Chapter 306: After the Misstep, the Uncle’s Jealousy Skyrockets (3)

Chapter 306: After the Misstep, the Uncle's Jealousy Skyrockets (3)

Gu Jingnian’s interest was piqued.

He went for an iced Americano.

Seeing that Gu Jingnian was about to become his first customer, Song Chuyi jumped right into making the Americano, full of energy.

Soon enough, the iced Americano was placed in front of Gu Jingnian.

Ice cubes bobbed on the surface, clinking together with a crisp, soothing sound.

The chill from the ice crept up the sides of the cup, fogging it up with a thin layer of mist.

Gu Jingnian lifted the cup and took a careful sip.

An iced Americano is straightforward—just coffee and ice—but its simplicity means it’s always bitter. That’s the signature bitterness of coffee beans, something even the game can’t alter.

The bitterness hit his lips and teeth, mingling with the chill as it slid down his throat.

Then, a subtle sweetness emerged, blending with the lingering bitterness, creating a complex flavor in his mouth.

In that moment, it was mesmerizing, and he sipped it slowly, savoring the ice and the drink together. The cold softened the bitterness and heightened the sweetness.

It was a lot like the young man’s own essence.

Gu Jingnian needed a solid ten minutes to collect himself.

"Really good."

If the folks at Gu Group found out that the notoriously tough Gu Ye was praising someone like this, they’d be floored.

When 'Destiny' sold 100 million holographic devices on launch day, all he said was 'Not bad.'

Gu Jingnian rarely ever says "very good."

But here he was, praising Song Chuyi over a simple iced Americano.

If word got out, people would be green with envy.

But Song Chuyi, basking in the praise, just smirked, his eyes gleaming with pride.

"Darn right."

"My coffee is unbeatable."

Gu Jingnian set the empty cup down with a soft clink.

"So, how do we get this done?"

Song Chuyi paused, stroking his chin, "Maybe we need to promote it?"

"First, we need to draw people in to try the coffee."

Gu Jingnian nodded and started fiddling with something on his device.

In just a minute, "All set."

Song Chuyi was somewhat surprised, "That's it? Really?"

"What did you do to promote it?"

Gu Jingnian shared his system interface with Song Chuyi.

"Put up a few ads, offering 100 credits for coming here to grab a coffee."

"Only 100 spots available, first come, first served."

Song Chuyi: ...

Just what you'd expect from the rich and powerful Gu.

Thanks to Gu Jingnian, the little coffee shop was soon bustling with customers.

Song Chuyi found himself swamped.

Before they knew it, all 100 cups of coffee were gone.

Song Chuyi figured he could take a breather, since people don’t usually drink coffee without a reason.

But when he glanced outside, there was a long line forming.

Song Chuyi’s hand shook as he blurted out, "Why so many people?"

The guy at the front of the line eagerly said, "Don’t you know? Your coffee keeps fatigue at bay!"

Fatigue is a crucial stat in "Destiny". Once fatigue drops below 60, players' movements slow down.

If fatigue reaches 0, the player could pass out, or even end up hospitalized.

However, there are no items in the game to reduce fatigue; players can only recover by resting.

It’s basically a forced break.

But in "Destiny", missions are complex and endless, and various major forces are competing. Taking even a second longer to rest means falling behind.

So when players discovered that the coffee in this small coffee shop could stop fatigue from decreasing, the coffee shop blew up overnight.

Through practice, players also found that iced Americano worked the best. Even when performing tasks that greatly consume fatigue, it barely dropped.

So most people would order an iced Americano, and those who couldn’t handle the bitterness would order something else.

The results were almost as good as the iced Americano.

Song Chuyi, who learned about this from others, almost fainted.

He did like making coffee, but he didn't want to just make coffee!

He just wanted to work part-time and earn some money.

But there was no way—there was already a long queue outside, and he had no choice but to churn out coffee.

At 5 o'clock in the game time, the coffee shop hung up the "Closed" sign.

The shop owner, who had been missing all day, suddenly appeared, took off the "Owner" badge on his chest, and handed it to Song Chuyi.

"You did well. From now on, you're the owner of this coffee shop."

With that, the owner let out a hearty laugh and vanished.

The title "Owner" now appeared above Song Chuyi's head.

When Gu Jingnian finished his business and pushed the door open, he saw the green name indicating an NPC hovering above A'Chu's head.

A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

In "Destiny," there is indeed a setting where players can turn into NPCs, but in the year since the game launched, no player had met this condition.

Unexpectedly, A'Chu had met it.

"Congratulations," Gu Jingnian said, producing a small cake from seemingly nowhere and placing it in front of Song Chuyi.

"Try it."

Song Chuyi's eyes lit up. "Did you get this for me?"

Gu Jingnian replied with a simple "Hmm."

Song Chuyi unwrapped the packaging, picked up the small spoon beside it, and started to savor it.

Seeing that A'Chu didn't seem to be upset about the breakup with his nephew (as per the context), a subtle look of satisfaction flickered in Gu Jingnian's eyes.

It seemed A'Chu wasn't that into his nephew.

This thought crossed his mind, bringing a slight discomfort.

Not being that into someone doesn't mean not liking them at all.

The idea that A'Chu might have feelings for someone else darkened Gu Jingnian's expression.

"How is it?" he suddenly asked.

"It's great! Thanks, Brother Jing," Song Chuyi replied enthusiastically.

Gu Jingnian's large hand rested on the table, the veins faintly visible, his fingertips showing a hint of desire.

"A'Chu, there's a price for eating my cake."

Song Chuyi, with the spoon still in his mouth, looked up at him, confusion on his face.

His delicate face seemed to inquire: What's the cost?

Gu Jingnian's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, his voice low and husky.

"Did anyone ever teach you what to do after eating someone else's cake?"

Song Chuyi blinked. Honestly, no one had ever mentioned that.

So he shook his head. "No."

Gu Jingnian's lips twitched into a slight smile, his gaze locked on Song Chuyi, intense and aggressive.

"Eating the cake means you owe a price equal to it."

Song Chuyi looked down at the cake, which was priced at 100 Destiny coins.

He hesitantly offered, "How about I make you two iced Americanos?"

One iced Americano is 50 Destiny coins, so two for 100, that's fair, right?

Gu Jingnian was speechless...