Uncle Yahui is Here

You might be wondering what Lai's country, Cedoria is like. Cedoria is built atop a towering fjord (a strip of sea that comes into the land between high cliffs) and is truly a technological marvel.

Its allure is matched by the backdrop of monumental waterfalls that have helped shape the country to what it is today.

The resources these waterfalls bring are of great importance. Still, Cedoria is also influential in architectural designs.

The vast majority of buildings have their own man-made waterfalls or similar elements as part of their architecture.

The skyline of Cedoria is spread with impressive skyscrapers, and they each represent the many different aspects of the city. Education is superb in Cedoria, and it has garnered a lot of attention.

Many new cultures have left their mark on the country's cuisine and on its identity.

What historically started as a small country with few cultures, a poor economy, and a low population has grown into a giant melting pot that unites 1.5 million inhabitants.

This multicultural identity has indeed left its mark on the country. Hundreds of bistros, diners, food carts, and stores offer many culinary choices.

Citizens or tourists who feel hungry for something else can enjoy concerts, nature, arcades, shopping malls, and other recreational venues available in the country.

Lai lived in Qingzou, a relatively medium-sized city on the east of Cedoria's capital, Hengyaun.

"Good for you, Lai!" Wen cheered over the phone upon hearing her best friend tell her that she would accept the PA job.

Lai placed her umbrella in the umbrella holder in the changing room upon arriving at the café for work.

"Although," Wen sighed, "I'll be sad to see you go since I'll be the only female employee."

Lai smiled.

"It's not like I'll never see you guys again," she said to Wen, whose laugh could be heard as if she was standing right in front of her.

Lai stood in her position as Yu went to flip the sign on the door to 'Now Open.' On the days that Wen was off, Ren took over her position.

"Is that Wen?" Ren mouthed to her, pointing at the phone.

Lai nodded, and he smiled, causing her to look at him with narrowed eyes. She had a feeling that he had a secret crush on her best friend.

"...Hello? Hello, Lai? Are you still there?" Lai heard Wen ask.

"Ah, yeah," Lai said, still giving Ren a questionable look, "I'm still here, but listen, I have to go now. Customers are-"

"Welcome!" Wen heard Ren greet the customers cheerfully in the background.

"-coming in. We'll talk later," she finished.

"Okay, cool. Bye!" Wen hung up.

She put her phone on silent mode and put it in her black apron pocket.

"One Caramel Twister coming right up," Lai smiled at a customer.

And so the day began. The rain was pouring outside, and the sky would occasionally flash bolts of lightning.

"I'm so glad winter is ending," a customer told another customer.

"Tell me about it," the customer agreed, sipping her hot chocolate, "I'm tired of the cold now. It's time for spring to arrive!"

Lai smiled and couldn't agree more. As much as she loved the rainy weather, she wished for summer to come sooner so that she could go surfing.

"Stop yelling at me!" a customer screamed over her phone as she entered the café, causing some customers to look at her.

She bowed and apologised to the customers for the sudden noise.

"Do you see now?" she asked the person she was talking to over the phone, "I got weird looks from the customers because of you."

She put her phone to her ear as she took out the money from her wallet.

"One dark coffee, please," she told Ren, "No sugar."

She paid for her order and stood in front of Lai.

"I told you there was traffic!" the customer yelled in a whisper, "You can't expect me to part traffic. I'm not a being who can part traffic like Moses did with the Red Sea. Actually..."

The customer paused as she tilted her head up to look at the ceiling, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Lai could tell that the customer was trying to control her anger.

"I'm not your PA!" the customer stated, "I'm part of the Sales Department! Sales Department! You can't expect me to do something out of my jurisdiction . You better pay me double for this. Hire a damn PA soon. Gosh damn it!"

With that, the customer cut the call and let out a long sigh. The customer stared at her with a smile, and she smiled back.

"Bosses can be so demanding, am I right?" the customer said, tugging some loose strands of her light brown hair behind her ears.

'Wait?' Lai thought with wide eyes, 'That was her boss? And she spoke to him like that?'

Lai nodded, smiling awkwardly as she handed the woman her dark coffee. The woman was beautiful and had a boss babe, femme fatale persona.

She had garnered a lot of attention from the other customers.

"Thank you," with that, the female customer left the store.

"What was that about?" Ren whispered to her.

Lai shrugged.

"Something about bosses and being demanding, I guess," she replied, preparing an order of nutty biscuits and warm milk.

Zhou and Yu were taking the orders of the seated customers, while Teng cleared some tables of the customers who had left.

The café's bell rang, and Mr. Yahui, the owner of Ebony Chocolate Café, stepped inside.

He closed his umbrella and placed it in the umbrella holder. He smiled and greeted the customers and made his way to where she was.

"Uncle Yahui!" she said with a smile, happy to see him.

"Little Lai," he greeted, "Good morning. Could I have a coffee, please?"

"Coming right up, sir," Lai nodded and prepared his order as he went to an empty seat and sat down.

His employees greeted him.

Other customers made small talk with him as he waited for his coffee.

"Hey, Zhou," Lai called him as he stepped out of the kitchen.

"Hey, what's up?" Zhou asked.

"I need to speak to Uncle Yahui for a few minutes. Please fill in for me. I'll be right back, please," Lai clasped her hands together and batted her eyelashes.

"Eww, don't do that with your face," Zhou teased her, "It's not cute at all. Now go before I change my mind."

She laughed and thanked him. Holding Mr. Yahui's coffee, she walked to where he was seated and sat opposite him.

"Here's your coffee, Uncle Yahui," she said, placing the coffee in front of her boss.

"Thanks, Little Lai," he took a sip and smiled, "You said you had something you wanted to discuss with me?"

She nodded and began to explain what had happened with Mr. Ying. Her boss took another sip of coffee and nodded in understanding. He smiled and nodded.

"I understand," he told her, "Just know that if you ever feel that it's too much there, your job here will always be available even if I hire a new employee...which I have to now to take over your position once you're gone."

She nodded and clasped her hands together, placing them on her lap.

"Thanks for understanding, Uncle Yahui," she told him with a closed-eye smile.

"Of course," he drank his coffee, "I'm always here if you need anything. You know you're like family to me, so don't hesitate to tell me if anything bothers you, okay?"

She held back the tears that wanted to escape her eyes and shook her head. Tilting her head, she smiled, her eyes closed.

"Yes, Uncle Yahui!"