Chapter 321 - 303: The Arcade Machines Have Arrived

Chapter 321: Chapter 303: The Arcade Machines Have Arrived

Ling Xiaoru was pleasantly surprised.

After all, she was more than willing to eat bitter melon as long as it wasn’t bitter.

The fact that bitter melon was good for one’s complexion—keeping it supple and smooth—was a huge draw for any young woman.

Seeing the look on Ling Xiaoru’s face, Li You knew she had accepted the bitter melon. He chuckled and said, "What do you think? Not bitter, is it?"

Ling Xiaoru said, "It’s still a little bitter, but it’s tolerable."

Li You asked, "Is it good, then?"

Ling Xiaoru said, "I wouldn’t call it delicious, but it’s edible."

Li You said, "Edible is good enough. Have some more."

Ling Xiaoru nodded and ate several more pieces in a row.

’Surprisingly, after a few more bites, it actually started to taste pretty good.’

"By the way, Boss, how did you cook this bitter melon? Why is it so mild?" Ling Xiaoru asked.

Li You shared his secret for making the bitter melon less bitter.

Ling Xiaoru nodded along as she listened, saying happily, "Oh, so that’s how it’s done. I’ll have to try it when I get back."

Li You said, "In that case, before you leave tomorrow morning, pick a couple of bitter melons from the garden to take with you. That way, you won’t have to buy any. Besides, you won’t find any as good as mine in the market."

"Okay!" Ling Xiaoru didn’t refuse, instead replying happily, "Thank you, Boss!"

Li You told her not to mention it.

She went back to eating the bitter melon.

Of course, she also ate the other dishes and drank her wine.

Ling Xiaoru decided two bowls of wine would be enough for tonight.

’Can’t get tipsy every single night, after all.’

And as it turned out... she did indeed stick to two bowls and was hardly dizzy at all.

She felt a little light-headed, but it was negligible.

...

「The next day.」

In the morning, Ling Xiaoru left after finishing a bowl of Yangchun Noodles.

On her way out, she naturally stopped by the vegetable garden to pick two bitter melons.

She planned to try Li You’s method to stir-fry them for lunch and see if hers would turn out just as mild.

After finishing his work in the kitchen, Li You went to rest on the rocking chair by the restaurant entrance.

Shortly after, he received a call from a courier.

The courier informed him that four large packages had arrived. They would be dropped off at the courier service point in Wenxian Town, and Li You would need to pick them up himself.

’Four large packages... that must be the four arcade machines.’

They were a day earlier than expected.

Li You was pleasantly surprised.

Having to pick them up himself from the service point was perfectly normal.

That’s how it was in the countryside. Many delivery services only went as far as the service point in town; they didn’t deliver to rural homes, so you had to go pick things up yourself.

At least, that was the case in Wenxian Town.

Li You’s location was rural enough that not getting door-to-door delivery was standard.

’I’ll just go get them myself, then. I can hire a cargo tricycle in town to bring them back.’

So, Li You told the courier on the phone that it wasn’t a problem. He asked what time they would arrive at the service point in town.

The courier said around 12:00 PM.

’I’ll go pick them up after the lunch rush.’

He could be playing on the new arcade machines by the afternoon. Li You was really looking forward to it!

...

Time slowly ticked by to 11:30 AM.

Customers began to arrive for lunch.

Li You went into the kitchen and got to work.

About an hour later, a customer walked into the restaurant, went straight to the kitchen doorway, and said excitedly to Li You, "Boss, your arcade machines are here! I brought them over for you."

The customer’s name was Lu Xiangyun, and he worked at a courier service point in town. He was a regular at the restaurant, stopping by for a meal every few days.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to come every day; he just had to be mindful of his wallet.

Coming every few days to satisfy his cravings was good enough.

He also knew that Li You had bought arcade machines and was planning to host a fighting game tournament.

So, when a batch of deliveries arrived just before noon that day, Lu Xiangyun saw four large packages addressed to Li You and knew at a glance that the arcade machines had arrived.

This made him incredibly excited.

He was a big fan of *The King of Fighters* series and was pretty skilled, too. The moment he heard the news, he had decided to sign up for the tournament.

For one, it sounded like a lot of fun.

Even without any prizes, just being able to test his skills against other *King of Fighters* experts would be a blast.

And on top of that, they’d be doing it with a crowd watching.

That was an exhilarating thought.

For another, he could compete for the prizes.

While he didn’t know what the prizes were yet, he was sure they would be related to discounts on meals at the restaurant.

That was undoubtedly a tempting prospect.

Now, the boss’s arcade machines had arrived. Didn’t that mean the tournament could start soon?

So, Lu Xiangyun was thrilled.

Normally, protocol required Lu Xiangyun to call Li You, inform him of the delivery, and wait for him to come pick it up.

But Lu Xiangyun decided to skip the protocol. He decided to hire a cargo tricycle and take the initiative to deliver the machines to Li You himself.

Coincidentally, he was already planning on eating at Li You’s place that day anyway.

It was a perfect opportunity. This way, the machines could be set up in front of the boss’s restaurant that much sooner.

