Chapter 19: Lamb Skewers

This was bad. They really had become ants stealing crumbs of cake.

They had imagined all kinds of outcomes, but never thought they would gain approval without any conditions.

Many people instinctively recalled what Bao Heng had said earlier.

Imagine a tiny ant begging to take a crumb of cake that had fallen on the ground. Which human wouldn’t agree instantly? Would they even ask the ant to offer anything in exchange?

This precisely illustrated the vast power gap between them and the restaurant owner.

Better not provoke her. Definitely not.

Because they had imagined so much, whether it was due to not wanting to deal with Nan Tu or because Lin Gaocen had truly earned great merit this time, he smoothly took over the task of supervising the third camp’s construction. If nothing unexpected happened, he would also be responsible for managing the camp afterwards.

Although the third camp wasn’t large, it had all the necessary facilities. It included a medical center, a research lab, a logistics department, a materials warehouse, and a branch of the Mercenary Guild. Now under Lin Gaocen’s management, it was equivalent to taking a piece of meat from the hands of all parties. Compared to his previous awkward position of having a title without real power, this was already an excellent starting point.

The professionals responsible for mapping and positioning had already set off. Once they successfully returned, a new coordinate labeled [Nanlai Restaurant/Third Camp] would appear on the maps carried by mercenaries. They would no longer be isolated and helpless in the Anjin Desert. There would now be a place where they could finally catch their breath.

The name “Third Camp” was insisted upon by Lin Gaocen. Although some people opposed it, they couldn’t override the authority he had gained from this contribution.

When mercenaries who didn’t know the history asked why it was called the Third Camp even though there was only one in the Anjin Desert, they would then learn what sacrifices had been made by so many people to establish a foothold in this cruel desert.

This name was an invisible monument standing tall in the Anjin Desert. It commemorated not failure but the refusal of the people of Tianling City to give up, even after falling countless times.

———

“Sister Nan Tu, they’ve already started working. There are lots of vehicles, building materials, and construction workers outside,” Xin Huan said after going outside to check out the excitement.

Nan Tu was only interested in the workers. “Will they come to eat at the restaurant?”

Xin Huan hesitated for a moment and replied with some difficulty, “The camp will provide meals, and the workers probably aren’t well off. They can’t compare to mercenaries.”

Being a mercenary was dangerous, but it came with genuinely high earnings. And mercenaries were generous spenders. Who knew if they’d have another meal after this one? Better to enjoy it now.

Nan Tu had a different opinion. “Those who earn more can have the kind of business that suits them. Those who earn less can have a different kind of business.”

At two in the afternoon, there were hardly any customers in Nanlai Restaurant. Outside, the Third Camp, or more accurately, the Third Construction Site, was bustling with activity.

The desert was as scorching as ever. Walking on the sand felt like stepping on burning iron. The workers were drenched in sweat.

They were all hanging on with sheer determination. The desert was hot and harsh, so they demanded higher pay. Their lives might even be threatened by beasts, so they asked for even more. When they thought about how one day here earned them more than a whole week in Tianling City, they gritted their teeth and endured.

Because of the incidents at the previous two camps, people were scared. As soon as they heard about recruitment for a new camp, they backed out. But the pay offered this time was truly attractive. Only under such heavy incentives were they barely able to gather enough people. Lin Gaocen, who was in charge of the entire camp’s construction, hadn’t left the site since day one. He had no choice. Without him there, everyone felt uneasy.

The higher-ups said that as long as they stayed within the site, they would be safe. But very few workers truly believed that. Why? Just because there was a restaurant nearby, the place was considered safe? What kind of logic was that?

Sure, the restaurant owner was impressive. She even opened a shop in the Anjin Desert. But it was still hard to believe she had the kind of power to protect this many people.

“All units, rest for fifteen minutes!” a voice came through the loudspeaker.

They had to keep up the progress, but they were also afraid of mass heatstroke among the workers. So there were scheduled breaks.

But to worker Chen Hongwei, it was worse this way. He’d rather push through and finish in one go. That way, he would suffer less.

