Chapter 488: There's a Traitor!
Watching the refined yet heroic-looking middle-aged man leave the restaurant, Qi Han patiently waited for the next diner to arrive. However, he ended up waiting until the Han Shi lunch service was over.
—Not a single person came.
Although more than a hundred customers had visited at noon today, almost all of them had come after being introduced by that man, Xu Jiyun. Because the location was so remote, not a single nearby resident had come to dine yet.
Come to think of it, the residents around Mingke Street lived in a rather remote area and generally had modest economic conditions. Even if they did come, they might very well be scared off by Han Shi's prices.
Sigh… there's still a long way to go.
Qi Han sighed inwardly. He walked to the door of the shop, preparing to close it and enter the training space to continue practicing Zilong Sheds His Armor, when he suddenly noticed something unusual.
"Huh?"
He blinked, then couldn't help stepping outside Han Shi to take a closer look.
There were… new businesses coming to open shops nearby?
On both sides of his restaurant and diagonally across the street, three new shops were being renovated in an orderly fashion. Judging by the progress, they looked like they could reopen for business in just a few days.
For Qi Han, this was quite a novelty.
There were actually quite a lot of storefronts around here. At the beginning, this area had originally been the commercial district of Mingke Street. However, almost all the shops had been vacant or up for transfer, many of them listed with various agencies for years without ever successfully being rented or sold.
So when Han Shi first opened, every storefront around it had been tightly shut. What should have been a bustling commercial district was instead deserted.
And now, suddenly, three merchants wanted to open stores here?
Just thinking about it made Qi Han want to pray for his three future neighbors.
Opening a shop here—wouldn't they lose money for sure?
What? You're asking why I opened my shop here?
Well… fate works in mysterious ways.
Since they were going to be neighbors, Qi Han decided to go chat with them in a friendly way.
After all, they would still be neighbors for the next month.
So he walked toward the shop diagonally across the street. In front of the already opened storefront stood a young man who looked like the owner, directing renovation workers.
…
Fang Qing was a Spirit Engineer serving the royal family. He belonged to a hidden force under the royal family known as the Secret Intelligence Division. Their responsibility was infiltration and intelligence gathering, providing the royal family with unparalleled information so they could know everything happening in the world without leaving their palace.
This time, in order to monitor Han Shi at all times, the royal family did not hesitate to mobilize the Secret Intelligence Division that usually operated in the shadows. They dispatched a large number of personnel to initiate the so-called "Revitalize Mingke Street" plan.
Fang Qing was one of those assigned.
His role was to disguise himself as the owner of a general store directly across from Han Shi, keeping constant watch on the restaurant's internal activity.
At this moment, he had already begun immersing himself in the role. While keeping part of his attention on the situation inside Han Shi, he also directed workers to install shelves inside his general store.
However, he soon noticed something was wrong.
The number-one target of the surveillance mission—Qi Han—why was he walking toward him?
Wait… with such a direct stride…
He was clearly coming straight at him?!
Cold sweat instantly appeared on Fang Qing's forehead.
This… Has he been discovered?
That shouldn't be possible!
He had been playing the role of a general store owner extremely well—he was even enjoying it a little.
They had undergone professional training. Under normal circumstances, they would never expose themselves.
Stay calm. Stay calm!
Maybe the other party just came to chat…
Forget it. No need to deceive himself.
Sorry, brothers of the Secret Intelligence Division. It seems I'm about to lose my young life here…
Please remember to take care of my wife after I'm gone…
Oh right, I don't have a wife.
Then never mind.
Gritting his teeth, Fang Qing turned his head with a tragic expression and looked at Qi Han, who had already walked up to him.
If you want to kill me or cut me apart, just do it!
…
"Um… are you okay?"
Seeing Fang Qing's expression—like someone whose wife had just cheated on him—Qi Han couldn't help but show a bit of sympathy.
"I'm the owner of Han Shi across the street… What happened to you?"
"N-nothing…"
Seeing that the other party was speaking to him so normally, Fang Qing was momentarily stunned, then quickly forced his expression back to normal.
Damn it… he really just came over to chat with me?
Is that something a spy target is supposed to do?!
What the hell, this isn't following the script at all…
Then another thought struck him.
Was the expression I just made too strange?
I need to think of a way to explain it…
Seeing Fang Qing hesitate and stammer without saying anything for a long time, Qi Han seemed to understand something. He sighed lightly and patted Fang Qing on the shoulder.
"I get it. Did someone trick you into buying such a desolate storefront, and now you're feeling upset about it?"
"Ah… well…" Fang Qing couldn't help but laugh awkwardly. He hadn't even figured out how to explain the strange expression he had just made, yet this Qi Han had already come up with a reason for him.
Seeing the change in Fang Qing's expression, Qi Han became even more confident in his guess. He immediately began to comfort him.
"Don't worry. It's fine. The business on this street will definitely improve in the future, and there might even be more shops opening."
Once Side Quest 10 was completed, a large number of diners would come to Han Shi every day, even going out of their way to visit just to taste the dishes. After eating, those people wouldn't necessarily leave immediately, some might stroll around nearby, which would bring business to the surrounding stores.
This was called bringing traffic.
So the young man in front of him had actually arrived at a good time.
With Han Shi here, this area would definitely become prosperous in the near future. At the very least, it wouldn't remain as deserted as it was now.
Opening a shop directly across from Han Shi right now might not lose money at all.
And as foot traffic in the area increased, the value of the nearby storefronts might even rise. Once people saw there was profit to be made, more merchants might be willing to open shops here.
Even after he left a month later, these shops would still enjoy a long period of increased traffic and could still benefit from the wave.
Qi Han was very familiar with this phenomenon.
Back when Han Shi opened in Star Luo City, the businesses near it almost immediately saw their revenue double. When he was in Shrek City, just teaching someone how to make egg fried rice had even caused the price of eggs to rise…
As long as no one opened a restaurant near Han Shi, business would inevitably flourish.
However, these comforting words sounded completely different in Fang Qing's ears.
His face turned pale instantly.
Why would the mission target know that business here would improve in the future?!
And how does he know more shops will appear later?!
The "Revitalize Mingke Street" plan had only just begun. He was merely part of the advance team sent to open shops. To avoid it appearing too abrupt, the stores would open gradually.
Furthermore, the emperor's decree—encouraging people from other places to visit Mingke Street and promoting its prosperity—would only be issued after all the shops had opened. It hadn't even been drafted yet.
Both of these matters were top secrets.
So why did this Han Shi owner named Qi Han look so calm, as if he had seen through everything?
Of course.
Chatting with him was just a cover.
He was clearly using this conversation to send a message—to him, and to the Secret Intelligence Division:
Stop these little tricks. I see everything. I know everything.
Fang Qing's expression froze instantly.
There's a traitor inside the Secret Intelligence Division!
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Latest Chapter: Chapter 505: Qi Han's Choice[1]
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-155496005
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-155496005