My Restaurant's Guests are All Abnormal

Chapter 98: Chapter 98 Red Envelopes and Year-End Bonus

"Happy New Year?" Lafra blinked, completely clueless as she had never heard of this holiday.

"Is it the Feast of the Divine Arrival?" Elena curiously asked, recalling that in the Holy City, the grandest festival was the Feast of the Divine Arrival.

And every time the Feast of the Divine Arrival came, it was the day that Elena and Andrew, the orphans, most looked forward to, because the Church would then hand out two extra loaves of black bread, allowing them a rare chance to eat their fill.

But now, Elena no longer cared about the Feast of the Divine Arrival, as she felt that only Chen Ze’s place was heaven on earth.

Elena looked around at her surroundings and thought back to the warm water she felt each time she bathed, wondering if this was how the white-robed priests described the Kingdom of God? ƒгeewёbnovel.com

"New Year’s is a festival we have here; it’s a big deal anyway. Today’s food is all free, so everyone eat up and enjoy yourselves." Chen Ze picked up his glass, which already had Coke poured into it, and everyone had one.

Saitama, unfazed, picked up his glass. Coke, something he had tried before, though he didn’t understand why Chen Ze would bring it out now. But considering all the lavish dishes, Saitama didn’t mind why it wasn’t alcohol.

Stan gazed at the cup of black liquid in front of him, where bubbles continuously surfaced, reminding him of an alchemy potion he had once made, which also looked similar but could take someone’s life just by smelling it. ƒreewebɳovel.com

Stan shook his head. What was he thinking? Chen Ze was, after all, the owner of a restaurant, and he himself could be considered a regular.

"Everyone, when I say ’cheers,’ we’ll all raise our glasses and take a sip," Chen Ze suggested with a beaming smile.

"No problem," Saitama replied in his usual calm demeanor.

"Listen to Uncle Boss~" Elena’s voice remained as sweet as ever.

"Hmph, to dare command me..." Lafra snorted disdainfully but still supported her glass with her hand.

"Okay," Stan was as sparing with words as ever.

Chen Ze glanced outside the window, where he couldn’t see much; it was pitch black whenever a guest came in.

But Chen Ze could hear the familiar sounds of firecrackers, see the beautiful fireworks, and catch the faint scent of gunpowder...

"Cheers!" Chen Ze laughed heartily, raising his glass and then taking a big gulp.

"Cheers~"

"Cheers."

"Hmph, cheers."

"Oh yeah!"

"Cheers, Boss~"

Seeing the lively guests around him and their familiar faces, Chen Ze felt extremely joyous. He suddenly understood the saying ’It’s not the wine that intoxicates but the company,’ even though he wasn’t drinking wine...

Saitama was the first to pick up his chopsticks, wisely selecting a slice of roast duck and popping it into his mouth, then his eyes narrowed in satisfaction.

"Mmm... Boss, this duck is way too delicious!" Saitama gave Chen Ze a thumbs up, then took another slice.

"Mr. Saitama, there’s another way to eat roast duck. Come on, let me show you." Chen Ze chuckled as he took a slice of skin and placed it in a bowl, then picked up a slice of roast duck meat, dipped it in the sauce, and laid it on the skin.

What Chen Ze loved was Peking-style sliced roast duck, with its eating method similar to that of Beijing roast duck, and his favorite part was the crispy duck skin, which had a unique flavor. Chen Ze believed the skin was the tastiest part of the duck.

Saitama tried it Chen Ze’s way, then his eyes widened. "It’s really even better!"

Chen Ze smiled and then looked towards Lafra, who had been sipping her Coke since they toasted, and had just asked Betty to pour her another glass.

Without a word, Chen Ze glanced under the table; next to Lafra, there were already three empty Coke bottles.

It’s the 2-liter kind...

Chen Ze felt that Lafra might have some stomach discomfort tonight, considering that carbonated drinks, if consumed in large quantities, could have a significant impact on the digestive system...

But then, she’s a vampire... so maybe it’s fine?

Chen Ze then looked toward Stan, the reticent Gu Aotian, who was leisurely enjoying the buffet that Chen Ze had thoughtfully prepared for him, without touching any other dishes.

"Well, that’s a relief, I’ve prepared twenty servings of the buffet," Chen Ze sighed in relief.

Stan was a creature of habit. Ever since he started coming to the store, his favorite had always been the buffet, so much so that Betty would immediately ask Chen Ze to prepare twenty servings as soon as she saw Stan.

Not one more or less, he would finish eating and then settle the bill and leave.

Chen Ze patted his pocket, recalling that right after the Nafi siblings arrived, he went upstairs to look around and indeed found a few red packets.

At this moment, Chen Ze smilingly handed over two red packets to the Nafi siblings and even gently patted their heads.

"Elena, Andrew, Happy New Year, these are your red packets." Chen Ze had a nephew, but his family’s relationship with the boy’s family wasn’t good, so they didn’t interact much.

However, now that he had Elena and Andrew, Chen Ze could also enjoy the pleasure of being an elder.

"Uncle Store Manager, New Year... Happy!" Elena said, patting her chest as she swallowed a piece of duck meat and almost choked.

Andrew respectfully did a bow before accepting the red packet from Chen Ze. Although he didn’t understand what a red packet was, since it was from the store manager, he did not hesitate at all.

As soon as he accepted it, Andrew realized what was inside.

"Uncle Store Manager, this..." Andrew felt a bit uneasy. If it were just accepting meals and baths from Chen Ze, he could reluctantly come to terms with it, but accepting money made him feel even more guilty.

By roughly feeling it, Andrew knew there was a gold coin inside the red packet, a shiny Gold Coin.

That was a Gold Coin we’re talking about. A single Gold Coin could buy two street children like himself.

And considering Chen Ze had also given Elena a red packet, that amounted to two Gold Coins.

"Take it, it’s a custom we have here," Chen Ze said with a smile, rubbing Elena’s head once more.

Andrew nodded his head; he felt that he could never repay Chen Ze’s kindness in this lifetime.

Then, just as Chen Ze turned around, he saw an excited Betty wagging her tail non-stop, almost as if the words "I want a Gold Coin" were written on her face.

Chen Ze’s mouth twitched. "You don’t get one."

"But why, Store Manager!" Betty looked up at Chen Ze with tearful eyes, tugging at the hem of his clothes, her expression pitiful.

"Nope," Chen Ze rolled his eyes, continuing to eat his New Year’s Eve dinner.

Betty pouted and muttered something under her breath.

Chen Ze vaguely heard some complaints like "the store manager is so stingy," "the store manager isn’t human," "after using me, he’s just going to dump me," and other similar things.

Chen Ze’s mouth twitched again. This little Succubus definitely had been watching anime upstairs again.

Chen Ze pulled out a red packet and shook it, "This is your year-end bonus."

"Store Manager~ you’re really... so cool!"