Chapter 14: Can You Help Me Out?

Early in the morning, Yun Tao stood on a tiny stool, brushing his teeth with laser focus.

He couldn’t resist last night and ended up finishing the nougat Jiang Qing gave him. His baby teeth were already a little embarrassing—getting a cavity would just make things worse!

Yun Tao braced himself like he was heading into battle, brushing even harder.

Once done, he tidied up his little horns, logged into his social media account via the system, and posted an update about the “Worry-Free Scallion Oil Noodles” being back in stock. He was getting the hang of running the account, even adding a hashtag for good measure. Scrolling through related posts, he spotted several glowing reviews for the noodles—some were even trending.

He gave a few of them a like and left an adorable comment. Selling cuteness? Oh, he’d mastered that skill too.

The noodles had garnered great feedback, with customers reveling in the joy of their newfound good fortune. As Yun Tao read through the posts, he felt the need to remind people: Yes, the magic herb ping grass is powerful, but it has its limits. Eating the noodles wouldn’t always trigger good luck—if your troubles weren’t too heavy, the herb’s energy might not activate; if the sorrow was overwhelming, the herb might not be strong enough to resolve everything.

“Gotta put together a proper disclaimer someday,” Yun Tao mused, feeling like the epitome of a responsible and considerate boss.

As the restaurant opened, a grandpa appeared at the door. He wore a straw hat, led a big yellow dog, and carried a heavy gift box in his hand. His expression was stern, with brows furrowed deeply as though carved with a knife. He didn’t look like someone easy to get along with.

Yun Tao didn’t recognize the grandpa, but he knew the dog—wasn’t this the star of yesterday’s “Lost Dog” notice, Yao Yao?

“Woof woof!” Yao Yao, a social butterfly of a dog, wagged its tail excitedly, trying to get close to Yun Tao.

When Taxue came out of the shop, Yao Yao got even more hyped, lowering its front paws and wagging its tail so hard it was practically sweeping the ground. It barked nonstop in excitement.

Yun Tao understood it immediately: “Boss! Boss! Morning, Boss! You’re looking so sharp today!”

Silly dog.

Taxue, ever the aloof one, ignored the excitable pup and rubbed up against Yun Tao instead.

Yun Tao and the stern grandpa stood there, staring at each other in silence. Finally, Yun Fenghe broke the awkwardness. “Grandpa Pu, here for breakfast? The shop just opened; you’ll need to wait a bit.”

Yun Fenghe rarely saw Old Pu, and for good reason—both of them tended to keep to themselves.

Without a word, Grandpa Pu nodded and shoved the gift box into Yun Fenghe’s hands. “A thank-you gift.”

It had been so long since he’d spoken to others that his tone came off stiff.

Yun Fenghe guessed the box probably contained a porcelain set—maybe teacups or plates. Old Pu was known for his odd personality and his struggling ceramics shop. Sometimes, in fits of frustration, he’d even shoo customers away. Everyone thought his shop would shut down eventually, but year after year, it somehow stayed afloat.

Yun Fenghe tried to hand the box back. “No need for this, Grandpa Pu. It was Taxue who found Yao Yao—you can just buy the cat some fish snacks.”

Hearing its name, Taxue looked up at Old Pu, its gem-like eyes sparkling with intelligence.

Old Pu gave Taxue a nod of acknowledgment before quickly looking away, his gaze landing on Yun Tao. The little guy had just woken up, his messy curls sticking out in all directions. His amber eyes were bright and curious, staring back at the old man.

For a moment, the ever-serious Grandpa Pu’s face softened, though he quickly hid it again. He shoved the box back firmly. “It’s for the kid—nothing fancy, just something for him to use at meal times.”

Yun Fenghe knew better than to argue with Old Pu. When he made up his mind, there was no changing it. Resigned, he accepted the gift.

He ruffled Yao Yao’s head. “Looks like Yao Yao’s doing great.”

Old Pu’s expression shifted, his tone slightly more animated. “This rascal dug a hole and ran off last night. If Taxue hadn’t been so sharp, who knows what could’ve happened.”

The thought made him angry again, and he scolded the dog, “You’re a real troublemaker!”

Yao Yao howled in protest: “Awoo awoo awoo!”

Old Pu, having no concept of playing the elder, argued back with the dog. “Oh, so now you’re acting all wronged?”

Yun Tao piped up, “It’s explaining what happened last night.”

Old Pu turned to him with interest. “Oh yeah? Then what did it say?”

Yun Tao put on a serious face. “It said a foreign friend passed by on a scooter and invited it to play. It couldn’t resist the scooter, so the foreigner helped dig the hole. After they got out, they had too much fun, and by the time it realized it was lost, the foreigner was already gone. It tried to find its way home but got lost.”

