Capítulo 24: Making Money
After entering the city, Angie took out the newly bought food truck from the system backpack and drove it to the park he had scouted out the day before.
Angie knew how to drive. Although he hadn't driven for a while and was a bit rusty, he only had to move the truck a short distance from outside the park to inside, so it wasn't a big deal.
Come to think of it, he had no ID, no driver's license—basically living off the grid. Fortunately, with the system backpack, he could store anything. Otherwise, if he really drove on the streets, he'd get caught in no time.
Just as he'd learned yesterday, the park was crowded early in the morning. Young people were jogging and exercising, elderly men and women were dancing in a plaza, and there were also other vendors selling their goods.
After parking the truck, Angie glanced at the elders dancing energetically in the distance and thought to himself: Even in the world of Pokémon, you can't avoid running into elderly people dancing in the park.
The key difference was that each of these elders had a Pokémon dancing alongside them, with the most common being various fashionably dressed Aromatisse.
Angie opened up his food truck and got to work.
The food truck he bought was specially designed, with a spacious interior equivalent to a kitchen. One side of the truck could open up, resembling a typical store's service window where customers could pick up their orders.
"Komala, stay put and be good. When customers pay, you help me collect the money." As he spoke, Angie placed Komala on a nearby counter, where there was a cash box designated for storing money.
Komala swayed with its log, not responding to Angie, but he was used to it and didn't mind whether it understood. He just went about his business.
Although he said he was here to sell steamed buns, Angie had actually prepared more than just buns today—he also had dumplings.
Angie's Pokémon Feeding System, allowed him to earn happiness points by feeding Pokémon. However, feeding humans didn't yield any points.
In short, he had to choose between earning Pokedollar or Happiness Points.
Given that, there was no need for his food to be limited to just buns, like in his previous life. Compared to buns, dumplings were more competitive.
Of course, Angie's buns were made using recipes provided by the system, using special techniques, making them far tastier than regular buns.
As he kneaded the dough, Angie thought to himself, "If it weren't for the need to make money to buy ingredients, I wouldn't even bother setting up a stall. It's exhausting. How many good days have I had so far?"
As the sun fully rose, Angie's buns and dumplings were steaming away in the steamer.
He had prepared three kinds of dumplings for today: cabbage-filled, chive-filled, and radish-filled. The cabbage, chives, and radishes used for the fillings all came from his own garden—freshly grown.
When he first planted them, he thought he'd only grown enough for his family to eat. But as it turned out, the seeds provided by the system were extraordinary, and the vegetables grew so abundantly that his family of four couldn't keep up with eating them all.
So, he stored the harvested vegetables in the fridge, and when the fridge ran out of space, he stored them in the system backpack. By now, he had accumulated quite a lot, so there was no concern about running out anytime soon.
Luckily, he'd listened to Diancie's advice to plan ahead. Otherwise, when the system suddenly stopped providing ingredients after the beginner period ends, he'd have been caught off guard.
Although the system had given him enough ingredients and seasonings for a month's use, the ingredients were limited to flour for making buns.
Once the buns and dumplings were steaming, Angie stepped out of the truck and set up two tables and several chairs outside, in case anyone wanted to sit down while having breakfast.
He also placed his homemade pickled radish cubes and spicy chive relish on each table, as free side dishes for customers.
The recipes for the pickled radish cubes and spicy chive relish were ones Angie had learned from his grandfather in his previous life. As a child, his favorite thing was his grandfather's pickled side dishes. However, despite learning the recipes, he could never quite match his grandfather's mastery—the taste was always slightly off.
As time passed, the mouthwatering aroma of the dumplings began to spread with the steam, even tempting Angie himself.
"My cooking skills have really improved!" Angie couldn't help but feel proud of himself.
Komala, who was swaying back and forth with its eyes closed, twitched its nose slightly. It hadn't eaten breakfast yet, and even it was drawn in by the delicious aroma.
"What's that smell?"
Passersby, young people exercising, elderly folks dancing in the plaza, and other vendors—everyone started following the scent, curious about where it was coming from.
Finally, they all noticed Angie's food truck.
An elderly man, carrying a fluffy Growlithe, walked over and asked, "Young man, what are you selling here? It smells incredible!"
Angie smiled and replied, "Sir, I'm selling dumplings and steamed buns. Would you like to try some?"
