Setting Up a Stall

Chen Zhi dumped the last bit of charcoal ash into the trash can and clapped the dust off his hands.

Lin Wanwan still hadn't left.

It was as if she had nails under her bottom, twisting and turning on the small folding stool. The bamboo skewer in her hand was about to be polished to a shine from her playing with it.

"Chen Zhi."

"Spit it out."

Chen Zhi cleaned up the balcony without looking back, folding up the barbecue grill with a clanking metal sound.

"I don't think I'm cut out for studying."

Lin Wanwan threw the bamboo skewer into the trash can and said with a serious face, "I just had an epiphany. A genius like me is born to do great things."

Chen Zhi shoved the folded grill back under the bed.

"And so?"

"So I'm going to start a business!"

Lin Wanwan jumped up from the stool, darted in front of Chen Zhi in two steps, and spread her arms to block his way.

Her eyes were frighteningly bright, as if she had discovered a new continent.

"We'll sell these roasted gluten skewers! Seriously, your skills are amazing. If we set up a stall at the night market, we'll definitely crush all the other vendors!"

Chen Zhi bypassed her, walked to the desk, picked up his water cup, and took a sip.

"Not going."

"Why?"

Lin Wanwan stuck to him like glue, grabbing Chen Zhi's arm and shaking it.

"Summer vacation is so boring. Staying home every day doing nothing but homework and watching TV, I'll grow mold. Plus, we can make money! When we make money, we'll split it fifty-fifty... no, forty-sixty! You get sixty, I get forty!"

Chen Zhi was shaken so much that his water almost spilled.

"Am I short on money?"

He pulled his arm out and gave her a sidelong glance.

He really wasn't.

After selling his Bitcoin and investing in ByteDance, he had already achieved financial freedom.

Yet this girl wanted to drag him out to sell roasted gluten for two bucks a skewer.

This contrast made Chen Zhi find it somewhat amusing.

"You're not short on money, but I am!"

Lin Wanwan spouted nonsense with righteous indignation, "You stay at home every day and don't interact with society. How are you going to take over... what's that word again? Oh right, a business empire!"

Chen Zhi almost spat out his water.

This girl must have been reading too many bossy CEO novels lately.

"No, it's too hot." Chen Zhi refused flatly.

Lin Wanwan rolled her eyes, and suddenly a plan came to mind.

"What if I get Zhiyi to come along?"

Chen Zhi paused.

"Li Zhiyi?"

"Yeah!" Seeing a chance, Lin Wanwan immediately struck while the iron was hot. "Zhiyi is so lonely at home by herself. Her grandparents went to the countryside to harvest wheat and haven't come back yet. We can take her out to have some fun and make some pocket money on the side. Wouldn't that be great!"

Chen Zhi was silent for a moment.

Li Zhiyi, that kid, was indeed too pitiful.

Since he had a second chance at life, he might as well help her out.

Besides, it would be good to let that quiet girl get some fresh air, lest she get sick from being cooped up at home.

"Fine."

Chen Zhi put down his water cup and sighed. "But let's get one thing straight: you guys do the dirty and tiring work. I'm only responsible for technical guidance."

"Yay! Chen Zhi, you're the best!"

Lin Wanwan cheered and turned to run out.

"I'll go get Zhiyi! You prep the ingredients at home, and we'll meet downstairs in half an hour!"

The security door was slammed shut again.

Chen Zhi looked at the empty doorway and shook his head helplessly.

He walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge.

There were still quite a few starch sausages and gluten left inside, which he had originally planned to save and eat slowly.

Now it seemed they were going to be confiscated for public use.

Chen Zhi rummaged through the cabinet and pulled out a large bag of chili powder, then took out an unopened bottle of MSG.

Since they were going to sell them, he had to show some real skill.

That artificial flavor that people couldn't forget after just one bite had to be mixed to perfection.

Half an hour later.

Chen Zhi stood at the entrance of the apartment building, pushing a small folding cart he got from who knows where.

On the cart were the barbecue grill, a box of charcoal, and a foam cooler full of ingredients.

