Financial Independence through Cracked Apps-Chapter 57: Roommate Gathering

6:30 PM.

Twilight had just begun to paint the eaves of Old West Gate red when the neon lights of Shouning Road’s pedestrian street flickered on one by one.

"Xiangba Island Lobster," "Erzi Barbecue"...

The red-and-yellow light-box signs, worn and mottled by the years, exuded the quiet confidence of long-established food stalls.

About twenty shops simultaneously rolled up their shutters. Plastic round tables were arranged in two rows along the sidewalk, and the orange-red plastic chairs glowed warmly under the streetlights, trimming the street with a vibrant, lively border.

This was Shouning Road.

Modu wasn’t just a city of towering, tightly packed skyscrapers; in its nooks and crannies, one could also find alleys thick with the smoke and fire of everyday life.

Lin Shen arrived at the intersection and felt as if he had been transported through time in an instant.

He had gone from the fast-paced city to a slow-paced village, and an inexplicable sense of intimacy welled up inside him.

’Is this place brimming with the most life?’

Lin Shen took out his phone and, facing the sunset, captured the diverse figures of people in his photo album.

There were office workers with briefcases heading straight for their usual haunts, Shanghai aunties in floral dresses arguing with their husbands over the size of the crayfish on the menu, and young people livestreaming with their phones.

The harmonious and beautiful human environment made Lin Shen feel relaxed from the bottom of his heart.

CLICK—!

[Upgrade Mission: Check in at a scene with the most vibrant signs of life. (Complete).]

[Reward: GoGo Maps Lv. 8 → Lv. 9]

[The industry fund accumulated per Red Point passed has increased from 45,000 → 50,000. Current accumulation: 980,000]

[Reward Item: Random Scratch-Off Ticket x1]

[Upgrade Mission: Check in at a place in Modu you believe to be the most peaceful and serene.]

After discovering that his GoGo Maps mission was complete, a faint thread of excitement grew within Lin Shen. He immediately sent the photo he had just taken to his college roommate group chat.

[Lin Shen: Bros, I’m here. Waiting for you guys.]

[Zhao Ye: Almost there! On the subway!]

[Guo Haoran: I’m stuck in traffic, going to be a while. You guys can go ahead and order. @Lin Shen]

[Qi Junxian: Just got off overtime. Heading over now.]

Seeing his roommates’ replies, Lin Shen smiled knowingly.

Opportunities to get friends together for a meal were few and far between after growing up; each one was precious.

Lin Shen walked down Shouning Road from east to west until he found Wei’s Barbecue, which had good reviews online.

The owner was a middle-aged man whose chubby, endearingly simple appearance made him seem particularly friendly.

"You’re here, little bro! Come on in and have a taste! If you don’t like it, it’s on the house!"

"Alright."

Lin Shen smiled faintly and, after entering the shop, found a corner table by the window and sat down.

The waiter was sharp, immediately bringing over tea and melon seeds with a smile.

"Hello! You can scan the QR code on the table to order. How many in your party?"

"About five or six, but they’re coming later. Is it alright if I just sit for a bit first?"

"Of course!"

The waiter helped Lin Shen push tables together for a party of six and brought over a few more small stools.

Even though the restaurant was gradually filling up, the quality of service remained excellent.

Lin Shen liked the place a lot for this reason alone.

’Not bad!’

Lin Shen unwrapped his tableware, poured a cup of tea, and started scratching the scratch-off ticket he had just received while he drank.

[Thank you for playing! Kidney Power Cap +1!]

"Nice!"

The attribute point he scratched off was for the best stat, Kidney Power. Even though it was a "Thank you for playing" prize, Lin Shen was still thrilled.

He decisively opened the Sports Health app and brought up his personal status panel.

[Constitution: 71/71 (Healthy+)]

[Spirit: 72/72 (Calm+)]

[Kidney Power: 72/72 (Virile)]

[Height: 180cm; Weight: 78kg]

The overall stats hadn’t changed significantly.

As Lin Shen was thinking, he glanced up and suddenly saw a familiar figure outside the window.

’Qi Junxian?’

