Chapter 137 The day after the Hope Restaurant agreement was signed, ...
The day after the agreement was signed, the three delegations did not immediately withdraw completely.
Around the round table in the neutral zone, humans, dwarves, and elves were engaged in a new round of tug-of-war over the tedious details of the agreement's implementation. Lin Yue sat in a corner, watching Ryan and the dwarves argue heatedly around the map, feeling utterly overwhelmed. This kind of intricate negotiation of terms was definitely not his forte.
"Lin Yue."
Stonefist had slipped out unnoticed and stood in the sunlight outside the door. Looking at the guards packing their belongings for their return journey, he suddenly spoke: "These trivial terms will probably drag on for days. You've come all this way from the Cursed Lands; you can't just stay in this desolate wilderness forever, can you?" A barely perceptible expectation flickered across his face. "Besides, this is the first reconciliation between humans and dwarves in many years. As key figures, you can go and see our true home."
Lin Yue's eyes lit up upon hearing this, but he still had concerns: "Won't it be a hassle for you, Uncle, if so many of us go together?"
Stone Fist waved his hand and laughed heartily, "Don't worry, it'll just be you, Gray, and Flying Leaf traveling with me. Too many people would be conspicuous and easily attract unnecessary attention. I'll take you through the official road into the city, it's a bit of a detour, but it'll let you see the grandeur of the Forge Royal Court!"
Gray and Flying Leaf came over upon hearing this, showing great interest in this rare invitation.
Several days later, when Lin Yue and his two companions followed Shi Quan to the massive main gate of the Furnace Royal Court, which was built against the mountain, they were instantly captivated by the sight before them.
The massive mountain was sculpted into a magnificent gateway, its obsidian-inlaid lintel shimmering with ancient runes. As the heavy gate slowly rose, an unprecedented world unfolded before them.
“This…” Fei Ye gasped, speechless for a moment.
Even the usually composed Gray widened his eyes.
Beyond the gate lay a magnificent city beyond description. A wide stone avenue, wide enough for even colossal beasts to pass, stretched straight ahead, flanked by rugged, powerfully beautiful megalithic buildings. Most breathtaking were the towering stone pillars that supported the seemingly endless dome. Despite the dwarves' short stature, the halls and colonnades they constructed were incredibly grand and imposing, brimming with a pursuit and love of vast spaces. Countless runic crystals adorned the dome and walls, emitting a soft glow that illuminated the entire space as if it were daytime. The walls were carved with the epic tales of the dwarven ancestors' pioneering work in carving mountains and forging divine weapons.
The air was slightly cool but exceptionally fresh, clearly indicating that a sophisticated ventilation system was continuously delivering fresh air from the mountaintop to every corner of this underground kingdom.
"How much strength and determination does it take to hollow out such a mountain?" Lin Yue murmured to himself.
“Our ancestors spent three hundred years carving it out, hammer by hammer, with their own hands and will.”
Walking along the main street of the Forge Court, the three human guests quickly attracted the attention of many dwarves. Most of the dwarves simply looked them over with curiosity, after all, they were being led by Lord Stonefist himself. But some unfriendly gazes were still cast over, mixed with hushed whispers.
"How did humans get in?"
"The things Lord Stone Fist brought should be fine, right?"
"Hmph, not of my kind..."
Lin Yue could clearly sense the vigilance and suspicion, but wherever Shi Quan's gaze swept over, the whispers quickly subsided.
“Let’s go,” Stone Fist stepped forward first, “I’ll show you the civilian and commercial areas.”
However, after leaving the imposing main road and venturing into the labyrinthine civilian district, the scene before him caused Lin Yue's emotions to shift from shock to complexity.
The streets here remain clean, and the ingenious drainage ditches, the ever-burning rune streetlights, the cleverly designed public water pumps, and even the communication stations that can transmit messages between districts all demonstrate the dwarves' remarkable engineering wisdom.
But most of the ordinary dwarfs living here have weathered faces, wear coarse cloth clothes that have turned white from washing, and their eyes show the weariness of long hours of labor.
The market was sparsely stocked. At the food stalls, there was almost nothing but rock-hard black bread and bitterly salty cured meat. One stall owner was banging on the black bread on his counter, calling out, "Freshly baked, five copper coins each!"
Five copper coins? Lin Yue calculated in his mind. An ordinary miner's daily wage was about fifty copper coins, and a loaf of bread would take up one-tenth of that. Just feeding a family of three would cost twenty or thirty copper coins a day, and the remaining money would have to cover clothing, medical care...
