Chapter 11: Cai Cai Zi's Coffee Shop (3)

  Ryūsaki didn't forget to bring back that one issue of Shōnen TOP magazine that Hasegawa Mari brought when he went back.

  "Mom, I'm back!"

  "Xiao Gang, you're back!"

  Ryūsaki Hayami poked her head out of the kitchen, more than half a month had passed and she was gradually recovering from the pain of losing her husband, there were still three children at home who needed her care, she couldn't just get sick like this.

  "Mom, heat this up, it's a New Year's gift from the store owner!"

  Ryūsaki had just handed over the extra-large sushi to his mother and went to see his younger brother and sister studying in the room. Since learning about their father's situation, the two little ones have also become more sensible. Especially Ryūsaki Aoi, who has started taking care of Kenichi on her own initiative as an older sister!

  "Ah~ brother, you're back!"

  "Kenichi, you haven't finished your homework yet! Hurry up and get off your brother's back! Did you hear me?!"

  Ryūsaki Kenichi turned around and made a face at Ryūsaki Aoi.

  "Brother, you can't spoil him like this! If you keep doing so, you'll end up spoiling Kenta-kun!"

  "Alright, alright~ Kenichi-kun, come down quickly or Akane-chan will get angry! Look, what's this? If you do your homework properly, I'll give it to you!"

  It was only in front of his younger brother and sister that Ryūsaki would show a smile that a 17-year-old should have.

  "Waa~ Nana-chan's manga magazine!"

  Two little guys, under the influence of Ryousuke Tatsuya, have become fans of Nene's books and comics without reservation. They also especially love the manga magazine produced by Shonen IC. If it were in the past, Ryousuke would definitely buy every issue of Shonen IC's manga magazine. But now it's different!

  "I really love Menma-sama! Brother, why hasn't Menma-sama's new book come out yet?! I've already read Jurassic Park ten times! If a new book doesn't come out soon, I'll have to start reading it for the eleventh time!" Ryousuke held the oil-stained copy of Shonen TOP magazine tightly in his arms, with an expression that said "whoever comes won't get it from me!"

  "I don't know! Maybe we'll have to wait a bit longer!" If Ryūsaki had just read the first two issues of Shōnen TOP magazine, he would have known that Tanaka Nana's new "Secret" release date has been postponed until after New Year's!

  "Brother, what kind of person is Princess Menus?"

  "What kind of person is he? Xiao Kui, I really can't describe him!"

  "Brother, didn't you attend a signing event in Tokyo? You should have seen Nakano-san!"

  "That was last year! How can I remember it so clearly?! Alright, alright, little Kaito, hmm... Lady Menma is a very beautiful woman, her smile makes people feel close to her, that's just how it is! If you haven't seen her with your own eyes, little Kaito, you won't be able to understand this feeling!"

  "Like Yamaguchi Momoe-san?"

  "Just like Yamaguchi Momoe-san!"

  "Brother, you wouldn't have fallen for Princess Nene, would you?!"

  "Xiao Kui, don't spout nonsense!"

  Ryūsaki was utterly humiliated.

  "Huh?"

  "Kenichi-kun, what's wrong?"

  "Sister, look! Prince Chenchao has posted an advertisement here!"

  "Advertisement?"

  "It seems that Princess Menma's coffee shop is recruiting staff! However, the requirement is seventeen years old and above. This is really painful, I'm only eleven years old!"

  "Coffee shop? You've got to be kidding! Kenichi, you're only eleven years old, you need to go to school, study and learn more things. Do you think you can work at Menma's coffee shop? Hmph! Don't even think about it!" Ryūsaki Aoi took on an older sister attitude and began lecturing.

  Ryūsaki Kenichi deliberately ignored him and changed the subject, "Brother, if you're going to Tokyo for university, can't you work part-time at Menma's coffee shop?"

  "Maybe so!" Ryūsaki-kun said with a wry smile.

