Chen Mu continued, "The way out of this task actually lies within the rules you mentioned at the beginning, Manager.
Rule 2: The patrons who come to consume are guests. Treat guests with courtesy, and regardless of the request, even the manager must fulfill it. The guest only gave me a tip of 10 soul currency, but the plate requires 20 soul currency, which is not enough to cover the cost of the plate.
Seemingly a hopeless deadlock, if I were to directly compensate with 10 soul currency for the plate, it would mean certain death. Therefore, the key to breaking this deadlock lies in thinking outside the box.
We need to break free from the mindset of being a mere attendant. Who says we can't change roles within the anomaly scenario?
Drawing from Rule 2, if I am not an attendant but a guest, it means I can make any request! This includes refusing to compensate for the plate.
So, how do I become a guest?
The first sentence of Rule 2—patrons who come to consume are guests. Seemingly trivial, it hints that as long as I consume in the cafeteria, I can assume the role of a guest.
Right now, I am an attendant, but if I consume in the cafeteria, according to 'patrons who come to consume are guests,' my role can shift to that of a guest.
Therefore, the correct use of these 10 soul currency is not to compensate for the plate but to consume!
Manager, bring me a stack of peanuts worth 10 soul currency! As a guest, I request to refuse compensating for the plate."
After finishing his explanation, Chen Mu handed over the 10 soul currency to the anomaly manager.
The anomaly manager showed a surprised expression, carefully observing Chen Mu's eyes. From them, she saw confidence, composure, and poise.
The anomaly manager couldn't believe that such a young man could display such calmness and sophistication, instantly seeing through the hidden path. Such courage and wisdom were truly astonishing, even to her.
"Is this your first time doing an anomaly task?" the anomaly manager couldn't help but ask.
"Yes, it's my first time in this life," Chen Mu replied truthfully. Indeed, this was his first anomaly task since his rebirth.
As for his previous life, surviving five years in the anomaly apocalypse was a matter of the past...
In fact, this escape route was something Chen Mu had thought through after repeatedly reviewing his past tasks in his previous life. Back then, the anomaly customer only stopped after killing two attendants in a row; Chen Mu was fortunate not to be selected, thus surviving.
However, even without prior knowledge, given his five years of experience in the anomaly apocalypse, Chen Mu was confident he could find a way out, albeit slower and more troublesome.
Moreover, Chen Mu possessed trillions of soul currency; he had planned to buy out the Midnight Diner.
In his eyes, the Midnight Diner was already his business; there was no need to panic. If anything, he could just throw money at the problem.
"I admit, you're quite impressive," the anomaly manager said as she took the 10 soul currency, her tone towards Chen Mu softening considerably.
Capable and wise individuals are respected everywhere, anomalies notwithstanding. On the ground, Zhao Mengmeng, witnessing this incredible scene, quickly shouted to the anomaly manager, "Give me back my 10 soul currency! I refuse to compensate, and I want to order as well! I want to be a respected guest too."
However, the anomaly manager coldly refused her, "Your 10 soul currency has already been given to me and cannot be refunded." The glimmer of hope on Zhao Mengmeng's face faded away, replaced once again by bitterness and despair, contorting her face into a terrifying expression.
She looked spitefully at Chen Mu and said resentfully, "Chen Mu! You saw through the way out a long time ago, why didn't you tell me? You bastard!"
When saying this, she never considered how she made Chen Mu take the fall for her and even tried to blame him.
Chen Mu shrugged, "Why should I save you? Moreover, you wanted me to take the fall for you and slander me. How can I repay evil with kindness? Furthermore, even if I had told you the way out, the moment you tried to shift blame onto me, you were as good as dead. Because of the first rule in the regulations—the cafeteria manager's orders cannot be violated, you must faithfully execute the cafeteria manager's orders. When the cafeteria manager asks who broke the plate, you didn't tell the truth, which violates the 'faithfully execute the cafeteria manager's orders' rule. You are already a dead man."
Hearing Chen Mu say this, Zhao Mengmeng was finally speechless.
Chen Mu's words once again surprised the anomaly manager; she hadn't expected Chen Mu to observe so carefully and also noticed that Zhao Mengmeng had violated the first rule.
Such keen observational skills were not to be underestimated.
On the other side, the other girls hadn't recovered from their shock. This seemingly impossible situation was effortlessly resolved by Chen Mu!
Two younger girls looked at Chen Mu with admiration in their eyes.
It's conceivable that if it weren't for Chen Mu, many people would have died here tonight. It could even be said that Chen Mu saved them.
Just as the anomaly manager was about to leave, Chen Mu suddenly stopped her. "Don't rush off; I have something else to discuss."
"What else?" The anomaly manager paused, her tone towards Chen Mu much gentler than before.
"Call your boss; I want to discuss something with them," Chen Mu said.
"The boss?" The anomaly manager looked hesitant. "Our boss rarely intervenes. If you have any requests, you can tell me, and I'll fulfill them for you."
"Well, what if I want to buy your diner?" Chen Mu flashed a brilliant smile, exuding confidence once again.
Upon hearing this, the anomaly manager was once again shocked. She couldn't believe this man was so bold, asking to buy the Midnight Diner right off the bat!
It was simply wishful thinking!
If it had been anyone else saying this, the anomaly manager would have cursed them as a "fool" and left without looking back.
However, Chen Mu's recent performance made her somewhat admire him, so she patiently explained, "The regulations state that I must fulfill all guest requests, but I don't have the authority to sell the Midnight Diner."
In the anomaly manager's view, Chen Mu was trying to exploit the rules, attempting to take over the Midnight Diner without offering anything in return. This was clearly impossible; the anomaly manager was just an employee and lacked such authority.
However, Chen Mu's next words shocked her even more. "Exactly, I know you don't have that authority, so that's why I asked you to call your boss. I didn't say I wanted to freeload off the Midnight Diner; you misunderstood me. What I mean is, I want to buy this diner, with soul currency. Your boss won't refuse."