Chapter 65: Demon Fish App Launches
Si Qinian said, “You came back at the right time. There’s something I need to discuss with you. Lu Yu is leading a coastal patrol and won’t be able to handle this matter, so I’m leaving it to you since you’re in City A.”
Si Xu asked, “What’s the issue?”
Si Qinian responded, “We’ve received an entry application from the Elton family of M Country, and their stated reason is to find relatives.”
Si Xu was puzzled by his father’s meaning. They were looking for relatives, but why was this his responsibility? Was he supposed to help them find someone?
Si Qinian stared at Si Xu for two seconds. “The Elton family is an ancient one in M Country. There are legends that claim the family descends from the Sirens. Do you understand what that means?”
It meant that descendants of the merfolk might exist within their own borders!
Si Qinian’s gaze grew deep. “You know what to do, right?”
Si Xu knew what to do, but implementing it might be difficult. If things went wrong, it could become an international issue. If the Elton family wanted to take someone back, they wouldn’t be able to stop them. However, if they let them go, they’d suffer great losses.
After all, these were special bloodline descendants, and they needed to retain as many as possible!
Si Qinian’s expression became very complex. “I always thought we had no special bloodlines, but to think one was in our own family all along.”
Every time he thought about it, Si Qinian felt emotional. Si Xu had an exceptional memory since childhood, and Si Qinian always assumed it was just natural talent. Who could have guessed it was due to a special bloodline?
Si Qinian sighed, “Special bloodlines—if we can keep one, we must. We can’t let those other countries monopolize them all.”
Si Xu added, “I was just about to report this to you.”
He then recounted Lin Jiu’s recommendation regarding the Fu family. It wasn’t just Si Xu who had a special bloodline; an entire family had been living hidden in City A without being discovered.
Si Qinian was indeed surprised. “You’re sure they’re one of the four bloodlines—beastkin? An entire family?”
“That’s what I’ve heard,” Si Xu replied.
Si Qinian contemplated, “Have you seen their beast form? No, they probably don’t have one. The four bloodlines are practically myths now, with the truth only found in classified records. No one has seen them with their own eyes. It’s possible the legends are just that—legends.”
“We’ll know soon enough,” Si Xu said, a hint of pride in his voice. “Lin Jiu wants to recommend them to my team.”
Si Qinian gave him a sidelong glance. “Why do all the good things fall into your lap? By the way, any issues on Lin Jiu’s side?”
Si Xu’s expression grew colder. “Aside from the Lins and Liao families trying to curry favor, no issues so far.”
Si Qinian warned, “Lin Jiu is very important. He cannot afford to make any mistakes.”
“I understand.”
Si Qinian added, “Keep an eye on the Elton family situation. I’ve already ordered a screening of mixed-blood individuals in City A. The list will be sent to you soon. You’ll need to identify the most likely candidates and make contact. If they really do find someone, we’ll have to find a way to keep them here.”
Securing just one would mean preserving a valuable bloodline, and no one would want to let that go.
Si Xu nodded in agreement. “What about the Fu family?”
“I’ll send someone to handle that. You don’t need to worry about it,” Si Qinian replied.
—
Lin Jiu originally thought he was a pretty pathetic boss. Even as the owner, he wasn’t entitled to freebies and had to cover the restaurant’s losses whenever he treated guests. The more he thought about it, the more it felt like a scam.
Last night, Lin Jiu bought five meal sets out of his own pocket, including the extra Liuxi fish and pan-seared lobster meat—everything was accounted for. The God of Cooking system was incredibly stingy.
Lin Jiu hadn’t touched the restaurant’s earnings and used up what little savings he had. That’s when he realized a loophole in the system. If he needed to boost sales, couldn’t he just treat people using his own money? As long as the money was spent at the restaurant, it would count toward sales, even if it came from his personal funds.
With this in mind, Lin Jiu decided he could relax again. If he ran out of money, he’d just sell pearls, then use that money to eat at his restaurant. Sales targets and blind box draws wouldn’t be a problem anymore.