“You see,” Stonefist’s voice was heavy, “the best technology is used for the royal court and the army. Most of the dwarven commoners live lives not much different from their ancestors.”
"Why not let technology benefit more people?" Lin Yue couldn't help but ask.
“Cost,” Stonefist’s answer was simple and brutal. “See those rune lamps? The cost of one is enough for a miner’s family to live on for a whole year.”
The subsequent audience with the king went unexpectedly smoothly. The Dwarf King expressed his sincere gratitude to the Hope Trading Company and presented them with a finely crafted battle axe. Lin Yue reciprocated by gifting them local delicacies from Hope Town.
"We hope that more dwarfs will be able to taste this delicious food in the future."
“As you wish, Your Majesty,” Lin Yue replied respectfully.
It was already evening when we left the royal court.
The next day, Stone Fist led the three of them for a stroll along the commercial street in the civilian district. They hadn't gone far when he suddenly stopped, squinting at the street corner: "Isn't that Stone Hammer?"
A familiar dwarf figure was seen furtively pulling something out of a large cloth bag and quickly stuffing it into the hands of another dwarf. The other dwarf took the item, tucked it into his robes, and hurried away.
"Stone Hammer!" Stone Fist shouted.
The dwarf froze, grabbed the bag, and tried to run away.
"stop!"
Stone Hammer took a few steps, then turned around and saw who it was. He stopped, his weathered face showing unease: "M-Master! A human?"
"Husband, what's wrong?" A dwarf woman ran out of the alley at the sound of the voice, carrying a basket. Seeing Lin Yue and Shi Quan, she panicked: "We...we didn't do anything wrong!"
"Don't be nervous," Lin Yue said with a smile, stepping forward and pointing to the cloth bag that smelled of familiar soybeans. "Can we take a look?"
After hesitating for a moment, Shi Chui opened the cloth bag. Inside were still-warm tofu and several tightly pressed pieces of dried tofu.
"You...you've learned this skill?" Lin Yue was both surprised and delighted.
"Yes, yes," Stone Hammer scratched his head sheepishly, "I secretly ran out of the city to learn in the human camp, and it was Master Xiaoshan from Hope Merchant Guild who taught me personally."
"You started a business as soon as you got back?"
Shi Chui's wife, A Jin, added in a low voice, "We dare not make a fuss. We can only sell a little here secretly to supplement our family income. Although we don't earn much, it's better than working ourselves to death in the mine."
"Why don't you dare to make it public?" Shi Quan frowned. "The peace agreement has already been signed."
“This…” Stone Hammer rubbed his hands, looking troubled. “People still have reservations. That bastard Green was spreading rumors that human food was poisonous… Even though the truth is out now, some people are still skeptical. We’re afraid of being criticized behind our backs for doing this…”
Just then, a young dwarf dressed in casual clothes walked over: "Stone Hammer, do you still have tofu today?"
Stonefist was visibly taken aback when he saw him: "Balg Bronzebeard? Shouldn't you be at the border post?"
When the young dwarf Balg saw Stonefist, he was startled and quickly straightened up to bow, saying, "My lord, Lord Stonefist!" He then explained somewhat awkwardly, "I...I have applied for discharge from the army."
"Retired?" Shi Quan was quite surprised. "Why? You had a good future at the outpost."
“Peace has come,” Barger scratched his head. “I think…it’s time to change the way we live.”
"what you up to?"
“I want to learn how to cook,” Balg’s eyes were unusually firm. “Your Highness, when I was at the outpost, I tasted the canned food from Hope Town. The taste… I still remember it vividly. At that time, I thought, how wonderful it would be if more of my people could eat such good food.” He paused, his voice lowering slightly. “My grandfather spent his whole life mining, and he died eating black bread and salted meat every day. His last words to me were: ‘Child, your grandfather has never tasted a truly delicious meal in his life.’ I didn’t understand then, but now I do.”
A brief silence enveloped the street corner.
Stone Fist looked at Balger, then at the anxious Stone Hammer couple, a glint in his eyes.
Lin Yue had an idea and said, "Uncle Stone Fist, since peace is a foregone conclusion, why don't we open a respectable shop here?"
"Open a shop?" The group was stunned.
“Yes, a shop that openly and honestly sells human food,” Lin Yueyue said, his thoughts becoming clearer and clearer, “so that all dwarves can enjoy delicious food with a clear conscience. And,” he glanced at Stonehammer, Akin, and Balg, “isn’t the ready-made team right here?”
"Great idea." Stone Fist slapped his thigh hard.
Without hesitation, Stonefist immediately used his connections to take over an old tavern in a prime location on the busiest street in the slums.
