Infinite Cosmic Cafeteria Chapter 43: Feeling the Push

Translator: Stellar Novels Editor: Stellar Novels

Squid Bro hesitated as he passed by Universe’s Best Snack Stall, but in the end, he shouted to Ma Lu, “Run!”

“Huh?”

Not just Squid Bro, but all the other street vendors seemed to receive some sort of signal at that moment. They all abandoned what they were doing and jumped onto their vehicles.

Tricycles, like wild horses that had broken free, sped past Ma Lu’s eyes. The two girls selling sugarcane juice didn’t have a vehicle, but they didn’t just sit there waiting either—they hoisted up their table and took off running.

Having set up stalls together for so long, this was the first time Ma Lu realized how strong they were.

As the vendors began to move, the customers were left dumbfounded.

Some had just paid, only to turn around and see the stall owners packing up and fleeing. Others were in the middle of eating when the tables and chairs disappeared, leaving them standing with their bowls of soup, bewildered.

Some young men, unwilling to let the food slip away, joined the fleeing vendors, desperately chasing after them.

But the most chivalrous of them all was a lady selling grilled cold noodles; she pulled a girl who had just scanned the payment code onto her tricycle.

“Come with me, sweetie. Once we’re safe, Auntie will make it for you.”

The girl was completely stunned, and by the time she came to her senses, she was already cruising down the road.

The street was in complete chaos. Ma Lu patted Old Wang on the shoulder, “Stop watching the show, let’s get out of here too.”

Old Wang looked puzzled, “Why are we leaving? Are there robbers?”

“It’s broad daylight; there aren’t any robbers. But if we don’t leave now, we might lose our tricycle. And if they find out you’re unregistered, we’ll be in big trouble.”

As Ma Lu spoke, he swiftly packed up everything and addressed the few people waiting behind them.

“We’re closing up too. If anyone has already paid, just mention me in the group chat, and I’ll refund you.”

Although disappointed, the customers expressed their understanding.

Ma Lu and Old Wang hopped back onto their tricycle. As soon as they got on, Ma Lu twisted the throttle to full.

However, since this was their first time encountering something like this, their reaction was slower than the other vendors, and they ended up at the tail end of the fleeing group.

Through the rearview mirror, Ma Lu saw three white vehicles, each marked with “City Management Enforcement,” aggressively driving toward them.

One of the vehicles stopped, and a team in blue uniforms got out. A small vendor selling socks and accessories, hoping he could get away with staying, was immediately surrounded.

They took photos, recorded his personal information, and finally confiscated his goods.

Seeing this, Ma Lu twisted the throttle even harder. When they reached the intersection, the tricycle convoy scattered in all directions, each finding their own escape route.

Ma Lu chose a direction, but no matter how he ran, one of the white vehicles stayed right behind him. It seemed they had singled him out, ignoring the other vendors and relentlessly pursuing him.

The white vehicle clearly had more power than Ma Lu’s tricycle. If it weren’t for the need to obey traffic laws and avoid hitting pedestrians, they would have caught up long ago.

Ma Lu chose small, complex side roads to try to shake off his pursuers, but the tail behind him only got closer.

It turns out those chase scenes in movies are all too fake. Without some conveniently foolish villains, the protagonist’s fancy moves would be completely useless.

Seeing that they were about to be caught, Ma Lu could only pin his last hope on Old Wang. Desperately, he said, “If you have any tricks up your sleeve, now’s the time to use them, or it’ll be too late.”

Old Wang remained expressionless, making Ma Lu seriously doubt whether he even understood how critical the situation was.

Fortunately, Old Wang spoke up after a moment, “Do you want to get rid of those people behind us?”

“Exactly!”

Out of the corner of his eye, Ma Lu saw the front of the white car already overtaking the rear of their tricycle, causing his eyelid to twitch nervously.

Old Wang simply replied with an “Alright,” then turned and jumped off the tricycle.

“Hey, hey, hey! No!” Ma Lu was shocked, reaching out to grab him, but his hand closed on empty air.

Just when Ma Lu thought Old Wang was planning to sacrifice himself to lighten the load and speed up the tricycle, Old Wang landed steadily on the ground.

He then took a few big strides and placed both hands on the back of the tricycle.

“Hold on tight,” Old Wang said, then began to pick up speed.

...

Cheng Cheng was lectured by the old man who had appeared out of nowhere when buying a burger.

The old man’s comments were so bizarre that Cheng Cheng felt like he had wandered into some forum for the intellectually challenged, leaving him unsure how to respond.

He couldn’t possibly lower his IQ to the same level and actually argue about whether burgers originated from the Qing Dynasty.

Feeling annoyed, Cheng Cheng turned around and saw the street vendors being chased by city enforcement officers in complete disarray. Even the black market stall that had just ripped him off was among them, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit gleeful.

“Nannan, which do you think is faster, a tricycle or an electric bike?”

Zhang Yinan ignored him. Cheng Cheng, sensing the lack of interest, continued, “Let’s go, let’s watch a movie. Haven’t you been wanting to see that new film by Zhang Yimou? I’ll drive you there.”

Zhang Yinan knew Cheng Cheng was eager to show off his new car. If she didn’t give him this chance, he would probably bother her about it for days.

So, Zhang Yinan nodded slightly.

Cheng Cheng was delighted by her response, forgetting about the burgers entirely. “Wait here, I’ll go get the car.”

Cheng Cheng’s orange 001 was parked by the roadside, a brand-new car he had just picked up today, costing over 370,000 yuan.

His family was in business, but his father was usually strict with him and didn’t want him to be too flashy at school. Cheng Cheng had to plead for a long time to get this car.

Still in the honeymoon phase with his new toy, Cheng Cheng began explaining everything about the car from the tires to the panoramic roof the moment Zhang Yinan got in.

He was especially excited when talking about the motor—high-performance permanent magnets, silicon carbide technology, dual motor peak power, maximum RPM—going on and on, completely oblivious to Zhang Yinan’s growing impatience.

When they reached the intersection, Cheng Cheng insisted that his girlfriend experience what it felt like to go from zero to a hundred kilometers per hour in under four seconds.

He switched to sport mode, gripped the steering wheel, and pressed the accelerator just as the traffic light turned green.

The next moment, a tricycle suddenly shot out from his side, overtaking all the cars on the road like a speeding bullet. In less than a second, it vanished from sight.

Meanwhile, Cheng Cheng’s 001 was still picking up speed, and though he could feel the powerful push against his back, the joy and excitement he had felt moments earlier were gone. He stared ahead, mouth agape, as if he had seen a ghost.

Zhang Yinan snorted, “This is the supercar-like acceleration you were bragging about? How come it couldn’t even beat a tricycle?”

“Yu… Yu...”

“What are you saying, rain? But it’s not raining outside.” Zhang Yinan glanced out the window.

“Yu, Universe’s Best Snack Stall.”

(Translator's Note: The word for rain 雨 sounds similar to the first word in universe 宇)

Cheng Cheng swallowed hard, finally managing to speak coherently, “That was Universe’s Best Snack Stall just now. Their speed felt like it was over 300. Am I seeing things?!”

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