Seeing his roommate, Lin Shen smiled and waved a greeting.

But Qi Junxian, dressed smartly in a suit, looked slightly stunned. He then walked into the restaurant, came up beside Lin Shen, and looked him up and down in disbelief.

"You’re... Lin Shen?!"

"The one and only."

Lin Shen pulled out a stool for Qi Junxian.

"Why are you dressed so formally today?"

"Had to meet a client to sign a contract today. Didn’t have time to go home and change."

Qi Junxian put his briefcase to the side, his expression still one of utter amazement.

"Dude, when did you get so handsome? And you’ve lost a lot of weight, too."

"Heheh."

Lin Shen just chuckled without saying anything, which made Qi Junxian punch him lightly on the shoulder in mock jealousy.

He could accept his good bro striking it rich, but he could never accept his good bro getting thin!

Just as Qi Junxian was about to press Lin Shen for his weight-loss secrets, a BYD Qin with an exceptionally familiar license plate pulled up on the street outside.

After Guo Haoran got out of the car, he immediately spotted Qi Junxian sitting by the window and walked over with a smile after entering.

"Dressed so formally. Were you on a blind date?"

"A blind date, my ass! I’m working overtime and chasing sales quotas every day. Where would I find the time for a blind date?"

Qi Junxian clapped Lin Shen on the shoulder and gave a mysterious smile.

"Can you still recognize who this is?"

"You are..."

Guo Haoran adjusted his glasses, and then the exact same astonished expression as Qi Junxian’s appeared on his face.

"Lin Shen!?"

"Yeah."

Seeing Lin Shen nod, Guo Haoran looked him up and down again, then couldn’t help but exclaim.

"How did you lose so much weight? Were you sick?"

"That’s what I wanted to ask!"

Qi Junxian put an arm around Lin Shen’s shoulder, concerned.

"You weren’t driven to it by something, were you? If something’s up, remember to tell us bros. Don’t keep it bottled up inside."

"In a bit."

Lin Shen moved a dinner plate aside, revealing the QR code on the table.

"Take a look at what you want to eat. Order whatever you want."

"Whoa! Struck it rich?"

"You could say that."

"Not bad, dude!"

Qi Junxian eagerly scanned the code to order.

"Then I won’t be polite."

"Shouldn’t we wait for Zhao Ye?"

Guo Haoran refilled Lin Shen’s and Qi Junxian’s tea. Just as he looked up, he saw a big, grinning face plastered against the window.

"What the fuck!"

Startled, Guo Haoran couldn’t help but curse, then gave Zhao Ye the internationally recognized friendly gesture.

He responded with a middle finger of his own, then led a petite young woman into the restaurant.

She was Zhao Ye’s girlfriend, Sun Yue. Everyone was very familiar with her, so it wasn’t much of a surprise.

"Bros! Did you miss me!"

Zhao Ye started passing out cigarettes the moment he sat down. Guo Haoran and Qi Junxian took them but didn’t light up immediately, while Lin Shen refused outright, the corners of his mouth twitching upward.

"Did you forget I don’t smoke?"

"You’re Lin Shen!?"

Zhao Ye was dumbfounded.

"No way, dude! I thought you were a boyfriend Qi Junxian brought along! How’d you get so skinny?"

"Get lost! My sexual orientation is perfectly normal!"

"Aren’t you from Rongcheng?"

"And people from Rongcheng are supposed to be gay? That’s blatant regional stereotyping!"

...

Amidst the boisterous banter, the atmosphere gradually grew lively.

While they chatted idly, they didn’t forget to order food, of course.

In addition to the must-order barbecue skewers like beef, lamb, palm-sized treasures, and chicken wings, Lin Shen also added four catties of spicy crayfish and two pitchers of draft beer.

This generous and bold display made Zhao Ye give him a thumbs-up.

"Good bro! We’re making you spend too much."

"As long as you eat your fill and have a good time."

Lin Shen smiled from the bottom of his heart.

Compared to eating Western food with a girl, he much preferred this kind of street stall gathering with his friends.

A carefree, uninhibited enjoyment.

What could be more pleasant than this?