Infinite Cosmic Cafeteria Chapter 20: Absolute Pacifist

Translator: Stellar Novels Editor: Stellar Novels

As it turns out, making the right choice matters more than hard work.

Yesterday at the subway entrance, Ma Lu and Old Wang sold 150 patties, and it took them until past 10 p.m. to finish. Today, with double the amount, they were able to pack up and go home before 5 p.m.

Shen Yue and her friends’ vigorous promotion played a significant role in bringing the first wave of customers to the Universe’s Best Snack Stall, but the key was that the Fried Jackal Patty was delicious enough.

Only then would those who had tasted it turn into word-of-mouth promoters, recommending it to friends and creating a ripple effect that kept drawing in new customers.

On the way home, Ma Lu calculated today’s earnings.

The revenue had soared from yesterday’s 2,538 yuan to 5,364 yuan.

Meanwhile, expenses dropped from 1,022.4 yuan to 165.7 yuan, which even included a boxed meal that Shen Yue packed from the school cafeteria, which Ma Lu had for lunch.

So, today’s profit was a whopping 5,198.3 yuan, which instantly lifted Ma Lu’s spirits.

Passing by a supermarket, he stopped the tricycle, bought a case of fresh beer, and picked up two jin of braised snacks, planning to celebrate a bit.

Ma Lu asked Old Wang if there was anything he wanted to buy, to which Old Wang replied, “At this stage, I need a kitchen appliance that can quickly dehydrate ingredients.”

“An oven,” Ma Lu snapped his fingers. “I’ll get you one when we get back, but that’s not what I meant. I’m asking how you’d like to reward yourself.”

“Charging.”

“Besides charging, our snack business is doing pretty well right now. We’ve already made enough to cover next month’s rent, and our survival problem is solved. It’s okay to relax a bit; otherwise, what’s the point of working so hard?”

“To explore and preserve the beauty of the multiverse.”

“Not bad, you’re catching on quickly. You’ve even learned to crack jokes.”

“No, I’m serious.” Old Wang said sternly, “My people and I have always considered this our mission; it’s the purpose of our existence.”

“Uh, alright… Actually, I was thinking of getting a switch. That way, when we have downtime, we can play games together, giving you another perspective on this universe. Who knows, maybe you’ll find beauty in that too.” Ma Lu suggested.

Old Wang thought for a moment and nodded, “Alright.”

…

For the next two days, the Universe’s Best Snack Stall continued to operate outside the west gate of Civil Aviation University. In addition to the Fried Jackal Patty, they introduced two new items: flavored meat jerky and steamed meatballs.

However, since the main ingredients—Gray Elephant Shrew, Jumping Mouse, and Black-Breasted Chicken—were limited, they ended up with only 12 jin of jerky and 34 meatballs.

The combined sales of these two items brought in just over a thousand yuan, and by the fourth day, the stock of jackal meat was nearly depleted.

Ma Lu opened the fridge, finding only 2 Horn-Bellied Black Speed Snakes, 1 Yangsha Pangolin, and 23 Flame Geckos left.

The dishes that could be made with these ingredients weren’t very suitable for direct sales, and the quantity wasn’t enough.

Ma Lu decided to keep them for himself.

Over the course of four days, the Universe’s Best Snack Stall made a total profit of 14,764.3 yuan. The impressive profit was not only because they operated a mobile stall without needing to pay rent or hire staff but also because the main meat ingredients were brought by Ma Lu from another universe, costing nothing.

The biggest expense was the electricity bill.

Old Wang himself was a strategic partner of the National Grid, and now he had also added an Insect Egg, which needed to be charged before each use.

In just four days, the combination of the person and the egg had consumed over 2,000 yuan in electricity.

However, considering the contributions they made, this investment was well worth it.

With the end of the month approaching, Ma Lu paid next month’s rent in advance and ordered a 500-liter freezer on PDD, planning to place it on the balcony.

(Translator's Note: PDD stands for Pinduoduo which is the company that owns Temu)

The refrigerator at home, left behind by the landlord, is a single-door model with a capacity of only 200 liters. For someone like Ma Lu, who doesn’t usually cook, it’s fine for storing some drinks and leftovers, but it’s unrealistic to rely on it for freezing large amounts of ingredients.

Just the pile of meat Ma Lu brought back last time barely fit in the kitchen, and the refrigerator was far from enough.

In the end, he had to put everything back into the Collection Bag, taking out only what was needed each time. According to Old Wang, the preservation effect of this Equipment is actually better than a fridge.

However, as Ma Lu’s outings increases, so did the variety of ingredients he collects. It was inevitable that he’d encounter items that couldn’t be cooked right away or weren’t suitable for cooking, so having a large freezer at home became necessary.

Finally, the most important thing.

The switch Ma Lu ordered online arrived, along with several game cartridges. For the next two days, he stayed in, grilling Young Gecko Skewers and playing games with Old Wang.

Surprisingly, even though these skewers only had a taste rating of ☆ in the recipe, they were quite addictive.

They were like a mix of grilled squid and stinky tofu, with a crispier texture than grilled squid and a faint sulfur taste.

The first bite tasted a bit strange, but it made you want another to confirm the flavor. Even after careful chewing, it was hard to judge whether it was good or bad, and you just kept eating...

This cycle continued, and before he knew it, Ma Lu had finished an entire skewer and reached for a second, still unable to decide if it was delicious or not.

Even after polishing off all 23 skewers, Ma Lu still didn’t have an answer to this question.

It was like a playful and nimble dancer, constantly testing the boundaries between good and bad, twirling gracefully.

Ma Lu rubbed his slightly tired eyes and glanced at the time.

Two hours ago, he was supposed to take a nap, but he got so caught up in the game that he lost track of time. Now, less than ten minutes remained before his next collection trip.

Ma Lu put down the controller and stood up, first heading to the bathroom to relieve himself, then splashing cold water on his face to refresh his spirits.

Returning to the living room, he said to Old Wang, who was still focused on his racing game, “I’m heading out.”

“Oh, not finishing this round?” Old Wang perfectly drifted into a turn and reclaimed first place, but was immediately hit by a blue shell, causing him to stall and fall in rank.

Ma Lu shook his head. Despite playing many rounds of Mario Kart, Old Wang hadn’t won a single game, and it wasn’t without reason.

He collected a bunch of Items, but never used them to attack other racers, including AI opponents, and was always on the receiving end.

Ma Lu remembered their first meeting when Old Wang introduced himself at a cafe, saying he was an absolute pacifist.

“No, I’ve got work to do. I’ve arranged to meet someone on the other side, and I can’t keep him waiting. Plus, we need to hunt more prey this time to ensure we have enough ingredients for next week.”

Ma Lu checked to make sure he had the Collection Bag, chef’s knife, and Fate’s Gift with him, and then fished out the Insect Egg from a pile of snacks.

“When I’m gone, you can play Animal Crossing; it’s more suited to you.”

With that, Ma Lu sat cross-legged on the sofa. As before, he placed the Insect Egg on top of his head, calmed his mind, and entered a meditative state.

Then he opened his mouth and uttered the phrase, "The universe is full of eggs, and all eggs are interconnected!"

The white egg above his head bounced in response, answering his call and sending him back onto the cosmic highway of eggs.

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