Chapter 18 (1/2): I want this shop

Jumping Hotpot Restaurant (3)

“Zai Ren, what are you looking for?”

A cold breath hissed near Jiang Xi’s ear, like a chilling wind brushing against her skin.

Jiang Xi stepped forward half a pace, widening the distance, her cold eyes fixed on the man behind her.

“Why are you staring at me?”

Perhaps unprepared for Jiang Xi’s fearless challenge and reverse questioning, the man’s smile stiffened at the corner of his lips.

“Zai Ren, is there something you need? Do you require my assistance?”

Jiang Xi blinked once, her gaze piercing toward the kitchen.

Was he trying to keep her from sneaking into the kitchen by sticking so close?

She withdrew her gaze, pretending indifference as she first went to the restroom to look around but didn’t find Lan Fengtai.

During this time, the man remained glued behind her, like an irritating patch of dog grease.

On the way back, Jiang Xun deliberately slowed her pace.

Passing by the kitchen, her footsteps tapped against the floor as she glanced back at the man.

Smiling faintly, the man watched as Jiang Xi suddenly pushed open the kitchen door.

The stench of blood instantly burst forth.

Jiang Xi quickly scanned the kitchen and immediately noticed the waiter from before, who was holding a knife handle, stabbing it deep into her own heart, decisively tearing it out.

Ripping out her own heart like chopping a melon, the waiter remained cold and indifferent.

The bloody smell crawled like thin threads into Jiang Xi’s nostrils.

A faint laugh came from behind.

Jiang Xi turned around.

The Front Desk Man didn’t stop her but just stood behind, a strange, mischievous smile playing on his lips.

Jiang Xi’s throat felt blocked as if stuffed with meat, a wave of metallic bloodiness rising.

She hid it well and, composed, imitated the Front Desk Man and smiled.

The Front Desk Man’s smile vanished, his gaze darkening as he looked at Jiang Xi.

There’s no rule forbidding customers from entering the back kitchen; the most she should feel is Spirit Pollution.

Jiang Xi recklessly gave up and openly started observing the kitchen.

The waiter’s movements were abruptly interrupted by Jiang Xi’s sudden appearance.

She glared at Jiang Xi, her pupils trembling; her calm expression twisted with pain and agony.

“?” It seemed like she wanted to say something.

With a heavy “clang,” the knife was forcibly knocked away by the waiter, who shoved Jiang Xi aside and ran upstairs.

The Front Desk Man’s cold eyes followed the fleeing waiter, his voice growing colder: “Customer, is there anything else? Our kitchen is absolutely clean.”

Besides the waiter, there was only one chef in the kitchen, a middle-aged man.

The chef put down the ingredient in his hands and smiled. “Does this customer distrust our kitchen’s safety? You can see, it’s very clean here.”

Amid the eerie scene, the chef gave Jiang Xi the most humanlike feeling.

“No problem.” Jiang Xi ignored the Front Desk Man and returned to Chen Xin and Meng Lingling’s side.

Seeing Jiang Xi no longer wandering around, the Front Desk Man went back to his station.

Chen Xin hadn’t seen Lan Fengtai behind Jiang Xi and felt her heart pounding wildly. “Jiang Xi… where’s Lan Fengtai?”

Jiang Xi shook her head.

Besides the sudden disappearance of Lan Fengtai, there was another unsettling factor.

The fresh food on their table suddenly turned rotten in an instant, tinged with blue-green and leaking putrid liquid.

It wasn’t just their table—the family of three beside them experienced the same, yet they seemed oblivious. The man shoved the rotten-smelling meat into the child’s mouth, and the child ate happily.

The stench of decay spread through the air.

Meng Lingling’s scalp tingled, her stomach twisted in sharp pain again.

“Jiang Xi, what do we do now? Can we still get out?” Meng Lingling asked softly, holding her nose. She trusted Jiang Xi completely now.

Going out required finding the Shop Manager and making payment, as the rules stated.

“Yes.” Although uncertain of the exact conditions, Jiang Xi had no intention of staying.

Her confident tone was like a royal decree to Meng Lingling, who relaxed and exhaled.

“…?” Chen Xin didn’t understand why, after they went to the restroom and returned, Meng Lingling seemed so trusting of Jiang Xi, like a fledgling following a mother bird.

“The lamb… and the vegetables, they can’t be eaten anymore, right?” she cautiously said.

Of course not.

Jiang Xi had no appetite for this rotten food.

After a moment’s hesitation, she raised her voice: “I’m going to give your restaurant a bad review.”

The two words “bad review” fell like a stone dropping into a pond, instantly drawing the attention of everyone inside the restaurant.