  "This is too great! So, brother, if you go to work at Menma's coffee shop later, be sure to get me an autograph! Yeah, for the coolest Ryūsaki Ken'ichi-kun, write it like that!"

  Ryūsaki Tsukasa rubbed Kenichi's head with a helpless expression, "Alright, let's go eat! Don't wait for mom to come and call us, got it?!"

  "Hi!"

  In the fragrance of sushi, a family happily eats dinner, three children are very sensible. Although her husband is no longer there, she still has three children to accompany her. Ryūsaki Hayami made up her mind to work hard to raise these three children to adulthood. Especially the eldest son, Ryūsaki Tsuyoshi!

  This kid!

  After dinner, three children helped clean up the bowls and chopsticks.

  "Kaito-kun, you go watch TV with Kenichi-kun for a bit, Mom wants to talk to Koki-kun!"

  Long Qian looked at the breakfast, then looked at Long Ze and hummed, turned around and took Long Jian away from the kitchen!

  "Little Gangjun~"

  "Mom, is there something you want to talk to me about?"

  "Afternoon, Miss Nagatani Mariri came!"

  "Mei...Lily?"

  "Yes! Xiaogang, are you going to keep deceiving your mom again?"

  Long Qiang suddenly stopped his actions, somewhat dazed. Although he knew that dropping out of school was something that couldn't be hidden forever, he still hadn't expected his mom to find out so soon.

  "Mom, I..."

  "Kogane-kun, mom knows what you're thinking. San'no-kun is gone, and as the older brother, you need to take on the responsibilities of the family! Mom understands all this! But Kogane-kun, have you really given up on your dreams? The one you told Maririn-san about, becoming a great person like Menma-sama?"

  Long Qiang clenched his teeth and trembled in his heart, "Yes, mom, I don't care, I don't care at all. The only thing I care about now is this family!"

  "Xiao Gang, you still can't tell a lie at all!"

  "Mom..."

  "Alright, don't say anything more, Xiaogang! Tomorrow, I'll go with you to school and ask the principal to let you resume your studies!"

  "I don't..."

  "Sit down, Kōji! As long as I'm alive in this house, you'll do what I say. I'm your mother! If San'no were here, he wouldn't agree with the way you're acting either! Do you know how much San'no expected of you? How can you so irresponsibly throw away San'no's expectations and the respect Aoi and Ken'ichi have for you?"

  "I won't go back to school! I want to earn money, I want to support my family..."

  With a "slap", Ryūsaki Sōma slapped Ryūsaki Akira's face.

  "I won't let you talk such nonsense! Supporting the family and earning money are all my responsibilities, you don't have the right to interfere! Cough...cough..."

  "Mom..."

  Long Qiang had just gotten up and was about to go support Long Qiang's mother, but was pushed aside by Long Qiang's mother. "Don't call me mom until I get back to school!"

  Ryūsaki Tsutomu was sleepless again!

  Just as Ryūsaki was finally falling asleep, Tsubasa pushed open the door.

  Do I really have to continue going to school?

  Ryūsaki Tsukasa's heart was filled with unbearable pain!

  Is there really no other way?

  "This is an opportunity that allows you to work while not giving up on your dreams!"

  "For your own sake, and for mine! Ryūsaki-kun, don't give up no matter what!"

  Nagatani Mariri's words echoed in his ears again!

  "Kenichi-kun~ Kenichi-kun~"

  Ryūsaki Gō suddenly sat up and shook awake Ryūsaki Ken'ichi who was sleeping beside him!

  "What's up, big brother? So early in the morning?"

  "Where's that magazine from yesterday?"

  "Yesterday's magazine? Under my pillow!"

  Ryūsaki grabbed the magazine and rushed out of the room!

  "Mom... Mom..."

  ……

  Tokyo, Nerima-ku, Asahigaoka.

  This is where the headquarters of IC Youth is located.

  Today is the last day of recruitment for the coffee shop!

  "Miss Saito Renfa?"

  "Hi!"

  "Please introduce yourself!"