Old Pu didn’t believe a word but couldn’t help laughing. He tapped Yun Tao’s nose playfully. “You’re full of it, aren’t you?”

The kid was kind of adorable.

Yun Tao frowned. “You don’t believe me?”

Old Pu grinned. “I believe you, I believe you.”

The most unconvincing response ever.

As the pair bantered with Old Pu, Tai Sui was running around managing the shop single-handedly, muttering to himself: This place would fall apart without me.

Gradually, more customers trickled in for breakfast. When they spotted Old Pu, they were all surprised.

“Wow, this shop must be something if it got him to come out!” one whispered. Everyone in the area knew Grandpa Pu as the guy who mostly stayed home gardening and cooking for himself, never venturing past his own yard.

The curious stares made Old Pu uncomfortable. He grabbed his food and left quickly, but as he walked off, he overheard someone asking, “Taotao, are the scallion oil noodles available today?”

The mention of those fragrant noodles made Old Pu’s mouth water. He figured he’d have to come back tonight to snag some.

As for the noodles—of course, they were on the menu. After the morning rush, the shop switched to selling only scallion oil noodles for the rest of the day. They were understaffed, after all.

By late afternoon, a long line had formed outside the shop. There were fans who’d come because of online posts and plenty of locals too. The “Worry-Free Scallion Oil Noodles” were selling like hotcakes.

After a hectic day, Yun Tao finally flopped onto his soft little bed and summoned the system.

For once, the system didn’t make him wait. Two calls, and it appeared.

[Mission complete. Rewards delivered!

Level Progress: Level 2 (200/400)]

He was rich!

The little money-grubber cheered, “We’ve made quite a bit lately—it’s time to upgrade the shop.”

No way he could keep overworking Tai Sui. The poor guy might go bald. Yun Tao resolved to be a kind and considerate boss!

He opened the Shanhai Mall and browsed the unlocked R-level goods:

All-in-One Noodle Machine: 50 Shan Hai Coins
All-in-One Ice Beverage Machine: 100 Shan Hai Coins
Automatic Cleaning System: 200 Shan Hai Coins
…

Even better: additional entertainment options were available:

Full-body spiritual energy spa: 200 Shanhai Coins per session.
Simulated Shanhai Realm sleeping environment: 200 Shanhai Coins per session.

Yun Tao took a sharp breath. “So, being wealthy was just an illusion? I’m broke! I can’t even afford to treat my brothers to a spiritual energy spa!”

With gritted teeth, he purchased the all-purpose noodle machine and the all-purpose ice drink machine. Then he exchanged some modern currency for Shanhai Coins to stock up on ingredients.

He stared longingly at the automated cleaning system. If he could get that, Tai Sui wouldn’t need to keep casting cleaning spells and could save a ton of energy! And those extra services, especially the Shanhai Realm sleeping simulation… just imagining it felt amazing. Being able to experience that without even leaving home? Now that’s the dream.

“Guess I’ve gotta hustle harder,” Yun Tao muttered with a yawn before rolling over and drifting off to sleep.

The next day, the machines arrived, instantly crowding the kitchen.

Tai Sui patted the noodle machine with relief. “Finally, no more kneading by hand.”

One more day of kneading, and he might’ve turned into “Muscle Tai Sui.”

“With the all-purpose drink machine, we don’t even have to manually grind soy milk anymore,” Yun Tao chimed in, perched on a chair as he rapidly input a recipe. “Let’s try a lychee drink today. I bet it’ll be a hit!”

Yun Tao underestimated himself. Once the lychee drink launched, it quickly became the talk of the neighborhood, especially among younger customers.

As business boomed, the shortage of staff became glaringly obvious. Yun Tao had only one Shanhai Token, which he was saving for a future lucky draw. He hesitated about pulling from the employee pool but was interrupted when the system came online with a new task.

[Level 2 Task: Participate in the National Trend Weekend Market.

Reward: 200 Mountain-Sea Points, 200 Mountain-Sea Coins, 1 Mountain-Sea Token, and unlock kitchen repairs.

Penalty: Spend 24 hours volunteering in a random realm.]

Yun Tao remembered this market. One of his customers was the head organizer and had once raved about his scallion oil noodles. In fact, this event’s success was partly thanks to his noodles.

The task had Yun Tao grinning. First, he’d never left Shanhai Street, so the idea of going out was thrilling. Second, repairing the kitchen was a priority since the weather was getting hotter, and running a stall was only going to get harder. Third, the event could attract new fans and regulars, helping to smooth the restaurant’s eventual transition to dine-in service.

Following the organizer’s account, Yun Tao found the recruitment announcement.

The event provided only the basics: tables and chairs. The daily fee was 150, and while the celebration ran for two days, the weekend market extended to the end of the month. Participants could register for one weekend or all four.