“This shop is a small token of my appreciation to my people,” Shi Quan decided on the spot. “The shop will be registered in my name, the management rights will be handed over to you, and you will keep the lion’s share of the profits.”
"Shi Chui, you're in charge of the bean products."
Shi Chui nodded excitedly.
"Ah Jin, you'll be in charge of the front desk and the accounts."
Ah Jin gave a strong "hmm".
"Balger, you'll be a shop assistant, greet customers, and learn to cook."
Barger rubbed his hands together excitedly.
“However,” Lin Yue pondered, “we are still lacking a head chef who can handle the situation, and we also need to ensure the supply of ingredients.”
Considering the considerable attention their human identities had already attracted in the Forge Court, Lin Yue and his companions decided to return to the human camp to make preparations. Stone Fist understood their concerns and agreed to officially open for business once everything was ready.
Back at the camp, Ah Hu immediately found Lin Yue and Gray: "Mayor, Captain, our caravan has arrived!"
Outside the camp, a massive convoy of over thirty Hope No. 1 heavy trucks was setting up camp. The scene was bustling with activity, and goods were piled high. Barry from the Clover Merchant Guild and Horn, the ore merchant leading the convoy, quickly approached to greet them.
"Boss Lin Yue!" Horn said with a smile. "How could I dare to neglect the task of establishing a trade network for the Dwarf Kingdom that you entrusted to me? I have already made contact with several big merchants in the past few days, and the first batch of goods is here."
"Thank you for your hard work," Lin Yue said approvingly, then pulled him aside. "Horn, there's a new business opportunity I'd like to discuss with you."
"Whatever your command."
"From now on, I hope you will act as the agent for transportation and distribution of the merchant guild's trade with the Dwarf Kingdom. Official bulk goods will be handled separately, but all these small commodities, daily necessities, and ingredients from the common people will be entrusted to you. You will receive 20% of the profits."
"In addition, we have opened a shop in the Furnace Royal Court, and you will be responsible for transporting the ingredients and goods we need in the future."
Horn was overjoyed: "Boss Lin Yue, you've given me a mountain of gold! I, Horn, will definitely handle things perfectly!"
The two made a pact by high-fiving each other.
Lin Yue then spotted a familiar figure in the bustling crowd. The young teacher, Xiao Shan, was sweating profusely as she directed the unloading. Upon seeing Lin Yue, she immediately ran over: "Mayor, the main force has finally arrived. It must have been a tough journey."
“You’ve come at the perfect time, Xiaoshan,” Lin Yue said with a smile, patting his shoulder. “I have something important to ask about your opinion.”
"What did you say, Boss?" Xiao Shan wiped his sweat with his sleeve and looked at Lin Yue seriously.
"I've taken over a shop in the capital and plan to officially operate a human cuisine business. Everything is ready now, except for a head chef who can command respect. After much thought, you're the most suitable candidate. I wonder... would you be willing to take on this responsibility? Primarily responsible for overseeing the dishes and leading the team."
Xiao Shan looked around at the bustling scene, then at Lin Yue's trusting gaze, and puffed out her chest: "No problem, Mayor. To be honest, when I was teaching the dwarfs how to cook, I felt that they were straightforward and honest, without so many hidden agendas, and very easy to get along with. I'm willing to do this job!"
Lin Yue patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction: "Alright, but opening a shop in dwarven territory will inevitably cause some trouble with our human identities, so please be careful. I will ask Uncle Stonefist to send more reliable people to protect you."
Xiao Shan nodded solemnly: "Understood, boss, I will be careful."
Three days later, Hope Food Shop quietly opened in the Crucible Royal Court.
Lin Yue remained silent, only focusing on erecting signs, on which were clearly engraved the following:
[Hopeful Foods - Delicious Flavors That Every Dwarf Can Afford]
The dwarves passing by stopped and looked on curiously.
"A new store?"
"Hoping for delicious food? Selling food?"
"Five copper coins for a meal? Really?"
The low price attracted many skeptical glances. An old miner with a white beard and a hunched back hesitated at the door for a long time before finally clutching the few copper coins he had left and hesitantly went inside.
"Is that... the five-copper-coin set meal that's written on the sign real?" His voice was hoarse and uncertain.
Barger greeted him warmly: "It's true, uncle, five copper coins, all you can eat!"
"Really...really enough to fill you up?" A glimmer of light appeared in the old miner's cloudy eyes.
“Look,” Balg pointed to the menu, “the Dwarf Heartwarming Set Meal: a bowl of hot soup, a can of stewed meat, two white breads, and a dish of tofu. It will definitely fill you up.”
