Chapter 18: Red Bean Pastry 

The information provided by Bao Heng’s team was taken seriously by the Tianling City authorities.

However, in order to verify the authenticity of the information, on one hand, a dedicated team was sent to the Anjin Desert to search for Nanlai Restaurant. On the other hand, since Bao Heng’s team had entered Nanlai Restaurant several times, they were invited by the authorities for questioning on a few important matters.

The interviews were conducted individually.

The first to enter the office was Bao Heng.

The long table was surrounded by people, all of them exuding authority. Bao Heng recognized one of them. It was the highest-ranking person he usually had access to, one of the leaders of the Mercenary Guild. But now, that person was sitting in a corner.

Tianling City’s investigation was indeed efficient. Because Nanlai Restaurant’s location in the desert was close to a known mercenary route, by questioning enough mercenaries, they could piece together when the restaurant had appeared.

The final conclusion was that it had appeared somewhere between twenty-three and twenty-five days ago.

No one had seen its construction process. It was as if Nanlai Restaurant had appeared out of thin air. How did the restaurant’s owner manage to do that? Where did the massive daily supply of ingredients and clean water come from? What was the source of the force that repelled the beasts? Did the restaurant’s owner harbor any hostility toward the mercenaries?

Bao Heng, as one of the mercenaries who had met the owner of the restaurant, was considered someone who might have answers to these questions.

But his answer was destined to disappoint. “I don’t know.”

Bao Heng added bluntly, “I also don’t think we’ll be able to get any answers. Only the last question—I can say that, from my experience, I didn’t sense any hostility from her. In fact, she seemed rather friendly.” Especially toward those mercenaries who enjoyed their meals, the attitude of the Nanlai Restaurant’s owner would noticeably soften.

Of course, he didn’t say this last part in such a serious setting.

“No valuable information at all. Just because of some vague friendliness, you all can’t sit still?” A middle-aged man with a gaunt face said coldly. “If it can appear out of thin air, it can disappear just as easily. Won’t all the things we’ve been scrambling to do turn into a joke then?”

“Chairman Chen, aren’t we just trying to find ways to gather information? I think you’re the one who can’t sit still,” another person retorted.

“In any case, some things cannot be left so unclear,” the middle-aged man reiterated.

Bao Heng quickly said, “I don’t think so. To make an inappropriate analogy, ants don’t understand why humans celebrate birthdays. They only need to know they can carry the sweet cake crumbs back to their nest.”

After saying this, Bao Heng cautiously observed everyone. He knew that his words had placed Tianling City in a very humble position, which to the powerful leaders before him, was undoubtedly offensive.

But he really hoped that the Anjin Desert had more than just swirling yellow sand, man-eating quicksand, scorching sunlight, and endless beasts. He hoped there could be a resting place where one could safely close their eyes for a nap, or a medical room to treat injuries in emergencies. Even if it was just a tiny space, it could save countless mercenaries’ lives.

If they insisted on digging into everything and ended up angering the mysterious owner of the Nanlai Restaurant, causing her to vanish with the restaurant just as suddenly as she appeared, that would be a regret beyond repair.

Fortunately, after he spoke, a few people furrowed their brows hard, but no one reprimanded Bao Heng.

“We’ll consider it. You can go back now. Thank you for your hard work,” said a lady with neatly tied up graying hair.

——

Liang Yue entered.

The previous few questions were similar to what Bao Heng had heard, and naturally, the answers were the same: “I don’t know.”

The lady with graying hair pulled out a sheet of paper. “This set of rules was reconstructed by you all from memory. What’s your understanding of it?”

Liang Yue actually had some thoughts, and since she didn’t know anyone present, she wasn’t nervous at all.

She poured out her thoughts like spilling beans. “Are the leaders wondering if someone really has this kind of power? Why not do something that fits their status? Why do something so strange like opening a restaurant in the desert? But I think a truly powerful person can do whatever they want. Even if it’s asking a bunch of people to play house with her, aren’t we all cooperating willingly?”

As she got more excited, she even asked the people before her, “Did any of you play business simulation games as a kid?”

Everyone silently stared at her.