"Dumplings? Steamed buns?" The elderly man looked puzzled. "What are those?"
The people of Kalos had eating habits more similar to Western cuisine from Angie's previous life, and the Azoth Kingdom was no exception. The old man had never heard of dumplings or steamed buns.
"Sir, why don't you give them a try? I promise you won't be disappointed," Angie confidently promoted her cooking.
"Alright, I'll give it a try," the old man agreed, quick to make up his mind.
"Great! Would you like dumplings or steamed buns? How many?" Angie asked.
"I'll start with one of each, and if they're good, I'll buy more," the old man said.
"Sir, the dumplings come in three flavors: cabbage, chive, and radish. Which one would you like?" Angie continued.
The old man, not knowing which would taste better, picked one at random. "Let's go with cabbage then."
"Got it!"
Angie responded quickly, ran into the food truck, lifted the steamer lid, and took out one bun and one dumpling, wrapping each in fresh leaves.
The leaves came from a special tree native to the Nebel Plateu. They were edible and emitted a faint fragrance. Whenever food was scarce in the Nebel Plateu, these leaves would serve as a lifeline for the Pokémon there.
Because of this, Angie chose to use them to wrap the dumplings.
Of course, the main reason was that Angie didn't have any other materials for wrapping. Although the system store sold such things, she didn't have many happiness points left.
The old man misunderstood, thinking Angie was being creative.
When the steamer lid was lifted, the smell of the dumplings became even more intense, filling the air with a rich aroma that almost forced its way into everyone's nostrils.
"Wow! This smells amazing," the old man exclaimed, swallowing his saliva in anticipation.
"Here you go, sir!" Angie handed the dumpling and steamed bun to him.
The old man took the dumpling and bun, noticing the leaves they were wrapped in. "Are these Rom leaves? You've got some clever ideas, kid. These leaves are only found in the Nebel Plateu. It must've taken quite some effort to get them."
The old man who is well-traveled and knowledgeable, immediately recognized the origin of the leaves.
"Hehe~~," Angie chuckled and gave him a thumbs up. "Sharp eyes, sir!"
"Hahaha! Of course!" The old man, flattered by Angie's compliment, couldn't help but brag a little. "Back in the day, I traveled far and wide."
As he spoke, he squeezed the bun and dumpling in his hands. They felt soft and springy, almost like he was holding clouds, making them look even more appetizing.
"Sir, try them while they're still hot. If you like them, please support me more!" Angie said.
"Alright." With that, the old man took a bite of the dumpling. In an instant, the soft dough, paired with the crisp cabbage filling and the hot, flavorful juice that burst in his mouth, overwhelmed his senses. The rich aroma filled his mouth and traveled up to his nose. For a moment, the old man felt like he had entered another dimension.
What kind of earthly delicacy was this?
"Amazing! Delicious! Absolutely delicious!"
The old man suddenly let out a loud shout, startling the other customers who had also been drawn in by the enticing aroma.
It was autumn, and the weather was getting cooler. Having a hot, steaming dumpling early in the morning was an indescribable pleasure!
"Is it really that good? Isn't he exaggerating?" Watching the old man's reaction, the other customers, who hadn't had a chance to try the food yet, couldn't help but wonder.
But with the tantalizing aroma filling the air, their hearts wavered.
"Young man, give me 10 of each, 10 dumplings of each flavor!" the old man exclaimed loudly, and he didn't forget to share his half-eaten dumpling with his Growlithe.
In an instant, the Growlithe was captivated by the taste of the dumpling.
However, after taking a bite of the steamed bun, it realized it actually preferred the bun more.
In fact, Angie had already noticed that no matter how delicious the food he made using his own recipes, it never attracted Pokémon as much as the buns made with the system-provided recipes.
It was clear that the system's recipes were crafted with great care for Pokemon, which is why it was aptly named the Pokémon Feeding System.
When it was time to pay, the old man asked, "How much in total?"
Angie replied, "330 Pokédollar, sir. The buns are 10 Pokédollar each, and the dumplings are 20 Pokédollar each."
The old man was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Wow, that's not cheap, but... it's worth it!" He cheerfully paid up.
In reality, given the cost of making the dumplings and buns, selling them for 10 and 20 Pokédollar each was indeed expensive, but their deliciousness justified the price.