The sun was scorching, and the asphalt road was baking soft.

Not far away, two figures were walking toward him.

Lin Wanwan walked in front, carrying two small folding stools in her hands, walking with a vigorous stride.

Li Zhiyi followed half a step behind her, head down, hands wrung together, looking somewhat uneasy.

Seeing Chen Zhi, Li Zhiyi buried her head even lower, as if wanting to shrink into a crack in the ground.

"Chen... Chen Zhi."

Her voice was as quiet as a mosquito; if you didn't listen carefully, you couldn't hear it at all.

Chen Zhi nodded in response.

"All ready?" Lin Wanwan hung the stools on the cart and clapped her hands excitedly. "Where are we setting up? People's Square or the pedestrian street?"

"Neither."

Chen Zhi pulled a baseball cap out of his pocket and put it on his head to block the glaring sun.

"We're going to the back gate of No. 2 High School."

"Huh? The school?" Lin Wanwan was stunned. "It's summer vacation, there's no one at the school. Why go there?"

"Make-up classes."

Chen Zhi pushed the cart forward, the wheels making a rumbling sound on the ground.

"The seniors start their make-up classes today. It's just about time for their evening self-study to end. Those animals have been studying all day and are hungry enough to eat a cow. Our little bit of food won't even be enough to sell."

Lin Wanwan suddenly understood and gave Chen Zhi a thumbs-up.

"Profiteer! You really are a profiteer!"

Li Zhiyi followed behind, listening to their conversation. A very faint smile touched her lips, but quickly disappeared.

She took two quick steps and reached out to help push the cart.

"I... I'll push it."

Chen Zhi avoided her hand.

"No need, you hold this."

He shoved the palm-leaf fan in his hand into Li Zhiyi's hands.

"When we get there, you'll be in charge of fanning. Just don't let the fire go out."

Li Zhiyi held the still-warm palm-leaf fan and nodded vigorously.

"Okay."

The group of three, with a broken-down cart, marched grandly toward No. 2 High School.

Passersby along the way turned their heads to look.

After all, this combination was indeed a bit bizarre.

A young boy in flip-flops pushing a cart, accompanied by an unreasonably pretty, energetic teenage girl, with a little girl trailing behind looking like a punching bag.

No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like the set of some weird idol drama.

The back gate of No. 2 High School was a narrow alleyway.

Usually, many mobile vendors gathered here, but it wasn't time yet, so there were only a few scattered stalls setting up their frames.

Chen Zhi found a spot sheltered from the wind and parked the cart.

"Let's get to work."

At his command, the two girls immediately got busy.

Lin Wanwan was responsible for laying out the ingredients, stacking them neatly on plates.

Li Zhiyi squatted on the ground, carefully placing the charcoal into the grill's trough with tongs.

Chen Zhi took out a lighter and lit the fire starter.

Flames flared up.

A wave of heat hit their faces.

Chen Zhi skillfully fanned the charcoal fire, waiting for the charcoal to fully ignite.

"Chen Zhi, how much should we charge per skewer?" Lin Wanwan pulled out a piece of cardboard and a marker, ready to write the price sign.

"One dollar fifty for gluten, two dollars for starch sausages."

Chen Zhi said without looking up, "No bargaining."

"Isn't that too expensive?" Li Zhiyi said softly. "The old grandpa at the school gate only sells them for a dollar."

Chen Zhi poked at a glowing red piece of charcoal.

"Ours has a secret recipe added to it."

He picked up a brush and brushed a layer of oil on the empty grill.

"Sizzle—"

Oily smoke rose into the air.

"Tastes much better than his."

Chen Zhi tossed a few skewers of gluten onto the grill, flipping them with practiced ease.

"The school cafeteria food is awful; they need something heavy on oil and spice to stimulate their taste buds. Never mind one dollar fifty, even if we sold them for three bucks, as long as the flavor packs a punch, they'll still pay up."

Lin Wanwan thought Chen Zhi made a lot of sense.

She quickly scribbled the prices on a piece of cardboard, then found a brick to weigh it down at the front of the cart.