Because resting didn’t offer any relief either. This was the Anjin Desert. There was no effective way to cool down. Pouring water on yourself felt good, but no one did that. It was desert water, and even drinking had to be rationed.

As soon as the rest announcement came, the workers scattered, rushing to sit under the shade nets nearby. They took out their water bottles and sipped carefully.

Chen Hongwei dragged his feet over as well. Just before he could sit down, he suddenly sniffed the air and asked the person next to him, “Did you smell something?”

He wasn’t the only one who smelled it.

Several workers started whispering to each other, “It smells so good, what is that?” “It’s the smell of meat. Who’s grilling meat?” “The scent is coming from this direction. Should we go take a look?”

Someone suggested it and was the first to stand up. Several people, including Chen Hongwei, couldn’t help but follow.

No one wanted to leave the comfort of the shade, but the aroma was simply too tempting. Especially for the workers who hadn’t eaten anything good for a long time due to resource scarcity, just the smell alone felt like a reward.

Following the scent not far, the signboard of Nanlai Restaurant came into view. Chen Hongwei suddenly understood. There was a restaurant nearby, so having the scent of food coming from it made perfect sense.

A grill was set up at the restaurant’s entrance. Nan Tu was flipping lamb skewers while sprinkling seasoning. As the flames licked the meat, the rich aroma from burning charcoal, oil, and spices suddenly intensified. A fan on the side was blowing hard. It seemed to be sending cool air to the person working by the grill, but in fact, it was spreading the scent of the grilled meat far away. No wonder so many people were drawn over.

As they got closer, the crowd slowed down and started hesitating. Someone whispered, “The foreman warned us several times not to offend the people from Nanlai Restaurant. He even said we’d have to bear the consequences. It sounded scary.”

Someone else argued, “But this really is a restaurant. We’re paying for food, not stealing. How can that be considered offending them?”

That made a lot of sense. No matter how powerful the restaurant owner was, the place was open for business. Everyone looked at the grill. The skewers were almost done. All were evenly sized lamb skewers with just the right mix of fat and lean meat, roasted to a charred brown by the flames. Tiny droplets of oil dripped into the charcoal with a sizzle.

They couldn’t take it anymore.

Chen Hongwei strode forward with the determination of someone ready to risk everything and asked, “How much is one lamb skewer?”

Xin Huan pulled out a bottle of cold beer and said, “Set Meal No.1: one bottle of cold beer and five lamb skewers. Two Level-One crystal cores in total.”

Cold beer?! Did he hear that right? Chen Hongwei stared at the bottle of beer with condensation forming on its surface, eyes wide.

Afraid someone else might beat him to it, he quickly pulled two Level-One crystal cores from his pocket and handed them to Xin Huan. “I’ll take one set meal!”

The moment the cold beer was in his hand, the chill in his palm reminded him this was real. He actually bought a bottle of cold beer in the desert. And it only costs two Level-One crystal cores.

“You’re the owner of this restaurant?” he asked Xin Huan cautiously.

Xin Huan pointed at Nan Tu. “She’s the owner. I’m just an employee.”

Chen Hongwei looked at Nan Tu with newfound respect. No one had believed the rumors about her before, but just for being able to sell beer and meat skewers at a price they could afford, Nan Tu was a goddess in his eyes.

He wanted to say more, but the crowd surged forward and pushed him to the side.

“I want a set meal!” “Here are four Level-One crystal cores. I want two bottles of cold beer!”

“No pushing, line up!” Xin Huan, who was in charge of payment and meal distribution, was swamped. “Each person is limited to one set meal. If you want more, get back in line!”

The first to try something new always gets the benefit. While others were still waiting eagerly, Chen Hongwei was already pressing the beer to his face. The chill made him shiver, but he couldn’t bear to pull it away, so he pressed it even tighter. He then looked at the lamb skewer in his hand, brought it to his mouth carefully, and took a bite. His eyes instantly narrowed in bliss.

The piece of lamb was about the size of a fingertip. Its edges were grilled to a crisp, and when he bit into it, the meat juice seemed to burst in his mouth. It was incredibly tender.

