Forge a path to success

Chapter 260 A Memorable First Date (4)

"...This is the knight Duranbai as I know him." Chu Hengkong concluded, "Chongming's old comrade-in-arms, the one with whom we fought side by side even when we were hacked to pieces."

Ji Huaisu's expression was one of shock, like a deer finding a gun barrel in the forest.

"I've imagined my biological father's identity many times, but I never imagined that the first thing I'd hear about his achievements was... appearing as a human stump and being devoured by goblins..."

"Don't say that. Your dad did his best," Chu Hengkong comforted him. "Back then, he was fighting against the Demon King's army. Anyone would have collapsed under that intensity of battle."

"No, no, I understand the logic, but this feeling! This feeling of having to get it off my chest, do you understand?!" Ji Huaisu grabbed his hair violently. "On one hand, I think you were such a hero back then, but on the other hand, I want to say, 'You're such a loser, Dad!'"

“It’s not that bad…” Chu Hengkong recalled the knight’s account, “During the last great battle, your father (Du Lanbai) fought several Fear Beasts at the same time, which is at least on par with your father (Ji Qiufeng). It’s just that Chongming is so abnormal that he doesn’t stand out as much.”

“You keep saying ‘your dad,’ as if I have two dads… although I do have two dads…” Ji Huaisu slumped onto the table. “Besides, he could also be my great-grandfather! It’s been so many years.”

"I don't think so." Chu Hengkong shook his head. The identical expressions in their eyes and brows couldn't be faked, especially this listless look, which was exactly the same. "My intuition tells me that's your biological father."

"Holy crap, if that's really the case, wouldn't I be a hundred years old?!" Ji Huaisu suddenly exclaimed.

"Huh?" Chu Hengkong's thoughts didn't follow.

“Look, Vansalal died for the first time in 2504. If my father was young and promising and reached the 5th point at the age of 24, I must have been born at least 30 years old… So I must have been born around 2510…” Ji Huaisu’s face grew paler and paler as she spoke. “This year is 3001, so I’m at least 491 years old…!”

"No, I don't think that's the algorithm."

She screamed and clutched her head, concluding in despair, "Help! Yoyo was born after the war, I'm older than my mother!"

Seeing this, Chu Hengkong thought it was too much to ask Captain Ji to do arithmetic. He softened his tone and asked, "How old were you when Mr. Ji found you?"

"I'm two years old," Ji Huaisu said blankly.

"So your age in the modern world is calculated from age 2." Chu Hengkong patiently explained, "There are no Discipline Knights in the modern world, but you are a Discipline Knight. What does that mean? It means that you traveled from 500 years ago, skipping the time in between. There is absolutely no problem that you are 24 years old this year."

Ji Huaisu counted on her fingers: "That's right! The time spent traveling through time doesn't count, so I'm still young and beautiful this year!"

Chu Heng said in a hollow voice, "With your way of thinking and your personality, even if you really are 491 years old, you probably won't age at all. People say that your appearance reflects your heart. Becoming an elemental body at the highest level on the path to supreme power is a basic skill. By then, you'll probably look younger as you get older. When you turn 500, you'll look like a little girl."

He cleared his throat and stopped the detective who was slumped over the table: "Stop for a moment, Miss Ji, we can't serve the food."

"Oh, excuse me, I'm actually quite hungry too." Ji Huaisu picked up his chopsticks. "Let's see what delicious dishes you ordered."

Finding an opening, the manager quickly put down the plate, introduced the dish to the two distinguished guests, and then withdrew: "Jumbo eggplant marinated in vinaigrette, served with flying fish roe from the Sky Island. Please enjoy."

The appetizer consisted of several cubes of eggplant, which, after cooking, turned a translucent, tender green, like jade jelly. Ji Huaisu picked up a piece, put it in her mouth, and gently bit down.

The meat-like elasticity provides a slight resistance, while the juices locked inside unfurl with each chew, creating a texture almost like melting fat. This flavor is like eating a large chunk of fatty meat; the initial freshness quickly fades, becoming cloying. However, the vinegar-based dressing perfectly complements it, neutralizing the saltiness with its acidity and bringing out the natural aroma of the fresh eggplant. The diner's appetite is instantly whetted, their hunger pounding excitedly against their knife and fork – this is truly a perfect appetizer.

Ji Huaisu covered her cheeks, looking as happy as a hamster: "This is so delicious! I've never eaten such good eggplant before!"