"Alright! Lin's BBQ Stall is officially open for business!"

As the heat of the charcoal fire rose, the first batch of gluten began to sizzle with oil.

Chen Zhi picked up the bowl filled with red chili oil sauce.

This was his secret weapon.

Not only was it packed with various spices, but it also contained a drop of "Yi Di Xiang" food flavoring, which hadn't yet been demonized by the public at this time.

With one stroke of the brush.

The aroma exploded like an atomic bomb, instantly sweeping through the entire alley.

The middle-aged woman selling jianbing next to them sniffed the air and looked over with a vigilant expression.

The smell was simply too overpowering.

"Smells so good..."

Li Zhiyi was crouching to the side fanning the fire. Enticed by the aroma, her stomach let out a rumble.

Her face flushed red, and she quickly covered her stomach.

Chen Zhi glanced at her, casually picked up a freshly grilled starch sausage skewer, and handed it to her.

"Taste it and see if it needs more salt."

Li Zhiyi waved her hands in a panic, "N-no need, I'm not hungry."

"Just eat it when I tell you to. Stop talking nonsense."

Chen Zhi shoved the skewer into her hand, his tone brooking no argument.

Holding the piping hot starch sausage, Li Zhiyi felt her fingertips burning slightly.

She stole a glance at Chen Zhi.

The boy's profile looked somewhat blurry amidst the smoke and fire, yet exceptionally real.

She took a careful bite.

The crispy skin cracked between her teeth, and the rich meat flavor mixed with the spicy sauce exploded on her tongue.

Li Zhiyi's eyes instantly lit up.

This was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten in her life.

"Is it good?" Lin Wanwan leaned in, asking with a face full of expectation.

Li Zhiyi nodded vigorously, a bit of sauce staining the corner of her mouth.

"It's... delicious."

Right at that moment.

The abrupt ringing of the school bell shattered the tranquility of the alley.

Immediately after, heavy footsteps and clamor surged from within the school gates.

Like a bursting dam.

Students in blue and white uniforms rushed toward the snack street at the back gate like zombies breaking out of their cages.

"They're coming!"

Chen Zhi tossed the palm fan in his hand into Li Zhiyi's arms, picked up a handful of skewers, and banged them loudly against the iron grill.

"Look alive, everyone! That's our wallets waving at us."

Lin Wanwan immediately stood up straight, cleared her throat, and prepared to shout.

Li Zhiyi nervously gripped the palm fan, her palms slick with sweat.

The first to rush to the stall was a bespectacled Fatty.

His nose twitched up and down, as if he had been physically dragged over by the dominating aroma.

"Holy crap, this smells way too good!"

Fatty stared at the sizzling, oily gluten on the grill, his Adam's apple bobbing violently.

"Boss, give me five skewers of gluten! Five sausages! Mildly spicy!"

The corner of Chen Zhi's mouth twitched into a smile.

Business was here.

"Alright, just a moment."

His wrists flicked rapidly as he sprinkled seasoning, brushed on oil, and flipped the skewers. His movements were as smooth as flowing water, carrying a unique sense of rhythm.

He didn't look like a novice at all, but rather like an old hand who had been immersed in this trade for over a decade.

"That's seventeen fifty in total. Let's round it off, just give me eighteen," Chen Zhi said casually.

Fatty froze for a second, his hand pausing mid-air as he reached for his money.

"Huh?"

Lin Wanwan burst into laughter and quickly smoothed things over. "Don't listen to his nonsense, just give us seventeen!"

Fatty finally realized he had been played, but he wasn't angry. Instead, he cheerfully handed the money over.

"You're a funny guy, Boss."

Taking the skewers, Fatty couldn't wait to take a bite.

In that instant, all the fat on his face smoothed out in pure bliss.

"Awesome!"

Fatty gave a thumbs-up and mumbled indistinctly, "This flavor is incredible! Ten thousand times better than the pig slop in the cafeteria!"

That shout was simply the best living advertisement.

The students who had been observing from the sidelines instantly swarmed over.

"Boss, I want some too!"

