Running a Night Stall and Got Spotted by a Beautiful Superintendent - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Chen Mu Thought, I’m Not Blind.

The trial operation had been going on for over a month, from nine in the evening until one in the morning every night, rain or shine.

After Chen Mu came out of the parking lot, she practiced putting on her mask and softly hummed a song while taking a shortcut toward the back door.

The neighboring fried skewer stall began operating as soon as the sky turned dark. Every day when she arrived, Sister Zhang was already busy in full swing. Fortunately, the stall rent was paid on a fixed basis, otherwise, in terms of attendance alone, Chen Mu wouldn’t even pass.

But today… the situation seemed a bit unusual. Looking from afar, crowds of heads were moving around near Stall No. 0136, and it wasn’t even time for the locals’ late-night snacks yet?

“Wow, pay attention, pay attention, the boss is here!”

Someone shouted, and the restless crowd simultaneously looked toward her. Chen Mu’s entire body felt numb, and she took a stealthy glance behind her back out of nowhere—nothing was there.

She looked awkwardly at Sister Zhang at Stall No. 0135, who was cheerfully waving her hand at her, “You’re here, Xiao Chen!”

The crowd caused another stir.

Chen Mu took advantage of the opportunity to make a grand circle around the tables and chairs dining area, dragging the camping wagon to reach the stall position. The moment she surfaced after sorting out the ingredients, a dozen or so cell phones were brightly and flashily facing her.

She tied her apron in a flurry, slanting her head to ask Sister Zhang in a quiet voice, “What is this for?”

Sister Zhang’s brows lit up with joy, so delighted that she looked ten years younger, “They say an internet celebrity came over to live-stream, wanting to see you, this ‘Fried Rice Noodle Xi Shi’!”

It turned out those three female university students from last night had posted their experience at the night market onto the internet, spreading like wildfire within the local circles overnight. Quite a few people learned of Chen Mu’s little night stall through the video and came in succession to check in.

Chen Mu bit her back teeth and drew in a sharp breath of cold air.

The cell phone suddenly resounded with continuous payment notifications, clinking and clanking like a rooster crowing at dawn, and the tea bucket was quickly filled with upright eco-friendly chopsticks.

She skillfully turned on the gas stove, silently reciting more than a dozen times that the customer is God, and God brook no doubt.

With a lift of her hand and a drop of her spatula, the oil turned hot and the black bean sauce became fragrant. Both of her hands were swinging out sparks!

Regrettably, the crowd never showed signs of thinning, and some people even turned on flashlights to illuminate her. Chen Mu swept a glance at the crowd from time to time, her eyebrows gradually twisting into a Tianjin big fried dough twist.

“Brothers, look quickly, this is our Lan City’s brave and righteous ‘Fried Rice Noodle Xi Shi’!”

“Boss Sister, I want to endorse fried rice noodles for you, always supporting you!”

“I am a fan of the boss! Acting courageously for a just cause, she is worth it!”

“Why are these fried rice noodles more expensive than other stalls? The boss can’t be wanting to fleece us tourists, right?”

“Expensive? If you poor ghosts think it’s expensive, don’t eat it.”

The crowd grew more and more clamorous, those taking pictures, those live-streaming, and those quarreling because of the queue creating a bustling and chaotic mess. Chen Mu couldn’t help but feel worried. If no one maintained order, once the crowd in the bustling market lost control, the consequences would be unimaginable…

The situation was urgent, yet the person had to remain calm. Her eyes darkened as she recalled planning several big-V fan meetings back when she was rotating through the operations department, and she quickly came up with an idea.

Chen Mu neatly turned off the gas, taking deep breaths several times as she walked out of the stall, striving to raise the pitch of her voice, “Thank you all for the support. For everyone’s experience and safety, buddies who want to eat fried rice noodles please line up on the left side, and place your order and pay when you reach the front.

“Friends strolling through the night market please come to the right side, vacating the aisle for other people to move around.

“If you are hungry right now, you can also taste the fried skewers next door, they are very delicious.”

Just as the words fell, the crowd slowly parted like the Tongtian River, yielding a narrow aisle.

Chen Mu took advantage of the chance to dial the market management office phone, saying unhurriedly, “Manager Zhang, please bring a few security guards to Stall 0136. There are tourists gathering here, and we need security guards to maintain order.”

