Chapter 325

Page 134

When the Judge

Lin Ziyeh was slightly taken aback and showed an unwilling smile.

“I also agree with your opinion, sir. The appeal to guests is indeed a key factor in evaluating the quality of a maid, but this is your café, your territory, and all around are your regular customers. Wouldn’t the results be biased if we compared them here?”

The shopkeeper replied, “My place isn’t just a café, though we do sell coffee; it’s more like a comic bookstore! Besides, I never said we would have a competition here. Unlike that wide skywalk of yours, my shop can’t accommodate too many guests. If it gets messy, I’ll have to spend extra effort cleaning up afterward.”

Lin Ziyeh surveyed the shop. Despite occupying four storefronts, part of it was designated as a hidden area, and the space was taken up by bookshelves, making the actual area smaller than it appeared. It looked more like a long, narrow L-shaped corridor.

“Hmm, organizing a competition here is a bit tight, then what do you suggest, sir?”

“Xiana, is the underground ring square at the entrance of Tianping Food Street empty?”

Caught off guard, Xiaolu was surprised but quickly answered, “It’s not completely empty, but there are some Thanksgiving advertisements. If needed, I can have them moved. Also, I don’t go by that nickname anymore. Please don’t call me that!”

Xiaolu seemed reluctant to mention her nickname “Xiana.”

I asked, “Then what do they call you at ‘Peach Cat’? Xiana~”

Xiaolu put her hand on my shoulder and squeezed hard.

“Of course, it’s my real name!”

——

[13:07]

Since it was Xiaolu’s territory, the arrangements for the Tianping Food Festival were quick.

After confirming the venue, we headed straight there without delay. Upon arriving at the ring square, a large area had been cleared, and several tables and chairs were set up on both sides, similar to the setup of a school debate.

“Though it’s a bit crude, let’s decide the outcome here!”

Lin Ziyeh crossed his arms and led his maid team behind one set of tables and chairs, representing Peach Cat.

In contrast, the shopkeeper and his Maid Hamahameha team were much smaller. Since someone had to watch the store, he brought only three maids, including Xiao Lei and Senior Longkui… another was a barely noticeable regular maid.

Fortunately, there were only three events. Although the opposing side seemed overwhelmingly strong, Maid Hamahameha might still win.

By the way, little Yuzu also hid under my hoodie and came along, constantly urging, “Xiao Kai! My perfume?”

“Let’s talk about it after the competition.”

“Do you not need to visit the institute to see the elderly?”

I sighed, “I want to, but if Cherry Sauce doesn’t take me, I’d have to walk from here.”

Cherry Sauce was interested in the outcome of the maid contest, and since Xiao Lei was participating, as her boyfriend, I had the duty to cheer her on…

But coffee, etiquette, and cooking.

None of these felt related to her. Could she even cook anything beyond instant noodles?

— “Miss Longkui is no better. Her ranking in the shop wasn’t high. Like Senior Changpu, she lacked understanding of many otaku topics and couldn’t chat with the owners, so where’s the appeal?” —

Looking at it this way, the shopkeeper’s chances seemed grim. Even if the regular maid used some hidden skills to score a point, Maid Hamahameha was still at a disadvantage.

I had experienced the maids from Peach Cat before. Their professionalism was unquestionable. Lin Ziyeh’s high salary made them treat every customer as their own master.

Comparing the two sides, the gap was like that between a ragtag group and a professional army. If the shopkeeper proposed a “fan knowledge quiz,” Maid Hamahameha might have a better chance, but he chose “appeal” instead…

Yet the shopkeeper looked confident and asked, “So how will the results be judged?”

“Appeal will ultimately be decided by audience votes. As for coffee and cooking, we need a professional judge.”

Among those I knew, AJ and Senior Shaojie were best at brewing coffee, but the former was enjoying a feast upstairs, while the latter probably didn’t want to see Lin Ziyeh’s face.

The shopkeeper suggested, “I have a brother who runs a bar in the underground shopping street. He has profound knowledge of coffee. If you don’t mind, we can invite him as a judge… we rarely interact, so he should give a fair evaluation.”

Brother?

Oh, he meant Elder Yuwentuo Hai.

The manager of Lost Moonlight Bar, a retired famous producer, and the discoverer of Sister Miaomiao. Despite his long title, from our interactions, he was just a playful old man.