“I knew you’d like it after I’d tried it before,” Chu Hengkong chuckled. “The set meal originally included a salad.”

"Salads are so boring! Just tossing together leafy greens, you can't taste anything good." Ji Huaisu waved his chopsticks. "This is what a dish should be! Where did you import these ingredients from?"

Chu Hengkong pointed to the ground: "These are locally produced in the swamp, delivered fresh every morning. Restaurants like this prefer local ingredients, partly to suit local tastes and partly for easy transportation and to get fresh goods."

"I've learned something new." Ji Huaisu ate her third piece. "Luckily I didn't let you wear a suit, otherwise I would have looked like a country bumpkin being invited out by a rich young master."

"There's no such thing as a country bumpkin as you who can fight. Someone with your high status, strong combat power, and approachable personality would be considered a standard female protagonist, the kind that was popular in romance novels ten years ago," Chu Hengkong said casually.

"Ah Kong, you sound quite familiar with female-oriented literature..."

"Don't ask anymore, we were forced into it." Chu Hengkong sighed. "Let's eat."

They also sampled conch soup (cooked with marshland herbs), bird rolls resembling fried fruit (made from fowl from the workshop area), and fish steamed with sweet pepper sauce. The main course was a large platter of crispy roasted pork belly, a whole piece of high-quality pork belly marinated and roasted to a golden-brown crispy crust, with a smooth middle layer of fat and a firm, flavorful bottom layer of lean meat, served with white sugar and some kind of fruit jam.

"It's quite harmful to your weight," Ji Huaisu commented. "But it's so delicious, damn it, it's so delicious."

"Eat slowly, don't choke," Chu Hengkong said helplessly.

"Do you know how long it's been since I've had a proper meal? The best meal I've had recently was pizza!" Ji Huaisu wolfed down his food. "You know, this pork is really delicious... I originally thought the main course would be beef, I heard that high-end restaurants prefer steak."

"That was indeed the case in the initial package. I had them change it."

"?Why?"

"Didn't you always want to eat pork?" Chu Hengkong said casually. "You even said you wanted to go out of the city to steal a pig."

Ji Huaisu paused for a moment, then remembered the joke they had made while eating noodles in the swamp. A long time had passed; she had only made it as a lighthearted remark, never expecting the person sitting opposite her to actually remember it.

It's not surprising; he's always been this way. He takes everything seriously, so he remembers everything people say. He's attentive to the preferences of those around him, but he doesn't show it. Occasionally, you'll notice and ask him about it, only to realize that he's always cared about you, he just hasn't made a conscious effort to say it.

"Oh..." Ji Huaisu said softly, "Thank you..."

"As long as you're happy." Chu Hengkong smiled and pushed the last two pieces of meat over.

He doesn't actually like this kind of food very much; it's too greasy. High-protein beef and fish are more to the liking of martial arts practitioners. However, when dating, you always have to consider the other person's preferences.

The date was meaningful as long as she was happy.

·

After serving the main course and vegetables, the manager personally checked on the progress in the kitchen. The dessert was almost ready and would be served after a little cooking, which put his mind at ease.

Today was incredibly lucky; our distinguished guests were not picky eaters and were satisfied with every dish. Looking back on my experience at several branches, it's rare to find such high-status yet approachable guests, even though the local superpowered individuals always have their quirks and oddities. This kind of uninterrupted reception meal is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity…

"(*) Hello, hello," the red-haired girl said to him. "Could I borrow your monocle for a moment, please?"

...And then the unexpected happened!

As the manager turned away in anguish, the strange girl had already taken his monocle. She ran her hand from top to bottom, transforming his bone-white combat suit into a black and white waiter's uniform. She put a finger to her lips, signaling the manager to be quiet.

"I'm going to lend those two a hand; you stay here and don't move."

Watching Qingxia's retreating figure as she went to get the sweet soup, the manager thought to himself, "Do I dare to touch her? My life is more important than my performance!"

A pretty girl suddenly appeared in the middle of these two's date, her words dripping with veiled sarcasm. Even a waiter would know what was going to happen. I just hope everyone will tone it down if a fight breaks out later; please, thank goodness, don't ruin the whole thing!

Just then, Chu Hengkong, who had finished his noodles, felt an eerie chill again. It seemed someone was plotting against him, and this time the person was quite close. Recalling Qingye's astonishing wisdom that morning, he immediately considered all sorts of terrible possibilities and raised his hand, saying, "I'll pay the bill first—"

"Young master, please wait! Your sweet soup hasn't been served yet!"

