Chapter 13

After observing at the door for a while, although the few passersby cast glances at the restaurant with a completely different decor style from the surrounding shops, there were no people appearing who wanted to come in and give it a try.

Returning to the restaurant, Maige tidied up the dining table and went into the kitchen to wash the dishes and utensils. Amy, on the other hand, sat on a high stool behind the counter, enthusiastically playing with the blue-purple flames in her hands and muttering a bunch of random spells.

Maige finished tidying up the kitchen and came out. Seeing that there were still no customers coming in, he sat down on the chair next to Amy and watched her playing with fire.

"Father, if I throw this fireball out, would it be like the magic of a magician?" Amy suddenly turned her head and asked Maige, raising her hand and making a throwing gesture.

"No, no, no!" Maige quickly waved his hand. If that fireball was thrown out, even if the restaurant wasn't burned down, several tables and chairs would definitely be damaged. Considering the stingy nature of the system, he wasn't sure if the remaining 2700 copper coins would be enough to cover the cost.

"Don't worry, Father. I won't really throw it." Amy looked at Maige's nervous expression and chuckled. She waved her hand, dispersing the blue-purple fireball in her hand.

"If you could throw it and hit accurately, then it could be called a fireball spell," Maige sighed in relief and pondered Amy's question before nodding.

"But I can't do it, Father," Amy shook her head with a lack of confidence.

"It's okay. Before you find a mentor, Father will practice with you every morning. Nobody is born knowing everything. It's already impressive that Little Amy can conjure a fireball. I believe in you," Maige said with a smile, looking at Amy with encouraging eyes.

"Mmm, Little Amy will work hard," Amy nodded vigorously. Then she turned to look in the direction of the door, feeling a bit conflicted. "But Father, why hasn't anyone come in to eat? Your Rainbow Fried Rice is so delicious."

"Because they haven't tasted it, they don't know how delicious it is. But in the future, I'm sure many people will want to queue up to eat here," Maige said with a smile, feeling a bit helpless. The price of 600 copper coins was indeed quite expensive for ordinary people, but Chaos City was never short of wealthy individuals. Regardless of the race, there was always a handful of rich people who enjoyed excitement and frequently roamed around Chaos City, some even settling here permanently.

After all, in this city, money could get you anything you desired. Dwarves could enjoy the service of beautiful human girls, trolls could find demon dancers, and even goblins might find themselves accompanied by a half-elf for drinks... In this place, money truly granted unlimited possibilities.

"If there are many customers, Little Amy can help Father," Amy's eyes lit up as she looked at Maige.

"What can Little Amy do to help?" Maige smiled and asked in return.

"Little Amy can handle the money for Father. I learned arithmetic from Teacher Luna a few days ago, and she said I'm doing very well," Amy said, sounding a bit proud.

"Teacher Luna...?" Maige recalled for a moment and soon remembered. Luna was a teacher at the Chaos Academy, a subsidiary of the Gray Shrine. He had an impression of her as a young girl who liked to wear a dark green dress. She seemed a bit aloof usually but completely transformed when she was with children, becoming very gentle and amiable, much loved by the kids.

Amy didn't have the qualifications to enroll in the academy because she couldn't afford the tuition fees. However, she often snuck to the school's fence to watch them attend classes. Teacher Luna liked her and would often call her in to listen to the lessons together, occasionally teaching her some arithmetic and giving her treats. So, the previous persona had a good impression of her.

"Yeah, and also, if they don't pay, Little Amy can scare them by being fierce and threatening them with fireballs," Amy nodded, affirming her plan.

"Scare them? Can Little Amy be fierce?" Maige was a bit skeptical.

"Of course, I've seen the nearby dwarf grandpa scaring people before," Amy nodded seriously. Then she clenched her small fists and raised them to her face, widening her eyes as she looked at Maige. "Give money, or else I'll beat you up."

"Father, am I super fierce like this?" Amy maintained the pose, eagerly looking at Maige and asking.

"It's absolutely adorable!" Maige felt his heart melting, but seeing Amy's expectant expression, he had to suppress his laughter and nodded, "Yes, super fierce."

"Then let's assign the task of collecting money to Little Amy from now on. I promise to complete the mission," Amy put her hands down, happily declaring.

"Sure, we'll rely on Little Amy from now on. But when we have the time, I'll teach you how to look even fiercer," Maige smiled and nodded, not refusing Amy's request. However, her current appearance was just too adorable. He would have to properly train her when he had the chance, or else she wouldn't be able to handle the situation.

Then, at Amy's insistence, Mai ge told her the story of "The Little Match Girl." Although it was a version with some additions and omissions, the little girl listened with great interest.

"Father, is the roasted goose really delicious?" Amy looked at Maige with anticipation after hearing the story.

"It's probably quite delicious," Maige nodded, but suddenly felt that something was off. Was the roasted goose in the shop window really the main point of the story?

After finishing the story, both of them felt a bit bored and leaned on the counter, resting their chins on the backs of their hands, daydreaming with synchronized expressions and gestures.

Maige knew it would be difficult at first, but he didn't expect that the entire morning would pass without a single customer except for the two little demon children who glanced through the glass window for a while.

"Father, Little Amy is hungry," Amy turned her head and said to Maige at noon.

"I'll cook," Maige smiled and nodded, getting up and entering the kitchen. If no one came to the door, there was nothing he could do. He couldn't stand at the entrance and call out for customers.

As for the attitude towards customers, he had roughly figured it out during his daydreaming. Although it was his first time being a boss, he had eaten at many restaurants in his past life, so he knew more about customer experience than many restaurant owners.

Being overly enthusiastic might make people feel valued, but it could also make some customers who dislike social interactions feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, being too arrogant and aloof would greatly decrease the dining experience for most customers. The phrase "moderation is key" was appropriate in this situation.

Moreover, Maige's restaurant only had him and Amy. It was already good enough that Amy could handle the task of collecting payment. The reception duties naturally fell on him. Therefore, Maige summed up his experience and decided to follow six principles: kindness, distance, and equality.

Kindness meant basic respect for customers and creating a pleasant atmosphere before they started their meal. As for distance, it was a way for Maige to improve efficiency and provide a more relaxed option for customers who didn't like overly enthusiastic service. Lastly, equality meant treating all races equally. Maige believed that anyone who entered the restaurant and chose to consume was a customer, regardless of their race, and he would treat them all equally.

Just as Maige finished preparing the ingredients for two Yangzhou fried rice dishes and the rice was cooked, the sound of the doorbell rang...