  "My name is Saito Renfa, I am currently studying at Aoyama Gakuin University in Japan, and I'm a freshman in the Faculty of Law..."

  ……

  "Huh? Your father is Chinese?"

  "Hey! My dad is from Taiwan, China! But now I'm Japanese! I acquired Japanese nationality when I was 18!"

  "So, can you tell me why you want to obtain Japanese citizenship?"

  "Japan is an exclusionary society, obtaining Japanese nationality will allow me to better integrate into Japanese society, although I have half Chinese blood, but I was born in Japan and have always lived in Japan!"

  "So, can you still speak Chinese?"

  "Is this related to work?"

  "Yes! You know, in Tokyo, there are many Chinese international students. Maybe you'll meet them at work too. Compared to Japanese, using their native language for communication can increase customer satisfaction. Our cafe is aiming to establish a customer-first concept!"

  "I'm really sorry! Actually, I don't know a single Chinese sentence now!"

  "Let me give you some advice, Saito-kun. Study Chinese well, and maybe one day your Chinese skills will play a big role. You're studying law, so you must know that in the future, there will be great development opportunities between China and Japan."

  "Thank you very much for your advice! Jerry."

  "You can call me Jin, and I'm Chinese! If you pass our screening, we'll contact you by phone within a week. Thank you for your application, Ms. Saito Renfang!"

  Saito Renhua was still dizzy when she walked, and this direct impact made her completely unadapted. She, who performed well at Aoyama Gakuin, always had the upper hand when facing others, but today, when she thought she would easily get through this interview and smoothly get the internship assistant job, she found that she couldn't keep up with the interviewer's thinking, that little guy named Jerry Goldsmith Roschelle!

  What's wrong with this world, what's wrong with this coffee shop, and what's wrong with Lord Vegeta!

  Everything is too crazy!

  "Jerry, is this okay?"

  "Is that so? Cai Cai Zi, are you referring to our recruitment method?"

  "Yes! And this thing you've come up with, can it really help us pick out the people we need from these applicants?"

  "Of course! What you're referring to is called a psychological test, which allows us to understand the personalities of these applicants. Working in a cafe belongs to the service industry, and this industry requires patience, meticulousness, and genuine service from the heart. It's necessary to bring joy to others while feeling happy oneself at the same time. So, if someone always has a gloomy face and is introverted, they will never be able to achieve this! This is just one of the hiring standards. And by the way, I didn't come up with this myself - it was researched by the American Rand Corporation, and I simply made some minor adjustments based on Japanese personality traits!"

  "What is the personality of Japanese people? I'm curious, what are Japanese people like in Jerry's eyes?"

  "Generally speaking, there are two points. One is extreme self-esteem and exclusionism, the other is extreme admiration for the strong! This has something to do with the historical conditions of Japan's national formation and development, as well as its island nation location. Do you know how Western scholars describe Japanese people? "A workshop-like nation", isn't that a vivid description? On one hand, they are good at learning from other nations, but on the other hand, they have narrow minds! This is an extremely contradictory personality, just like ice and fire! And specifically speaking, there are five points: collectivism, obedience consciousness, loyalty, workaholism, and emphasis on others' attitudes! You should have a deep understanding of this, Kanako! Don't misunderstand me, I don't mean anything else!"

  "I know, Jerry, I know you didn't mean anything else!"

  With a "bang", the door was suddenly pushed open.

  Ryūsaki burst in, drenched from head to toe.

  Ryūsaki Tsukasa finally managed to persuade Hayami Machi and set off once again on the road to Tokyo.

  A seventeen-year-old boy started his life's first stop in Tokyo in 1988.

  Jerry looked at Ryūgasaki's disheveled appearance and tilted his head, "Shizuko-san?"

  "Hey Jerry, what's up?"

  "Isn't it already over? How can there still be applicants? I don't have his information here!"

  "Are there any other applicants? Jerry, isn't this a mistake! I don't have any more applicant materials here either!"