Thinking this over, Lin Jiu said it out loud, hoping to exploit this loophole and score some benefits from the God of Cooking system. However, the system completely ignored him, as if it was aware of the loophole and didn’t care to fix it.
“Why?”
After thinking it over, Lin Jiu could only come up with one possibility—stimulating consumption!
Whether it was outsiders or Lin Jiu himself, as long as there was spending, there would be magical material consumption. No matter how you looked at it, it all came down to magic materials. The system was designed to ensure continuous consumption of magic materials, and even knowing about loopholes, it didn’t bother to fix them, waiting for him to exploit them.
The God of Cooking system was so meticulous about the restaurant’s earnings, but money wasn’t what it really cared about—money was useless to the system. What mattered was magic value!
Perfect. Lin Jiu felt that the Black Star Pearl in his hand could come in handy again.
Lin Jiu arrived at the restaurant early to prepare, only to find that many people were already standing at the entrance, including both adults and children. The children were bundled up with hats and scarves, their little faces flushed red from the cold. Lin Jiu had seen these children before—they were from families living in the old street.
Sister Wen and the part-time workers had already arrived. After parking his car, Lin Jiu went inside and asked Sister Wen what was going on.
Sister Wen glanced outside. “I just asked. These kids were sent by their families to hold spots. The adults will come once they’re done with work.”
Lin Jiu frowned. Were the old street residents really planning to book out the whole place?
But the reality might not be that simple. Lin Jiu thought of another possibility. “It can’t be what I think it is, right?”
Sister Wen sighed. “It probably is what you’re thinking. Many out-of-towners can’t make it in time, so they’re paying the old street residents to hold spots. They’re doing it discreetly. Those buying the spots are willingly paying, and both sides make the deal without saying anything. This isn’t the first time it’s happened.”
Lin Jiu glanced at the kids bundled up like little balls. “How much are the spots selling for?”
Sister Wen held up one finger.
“500 per table?” Lin Jiu guessed.
“500 per spot,” Sister Wen corrected. “I just asked some of the people in line. Yesterday, an old street resident sold a table’s worth of spots to four people, earning a clean 2,000 yuan.”
Lin Jiu frowned deeply. People from far away wanted to eat here but couldn’t line up in time, so they paid others to hold their spots. Since both sides were doing it voluntarily, Lin Jiu couldn’t just stop them from coming in. But if this continued, the old street residents might all start copying the behavior, making it impossible for those coming from far away to get a spot. That wouldn’t be fair.
Lin Jiu asked the God of Cooking system if there was any way to stop this behavior.
The system responded: [The offline system is powerless, but the online system can fully handle it.]
Lin Jiu: [Then let’s move it online. Do you have any solutions?]
It was so cold that people would come early to wait in line, standing for an entire morning or afternoon, wasting time and suffering in the cold. It was definitely time to change the rules.
The system replied: “The Demon Fish Shop app is just what you need.”
Lin Jiu: …
Suddenly, Jiang Xiwen’s phone rang with a Weibo notification. She glanced at it and exclaimed, “Did you have someone make an app?”
Lin Jiu: …
‘If I had someone make an app, how come I don’t know about it?’ Lin Jiu quickly took out his phone and logged into Weibo, only to see his latest post featuring a Demon Fish Shop APP QR code and a brief description.
Lin Jiu: *”Considering the freezing weather and the long lines at the door, the Demon Fish Shop APP has launched an online reservation system. Out-of-towners, you no longer have to worry about not getting a spot. As long as you’re fast enough, the spot is yours! Scan the QR code to download the Mo Yu app, where you can reserve spots, check prices, and view the menu. More discounts are available on the app.”*
Lin Jiu: …
In just a short time, the comment section had exploded with thousands of comments. Many fans who had been monitoring the post were confused, wondering if Lin Jiu’s account had been hacked, since the post felt so much like an advertisement.
“Whoa! I’ve already downloaded it. This is not a fake ad—it’s real!”
