The NO.1 Food Stall in the Wasteland

With his mind a jumble of thoughts, Song Zhigao’s gaze on Shen Lu was complicated.

Shen Lu didn’t quite understand why he looked like he was nursing some deep-seated grievance. She knocked on Cai Su’s door and went inside.

"Sister Shen, are you here to see me?" Xiao Lang sprang up from the bed in one smooth motion, brimming with vibrant energy.

"Boss." Cai Su quickly stood up, her face beaming. "Please, have a seat."

Shen Lu patted Xiao Lang’s head. It seemed the boy had made a full recovery. ’It’s only been a few days, and he’s already adapted so well.’

"I won’t stay to sit. I heard from Mr. Xue that Xiao Lang awakened an Olfactory Superpower?"

"Yes, yes!" Xiao Lang pointed to his own nose. "I can smell so, so many things! Mom smells like braised swimming crab, Sister Shen smells like cake, there’s a faint scent of wood in the air, and lots of other smells I don’t have names for yet."

"That’s amazing, Xiao Lang."

"Hehe!" Xiao Lang puffed out his little chest, bursting with pride. "From now on, I can protect Mom and Sister Shen too!"

"Oh, you." Cai Su tapped her son’s nose. "You don’t even dare go to the bathroom by yourself at night. How about you accomplish that first before we talk about anything else."

"Mom!" Called out like that, Xiao Lang’s face flushed red. ’It’s not that I’m scared to go to the bathroom alone, I just like having company!’

Seeing that Xiao Lang was doing so well, Shen Lu felt completely reassured and left the employee dorms to return to her living quarters.

The following week passed uneventfully, with each day feeling like a carbon copy of the last.

Shen Lu was busy every single day. She handled shop matters during the day, and at night, she lay in bed trying to figure out how to complete her hidden mission.

’How am I supposed to sneak into the research lab?’

Shen Lu scratched her head.

The only good news was that she had finally drawn a "Shop Defense +1" reward. The shop’s defense value went from 6 to 7, only 3 points away from the goal of 10!

Shen Lu’s confidence soared, and she was once again filled with hope for a brighter tomorrow.

The afternoon brought a spell of rare, beautiful weather. It was sunny, windless, and comfortably warm—perfect for basking in the sun and letting one’s mind wander.

Shen Lu moved a lounge chair into the backyard, set out some fruit and snacks, and settled in comfortably to browse her Light Brain.

’This Light Brain is so much better than the phones from my past life,’ she thought. ’Their screens would wash out in direct sunlight.’

The Light Brain had no such issues. You could even adjust the screen’s size and distance at will. It was incredibly convenient.

She started watching a local soap opera, specifically choosing a mother-in-law drama. She was curious to see what they were like in this world.

She was hooked after just one episode.

’Oh, this is good!’ she thought. ’How could they even call this a mother-in-law drama? It’s a hardcore series about interstellar warfare just wearing the disguise of one!’

Less than two episodes in, the female protagonist had already built her own warship and was about to blow up her mother-in-law’s home planet.

Shen Lu was shocked. Shen Lu applauded. Shen Lu gave the protagonist a mental thumbs-up.

As usual, Shen Lu buried the leftover grape skins in the pot where her scallions were growing. Seeing the sprouts had already grown to a finger’s length, she felt a surge of parental pride.

’All that daily fertilizing and watering wasn’t for nothing,’ she mused. ’They might be growing slowly, but at least they’re growing.’

Wait a minute.

Shen Lu suddenly remembered something.

She remembered Lin Zhou once saying she could get a job as a researcher at the institute just by bringing them this pot of scallions.

’Holy crap! The solution I’ve been wracking my brain for to get into the institute has been in my own backyard this whole time?!’

’No, no, no.’

’Calm down. I need to calm down and think.’

Getting into the institute might be that simple, but if she really became a researcher, what would happen to her shop?

The institute supposedly operated under military-style management. You had to live and eat on-site and weren’t allowed to leave without permission.

If she joined, she couldn’t possibly return to the shop every day, let alone find time to cook.

That wouldn’t work. If she became a researcher, she’d be getting her priorities completely backward.

She only wanted to get into the institute to complete the system’s mission, not because she actually wanted to be a researcher.

Shen Lu stroked her chin. She wondered how easy it was to resign from the institute. ’It’s not like you’re signing up to be an indentured servant for life, is it?’

Shen Lu opened her Light Brain to search, but as expected, she came up with nothing.

’Ask Fu Cheng?’

’Probably not a good idea. Fu Cheng isn’t an idiot. The moment I asked, he’d know exactly what I was planning.’

Shen Lu poked the tender green sprout and sighed.

’This is so frustrating.’

She dejectedly put away the lounge chair and went to prepare dinner.

Lately, with Song Zhigao living at the shop, preparing dinner had become much easier for Shen Lu. Sometimes, as she watched him bustling in front of the stove, she’d wonder, ’What is it he’s really after here?’

’It’s been almost a month, and he still hasn’t made a move.’

After dinner, Song Zhigao told Shen Lu he was going out for a bit.

"My clothes are still at my place. I need to go get them."

The excuse was reasonable, and he was going after work hours. Shen Lu had no grounds to object.

Shen Lu nodded. "If the door is locked when you get back, just press the button by the entrance. Someone inside will hear and come let you in."

As soon as Song Zhigao left, Shen Lu had Lin Zhou follow him.

"See where he goes and who he meets. And if possible, I want to know what they talk about."

The first two tasks were simple enough, but eavesdropping would be difficult for Lin Zhou. Shen Lu didn’t press the issue. ’He’ll just have to do his best,’ she thought.

Just as she finished giving instructions, Shen Lu’s Light Brain began flashing frantically. It was a video call from Bai Wanwan.

"Shen Lu, it’s almost my birthday!" Bai Wanwan was sitting on a small sofa in her bedroom, a dark green algae mask covering her entire face, leaving only her mouth exposed. "It’s the day after tomorrow. You have to come to my birthday party."

Shen Lu really wanted to refuse. She had so much to do every day, and all she wanted at night was to relax and be a couch potato.

"Got it," Shen Lu agreed anyway.

"Hmph, don’t you worry. When your birthday comes, I’ll be there to celebrate with you too. Okay, that’s all, I need to finish up with my mask."

With that, Bai Wanwan hung up.

Shen Lu paused for a moment. ’My birthday?’

’Oh, right. My birthday is the same as the original owner’s.’

’But will anyone even remember?’

At nine o’clock that night, Song Zhigao returned. Shen Lu summoned Lin Zhou to the living room of her quarters to report.

"Song Zhigao did go back to his place, but there was someone else there."

Shen Lu asked, "Who?"

"The chef who applied for a job at the shop before." Lin Zhou didn’t know the man’s name, so he could only do his best to describe him.

"I know who you’re talking about." Based on Lin Zhou’s description, Shen Lu quickly identified him as Master Luo. "So, do you know what they talked about?"

Lin Zhou shook his head. "No."

His superpower was telekinesis, not super-hearing or invisibility. He had no way of knowing what Song Zhigao and Master Luo discussed.

"But their conversation didn’t seem to go well. Song Zhigao must have said something offensive, because the other guy slapped him, then stormed out and slammed the door."

"Alright. Thanks for your hard work."

Lin Zhou grunted. "It was nothing."

"You should go get some rest then."

"Okay," Lin Zhou said, but he didn’t move an inch.

Shen Lu gave him a questioning look.