Culinary Expert

Chapter 16: The Tea-Egg Whirlwind (Part 2)

The uncle had eaten so hastily that his mouth was full of tea eggs, so he couldn’t speak—he could only hold up his thumb to express his feelings. After wolfing down the tea eggs, the uncle choked a little. He patted his chest and asked, “Boss, how come your tea eggs are so delicious? “This marinade and tea leaves are so fragrant—did you add mint to the marinade?” “Sorry, it’s a family secret passed down through generations,” Bai Xiaobai replied with a simple sentence. After all, he couldn’t tell anyone about the system. Hearing this, the uncle had no choice but to let it go. He generously pulled out a fifty-yuan bill, intending to buy another one. Needless to say, even after the middle-aged man pleaded repeatedly, Bai Xiaobai rejected him without mercy. On the surface, Bai Xiaobai’s refusal was crisp and decisive, but once he turned away, his heart was actually bleeding. After all, who would turn down a chance to make some cold, hard RMB? Having that money right within reach yet being unable to earn it—the frustration was unbearable. After finishing her tea egg, Zhu Yufei leaned to one side and licked her lips—and her best friend Xiao En, sitting next to her, felt exactly the same way. After licking their lips, both of them felt just like the middle-aged man: they each wanted another one. After being turned down yesterday, Zhu Yufei didn’t dare bring it up again. Xiao En had also learned from Zhu Yufei earlier that the shop had a rule: each person could only buy one tea egg per day. Moreover, the principled shop owner wouldn’t accept any haggling or requests to have more—not even from beautiful women. Since that middle-aged man had just been flatly refused, Xiao En didn’t dare speak up again, no matter how much she wanted another one. After Zhu Yufei, Xiao En, and the middle-aged man finished their tea eggs, none of the three lingered long at Bai Xiaobai’s shop. It would be too cruel to make the three of them keep smelling the aroma of tea eggs without being able to eat any more. After serving the three customers, Bai Xiaobai earned 150 yuan. After turning in his earnings to the system, his net income was 30 yuan. Plus, thanks to the 【Tea-Egg Master】 title, he gained three experience points. Bai Xiaobai was in the kitchen washing the white porcelain bowls the customers had used. The crowd gathered outside the shop erupted into a frenzy once again. “Those people earlier—they weren’t plants, were they?” “It’s definitely possible. It’s so expensive, yet they bought it without batting an eye—that’s a bit strange.” “But they looked like they were really enjoying it—they didn’t seem like shills.” “Who’s going to wear the word ‘shill’ on their forehead? Haven’t you seen the scammers playing chess under the bus stop? Those shills bet a hundred or two hundred without batting an eye.” Bai Xiaobai was washing dishes in the kitchen, pricking up his ears to listen carefully to the gossip outside. He was absolutely certain of one thing. You won’t buy it, he won’t buy it, but with so many people out there, someone is bound to buy it. As it turned out, Bai Xiaobai’s hunch was completely right. “These tea eggs really smell delicious. Why don’t you give them a try?” one young guy said. “I can’t resist the temptation either. Let’s give them a shot. I’ve already exceeded my sales quota this month and got my bonus anyway,” another young guy said, wiping a bit of **that had slightly spilled from the corner of his mouth.” Two more young salesmen who weren’t short on cash walked into the shop just to give them a try. The five “Supreme” tea eggs Bai Xiaobai had just made sold out in the blink of an eye. All morning long, people trickled in one after another, eager to try the “Supreme” tea eggs. Everyone who stepped out of the shop shared the same feeling: the fifty yuan was money well spent. The public’s judgment is sharp—if just one or two people say it’s good, they might be shills. But when everyone raves about it, it’s definitely not a plant. Those gossipy middle-aged women from earlier had long since lost the face to stay at the entrance; no one knew when they’d slunk away. By noon, the system showed that thirty-five “Supreme Tea Eggs” had already been sold. By the afternoon, things had really taken off. Sharing and recommending delicious food is only natural among foodies. “Have you heard about the tea-eggs that cost fifty one?” “Fifty yuan? That’s so expensive.” “It is expensive, but they say they’re incredibly delicious.” “Is that for real?” “It’s true. People who’ve tried them want to eat them again, but the owner has a rule that you can only buy one per person per day.” “Holy crap, that’s really weird.” “That shop is right nearby—let’s go check it out.” “Let’s go take a look.” The “Supreme Tea Eggs” sold at Xiaobai Restaurant spread like wildfire throughout the Chaotianmen Street area. For an entire afternoon, Bai Xiaobai didn’t even have time to take a nap, as customers kept coming in one after another. Some customers left immediately after hearing the price, while others stayed to give it a try despite the cost. Gradually, the latter group grew larger and larger. By evening. A cool, electronic voice rang out in his mind. [The Host has sold 88 Supreme Tea Eggs so far. With the [Tea Egg Master] title activated, 88 experience points have been earned. Currently, 12 more are needed to complete the “Money Galore” quest. Keep up the good work, Host. ] Good grief! Hearing the number 88, Bai Xiaobai was over the moon. 88—that’s “fa fa” (prosperity). If he kept up today’s pace, he’d complete the quest tomorrow. Thinking about today’s net income of 880 yuan, the 88 experience points, and the new recipes he’d be able to launch once the “Qian Duoduo” quest was complete, Bai Xiaobai put a little more effort into washing the dishes. Even when he accidentally smashed a bowl, he saw it as an auspicious sign—a “flower blooming upon impact, bringing wealth and glory.” Before going to sleep, the system sent him a Golden Data Card. Name: Bai Xiaobai Goal: To become a top-tier chef versed in both Eastern and Western cuisines. Gender: Male Age: 22 Ethnicity: Han (Earth Human) Items: None Title: [Master of Tea-Eggs] Special Move: None Experience: 111 points Physical