The other end of the phone spoke with a muffled, nasal tone, bickering impatiently, “What gathering or not gathering, it’s not tourist peak hour yet, don’t fuss over nothing.”

Hearing that he wanted to muddle through again, Chen Mu’s tone couldn’t help but turn sharp and fierce, “Manager Zhang Tongwei, you are responsible for market public security. I don’t need to remind you of similar stampede cases in the news. Please bring people here right now, otherwise, once something happens, the market must bear full responsibility.

“Don’t hesitate. If the security guards don’t arrive within five minutes, I will immediately call the police.”

After hanging up the phone, a layer of cold sweat had already broken out in Chen Mu’s palms.

Felt dizzy by the flashing cameras and lights before her eyes, she hurriedly fished out a bottle of Huoxiang Zhengqi water to gulp down two mouthfuls, walking to the front of the stall to continue burying her head in frying rice noodles.

The crowd was noisy, and who knew who suddenly let out a high-pitched sneer, “Is this truly not hype? Look at how the boss has even memorized her lines, just waiting for people to live-stream to attract traffic for you, right? Old iron brothers, isn’t that right?”

“Exactly, exactly, these fried rice noodles actually look very ordinary in appearance, purely relying on filters.”

“See through it but don’t speak it out, why must you pierce through people’s illusions!”

“Hyping traffic yet wearing a mask to act all mysterious, do you dare to let everyone see your front face!”

“Didn’t the main broadcaster say the boss is a big beauty? Why don’t you prove it to everyone.”

Chen Mu bit her back molars, cursing a couple of times in her heart. These bottomless bloggers loved to watch the excitement and didn’t care if the matter grew too big. She had no desire to rush forward and bite the hook.

It was just that by doing this, her stall which had only been operating for over a month could very likely be drowned by the saliva of rumor-mongers until all previous efforts were wasted. Could it be that the business opportunity which had just shown a bit of improvement was going to… die young like this?

Di-di. The five-minute countdown resounded.

Chen Mu looked outside the crowd, and sure enough, the cowardly and fearful Zhang Tongwei brought four security guards facing over.

She lifted her chin toward him, and Manager Zhang immediately directed the security guards to begin dispersing the crowd. Even so, the dark mass of people only gradually receded until the midnight hour.

After closing for business, Chen Mu pinched her aching wrist, calculating the accounts like she was possessed. If she sold 200 portions a day bringing in 3,000 yuan, that would be 100,000 a month and 1,000,000 a year—could this not earn more than being a data worker?

However, doing this, she would probably drop dead suddenly the next day…

Moreover, she was even questioned by a few ill-intentioned bloggers about hyping traffic.

Chen Mu let out a sigh, opening her phone to slide around inside the local recommendations. Sure enough, within several videos holding quite high likes, she saw content regarding the night market and instigating captions—”The night stall fried rice noodle proprietress hypes traffic, self-directing and self-acting a disturbance scene at the fan group!”

Her brows gradually knitted together. This ill-fated little night stall at this moment resembled a canoe within a storm at sea to the maximum degree. Its situation was extremely unfavorable.

Sister Zhang next door had closed for business early today, intentionally coming over to chat idly, “Aiya Xiao Chen, relying on your blessing, today is the day of my highest turnover, Sister Zhang.”

…Chen Mu didn’t know what was good to say, merely looking at Sister Zhang thoughtfully, “Do you also like them coming?”

“I like it, ah. If they shoot, let them shoot. What is there to fear when we do business properly?” Sister Zhang proudly tore open her loud voice, “Grasping the opportunity to earn money is the most crucial matter, everything else is passing clouds!”

The corner of Chen Mu’s mouth curved, being amused to laughter by her, “Makes sense.”

What she said was not wrong. Grasping the opportunity to earn money was crucial, but earning money steadily and durably was even more crucial.

At one o’clock in the morning, the office building of the Lan River Night Market was brightly lit, and bursts of tea fragrance drifted inside the general manager’s office.

Chen Mu sat before the antique sour-twig wood tea table, showering heavy compliments with a serious expression, “General Manager Zhang, tonight truly requires thanking Manager Zhang Tongwei. Fortunately, he was there so nothing happened.”