This resounding reply confirmed his ominous premonition, and Ji Huaisu across the table immediately burst into laughter. Chu Hengkong turned his head in alarm, only to see a dashing red-haired waitress striding towards him, carrying two bowls of sweet soup that looked like two bombs. She approached the table and slowly introduced, "Sorry to keep you waiting, gentlemen. This is for after the meal... um... I apologize for the short wait..."

Qingxia turned her back and whispered, "Xiaoye, what kind of soup is this?"

A very soft voice came from the other end of the restaurant: "Pigeon egg and herbal sweet soup!"

Qingxia suddenly realized, turned around and smiled: "This is wild vegetable and egg drop soup for the two of you, please be careful not to burn yourselves!"

Ji Huaisu slapped the dining table and burst into wild laughter, almost falling off her chair and under the table. Chu Hengkong's sigh sounded like a mole bumping into a sewer while digging a hole underground.

"Thank you, please serve the food quickly..."

"Gentlemen, please wait a moment." Qingxia pulled the sweet soup aside and said fluently, "Our shop is newly opened and we have a special event for couples. Participating in the event will earn you free points and a free order on the day of the event. The discounts are great and the subsidies are substantial. Wouldn't you two like to consider it?"

What the hell is this assembly-line advertising jargon?! Listening closely, the lines sound exactly like the ones the food stall downstairs shouts out over a loudspeaker every day, even the tone and speed are identical... Please, please learn something good and don't use your lustful demonic learning abilities on this kind of garbage!

"What kind of activities are they?" Ji Huaisu asked with great interest.

Qingxia magically produced a camera.

"Simply take a sweet couple photo together to enjoy a 20% discount. If you're feeling shy, you can even kiss here!"

"So well prepared, huh?" Ji Huaisu chuckled strangely.

"You repay kindness with enmity," Chu Hengkong said in despair. "Qingxia, you schemed against me."

Chapter 261 A Memorable First Date (The End)

"It's rare to get a 20% discount on photos, what do you think, Ah Kong?" Ji Huaisu said with a smile.

Chu Heng struggled with a sliver of hope: "I won't participate, I can pay in full..."

"Wow, it's such a waste not to take advantage of the discount..." Ji Huaisu said with a disgusted face, "What a spendthrift man!"

“That’s right, Young Master Chu, earning Flowing Pearls is not easy~” Qingxia chimed in.

Chu Hengkong wanted to smash his face into his bowl of noodles. He knew this was another deadly question, because no matter how he answered, it was a dead end. If he said he wouldn't participate, he'd be considered extravagant and wasteful; if he stubbornly said he would, he'd be accused of taking advantage of someone before they were even officially together… He was roasted alive either way; any answer was a headlong rush towards death. How was anyone supposed to choose?!

"That photo of yours..." Chu Hengkong took a deep breath, "How was it taken..."

"We have some sample photos here; if either of you gentlemen is interested, you can take a look."

Qingxia conjured up a sample photo, and Chu Hengkong almost fainted when he glanced at it.

The layout of this color photo reminded him of arcades and amusement parks from the early 2000s, those quick-photo booths for trendy young couples and kids taking souvenir photos after school. A huge heart was encircled by a sea of ​​rose-red, with space for a person's head on each side—it was incredibly tacky. If that were all, it wouldn't have been so bad, but Qingxia had thoughtfully found someone to be the model: the left half of the heart featured an unknown silver-eyed demon tied to a stick, and the right half…

On the right side is a large grilled squid from a street vendor, sprinkled with chili powder... and a plastic bow is stuck to it...

"This is torture! There's no light left in Vande's eyes! What did it do wrong to deserve this torture?" Chu Heng slammed his fist on the table.

"Wow, so cute!" Ji Huaisu exclaimed.

"Why do you think that?! Open your eyes and take a good look! You should be saying how perverted you are right now!" Chu Hengkong roared.

Ji Huaisu clasped her hands together and swayed from side to side, saying, "Ah Kong, I want to take a picture of this~ Let's take a picture, let's take a picture~"

Chu Hengkong sighed deeply, feeling utterly drained of strength: "Miss Ji, you don't actually enjoy taking photos; you just enjoy torturing me."

“Yes, yes.” Ji Huaisu nodded.

"This is so much fun!" Qingxia exclaimed excitedly.

"Okay, let's film..." Chu Heng's voice was barely audible, "Let's film..."

