"Please, just let me charge it one more time, I promise this is the last," the man pleaded, kneeling on the ground. His face was streaked with dirt, and his eyes burned with a desperate craving for the "roasted meat" before him.
"Lao Liu, how many times have you said 'last time'? You haven't even paid back the money you owed last month."
"Exactly, exactly. Roasted meat is sold in limited quantities. If you don't have money, don't cause trouble. You want to charge it without money? Where do such good things come from?"
"That's right. Don't you even look at the current situation. It's the apocalypse, and you still dare to charge? What if you die out there? Who will the boss go to for the debt?"
"Yeah, the boss is already kind enough. If you don't have money, just don't eat it. You're so greedy, how can you have the nerve to come back and charge again?"
The onlookers continuously berated the man, clearly recognizing him.
Xu An watched the scene unfold with a cold gaze.
Zhou Haimei whispered into Xu An's ear, "An'an, is this person addicted? But I see so many people eating it, and they seem fine. Why is this man reacting so strongly?"
Xu An explained softly.
"Everyone's physique is different. Some people, once they eat it, become dependent, while others don't."
"It all depends on the individual."
"Besides, looking at the people around, this man should be a regular customer at this roasted meat stall. Look at him; he doesn't look like someone who's only eaten it recently."
As Xu An finished speaking, Zhou Haimei's gaze followed the noisy crowd. Indeed, many people were pointing at the man and murmuring to themselves. From their expressions, it seemed everyone recognized the man kneeling on the ground.
Perhaps it was the surrounding scolding that intensified the man's emotions. Red bloodshot veins spread across his eyes, and the veins on his neck throbbed beneath his pale skin. His frail body seemed to contain a surging energy. Amidst the accusations from the crowd, the man slowly reached into his jacket pocket, his overly long hair obscuring his shifting eyes. He was like a hungry wolf lurking in the darkness, looking at everyone with fierce intensity from a place no one could see, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Just then, the owner of the inn where Xu An was staying, holding his daughter's hand, walked towards Xu An.
"Daddy, hurry up! If we're late, the roasted meat will be sold out."
"Okay, okay, little glutton, let's go now."
"It's all my fault for having to go back to the shop. This round trip has wasted so much time."
"Okay, okay, it's my fault. I'll definitely buy it for you today, alright?"
"......"
As the two were talking, they unknowingly arrived beside Xu An. Seeing Xu An and Zhou Haimei, the man stepped forward and greeted Xu An enthusiastically.
"What a coincidence, are you guys buying roasted meat here too?"
Xu An smiled and nodded, "Yes, are you just arriving?"
"Yes, there was a minor issue at the shop, so I had to go back and deal with it. This is what delayed us. My daughter has been pestering me, saying she'll cry if she can't buy it today."
The little girl, wearing a red wool coat and two pigtails, had a hint of shyness on her cute face. She looked shyly at Xu An, holding her father's hand, appearing a bit bashful.
"I didn't."
Seeing this scene, Xu An felt his heart instantly healed from the events outside the city. This was a normal parent-child relationship! Even in the apocalypse, children could openly act spoiled, playful, and willful with their parents.
"By the way, could you tell me if the roasted meat stall over there is still open?"
Xu An smiled, "Yes, it is, and there's still plenty. Hurry over, you can still buy some. Just don't buy too much; eat a moderate amount."
The man affectionately tickled his daughter's nose with his finger, "Did you hear that? This big sister says there's still plenty of roasted meat, little glutton."
The girl emerged from behind her father and stood in front of Xu An, her face flushed with shyness. She said, "Thank you, big sister."
The owner warmly invited Xu An to join them, and Xu An didn't refuse. As they got closer, the owner looked at the man kneeling on the ground and shook his head regretfully. Seeing the owner's reaction, Xu An felt a surge of curiosity.
"Do you know this man? I heard from others that he's a scoundrel who tried to charge for roasted meat but was kicked out by the proprietress."
The owner shook his head, a flicker of an urge to explain crossing his face before he quickly resumed his look of helplessness. "No, Brother Liu wasn't like this before. Actually, I wouldn't be buying this roasted meat if my daughter didn't like it."
"Even though this shop has purchase limits, three skewers cost nearly 30 contribution points. These points are almost a month's worth of food expenses for our family. But for my daughter, I'm willing to save a bit."
"In the beginning, this roasted meat wasn't this expensive. Brother Liu was part of an outer city scavenging team back then, and his family was quite well-off."
"He often patronized this roasted meat stall. Back then, the shop wasn't this expensive, and it was thanks to Brother Liu that this stall became widely known."
Xu An keenly caught the discrepancy in the owner's words. "Are you saying this shop wasn't famous at first, and it became successful because of this Brother Liu?"
The owner nodded, "That's about the gist of it."
"Back then, to thank Brother Liu, the stall owner promised him that he could eat roasted meat there for free for life."
"The first roasted meat my daughter ever ate was brought by Brother Liu."
Xu An continued to inquire, "What's your relationship with this Brother Liu?"
"Not too close. Brother Liu often went out of the city, and it wasn't cost-effective to rent a place in the city, so he often stayed at my inn. We got acquainted that way."
"But..." The owner hesitated, looking at the man kneeling on the ground with a hint of confusion in his eyes.
Xu An asked, "But what?"
The owner said, "But the roasted meat Brother Liu gave my daughter before seemed different from what they sell now."
"Different?" Xu An's expression grew more bewildered.
"Yes," the owner affirmed, his expression becoming unusually certain. "It was different. Although the roasted meat before was also delicious, it wasn't as delicious as it is now."
The owner's expression was somewhat troubled. As if making a decision, he glanced around to ensure no one was paying attention to them, then quietly told Xu An.
"It's like it makes people unable to stop, addictive."