mijobooks Chapter 72 Trouble
Chapter 72 Trouble
By the fourth day, people started lining up outside the internet cafe.
I didn't come here to surf the internet; I came to download something from Song Huan.
Huang Mao sat at the front desk, watching people come and go. When he realized that none of them were there to use the internet, his expression changed.
He lit a cigarette, leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and smoke billowed from his nostrils, spreading above his head.
He was doing the accounting.
Even if you only make 50 cents per order, if nearly a hundred people come today, that's 50 yuan.
A little kid earning fifty yuan a day?
He sits in an internet cafe all day, from morning till night, and only earns a few hundred yuan.
That's the revenue from the internet cafe. After deducting utilities, rent, and internet fees, he only gets a little over a hundred yuan.
Now, a fifteen-year-old kid can earn fifty a day on his turf?
He flicked off his cigarette ash and frowned.
On the fifth day, the queue grew even longer.
Song Huan was busy on the second floor, while Xiao Yunqing helped with the downloads. The two of them were getting along better and better.
Huang Mao went upstairs twice and stood at the top of the stairs, looking at the people gathered in front of the two machines. His expression was not good.
On the morning of the sixth day, Song Huan and Xiao Yunqing went to the internet cafe as usual.
Pushing open the door, they found Huang Mao sitting at the front desk. When he saw them come in, he didn't greet them as usual, but instead looked down and played on his phone.
Song Huan glanced at him, didn't think much of it, and went upstairs.
Turn on your computer, log in to Taobao, and get ready to work.
Xiao Yunqing also turned on her computer, logged into Fantasy Westward Journey, and prepared to run dungeons.
She had just entered the game; her character was still in a dungeon, fighting monsters.
The screen suddenly went black.
Xiao Yunqing paused for a moment, clicked the mouse twice, but there was no response.
I pressed the keyboard again, but there was still no response.
"What's going on?" She turned to look at Song Huan.
Song Huan's screen also went black.
He glanced down at the computer case; the power light was off, and the fan wasn't spinning.
"Did the power trip?"
He bent down and glanced at the socket; the indicator light was on, meaning there was power.
I pressed the power button on the computer again, but there was no response.
He stood up, walked to the empty machine next to him, and pressed the power button.
The screen lit up, the system started up, and the Windows XP progress bar moved one step at a time.
He went back and pressed the power button on his own computer.
no response.
Xiao Yunqing's machine can't be turned on either.
He stood there, looking at the two black-screened computer towers, and he understood.
"The blond guy is locked up," he said.
Xiao Yunqing was stunned for a moment. "What?"
"He locked our machines. It's remotely controlled; internet cafe management systems all have this function."
Xiao Yunqing's face changed instantly.
She turned to look at her black computer screen, where her reflection was still visible. The scholar named "Huanhuan's Sister" from the dungeon was still logged in.
"My dungeon isn't even finished yet!" she cried anxiously. "I've been playing that dungeon for almost an hour! The boss is about to spawn!"
Song Huan didn't say anything, turned around and went downstairs.
Xiao Yunqing followed behind, her steps hurried, her little skirt fluttering as she muttered, "That boss drops purple gear, I've been fighting it for three days and haven't gotten anything..."
At the front desk on the first floor, the blond guy was sitting with his legs crossed, holding a bottle of Coke in his hand. He took a sip and burped.
Song Huan walked to the front desk and looked at him.
The blond-haired man looked at him but didn't say anything.
"Brother, what's wrong with the machine?" Song Huan asked calmly.
The blond-haired man put down his cola, leaned back in his chair, and said, "This machine is mine. I can let whoever wants to use it use it, and I can turn it off whenever I want."
Song Huan nodded. "What about our internet fee for the next few days? We booked the whole place, so the money's been paid."
"I'll give you your money back." The blond-haired man took out a few banknotes from the drawer and slapped them on the table.
Song Huan looked at the few bills but didn't take them.