He forced himself to walk to Ji Huaisu's side, forcing the stiffest smile he'd ever had. Qingxia gave them a thumbs up, fiddled with her camera for a while under Chu Hengkong's murderous gaze, and then looked down at it.

"Wait a minute, the lens cap doesn't seem to be open..."

"That's enough, I'll take the picture myself! Give me the sugar water!"

"Young Master Chu has resigned himself to his fate."

Click!

In the end, Detective Chu's mischievous wrist turned into a selfie stick, helping the two complete this arduous challenge. Miss Ji's smile in the heart-shaped photo resembled that of a swamp dweller suffering from the aftereffects of accidentally eating poisonous mushrooms, forming a stark contrast with the zombie-faced detective.

Chu Hengkong finished his sweet soup in one gulp, leaving Liuzhu to pay the bill before grabbing Ji Huaisu and fleeing on the spot. Qingxia cheerfully waved to the two of them: "Welcome back next time~"

She turned around and asked, "How is it?"

Qingye poked its head out, carrying Fande, whose tentacles were still wrapped around the grilled squid. While sucking on the squid, it said, "Not bad, didn't mess things up. I was worried you might mess it up and piss him off."

"Chu Hengkong's temper is easy to control. You need to get him to do something he doesn't dislike but is still embarrassed about, that way it will go smoothly. If you make jokes that offend him, he'll really get angry~"

Qingxia took off her monocle and handed it, along with Liuzhu, to the restaurant manager: "Here you go, thanks for your cooperation. They both seemed to be enjoying their meal!"

"Not at all, it's all for serving our guests, it's our duty," the manager smiled. "It's not lunchtime yet, would you gentlemen like something to eat?"

Qingxia's eyes lit up: "Give me two servings of both the eggplant and the meat!"

"Three portions!" Qingye raised her hand.

After the manager finished writing down the bill and preparing the food, he hurried back to the front desk and asked in a low voice, "How much did our esteemed guest spend before?"

"640 beads after discount".

"After the chefs' meeting this afternoon, we'll launch a simplified version of the set meal next week. The full price for a two-person meal is 800 yuan."

The young soldier doing the accounting stared blankly: "Manager, are you kidding me? Who would buy this 'soft-shelled turtle' meal?"

The manager found an old-fashioned camera and proudly stroked the tip of his mustache.

"Couples get a 20% discount after taking photos, and the price after discount is 640 RMB including a grilled squid. It's the same romantic meal for two that the detective enjoys."

The little soldier stood at attention: "A business opportunity, a business opportunity!"

The "Blue Holiday" branch achieved record-breaking sales during its opening season on its 7th branch, subsequently becoming a popular spot for couples in Huilong City to take photos. Later, eating grilled squid on dates even became a local custom. Rumor has it that the future city lord and his wife also experienced the same ordeal here, with Lord Huilong's gloating laughter bearing a striking resemblance to his adopted daughter…

But that's all hindsight. Detective Chu had no idea he had inadvertently created a brand new business opportunity for the local catering industry. He was still suffering from one new kind of torment after another. This included, but was not limited to, carrying bags of all sizes for someone in a bustling shopping mall, carrying bags of all sizes to the workshop area and being exposed to the scorching sun, and not having a chance to fish because there were too many tourists fishing that day.

"I must give Youyou my feedback when I get back," Chu Hengkong said, his face ashen. "It's too unsafe to open the site to tourists for salvage. Can you allow tourists like the Fufu Clan to come into contact with foreign relics? What if there's pollution from outside sources? What if they salvage inappropriate books?"

"Exactly, exactly, what if they take away the fishing opportunities from the local fishermen?" Ji Huaisu imitated his tone perfectly.

"Don't judge a gentleman by your own petty standards."

"Don't worry, do you really think these are relics that come with the trend? The ones that tourists can catch are all 'fakes' that have been aged and put in by workshops. They are essentially official gashapon machines."

Chu Hengkong scoffed, "Pre-made relics, huh?"

"How can you open a fishing pond without prefabrication?" Ji Huaisu said lazily. "If you don't guarantee safety, tourists won't want to come."

Come to think of it, in the world of aquatics, safety always comes first. He tossed his bags and packages onto the boat and boarded the cruise ship first. The little swan at the bow was bathed in the orange-red light of the setting sun. He tried to call Ji Huaisu aboard, but found the girl grinning foolishly at the photos she had taken at noon.