I walked toward the table where Chen Feng was sitting; his posture remained leisurely to the point of arrogance. Placing the steaming cup of thick black coffee in front of him, I uttered just two brief words: "Yours."
Chen Feng didn't respond immediately. He merely flicked his eyes up to scan me once, as if scrutinizing, before reaching out to take the sugarless coffee. A low "Thank you" vibrated through the air, seemingly dissolving into nothingness instantly. For some reason, the invisible tension from moments ago suddenly eased, making me let out a silent sigh of relief. But that peace didn't last long.
The table bell chimed from the other side - it was the couple from earlier. I approached them as the elegant woman fumbled through her expensive purse, pulling out a stack of bills and handing them to me:
-"I'll pay. Thank you."
As the bills settled into my palm, my pupils constricted slightly. These were bright red notes, printed with a grotesque, snobbish demonic face and a sun-eye symbol in the left corner. Though they were just paper, they exuded a thick, foul aura that made my chest tighten with suffocation. It seemed money in this Weird World was anything but normal.
I gave a slight nod of thanks and saw them to the door. Watching their figures recede, a mess of conflicting emotions rose within me-half dread of the nameless unknown, half relief at finishing a round of customers.
However, the moment I stepped back inside, I was met with the sight of Yashu sprawled on the ground. Standing before her was a towering man with a distorted, demonic appearance. He had just shoved her down and was roaring in fury:
-"You brat! You've ruined my clothes!"
Yashu didn't cry. She remained silent, her hand gripping the edge of a chair to slowly push herself up. Despite her efforts to stay calm, her face betrayed a sense of extreme irritation.
( What now... ) - I curled my lip, a wave of exhaustion hitting my brain. We'd only been working for a few minutes and this place was already on the verge of exploding. Looking at the rampaging man, I felt a weariness that seeped into my very bones.
I stepped forward, grabbing Yashu's elbow to support her. My voice was devoid of emotion:
-"What happened? Are you okay?"
-"I'm fine," Yashu replied decisively, though her knitted brows showed she was suppressing her anger. She leaned close to my ear, whispering in a tone audible only to us:
-"He tripped himself on purpose to make me fall, then turned around and blamed my clumsiness for dirtying his clothes."
What a pathetic trick. Looking at his repulsive face, I knew well enough he wasn't a player. Perhaps the entities here were starting to find us an eyesore and wanted to find ways to torment "outsiders" like us.
At that moment, the surrounding space fell into a terrifying silence. Every eerie eye in the cafe turned simultaneously toward me and Yashu-cold, hungry, and malicious stares. It was that damn feeling again, like being surrounded by a pack of wild beasts just waiting for a slip-up to tear us apart.
Qing Yashu suppressed her anger. She lowered her voice, attempting to use the most professional tone possible to face the man:
-"I'm sorry... I'll be more careful next time. Shall I go get a towel to wipe that for you, sir?"
Yet, her humility only seemed to make the fat man more triumphant. He bellowed, the layers of fat on his face quivering disgustingly:
-"A towel? What damn towel! Do you have any idea how much this outfit costs? A low-life like you couldn't pay it back if you worked your whole life!"
His rage began to spiral out of control as insults poured out in a torrent. I stood beside her, my cold eyes observing his every micro-movement. Despite the utter loathing in my heart, I knew I had to do something to end this ridiculous farce.
I took a step forward, shielding Yashu, my voice low but carrying an underlying threat:
-"Please calm your anger, sir. My colleague did not intend to damage your attire. If you find this unsatisfactory, shall I call our Manager out to settle this with you directly?"
The moment he heard the word "Manager," the man's aggression vanished like a soap bubble. His face froze, a flash of fear visible in his bloodshot eyes. He cleared his throat, trying to salvage some dignity:
-"Hmph! Whatever. You lot better be more careful next time, got it?"
I stood stunned for a beat. This sudden shift in attitude was beyond my expectations. I had anticipated a heated argument, yet he retreated so easily? This only reinforced the suspicion in my mind: Ming - the manager with the mild exterior-was certainly no simple character. Perhaps his power in this Weird World was enough to make even the most feral demons hesitate.
Yashu was quick-witted too. She didn't miss the opportunity, quickly heading to the counter to grab a carefully wrapped strawberry tart and handing it to him:
-"This is your compensation. This strawberry tart is our shop's specialty; I hope you can overlook this." Yashu even subtly tucked some extra napkins inside.
The man snatched the box, his movements crude like someone who had been starving for a long time. A smile appeared on his grotesque face-a distorted, haunting grin that sent a chill down my spine:
-"Hmph! Fine, at least you lot know your place."
He flicked his coat tail, his fake arrogance returning as he trudged out of the shop. Yashu and I could only stand in silence, watching his back until he vanished completely. A cold sweat ran down my spine. Even though we had escaped this "calamity," I knew this was only the beginning of greater troubles ahead.
Before long, the dying rays of sunset began to drape over the city's eaves. It felt as though the giant "sun-eye" above was also weary, preparing to hand over the shift to the crescent moon. The pale yellow light gradually withdrew, but its sweltering heat lingered, clinging stubbornly to the lush green trees.
By now, the customers had thinned out. Yashu and I quietly split the tasks of cleaning up the mess after the long day. The trickling sound of water as we watered the small potted plants in the shop was the only sound breaking the stillness. The first day of work had finally come to an end. Though exhausted, the feeling of surviving after everything that happened made me feel strangely lighthearted.
I wiped the wooden tabletop until it shone, my movements sharp and meticulous. Turning toward Yashu, I spoke, my tone steady as usual:
-"Today... was busier than expected."
-"Indeed," Yashu nodded in agreement. She paused for a moment, sighing softly: "When that demon lost his temper, I truly thought my life was over right then and there."
The cafe was now empty, without a single soul. Only a few stray gusts of wind slipped through the door cracks, bringing the chill of the late afternoon. This scene appeared peaceful, but in this world full of deception, peace was often just a facade for the horrors to come.
While I was lost in distant thoughts, Yashu's voice rang out again, this time with a hint of hesitation: -"The day after tomorrow... do you really intend to join the second mission?"
I didn't look at her, focusing on the last smudge on the table before giving a low grunt of affirmation:
-"Yeah. I've decided."
-"Then... let me go with you, okay?" Yashu's sudden proposal made my movements freeze for a split second.
Truthfully, while I preferred going solo to maintain control of the situation, I couldn't deny that having a reliable teammate in the Second Demon Gate would be a massive advantage. Seeing the determination in her eyes, I gave a small nod, my answer brief but weighted:
-"Of course. If you want to."
-"That's great then." A rare, relieved smile appeared on Yashu's face.
As the two of us were preoccupied with calculating for the upcoming trip, a sudden wave of icy air surged straight down my spine.
I instinctively whipped around. Manager Ming was already standing at the hallway entrance.
His appearance hadn't made the slightest sound-no footfalls, no rustle of clothing. In the silence, I couldn't even hear a single breath from him. He simply manifested there, silent and abrupt, like a ghost stepping out of the void.
Natural reflexes caused both Yashu and me to startle, taking a wary step back. My heart skipped a beat, but I forced my face to remain as calm as possible. I narrowed my eyes, looking deep into Ming's eyes, searching for a sign of life, but all I received in return was a smile so mild it felt artificial.
His presence seemed to suffocate the brief peace we had just found. The sunset cast light behind him, creating a long, hollow black shadow that spilled toward us, carrying an invisible pressure that made it hard to breathe.