At that time, I was in a random transformation state as a primary school student, so he wouldn’t know me well.

“No problem.”

Lin Ziyeh readily agreed to the shopkeeper’s proposal and looked at me with eyes similar to those of Senior Ling Shaojie.

“But one judge isn’t enough. Personal tastes vary, so we need at least three judges.”

The shopkeeper glanced at me and asked, “What do you think?”

“I hope Xiaolu and Miss Lingmeng can also serve as judges.”

Xiao Lei immediately stood up, exclaiming, “Huh? Have your fiancée judge you? Who would believe that?”

“Don’t get worked up, Xiao Lei. Didn’t I pick your girlfriend too? I trust they will make fair judgments.”

A crowd had gathered, drawn by the attractive maids. Peach Cat’s maid outfits were all different, making it look like a fashion show…

“Let’s not waste any time. Get ready to start! Since it’s last minute, I’ll host. Is that okay?”

The shopkeeper gestured and Lin Ziyeh handed the microphone to the pajama maid, who tapped it lightly.

Although it was underground, it took a few minutes to get from Lost Moonlight Bar to here because Tianping Food Street was on the outskirts of the commercial area.

During the wait for Elder Tuo Hai, Xiaolu requisitioned kitchen utensils, ingredients, and items needed for coffee from nearby shops. Though there was no contingency plan, the speed of mobilization was fast.

“Move quickly! Run! Time’s running out!”

Xiaolu acted like an unfeeling capitalist, ruthlessly driving her employees to work hard.

“Bring over another set of cameras! Record the entire competition!”

Wait, recording?

Both teams sat on either side. Xiaolu arranged three sets of tables and chairs and said to me, “Sister Lingmeng, sit in the middle?”

“Why?” I asked.

“The middle is the C position. I’m inferior in many ways, so sitting on the sides would make me nervous.”

“I don’t think anyone would care… and I don’t really want to be a judge.”

A crowd gathered at the ring square, and I disliked being the center of attention. Being stared at by so many people was stressful, and I might not even speak clearly, let alone act as a judge.

By the way, Xiaolu seemed indifferent, cracking her knuckles and shaking her hands, like a fighter waiting to enter the ring.

Moreover, Cherry Sauce wouldn’t be reliable in such a crowd. That person herself wasn’t good at interacting with strangers.

— “If so, should we bring out that person?” —

That person referred to… the fused personality?

— “Yes, judging from earlier, it’s an active personality. It might perform better.” —

Even though both Cherry Sauce and I were introverted, after fusion, she became somewhat arrogant or even domineering?

— “Perhaps because her power increased, surpassing the strength of a typical divine apprentice, giving her a stronger foundation.” —

After about seven or eight minutes, while I was stroking Yuzu’s soft fur until it shone like fur, Elder Yuwentuo Hai finally arrived.

If Manager Shen Yang, bald with a white beard, was like Master Roshi, then Elder Tuo Hai resembled Master Roshi in disguise, wearing a gentleman’s hat. He pushed through the crowd and walked straight to the manager.

He asked, “Shen Yang, what are you up to?”

The manager pointed at the smiling Lin Ziyeh across from him.

“That kid from the Lin family insisted on having his maids compete with mine. Youngsters are always competitive, but I’m not one to back down. So I agreed.”

After hearing his brother’s explanation, Elder Tuo Hai laughed and blew his beard, “So you set up a stage here and invited me as a judge?”

“Yes, you’re quite knowledgeable about coffee, aren’t you?”

“You’re just trying to compete with that kid from the Lin family. If his grandfather had arranged you, your business would be done for.”

“Ha! If he dared, he would have done it long ago! Those old fossils from the Lin family are only good at bullying women.”

The shopkeeper’s trash talk was loud enough for me to hear, and Lin Ziyeh must have heard it too. Not only did the shopkeeper know about the Lin family’s preference for sons over daughters, but he also didn’t intend to give Lin Ziyeh any face.

“Cough, sir, elders’ thoughts are indeed stubborn, but my father and I don’t think that way…”

Lin Ziyeh awkwardly tried to explain, but the shopkeeper waved his hand.

“Enough about that. All the judges are here, so let’s begin.”