When Xu Yan returned to his father's coffee shop, there were only ten days left before the rent was due.
The machines in the business park could churn out cups all day, and a System could take orders for people. But at Echo Coffee, even staff wages and membership refunds had to be tallied one by one.
There was an elderly customer who often forgot things. Every time he came in, he asked for nothing but a cup of plain water. Later, the old man stopped coming, but whenever his daughter missed her father, she would still push open the door.
Xu Yan wanted to keep the shop. But his employees needed to find new jobs, his parents needed to live their own lives, and the person he loved needed rest, too. The more proficient he became with technology, the more he had to answer one question: Who was the time he'd saved meant for?
This is a story about ordinary people working, falling in love, saying goodbye, and carrying on with their lives amid the technological tide. Coffee might not sell as well as machines do, but when someone walks in, the water is still hot.
