Universe Infinite Canteen

11:40, Ma Lu and Old Wang arrived on a tricycle outside Yan Wu's courtyard.

Jin Xin Plumbing and Hardware Store was closed today, and Yan Wu was standing on a ladder around a leather skirt, pruning a date tree.

He saw the two men standing outside the courtyard wall and said, "Come in, the door's unlocked."

"Have the guests not arrived yet?" Ma Lu quickly scanned the surroundings, seeing no one other than Yan Wu.

"They should have been here by now, but they sent me a message half an hour ago saying they were attacked on the road and are busy fighting. They'll be a bit late."

"Attack? There was a fight?" Ma Lu was startled, "Where? In City B?"

"Where else? If they haven't reached City B by now, how would they make it in time for lunch?"

Ma Lu took out his phone to check the local news but didn't see any reports of a large-scale brawl, though it's also possible that it was suppressed by that pigeon.

"Aren't you going to help them?" Ma Lu asked Yan Wu.

"No need, they can handle that little scene on their own." Yan Wu looked quite calm, not worried about his friends at all.

"Alright then. Let's start preparing." Ma Lu didn't ask any further and went into the eastern kitchen with Old Wang.

Old Wang had been there twice before and knew the ropes, so there was no need to familiarize himself with the kitchen again, and he started preparing the dishes according to the menu quickly.

Ma Lu leaned by the window and started watching funny videos to pass the time.

About twenty minutes later, Yan Wu finished pruning the date tree and had also cleaned up the fallen leaves and branches. He even changed into a different set of clothes.

He wore a grey robe that looked quite ancient, with red brocade at the edges. He also wore a tall hat adorned with gems and grass ropes.

Yan Wu took out his phone, glanced at it, then hurried out the back door.

When he returned, he wore a smile and said as he walked, "Welcome, welcome, welcome to my home."

"Hahaha, you must be Zangu, right? The last time I saw you, you were only three years old, still nursing in your mother's arms. I never imagined you'd grow up to be so big, and even become a warrior."

"And you—I smell something familiar on you. You're a descendant of teacher Xiuxiu, tsk tsk. It's been one thousand four hundred years since I last met him."

Upon hearing this, Ma Lu curiously looked out the window, only to see Yan Wu talking to himself, as if he were mad.

Invisible people? No, Ma Lu's gaze moved downward and finally spotted the guests.

They were a group of tiny people with an average height of only 6-7 centimeters, standing in neat lines. Even the tallest and most burly among them was no more than 10 centimeters tall, barely taller than a high-heeled shoe.

It was hard to imagine how far they could travel in a day with just those little short legs of theirs, but fortunately, they had their own means of transportation

—brown house rats.

It was that kind of small house mouse often seen in cities; somehow these little people had managed to domesticate them. They'd harnessed them with reins, fitted them with saddles, and rode in pairs, much like one would ride horses.

Besides, a few slightly larger brown house rats were used as pack animals, two of which were dragging an iPhone 6 behind them.

They must have used this phone to contact Yan Wu earlier.

Ma Lu also noticed that these tiny individuals commonly carried weapons—some with spears the size of toothpicks, others with longbows the size of fingernails, and still others with daggers as long as pen tips, some with bloodstains on their bodies.

Yan Wu arched his eyebrows, "What did you run into in the sewer, a stray cat?"

"It was a crazed vicious dog, but it was no match for us; we wounded one of its paws. If it had not been for our hurry to meet a friend, my people and I would not have let it off so easily," the tallest of the little people said proudly next to the phone, then played back the recording.

Even Ma Lu in the kitchen could hear it now, and Yan Wu gave a thumbs-up, "True to the Valkyrie People, you are as brave and good in battle as your ancestors!"

No sooner had he said this than one of the Valkyrie women pursed her lips, clearly unimpressed, while the taller Valkyrie man seemed a bit sheepish.

Yan Wu asked curiously, "Liliem, do you have something to say?"

The Valkyrie woman named Liliem stepped up to the phone, kicked the other Valkyrie man away, and spoke into the microphone.

"Since we arrived in the city, Jigina, the most valiant warrior of our tribe and future chief, hasn't been training seriously. He just loiters around McDonald's and KFC," she complained.

Yan Wu looked at Jigina, "Are you craving a fried chicken burger?"

Jigina's face turned beet red, and in the same tone as Captain Mark, he begged his sister Liliem, "Stop, stop talking... please."

But Liliem paid him no heed, snorted, and continued, "No, he's been loafing around to freeload Wi-Fi and scroll through TikTok, ogling those giantess' flirtatious antics. Seriously, they're so big, I don't see what's so attractive about them."

Ma Lu took another look at Jigina, whose most embarrassing secret had just been exposed by his sister, and now he looked utterly defeated.

And Liliem's voice went on, "I think he's got a giantess fetish. It's a crucial time for the tribe's relocation, everyone is working hard, and as the future chief, he should be leading by example, not losing himself in distractions.

"Boss Yan, what do you think, am I right?" she asked.

Yan Wu scratched his head, "Well... setting aside right or wrong, you've come a long way, so take a rest and have a meal first. This time, I've specially invited a Cosmic Chef to cook for you."

"Cosmic Chef?" Liliem's eyes lit up, "I know about the Cosmic Chef. In my 975th past life, I was fortunate enough to encounter one and taste their cooking, which became the most precious memory of that life. I had no idea there were Cosmic Chefs in this universe."

"Yeah, we've only recently met," said Yan Wu. "They plan to open a store, too. If you like, you could support their business in the future."

Upon hearing this, both Liliem and Jigina felt embarrassed, especially Liliem, who knew the tribe's financial situation better than anyone; after all, she kept the accounts for this team.

Money was already tight, then her brother became addicted to online female streamers, secretly using the last of the money in the account to tip giantesses, just to help one beat another in a contest.

When caught, he had the gall to argue that he did it out of pity, claiming it was a righteous act to step in, nearly driving Liliem to explode with rage.