https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-25-Investigation-Mission-Part-1-/12969522/
Chapter 24: Coffee and Snacks (Two in One)
Chapter 24: Coffee and Snacks (Two in One)
"Sigh... It's a bit chilly..."
In the early hours of the morning, the diligent worker Leon rose and yawned as he set off for work.
After being greeted by the cold autumn wind, his mind cleared slightly, and he instinctively hunched his neck, wrapping the large scarf knitted by Anna tighter around him. His thoughts then wandered to the events of the previous night...
The question Melanie had asked remained unanswered. Instead, he had vaguely replied with something along the lines of 'you'll understand when you're older,' brushing it off.
Even if he had explained it to Melanie, a child of her age might not have fully comprehended the concept of the Cleanup Bureau and anomalous creatures, a different world. The less ordinary people knew about these matters, the less likely they were to encounter them.
Melanie's question, but a special kind of love, one that's not from parents, children, or partners.
However, Melanie's question, though seemingly trivial, did provide some insight. It helped Leon understand what the Director had lost.
According to the information provided by the Materialist Soul, those with the anomaly known as Memory Eraser would inevitably lose one of three types of love: parental, filial, or conjugal.
It seemed that the Director had lost the love of her children, yet her behavior yesterday indicated that she loved children.
Leon's home in Veteran Alley wasn't in a slum, but it wasn't an ideal location either. The neighborhood was filled with noisy and dirty companies, as well as a prison housing many hardened criminals. The area had few residents, and even fewer children, so there were no shops selling candies nearby.
The colorful candies she bought for Melanie and the other children were only available at a department store several streets away. The fact that she was willing to walk that distance to buy treats for children she had just met indicated that she genuinely liked kids.
Leon couldn't help but feel some sympathy. Not having children of her own was one thing, but having children and constantly being forgotten by them could be cruel.
As he was about to quicken his pace towards the Cleanup Bureau to retrieve Black Sheep and visit the suspected anomalous nurse, a sweet and smoky aroma caught his attention.
A cart with benches and tables, a large tin hot water boiler, a copper tap, a charcoal stove with glowing red flames, and low tables made from sawn wood...
In the midst of the enticing aroma of coffee, a small, cozy tent, sheltered from the cold autumn wind, caught Leon's eye.
It was a coffee stall, looking especially inviting in the gray, chilly morning. Leon hesitated but eventually gave in to the tempting aroma. He huddled into the tent and found a table at the back.
"One coffee and two slices of bread, please."
"Coming right up!"
The stall owner skillfully poured coffee grounds into a handleless cup, wrapped a cloth around his hand, and twisted open the copper tap, releasing a cloud of white steam. With three fingers, he stirred the mixture, and a cup of steaming black liquid was placed in front of Leon.
"Would you like butter on your bread? If you're interested, I also have ham slices. They're still warm from when I set up the stall this morning."
"Er... How much extra for the ham slices? Is it expensive?"
"Not at all! Very affordable!"
The owner wiped his hands on his dark apron and smiled, revealing his seemingly honest and simple nature. He held up a single finger.
"One copper wheel for the bread, and two if you want ham!"
Two copper wheels for a single slice of ham? You must be joking! I can get an entire ham for less than a silver wheel at the department store!
Leon couldn't help but roll his eyes at the seemingly honest but cunning coffee stall owner.
"Never mind the ham, just butter the bread... but make sure it's thick!"
"Coming right up!"
The owner's attempt to upsell failed, but he didn't seem disappointed. Instead, he cheerfully took out a long loaf of toast, swiftly cut two paper-thin slices, buttered them with a brush, and placed them on a hot stone to toast.
Leon couldn't help but think that the owner was running a scam.
Looking at the bread slices, so thin they would be considered too thin even for Lan X Beef Noodle Soup, Leon felt he had been cheated. He realized he had encountered a master swindler.
However, since he was already there and didn't want to waste the warmth of the stove, he decided not to argue. He picked up the hot coffee and took a small sip, savoring the moment.
Mmm... This is amazing... It feels like I've come back to life...
As the warmth of the coffee spread through his hand and warmed his empty stomach, Leon couldn't help but smile contentedly. The cunning stall owner then brought over the toasted Lan X Toast.
"Your order is ready, one copper wheel."
