Gourmet: The Master Chef Just Wants to Leisurely Set Up a Stall - Chapter 31

!!!

It turns out I could have upgraded the tricycle into a regular electric bike without being a spectacle! Why didn’t I ask sooner?! Zhao Xiaojing couldn’t close her mouth in regret.

These past days, she had been riding her large stall tricycle everywhere, enduring the prolonged stares from pedestrians.

“Upgrade, upgrade! Do it now!”

[This upgrade requires 1000 experience points. Confirm upgrade?]

[Yes/No]

1000 points?! Zhao Xiaojing winced in pain. Although experience points are only for upgrades, using 1000 out of her 1800 was still painful.

But then she remembered the awkwardness of being the center of attention on the road and decided to compromise with her social anxiety.

“Yes, yes, yes.”

[Stall Tricycle upgraded. You can now switch between stall cart/electric bike mode.]

Zhao Xiaojing quickly ran downstairs, checked that no one was around, and focused intently on the system’s stall tricycle.

“Switch to electric bike.”

In the next moment, a brand-new red electric bike appeared.

So ordinary? Not even as stylish as a shared bike… Zhao Xiaojing silently criticized.

Then it switched to a blue shared electric bike.

??? It couldn’t be just like a shared bike! Too conspicuous! Change it again!

The shared electric bike remained unchanged.

“What’s this about, system?”

[Current electric bike form is bound. First transformation is free; subsequent changes cost 500 experience points.]

Really? Should’ve mentioned earlier!

Fine, with her thrifty nature caught, she accepted it. Shared or not, it’s anti-theft, so nobody else can use it anyway.

Feeling resigned, Zhao Xiaojing went back upstairs.

…

On another front, the police station and city management bureau had reached a resolution. Li Jingying was shocked and angry upon receiving Xiao Zhang’s call.

“Why pin it on me?! How was I supposed to know she could summon the head of city management? You were the one who told me about impersonating officers to scare people and getting benefits, not me. So why blame me when things go wrong?”

Li Jingying yelled, her fingers gripping the phone turning white.

“But didn’t this start because of you? My brothers lost their jobs, and future benefits are gone too. Who else should I blame?”

Xiao Zhang tried to sound tough, but his guilty expression betrayed him as he looked apologetically at the “four brothers” sitting before him.

“Blame Zhao Xiaojing! She got your brothers fired. Why blame me? We agreed on 500 yuan each for showing up, with 2500 transferred upfront! If you messed up her business, there’d be 500 more. If you incapacitated her or damaged her looks, another 1000 more. They did nothing and still want money? Why not just rob someone?”

“Besides, their job paid little anyway. Losing it is no big deal—what right do they have to shout at me?”

Li Jingying’s loud tirade made Xiao Zhang flinch, wanting to cover the phone. The four men stood up together; their leader gave Xiao Zhang a mocking smile before taking the phone and placing it against his ear.

“Hello, Miss Li. I know you; our brother Zhang works at the office, with a legitimate job and close ties.”

“Our wages may be low, but these positions were secured through family connections, cigarettes, and wine. We can’t compete with your family, pulling office strings effortlessly.”

“But if you’re that confident in your connections, we can help test their strength.”

“What do you mean?” Li Jingying instantly became wary.

“My brothers at city management took a drive for you, and now they’re suspended for three months. We haven’t reported your involvement yet. What do you think I mean? Our jobs might be lowly, but we’ll drag you down to see how valuable yours is.”

The leader hung up abruptly, leaving Xiao Zhang facing the four men’s cold smiles.

“I was wrong, brothers, I was wrong! I’ll return the missing 500 yuan right away!”

Xiao Zhang quickly transferred the money over his phone.

“Ha, underestimated you. Didn’t think you’d have the guts.” The leader kicked Xiao Zhang to the ground after receiving the payment, and all four started punching and kicking him.

Xiao Zhang curled up, protecting his head, not daring to fight back.

Throughout, Li Jingying’s calls kept coming until the four stopped. Xiao Zhang got up slowly, wiping his bloody nose as the leader casually answered the call.

“What do you want?” Li Jingying demanded urgently once connected.

The leader sneered and tossed the phone back to Xiao Zhang.

Xiao Zhang nervously caught it, glancing at the four men before reluctantly answering.

“Li Jingying, my brothers truly lost their jobs. You must admit this! We won’t ask much—my city management brother’s half-year salary and three months’ pay for each of the other four. Fair enough?”

“That one is only suspended for three months with a basic wage; why demand half a year from me? And won’t they find jobs in three months? So good at extorting when taking Zhao Xiaojing’s stall, why not perform well there?”

Hearing Xiao Zhang’s voice, Li Jingying regained her tough tone, breathing heavily as she scolded quickly.

“Li Jingying, do you have a death wish? Do you really not want your job?

Stop arguing! Pay up when I say so! I’ll have my brothers calculate the amount and tell you. Hurry up!”

Xiao Zhang scratched his head anxiously before hanging up.

Li Jingying’s family had money; she could afford it. Blaming Li Jingying to force her hand was best. Otherwise, if these guys got really mad, he’d suffer too!

“Brothers, is my suggestion okay?” Xiao Zhang asked nervously, watching their expressions.

“Sure thing, Boss Zhang. Ruthless indeed; seems your close friend isn’t worth much.”

“Of course! Ruthless Zhang strikes again—skimming 500 here and demanding 200 referral fees there. Double-dipping with a sharp mind.”

Mocked repeatedly, bruised and battered Xiao Zhang dared not speak back. After venting enough sarcasm, each man kicked him a few more times before walking aside to call their suspended city management brother.

Seeing this, Xiao Zhang hurriedly sent a selfie to Li Jingying, followed by several messages urging her to pay up, claiming he’d been beaten up for defending her. Inaction would lead them to target her job and beat her up too.

Jittery from transferring funds between various bank accounts, Li Jingying panicked further upon seeing Xiao Zhang’s injuries and sped up her withdrawal process…