novelraw Chapter 97: Making Money, Making Money
Chapter 97: Making Money, Making Money
Night had fallen low, stars twinkling faintly, in a remote corner of Moonstone City’s harbor.
At this moment, this usually sparsely populated corner was gathering many prominent figures of Moonstone City.
The street-side open-air restaurants were wrapped in soft lighting and the warm aroma of lively cooking fires.
Inside the small street-side eatery, the stove fire blazed, spatulas flipped swiftly, and the scent of food filled the air—the freshness of seafood, the rich aroma of roasted meat, the crispness of vegetables.
Besides that, the water spirits were busily carrying dishes, running back and forth among several tables.
“Water spirits, bring the dishes quickly.”
“Getting to eat this meal means this month’s effort hasn’t been in vain.”
“Water spirits, bring me the strongest whiskey!”
“Boss, one more order of braised abalone in sauce!”
“Another order of moonlight fish.”The diners sat around the tables, enjoying this rare feast of delicacies.
[You have cooked garlic moonlight fish today, gaining 85 spirit points.]
“Why did it turn out like this? Why?”
Chen Qi asked sincerely while waiting for Pelu.
His original plan was just to cook some dishes, sell some food, and casually develop his chef profession.
But he never expected it to become so popular!
Three days after opening, he was already overwhelmed.
So, he had to adopt a reservation system.
Yet even so, with only one chef, it was still extremely busy.
Therefore, Chen Qi trained the Deepsea Water Spirits, letting the smarter second and third water spirits help cook.
Number Two handled chopping vegetables, Number Three took charge of tossing the wok.
Although this lowered the quality of the dishes, it greatly improved the serving efficiency.
Chen Qi thought that lowering quality would reduce customers.
However, the restaurant became even more popular.
Many people came just to flirt with the water spirits.
There were even scalpers snapping up reservation spots at his restaurant.
Chen Qi’s restaurant even appeared in the Witch Times newspaper, where it was called the Water Spirit Restaurant.
“Why is it so wildly popular?”
Chen Qi rubbed his head, sighing again.
The celebrity effect is terrifying!
Moreover, this was without him raising prices deliberately.
After deducting costs, in just over twenty days, by operating about four hours every night, he had earned over five hundred thousand Shell Coins and gained sixteen hundred spirit points.
Chen Qi picked up the bookkeeping slip and calculated.
Running the restaurant, plus income from selling Ghostfire Fish and black pearls, totaled around two and a half million Shell Coins.
He sold a large amount of useless equipment obtained from the Black Rabbit to the black market, but since there was no official channel, it only brought in three million Shell Coins.
Plus the 1.5 million cash from the Black Rabbit itself.
His cash on hand once reached over seven million Shell Coins.
But the expenses on the path of transcendence were enormous.
At the black market, he bought a good advanced Meditation Skill Card and a basic Qi Force Defense Skill Card, instantly blowing three million Shell Coins.
Now, Chen Qi only had about four million Shell Coins in savings.
For an ordinary person, that would be enough to marry and buy a house.
But on the path of transcendence, that money could only make small waves.
Fortunately, once the sea beast farm was built, it would be a sustainable source of income.
Chen Qi tallied the accounts for tonight.
Tonight’s stall would earn about a hundred thousand Shell Coins.
Though the restaurant was popular, the food made with ordinary ingredients was priced very low.
Manpower was limited, and after several days of continuous busyness, the Deepsea Water Spirits and he were at their limit.
Moreover, the moonlight fish season had passed.
The priciest moonlight fish sold was just over ten thousand Shell Coins.
To truly make big money from the chef profession, the best method was to prepare legendary transcendental delicacies.
For example, honey-roasted dragon meat, bone dragon rib soup, and so on.
Chen Qi stood outside the houseboat, shaking his head; there were still many desired items in the equipment market he hadn’t bought.
Seven million Shell Coins—the goal of buying a large ship—was still far off.
“Sis Pelu, so this is the restaurant you mentioned. It looks pretty shabby, but the water spirits here are cute. I wonder if the boss sells them.”
“Seems like not. Tell me, what do you want to eat? I’ll treat you.”
At that moment, two women arrived at the small houseboat.
Finally here... Chen Qi crossed his arms: “Pelu, good evening. What do you want to eat?”
He wondered if Pelu had obtained any information on the Lamp Phase profession today.
Pelu said confidently:
“I want the fattest moonlight fish. Today, I’m treating my junior Lilith to dinner.”
Junior? Chen Qi looked beside Pelu.
Next to Pelu stood a tall young woman about 1.7 meters tall, wearing round black-rimmed glasses, with slightly curled long black hair, a very good figure, and dressed in a black vintage ruffled long dress.
Lilith—that seemed to be the pen name of the Witch Times editor-in-chief... Chen Qi recalled.
Recently, the Witch Times reported on his Water Spirit Restaurant, so he had a strong impression.