"Give me two skewers!"

"I want ten! Hurry up, I'm starving!"

The small stall was instantly surrounded, packed so tightly that not even a drop of water could leak through.

Lin Wanwan was in charge of collecting the money. She was flustered and busy, but the smile on her face was brighter than the sun.

Li Zhiyi crouched on the ground, fanning the fire desperately. The smoke made her cough constantly, but she didn't dare stop her hands.

Chen Zhi stood amidst the swirling smoke, gripping dozens of skewers in his hands, his expression focused and aloof.

He was like an emotionless barbecue machine.

These high schoolers, hungry as wolves, couldn't wait.

"Lin Wanwan, don't mess up the money," Chen Zhi reminded her without turning his head. "That buzz-cut guy just now gave you a dollar short."

"Ah? Did I miscount?"

Lin Wanwan frantically counted the loose change in her hands, a fine layer of sweat breaking out on her forehead.

"Li Zhiyi, turn the fire down a bit, you're going to burn the sausages."

"Oh... okay!" Li Zhiyi hurriedly slowed down her fanning.

Chen Zhi was in complete control of the rhythm of the entire scene.

Just then.

A sudden commotion arose from outside the crowd.

"Make way! Everyone make way!"

A few punks wearing floral shirts and sporting hair dyed in various colors pushed through the crowd, swaggering their way in.

The leader, a Blondie with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, swept his gaze brazenly over Lin Wanwan and Li Zhiyi before finally stopping on Chen Zhi.

"Yo, an unfamiliar face."

Blondie blew out a smoke ring and planted his foot on the wheel of Chen Zhi's cart.

"Do you know the rules? Setting up a stall in this territory, have you paid the protection fee?"

The surrounding students instantly went quiet and backed away, terrified of getting caught in the crossfire.

The stall, which had been bustling with activity just moments ago, instantly became a vacuum.

Lin Wanwan turned pale with fright and instinctively shrank behind Chen Zhi.

Li Zhiyi was trembling even more in fear, dropping the palm fan onto the ground.

Chen Zhi's hands didn't stop moving.

He methodically sprinkled cumin on the last handful of gluten and flipped them over.

Grease dripped down, and flames shot up.

Through the distorted heat waves, Chen Zhi lifted his eyelids and cast a mild glance at Blondie.

There was no fear or anger in his eyes.

Only the calmness of looking at a dead man.

"And if I don't pay?"

Chen Zhi picked up a sharp pair of scissors and, with a snip, cut off the charred edges of the gluten.

The sound of the metal snapping shut was particularly grating in the dead silence of the alley.

Blondie was stunned for a moment.

He hadn't expected this gentle-looking pretty boy to be so tough.

"Won't pay?"

Blondie sneered and flicked his cigarette butt toward the grill.

"Then my brothers and I will help loosen your bones!"

The sparks traced a parabola in the air, looking like they were about to land right on the freshly grilled food.

Chen Zhi moved.

The iron tongs in his hand darted out like lightning, resembling a silver snake.

"Smack!"

The cigarette butt was caught perfectly in mid-air.

With a flick of his wrist, Chen Zhi shoved the still-burning cigarette butt right up to Blondie's nose.

It was less than a centimeter away from the tip of his nose.

The scorching heat instantly made Blondie go cross-eyed, and cold sweat immediately poured down his face.

"I don't like it when people waste food."

Chen Zhi's voice was soft, yet it clearly pierced the ears of everyone present.

The tongs in his hand were as steady as a rock.

"Also."

Chen Zhi leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice to a whisper that only the two of them could hear.

"This street is under the jurisdiction of Captain Liu from the Urban Management Brigade. He is my second uncle. Do you want to take a trip down to the station for a cup of tea?"

It was a complete lie.

But he was absolutely certain that these street punks did not have the brains to verify it.

An information gap is always the best weapon for an overwhelming advantage.

Blondie's pupils suddenly shrank.

Time seemed to stand still in that moment.

The glowing ember of the cigarette butt reflected in Blondie's terrified eyes, as well as in Chen Zhi's completely calm gaze.