Chapter 100: Playing Tricks

Chapter 100 -99: Playing Tricks

At some unknown moment, a teardrop slipped down Beiming Qianye’s delicate cheek…

After the shooting incident, the cafeteria quickly returned to normal operations.

A long line of customers queued up in front of Chen Momo’s stall to buy sauerkraut fish. In stark contrast, the Japanese ramen stall was becoming increasingly deserted.

To win the final competition, Zhang Wanwan had tried numerous methods. She added more and more seasonings to her ramen, but instead of saving her business, it only grew worse. Zhang Wanwan was on the verge of exploding with rage.

Right now, she and Liu Xiuxiu stood behind the ramen counter, staring at each other in frustration before glaring diagonally across at the sauerkraut fish stall. Business over there was booming. A massive crowd had gathered for the dish—single men and women, mothers with their children, and entire families holding hands, all lined up for a taste of the dish. A happy smile beamed on everyone’s face.

Watching her rival’s increasingly prosperous business with intense jealousy, Zhang Wanwan slammed her kitchen knife into the cutting board. “I really don’t get what’s so delicious about that sauerkraut fish! How can there be so many people lining up for it?” she said bitterly.

Her part-time helper, Liu Xiuxiu, chimed in from the side. “Boss Zhang, I heard the reception headquarters has already printed the promotional materials using Chen Momo’s information.”

Hearing this, Zhang Wanwan became even more infuriated. Before the apocalypse, she had been the owner of a restaurant chain with a hundred branches that was about to go public! And now, she was losing to a mere housewife! If word of this got out, how could she ever show her face again?

Zhang Wanwan turned her wrath on Liu Xiuxiu, cursing loudly. “What’s the point of me spending money to hire you? You’re completely useless! Ever since you started working at my stall, my business has gotten worse by the day!”

Scolded so harshly, Liu Xiuxiu didn’t dare make a sound. She didn’t want to lose this job. But if the Japanese ramen stall’s business didn’t improve, Zhang Wanwan would definitely fire her. Desperate to keep her position, Liu Xiuxiu’s eyes darted around. She leaned in close to Zhang Wanwan and whispered, “Boss Zhang, actually, Chen Momo has a son.”

Zhang Wanwan replied coldly, “I know she has a son. So what? Are you mocking me for being in my forties and not having one?”

Terrified, Liu Xiuxiu shook her head repeatedly and hurriedly explained, “Boss Zhang, please don’t misunderstand, that’s not what I meant. I heard the sauerkraut fish boss’s son is named Chen Xiaobao. The mother and son depend on each other for survival, and Chen Xiaobao is the apple of her eye. Even though we can’t beat Chen Momo’s cooking, we can put some effort into Chen Xiaobao.”

Zhang Wanwan frowned, staring intently at Liu Xiuxiu. “What do you mean?”

Liu Xiuxiu lowered her voice further. “If we make Chen Xiaobao sick the day before the competition, Chen Momo won’t show up, no matter how important the event is. When that happens, the winner will definitely be us!”

With Liu Xiuxiu’s reminder, it suddenly dawned on Zhang Wanwan. Business was a battlefield. Regardless of the methods used, as long as she won in the end, she would be the queen! If she couldn’t beat Chen Momo with her dishes, she would strike from a different angle!

Chen Momo’s son, Chen Xiaobao, was just a five-year-old child. And a five-year-old child was incredibly easy to deceive! At that age, he was bound to be a glutton. As long as she tempted Chen Xiaobao with some expired delicacies and got him to eat tainted food, he would fall ill. Naturally, Chen Momo would be too busy taking care of her son to participate in the competition!

At this thought, Zhang Wanwan felt as if the dawn of victory was waving at her once more. A triumphant smile crept onto her lips.

“You go find Sun Lingtong and have him get some arsenic,” Zhang Wanwan told Liu Xiuxiu.

Liu Xiuxiu was startled. “Arsenic? But that’s highly toxic…”

“Just do as I tell you. I’ll take the fall if anything goes wrong; it won’t come back to bite you,” Zhang Wanwan said. She grabbed a base top-up card, wrote the number “5000” on it, and handed it to Liu Xiuxiu. “This is the down payment. Once the job is done, you’ll get another 5,000 base credits.”

Liu Xiuxiu wouldn’t normally dare to commit murder for money, but faced with 10,000 base credits, she was ultimately tempted. Money made the world go round. This was especially true in the resource-scarce apocalypse. She only earned 30 base credits an hour. To make 10,000 base credits, she would have to work for nearly 400 hours! At five hours a day, it would take her almost three months to earn that much! But now, as long as she helped Zhang Wanwan get the arsenic, this money would easily be hers.

Liu Xiuxiu bit her lip and finally reached out to accept the 5,000 base credits.

The lunch rush was nearly over. The other stalls were already empty, and their owners had started dozing off behind the counters. In front of Chen Momo’s stall, there were still seven or eight customers lined up for sauerkraut fish, though the pressure to serve had lessened significantly.

As Chen Momo worked methodically, she saw Liu Hui Chun walking over with a smile.

“Boss Chen, come with me for a moment. The base commander needs to see you,” Liu Hui Chun said cheerfully.

Chen Momo frowned. “See me?”

Liu Hui Chun nodded. “It’s very important. You must come. I’ll wait for you over there.” Saying so, Liu Hui Chun pointed to a dining table by the window.

“Alright, Accountant Liu, give me a moment,” Chen Momo replied.

Chen Momo handed the remaining work over to Xu Xiaoka, wiped her hands on her apron, and walked over to sit opposite Liu Hui Chun.

Liu Hui Chun handed her one of the cups of hot coffee that had already been prepared. Taking a sip of coffee, Liu Hui Chun beamed. “Boss Chen, after observing for a while, the base commander feels that your sauerkraut fish stall has performed exceptionally well. In terms of both meal quality and customer reviews, you’ve achieved outstanding results. To be honest, you have already been internally selected as the designated catering head for the reception of the headquarters’ leader.”

Hearing this, Chen Momo was pleasantly surprised. However, she still harbored some worries.

“Accountant Liu, there’s still a week until the final showdown! Isn’t it a bit too early to decide now? What if things turn out differently during the official competition?”

Liu Hui Chun laughed and said, “This is the base commander’s decision. He personally tasted your sauerkraut fish as well as Zhang Wanwan’s Japanese ramen, and ultimately chose you. Once the base commander makes a decision, it rarely changes. That is, unless a major accident occurs on the day of the competition.”

Hearing this, Chen Momo felt a great surge of confidence, as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Still, she couldn’t afford to be careless. With a week left until the final showdown, she absolutely could not relax until the very last moment.

Liu Hui Chun continued, “The promotional materials for the headquarters’ reception need to be prepared in advance, and right now, they are all being customized with your information. However, the style of the clothes you’ll wear that day hasn’t been decided yet. The base commander wants me to take you over to try on some clothes now.”