C18 Impossible to Complete!

The words, devoid of any emotion, made Chen Fann realize he was now in too deep with the system.

There's an old saying: life is like being screwed over. If you can't fight back, might as well enjoy it.

Chen Fann tried to reassure himself with that thought.

"Fine, fine, you know what you know. But let's get one thing straight—I'm a gentleman with no ulterior motives."

Ding!

New Task: Create an osmanthus cake and sell it to a customer for 9999 RMB, earning their genuine approval.

Complete the task to receive a reward. Ingredients are provided for you. Good luck.

With that, the system fell silent once more.

"Damn it..."

Chen Fann, who had managed to keep his cool until now, was on the verge of losing it.

His culinary skills were more than sufficient to make an osmanthus cake. But the cost of making one was mere pennies, and selling it for 9999 RMB? Was he being played for a fool, or were the customers?

"Isn't this task a bit absurd? It's like you're deliberately stopping me from getting the reward," Chen Fann couldn't help but raise his voice in protest. But this time, the system gave no response, as if it had crashed.

After a futile few minutes of waiting, Chen Fann resigned himself to the situation. His power was limited, and his grasp of the system still too shallow. He was at its whim.

He headed to the kitchen and found the ingredients laid out: a modest supply of osmanthus flowers, glutinous rice starch, and basic seasonings.

The morning's debacle had left his shop eerily quiet, not a single customer all afternoon. He decided to close up early and hope for a better tomorrow.

That evening, Chen Fann and Lin Yuer returned to their rental. Both were exhausted from the day's work, Yuer especially, after tirelessly cleaning and tidying up. Seeing the sweat on his brow, Chen Fann felt a pang of sympathy. He almost shared that he had actually made 5000 yuan today, but ultimately, he chose silence.

Chen Fann knew that if he shared the news now, Lin Yuer would never believe it. His only other option would be to reveal the existence of the system, but that would introduce a whole new level of uncertainty. He intended to tell Lin Yuer about the system eventually, but the timing had to be right—not just yet.

"Hubby, tell me what you really think—can our shop keep going?" Lin Yuer asked.

Without hesitation, Chen Fann replied with a confident smile, "Absolutely. There's a saying that hard work never goes unrewarded. As long as we put in the effort, I'm sure luck will eventually be on our side!"

"But what about Xu Yuan..."

"Forget about him. He's nothing more than a fleeting figure in our lives. I've never given him much thought." Chen Fann's words were sincere. Initially, Xu Yuan's family status had intimidated him, but with the system in his possession, all those concerns had dissipated like mist.

After all, Xu Yuan's only advantage was his privileged birth, relying on the empire his father had built. Chen Fann, on the other hand, was a self-made man. His father had once run a restaurant too, but due to malicious individuals, they had been left with a mountain of debt. Now, Chen Fann was determined to not only restore his family's name in the business but also to amass wealth quietly and astonish everyone.

"Mm! Hubby, I have faith in you!" Lin Yuer affirmed, snuggling up to Chen Fann. They shared a tender moment. Despite her lingering doubts, she supported her husband wholeheartedly, without a trace of regret about leaving her job to join him in this new venture.

They say adversity brings people closer, and indeed, the day's events had strengthened their bond. No longer were they just a couple; they had become each other's kin.

The night passed in silence.

Come morning, Chen Fann and Lin Yuer were up early, freshened up, and ready to face the day's challenges at their restaurant. While Chen Fann busied himself with food prep in the kitchen, Lin Yuer tidied up the front, welcoming potential customers. But as noon approached, the awkward truth set in—they hadn't had a single patron. The couple sat in the empty restaurant, exchanging glances in the quiet.

Lin Yuer's anxiety was mounting.

"Honey, do you think it's because of what happened yesterday? Why haven't we seen any customers yet? Maybe we should launch a promotional campaign?"

She tentatively suggested to Chen Fann, but to her surprise, he dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand.

"No, we need to stay under the radar right now. Bigger promotions might not actually bring about the results we want. Remember, we offered free services yesterday, and it backfired."

"But... we can't just do nothing. We have rent, utilities, and food costs to cover."

Lin Yuer was aware that making too much noise might provoke retaliation from Xu Yuan, but without customers, their savings would slowly dwindle. Rather than sitting ducks, she preferred to take action and at least have a fighting chance.

"Let's wait a bit longer," Chen Fann replied, uncertain of how to reassure her. He believed in the system; it wouldn't deceive him. According to the tasks it set for him, if he could complete just one a day, they'd be compensated for all their profits and expenses.

"But..."

"Hello, is anyone there?"

Before Lin Yuer could continue, a woman's voice called out from the entrance. Chen Fann sprang to his feet reflexively and saw a young woman standing at the door, with an elderly man by her side.

The young woman was Liu Mengyu, the same lady from yesterday. However, Chen Fann was more intrigued by the old man with her. Despite his advanced age, his distinguished air and demeanor suggested he was far from ordinary.

"Hello, welcome!"

Lin Yuer greeted them, rising to her feet.

"Grandpa, this is the little restaurant I told you about. Their food is free, and they even cured my sore throat," Liu Mengyu cheerfully explained to the old man as they entered.

The old man gave a slight nod upon hearing this, but Liu Mengyu seemed displeased. What was this about 'free food'? She thought the woman was being rather tactless. Yesterday, Chen Fann had offered a complimentary bowl of soup to celebrate the new shop's opening. Had he become hooked on the freebies? Was he here today for another handout?

If they kept attracting guests like this, they wouldn't just fail to make a profit; they'd be hastening the shutdown of their establishment.

"Hello, I believe there may be a bit of a misunderstanding here..."

"Please take a seat. What would you like to order?"

Once Lin Yuer had finished speaking, Chen Fann promptly interjected with a smile, escorting the elderly gentleman and the young lady to their seats.