Liang Yue felt a bit awkward. “Uh… I played, and I was really into them. So I used to think, wouldn’t it be great if in real life there was a manor or restaurant or amusement park we could manage? But I wasn’t that capable, so it was just a fantasy. Some people are strong enough to turn imagination into reality.”

She placed the paper with the restaurant rules in the center of the table and pointed at each line as she explained. “So, these rules can be interpreted from another perspective.”

“1. Those who enter the restaurant, purchase food, and pay are considered guests. Becoming a guest means participating in Miss Nan’s large-scale real-life business simulation game. This earns her protection and keeps one from being attacked by beasts.”

“2. Being unable to open the door means it’s not business hours. Miss Nan doesn’t want to play the game at that time, so don’t disturb her.”

“The remaining rules all say the same thing. If you’re going to play the role of a guest, play it properly. Follow the example of those fake customers inside the restaurant. What does it mean to be covered in blood? Walking in flaunting weapons? Are you sincerely here to eat? Sneaky behavior is obviously not okay either.”

“Besides, we are the ones benefiting the most. Why not follow the rules?” Liang Yue asked in return.

Thinking of herself as an NPC guest in a management game wasn’t exactly something to be proud of, but it felt better than being treated like an ant.

After Liang Yue finished speaking, the leaders visibly relaxed.

The last one to be interviewed was Qi Yushu. Because he knew Xin Huan, the server working at the restaurant, he was highly anticipated. Everyone hoped to get some definitive information from him.

But when questioned, Qi Yushu only revealed one thing. “I also found it strange. With such capabilities, why would the restaurant owner choose to open a restaurant and personally prepare food for us? Xin Huan only said one thing: ‘Big shots all have their quirks.’ I think that might be the reason.”

Besides Bao Heng’s team, Ji Xiangming’s group, who had also been to the Nanlai Restaurant were summoned for questioning, but unfortunately, the information they provided was equally scarce. However, one point became clear. Everyone returned safely and, in fact, was well treated. They came back rested and refreshed.

The exploration team sent to investigate the Nanlai Restaurant also returned.

They had conducted a series of tests around the restaurant, including luring different kinds of beasts to its vicinity, just to verify the crucial claim that “within a fifty-meter radius, no beasts dare approach.”

The results confirmed this. Whether it was a provoked and enraged beast, a wounded and even more violent one, or even one that had gone berserk after having its eggs stolen by the exploration team, they all showed inexplicable fear near the restaurant and did not dare approach.

What’s more, even those beasts with extremely acute directional senses, able to navigate precisely in the largely featureless Anjin Desert, experienced brief moments of disorientation and staggering near the Nanlai Restaurant.

The exploration team also found a weak meridian gerbil and forcibly dragged it within fifty meters of the Nanlai Restaurant. As a result, the gerbil crouched on the ground, trembling and not daring to move. Even after releasing control over it, the gerbil seemed unaware and forgot to escape, as if suppressed by some mysterious force.

It could basically be confirmed that the rumors were true. Looking across the entire Anjin Desert, if there was any place that could be called a safe zone, it would be the area around the Nanlai Restaurant.

Finally, the exploration team carefully read the store entry notice posted outside the door. After confirming they had not violated any of the rules, they pushed the door open.

“Later, Lu Cheng was thrown out.”

The team leader reported with lingering fear, “He quietly said, ‘You guys aren’t seriously planning to eat this stuff, are you?’ and the boss of Nanlai Restaurant heard him.”

“How was he thrown out?” Everyone was concerned about this. This should be the first time Nan Tu took action, right?

Cold sweat dripped from the leader’s temple. “We didn’t see anything. Lu Cheng… just vanished. The boss glanced at us and said, ‘If you’re not here to eat, then don’t linger inside the restaurant.’ I hurriedly ran out and saw Lu Cheng lying unconscious on the ground outside the restaurant.”

“After we woke Lu Cheng up, he didn’t know what had happened either. He just felt dizzy, like he had been swallowed by a black hole. He experienced symptoms of dizziness and nausea for several days.” These were Lu Cheng’s own words. Although the team leader felt he was just frightened and talking nonsense, he still relayed them verbatim.

