Lin Jiu left his idol standing there as he scrolled through his phone. Many food bloggers were complaining that seafood had become unaffordable. Prices of frozen seafood had doubled, while fresh and high-end seafood prices had skyrocketed even more. Seafood was already expensive, and now even fewer people could afford it, especially since the supply was shrinking.
Those who dared to go out to sea, despite the danger, were likely blinded by greed. If they could catch something, it was like striking gold. With money to be made, it was hard for some people to resist the temptation of the sea, even though they knew it was dangerous.
Seeing Lin Jiu so excited, Si Xu threw some cold water on his enthusiasm, “The prices will definitely be regulated. They can’t keep rising forever.”
“Even if they regulate the prices, they’ll still be higher than before,” Lin Jiu said, eyes glued to his phone.
He came across a news story about someone catching a 19.8kg lobster that sold for 2.88 million yuan to a wealthy businessman.
Lin Jiu was stunned, “Are giant lobsters everywhere now?”
“There do seem to be more of them,” Si Xu replied. “Not just giant lobsters—other seafood seems to be getting bigger too.”
Lin Jiu: “???”
Lin Jiu finally realized something was off, and his mind flashed back to something the Chef God system had once said.
The Chef God system’s goal was to spread demon cuisine across every corner of the Earth dimension…
Looks like Earth was on its way. It had already begun…
Lin Jiu: “…”
What’s going on? Could the Chef God system be behind this?
Lin Jiu called out to the Chef God system in his mind, but instead, the Demon Hunter system appeared.
[Don’t slander Little Chef. Intelligent life forms love to self-destruct; they can’t blame us for their recklessness.]
Lin Jiu’s eyes shifted. Trying to probe for information, he asked, “So, do you know what’s going on?”
The system replied, “There’s nothing on Earth that I don’t know. If I don’t know, it’s because I choose not to know.”
Lin Jiu: “…”
Lin Jiu humbly asked, “So what is going on?”
“This matter could directly affect the future trajectory of the Earth, and the required magic points are no small amount. Your current savings aren’t enough.”
Lin Jiu: “…”
Frustrated, Lin Jiu logged into his Weibo and posted an update: “The shop reopens tomorrow!”
“He’s going to use recycled scraps to earn magic points!
Lin Jiu posted about opening his store on Weibo, and with a casual refresh, there were already hundreds of comments. Many were asking if the Demon Fish Store would raise its prices, since seafood prices outside had skyrocketed. Would the store follow suit?
Lin Jiu thought to himself, there was no need to follow the trend. The prices of invisible fish and small blue devils were naturally high to begin with, and even if the prices went up, it wasn’t up to him. He was just a boss without sovereignty. The prices were determined by the Chef God system. If it didn’t raise prices and Lin Jiu did so privately, the extra income wouldn’t count toward the store’s earnings. So what would be the point of raising them?
The phone of the handsome man who had been left aside rang. Lin Jiu looked over—Si Xu seemed quite busy.
Si Xu answered, “Yeah, I know he’s back.”
The call was from Jiang Ge, who had seen Lin Jiu’s Weibo post and knew he had returned, so he called to let Si Xu know.
After hanging up, Si Xu asked, “You’re opening the shop tomorrow?”
Lin Jiu nodded. “Yeah.”
Si Xu frowned. “Think about your injury.”
“It’s almost healed,” Lin Jiu paused before adding, “or… almost.”
“Don’t push yourself. An injury that severe can’t heal in just a day,” Si Xu said, clearly skeptical.
Lin Jiu didn’t feel much pain anymore, just an itch—an indication that it was healing fast.
He stretched out his leg and rolled up his pants. The bruising and swelling on his calf had disappeared, leaving only gleaming white skin.
If Si Xu hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed the leg had been injured at all.
Lin Jiu continued unwrapping his bandages right in front of Si Xu. By the time the bandages were completely off, the wound had shrunk to a third of its original size, with the healed skin leaving no scars.
Si Xu was speechless.
Lin Jiu seemed born to create miracles. Nothing about him could be explained by common sense.
Lin Jiu rewrapped his bandages. “Believe me now? By tomorrow, the wound will be fully healed. What I need most right now is nourishment. Want to try some?”
Lin Jiu was looking forward to tasting the small blue devil’s tentacles.
Si Xu eyed the large tentacle, unsure how to begin eating it.
Lin Jiu got up and went to the kitchen. He washed his hands, cleaned the knives and dishes, and prepared two servings of dipping soy sauce and coral greens lettuce. Carrying the plates into the living room, he handed one to Si Xu and kept one for himself.
