The NO.1 Food Stall in the Wasteland novel Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Eating Alone

"Bai Lei, class is over. Wanna go grab a bite?"

"I’m skipping today. I have plans."

Bai Lei politely declined his classmate’s invitation, put away his protective gear, and hurried out of the fitness center.

He hailed a cab and told the driver to go to Gold Street.

The driver, a middle-aged man of about forty, glanced at him in the rearview mirror.

"It’s the middle of the day. Not many shops are open on Gold Street right now."

Bai Lei just grunted in response without saying anything. The driver didn’t waste any more words, stepped on the gas, and after showing the relevant documents at the checkpoint, passed through smoothly.

Bai Lei gave the outside a single glance before looking away, utterly uninterested.

The Lower City District was just like it was on TV: dilapidated, chaotic, and exuding a sense of desolate decay.

The roads were terrible—bumpy and uneven, making his butt hurt from the jostling.

If his Spiritual Sea hadn’t felt so much better after eating the egg waffle Bai Wanwan had bought the day before yesterday, Bai Lei would never have come to the Lower City District.

Arriving at the entrance to Gold Street, Bai Lei paid and got out of the cab. Dressed in his neat, well-made clothes, he was completely out of place on the street.

He seemed to step on something sticky. Bai Lei squeezed his eyes shut in despair and used his superpower to remove whatever was stuck to the sole of his shoe.

Gold Street’s drainage system was decent, but the surrounding streets gave off a strong odor that inevitably seeped in.

Bai Lei put on the gas mask he had prepared in advance and walked quickly down the street.

He just wanted to find Shen Lu’s little stall as quickly as possible, buy what he came for, and get right back to the Upper City District.

’The Lower City District really is no place for a human being,’ he thought.

After just a few steps, Bai Lei spotted a brightly colored food cart. Under a large umbrella, a person with a ponytail and a simple mask was lost in thought, their head lowered. They looked both strange and familiar.

But the sign on the food cart read "Little Deer Cuisine," so Bai Lei knew he had found the right person.

"Shen Lu!"

Bai Wanwan and Shen Lu had been at each other’s throats since they were kids, so Bai Lei was familiar with Shen Lu too. Being only two years younger than her, he had always called her directly by her name.

Hearing her name, Shen Lu looked up in confusion and saw a tall, sturdy-looking young man standing in front of her stall.

Judging by his clothes, he had to be from the Upper City District.

But he was wearing a mask, so she couldn’t see his full face. Shen Lu couldn’t match him to anyone in her original host’s memories.

"You are?"

Bai Lei gave a couple of fake coughs, dodging her question. "I’m here to buy something."

"Oh, what can I get for you?" Shen Lu didn’t press the issue. The person obviously knew her but didn’t want to reveal his identity, so there was no need for her to pry.

’In any case, I have no intention of relying on anyone to get back to the Upper City District.’

’If I’m going back, I’m going to do it on my own merit.’

"We have new items today: egg fried rice and egg fried noodles, 60 Star Coins each. The first ten customers also get a free side dish."

Sixty Star Coins for fried rice or noodles wasn’t exactly cheap, but in this post-apocalyptic world, it was actually a bargain.

If Shen Lu were a bit more ruthless, pricing it at 100 Star Coins wouldn’t even be unreasonable.

Bai Lei’s style was just like Bai Wanwan’s: why choose when you can have it all?

"Can I buy everything?" Bai Lei asked earnestly. "I want to take it back for my family and friends to try."

Shen Lu gave her practiced refusal. "Sorry, there’s a purchase limit at this stall."

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