Culinary Expert

Chapter 20: Don’t Eat Yet

Wang Tuzi was leaning back in his dining chair, smoking in silence. He was extremely frustrated. Wang Tuzi had watched every moment of the scene Gao Ming had staged in Bai Xiaobai’s shop. At first, seeing Xiaobai Restaurant about to be shut down made him feel quite satisfied, but then an unexpected twist occurred. After Gao Ming was beaten up, he proceeded to apologize to Bai Xiaobai and offer compensation—the scene was just too absurd; Wang Tuzi couldn’t even bear to watch anymore. Those three thousand yuan were completely down the drain. Not only had he failed to get Xiaobai Restaurant shut down for rectification, but he’d actually given it free publicity, making sure everyone in the neighborhood knew the place existed… Wang Tuzi puffed on his cigarette, mulling over whether to call Gao Ming to demand a refund, when—unexpectedly—Gao Ming called him first. “Holy shit, you’re out of your mind. Transfer another three thousand yuan to my account, or I’ll shut your shop down for good.” Gao Ming, choking with frustration, roared at Wang Tuzi over the phone. “Bro Gao, didn’t I already transfer the money to you earlier?” Wang Tuzi asked, feigning ignorance. Wang Tuzi had spent 3,000 yuan this time to have Gao Ming check Bai Xiaobai’s water meter. “Transfer another 3,000 yuan to compensate me for my emotional distress. Holy shit, you’re out of line.” Gao Ming took out all the frustration he’d endured that day on Wang Tuzi. To be honest, if it hadn’t been for his uncle Fathead asking him to handle this, Gao Ming would never have gotten personally involved. He never expected that by getting personally involved today, he’d actually slip up right in Bai Xiaobai’s shop—it was a total and utter failure. The “reputation” he’d built up over the years was completely ruined. This incident was bound to become a lifelong stain and a laughingstock. Climbing the ranks at the Industry and Commerce Bureau would likely be even harder from now on. “Bro Gao… how about a thousand…?” Wang Tuzi tried to haggle with Gao Ming, but he didn’t get to finish his sentence. Gao Ming continued to rant, “It’s up to you. If I don’t get three thousand by tomorrow, you’d better be ready to shut your doors for good. Holy shit, you’re cursing at the neighbor!” Before hanging up, Gao Ming didn’t forget to throw in one last curse. Wang Tuzi had a hot temper to begin with, and after being cursed at repeatedly, he was really pissed off. After hanging up, in a fit of rage, he flipped the dining table next to him completely upside down. This time, he’d lost on both fronts—he hadn’t managed to bring down Bai Xiaobai’s restaurant, yet he’d lost several thousand yuan for nothing. How was he supposed to swallow that? The reason Wang Tuzi wanted to ruin Bai Xiaobai’s restaurant wasn’t simply because competitors are natural enemies—it was because he had some old scores to settle with Bai Xiaobai’s father, Bai Dabai. Even Bai Xiaobai himself knew nothing about these old scores. To explain this, we have to start with a brief account of how Bai Xiaobai’s father, Bai Dabai, made his fortune. Bai Dabai was originally a farmer from the countryside. Because he was an excellent cook, he was well-known in his rural hometown as a part-time “banquet chef.” Whenever there was a wedding or funeral in the area, Bai Dabai was the one who personally prepared the dishes for the banquet. Thanks to his superb culinary skills, Bai Dabai’s reputation grew steadily. Through his own hard work—working himself to the bone—he finally managed to accumulate a considerable amount of savings. Around the time Bai Xiaobai started junior high, Bai Dabai took his family of three, sold their fields back home, and used all their savings to move to Jianghai City. There, at the end of Chaotianmen Street, he bought this shop—neither too big nor too small—and opened a Restaurant. It was this little shop that became the crux of the matter. When Bai Dabai bought this little shop, Wang Tuzi was already running a Restaurant next door. Relying on the nearby urban white-collar workers, his business had always been thriving. However, ever since Bai Dabai opened his Restaurant next door, Wang Tuzi’s customer base had been severely eroded. There’s no pain without comparison. Customers had originally thought Wang Tuzi’s cooking was pretty good, but after trying Bai Dabai’s dishes, they realized just how vast the gap between the two was. Word of mouth spread about Bai Dabai’s culinary skills, and business at his small restaurant boomed. In contrast, business at Wang Tuzi’s place plummeted and became dismal. Running a restaurant is supposed to be a fair competition based on culinary skills—there’s nothing more to it—but the jealous Wang Tuzi believed deep down that Bai Dabai had stolen his business. As the saying goes, whoever blocks another’s path to wealth is like killing their parents. Wang Tuzi’s resentment built up over time and finally erupted completely during a fit of rage while he was drunk. The trigger was when the gluttonous Xiao Hei wandered into Wang Tuzi’s shop and started gnawing on a bone off the floor. This wouldn’t normally have been a big deal, but when Wang Tuzi discovered it, he made a huge fuss and insisted on beating Xiao Hei to death with a stick. Even Bai Dabai’s apologies fell on deaf ears; Wang Tuzi remained relentless in his determination to kill Xiao Hei, and the two got into a minor physical altercation. Fueled by alcohol, it was Wang Tuzi who struck first. As the saying goes, “If you don’t court disaster, you won’t meet it.” During the scuffle, Wang Tuzi failed to shove Bai Dabai and instead accidentally slammed himself hard against the corner of the dining table. The impact directly injured his vital genital area. Although the conflict was eventually resolved—albeit barely—through police mediation, a deep rift had formed between Wang Tuzi and Bai Dabai. Because of his genital injury, Wang