Lin Jiu took off his shoes and sat cross-legged on the carpet. “Which part do you want to eat?”
Si Xu, seeing how casual Lin Jiu was, also sat on the carpet. “Anything’s fine.”
Lin Jiu cut off the end of the tentacle and started processing it in front of Si Xu. The tip of the knife glided over the tentacle, skillfully peeling off the blue skin and leaving only the pure white flesh.
Without stopping, Lin Jiu sliced off the saucer-sized suckers and then cut the tentacle into thin slices and small triangular pieces.
He speared one of the suckers with his knife and placed it on Si Xu’s plate. Then he rolled up a slice of the tentacle and put it on top of the sucker, stacking a few small triangular pieces on the side to create a simple presentation.
“Try it.”
Lin Jiu served himself the remaining suckers, slices, and triangular pieces, picked up a fork, and took a bite.
The boiled small blue devil’s tentacle tasted just as he imagined—tender, chewy, and absolutely delicious.
For the second bite, Lin Jiu dipped it in soy sauce from the Demon Sea Realm, which added richness and depth compared to the plain boiled version.
For the third bite, he dipped it in both soy sauce and coral greens lettuce, and the flavors layered further. The intense umami, saltiness, and savory notes filled his mouth, while the spiciness and sweetness of the coral greens enhanced the seafood’s freshness.
As expected from a three-star magical ingredient, both the taste and texture were exceptional.
Si Xu watched as Lin Jiu sampled the tentacle three different ways before finally taking a bite himself. It was as delicious as expected—any dish made by Lin Jiu was never short of amazing. What surprised Si Xu was how it felt icy cold and smooth when it entered his mouth, but once swallowed, it warmed his stomach instantly, making his whole body feel comfortable.
“How is it?” Lin Jiu asked, savoring another bite.
Si Xu, holding his knife and fork with the grace of someone eating Western cuisine, replied, “It’s excellent.”
“And the energy?” Lin Jiu asked casually.
Si Xu paused, realizing now just how high-energy this ingredient was.
“It feels more potent than Silver carp and caviar, but lower in energy than the green plum wine and the nutrition meal you made for me.”
Lin Jiu nodded. “Exactly. The small blue devil is currently the highest-energy ingredient.”
Lin Jiu ate another piece of tentacle. “Now I regret agreeing to sell ingredients to the Special Security Department.”
Si Xu: “…”
One sale and he already regrets it? The Special Security Department would probably go crazy.
Lin Jiu continued, “Wouldn’t it be better if they just came to the store to eat? That’s money straight into the shop’s earnings! Well, not a big deal. If they want ingredients, I’ll just say we don’t have any, only Red Pum Wine. That wine’s also part of the shop’s earnings, so that works.”
Si Xu: “…”
Should he say something at this point?
After a moment of thought, Si Xu offered, “If you’re short on funds, you can always come to me.”
Lin Jiu responded, “I’m not short on money. The shop is.”
Si Xu: “…”
His sharp mind faltered slightly.
Si Xu mulled it over and said, “Even if they came to the shop to eat, wouldn’t there be too many of them?”
Lin Jiu said, “That’s true, but they can come in shifts.”
Si Xu suddenly felt that the store he had bought for Lin Jiu might come in handy. “Ever thought of expanding?”
“Not really.”
Lin Jiu hadn’t even opened the second and third floors yet, so why expand the space? He could just continue remodeling the first floor. He thought this could really work—his wooden bar could be arranged nicely, and there’d be enough seating for a full circle of customers. Now is not the time to slack off or be lazy, it’s time to work hard and make money.
Once Lin Jiu made up his mind, he quickly finished his share of the small blue devil. He was already full, as the small blue devil was quite energy-dense—just a small piece was enough to fill him up. The same went for Si Xu.
“What are your plans for the afternoon?” Lin Jiu didn’t believe that Si Xu was free enough to watch over him all day.
Si Xu had two meetings in the afternoon. “I need to head to the office.”
Lin Jiu quickly got up. “Then go ahead, I’ll head over to the shop.”
Si Xu: “…”
Si Xu: “Be careful, your injury isn’t fully healed yet.”
Lin Jiu went to his room to change clothes. “It’s fine, it won’t interfere with work.”
Si Xu cleaned the knives and plates for both of them and placed them back neatly. He looked at the large tentacle, unsure what to do with it. How big of a fridge would it take to store such a huge tentacle?
