Chapter 17: Is Boss Lu Someone You Can Just Stare At?

Lu Li glanced at the onlookers, lifted a megaphone to her lips, and shouted, "Do you want to eat hot pot just like him?"

Some people nodded silently. Even though their eyes dared not linger on the boiling red chili oil, the aroma wormed its way into their noses, and they could even hear the faint sound of chewing.

It smelled too good! It was an absolute sensory assault!

Even the base leader had never eaten such a rich and luxurious feast, had he? What was it called? Hot pot?

Someone gulped, inhaling the scent of the hot pot in the air. Unable to resist any longer, they raised a hand high and shouted back, "I want to! I’m dying of hunger!"

Lu Li pulled out a scratch-off card, held it up in front of her, and said with a seductive tone, "Just one scratch-off card holds infinite possibilities. There is nothing you can’t win if you can imagine it!"

Everyone remained skeptical, asking, "Is that for real? How can there be such a good deal?"

Only the person who had raised his hand rushed forward. He looked thin and tall, his hands braced excitedly against the table, nearly tipping the hot pot over. Shen Bing looked up and gave him a cold, indifferent glare.

The man immediately lost his nerve, awkwardly pulling back his hands, and asked politely, "May I try it, please?"

Lu Li beamed. "Of course, follow me." She didn't forget to remind Shen Bing, "Keep eating, the more delicious you make it look, the better!"

Shen Bing rolled his eyes silently. You don't have to tell me; I’d be eating it anyway.

The two walked one after another toward the service window, with several people trailing behind to see what the fuss was about. As they passed Shen Bing, their eyes couldn't help but dart toward his table, struggling to swallow their saliva and suppressing the urge to dash over and steal a bite.

Lu Li was explaining the rules to the man. She knew the first sale had to be a hit to get business booming at Hope Base.

The man took out a crystal core, looking as if it pained him, and Lu Li took it and dropped it into the mouth of the lucky cat statue.

It announced, "Zhao Dajin, 50 points."

Zhao Dajin covered his face, feeling quite embarrassed. He had always thought his name sounded a bit silly, and hearing it announced so loudly made him blush.

Lu Li said enthusiastically, "Come, come, pick a card and start scratching!" She smiled, revealing neat, white teeth.

She radiated a healthy, vibrant energy, and the genuine smile on her face stood in stark contrast to the sallow, gaunt, and death-scented customers around her.

Everyone crowded in front of the window, watching intently as Zhao Dajin selected a card. Among the crowd, a man fixed his gaze on Lu Li, a flicker of jealousy and resentment crossing his eyes. He clenched his fists, envious of her healthy state.

He stared for a moment, scanning from Lu Li's hair down to her slender waist, before the view was blocked by the camper and she was no longer visible.

Suddenly, his waist tightened as a sense of danger welled up, and a deliberately lowered voice came from behind him.

"What are you looking at? Is Boss Lu someone you can gawk at?" Shen Bing said impatiently.

If it weren't for Lu Li being present, he would have loved to freeze this man into an ice sculpture, toss him into a pile of zombies, and let him be devoured once he thawed.

The man wore a stiff smile, turning around to chuckle obsequiously. "Master Shen, Master Shen, I wasn't looking at anything..."

"Get lost." Shen Bing frowned, his eyes sharp. His refined features were filled with a murderous aura that seemed ready to spill over at any moment.

Terrified, the man’s legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground before scrambling away.

It was no exaggeration to say that everyone in China had heard of Shen Bing’s notoriety. If he was in a bad mood, he would simply freeze people into ice sculptures.

Even if someone was lucky enough not to suffer frostbite after the ice melted, they would be left with lingering ailments like rheumatism or chronic colds.

Shen Bing scanned the people crowded around the camper window again. Good, no one had any crooked ideas.

He continued to eat with peace of mind, but since he was nearly full, he finished cooking the remaining ingredients and packed them away into his spatial ring.

After cleaning up, Shen Bing didn't leave; instead, he squeezed back to the window to get a scratch-off card.

Zhao Dajin had carefully selected his card, picking one with his favorite number in the bottom right corner. Being tall and thin like a bamboo pole, he bent over the table to start scratching.

Looking at him, Lu Li felt a pang of sympathy, which only strengthened her resolve to earn more points and improve the environment!

"Boss, what is this?" Zhao Dajin seemed aware that everyone was watching, so he scratched quickly.

Most of the area under the film read "Thank you for your patronage," but a small pattern appeared on the left side of the center.

Lu Li didn't bother to look and tossed it into the lucky cat’s mouth. Soon, the statue opened its mouth and spat out the prize.

Curious, everyone leaned in, five or six heads forming a ring—a rather comical sight.

It was a simple, transparent plastic bag that seemed to be steaming. Lu Li picked it up to take a look.

It was a large meat pie, still piping hot, with a slightly golden, fried crust. A quick sniff revealed a rich, savory aroma.

"Here, a big meat pie. Eat up," Lu Li said, placing it in Zhao Dajin’s hands.

Zhao Dajin was at a loss, overwhelmed by the favor. He carefully opened the plastic bag, and the fragrance became even more intense, rushing straight to his head.

He took a small bite, revealing the meat inside, mixed with a hint of scallion. The skin was thin, the meat generous, and it was full of savory juices.

The onlookers swallowed hard, staring unblinkingly, almost wanting to lean in and take a bite themselves.

In fact, one person couldn't resist. As his head stretched forward and was about to touch the pie, his body was suddenly sent flying back by an invisible force.

The others were startled, and Zhao Dajin scrambled to wrap the pie back up, clutching it to his chest for fear that someone might snatch it.

Lu Li reassured them, "Don't worry, the prizes from this shop have a protective mechanism. No one else can take it from you~"

Zhao Dajin looked at the person who had been knocked away, then at Lu Li’s friendly smile, and chose to believe her.

He then gave up his spot to others and went to eat in a corner. One person followed him like a shadow, refusing to leave, insisting he just wanted to smell the scent.

Unable to do anything about it, Zhao Dajin squatted in the corner, eating his meat pie face-to-face with the man.

On this side, having seen Zhao Dajin’s demonstration—and given that he was a member of the Hope Base, making it highly credible—everyone started clamoring to get the same scratch-off card as Zhao Dajin. Lu Li used her megaphone to clarify in advance that not every card was a winner.

As soon as she said this, two or three people turned and left, but others chose to stay.

How could one expect a harvest without sowing? Didn't they see Master Shen himself playing the scratch-offs?

Once someone dared to be the first to eat the crab, others were bound to follow.

For a while, the area in front of the window was incredibly lively, nearly crowding Shen Bing out. Fortunately, his fearsome reputation kept people from going too far.

Also, luckily, there were fewer than twenty people who dared to "eat the crab." Lu Li organized them into a queue.

They were used to this; whether it was collecting supplies or other tasks, queuing was standard procedure. Once they heard "line up," they stood in place immediately, afraid of missing out.