Lilith greeted, staring at the water spirits with a fascinated expression:
“Hello, Chef. I really like your water spirits here.”
After brief small talk, Chen Qi served a heavily spicy grilled moonlight fish.
Pelu and Lilith sat at the dining table.
Chen Qi asked, “Pelu, did you really get information on the Lamp Phase profession card?”
Pelu said mysteriously, “Yes. Since it’s confidential, after you close, when fewer people are around, he will come to find you.”
He? Confidential? Chen Qi looked puzzled.
Pelu, as the Riddler Assassin, surprisingly did not directly reveal the other party’s name or identity.
A second-level Lamp Phase profession card involved confidentiality?
Chen Qi had a bad premonition.
Then Pelu secretly winked at Chen Qi.
Chen Qi took a breath.
Her meaning was:
Get my guest completely drunk!
Pelu sat at the table and said to Lilith:
“Lilith, don’t hold back. Enjoy yourself. Moonlight fish is the boss’s specialty!”
Lilith took a careful bite, showing a slightly puzzled look.
Delicious!
Pelu didn’t trick her after all!
Then Pelu chuckled confidently and picked up five bottles of strong wheat beer:
“Cheers! Lilith, congratulations on your paper’s record-breaking sales again!”
“Thanks, Sis Pelu. My newspaper’s success is largely thanks to the Flower Witch’s popularity.
After all, the Witch Times’ name honors the legendary witches.
Of course, it also couldn’t do without Sis Pelu’s guidance.”
“That has little to do with me. Cheers! By the way, how high are your Witch Times sales recently?”
Newspaper sales decided their competition’s outcome.
Lilith said softly, “Not much. A newspaper with cute girls and madams on the cover doesn’t sell many copies.”
A faint scent of gunpowder filled his small houseboat.
Chen Qi clicked his tongue.
These two were staging a workplace drinking showdown?
In the gaming forums, these two were competitors.
Lilith, as editor-in-chief of the Witch Times, and Pelu were opposites.
Compared to Pelu’s pursuit of big news, Lilith specialized more in scandalous and bizarre stories.
Moreover, she had exquisite drawing skills, artistically embellishing news characters in her reports—especially certain special parts.
According to some players’ investigations, Lilith seemed to be the only ordinary person in the White Pigeon Press.
Therefore, in the gaming forums, her nicknames were “Fan Artist Editor” and “Ordinary Person.”
In the White Pigeon Press, every year, the editor with the highest sales received an unimaginable legendary reward!
Thus, their sales war was now at a fever pitch.
Currently, because Pelu failed to catch the Flower Witch, the White Pigeon Times’ sales plummeted.
While Lilith, reporting on interesting events in the Goldenfinch Kingdom, set new sales records.
Chen Qi never imagined that his small restaurant could gather two legendary hidden talents of the news industry.
Lilith smiled faintly:
“Sis Pelu, cheers!”
“Cheers!”
“More strong liquor, Qi!”
After three rounds of drinking,
Pelu gave Chen Qi another look.
Lilith’s alcohol tolerance could match hers.
This little amount of liquor was not enough to get Lilith drunk!
“Hmph.”
Two minutes later,
Pelu crashed down with a bang, completely drunk and unconscious.
“Trash—”
Lilith sneered coldly.
Then she looked up, blushing, and said to Chen Qi:
“Boss, do you sell your water spirits?”
Chen Qi had a bad feeling and asked, “What do you want water spirits for?”
“Big use.”
Lilith answered honestly: “From my observation, many nobles are learning the Goldenfinch Kingdom’s playstyle. They need water spirits for some special uses.
You should understand how wonderful water spirits are, right?
They will pay quite a lot of money for your water spirits.”
“Wonderful water spirits? Playstyle???”
What are you talking about?
Chen Qi frowned like an old grandpa on the subway.
What the hell?
He underestimated how twisted the Witch Sea people were.
Water spirits were being eyed by rich ladies.
Chen Qi, as a responsible master, had no interest in letting the Deepsea Water Spirits experience the hidden pains of wealth and status.
After all, they were so obedient.
“No.”
Chen Qi refused Lilith’s request.
“Really? What a pity.”
Lilith downed another bottle of wheat beer and also passed out.
These two people were so weak, Chen Qi tidied the table.
Now, it was deep into the night, and the dock had become extremely quiet, with chilly winds blowing intermittently.
“Waku waku!”
Suddenly, a Deepsea Water Spirit leapt into his arms as if it had encountered a monster.
“???”
“Chef, could you please come out for a moment?”
A steady elderly male voice.
Pelu’s guest? Chen Qi turned his head and looked toward the voice.
It was an elderly white-haired man wearing a neat blue naval uniform. His long white hair was tied neatly behind his head.
High forehead, prominent nose bridge, face full of wrinkles.
Chen Qi’s gaze involuntarily landed on the armband on the man’s shoulder.
Five blue stars on the armband.
Chen Qi was secretly shocked.
The person Pelu brought was a navy admiral?