novellhall Chapter 3 Shawshank Prison
Chapter 3 Shawshank Prison
Ronan's business was destined to be slow.
He sat inside the store, browsing through the information. Various men and women dressed in trendy clothes, with a post-cyberpunk style, would often come in at the store entrance. They would glance at the prices, not even ask any questions, and then leave.
Some even came in to ask what tomato and egg noodles and "farmhouse-style fragrant bowl" were, seemingly not understanding them at all.
After Ronan explained, his expression changed, and he concluded that Ronan was a heretical cultivator who cooked, so he left.
"It seems my business opportunity might really explode among the players. People in Hero City love French, British, and Italian cuisine..."
Ronan remained unhurried and gracefully continued playing on his phone.
He had no intention of making money; he just wanted to rack up merit points with the players.
The evil citizens are the main targets of his conquest, but Ronan hasn't yet decided on where to begin.
Until two voices, unlike the amiable and elegant ones of the residents of Helodu, came from outside the door.
"Hey you, is this game really that fun? You don't log on at 8 AM anymore, and you're making me play this. The main storyline I just went through was really tough, it scared me to death. Although there weren't any sudden attacks or screaming, I was still startled when I was investigating the photo studio..."
"Old Zhao, the main storyline is trash, but the most interesting part of this game is the Urban Grand Theft Auto Earth Online gameplay. We need to work hard to earn money so we can bring all our wives to live in our house. How did you know? I got Loli Blueberry in just twelve pulls! That figure, that skirt, those stockings are amazing! I need to earn money to buy her a gift..."
The previous voice carried a sense of helplessness.
"I told you, this gacha pool is a total rip-off! It's 180 pulls to guarantee a wife, and I'm broke at the end of the month, no living expenses, can't bring my wife home..."
"Hey, look, this place isn't right. The restaurants we saw before all had fancy dishes, but they were tasteless and too good to throw away."
"A bowl of fragrant tomato and egg noodles from a farmhouse—this shop's name is so straightforward..."
Two men dressed in very different outfits, clearly having put together various combinations of clothing, appeared at the store entrance.
This was the first time Ronan had ever met a player.
They have names on their heads.
Ronan looked over.
"I will describe your dream."
"Oh my!"
[Citizen of Justice, now is your time to serve travelers]
Ronan smiled elegantly, consistent with the overall art style of the game.
"Welcome! What would you like to eat?"
"Oh dear," he pointed to the sign at the door, clearly not caring at all about this so-called circulating currency.
"Boss, one serving of 'Farmhouse Delight' please..."
As I described your dream, I immediately followed up with:
"He wants a bowl of delicious farm-style noodles, then I want tomato and egg noodles—tomato and egg noodles are the real deal!"
Luo Nan heats oil in a wok, pours in beaten eggs and frys until golden brown, then sets aside. He sautés minced garlic until fragrant, then adds pork belly and renders the fat. He adds green peppers and stir-fries, seasons, and then adds the eggs back in. A fragrant and delicious country-style dish is ready to serve.
Next, boil water in a separate pot, add the noodles, stir-fry the tomatoes to make a thick soup, pour it over the noodles, and a steaming bowl of tomato and egg noodles is slowly made.
I describe your dream: I pick up a bowl of tomato and egg noodles, pick up the chewy noodles with my chopsticks, and the sweet and sour broth coats every strand. I slurp it down, the soft, tender egg paired with the succulent tomato, a warm feeling spreading throughout my body, leaving me with a satisfied expression.
Oh my, this bowl of country-style cooking is so delicious! The pork belly is juicy yet not greasy, the green peppers are fresh and crisp, and the eggs are crisp and flavorful. It's so good with rice, savory and rich, and the more you eat, the more appetizing it becomes. It's a truly satisfying meal.
At this moment, Aiyowei raised her head and looked at the boss who was taking a nap.
"Boss, this food you made is really delicious... It's such authentic country-style cooking..."
Ronan thanked the two of them.
"I'm so glad you enjoyed your meal. If you could, please give me a five-star review..."
Without hesitation, I described your dream, opened the panel, and gave Ronan a five-star rating. Oh my, he also gave Ronan a five-star rating.
Oh my, I can't help but sigh.
"Tengfeng Company has finally become human! I thought their groundbreaking game and sleep pod would record real-world cuisine, but what did they actually record? I saw several Stargazing restaurants today, and I was so angry that I grabbed one of the owners and threw him off a tall building... Old Zhao, it seems this restaurant is definitely a Herodu Easter egg. I'll go back and talk to a content creator about it..."
Ronan: ...
Fortunately, the two players ignored him and continued eating and talking on their own.
Ronan, as an NPC, is naturally not worth paying attention to.
My description of your dream also captures key words.
"You did it too, and so did I. To test if this place was really as free as Grand Theft Auto, I used my companion to cause an explosion. Now I'm wanted, and my merit points have dropped to zero... I wonder what will happen..."
Oh my, they noticed the keywords too.
"You're wanted too?"
Ronan, however, didn't seem to care about the players' topics.
[Hello Capital Citizen Handbook]
[Citizen of Justice: Ronan]
Current star rating: 5.0
Merit Points: 26
You have served two travelers and earned 26 merit points.
Merit points can be exchanged with other players for items, which can then be used to purchase goods at the Hellow Tower shopping mall.
[Occupation: Restaurant Owner]
[Current Level 2]
[Skill Acquisition: Draw or Not]
[Upgrade Requirements: Serve 100 travelers well, with 10 of them willing to rate you and the ratings being satisfactory]
Ronan, without hesitation, drew the item directly.
Congratulations on acquiring your culinary talent – Absolute Seasoning! You can create the most satisfying flavor in any dish.
Ronan thought it was alright, but when he looked up, he saw a violent fluctuation erupting in the air.
The two players were eating a moment ago, and the next moment they were arrested by a bull-headed and horse-faced demon dressed in police uniform who suddenly appeared due to spatial fluctuations, and were handcuffed with iron chains on their backs.
Oh dear, that sound is strange.
"Unable to summon companions; this chain seems to have disabled this function..."
"Let me check the strategy guide. Apparently, committing too many crimes will directly reduce your merit points to zero, get you arrested by the police, and sent to Shawshank Prison..."
"But it seems we can find a way to escape. I read a walkthrough, and escaping from prison is a fun gameplay element. Once we get out of the prison, there's a boat waiting outside..."
Ox-Head and Horse-Face dragged the two players away.
"You've been arrested and will be sent to Shawshank Prison for labor reform..."
Ronan watched the two players leave.
His eyes flickered.
[Hello Capital Citizen Handbook]
Evil Citizen: Ronan
Current star rating: 0.0
Merit Points: 26
Your merit points will continue to decrease until they drop below 0, at which point you will be listed as a notorious criminal and wanted by travelers.
Begin your first crime, cause trouble for the traveler, and gain more evil power.
Ronan stroked his chin.
"The player themselves doesn't seem to have much combat power and needs to summon companions from the cards they've drawn..."
"Shawshank Prison, huh? These two players are trying to escape, causing them trouble, and also causing trouble for the Traveler, right...?"