The contractor of the night market, who was also the general manager, Zhang Chengliang, met her with a smiling face, “My family brother is good in this single point—serious and responsible, that is beyond doubt. However Xiao Chen, exactly what matter do you have so late?”

Chen Mu let out a tactical sigh, displaying a difficult expression, “Actually, this kind of suddenly popular network traffic holds advantages and disadvantages. Rather than specially wasting manpower to maintain order, it’s better to…”

A gold light flashed on Zhang Chengliang’s neck as he leaned forward to pour a cup of tea, pushing it to the side of Chen Mu’s hand with a beam of smiles, “Better to do what?”

“Better if the marketing department establishes a night market live-stream group, taking the lead to uniformly live-stream the popular stalls. Not only can it vigorously publicize the Lan River Night Market, but the live-stream revenue can also be split with the merchants, and it will be much easier for the security guards to maintain order. What do you think?”

Chen Mu’s stream of words was spoken with clear logic, neither humble nor arrogant.

She slowly drank a mouthful of tea, appearing as if her interest was not yet exhausted, “It will be Lan City’s peak tourist season very soon. If the live-stream group is truly set up, General Manager Zhang can even talk with the local tourism bureau regarding publicity subsidies or cooperation.”

Zhang Chengliang’s shrewd, thunderous big eyes instantly flashed. He simply never expected that such a talent was hidden inside the night market!

Before this girl entered the door, he only knew she was a seller of fried rice noodles, never expecting the words spoken to hold such thorough logic, bringing bursts of pleasant surprise.

He had recently been worrying about how to further expand the fame of the Lan River Night Market, so as to catch the national recovering tourism craze and make another sum of money.

A good idea flew before his eyes. Although Zhang Chengliang was excited, his bones inevitably carried the caution of a businessman, asking with a half-smile, “Xiao Chen, what you say indeed makes sense.

“Only—you delivered such a grand gift to me, what kind of benefits do you want to take from me? Don’t be polite, feel free to speak.”

Chen Mu lowered her eyes to fake thinking for a moment, saying without haste or delay, “I don’t want other benefits, only that the security guards maintain the stall order well, and don’t let those messed up internet celebrities disturb everyone doing business.

“The live-stream revenue will be uniformly split among all merchants, treating everyone equally, earning money with peace of mind.”

Zhang Chengliang was once again touched by her statement, unable to bear asking, “Xiao Chen, I see your speech is quite logical and the person is smart. Is it convenient to ask where you were previously employed?”

Zhang Tongwei on the side ingratiatingly leaned up, his tone holding a trace of regret, “Back then, she was even the top scorer of our Lan City’s college entrance examination. Recently, for some reason, she suddenly resigned from a tech giant, returning to her old home to run a night stall.”

“No, no,” the shrewd Zhang Chengliang immediately pressed him down, “Tech giants are not bad, but our Lan City also holds grand opportunities.

“Boss Chen, I shall just listen to your suggestion. We will call a meeting immediately tomorrow to discuss this matter. Many thanks to you for offering advice and suggestions to the market.”

The three rose to flatter each other with polite formalities, sending Chen Mu out all the way.

She started the Chevrolet SUV, and after a moment, intentionally detoured around the urban main roads and drove into the outer ring highway.

The half-lowered car window rushed in with bursts of warm wind, and the scald blister on her left arm was vaguely hidden into the night scene. She recalled that inexplicable Officer Little Gu from last night again.

“You, you live here?”

“Uhm, what’s the matter?”

“No, nothing.”

Chen Mu thought to herself, “I’m not blind.” When her private car drove into the neighborhood, the lifting bar automatically rose up. Did that not mean that Officer Little Gu, who stayed up late working overtime yesterday, actually lived in the same neighborhood as her…?

At this time, the car screen popped out several notification reminders in succession. Chen Mu saw scrolling messages coming from a certain unfamiliar number on the banner message interface:

“Boss Chen, hope you consider it again.”

“The live-stream matters are limited to your reply to me within three days, otherwise bear the consequences yourself.”

“A fifty-fifty split of the profits, full of sincerity, awaiting your good news.”

The mood that had just relaxed instantly fell to the bottom of the valley. Chen Mu stared at the white lines continuously retreating and disappearing within her field of vision ahead, her gaze gradually turning cold.

These flies that couldn’t be shaken off were truly a hassle.

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