Infinite Cosmic Cafeteria Chapter 94: Signing the Contract

Translator: StellarNovels Editor: StellarNovels

As the room dimmed once more, the girl finally moved her hands away from her eyes, looking utterly drained as she weakly said, “Don’t... don’t pull the curtains open again.”

“Okay.” Ma Lu complied readily, stepping back a few paces from the window. “What’s your name?”

“Zhen Ye.”

“Zhen Ye? You don’t look wild at all.”

(Translator's Note: The word Ye (野) can mean fields/rude/feral/wild)

Zhen Ye didn’t know how to respond, awkwardly standing still.

“Ms. Chen and Mr. Zhou are your...?”

“Guar...dians.”

“You’re not 18 yet, so they’re your parents?” Ma Lu raised an eyebrow.

“No, no, they’re my aunt and uncle. I turned... 18 last month... with some friends.”

“You have friends?”

“Yes, we... play dungeons... together.”

“Oh, online friends.”

Compared to normal people, Zhen Ye’s responses were a bit slow. Ma Lu had to wait two or three seconds after each question, and her speech was halting.

She seemed aware of how inefficient this conversation was, so she suggested, “Do you have QQ? Maybe we... can chat there?”

“If that makes you more comfortable, I’m fine with it.”

Ma Lu took out his phone and added Zhen Ye on QQ; her username was “Second Floor Totoro.”

Once they switched to online chatting, Zhen Ye relaxed a lot. Her typing speed was even faster than the average person’s, and the awkward pauses and strange speech patterns were gone.

It was just odd that the two of them were under the same roof but were communicating through text.

—You want to rent the shop?

—Yes, but I need to confirm first—are you the owner of this building?

—That’s right, this two-story building was bought by my parents when I was three, and the property is in my name. The first floor used to be a supermarket, and we lived on the second floor.

—I see. Can I ask why your aunt and uncle became your guardians?

—Five years ago, my parents drove out of town to buy supplies. There was a traffic accident involving a coal truck; the driver fell asleep at the wheel, causing the truck to overturn, and it crushed their van.

—I’m sorry to bring up something painful. Have you been living alone since then?

—Yes, I paused my studies and continued living here. My aunt and uncle helped me rent out the first floor, and the rent just about covered my living expenses.

After a pause, Zhen Ye typed again.

—Actually, if you want to rent the shop, you can just talk to my aunt and uncle. I’m not good at dealing with people, and they usually handle this stuff.

Ma Lu was about to reply when another message notification pinged from Zhen Ye’s QQ.

She glanced at the new message, scratched her head, and typed to Ma Lu.

—My aunt says she already rented out the first floor.

—To the card and chess room owner? Didn’t you try to stop it?

—She said the economy’s bad lately, and the previous hotpot owner wouldn’t stay even with a rent reduction. Only the chess room owner was willing to take it and even offered 500 yuan more.

“May I ask how much rent you were getting before?”

Ma Lu suddenly asked.

“Uh…” Zhen Ye thought for a moment and typed:

—4500.

“I can offer 10,000,” Ma Lu said.

“How much?”

Zhen Ye shivered, her breathing becoming heavier.

“Ten thousand, and I’ll include two meals a day.”

(Translator's Note: The aunt had mentioned previously “the rent here has always been 17,000” so she’s been taking almost 75% of the rent. Even if you assume 17,000 is a fake price, it’s at least 50 to 60% stolen)

Ma Lu continued, “But these would be staff meals, not the kind you’d serve to customers. Still, even the staff meals will be much better than the takeout you usually order.”

Zhen Ye seemed unable to believe her ears.

—Why are you being so nice to me?

“It’s not just about being nice to you,” Ma Lu said. “If you rent this place out normally, you’d get even higher rent. If you’re willing to spend a little time listing it yourself, you could probably find a tenant willing to pay more than I am.”

Zhen Ye shook her head and continued typing.

—I don’t want to deal with people. It’s too scary to deal with people. Last night, there were two strangers knocking on my door for a long time.

She paused, then typed again.

—Are you really offering 10,000?

“It’s real,” Ma Lu said. “If you’re ready, we can sign the contract right now.”

As they were talking, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Upon hearing it, Zhen Ye rushed to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain to glance outside, then quickly pulled back, looking terrified.

“It’s... it’s my... aunt.”

“She’s probably here to get you to sign the contract,” Ma Lu said.

Hearing this, Zhen Ye hesitated again.

Ma Lu didn’t push her and waited quietly on the side.

Zhen Ye wasn’t foolish; she realized she had been deceived by her aunt and uncle, and much of the previous rent had likely been withheld.

However, she didn’t want to fall out with her aunt, not because of any lingering familial affection—after her parents died, her aunt and uncle had barely visited her and only came when they needed her signature.

In fact, Zhen Ye was quite satisfied with this low level of contact. She was more uncomfortable with those relatives who constantly checked in and visited frequently, as that made her feel even more uneasy.

Of course, this kind of relationship didn’t make much difference whether it existed or not; she mainly just wanted to avoid trouble.

She knew her aunt wouldn’t easily give up on such a significant income, and she feared her aunt might start showing up frequently, causing scenes and making demands.

Zhen Ye wasn’t good at handling such situations, and just imagining it made her feel suffocated. She was even willing to pay a bit to avoid being disturbed.

But Ma Lu’s offer was just too good to pass up.

Ten thousand was more than double the previous amount, which meant she could spend more on games, buy better equipment, and challenge stronger bosses.

The doorbell kept ringing, like a silent form of pressure, and her QQ notifications also started pinging again.

Zhen Ye glanced at the new message and typed:

—My aunt says they’ve already finalized the rental agreement for the first floor, and both parties have reached an agreement. They’ve even taken the property deed to make copies.

—That’s useless. You’re the owner, and without your consent, any agreement they reach doesn’t count.

—But they’re my guardians.

—Didn’t you turn 18 last month? You’re now legally capable of making your own decisions; you don’t have guardians anymore.

Zhen Ye swallowed nervously.

—So, we sign the contract. Do you have one?

Ma Lu nodded. “Before coming, I found a standard template online. We just need to fill in the key details in the blank spaces, then review it. If everything checks out, we can sign.”

As he spoke, he pulled out a document from his backpack.

Zhen Ye took it and only skimmed through it quickly; she didn’t bother to read it thoroughly. After moving the two leftover takeout boxes off the coffee table, she lay down and began filling it out.

Seeing this, Ma Lu reminded her again.

“Let’s start with a three-year term, three months’ deposit, and quarterly payments. The first month is rent-free to allow time for getting licenses and renovations. For any lease renewal, I’ll have priority at the same rent. Are you okay with these terms?”

Zhen Ye nodded. “Yes, that’s fine.”

“Great, then let’s sign.”

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