Flytrap Diner 17

The troublemaker in the shop was none other than a regular customer—the Toilet Phantom. He had just been thrown out but was clearly not willing to accept it.

“What do you mean by this? Didn’t I tell you there’s another Mirror Phantom still hanging around here? Why haven’t you tossed him out too? Isn’t this discrimination? Why are you treating me differently?”

As Su Man opened the door and stepped out, she saw the Toilet Phantom hopping on the dining table, knocking over several customers’ meals.

Youyou was beside him, trying to reason gently, “Sir, this isn’t discrimination. Our boss has other arrangements for that guest…”

But the Toilet Phantom ignored her completely. “I don’t care what arrangements you have! You have to throw him out like you did with me!”

This Toilet Phantom was deliberately stirring up trouble. Even if there hadn’t been that Mirror Phantom, he would have found other reasons to create a scene. Finally encountering a shop run only by an acting manager, he decided to take over the place.

Youyou wanted to say more but was suddenly pulled back by Su Man.

“Manager, you’re finally here! This guest is really...,” she lowered her voice and whispered into Su Man’s ear, “He’s so difficult! I feel embarrassed to kick him out in front of all the other customers.”

“Why embarrassed?” Su Man’s tone remained firm and unyielding. “Not all guests deserve to be treated as guests.”

She pointed to the customers whose meals had been ruined and who now looked displeased. “Those are our real guests. They come here to spend money and eat. We must provide them with a good environment.”

Turning back to the Toilet Phantom, she asked formally, “Sir, are you going to compensate for this or what?”

“Compensate me?” The Toilet Phantom’s temper flared. “Why should I pay? Do you think my money grows on trees?”

He grew louder, glaring at the other customers. “You all tell me, I already paid before, yet I was kicked out of the shop… Hey, hey, hey! Don’t pull my hair!”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence before Su Man grabbed him by the hair and lifted him up.

“You do have a point—you were a customer before. If you felt we did something wrong, you could have talked to us properly instead of making a fuss here,” Su Man said. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re after.”

“Since you’ve chosen to cause trouble here, you must be prepared for the consequences.” She gave him no chance to speak further. In her mind, she had already sentenced him; no one got a second chance in her domain.

Following the method Zhou Miao Miao had told her earlier, Su Man’s will intertwined with the dagger. With a thought, the dagger flew out swiftly, stabbing directly into the Toilet Phantom’s forehead.

A strange substance seemed to drift out from the Toilet Phantom’s head, instantly merging into the dagger and vanishing. The Toilet Phantom himself turned into a pile of dust.

“It worked!” Zhou Miao Miao shouted excitedly. “I really succeeded!”

She nudged Su Man and whispered urgently, “You have to try it. See if you can temporarily wield the phantom’s power.”

Su Man didn’t need to try. She already sensed it—her palm was inexplicably sprouting hair.

That had to be the Toilet Phantom’s ability.

Realizing this belatedly, Zhou Miao Miao’s excitement nearly made her faint.

But unlike their joy, the other customers in the shop looked displeased.

“Manager, what do you mean by this? Are you going to lay hands on your guests?”

These were regulars. The previous owner had never treated customers harshly. Seeing Su Man’s rough approach, they grew uneasy.

Had they witnessed Su Man’s dealings with the middlemen yesterday, they would not dare speak so boldly—they might have fled instead.

“Lay hands on guests? No, those aren’t guests. They’re troublemakers,” Su Man shook her head, seizing the moment to set the rules. “Those who dine here, you’re welcome. But those who cause trouble…” She pointed at the pile of dust that had been the Toilet Phantom, “will meet the same fate—or worse.”

The phantoms among them paled.

Su Man immediately changed her tone, “Of course, you customers are good customers. Since your meals were ruined by this troublemaker, the shop will compensate you with new dishes. Consider it my treat—this meal is on the house.”

Just those few words did more to ease the atmosphere than everything she had said before. The customers’ expressions softened, and they praised her: “Finally, a shopkeeper who knows business—handling troublemakers and ensuring our dining safety.”

Su Man couldn’t be bothered listening to empty flattery. She told Youyou to take care of the rest of the customers, then led Zhou Miao Miao into a small room.

Having witnessed Zhou Miao Miao’s power, she had a more important matter to discuss with her—something involving a certain Duan family.

When they emerged from the small room, both were satisfied.

“Ah, I have to leave now.” Whatever had been said inside the room, their relationship seemed noticeably closer. Zhou Miao Miao hugged Su Man, sighing. “Suddenly, I don’t want to leave anymore. But I can’t. There’s still a place I have to go.”

“Where are you going?” Su Man asked, hoping it might be nearby so she could lend a hand.

“I actually don’t know where it is. I only heard it’s called the First Company…” Zhou Miao Miao looked troubled. “I’ve been searching for a long time.”

“First Company?” The name sounded familiar. Su Man recalled the courier from the middlemen had introduced his company by that name.

“Yes, the First Company. I heard it’s very powerful. I want to go there and learn.”

Zhou Miao Miao turned to Su Man. “Have you heard of this company?”

“Wait a moment. I’ll try to contact them for you, but I can’t promise anything.”

Zhou Miao Miao had helped her greatly. Returning the favor was only natural, especially since it was a small matter.

Zhou Miao Miao was immensely grateful. “Thank you so much! I consider you a true friend! Whenever I find something good, you’ll be the first person I think of!”

The courier arrived quickly again but hesitated upon seeing Zhou Miao Miao being brought forward. “Her? A human. Not worth anything.”

“No, she’s not,” Su Man briefly explained Zhou Miao Miao’s background.

The courier pondered and then requested to borrow Su Man’s venue to speak with Zhou Miao Miao in detail.

Naturally, he paid a reasonable fee, which Su Man found satisfactory.

The two went into the small room to talk. Not long after, they came out, Zhou Miao Miao visibly excited.

“Su Man, that’s exactly the company I mentioned! I’m going to work there!”

She handed Su Man something like a business card. “This is my card from the company. If you ever need anything, use this to contact me!”