It was so delicious. Chen Hongwei tore off a big piece and chewed it thoroughly, reluctant to swallow.

After finishing one skewer, he used his teeth to pry open the beer cap and raised his head to drink.

In just an instant, the cold liquid filled his mouth and spread through his entire body. The aroma of malt and hops between his lips and teeth was intoxicating. The refreshing feeling made him want to shout, completely sweeping away his heat and fatigue.

Chen Hongwei almost stopped thinking. One bite of meat, one sip of beer. It felt like the life of a god. By the time the last foamy drop fell from the bottle, all that remained in his hand were a few empty skewers. At that moment, the bell to return to work rang.

The workers who had eaten the meat skewers and drank the cold beer returned to their posts with a completely different energy. They looked refreshed and full of spirit, even working with more vigor.

A coworker next to him, with a forehead shining from the sun, asked weakly, “We all had a break. How come you look like you’ve taken stimulants? I feel like I haven’t rested at all.”

Chen Hongwei lowered his voice, but couldn’t hide the pride in his tone. “During the break, we bought cold beer and grilled meat skewers from in front of Nanlai Restaurant.”

The coworker looked at him doubtfully, trying to see if he was being played. But he saw the sparkle in Chen Hongwei’s eyes, the unconscious smile at the corners of his mouth, and the excitement and anticipation radiating from him. It was impossible to fake.

“How long until the next break?” Chen Hongwei mumbled to himself. “I have to buy more. Who knows if they’ll keep selling? Beer… meat skewers… hehe…”

His expression looked too real. Even if Chen Hongwei wanted to lie, he wouldn’t lie to himself. Imagining the scene based on what he said, the nearby workers could almost feel the cool beer sliding down their throats. The temptation was unbearable. One quickly said, “Next break, I’m going with you.”

Waiting felt especially long. When the break signal finally came, the two of them dashed out at once.

In front of Nanlai Restaurant, a long line had already formed. Word had spread, and it was even more lively than before.

Every time Xin Huan took out a bottle of cold beer or Nan Tu pulled out a handful of new lamb skewers to grill, the crowd would get extremely anxious, afraid they’d suddenly announce the food was sold out and the stall was closing.

But Nan Tu had clearly prepared plenty. The only thing stopping the workers from getting their beer-and-meat-skewer set meals was the bell signaling the end of break.

The people who didn’t get to eat later hung their heads, regretful that they hadn’t run faster.

“Who told you not to believe what I said, wasting time like that?” One of the companions, walking toward the construction site, bit into a meat skewer. Time was tight, and seeing his companion still walking at a leisurely pace, he made up his mind to leave him behind. Fortunately, it didn’t affect him getting the set meal.

“This is too unbelievable. It’s not strange that I can’t believe it right away. If it’s fake news, running around in such hot weather and sweating like this, wasn’t that all for nothing?” The person who didn’t get the set meal muttered to himself in defense.

“What’s so unbelievable about it? Everyone’s been saying that the boss of Nanlai Restaurant is here, and that’s why the mutant beasts dare not come close. It’s been a few days since work started. Have you seen any mutant beasts attack people? We haven’t even seen a shadow of them! She has that kind of power, so what’s strange about her taking out ice-cold beer?”

He handed over the last skewer of lamb to his companion. “Here, try it. Next time, remember to pay me back when you get the set meal.”

His companion quickly took it, without any hesitation, and stuffed it into his mouth. Sliding the meat off the skewer, his tongue first tasted the salty and slightly spicy flavor. The spices had already seeped into every thread of the lamb under the heat, followed by the rich aroma of the meat, tender and full of flavor.

Before he could even savor it fully, his teeth hit empty space. He realized the skewer was completely clean, with not even a shred of meat left.

“I’ll definitely get the set meal next time!” he sighed dramatically.

————

The business was booming, and the system was pleased: [The progress bar is rising fast; at this rate, we’ll soon get a new attribute point!]