"Brother, is there some misunderstanding?"
The blond-haired man laughed, a laugh tinged with something. "Misunderstanding? There's no misunderstanding. How much money have you made doing business with me? Have I received a single penny?"
Xiao Yunqing, standing behind Song Huan, blushed instantly upon hearing these words, furious.
"You! You promised before! We put up the sign, and you agreed to it!"
The blond-haired man glanced at her. "Agree? I only let you kids play for a couple of days because I felt sorry for you. You really think this is your territory?"
Xiao Yunqing was so angry that she couldn't speak, her hands gripping the hem of her skirt until her knuckles turned white.
Song Huan stood there, listening to Huang Mao's inner thoughts.
[These two little brats earn several hundred a day, more than I do.]
[On what grounds?]
This internet cafe is mine, the machines are mine, the electricity is mine, and the internet is mine.
[They make money on my turf and don't give me a single penny?]
[I'm not turning this machine on today, let's see what you can do about it. Two little brats, thinking they can cause trouble?]
Song Huan took a deep breath.
"Brother, then tell me, what would be appropriate?"
Huang Mao was stunned for a moment, not expecting this kid to be so direct.
"Two hundred a day." He held up two fingers. "Otherwise, don't even think about turning it on."
Xiao Yunqing panicked: "Why don't you just rob it!"
The blond-haired man ignored her and stared at Song Huan.
He was waiting for the kid to back down.
Song Huan stood there, motionless, listening.
There weren't many people in the internet cafe, and Huang Mao's thoughts seemed to be on speakerphone, drilling into his brain one sentence at a time.
[One hundred a day is fine, but ask for as much as you can. If two hundred isn't enough, then one hundred and fifty.]
[This kid looks rather naive; he should be easy to handle.]
[However, they've also helped me attract customers these past few days, and I've sold a lot more drinks from the freezer...]
Hearing this, Song Huan felt reassured.
But he didn't rush to speak. For someone like Huang Mao, "making more money" alone wasn't enough to make him let go.
He needs to understand that the price of not letting go is much higher.
He continued listening.
Huang Mao's thoughts didn't stop; like many others, several things were running through his mind at the same time.
[The boss said there will be another fire inspection in a few days. I hope that fire safety issue won't happen... The fire extinguisher is six months expired, and the boss hasn't replaced it. Last time the neighborhood committee came to inspect, they just slipped them two packs of cigarettes and got away with it.]
[But those people were just going through the motions; if you really investigated, this lousy internet cafe would have tons of problems. I even ran the wiring myself, and there are still cardboard boxes piled up in the kitchen...]
[Damn it, what does this have to do with me? I'm just a shopkeeper.]
Song Huan looked away.
"Brother, I can't afford two hundred a day."
The blond-haired man crossed his arms. "Then don't drive."
"But are you sure you want to do this?"
Song Huan's tone was flat. "I've been here for a few days, bringing you customers and selling you water, without causing you any trouble. If you think I shouldn't be here, fine, I'll leave. A new internet cafe opened on the next street; I've met the owner, he's quite easy to talk to."
The blond-haired man's expression changed slightly.
How did he know a new internet cafe opened next door?
[That internet cafe just opened and is actively recruiting customers. If he goes there, those guys downloading songs will definitely follow.]
Song Huan didn't give him time to react and continued, "But before I leave, there's something I'd like to confirm."
"What is it?"
"Your internet cafe's fire inspection is coming up in a few days, isn't it?"
The blond-haired man's smile froze on his face.
"I've been here for a few days and haven't seen a fire extinguisher. The emergency exit on the second floor is completely blocked by a pile of cardboard boxes. And your electrical wires..."
Song Huan looked up at the ceiling, where a bundle of electrical wires was haphazardly tied together with cable ties, running from the corner to the front desk. "Did you run it yourself?"
The blond-haired man's face turned from black to white.
How did he know about the fire extinguisher? How did he know I ran the electrical wire myself?
