The thought that these crafty Players might cause trouble for him in the future stirred Lin Bai's restless heart; a preemptive strike seemed the best course of action.
He cast a few glances at Mo's Sword Gym across the street, very tempted to go in and speak with the gym owner about taking over their recruitment efforts.
Making connections would allow him to earn some pocket money while also profiting from the Players' endeavors, accumulating a good amount of "water" for his Negative Emotion Tree.
He was seventy percent sure he could seal the deal. NPCs currently didn't understand Players, so their methods wouldn't be as ruthless as his. It would be a waste to miss such a profitable opportunity.
But after much contemplation, Lin Bai eventually suppressed his eagerness.
There would be plenty of time.
If you push things too hard, connections are bound to end prematurely.
It's better to let the metaphorical "leeks" grow fat and juicy first; they'll be more satisfying to harvest later.
After all, life is a marathon, not a sprint.
Players relied on NPCs for their development, while he, possessing what was essentially a cheat, relied solely on his System for growth!
One group relied on others; he relied on himself.
He would be the ultimate winner.
Attracting all the NPCs' ire from the very start would be disadvantageous. The "natives" should bear some of the burden, and he would ensure they did.
「...」
Having decided to spare the Players for now, Lin Bai visited the nearby market to prepare for his shop's opening.
His ability to level up his Martial Arts and Inner Strength hinged on this venture.
「...」
The night passed without incident.
「The next day.」
Dawn was breaking.
Lin Bai opened his eyes, feeling full of energy.
It turned out that having a +4 to his Spirit attribute indeed granted him more usable time than an ordinary person.
He pushed open the door to his room, and before he could call out, Liu Chun, the waiter, was already there with a basin of water, a wide smile on his face.
Inspired by Lin Bai's earlier words, Liu Chun's heart burned with enthusiasm, and he was filled with vigor. Of course, he was more than happy to serve this guest who recognized his efforts and was also generous.
"Sir, your washing water is ready. It's neither too cold nor too hot, just the perfect temperature," Liu Chun said, his face beaming with an eager, expectant smile.
Lin Bai looked at the young waiter and offered a sincere smile. "Thanks, Little Guo. Keep up the good work; you're fantastic. I've traveled far and wide for many years, and you're the most dedicated attendant I've ever met..."
The words were the same as yesterday, but Liu Chun's eyes widened. He could hardly process what Lin Bai was saying.
His smile visibly froze on his face, his mind buzzed, and a bitter taste filled his mouth. "Sir... my surname isn't Guo..."
[Disappointment from Liu Chun, +1]
Negative emotions increased.
Looking at the young man's crestfallen, naive face, which seemed to reflect a deep disappointment with life itself, a flicker of pity touched Lin Bai's heart.
He sighed inwardly, took out a few copper coins, and said with a smile, "I know, you're Liu Chun, right? I was just teasing you. Actually, I wanted to teach you a lesson: on the path to success, those who shower you with praise aren't necessarily good people. They might be trying to use you. You need to develop your own judgment in dealing with people and situations. Also, your heart must be strong. Don't let small setbacks make you constantly worry about gains and losses..."
"Yes." Liu Chun's smile reappeared, and he nodded emphatically. "I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Sir. Is there anything else you need? I'll go prepare it..."
"No need, you can go now!" Lin Bai said, waving his hand dismissively with a smile.
What a naive kid!
Too bad the Positive Emotion Tree hadn't been activated yet. Otherwise, that little speech would have yielded a double income.
「...」
After breakfast, Lin Bai arrived at his shop. The sun was already bright in the sky.
The carpenters and blacksmiths, along with their apprentices, were waiting at a distance outside the shop. Beside them lay a variety of shoddily made fixtures and utensils.
Player Dumbelldore was among them, the most spirited of the lot. He stared at Lin Bai with an intense, fiery gaze, as if Lin Bai were a rare delicacy.
"Good morning, everyone!" Lin Bai greeted them with a smile. "Why are you all waiting out here? It's quite cold."
As he spoke, everyone, except the Player, shot him resentful looks.
You don't know why we're not going in?
Negative emotions spiked again, and Lin Bai mentally "watered" his tree with another bucketful.
Such good people!
He chuckled. "Masters, let's get to work! Our shop is opening today; let's not miss the auspicious hour."
"Shopkeeper, what about those three inside?" Zhang Achun, the carpenter, asked cautiously.
"Don't worry, they won't come out during the day," Lin Bai said. "Besides, I'm here, aren't I? I can't let anything happen to you on opening day, especially in broad daylight."
What kind of statement was that? Nothing can happen during the day, but it can at night?
The craftsmen muttered under their breath but didn't dare to object. They picked up the flawed items and, with trepidation, began to furnish the shop.
The sign for "Chef's Divine Food Stall" was hung, along with a couplet. The first line of seven words read, "From all lands, travelers are welcome guests," and the second line of six words, "From lakes and seas, all come to eat."
