The experiment lasted for several days. Besides the relaxation Roland felt from testing the magic cube's power, another way to relieve stress was the dream world—taking a group of witches who were full of curiosity about everything and had endless exclamations, making anything enjoyable.
Preparing to open the store was no exception.
After a month and a half of busyness, the Rose Cafe finally ushered in its opening day.
To keep a low profile, he deliberately chose to hold the ribbon-cutting and set off firecrackers after ten o'clock—during this time, breakfast shops were basically closed, students and office workers had left their residences, and grandpas and grandmas were bargaining at the vegetable market. It could be said to be the quietest time in the residential complex.
The cafe was located next to the warehouse, with two floors, and the rent was three thousand five a month. Although it didn't sound expensive, considering the average consumption ability of the residents in the complex, it was already a relatively high price.
However, Roland didn't care whether he could make a profit, so he didn't haggle too much with the landlord. The only requirement was to open up the partition wall between the warehouse and the rented house to facilitate the entry and exit of materials. Of course, it would be restored to its original state when the lease was terminated.
Seeing that he paid a year's rent in one go, the landlord readily agreed.
However, these statements were all to cover up the real intention.
Roland didn't intend to change his career and become a businessman. The Taquila witches certainly had no interest in serving others. Therefore, the decoration of the cafe was purely a display. It was more like a small place for everyone to entertain themselves rather than a store.
If possible, he hoped that there wouldn't be a single customer.
To achieve this goal, the signboard hanging at the entrance listed every drink at "sky-high" prices: such as a latte for 260, and a caramel macchiato for 300. He didn't know what the difference was between these coffee categories; he simply multiplied the price of a certain famous store by ten.
You should know that a bottle of soy milk next door only cost 1.5 yuan.
He didn't believe anyone would patronize this "black shop".
By the same token, if someone clearly wanted to be ripped off and still came in to spend money, then there was a high probability that they were the "appointed person" on the note.
But Roland had no idea whether this "Rose" name would work or not.
"Your Majesty, is this okay?" Phyllis put down the ribbon in her hand.
"Yes, as long as the ribbon-cutting is done, the Rose Cafe is officially open." He nodded, "Go and celebrate with everyone."
Pushing open the door and entering the house, what came into view was a bar counter and several small round tables. Each table was decorated with candle lamps and rose vases, and soft music was playing on the speakers. It looked quite like a cafe. However, when the two went up to the second floor, the atmosphere became completely different—it was more appropriate to call it a small restaurant than a cafe.
Roland purchased a full set of kitchen utensils and barbecue grills for the ancient witches who entered the dream world. In the beginning, he could only take them to eat KFC and McDonald's, but now they could taste all kinds of fresh food without going out. Perhaps it was to make up for hundreds of years of regret, and the high-end cuisine brought back from the hotel opened the door to a new world. Everyone's enthusiasm for cooking was beyond imagination. Except for the initial time spent learning how to use modern cooking appliances such as gas stoves and microwave ovens, they hardly needed his guidance afterward and could already figure out various new dishes based on recipes.
Moreover, several of them were particularly talented. The finished products had the style of a star chef. Although they were slightly lacking in plating and flower arranging, the control of knife skills and heat was absolutely impeccable. Phyllis was one of them.
"Your Majesty, I just learned how to make braised eel. Would you like to try it?"
"Freshly baked tenderloin is here!"
"Your Majesty, can you help me find some recipes for cold dishes?"
The witches' greetings came one after another. Obviously, for them, the joy of cooking food was no less than watching movies or going out for fun.
It was a pity that the dream world could not allow them to stay here permanently—looking at the lively scene on the second floor, Roland couldn't help but feel a little regretful. After learning about Elena's sacrifice, he had entered the dream many times, hoping to see her again here, but neither the warehouse nor the residential building had changed as a result.
This meant
that they would eventually have to say goodbye to this place.
Whether it was because of the war, or his death as an ordinary person, all these experiences would become untouchable memories.
Perhaps… he should increase the number of times he slept, even if it wasn't for stress relief, as long as it could allow them to stay here longer, it would be a worthwhile thing.
"Ding-ding-dang-dang—"
At this moment, a crisp sound of wind chimes came from the first floor.
The room suddenly fell silent.
"Your Majesty, a guest has arrived," Phyllis reminded.
No way, was the appointed person reacting so quickly? The cafe had just opened and they were already coming to the door? He gave everyone a look, "Follow the plan." Then he walked downstairs with Phyllis—among these ancient witches, only No. 76, who had been lurking in «Black Money» for a while, had experience in serving others.
"There's no one behind the bar. Is the purpose of opening this store really to provide a job for the villagers?"
The visitor folded her arms, frowned slightly, and stared at Roland with a suspicious look. For a moment, he felt that her gaze focused on his cheeks and collar, scrutinizing them twice.
The "guest" was Garcia.
Roland breathed a sigh of relief. Garcia already knew about opening the cafe, and the smooth handover with the previous tenant was also assisted by this star martial artist. He nodded to Phyllis, "Two coffees." Then he made a gesture of invitation to Garcia, "Of course, allowing them to leave the village has always been my goal."
"Wait, I didn't plan to drink—"
"It's my treat, no charge."
Garcia then sat down, "In any case, the prices you hang outside are too exaggerated. It's really hard to believe the true purpose of your opening the store."
"You're wrong," Roland pretended to be sincere, "From the countryside to a big city, the most important thing is to adapt. If customers swarm in, do you think they can still work with peace of mind? It would be good if they weren't scared. It doesn't matter if I don't make money, the key is to give them a space to adapt to life in a big city. This is the meaning of the Rose Cafe."
"Is… that so?" She said doubtfully.
"Of course. Also, I want to thank you for the invitation letter you gave me last time. It really helped a lot." Roland took the opportunity to change the subject.
"The identity issue is resolved?"
"Not only that, but the school is also arranged. It's the same school as Jie Luo, but they are in the senior department." He smiled, "The three of them have always wanted to thank you in person."
"It's good to be of help…" Garcia's expression softened a lot. "There's no need to thank me, after all, it's all due to your efforts—in order not to give my father and the media an excuse, I ultimately did not choose to stand up."
Roland shook his head, "Being able to do this is enough."
A moment of silence fell between the two.
"The coffee is here, please enjoy." Phyllis's voice broke the deadlock.
Garcia came back to her senses, seeming to want to hide something, and lowered her head to pick up the cup. "By the way, I have something important to tell you."
"Is it related to the Martial Artist Association?" Roland wasn't surprised, after all, she wasn't the kind of idle person who would come to visit for no reason.
She nodded, "That's right, the higher-ups have assigned a task, specifically requesting your participation."
"It shouldn't be an activity like an exhibition match, right? I heard that the preliminary rounds of the new Martial Arts Tournament seem to be opening soon."
"No… it's a joint extermination mission." Garcia said solemnly.