[Is this guy here to surf the internet or to scout out the place?]
[Wait, did he see something? Or hear something?]
"You...you little brat, what do you know about fire safety?"
"I don't understand."
Song Huan said, "But my dad has a friend in the fire department. Do you want me to ask him how many qualified fire extinguishers should be provided for this kind of aging electrical wiring?"
The blond-haired man's Adam's apple bobbed.
Song Huan hadn't finished speaking.
"Also, does your boss know that you're taking on side jobs at the front desk?"
The blond-haired man's pupils contracted slightly.
"You sell sunflower seeds, beverages, and bottled water. The boss puts you in charge of the shop, but you're just doing your own business and deliberately hiding the boss's food from your sales. What if he finds out...?"
"What exactly are you trying to say?" The blond-haired man's voice was slightly distorted.
Song Huan looked at him and said slowly, "I don't want to say anything, I just think that if I download a few songs here, help you get some customers, and earn some pocket money on the side, it won't do you any harm. If you don't like it, I'll leave. But after I leave, what about your affairs..."
He paused.
"I'm just a kid, my memory isn't very good, but what if I accidentally let something slip?"
The blond-haired man stared at him for several seconds.
The only sound in the internet cafe was the hum of the fans. Xiao Yunqing stood to the side, barely daring to breathe.
Then the blond guy laughed, a laugh that was even uglier than crying.
"You little brat..." he gritted his teeth, "Fine, you win. I won't take your money, okay?"
Song Huan didn't move.
"Where's the machine?"
Huang Mao took a deep breath, squatted down, unlocked the lock, and his face was still dark when he stood up.
"And there's a freezer too." Song Huan pointed to the stairwell. "Move it to the side of the second-floor stairwell, facing the direction of the downstairs. That way, they can buy a few bottles of water after they finish singing, and we can sell several times more."
The blond-haired man's lips twitched.
[Being taught how to do business by a child.]
[Oh shit.]
But he didn't refute it because what Song Huan said was true.
Xiao Yunqing stood to the side, not getting a word in edgewise.
Once the two were back on the second floor and seated, she whispered, "How do you know he strung the electrical wires himself? How do you know the fire extinguisher was expired? How do you know his boss didn't know he was taking on side jobs?"
Song Huan sat down and turned on the computer.
"Just a guess."
Xiao Yunqing glared at him.
But after staring at him for two seconds, I noticed he was smiling.
"Are you hiding something from me?"
"no."
"have."
"No, really."
"Song Huan!"
Song Huan turned to look at her.
She was so angry that her cheeks were puffed out and her ponytail was almost sticking up.
"I'll tell you later," he said.
Xiao Yunqing snorted, sat down, and turned on her phone. But her inner thoughts drifted over.
[Does he know how to tell fortunes?]
[No, even a fortune teller wouldn't know if a fire extinguisher had expired.]
[Can he...hear what other people are thinking?]
Song Huan's fingers paused on the keyboard for a moment.
[Forget it, how could that be?]
[He's just smart.]
[It's been like this since I was little.]
Song Huan turned her gaze back to the screen.
Downstairs, Huang Mao sat at the front desk, feeling increasingly frustrated.
He was completely manipulated by a child, didn't get a single penny, and was even caught red-handed with a bunch of dirt on him.
He lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.
Then he stood up, walked to the freezer, bent down, and pushed it.
Move it to the left side of the stairwell.
He glanced at the fire extinguisher in the corner.
The red jar was covered in dust.
The production date was printed on the bottom, and upon closer inspection, it was indeed six months past its expiration date.
He glanced again at the bundle of wires on the ceiling.
I built it myself, used it for two years, and never checked it.
"Oh shit."
He stubbed out his cigarette, took out his phone, found his boss's number, stared at the screen for a long time, but didn't dial it.
If the boss knew that he was hiding his goods and instead selling the goods that he had purchased, he would definitely kill him.
I put my phone back in my pocket.
He lit another cigarette.