When Lin Jiu came back out, he was dressed in a white turtleneck sweater and a khaki coat, paired with dark casual pants and high-top Martin boots. His long black hair was tied up high, and his entire appearance was fresh, clean, and striking. His slim, tall figure and strikingly good looks made it hard for Si Xu to take his eyes off him for a moment.
Lin Jiu was putting on black leather gloves. “I’m fine, you can go to work. No need to keep an eye on me anymore.”
Si Xu glanced down, steadying himself. “Don’t forget your mask.”
Lin Jiu felt that he didn’t need to wear a mask. After all, he wasn’t a celebrity.
Si Xu: “It’s cold outside.”
Lin Jiu: “…”
Fine, he thought, I’ll wear it. He went to the closet, found a black mask, put it on, and walked toward the entryway.
Si Xu: “Your phone.”
Lin Jiu patted his pockets—his phone wasn’t there. He looked around.
Si Xu: “It’s on the bean bag chair.”
Lin Jiu quickly grabbed his phone and headed back to the door.
Si Xu: “And the tentacle? Are you just going to leave it there?”
Lin Jiu: “…”
Lin Jiu sighed. “How about you head out first? I’ll tidy up.”
Si Xu looked at him, and Lin Jiu returned an innocent look.
Si Xu knew this probably had something to do with Lin Jiu’s secrets, so he didn’t push further. “I’ll wait in the car and drive you to the store.”
Lin Jiu: “No need. The store’s not far from here. I can walk.”
Si Xu: “Walking alone in the cold wind has a poetic vibe, doesn’t it?”
Lin Jiu: “…”
Lin Jiu: “…Thanks.”
Si Xu stepped out the door, glanced at the set of keys, but didn’t take them.
Lin Jiu activated his high-tech kitchen and had the robotic arms cut the tentacle into smaller pieces. He stored them in the fridge and then sent the oversized tray back to the kitchen. After cleaning up, he headed downstairs.
Si Xu’s car was already waiting outside. Lin Jiu got into the passenger seat, and Si Xu drove him to the store.
As they drove through the neighborhood and turned onto Old Street, Lin Jiu noticed the smooth, widened road and wondered if they’d taken the wrong path. But when he looked at the buildings along the sides, they had all been renovated. He’d only been gone a week, but the entire street looked brand new.
Surprised, Lin Jiu looked over at Si Xu, who was driving. “Did Old Street get a one-click upgrade?”
Si Xu smiled. “The higher-ups saw potential for development here. They’ve repaved the roads and renovated the buildings. A parking lot has even been built near your store, so you won’t have to stumble around in the dark. They’ve also started planning the area—it’s going to become a commercial zone.”
Lin Jiu: “…”
Si Xu added, “Naturally, property prices are skyrocketing too.”
Lin Jiu: “…”
It felt like he’d missed out on billions.
Si Xu parked in front of the store. “Regretting not listening to my advice to buy property?”
Lin Jiu: “…A little.”
Si Xu chuckled. “No worries, I bought plenty. Let me know if you need any.”
Lin Jiu: “…”
Wait, why did that comment feel so loaded?
Before Lin Jiu could fully process it, Si Xu hit him with another question. “Are you an enhanced human?”
Lin Jiu: “???”
His big eyes were full of confusion.
Si Xu explained, “The people from the Special Security Department will come looking for you. Think about how you’ll respond. Take care of that injury.”
Lin Jiu stood in the cold wind, slowly realizing that the strange, collective self-revelations probably caught the attention of the Special Security Department. Even without evidence, they’d suspect him.
So, here was the question: Was he an enhanced human?
Of course not.
Did he need to pretend to be one?
Of course… he did.
Decision made. From now on, he was an enhanced human. Just like Si Xu.
Lin Jiu opened the shop and started cleaning up.
Boss Lin, the money-making machine, wasn’t about to let a messy shop stop him. The bar needed to be utilized. After consulting with the Chef God system, Lin Jiu planned to set up 8 seats at the wooden bar. Once fully seated, it would take up some of the aisle space, but it wouldn’t block traffic. It just wouldn’t look as “spacious” as before.
For the sake of earning more money, Boss Lin decided he could live with that.
That evening, Lin Jiu announced the new policies for the Demon Fish Store on Weibo.
“Starting tomorrow, the Demon Fish Store will serve 6 tables each for lunch and dinner. The bar will seat 8 for lunch and dinner. The first-floor private room (seating for 6) will now be open, but only to regular customers.”