Looking at the almost translucent bread on the small plate, Leon reluctantly paid but still felt a bit cheated. He couldn't resist a sarcastic comment:
"Your bread-cutting skills are impressive. I bet you make a good profit."
"Haha, it's passable, just enough to get by."
There were probably many customers like Leon who spoke strangely, but the boss didn't get angry when mocked. Instead, he chuckled and pointed to the stove behind him, saying cheerfully:
"Look at my stove. I only use the best charcoal, and I keep adding fuel to ensure that whenever a customer comes, the coffee I brew is always the hottest. The charcoal is also part of the cost!"
That's true... But with your audacity to sell a slice of ham for a copper wheel, and your bread-cutting skills rivaling those of LanX's master chef, the extra money spent on charcoal is probably a drop in the bucket for you. You're definitely making a profit.
"To be honest, customers like you who come early for work in the municipal district don't really care about the small discounts. What they value is the warmth."
Seemingly wanting to turn Leon into a regular customer, the boss noticed that Leon didn't seem to care about his words. He reached out and pointed across the street, patiently explaining:
"My coffee may not be sweet or strong enough, but the temperature is the best, and the fire is always burning brightly, warming up even the outside of the tent.
I even use thicker ceramic cups instead of thin iron cups that can only be held for a moment before they become too hot to hold, ensuring that you stay warm from the inside out.
Look over there; there are so many stalls, but why is mine the busiest? It's because I'm selling more than just a cup of coffee; I'm offering a warm haven on a chilly morning. Isn't that right?"
"Oh, and by the way, don't go spreading what I just told you!"
The boss suddenly realized that he had revealed many "trade secrets." With a bashful expression, he waved his hands and said shyly:
"This little coffee stall is something I plan to pass down to my daughter. That way, no matter how she fares in the outside world, she'll always have a livelihood to fall back on. If I let others learn these tricks, she'll be in trouble!"
"..."
I don't believe you! You're such a shrewd person; how can you be so open about everything? Not to mention, your coffee isn't sweet at all, but I followed the sweet aroma here, so there must be something special in your pot. If I were to copy your methods, I'd probably go bankrupt! Tch... But, to be fair, although you're stingy with your sales, you've put a lot of thought into it. You deserve to make that money!
Impressed by the coffee stall owner's unique business philosophy, Leon couldn't help but give him a thumbs-up. Then, he quickly left, hurrying in the direction of the Cleanup Bureau.
Not long after he left, a doll-faced girl in a professional skirt arrived, following the sweet scent that filled the street.
Upon seeing the coffee stall owner with his honest face, the girl's big, watery eyes lit up, and she hurried over, grabbing the owner's arm.
"Dad! You've just recovered, and you're already sneaking out to run the stall again? Mom was so angry when she found out!"
"Hmph! What's she got to be angry about?"
Hearing the doll-faced girl's words, the boss's nose twitched, and he became an unreasonable stubborn old man. He retorted irritably:
"What? You look down on my little stall too? Let me tell you, if it weren't for this coffee stall, our family of three would've starved to death long ago. We relied on it to survive!"
"Oh, no one looks down on your stall! But do you have to do this today?"
Facing her father's sudden stubbornness, the doll-faced girl said:
"Our gas company's pipeline burst, and we just paid a large compensation. Then the water company had an issue, making it a troublesome time.
Mom is upset that you're running around instead of dealing with the company matters. You're out here setting up the stall early in the morning..."
"What's there to deal with? We earn what we earn, and we pay what we pay. Why overthink it? And do I need to report to you for working two hours a day? Can't the company function without me?"
The coffee stall owner became even more agitated upon hearing this. He continued, his voice rising:
"Besides, I've always said that these municipal projects aren't worth touching!
Though they bring fast and stable income, with a large sum added to our accounts annually, the problem is that the decision-making power isn't in our hands. We can only suggest, not decide. Is that acceptable?
I knew from the start that with the way those brats handle things, something would go wrong. It's better to stick to our honest department store business, even though it's risky and the profits are slim. At least we can keep an eye on things, and if something happens, we can handle it.
But your mom is so stubborn! She insisted on relying on our reputation, thinking that people would be more cautious in their dealings. She was set on getting involved, and I couldn't stop her! And what happened? Those brats, to save on filtration costs, pumped sewage water into the river! They caused a city-wide epidemic, and medicine to cure it sold out! They have no shame! No decency!"