Inside the shop, there were three tables on the left and four on the right; some had chipped corners, others had holes. Not a single stool beside the tables was stable without a stone wedged underneath it. A metal chopstick holder sat on each table. On closer inspection, the chopsticks inside were of various sizes and thicknesses, with no two forming a matching pair. The teapots were iron; either the spout was crooked, or the lid didn't fit properly.
Wooden plaques displaying dish names hung on the walls, inscribed with peculiar items like "Fried Blossom Bull," "Mandarin Duck Fried Open Ground," "Red Bean Arch Rice," "Sun Spring Noodles," and "Owed Pancake."
The tables, stools, pots, bowls, and spoons were all new, yet none were intact—enough to drive anyone with OCD mad.
「...」
"A peculiar man, he must be truly peculiar." Dumbelldore watched as the shop gradually took shape. Despite the awkwardness of it all, he became increasingly certain of his initial guess.
All the items were ready-made, and Lin Bai's requirements for the restaurant weren't particularly strict. Once everything was arranged, a notification chimed in his mind: task completed.
[Congratulations on owning your own restaurant! Reward: 10 taels of Silver (can be withdrawn at any time)]
[The Kitchen God also needs to support himself. Please sell your first culinary creation. Reward: 1 tael of Silver]
"What's wrong with this damn Cooking God System?" Lin Bai was rendered speechless by the follow-up task and its reward. I spend one hundred taels of silver to open a restaurant, and you reward me with ten? Then, for selling one meal, you reward me with another tael of silver... Are you trying to cultivate a Kitchen God or a God of Wealth? Did you even consider that the System holder might not know how to cook at all? What about knife skills? Specialty dishes? Without these, how can I possibly keep the restaurant running? Everyone is so busy; surely you don't expect me to go out and learn to cook now!
However, despite his grumbling, Lin Bai didn't pay much mind to the follow-up task.
In his view, this so-called Cooking God System was merely an add-on to his other systems, something dispensable. If he were truly relying on the Cooking God System, he wouldn't have opened the restaurant in this location, nor would he have decorated it in such a fashion. With Players swarming everywhere, could he really resign himself to cooking in a restaurant for the rest of his life?
Still, silver that could be withdrawn should be withdrawn. At least he could recoup some of his initial investment.
He silently thought, "Withdraw."
"Please specify the withdrawal location."
Lin Bai paused, then silently specified: "Palm."
Subsequently, a gleaming ingot of silver materialized in Lin Bai's palm.
The silver ingot appearing out of thin air made Lin Bai's eyes light up. Damn, the Cooking God System isn't useless after all! You can specify the withdrawal location. When I have more money, I could totally make it appear suddenly to hit someone. This silver feels quite hard...
「...」
With all the items in place, the carpenter quietly asked the blacksmith, "Shutang, what about the payment? Should we still ask for it?"
The blacksmith's expression was uncertain. "Let's ask! If we don't get paid, we'll have made a loss!"
If Lin Bai were still the fool easily deceived by the Tooth Line, demanding payment would be perfectly reasonable. But now that Lin Bai had become a formidable figure capable of suppressing ghosts like Ah Piao, asking for money had become problematic.
"You go first," the carpenter said, glancing at the blacksmith and reaching out to shake the nearby table to check its stability. "I still have a few things to finish up. I'll go when I'm done."
The blacksmith choked, then reached out to fiddle with the chopstick holder. "I'm not bloody finished either!"
Before he could finish his sentence, both men, who had been keeping a close eye on Lin Bai, saw the silver appear in his hand. Their eyes instantly lit up.
He's taken out the silver; he doesn't intend to default on the payment!
Honorable!
The carpenter immediately straightened up and muttered, "I heard that cultivators do not accumulate unresolved karma. It turns out to be true."
Hearing this, the blacksmith stopped fiddling with the chopstick holder and hurried towards Lin Bai.
The carpenter quickly followed.
Seeing the two craftsmen approach him, Lin Bai asked, "Is there anything else?"
The carpenter grinned. "Shopkeeper, the work is finished. About the payment for labor and materials, do you think we could settle it now?"
Lin Bai's eyebrows shot up, and his face suddenly turned cold. "Masters, are you joking with me? Look at the work you've done! The characters on the sign are written incorrectly, and the couplet has seven words on one side and six on the other. How could I possibly show this to outsiders? It's good enough that I'm not asking you for compensation, yet you have the audacity to ask me for money?"
Zhang Achun's face instantly flushed crimson, his Adam's apple bobbing. "This was clearly your..."
"My what?" Lin Bai interjected. "Was my head kicked by a donkey? Who pays for furniture like this?"
[Anger from Zhang Achun, +1+1+1...]
[Anger from Zhang Shutang, +1+1+1...]
That's right. Lin Bai considered himself a good person; he couldn't bring himself to bully the weak, like that waiter Liu Chun. However, these two craftsmen had colluded with the Tooth Line, clearly intending to cheat him out of his deposit. If it weren't for Ah Piao, if he had truly been an ordinary person, they might have conned him so badly that he would have died penniless in a foreign land.
Should good people be bullied?