  Looking at Ryūsaki's slightly stiff expression, Jerry seemed to have guessed something. "Hmmm, it's nothing, Shizuko-san, please print out another copy of the test for me! The ones that are already done can be handled by the HR department! Shizuko-san also needs to hurry up, the new employee training plan is about to start soon! You must get permission from Takayama-kun too! If not, if Takayama-kun goes hungry, I'll be guilty, hmmm, this isn't the first time Takayama-kun has gone hungry!"

  "Jerry, you're something else!"

  "By the way, Shizuko-san, if possible, could you invite Takayama-kun over sometime? I think the company still needs a legal advisor!"

  "Hi!"

  A new psychological test was placed on the desk in front of Ryūsaki!

  "Excuse me..." Jerry's words were left unfinished as he turned his head around, "Cainiaozi, don't you think he looks familiar?"

  "Jerry, you don't say, but indeed, it's very familiar!"

  Ryūsaki, who had always been carefree, suddenly felt extremely tense. His hands, hidden under the desk, were tightly clutching his thighs as he desperately tried to calm himself down.

  Relax and calm down.

  If I'm not hired, then go back to school again!

  But his mother's promise made him tense again!

  "You... you're good! I'm Ryūsaki Gō!" This is terrible, even speaking has started to tremble!

  "It's Ryousuke-kun, I was wondering why he looked so familiar! Kanako, do you still remember this guy? Two years ago when the manga came out, he was the captain of the 'Order Maintenance Squad'!"

  "That's right!"

  It's clear that Tanaka Nana also remembered the boy who jumped onto her car and waved his hand to calm down the chaotic crowd!

  "So, Ryūsaki-kun? Please stand up and sing a song!"

  "Sing... a song?"

  "Yes, you didn't mishear, it's singing a song, this is the interview question I gave you!"

  "Huh?"

  For Long Qiang Ge, there are even more embarrassing things than this! He can do anything, but when it comes to singing, with that broken throat of his, he really is too embarrassed to sing out loud!

  "What's wrong? Ryousuke-kun, you have the courage to command a group of rowdy bookworms, but don't have the courage to sing one song? You need to know that in the future cafe, you'll encounter many unexpected events! For example, the karaoke machine in the cafe suddenly breaks down, or the resident singer is late. At times like these, it's necessary for a trainee assistant to temporarily fill in! Yes, don't doubt it, these things will happen at Menusaki's cafe! So, open your mouth and sing, this is what you need to do right now!"

  Well, okay! I'll let it go!

  Long Qiang gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, opened his mouth and started singing loudly.

  Yes, a very domineering "Thank you", sung with great passion and completely without the gentle elegance of Yamaguchi Momoe!

  Unfortunately, it's out of tune!

  Ryosuke Takanashi was getting more and more into the song, to the point where he started waving his hands in the air! Okay, by the end of it, there was also Tanaka Nana, Jerry still didn't notice that apart from being a huge fan of Yamaguchi Momoe, she's also a super tone-deaf person!

  "OK~ Great, excellent, very sunny and confident! However, Ryūsaki-kun, if you can hit the high notes without going off-key, it would be even better!"

  Long Qiang's face was flushed with red light, and a song "Thank You" made him throw away his original tension, but Jerry's words still made him feel embarrassed!

  What followed was a piece of cake, the usual interview formalities, self-introduction, answering interview questions, and of course, there was also an inevitable psychological test at the end!

  "Ryūsaki-kun, did you suddenly decide to come for an interview today?"

  "No, Jerry! Actually, I was ready to come yesterday, but after arriving in Tokyo, I got lost! You know, I originally lived in Hokkaido! I've only been to Tokyo once!"

  "So it was like this! Looking at you, you seem to be in a hurry, haven't had dinner yet?"

  Ryūsaki felt a bit embarrassed, but still nodded slightly.

  "Then let's go, I'll invite you to have dinner at my place! Yeah, it's at Xiaocai's house!"