Plus, since these foods were new to everyone, no one questioned the pricing. Even if some thought it was a bit steep, they quietly walked away without saying much.
"I'll take one of those dumplings, the cabbage flavor."
"I'll have two buns."
"I want a radish dumpling."
…
After the old man, other customers started stepping forward, eager to buy a few dumplings or buns to try with their Pokémon.
But once they had just one or two bites, they regretted not buying more. And when they tried to go back for seconds, they found themselves unable to squeeze through the crowd.
"Everyone, please don't push! Form a line, please!" Angie called out, and after a while, he managed to restore some order.
"By the way, there's free pickled vegetables on the tables! They go great with the buns," Angie reminded them loudly.
"We only accept cash, no online payments," he added while handing out dumplings and buns to the customers.
Some people in the back, who hadn't brought cash with them, could only leave disappointed after hearing this.
Angie had no choice—after all, he didn't have a bank account.
Komala, meanwhile, was busy collecting money, its little arms fumbling as it struggled to keep up. Despite having its eyes closed, its senses were sharp, and when one or two customers tried to sneak away without paying, Komala immediately alerted Angie.
Angie didn't scold them, but those trying to skip out on payment were so embarrassed that they quickly threw down their money and ran away.
Although Angie was confident in his food, he never expected business to be this booming. He was so busy he felt like his feet barely touched the ground, and he wished he had two more hands.
Mephisto was out for her morning run when she suddenly caught a faint but enticing aroma. At first, she tried to ignore it since she was on a diet, but the scent grew stronger, and soon she found herself swallowing repeatedly.
Finally, when she rounded a corner in the park, she saw a long line.
"Excuse me, what's being sold over there? Why are there so many people?"
The old man had just finished his dumplings and buns with his Growlithe and was planning to take a walk to digest his meal. At his age, eating too much without exercising could lead to indigestion. He still had half a dumpling left, which he intended to take home to his wife while it was still warm.
Just then, a young woman stopped him.
"Oh, they're selling dumplings and buns over there. So delicious, and the aroma... amazing!" The old man answered, still savoring the taste in his memory.
As he spoke, he waved the dumpling in his hand in front of the young woman, and the rich aroma immediately hit her nose, making her swallow hard.
Dumplings? Buns? What are those?
Mephisto felt like her legs were moving on their own, and before she knew it, she was holding two big, fluffy white dumplings.
Where am I? What have I done? Mephisto thought to herself, but she bit into the dumpling anyway.
Forget it, I'll worry about the diet later. I'll buy two more tomorrow! she thought contentedly after finishing the dumplings.
I'll just run a couple of extra laps later.
Not far from Angie's stand, there was another stall run by a middle-aged man selling crêpes. He was also selling food, but when he saw how Angie's business was booming, a deep envy appeared on his face.
"Hey, Slurpuff, do you think those dumplings and buns are really that good?" the man asked his partner.
"Puff...?"
Slurpuff was startled by the question, quickly pulling back its gaze from Angie's stall and hastily wiping away some suspicious drool from the corner of its mouth.
"Hey, hey, hey!!" the man exclaimed. "Were you just drooling while staring at their stall?!"
"Puff... Puff..."
Slurpuff denied it immediately. What are you talking about? I wasn't! Don't accuse me without evidence.
"I saw it with my own eyes!" The man looked heartbroken. "You've never drooled over my crêpes like that!"
"Puff... Puff..." Slurpuff rolled its eyes. Do you even know your own cooking skills? Look at their customers, then look at yours. Isn't the difference obvious?
It took another secret whiff of the air—so fragrant. I really want to eat some.
Feeling deeply hurt by Slurpuff's gaze, the man grumbled as he marched toward Angie's stall. "I'm going to see for myself just how good it really is. I refuse to believe it!"
"Puff... Puff..."
Don't forget to bring me some!
Slurpuff called after him.
Soon, the man returned with a dumpling and a bun. But after eating them, he squatted in a corner, utterly dejected.
"It really is that good… It really is that good..." He muttered as he drew circles on the ground with a stick.
Slurpuff, having finished the last bite of the bun, walked over and patted him on the back.
"Puff... Puff..."
Stop moping. Your skills aren't as good, and you're not even diligent. No wonder your business isn't as good as theirs.
The man: ...
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