he went to work at the food store tomorrow.
Quan Hai waved his hand, "What? It's just a work lunch. I was supposed to get it for Quan Yu and me, so I'll get it for you."
"Working meal?" He is the only one who owns and works at Renjian Restaurant, and it is not open for business now, so where does the working meal come from?
"It was provided by the base," Quan Hai patted his forehead, remembering his amnesia, and rolled up his patched cuffs, revealing the same Z-shaped red spot on his wrist as Qi Huan's. "Those with this 'N' logo are all staff members of the base."
It turns out it's not Z, but N? Qi Huan turned his head and glanced at his wrist, then looked at Quan Hai in confusion. Wait, didn't the original owner run a restaurant? How did he become an employee of the base?
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