Both the waiter and Front Desk Man approached Jiang Xi.

“Customer, what are you dissatisfied with in our restaurant?”

Jiang Xi pointed at the rotten food. “It’s all spoiled. How are we supposed to eat this?”

The Front Desk Man said, “We’ll replace it immediately.”

Before the words even finished, the waiter quickly swarmed and cleared all the food from the table.

Chen Xin nervously questioned, “You won’t charge us for the new dishes, right?”

“Of course not, Customer.”

It seemed the bad review had a big impact on the Jumping Hotpot Restaurant.

The rules only allowed three bad reviews, though it was unclear if it was three per person or three per table.

Using “bad reviews” required caution.

“No need to bring out new dishes,” Jiang Xi said, “We don’t have any appetite anymore.”

She imitated the previous smile of the man, returning a cold, sinister grin.

The man sighed, “It seems you don’t want to forgive us.”

Then he went back to the kitchen.

The chef came out, smiling much more warmly than before.

Like Jiang Xi’s previous feeling, Chen Xin subconsciously relaxed slightly from the living aura emanating from him.

“Honored guests,” the chef spoke apologetically, “I’m sorry you saw unfresh food. It’s my fault. I sincerely apologize. If possible, please allow me to make amends.”

Chen Xin had no desire to eat hotpot anymore.

She felt nauseated and unable to eat for three days.

“No, we want—”

“Are you the chef?” Jiang Xi’s hoarse voice cut off Chen Xin.

The chef’s gaze was gentle.

“Yes.”

Chen Xin looked up at him, puzzled.

“Why do you work here?”

She had already suspected the chef was part of the cult; otherwise, why work in such a strange place?

The chef smiled. “The pay is good.

With capital, you have the power to achieve your dreams, right?”

His words carried a deep meaning.

Chen Xin assumed he meant the high wages were why he stayed in the cult.

“Ah, that’s reasonable, I understand, I understand.”

Jiang Xi did not believe the chef in this nest of corruption was an ordinary human.

She didn’t interrupt Chen Xin and the chef’s conversation.

Chen Xin found some reassurance from the chef’s living presence, and her subconscious relaxed.

The chef looked kindly at them like an elder watching over children.

“If my son were still alive, he would be as old as you.”

For a moment, the air froze.

Chen Xin’s expression stiffened.

The chef comforted, “It’s okay. Don’t feel guilty.”

He added, “I know he’s still with me.”

The chef’s words sent chills down Chen Xin’s spine.

After he left, the appearance of Lan Fengtai in the waiter’s uniform almost made her collapse.

Lan Fengtai seemed unrecognizable, walking behind the front desk in the same indifferent manner as the other waiters.

“8867.” Meng Lingling’s pupils trembled.

Jiang Xi frowned and walked up to Lan Fengtai, calling her name.

No response. Lan Fengtai’s expression seemed completely stripped away, now as cold as the other waiters in the Jumping Hotpot Restaurant.

The Front Desk Man didn’t stop Jiang Xi’s approach, seeming pleased to see her shocked expression.

He stared unblinkingly at her.

Unfortunately, Jiang Xi showed no fear.

She pondered, then said, “The consumer is the customer; customers should not be servants.”

No effect.

The rule was useless.

Ignoring the Front Desk Man’s gaze, Jiang Xi changed tactics: “Customers are gods. Waiters must not refuse customers’ requests.”

The rule was established.

It immediately itched her throat.

She stifled the tickling sensation as if insects were crawling around inside her throat, forcing out: “You, follow me.”

Her slender fingers pointed at Lan Fengtai.

Under the rule, Lan Fengtai, now a contaminated waiter, followed Jiang Xi silently.

“….” It was good to get Lan Fengtai away, but her becoming a waiter was no good.

Who knew if Lan Fengtai would also become corrupted?

Jiang Xi led Lan Fengtai back to the table.

Chen Xin and Meng Lingling hurriedly asked where she had gone but noticed Lan Fengtai’s abnormality.

“Tong Tong, what’s wrong? Are you scared?”

Meng Lingling looked toward Jiang Xi, trembling.

“Is she… still alive?”

“Alive.”

Jiang Xi nodded.

There was still breathing and a heartbeat.

Good, Meng Lingling breathed out in relief.

Jiang Xi coughed twice.

For someone like Lan Fengtai, it was best to leave quickly.

Her gaze flickered toward the second floor where the waiter had fled.

Perhaps there were clues upstairs.

Meanwhile, the family of three suddenly made a commotion.

They seemed finally full and walked toward the front desk.

“We want to pay!”