Tuzi was always eager but unable to perform during sex. There was simply no cure for this condition. Wang Tuzi had no idea how many hospitals he’d visited, how much deer penis wine he’d drunk, or how many Jinge pills he’d taken—nothing worked. Deprived of sexual fulfillment, Wang Tuzi’s wife felt empty, lonely, and cold. She called him a “not-a-man” to his face, argued with him constantly, and eventually took up with another man—even initiating the divorce herself. Wang Tuzi had become practically a废人, and now he’d been cuckolded—he was filled with hatred… Deep down, he was convinced that all of this was Bai Dabai’s doing. Later, as if by a stroke of divine justice, that damned Bai Dabai was killed in a car accident, but the son who emerged—Bai Xiaobai—took over his father’s business, and the Restaurant reopened. Adhering to the “law” that “a son repays his father’s debts,” Wang Tuzi laid all the old grievances squarely on Bai Xiaobai’s shoulders. For the first couple of years, Bai Xiaobai’s cooking skills were poor, and business at the restaurant went from bad to worse. Wang Tuzi, having studied for several years at X Oriental Culinary School and achieved some success—plus being quite skilled at attracting customers—took great delight in crushing Bai Xiaobai’s business. He thought he’d finally avenged his “little brother,” but the good times didn’t last long. Unexpectedly, in less than half a month, Bai Xiaobai’s restaurant had made a remarkable comeback and was starting to turn a profit. This was absolutely unacceptable. Wang Tuzi would never allow a loser to make a comeback. Even if he hadn’t been audited today, there was plenty of time ahead—this wasn’t over yet. The moon was bright, and the stars were few. The streets, just beginning to light up, were lined with colorful neon signs, dazzling Bai Xiaobai’s eyes. Over the past two or three days, Bai Xiaobai had earned a net income of over 800 yuan. Money really does make you feel invincible. Anyway, he’d be learning how to make “Supreme Beef Noodles” tomorrow, so eating someone else’s version was a form of learning too. Without hesitation, Bai Xiaobai chose a rather upscale beef noodle restaurant—Niu Niu Beef Noodle House. The name of this place is a bit of a mouthful. However, the service inside was actually quite good. Bai Xiaobai had just pushed open the door. “Welcome,” a tall waitress in a white shirt greeted him immediately with a beaming smile. It was still mealtime, so Niuniu Beef Noodle House was packed with customers. Fortunately, the restaurant was spacious, and there were still a few empty seats left. Bai Xiaobai chose a table by the window and sat down. “Sir, here’s the menu.” ” The waitress in the white shirt bowed at a 45-degree angle and handed Bai Xiaobai a menu with both hands. Bai Xiaobai flipped through the menu, which featured all kinds of noodle dishes. From the house-special beef offal noodles to the “Overlord” beef tripe noodles, the signature beef noodles, and the “So Delicious” beef noodles… Basically, anything related to beef or noodles was on there. Flipping through it, the dishes pictured on the menu all looked quite tempting. With so many options, Bai Xiaobai was momentarily overwhelmed by choice. Figuring it wouldn’t hurt to ask for a recommendation, he turned to the waitress. “Beautiful lady, which beef noodle soup is the best at your restaurant?” Although the waitress was tall, she had a few freckles on her face and wasn’t exactly stunning—Bai Xiaobai had simply added “beautiful lady” as a polite gesture. Unexpectedly, when the waitress heard herself called “beauty,” her eyes lit up. She picked up the teapot beside her and, while pouring plain water for Bai Xiaobai, began to enthusiastically recommend dishes. “Sir, everyone’s tastes are different, so orders vary, but our signature beef noodle soup has a lot of repeat customers. You should give it a try.” Bai Xiaobai glanced at the menu; the signature beef noodle soup was fifty yuan a bowl—the same price as his “Supreme” tea-egg. Given the prime location, the decor, and the service, that price actually wasn’t too expensive. Anyway, since he had money in his pocket now, Bai Xiaobai didn’t hesitate. “Beautiful lady, I’ll have a bowl of the signature beef noodle soup, please.” “Sure.” Hearing him call her “beauty” again, the waitress smiled even more brightly and quickly jotted down the order with her pen. Although the restaurant was crowded, the food came out surprisingly quickly. Bai Xiaobai pulled out his phone and played a couple of rounds of a shooting game, when the waitress brought the signature beef noodle soup right to Bai Xiaobai. In addition to the bowl of beef noodle soup, there was also a blue-and-white porcelain bowl containing a tea-eggs. Bai Xiaobai was puzzled—he was sure he hadn’t ordered a tea-egg. The waitress noticed Bai Xiaobai’s confusion and explained, “Sir, this is the signature beef noodle soup you ordered. Also, we’re currently running a promotion: buy a bowl of our signature beef noodle soup and get a free signature tea-egg.” I see. “Sir, there’s chili sauce on the table. Feel free to add as much as you like to suit your taste. Enjoy your meal,” the waitress said with a smile. “Okay. Thank you,” Bai Xiaobai said politely, then snapped open a pair of disposable chopsticks. The tea-eggs looked quite appetizing as well. As for the signature beef noodle soup, the bowl was even larger than he’d imagined. It looked quite appetizing, too. The bright yellow noodles, the yellow-green garlic chives floating in the clear broth, paired with large chunks of glossy beef brisket—it all made his mouth water. “Looks pretty good.” Bai Xiaobai’s stomach was growling, and he was just about to peel open the tea-leaf egg to take a bite. Just then, the system’s electronic voice suddenly rang out in his mind. [Host, don’t eat yet. ] The system’s cold, electronic voice startled Bai Xiaobai. “System, what’s going on?”