This… The leaders exchanged glances. What they wanted to confirm had already been verified. This Miss Nan indeed possessed unpredictable abilities, and her protection of the surrounding area was not fake. But now the question was, what could Tianling City offer in exchange for such protection? Would the conditions they could barely afford be seen as worthless in her eyes?

“Everything depends on human effort. What we must do now is send someone sincere to Nanlai Restaurant to meet Miss Nan in person. No matter what conditions she puts forward, as long as they’re reasonable, we must do our best to fulfill them.” The gray-haired woman sitting in the center made the final decision.

She emphasized, “A place without mutant beast invasions—gentlemen, think about Camp One and Camp Two.”

A moment of silence followed. It wasn’t that they opposed the proposal, but no one wanted to be the one to go negotiate. The price was too high. Even if the negotiation succeeded, it wouldn’t make them heroes of Tianling City. On the other hand, if the negotiator was too calculating and ruined the talks, they would become the city’s sinner.

“Let me go.” The youngest-looking man in the meeting room stood up.

———

Before Lin Gaocen set out, the city lord gave him special instructions, “Right now, we are the ones in need. There’s no harm in adopting a more humble attitude. I believe you understand how important the supply camp is. As long as the flame of life doesn’t die out, there will be hope for the future.”

The casualty rate for mercenaries was too high. Compared to ten years ago, Tianling City’s population had already dropped significantly. Yet it wasn’t realistic not to send mercenaries to clear mutant beasts. Letting the beasts breed unchecked, and with the threat of a beast tide looming like a bomb that could go off at any time, the appearance of the Nanlai Restaurant had unexpectedly become a lifeline.

“I understand.” Lin Gaocen nodded.

———

After a long and dusty journey, Lin Gaocen pushed open the door of the Nanlai Restaurant.

Mealtime had already passed, and there were only two or three customers in the restaurant.

Nan Tu seemed to be busy in the kitchen, so it was Xin Huan who came out to greet him.

He wasn’t arrogant enough to think his matter had a higher priority, so he didn’t dare disturb Nan Tu rashly. Instead, he quietly sat down at an empty table to wait.

Xin Huan looked at him somewhat curiously. It was because Lin Gaocen’s demeanor and attire didn’t resemble those of a mercenary, and he had entered alone. Mercenaries in the Anjin Desert always acted in teams. If not accidentally separated or abandoned, one would not show up alone at the restaurant. And if he were someone driven out by his teammates, Lin Gaocen looked far too proper.

She only guessed half right. Lin Gaocen was, of course, not a mercenary, and the people who came with him were all waiting outside the restaurant. Bringing too many people would subtly convey an oppressive presence, which would not help communication. Besides, he was the only one who could truly represent them.

“What would you like to eat?” Xin Huan handed over the menu.

Lin Gaocen originally didn’t plan to eat before his official meeting with Nan Tu, afraid it would affect his demeanor and make him seem insincere. Then he remembered Lu Cheng, who had been thrown out, so he obediently pointed at the menu and said, “One red bean pastry, please.”

Good taste. Xin Huan gave him another look. The red bean pastry for today had originally been meant as an after-meal snack for her and Nan Tu, but she had soaked too many red beans, so it was added to the menu. A batch was baking in the oven right now and would be ready soon.

Before long, the red bean pastry had yet to appear, but a tempting aroma unique to pastries drifted over first.

Lin Gaocen looked at the red bean pastries placed on the plate, six in total. Stacked into a small three-tiered tower. The brownish-yellow crust was layered, and a light, sweet fragrance reached his nose, stirring up buried memories.

When he was a child, his mother would always wait for him at the school gate with snacks after school. Sometimes it was a bag of pan-fried buns, sometimes a box of stir-fried rice noodles.

But every time, Lin Gaocen could only take a small bite, while most of the delicious food ended up in his mother’s stomach. She would always eat while muttering, “Your dad has dinner ready and is waiting for us at home. You have such a small appetite. If you fill up now, how will you eat later? Your dad would be sad. I’ll eat the rest so it doesn’t go to waste.”

Although Lin Gaocen was tempted, he also felt his mother made a fair point.

