Infinite Cosmic Cafeteria Chapter 17: Personal Shopper

Translator: Stellar Novels Editor: Stellar Novels

Just as the man with glasses took the Jackal Patty from Ma Lu, another voice rang out, “Um, I’d like one too, please.”

It was a young woman who looked like she had just started college.

“Sure, it’s 18 yuan each.”

“How much?” The female student was stunned and instinctively looked at the man with glasses, who felt a bit embarrassed under her gaze, as if he had “sucker” written on his forehead.

However, after taking a bite of the patty, his expression instantly changed, as though he had encountered something beyond comprehension, leaving him stunned on the spot.

The unique munching sounds of a bear brought him back to reality. The man glanced down to see a pair of greedy little eyes staring at the patty in his hand, of which he had only taken one bite.

Without hesitation, the man immediately opened his mouth and devoured the rest of the patty in three bites, all while saying, “You’ve already had two. Kids shouldn’t eat so many fried foods.”

“Then I want one again tomorrow!” The boy licked his lips, still craving more.

“Tomorrow... we’ll see.” Savoring the lingering taste on his tongue, the man surprisingly didn’t immediately refuse like he usually would. Instead, he seemed to make up his mind and said to Ma Lu, “Pack up two more... no, make that three.”

He then pulled out his phone and promptly paid 90 yuan, turning to warn his son, “These are for your mom; you’re not allowed to eat them.”

At this point, the female student beside them understood that while the patty was expensive, it was genuinely delicious.

She had followed the father and son pair out of curiosity after seeing them brawling over a Fried Meat Patty.

Now, without further hesitation, she scanned the code and paid.

Once she had her patty, she didn’t eat it right away. Instead, she took a photo and posted it on her social media, captioning it:

—Found a weird street food stall today; one Fried Meat Patty costs 18 yuan. Let’s see who the sucker is. Okay, it’s me.

After posting, she finally took a bite and was instantly shocked.

The next moment, her enthusiasm for sharing exploded, and she quickly updated her post:

—This is too, too, too delicious! Guo Family Village Subway Station, hurry over!!!

Soon, a reply appeared below:

—Really? You’re not just trying to get someone else to fall for it, are you?

—It’s really, really, really that good. I swear!

The student continued eating while typing:

—A father and son just bought five in one go!

—But Guo Family Village is so far, and it’s so sunny outside. I’ll get sunburned if I go out now. How about you bring one back for me?

—I want one too.

—+1, I want to try it. If it’s not good, I’ll beat you up.

The replies were mostly from her dorm mates. The student, nicknamed Little Monkey, thought about it and figured if she was going to bring one, she might as well bring back a bunch.

Just in case there might be others who would want to try but hadn’t seen her post yet. They’d definitely complain if she didn’t bring some back, so she decided to call out in the dorm group chat.

—Amazing hidden gem Fried Meat Patty, 18 yuan each. Who wants one?

—Hahaha, Little Monkey, are you trying to start a group buy?

—Looks like she’s in cahoots with the boss, planning to split our money fifty-fifty.

One of the girls who had commented on her post joked.

—You’ll know once you try it. If it’s not good, I’ll buy you all bubble tea!

—No way, really? Well, just for the bubble tea, I’ll take a patty. If it’s bad, I’ll just say I’m full. (smirk emoji)

All five remaining members of Dorm 205 finally agreed to order.

So, Little Monkey returned to the fried patty stall and said to Ma Lu, “Boss, give me five more... no, make that six.”

As Little Monkey was speaking, another message popped up in the WeChat group.

—Jiajia wants one too; she’s visiting our room right now.

“Wait, make that seven.”

Ma Lu never expected that after serving just two customers, he would end up selling thirteen Fried Jackal Patties in one go.

And soon, the fourteenth was also reserved.

The Henan man stood beside Ma Lu, witnessing everything that had just happened. Meanwhile, his livestream viewers were also experiencing the sudden surge of the patty stall.

At this point, the online audience of "Zen Life" had surpassed a hundred, and many viewers were flooding the chat, urging the streamer to try it himself.

Some impatient viewers even sent virtual gifts, like lollipops, which reminded others to do the same. Soon, more lollipops, donuts, and even cheering gifts were sent, with one generous viewer gifting fireworks worth 599 coins.

Even after the platform’s cut, the earnings had already surpassed the price of a single meat patty, so the Henan man had no reason not to give it a try.

After receiving his patty, he showed it off with a 360° spin in front of his phone, ensuring all his viewers could get a clear look before finally taking a bite.

The next moment, he launched into his classic catchphrase trio.

“Oh, amazing, truly amazing! This patty is genuinely delicious!”

As the Henan man swallowed, it was as if every pore on his body relaxed, and his viewers couldn’t help but swallow along with him. One person impatiently urged:

—Don’t just eat, tell us what it tastes like!

However, the Henan man wasn’t a professional food reviewer. After thinking for a while, he could only describe it with the words fresh, crispy, and fragrant.

Luckily, he wrapped up with a summary.

“I now think 18 yuan isn’t too expensive, but if it were my own money, I still wouldn’t want to spend it.”

The patty stall was bustling, drawing the attention of other passersby.

Most people shook their heads and walked away upon hearing the price, but with enough foot traffic, there were always a few brave souls willing to spend. And anyone who bought one invariably ended up buying more.

With several people standing around, crunching on patties, it became quite tempting and effectively served as free advertising for the stall. By 2 p.m., Ma Lu and Old Wang had sold a total of 39 Fried Jackal Patties.

However, after the lunch rush, customer traffic dropped noticeably, and it went back to the state where they might only make one sale every few dozen minutes.

Ma Lu took the opportunity to rest, unfolded a small stool, and pulled out a bottle of mineral water.

He had put five bottles in the freezer that morning and stored them in a foam box to keep the ingredients fresh. Now, when thirsty, he could pull one out to drink, along with two Fried Jackal Patties for lunch.

As for Old Wang, being a silicon-based life form, he only needed to charge up and didn’t require food.

The afternoon passed in a blur, with only ten more patties sold, five of which were bought by a local viewer from the "Zen Life" stream, who then enthusiastically promoted them during the broadcast.

Unfortunately, the Henan man’s fanbase was limited, and few were willing to come to the stall despite the recommendation.

Fortunately, after 5 p.m., the crowd began to pick up again, with many office workers emerging from the subway or heading towards it.

Ma Lu seized the opportunity to launch a tasting campaign, actively promoting his stall and attracting more customers.

The effect was clear.

Even though the price was high, over half of those who sampled the patty still decided to purchase. The increasing number of customers created a gathering effect, drawing in even more new patrons.

With Ma Lu’s energetic shouting, the stall not only recaptured the noon peak but also set a new sales record. By 8 p.m., they had sold over 110 Fried Jackal Patties, leaving the other snack stall owners envious.

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