So, Lu Xiangyun found a cargo tricycle and negotiated a price. Then, he and the driver loaded the four arcade machines onto the vehicle.

He had the driver take them to Jiulong Gorge Restaurant while he followed behind on his electric scooter.

After arriving at the restaurant’s parking lot, the two of them worked together to unload the machines.

Afterward, Lu Xiangyun paid the 30-yuan delivery fee, and the driver left on his tricycle.

Lu Xiangyun then walked excitedly toward the restaurant, which led to the scene from a moment ago.

Li You recognized Lu Xiangyun and knew he worked at the courier service point in town.

He was pleasantly surprised to hear that Lu Xiangyun had already brought the machines over for him.

While it wouldn’t have been much trouble to go get them himself, this saved him a trip.

Not having to go was, of course, a good thing.

Li You quickly thanked Lu Xiangyun.

After thanking him, he asked how he had gotten them there.

Lu Xiangyun explained that he had hired a cargo tricycle.

Li You then asked, "How much was the fee? I’ll transfer the money to you."

Lu Xiangyun waved his hand. "It wasn’t much, Boss. You don’t need to pay me back."

Li You insisted that regardless of the amount, he should pay for it. He argued that Lu Xiangyun had already done him a huge favor by arranging the transport; how could he possibly let him pay the fee out of his own pocket?

Finally, at Li You’s insistence, Lu Xiangyun told him the fee was 30 yuan.

Li You used his phone to transfer the 30 yuan to Lu Xiangyun.

Afterward, Lu Xiangyun said, "Boss, the machines are still out in the parking lot. They’re pretty heavy, so I can’t move them by myself. When you’re done with that dish, we can go carry them over together."

Before Li You could reply, the other customers eating in the dining area all spoke up. "Don’t bother the boss, we’ll go get them!"

"Hahaha! The arcade machines are finally here!"

Of course, the other customers in the dining hall had overheard what Lu Xiangyun said.

They all knew about the arcade machines and the planned tournament as well.

So, they were just as surprised and excited.

That included those who didn’t play fighting games and wouldn’t be entering the tournament.

Even if they weren’t competing, they could still watch the excitement!

The tournament was bound to be lively and fun to watch.

So, they were just as excited and eager.

A buzz of discussion immediately broke out among all the customers.

After a moment of discussion, just as they were about to ask where the machines were, they heard Lu Xiangyun say they were still in the parking lot and that he couldn’t move them alone, needing the boss’s help.

’Why should the boss have to do it?’

So, one after another, they volunteered to move the machines themselves.

As they spoke, they started getting up and heading for the door.

Soon, more than a dozen people had gone outside.

Seeing this, Lu Xiangyun said, "I’ll go help, too."

Then he also headed out.

Li You called out his thanks to the crowd. He was in the middle of stir-frying a dish and really couldn’t step away just then.

He continued cooking.

Soon, the dish was finished. Li You stepped out of the kitchen and went to the front of the restaurant.

By this time, the customers were already carrying the machines over.

The machines were packaged very well, with thick wooden frames for protection.

After setting the machines down, a customer asked, "Boss, are we unboxing them now?"

The customers were all eager to see what the machines really looked like.

Of course, so was Li You.

"Let’s do it!" he said. "Unbox them now. All four of them. I’ll go get some tools."

After saying that, he walked into the kitchen as if to search for them, then retrieved a hammer, pliers, and other tools from his Storage Pavilion.

He returned to the front of the restaurant with the tools. The customers took them from his hands and immediately got to work.

Soon, the first arcade machine was freed from its packaging.

Everyone’s eyes, including Li You’s, lit up.

’This machine is gorgeous.’

Then someone else stepped up to test the joystick. "Nice, very nice. The joystick feels great. Playing *The King of Fighters* on this machine, you’re bound to play much better."

"The quality of this machine is really top-notch. Boss, how much did one of these cost?"

Li You replied, "1,500 yuan."

The customers all nodded. "You get what you pay for. The quality of a more expensive machine is on a whole other level."

By this point, the other three machines had also been unboxed.

Their colors were different, but the quality was just as high.

The customers gathered around the machines, liking them more and more the longer they looked. Their hands were starting to itch.

Lu Xiangyun’s hands were itching the most. He said excitedly, "Boss, do you have a power strip we can use to plug these in? How about we turn them on and check them out?"

Li You nodded. "I’ve had one ready for a while. Could I trouble everyone to help me move the machines over here?"

Where to?

To the spot Li You had specifically designated for the four arcade machines. He already had power strips ready and waiting there.

The customers all nodded and agreed. "Sure!"

Then they all worked together to move the four machines to the spot Li You indicated.

The four machines were lined up in a row, spaced about half a meter apart.

It was starting to feel like a real arcade.

Many customers commented on this. When they were kids, the machines in the arcades they used to visit were set up just like this.

It was the same in modern arcades, too.

Li You plugged in all four machines and powered them on.

The moment the machines lit up, the arcade atmosphere intensified.

Lu Xiangyun said excitedly, "Who’s up for a match of *The King of Fighters ’97*? Let’s be the first to play on the boss’s new machines!"

"I will! I will! Me!"

The words had barely left his mouth when someone eagerly volunteered.

...