Until one day, his mother arrived at the school early and bought a box of freshly baked red bean pastries. Unable to resist the sweet aroma, she ate them all before Lin Gaocen got out of school. The result, of course, was that she was too full for dinner.

“Bringing snacks every day when picking up the kid, don’t tell me it’s not Gaocen who wants them, but you?” At the dinner table, Father Lin exposed the truth with one sentence.

“Impossible,” Mother Lin said righteously. “Today’s red bean pastries were what Cencen wanted. He lost interest after buying them. It’s just childish whims. I only ate them all to avoid wasting them.”

A huge pot of blame dropped from the sky, covering the little Lin Gaocen.

Father Lin frowned, his gaze turning stern as he looked at Lin Gaocen.

Mother Lin quickly pulled Lin Gaocen into her arms. “What are you trying to do? Don’t you know you shouldn’t scold a child during meals?”

Father Lin sighed with a mix of frustration and amusement. “If I’m not allowed to scold the child, then why did you cover his mouth instead of his ears?”

Mother Lin looked around guiltily.

With his mouth covered, Lin Gaocen shouted in his heart, “Heavenly Judge!”

At that thought, the corners of Lin Gaocen’s mouth lifted slightly as he reached out to take a piece of red bean pastry he originally didn’t intend to eat.

The freshly baked red bean pastry was still warm. His teeth bit through the layers of flaky crust, and the tip of his tongue touched the soft and sweet red bean paste. The sweetness slowly spread like flowing water. In addition to the delicate and glutinous red bean paste, occasionally large whole red beans appeared vividly and were promptly bitten through in one clean bite.

Lin Gaocen’s tense back slowly relaxed. The red bean pastry, using sweetness and softness as a weapon that left no room for resistance, swept everything away, making him feel lazy, as if he had returned to that school gate always filled with various aromas, returned to the embrace of his mother.

After finishing one piece, he stared at the remaining red bean pastries on the plate in a daze, then thought about this time’s task. He was well aware that if he didn’t step forward, who knew how long it would be before anyone made contact with Nanlai Restaurant.

No one was willing to represent Tianling City to come to Nanlai Restaurant. Besides not wanting to bear the responsibility, it was also because they were used to giving orders and didn’t want to experience the feeling of bowing and lowering themselves.

It was as if they had all decided Nan Tu was prideful and that they would be humiliated at Nanlai Restaurant.

But Lin Gaocen felt that, steeped in everyday life and warmed by human kindness, someone who could make such comforting red bean pastries couldn’t be a heartless person.

The other guests had all gradually left.

Nan Tu wiped her hands clean and walked over to sit across from Lin Gaocen. Xin Huan poured tea for the two of them.

Just now, Xin Huan had told her about Lin Gaocen’s odd behavior. Coming alone, only ordering one dish, and stopping after just one bite. Nan Tu had already guessed that this was the person Tianling City sent to negotiate.

First there was Xie Wei, then Bao Heng. Nan Tu figured that Nanlai Restaurant’s existence had already been discovered by Tianling City, and they had already sent people to probe her.

She was quite curious about what kind of attitude Tianling City had. Did they think she was some kind of monster? Or did they put her on a pedestal, hoping she would sweep away the mutant beasts and return a safe and secure living environment to them?

“This guest, it doesn’t seem like you came to my restaurant just to eat, did you?” Nan Tu looked at the plate of red bean pastries in front of Lin Gaocen, with only one piece missing.

Lin Gaocen straightened his back and said, “Miss Nan, pardon my intrusion. In fact, I’m here on behalf of Tianling City.”

“Then what does Tianling City want to say to me, a cook who runs a small restaurant?”

Who would really dare to see Nan Tu as just a cook running a small restaurant?

Nan Tu didn’t seem to like roundabout formalities, so Lin Gaocen spoke directly. “We want to ask for your opinion. Tianling City intends to build a supply and rest camp for mercenaries in the Anjin Desert.”

Nan Tu found it a bit strange. “Why are you asking for my opinion? The Anjin Desert doesn’t belong to me.”

“We hope this camp can be built within the area you protect. The previous two camps were destroyed by violent mutant beast attacks before they were even completed. All efforts were wasted.” As Lin Gaocen said this, a faint trace of sorrow flashed across his face.