“I downloaded it too, hahaha! Now I won’t have to watch others eat anymore. I finally have a chance!”
“The time has come to test your speed! Let me show you what 30 years of being single has done to my hand speed!”
“Lin Jiu, you’re amazing! Dropping this bomb so quietly. Impressive!”
…
Jiang Xiwen had also downloaded the app. The app icon was the familiar Demon Fish Shop Diner logo, with rich colors and a refined look.
After registering, Jiang Xiwen’s role in the app was displayed as “Floor Manager.” There were specific duties and privileges tied to being a manager. After fiddling with the app for a while, she raised an eyebrow and said, “This app is pretty high-end.”
Lin Jiu scanned the QR code himself and downloaded it.
He needed to register and verify his real identity. Upon logging in, Lin Jiu’s role was displayed as “Owner.”
Lin Jiu explored the features and descriptions. The homepage had a large reservation icon, with a countdown timer running. After calculating the time, Lin Jiu realized that new reservations would be available at exactly 12:00 AM each night.
Since Lin Jiu had been selling set meals lately, the price category only showed one option at 6,998 yuan, which included four dishes. The specific dishes would change daily based on the ingredients Lin Jiu prepared, meaning lunch might have different offerings than dinner on the same day.
Both lunch and dinner times were clearly listed.
For now, the Demon Fish Shop app’s features were simple, but more would be added and refined over time.
The main purpose of the app was to manage reservations. With the God of Cooking system overseeing it, it wouldn’t be easy for anyone to exploit loopholes.
Meanwhile, Jiang Xiwen was arranging to have the QR code made into a sign to be placed at the cashier’s counter and on the restaurant door, so customers wouldn’t need to line up so early anymore.
Lin Jiu checked Weibo again and was drawn to one particular comment.
Char Siu Guy: “What a crappy app. It’s fake! I can’t download it!”
Beneath that comment, a thread of replies had already built up.
“Impossible, I downloaded it.”
“I downloaded it too. Just waiting to test my hand speed at midnight.”
Char Siu Guy asked what phones they were using, and it turned out some had the same phone as him. They all managed to download it, except for him.
Qian Li Yuanlai: “Damn! You’re not alone, OP. I can’t download it either, damn it!”
The comment section was full of speculation, including guesses that the app might have been taken down by authorities for violating some regulations. Lin Jiu didn’t need to ask the God of Cooking system to know what was going on—those on the blacklist definitely couldn’t download it.
There was no need to explain this; otherwise, it would be hard to justify how they knew who these people were even before they downloaded or registered. It might lead people to suspect doxxing, and then the internet would blow up with more drama. Lin Jiu decided it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble and didn’t plan to explain.
Jiang Xiwen had already sent Zhao Cheng to find the children’s parents and ask them to take the kids home. Shortly after, the sound of a commotion came from outside. A burly woman, loud and imposing, shouted, “What’s the deal? Aren’t kids people too? If adults can wait in line, why can’t kids?”
One of the people in line tried to reason with her, “It’s too cold outside. You don’t want to freeze the kids. Better let them go home.”
The stout woman wanted to argue but didn’t dare push it further. Reluctantly, she sent the children home while she and her family continued to hold their place in line.
Zhao Cheng, tall and lean with a somewhat intimidating presence when expressionless, had personally gone to speak with them, knowing they were all one family. This family of five had taken five spots in line.
Zhao Cheng asked, “Are you sure you’re here to eat at the restaurant?”
A meal for five people would cost over 30,000 yuan—something most regular families couldn’t afford.
The stout woman glared, “What do you mean? You lookin’ down on us? Why can’t we eat at the restaurant?”
Zhao Cheng nodded, “Alright, I’ll stand here and watch. If you come in to eat, you’re welcome. But if you switch places with anyone, your spot is void.”
The stout woman, feeling both angry and guilty, snapped back, “What, if I change my mind halfway, I can’t give my spot to someone else?”
Zhao Cheng replied, “If you give it away for free, I’ll consider you a kind person. But if you’re selling it for profit, I’ll call the police.”