After ranting, as the sun rose and the temperature warmed up, the coffee stall owner closed the stove, extinguishing the charcoal and packing up the tent cloth. He pushed the cart, leaving with his daughter, still grumbling:
"What about the gas pipeline incident? Did you apologize and provide compensation?"
"I'll give it to them! There's a family that doesn't seem to want it, saying they didn't suffer any major injuries, so just paying for their bandaging fees is enough."
"Whether they want it or not is their business, but since our company had an issue, we must provide proper compensation... Oh, what's that family's name?"
"I can't quite remember the surname... Ah! Ryan! Yes! Leon Ryan! He's a kind man with a warm smile, always gentle and caring towards his sister, despite not having much money."
...
"You're asking about our bureau's new recruit? His name is Leon, Leon Ryan."
Apart from the coffee stall father and daughter, there were two other people discussing Leon's situation at this time.
"Ryan?"
Hearing this somewhat familiar surname, the petite woman in the golden mirror blinked, took a big bite of her sponge cake, and curiously asked:
"From the House of Lionheart? Don't you hate the nobility? Why did you accept him into your Virgin Bureau?"
"It's just a coincidence of surnames, actually two different words."
After briefly explaining Leon's surname, the red-haired director frowned as she watched the petite woman in the mirror put down her cake and start chewing on a pastry.
"Why are you asking about him? Are you planning to poach him?"
"I do have that idea."
The petite woman in the black and white skirt dress openly admitted her intentions, picked up a ring-shaped almond cake, licked the sweet almond powder on it, and then laughed:
"I read his file, and he has a 【Compulsory Intelligence Acquisition】 ability with a rank even higher than a Grand Demon. Any director would want to have him."
"..."
Looking at her friend's suddenly narrowed eyes in the mirror, the petite woman quickly ate the cake ring and then picked up a small oil tea pancake. As she spread strawberry jam on it, she explained:
"But don't worry, I'm not trying to poach him this time. I want to talk to him about the hospital director's anomalous creature."
So, you're interested in that absorbing patient's anomalous creature?
After glancing at the lion carving on the golden mirror, the red-haired director pondered for a moment, and her eyes flashed with understanding.
In the jurisdiction of Beverly's Lion Bureau, there was a port occupied by an out-of-control infector. Nearly ten thousand residents from over a dozen nearby villages and towns had been forcibly given a type of incurable epidemic. If the out-of-control infector died, all of them would die along with it.
Although the Lion Bureau responded quickly and managed to seal off the port, preventing a bigger disaster, they couldn't do much about the out-of-control infector who had kidnapped nearly ten thousand people. They didn't want to use their trump card for a medium-scale incident, so they could only temporarily leave it alone.
However, things were different now. The hospital director, who was killed by Leon, had the ability to absorb patients, which happened to be the nemesis of that out-of-control infector. And according to the rules of the Cleanup Bureau, the person who completes a cleanup task has the priority to claim the extracted anomalous creature.
So, when she suddenly contacted me through the Celestial Mirror, it wasn't to reconnect with her old friend, but to inform me in advance and ask me not to compete with Leon for this anomalous creature...
After glancing at her good friend, who was eating cheese pudding in the golden mirror, the red-haired director blinked her playful fox-like eyes and said with a slightly troubled expression:
"I understand how important this is to you, but Leon witnessed the power of the out-of-control infector during the cleanup, and he's also very interested in this anomalous creature, so..."
"Tsk! Cut the chatter!"
Knowing her friend's character all too well, Beverly on the other side of the mirror rolled her eyes, chewing on a coconut bread as she spoke impatiently:
"Just tell me, how much money do you need this time?"
"Oh, it's not about money."
The red-haired director waved her hand and smiled:
"Leon, a new recruit who has worked hard to complete his first task, finally obtained his first anomalous creature.
For such a memorable item, you want to take it away with just a word. Don't you think you should compensate him with something good?"
"..."
At this point, looking at her friend's mischievous fox-like eyes in the mirror, Beverly's body stiffened slightly, and the orange cream pie in her mouth suddenly lost its appeal.
After quickly finishing the pastry in her hand, Beverly, with the air of a Lion Bureau director, slammed her hand on the table and glared with lion-like eyes, demanding:
"Speak up! What do you want?"
"I want you to trade your Witch's Broom for it."
"Pfft! In your dreams!"
(End of Chapter)
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