Nan Tu thought to herself, “There are a lot of people buying the set meals, but the customer price is low. How come the progress is increasing so quickly?” Normally, when she served mercenaries, each person paid several times more than the workers, but she didn’t see the system being so prompt.

[Customer numbers are also a factor in the evaluation.]

Now it made sense.

The workers had all gone back to work, and Nan Tu and Xin Huan had figured out their rest schedules. They were about to head into the restaurant to cool off and put the leftover beer back in the fridge.

Just then, Lin Gaocen and a few of his subordinates walked over.

“Boss Nan, do you still have ice-cold beer?” He was here to buy beer for his subordinates. The news that Nanlai Restaurant had beer and skewers had spread throughout the construction site, and everyone was craving it. So, Lin Gaocen decided to buy some for everyone.

Nan Tu sold him the remaining two boxes of beer and over a hundred skewers of meat, receiving two shiny level-three crystal cores and 1,200 yuan in cash.

She admired how well-timed Lin Gaocen’s visit was; she had something to discuss with him too. Just then, Lin Gaocen spoke first. “Boss Nan, will you be selling these again tomorrow?”

Lin Gaocen had thought it over. Since they were going to have frequent dealings with Nan Tu, he might as well treat her as the owner of Nanlai Restaurant, making everything easier for both sides.

“Of course,” Nan Tu replied without hesitation. “Business is great. The workers’ spending power isn’t bad either.”

“It’s your set meal that’s irresistible.” The aroma of the barbecue was so overwhelming. The workers consumed a lot of energy, and just the smell alone made them ravenous, not to mention the ice-cold beer that was like nectar in the desert.

A set meal like that only costs two level-one crystal cores. The workers, looking at their high wages, were willing to buy and enjoy themselves. Why did people work so hard in life? It was for a good meal. Eating is the most important thing. No matter what, if you have food in your mouth, you’ve earned something.

Lin Gaocen shared his plans: “I’ll arrange for the workers to stagger their rest times, so it’s not a mad rush to line up.”

The workers who came late had to go back empty-handed, and they hadn’t had a proper rest after standing under the scorching sun in line. Seeing the long queue, Nan Tu also felt the pressure. Staggering the breaks would be easier for everyone.

“That sounds like a good plan.” Lin Gaocen was considerate, and Nan Tu felt a little embarrassed to share her own plans. The restaurant was getting busier, and she wanted to hire more workers.

She rarely encountered suitable people from the post-apocalyptic planes, and now so many workers had gathered nearby, she hoped some of them might be a good fit. If she missed this opportunity, who knew when the next chance would come? That’s why Nan Tu didn’t want to wait any longer.

But then she thought about it: this could easily be seen as trying to poach Lin Gaocen’s people. He had worked hard to bring them from Tianling City to the Anjin Desert, and now she was about to steal them away.

Nan Tu steeled herself and told Lin Gaocen her intentions.

Lin Gaocen, of course, agreed right away. This wasn’t a big deal. Given Nan Tu’s contributions to the Third Camp, if she gave an order, he could send twenty people to help at the restaurant without issue. It seemed like Nan Tu wanted to pick the people herself, so he decided not to interfere.

“Of course, no problem. Without Boss Nan, there would be no Third Camp. Tianling City will always remember that.” After thinking for a moment, Lin Gaocen added, “If you find suitable candidates, we’ll keep their dormitories reserved, whether before or after the camp is completed.”

This was a huge help for Nan Tu. She had been worried about where the new employees would live. If they were of the opposite sex, they couldn’t stay with Xin Huan upstairs in the restaurant, and even if they were the same sex, Nan Tu preferred Xin Huan, the employee she worked with most, to have her own independent space and not share with anyone.

Now that the accommodation issue was solved so smoothly, it was a relief.

The recruitment notice was soon posted.

The workers who came to buy the set meals all gathered around to read the notice on the wall.

“‘Hiring restaurant staff, good pay and full benefits,’ do you think we can eat all the skewers we want if we work here?”

“Look at you, of course, we can drink as much beer as we want.”

“Impossible. How can you serve drinks if you’re drunk?”