“The area I protect… built near my restaurant.” Nan Tu understood.

She lowered her eyes in a thoughtful pose, but was actually communicating with the system.

“I remember the restaurant can only connect to one plane at a time, right?”

System: [Correct. Due to the system’s current energy limitations, it can only connect to a lower-level apocalypse-type plane for now. After collecting more energy, higher-level planes can be unlocked.]

The implication of the system’s words was that Nan Tu would eventually open Nanlai Restaurant to other higher-level planes.

“Then if I shut the space gate that connects to the apocalypse plane, does the deterrent effect on the mutant beasts here disappear?”

[Not at all. There’s a spatial anchor point we left here. Even if other planes are connected in the future, the effect remains unchanged.]

The restaurant just couldn’t connect to multiple planes at the same time. The connected planes could still be reopened. It wouldn’t make sense if she went off to do business elsewhere for a few months, then returned to find the original restaurant location had become a mutant beast’s den. That would really hurt the system’s reputation.

That simplified things. Nan Tu raised her head and looked straight at the young man before her.

Lin Gaocen leaned forward slightly, a trace of nervousness in his eyes. He was ready for the worst outcome. Even a flat-out rejection was fine, as long as there was room for negotiation. But please, don’t throw him out—then they wouldn’t even get to talk.

Nan Tu turned the teacup in her hand and suddenly said, “Alright.”

“If you don’t agree, we can—”

“I said okay, fine, no problem.” Nan Tu emphasized each word.

Lin Gaocen tilted his head slightly, doubting his own ears. No rejection, no conditions, just an outright agreement?

“Building a camp is a good thing,” Nan Tu said as she glanced at Xin Huan. “She’s an employee I picked up in the desert. If she hadn’t crawled into Nanlai Restaurant with her last breath, she probably wouldn’t have survived. But with a mercenary camp in the future, people like her should be able to live.”

Xin Huan, who had been walking back and forth nearby, suddenly stopped in her tracks. She had been pretending to wipe this or sweep that, just to overhear fragments of Lin Gaocen’s discussion about the supply camp and learn the result.

A camp in the Anjin Desert! That was so important to mercenaries and could save countless lives. But now she was an employee of Nanlai Restaurant and couldn’t stand on the opposing side trying to persuade Nan Tu to agree. She could only silently pray for a good outcome in her heart.

But Nan Tu had mentioned her. It was because of her experience, or rather the experiences of countless mercenaries like her, that Nan Tu had agreed right away.

Tears welled up in Xin Huan’s eyes and spilled over. She quickly turned her back.

“I only have one request. Don’t interfere with Nanlai Restaurant’s business. For example, don’t block the entrance with construction debris.”

“Of course not. Everything will prioritize Nanlai Restaurant.”

All of this had come so easily that Lin Gaocen still felt a little dazed.

Nan Tu didn’t feel that she had given up anything significant. Nanlai Restaurant had provided protection to the surrounding area, so now that Tianling City was building a mercenary camp here, wouldn’t more mercenaries come to eat at her restaurant in the future?

That would save her from having to hope every day that a mercenary would get lost and wander to her restaurant for some business.

Since she had already made up her mind, Nan Tu didn’t intend to make things difficult for the young man in front of her.

It wasn’t like she had never worked before. A whole group of higher-ranking leaders didn’t show up, instead sending the youngest and least experienced person to run errands. She clearly understood what their intentions were.

The person who was willing to step up and take responsibility deserved the greatest credit. This enormous achievement, she was determined to let Lin Gaocen be the one to receive it today.

“On behalf of Tianling City, I thank you for everything you’ve done,” Lin Gaocen said sincerely.

“Just come by and support my business in the future. Oh right, make sure to build the camp well. I don’t want to see dying mercenaries crawling into Nanlai Restaurant anymore. It scares the other customers.”

“I will,” Lin Gaocen promised seriously.

After all, this was also the wish of his parents, who had overseen the second camp’s construction.

“Please pack the remaining red bean pastries for me,” Lin Gaocen said to Xin Huan before leaving.