The mention of the police made the stout woman even more nervous. “So I waited out here in the cold for nothing?”
Zhao Cheng answered, “Standing in the cold was your choice. You didn’t have to.”
Zhao Cheng was only trying to scare her. Even if he called the police, there wasn’t much they could do—at most, they’d take her in for a warning. But the stout woman didn’t know that and was clearly scared.
The stout woman stood there, unmoving, while Zhao Cheng stood by the restaurant’s entrance, watching them like he was really going to stay until lunchtime.
After about half an hour of standoff, the stout woman gave up and left in a huff with her family.
With five spots suddenly opening up, the diners who hadn’t made it in line finally got a chance. A few of the people in front gave Zhao Cheng a thumbs-up.
Lin Jiu, busy preparing lunch in the kitchen, paused when he saw Zhao Cheng come in. He also glanced at the other two.
There were already two servers in the restaurant—Chang Beimu, whom Lin Jiu had met before, and another named Zheng Yumo. The two were polar opposites. Chang Beimu was cool and quiet, saying little and only focusing on work. Zheng Yumo, on the other hand, was lively and always smiling. She often asked Lin Jiu if he needed help, as she could cook and assist in the kitchen, but Lin Jiu had always declined.
Lin Jiu only needed two part-time servers each day, so why were there suddenly three today?
With Sister Wen not around, Lin Jiu had to ask himself.
“Come over here, the three of you,” Lin Jiu called out.
Zhao Cheng, Chang Beimu, and Zheng Yumo all gathered at the kitchen counter.
“What’s going on, boss? If there’s anything you need, just let us know. We’re at your service all day,” Zheng Yumo playfully saluted Lin Jiu.
Lin Jiu glanced at her, his face showing little expression. “I only need two people each day. Why are there three of you?”
Zhao Cheng remained silent, and so did Chang Beimu. Both of them looked calm, so Lin Jiu turned to Zheng Yumo.
Zheng Yumo raised her hand. “I’m the extra one. I volunteered to help. No need for pay, and I won’t even take free meals. I’ll order my own food and eat in the staff room. Is that okay?”
Lin Jiu asked, “Do you think that’s okay?”
Zheng Yumo answered, “I think it’s fine. Free labor—why not use it, right?”
Lin Jiu wasn’t swayed and told Zhao Cheng, “Call your captain or deputy to come pick her up.”
Zhao Cheng hesitated, showing a conflicted expression.
Lin Jiu asked, “What’s wrong?”
Zhao Cheng explained, “I’m from Team Seven. Our captain is Captain Si, and we don’t have a deputy right now.”
Lin Jiu: “…”
“So you’re all from Team Seven?”
Zheng Yumo raised her hand again. “I’m not. I’m currently applying to join Team Seven. Please, Boss Lin, help me out!”
Lin Jiu replied, “I’m not part of your department, so I can’t help you. If you want to work part-time at the restaurant, you can follow your department’s scheduling. If it’s not your turn, and you show up on your own, I can’t accept that.”
Setting this precedent would mean anyone could show up whenever they wanted.
Zheng Yumo’s smile faded. “I came because I wanted you to see my skills. I only want to join Team Seven. I believe I’m just as strong as the two female members currently in Team Seven. I’m already an enhanced person, and I’m stronger than they are! They’re still working their way through the reserves, and who knows when they’ll become enhanced, or if they ever will. Instead of taking a risk on them, why doesn’t Captain Si choose me? I know you have a special status in our department and are good friends with Captain Si. So I’d like to ask you to put in a good word for me. I really want to join Team Seven.”
Zhao Cheng glanced at Zheng Yumo with an unreadable expression.
He added, “She only recently joined the Special Security Department. She became an enhanced person due to natural environmental influences and applied to join our department on her own. She hasn’t gone through any formal training at the base.”
In other words, she had no organization and no discipline.
Zheng Yumo was the first part-time worker to ignore the rules and come to the restaurant like this.