The old miner, his hands trembling, counted out five polished copper coins: "Then... give me one."
He was stunned when the steaming hot food was placed in front of him. The snow-white, soft bread exuded an enticing aroma of wheat, the thick gravy in the can coated large chunks of stewed meat, the tender white tofu lay trembling on the plate, and the hot soup steamed with white vapor.
He carefully scooped up a spoonful of Mapo Tofu and put it in his mouth.
Instantly, the spicy and savory flavors exploded on his taste buds, the smoothness of the tofu and the richness of the sauce creating a wonderfully layered sensation. He abruptly stopped, his hand holding the spoon trembling slightly, his other hand involuntarily covering his mouth, and his eyes quickly reddening.
"...Waaah..." He let out a very soft sob, then realized he had lost his composure. He quickly wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with the back of his rough hand, took a deep breath, as if trying to etch this unprecedented aroma firmly into his memory. He didn't say anything more, just lowered his head and ate one bite after another with utmost seriousness.
After finishing his meal, he stood up and left the shop with slightly hurried steps.
Not long after, he returned, followed by seven or eight old miners of the same age, their faces weathered by time.
"Here it is, have a taste!" he exclaimed excitedly, his face beaming with the joy of sharing a precious treasure.
The veteran miners sat down with some skepticism, ordered their food, and began to taste it. Soon, similar expressions appeared on their faces, ranging from shock to savoring the flavor, and finally to an indescribable satisfaction. Some chewed slowly, some closed their eyes to appreciate the taste, while others began to discuss this unfamiliar delicacy in quiet, enthusiastic whispers.
The news spread like wildfire.
By noon, a long queue had formed in front of the store.
"Have you heard? The food at that new shop is inexplicably delicious!"
"Five copper coins! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
"Get in line quickly!"
The store was instantly packed with customers.
In the kitchen, Xiaoshan gave clear and orderly commands: "Shichui, add ten more servings of tofu!"
"Alright!" Shi Chui's knife work was swift, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Balger, tables three and five are calling!"
"Here they come!" Balger nimbly weaved through the crowd, carrying a tray.
Ah Jin, behind the cashier, was even busier than usual: "Eight copper coins for you... Thank you for your patronage!... Next one... Twelve copper coins, here's your change..."
Lin Yue and Shi Quan stood outside the shop, watching the lively scene, and smiled at each other.
“It seems we’ve chosen the right path,” Lin Yue said.
“It’s more than just right,” Stone Fist said with a broad smile, “it’s a fantastic start!”
After closing time, the store was littered with cups and plates, and everyone was exhausted, but they couldn't hide the excitement on their faces.
As Ah Jin tallied the earnings, his voice trembled with excitement: "Today...today we sold a total of four hundred and thirty-seven servings!"
"How much?" Stone Hammer could hardly believe his ears.
“Four hundred and thirty-seven sets!” Ah Jin counted the coins again. “A total of two thousand one hundred and eighty-five copper coins!”
After a brief silence, cheers erupted from the small shop.
"My God, I made so much money in just one day!"
"We did it!"
Balg slumped in his chair, too tired to move, but a wide grin stretched from ear to ear: "My bones are about to fall apart... but why do I feel so good?"
Shi Chui and A Jin held hands tightly, too excited to speak.
Xiao Shan walked up to Lin Yue, her face stained with soot, but her eyes were exceptionally bright: "Boss, thank you for giving me this opportunity."
“You seized the opportunity yourself,” Lin Yue patted his shoulder forcefully, “Keep it up.”
Stone Fist walked over carrying a wine jug and cups: "Come on, we have to celebrate!"
The crisp sound of glasses clinking echoed in the warm store.
A vague thought flashed through Lin Yue's mind, as if he had forgotten something important, but he couldn't quite grasp it.
Meanwhile, on a desolate path far from the Molten King's Court, a small black cat was galloping frantically along the back of a strong, greyish-white wolf. Reaching a dead end, the white wolf abruptly stopped. The little black cat, however, squinted, staring thoughtfully at the rock face ahead, its tail flicking impatiently twice, directing the white wolf to turn onto another path. The white wolf, exhausted, collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, its large eyes filled with deep doubt about the little black cat's sense of direction. The black cat tightened its grip in dissatisfaction, causing the white wolf a sharp pain, while its tail swung even faster, urging it on. The white wolf let out a mournful whimper, finally resignedly rising to its fate, dragging its weary steps, once again choosing to trust its unreliable navigator, and trudging on in the direction it indicated.
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