As soon as he posted, a flood of people asked if reservations were available.
Lin Jiu added a quick update: “No reservations, no takeout, dine-in only.”
The comment section exploded with wails of despair.
“Looks like I’m doomed to watch others eat at the Demon Fish Store!”
“I just want to know if prices are going up! I haven’t had seafood in a week, and as a seafood lover, I’m barely holding on. Every day I feel the urge to blow all my savings on a feast!”
“Has anyone noticed that every time Boss Lin restocks, the policies change?”
“What I see is Boss Lin’s burning ambition to make money!””
“Don’t get the wrong idea. If Boss Lin really wanted to make money, he wouldn’t be sticking to the same lunch and dinner routine. He’s still the laid-back Boss Lin.”
Lin Jiu: “…”
He ‘did’ want to make money, but wasn’t he tired? He was only one person, how could he keep working non-stop?
Lin Jiu consulted with the Chef God system and confirmed there would be no price increases. He posted another update to clarify.
“The Demon Fish Store currently has no plans to raise prices.”
The comments section erupted with joy, with everyone joking that “Black-hearted Boss Lin” had suddenly stopped being heartless—it was a bit hard to get used to.
Someone warned, “Be careful calling Boss Lin heartless, or you might end up on the blacklist.”
Indeed, the blacklist was being prepared…
Si Xu was still working overtime when he got a call from Jiang Ge.
“Ah Xu! Did you and Lin Jiu fall out?!”
Si Xu continued working, not stopping his hands. “We won’t fall out.”
For someone with ulterior motives like him, how could he possibly fall out with Lin Jiu? It was absolutely impossible.
They’d even had lunch together earlier—giant tentacle, at Lin Jiu’s place.
“Then what’s going on?! Lin Jiu just posted on Weibo that starting tomorrow, the first-floor private room will be open to regular customers. Isn’t that our exclusive space? If he opens it up to others, where will we eat? How am I supposed to mooch off?!”
Si Xu: “…”
Si Xu: “No way, he wouldn’t touch the first-floor private room.”
“You’re my real brother, go check his Weibo yourself! It’s still up there!” Jiang Ge hung up in frustration.
Si Xu put down his pen, opened Lin Jiu’s Weibo, and sure enough, saw the news about the private room being opened to regular customers.
Si Xu: “…”
Si Xu: “…”
Si Xu: “…”
Si Xu started to wonder, had money-hungry little Lin Jiu forgotten about him?
If Lin Xiaojiu could even consider withholding food from the Special Security Department, there was nothing he wouldn’t do. Forgetting about him was highly possible.
After thinking it over, Si Xu decided to give little Lin Jiu a call, just to remind him of his existence—let him remember that his idol was still around.
The phone rang for a while before being answered, and Lin Jiu’s groggy voice came through. “Hello…”
Si Xu hesitated and glanced at the time. It was nearly 11 p.m.—Lin Jiu had already gone to bed. He considered hanging up but couldn’t resist the urge to hear his voice.
“It’s me,” Si Xu said, lowering his voice.
“Si God…?” Lin Jiu was still half-asleep, unclear if he was truly hearing Si Xu’s voice or just dreaming.
Si Xu: “…”
When Lin Jiu was awake, he never called him that.
Before Si Xu could respond, Lin Jiu mumbled again, “Si God… Are you going to spend your birthday with your fans this year? I’m a fan too… Could you spend it with me…?”
Si Xu’s heart skipped a beat, and the emotions he’d been suppressing surged back up. “Lin Jiu…”
“…”
“Little Lin Jiu?”
“…”
On the other end of the line, there was only the sound of steady breathing—Lin Jiu had fallen asleep again.
Si Xu: “…”
He didn’t hang up, listening to the soft breathing on the other end, as he slowly pushed his emotions back down.
Lin Jiu woke up naturally the next morning, feeling a bit confused. It seemed like he’d dreamed of Si Xu calling him last night…
Still in a daze, he went to wash up. Afterward, as he became more awake, he unwrapped the bandages on his leg. The injury had fully healed, leaving no scars at all—the healing agent had worked wonders.
Tomorrow was Si Xu’s birthday. Lin Jiu wanted to find a chance to test if Si Xu had any plans. If he didn’t, Lin Jiu would make sure there was one.
Celebrating Si Xu’s birthday! It was something he never would’ve dared dream about before!
Lin Jiu got dressed, ate a small piece of blue devil tentacle, took out the ingredients he needed for the day, packed them in a thermal box, and rode his bike to the store.
—
