This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

Rita couldn't be bothered to explain to Sea Pony. The real issue wasn't whether she was willing to risk the surprise blind box but whether her colleagues would allow the restaurant to shut down just to leave.

If she tried to explain, it would only indirectly prove that Sea Pony's trash talk was right.

She wished her three colleagues could understand—if they couldn't find the Inspector, they should just go find a black-market player and have them help them escape, instead of dragging her down.

With a quick swipe of the knife towards the dining area, Rita smiled and said, "Get out."

Sea Pony, hands behind its back, shook its head and walked away. "Got to you, huh?"

New customers kept entering the restaurant, and the fire and ice in the kitchen never stopped. Some dishes even required lightning, but fortunately, the restaurant's cooking equipment was versatile.

Rita tore leaves from a vegetable, fried them into a fixed shape, and used them as takeout boxes.

For every dish she made, she set aside a portion and packed it into her own backpack. Each dish had to meet the minimum requirement for edible effects, ensuring that her portion would work as intended and that the remaining dishes wouldn't lose points just because she took a little.

Sea Pony noticed what she was doing—it wasn't dumb, after all. However, it didn't cause trouble or complain to Octopus Bucket. Instead, it leaned in and quietly asked, "Can I get one too?"

Without looking up, Rita replied, "What can you give me?"

Sea Pony rummaged through its seahorse-shaped belly and pulled out a small piece of white coral. "This. If you crush it, you can be invincible for 5 seconds."

Rita took the coral and checked the item description. After confirming it was legit with B80234615, she said, "One piece of coral for one dish. These are 1-star and 2-star delicacies."

Sea Pony looked over at Octopus Bucket, who was standing at the entrance, then muttered quietly, "What, should I give you a whole pound of it?"

Rita thought for a moment before shaking her head. "I still have some standards."

Sea Pony was caught off guard. "And you seriously thought about it for a few seconds?"

It silently grumbled, then reluctantly handed over three small pieces of white coral. "Here. No more."

Rita took the coral and promised to prepare extra portions, packing one for Sea Pony as well.

At 07:32, Rabbit 4 returned, carrying a large bag of ingredients. Rita immediately began preparing as much as she could, making sure to share with everyone. Rabbit 4 even placed an order.

When Octopus Bucket came to check the ingredients, it nodded in agreement with the proposal and also placed an order.

A few minutes ago, Sea Pony, who had just finished a trade with Rita and was eagerly waiting for Crab to return to claim credit, muttered, "…"

Rita didn't bother to ask why they were doing this. "Alright, I'll get to it as soon as I can."

When Rabbit 4 and Octopus Bucket went back to the front of the restaurant, Sea Pony quietly said, "Give me back the coral!"

Rita chuckled, her voice unchanging. "Go ahead, kill me."

Before Sea Pony could explode, Rita whispered, "Stop it. I've got a 3-star delicacy in my bag. I'll give you two portions. No more."

Sea Pony quieted down at that.

Time was running out. Rita could only prepare quick dishes, firing up all three pots at once.

Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed through the food street.

A game notification rang out simultaneously.

[Restaurant 12717 has been judged a poor-quality restaurant by the Inspector. All restaurant employees have been killed. Please rest assured, food customers.]

[Restaurant 12717 is now offering 4 employment positions. Players with position icons can enter and automatically start working. First come, first served.]

Rita paused with the knife suspended in midair for a few seconds. Turning to Sea Pony, she said, "You just like to talk trash, and Divine Game…"

She caught a glimpse of Rabbit 4's suddenly perked ears, and decided to stop talking.

Sea Pony, ever the opportunist, added in a mocking tone, "You mean, I just like to talk trash, but Divine Game is the real trash, right?"

Rita quickly deflected. "That was you who said it, not me."

The sound of players running frantically toward Restaurant 12717 could be heard from behind Restaurant 233.

Rita turned to see it. It was clear that these players were heading to block the Inspector.

The game could have kept the restaurant numbers hidden, but it chose to announce them publicly, seemingly to encourage players to rush and block the Inspector hiding among the customers.

But formal employees couldn't attack each other, so what would be the point once they got there?

Coincidentally, Restaurant 12717 was located just behind Restaurant 233, and Rita had a perfect view of its back kitchen. She decided to turn off the stove, fly above the restaurant, and watch the chaos unfold from above.

She saw over twenty Demon Kings and Sovereigns surrounding a mango, trying to pull it to their restaurant.

She also spotted Marmang-Crab, who was struggling to get through the crowd, his back looking as helpless as ever.

They couldn't attack, and their skills had no effect. The strong players were just shoving each other around—no real damage was being done.

Rita also noticed Nuclear Flash NightFury, a 19th-level Sovereign from the Fruity Tribe, flying in the air, coldly holding the mango's stem.

Although a 19th-level Sovereign, her attacks didn't work either. The other players didn't show her any special treatment—"You're 19th-tier? So am I! Why should I let you have the mango?"

TingoAutumn Deer's antlers accidentally struck her several times, and Rita had the distinct feeling that this powerhouse was on the verge of exploding in rage.

"Inspector, come to our restaurant! We have six-star delicacies!"

"Come with me, Inspector! Free meal!"

"Who are you kidding? You don't even have any ingredients left in your restaurant!"

"We just restocked, it's fine!"

For a brief moment, Rita felt like she had stepped into a tourist street food market, or maybe the bustling exit of a train station during the New Year...

Marmang-Crab was pushed back several steps. He stood helplessly on the outskirts, watching the mango Inspector surrounded by layers of players.

Sea Pony clicked its tongue, looking at the scene with pity. "What's going on? This is really sad. Crab reminds me of my old grandfather."

At some point, Rabbit 4 flew in and shook its head, clicking its tongue. "Sinful Act."

Rita wasn't sure who Rabbit 4 was referring to, but she agreed with the sentiment. She nodded, "A tragic scene."

It was truly a sight to behold. Rita almost wanted to record it.

Sea Pony, feeling sorry for Crab, sighed. "Why can't they just find a black-market player to let them kill themselves?"

Rabbit 4 explained, "The skilled black-market players have already hidden themselves. No one's stupid. They won't act right now. They won't want to give their competition an easy win. These strong employees won't want to let other players take the advantage either."

Sakura Orange White was clutching the mango. Its cat paws pressed on Nuclear Flash NightFury's face, pushing her down. The latter's feet landed on TingoAutumn Deer's antlers, trying to kick it away. TingoAutumn Deer's hooves kicked Furious Bike's rear tire. Furious Bike's front tire collided with Nuclear Flash Guava.

The top five players were all there:

Nuclear Flash NightFury

Sakura Orange White

Furious Bike

Nuclear Flash Guava

TingoAutumn Deer

They were all gathered around the mango Inspector, who stood nobly in the center, letting them tear each other apart.

Rita, pointing at the chaotic scene, remarked, "Isn't this much more interesting than stepping on each other's toes?"

Rabbit 4: "..." It felt like this game mechanism had been designed by Deceitful Bloom. She's the worst when it comes to these kinds of setups.