Universe Infinite Canteen-Chapter 695: Returning to the Old Place

"I'm sorry," Ma Youyou apologized.

"Forget it, make sure it doesn't happen again. I'll calculate your salary for this month in a couple of days and pay you in advance."

"There's no need for the salary, boss. I can't take it with me anyway."

"I still have to pay it; after all, I have plenty of money now, and it's your earned income. Even if you can't take it with you, you might as well use it before you leave. Indulge in some food you crave, buy some things you like, or maybe use it for travelling abroad."

"I... Might not be able to return," Ma Youyou said.

"I know; I'm just preparing in advance to avoid being caught off guard. If there's nothing else, you may go now."

"Oh." Ma Youyou stood up.

Ma Lu glanced again at the time on his phone, "Forget it, the restaurant is about to open. Just take my car and go with me."

"Okay."

..........

Despite appearances, Ma Lu was not as calm as he seemed. The Universe Infinite Cafeteria now had three full-time servers: He Xiaoqian, Ma Youyou, and Sun Mei.

If the part-time staff were included, the number would be even higher, but the most irreplaceable among them was Ma Youyou, who could both work in the kitchen and handle special guests in the evening.

If she left, Boss Ma wouldn't be able to slack off every day, let alone take vacations.

Ma Lu had always thought he felt a bit desolate for this reason.

However, Ma Lu was financially well-off with plenty of Star Currency on hand and a significant influx of refugees from Earth to the Universe. If he wanted, he could probably find someone to replace her.

So, why did he still feel so hollow inside?

Ma Lu had a clear perception of most women around him. For instance, his interactions with Angie and Han Feifei were flirtatious; his relationship with Shen Yue was like that of mischief-making friends; initially, he disliked Yu Yitong, but now, the dislike had subsided.

Indeed, success is the best antidote to regret.

I digress. Ma Lu couldn't quite define his feelings for Ma Youyou; if pressed, he felt their interaction was... very natural.

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It might sound strange given Ma Youyou appeared abruptly one day, yet their rhythms aligned remarkably well.

Sometimes, when Ma Lu wanted her to do something, he didn't need to give detailed instructions, and Ma Youyou would handle it exactly as he wished.

Since her arrival, Ma Lu rarely had to worry about the daily operations of the restaurant. It had indeed eased his burden considerably, and considering her modest salary, which with several bonuses amounted to a mere 13,000-14,000 a month, it was certainly cost-effective.

Regardless of his reasons, Ma Lu certainly couldn't prevent Ma Youyou from going home. Not only could he not stop her, but he also needed to help her as much as possible, as a reward for her diligent work at the restaurant over this period.

This was how Ma Lu persuaded himself, though he still felt somewhat reluctant.

That afternoon, he dropped Ma Youyou and Old Wang at the restaurant but didn't stay at the cash register himself. Instead, he drove around aimlessly, eventually finding himself beside the river where he had fished the previous time.

Almost a week had passed since his last visit there.

The Sea King Stool completely took away the pleasure of fishing for him, turning an activity that should require skill and patience and yield delightful surprises into mere physical fitness and iron-pumping.

So much so that Ma Lu didn't feel like fishing at all in the following days; yet today, he felt irritated and needed some repetitive mechanical work to clear his mind.

As soon as Ma Lu parked his car, he was spotted.

When he got out, those people immediately crowded around him.

"The God, you finally came again. I was just saying this car looked familiar. Xiao Zheng, this is the God I told you about last week. Last time he caught a green fish weighing over 15 jin and a bighead silver carp of 21 jin. In less than 40 minutes, he nearly filled our buckets."

"You're bluffing. Is that even human?"

Xiao Zheng was clearly skeptical, although he had seen the photos and chat records from that day. He preferred to trust in science.

He had fished in this river before. Catching a big fish by luck was possible, but continuously catching big fish and filling four or five buckets was something out of a sci-fi novel.

Another old man with a straw hat didn't believe it either, "Tao, why do you keep making up such stories? You've been doing it all week. I've been fishing for over thirty years, and I've seen more skilled anglers than the number of fish you guys have caught. If he's as incredible as you say, I'll eat this bag of fish food!"

The old man was adamant, his neck stiff as he spoke.

The man called by the nickname Tao, actually in his forties, was the middle-aged uncle in wading pants who had first greeted Ma Lu. His full name was Guo Zhengtao, and he replied with a wry smile.

"Uncle Guo, don't make such oaths. This man really is a God. Last time, he even shared the fish he caught with us. Old Li and Old Tie and Xiao Yu were there. If you don't believe me, ask them."

"I don't need to ask. It's a lie at first hearing!"

No matter what Guo Zhengtao said, his Uncle Guo shook his head, "I've been fishing for thirty years, and I still can't discern the truth!"

Ma Lu ignored these arguments, casually found a spot, set up his stool, and used the same lure rod as last time to start fishing.

Xiao Zheng and Uncle Guo were disdainful at first, but their expressions changed quickly.

Less than half a minute after Ma Lu sat down, there was a tug at the line, and he began to reel it in, catching a nearly four-pound carp.

Guo Zhengtao, Xiao Yu, and others had seen this scene before, yet they couldn't help but marvel.

"The God is truly a God, fishing up big fish sitting still with a lure rod and artificial bait."

Uncle Guo still resisted, "Hmph, the young man is just lucky..."

Before he could finish, Ma Lu had already lifted his rod again. This time, it took less than 5 seconds after he cast the line for another fish to bite, genuinely startling Xiao Zheng and Uncle Guo.

And this was just the beginning. Ma Lu's catch continued one after another, with only occasional misses due to the hook coming off midway. Every cast he made resulted in a fish biting within half a minute, and the sizes were decent too.

The largest one was a 30-pound catfish. Ma Lu played with it for a while to exhaust its energy before hauling it ashore.

Everyone pitched in to drag the catfish ashore, and just like before, Ma Lu gave the fish to the local anglers. He had fished continuously for an hour and five minutes this time, setting a new record, feeling his arms were almost not his own anymore.

But the effect was significant. At the very least, while fishing, he stopped thinking about Ma Youyou leaving.