“‘Cooking experience preferred,’ does making your own food every day count as experience?”

Many people were intrigued. They had tasted the boss’s cooking at Nanlai Restaurant, and even a simple lamb skewer tasted so delicious it could make anyone swoon. If they could cook other dishes, wouldn’t that be even better? Resources were scarce in Tianling City, and for these years, no one had eaten anything too fancy—people just made do, hoping they wouldn’t starve.

If they could stay at the Nanlai Restaurant for work, setting the salary aside, just the meals alone wouldn’t be a loss.

However, this would mean staying in the Anjin Desert permanently, which is different from the temporary stay for setting up the camp. People with families would hesitate as soon as they thought about it. The trip from Nanlai Restaurant to Tianling City is not easy, and once selected, they could basically forget about looking after their families.

Some workers with fewer attachments didn’t have as many concerns, and many of them filled out the application forms on the spot.

In two days, Nan Tu received more than forty applications.

She interviewed each of these people one by one. Nan Tu didn’t have that much time, and the workers who applied also weren’t that convenient. At least so far, they were still employed to build the camp and couldn’t be available on short notice.

Looking at the application forms alone didn’t give a good judgment of a person’s ability or character. But Nan Tu had a cheat.

“System, these are the candidates for the upcoming positions at the restaurant. If I hire people who are lazy, lacking in character, or problematic, it will affect the business. Could you help me filter them out?”

The system hesitated for a moment, feeling that Nan Tu’s request wasn’t unreasonable: [Alright, what are the criteria?]

Nan Tu: “Gender doesn’t matter, but they must have good character, be diligent, and not be gossipers.”

The system went through a filtering process and finally left Nan Tu with five candidates.

Nan Tu was surprised, “Only five left?” Her requirements weren’t that strict, were they?

The system replied with its usual calm tone: [Some people have good character but are clumsy. Some are diligent but enjoy gossiping behind people’s backs. Not to mention that at least half of them are just here for the unlimited lamb skewers. Their attitude isn’t right. How could they be employees? It’s already pretty good that there are five left.]

That made sense. Nan Tu decided that even if she couldn’t hire enough people, it was better than hiring unreliable ones. She went through the five names, planning to ask Lin Gaocen for help in arranging interviews the next day.

Were these the colleagues she would be working with in the future? Xin Huan also came over to look at the list.

She scratched her head, looking at one of the names. “Ning Zhao, this name sounds familiar. I feel like I’ve heard it before. Let me think…”

Nan Tu turned her head, wondering if Xin Huan knew this person. Nan Tu scanned Ning Zhao’s information, and there wasn’t anything unusual about him, except that in the skills section, it initially said: Good at killing… The word “killing” was quickly crossed out and replaced with “splitting,” but even “splitting” was scratched out and changed to “good at knife skills.”

It was a bit unsettling.

Just then, Xin Huan slapped her thigh. “I remember now, but it shouldn’t be… maybe it’s a coincidence.” After all, it wasn’t that easy to have the same name.

“What shouldn’t be?” Seeing her muttering to herself, Nan Tu lightly flicked her head.

“Is this person’s reputation bad?”

“No, no,” Xin Huan replied, looking puzzled. “It’s actually a good reputation. I remember there was a mercenary team leader with that name. When their squad was returning, they were ambushed by several powerful beasts and nearly wiped out. He carried the only surviving, unconscious team member all the way toward Tianling City and was rescued by another mercenary squad.”

Xin Huan tried to recall, “I think there was something more to it, and this mercenary, Ning Zhao, even received an award from Tianling City. But the details are unclear. At that time, I wasn’t old enough to be a mercenary, so I just heard stories about how many squads were losing members and suffering heavy casualties. The more I thought about becoming a mercenary, the more I resisted hearing these stories. If not for everyone talking about it, I probably wouldn’t even remember the name.”

Though Nan Tu was curious about Ning Zhao’s past, she decided to focus on the candidates’ current performance for the time being.

Hopefully, she could hire suitable employees to lighten the workload for both her and Xin Huan.