The stall design had to match the market’s “National Trend” theme and include a product concept. Given the event’s popularity, the review process was strict—just throwing something together wouldn’t cut it.

It sounded like a lot of work.

The trio running Taotie Delicacies? Let’s be honest: only Tai Sui could even pretend to be trendy.

Wait… the system! It had a flair for trends too.

Yun Tao rummaged through the Shanhai Mall. He’d originally opted for budget-friendly eco-friendly packaging, but he remembered there were high-end designer sets.

There they were! Yun Tao did some research and ordered the most complete design package, carefully filling out the requirements and submitting the materials.

While the system itself wasn’t always reliable, the Shanhai Mall never disappointed him. Sure enough, Yun Tao received the finalized designs the next day. He bundled them into a proposal and sent it to the application email. With the event fast approaching, his submission was reviewed and approved in record time.

He could finally leave the house!

Yun Tao was so excited that he immediately told his brothers about it. Jiang Qing and Luo Zheyan happened to be there too. Jiang Qing beamed. “Taotao, I’m going to this event too! Let’s go together! I have a friend in the original fashion section who’s a huge fan of yours!”

Luo Zheyan joined in. “How are you getting there? Need a driver?”

Yun Tao flashed a tiger-toothed grin. “We do!”

Luo Zheyan declared, “I’ll drive!”

There’d be crowds, and Taotao was so small. What if he got lost? What if business boomed and he got exhausted? As Taotao’s self-appointed wild-card older brother, Luo Zheyan felt it was absolutely necessary to tag along.

The day of the event arrived. At the creative park, Jiang Qing got a call from her friend Ruan Ruan, who sounded panicked.

“Our models bailed! Are you here yet? Can you help out?”

“Sure, I’m here. How many do you need?”

“A lot! I even offered double pay, but no one’s available!”

Jiang Qing glanced at the ruggedly handsome guys in the SUV, plus the curious little one peering out the window. A lightbulb went off. “I’ve got four gorgeous guys and one adorable little guy with me. Want me to ask if they can help?”

There was a brief silence before Ruan Ruan squealed. “Wait, are you talking about the owner of Taotie Delicacies?!”

Not a fake fan, clearly.

Jiang Qing chuckled. “Yep.”

“But won’t that clash with their stall? I don’t want them overworked.”

“We’re right next to each other, and they’ve got plenty of help. Besides, their stuff sells out so fast it won’t be an issue,” Jiang Qing reassured her.

Ruan Ruan immediately asked for their height and weight and quickly made up her mind. “Done deal! Double pay. They just need to show up and look good. No need for performances. Ask if they’re okay with it?”

Jiang Qing hung up and shared the situation. “How about earning a little extra? My friend’s ancient-style clothing is stunning, and she’s even hired professional stylists. We’ve got plenty of time, so we could absolutely pull it off. Plus, dressing up could really boost your brand’s appeal!”

As she spoke, the car pulled into the parking lot.

Yun Tao latched onto the key point: changing clothes to make money? Say no more—yes!

He gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

Tai Sui raised a brow. “Do we have to wear wigs?”

Jiang Qing nodded. “Yep. The stylist’s fast, though. Fenghe won’t need one—she’s got a robe that matches his usual vibe. And Taotao’s still a kid, so we’ll keep it simple for him.”

“I don’t need one. I brought my own wig,” Tai Sui deadpanned.

Jiang Qing: …?

You carry a wig with you? Are you a hidden cosplay enthusiast?

The main venue for the market was a spacious red-brick warehouse. With layers of renovations, it blended old industrial charm with vibrant national-style decorations. It looked like something out of an anime—a fusion of folk culture and cyberpunk, with a stunning visual impact.

Jiang Qing, a seasoned attendee of these events, led the group straight to their stall.

Tai Sui took charge immediately. “We’ll stay here to set up. Jiang Qing, take Luo Zheyan and the kid for styling.”

“Got it!”

Jiang Qing guided Yun Tao and Luo Zheyan to Ruan Ruan’s stall. The moment Ruan Ruan saw Yun Tao, her eyes lit up, and she couldn’t look away.

“Oh my gosh, he’s even cuter in person!” Ruan Ruan exclaimed, practically bouncing. “Taotao, my baby!”

Yun Tao blinked, wide-eyed. “Sister, what did you call me?”

“Baby!” Ruan Ruan pinched his cheek, laughing. “I’m a fan-mom! You’re my internet son!”

Yun Tao’s face turned beet red. “W-what? How is that okay?”

“Haha, just teasing! Come on, look at the outfit I made for you. It was inspired by you! I didn’t think I’d get the actual muse to model it!” Ruan Ruan was practically glowing as she led him to check out the clothes. Luo Zheyan, who was normally a certified campus heartthrob, had never been ignored so thoroughly. Yet, instead of being annoyed, he was filled with pride. His little brother really was impossible not to love!