Attributes: Locked Mastered Dishes: Supreme Tea-Egg (d) Culinary Talent: ? Current System Level: Da Bai Remarks: Blank Bai Xiaobai noticed that the “Title” column had been added to the Golden Information Card. The “Title” field now displays its first new title: 【Tea-Egg Master】 Thanks to the bonus from this title, Bai Xiaobai gained 88 experience points today, plus 3 points from the Little Bear’s Experience Recharge Cookie, so his original 20 experience points skyrocketed to 111. However, his system level hasn’t increased; it’s still “Da Bai.” The 【Tea-Egg Master】 title only provides an experience boost for 24 hours, and it has already completely expired tonight. This means that no matter how many he sells tomorrow, he won’t gain any additional experience. Leveling up is harder than he imagined, and he has no idea how much experience is needed for the next level. Bai Xiaobai drifted off to sleep while thinking about experience points, unaware that a major upheaval awaited him the next day. The impact of a good reputation is something no The next day, the buzz surrounding the “Supreme Tea-Egg” at Bai Xiaobai’s shop continued to grow. By morning, the owners of the beef noodle shop and the chicken cutlet shop on Chaotianmen Street both knew about these exorbitantly priced tea eggs. The two shops were located very close to each other. After 9:00 a. m. , with nothing else to do, the two owners started chatting to pass the time. “Old Li, did you know? That shop at the end of our street—the one selling those exorbitantly priced tea eggs—is absolutely packed right now,” said Niu Er, the beef noodle shop owner. Old Li, the fried chicken shop owner, looked astonished. “You mean that shop run by that little kid at the end of the street? No way. Just a couple of days ago, we were saying there weren’t many customers. How come it’s packed today? You didn’t miscount, did you?” “I didn’t see it wrong—I just saw that every seat in the shop was taken,” Niu Er said with certainty. Old Li looked puzzled. “That’s strange. Fifty yuan for a single tea egg? I never thought anyone would actually buy it.” “The word’s gotten around. According to people who’ve tried it, those tea eggs taste fantastic.” Old Li looked at him with disdain and frowned. “No matter how good they are, that price is way too high. One egg, a bit of tea leaves, a dash of sauce—what’s the cost of that? That little brat is selling them for fifty each—he’s making a fortune.” Niu Er was just as baffled. “I don’t get it. Anyway, Mr. Wang next door is really suffering right now. I saw that full basin of tea eggs right outside his door—it looks like he hasn’t sold a single one.” You don’t realize how bad things are until you compare them. Just as Niu Er said, Wang Tuzi had already dropped the price of his tea eggs from 2 yuan to 1. 5 yuan, but still, hardly anyone was buying them. In the past, he would’ve sold almost all of them by now, but today, the basin is still full—not a single one sold. How pitiful! It just goes to show that, as the old saying goes, fortune turns—what goes around comes around. The miserable ordeal Bai Xiaobai went through before is now playing out exactly the same way for Wang Tuzi. Wang Tuzi was thoroughly baffled. Just a couple of days ago, he’d thought Bai Xiaobai’s shop would go out of business before long, but he never expected such a sudden turnaround—business had suddenly become this booming over the past two days. This was something he hadn’t anticipated at all. A single tea egg sold for fifty with ease, while he worked himself to the bone, enduring the smoke and fumes of stir-frying a plate of greens and fried rice, only to sell it for five yuan. That gap, that contrast… The more Wang Tuzi thought about it, the more furious he became. He couldn’t just sit back and wait for disaster; he had to take him out before this kid got too big. Otherwise, who knows when he might climb right over his head and start farting and shitting all over him. Without a moment’s hesitation, Wang Tuzi picked up the phone and dialed Fathead’s number. He’d been wavering before, but now he’d finally made up his mind. He had to put Xiaobai Restaurant out of business… Bai Xiaobai’s Restaurant was packed; every available seat was taken. “Boss, your place only sells tea-eggs—they don’t fill you up. When are you going to introduce some new dishes?” a diner asked. “Soon—in a few days,” Bai Xiaobai replied. He was also looking forward to the new items. Just as the diner had said, no matter how delicious the “Supreme Tea Eggs” were, they simply wouldn’t fill anyone up. That’s why Bai Xiaobai hoped the new dishes the system would introduce would definitely be staple foods. Dumplings, noodles, fried rice, wonton—anything would do, as long as it was filling; that was the key. But that damn system refused to tell him anything, insisting on keeping him in the dark. Still, judging by the current foot traffic, completing the Qian Duoduo mission was just a matter of time—it would be done today. Around noon, after seeing off another batch of customers, the system’s electronic voice chimed in. [Host, you’re just one step away from completing the task. Currently, 99 Supreme Tea Eggs have been sold—just one more to go. ] Holy crap! That fast. Bai Xiaobai knew sales had been great this morning, but he didn’t expect they’d already reached 99. He’d thought it would take until the afternoon to complete Qian Duoduo’s task, but it turned out he could finish it early at noon. Just one more to go! Just one more, and Qian Duoduo’s mission would be complete—then he could launch the new dish. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to describe Bai Xiaobai’s inner turmoil at that moment as a raging storm. He stood right at the shop entrance, staring at the stream of people outside with the hungry eyes of a wolf—he was practically ready to run out and lure customers in. Second by second, time ticked away. By noon, the scorching sun was beating down, and the weather was sweltering. From a distance, he spotted someone wearing a light blue basketball jersey sprinting toward the shop. Bai Xiaobai looked more closely. It was Wei Hai! Wei Hai was drenched in sweat, spinning a basketball in his hands; his entire jersey was soaked—he’d clearly just finished playing basketball.