Culinary Expert

Chapter 28: The Panda Package

Lunch was all set. Bai Xiaobai set his bowl down on the table, picked up his chopsticks, and began slurping up the beef noodle soup. A bite of beef noodle soup, a bite of tea-eggs—the flavor was simply unbeatable, and Bai Xiaobai couldn’t stop eating. Bai Xiaobai was a typical Southerner; he usually ate rice for all three meals and wasn’t particularly fond of noodles, only eating them occasionally. But the Supreme Beef Noodles were simply too delicious—he could easily eat them for every meal, day in and day out. Bai Xiaobai looked utterly delighted as he ate his beef noodles. One by one, people were drawn into the shop by the aroma of the Supreme Beef Noodles. Seeing the look of pure enjoyment on Bai Xiaobai’s face, they all wanted to give it a try, but upon reading the customer guidelines displayed in the glass kitchen, they all backed out at the last minute. “399? This owner must be out of his mind.” An older woman turned pale with shock upon seeing the customer notice. “399 for a bowl of beef noodle soup? That’s way too expensive.” An older man who’d been lured into the shop by the aroma entered, but upon seeing the customer notice, he shook his head in resignation and left. A young man with dyed hair glanced at Bai Xiaobai with a sharp look after reading the notice, silently cursing under his breath: “Is this owner out of his mind? %……￥&￥#7” Having gone through all sorts of situations since the launch of the Supreme Tea Eggs, Bai Xiaobai had seen countless piercing stares and was long used to it, so he calmly continued slurping his Supreme Beef Noodles. Out of sight, out of mind—pretend I didn’t see anything. Outside the door. Guo Zhaohui stopped his motorcycle and took off his helmet. Before he even stepped inside, the rich aroma of beef noodle soup hit him. That smell was truly irresistible. Guo Zhaohui could practically taste it already. He pulled out his motorcycle keys and walked straight into Xiaobai Restaurant. Bai Xiaobai was holding a bowl and sipping the broth when he saw a customer walk in. He set down his bowl and said politely, “Welcome.” ” He recognized the customer at a glance—it was the motorcycle driver from last night. He hadn’t expected that the offhand remark he’d made last night—“This is my shop; stop by sometime”—would actually stick with the man, who’d come to visit at lunchtime today. Guo Zhaohui’s stomach was already rumbling with hunger. Seeing no menu on the table, he asked, “Owner, do you have a menu?” Bai Xiaobai stood up and said, “Right now, we only serve the ‘Supreme Beef Noodles.’ ” “Supreme Beef Noodles?” Guo Zhaohui had never heard the word “Supreme” used in connection with beef noodles before, so he asked, “How much is a bowl?” “399 yuan,” Bai Xiaobai calmly stated the price. Guo Zhaohui hadn’t noticed the customer notice when he walked in, and upon hearing the price Bai Xiaobai quoted, he turned as pale as a sheet. Last night, since Bai Xiaobai hadn’t made a big deal about a single yuan, Guo Zhaohui had thought he was a generous, well-off person—but he never expected him to be such a rip-off artist. He’d worked himself to the bone driving a motorcycle taxi, talking until his lips were parched, yet the money he’d earned all morning wasn’t even enough to buy a single bowl of beef noodle soup here. After all, Guo Zhaohui was someone who struggled just to make ends meet; he simply couldn’t accept that price. He stood up and headed for the door. Seeing Guo Zhaohui leave, Bai Xiaobai didn’t say anything else; he sat back down and continued slurping the Supreme Beef Noodles from his bowl. After all, 399 RMB is indeed a hefty sum for someone earning a meager living as a motorcycle taxi driver. It’s only natural that he couldn’t afford it. Besides, the “Trial Run” mission had no time limit; completing it was just a matter of time, so there was no rush. After all, he wasn’t feeling any pressure at all. But Bai Xiaobai never, ever expected that Guo Zhaohui would stop after taking just a few steps. This had only happened once before—when Zhu Yufei was eating that tea-leaf egg. This was the second time a customer had hesitated and wavered. How could Bai Xiaobai know that Guo Zhaohui was genuinely torn right now? Eat it? It really is too expensive. A bowl of beef noodle soup costs 399—even if he worked himself to the bone driving a motorcycle taxi all day, he probably wouldn’t make that much. But if he didn’t eat it, the aroma of that beef noodle soup was simply too tempting. He’d never smelled beef noodle soup this fragrant before, and Guo Zhaohui simply couldn’t resist the aroma. “Boss, I’ll have a bowl of beef noodle soup,” Guo Zhaohui said, having made up his mind. Guo Zhaohui’s sudden about-face caught Bai Xiaobai completely off guard. It felt so unreal to Bai Xiaobai, as if he were dreaming. “Sure, just a moment.” Bai Xiaobai immediately dashed into the kitchen to prepare the Supreme Beef Noodles. The reason Guo Zhaohui made up his mind to eat a bowl of beef noodles costing 399 yuan wasn’t just because the Supreme Beef Noodles smelled so good—it actually had to do with his life experiences up to that point. When Guo Zhaohui was twenty, he had a golden opportunity. He could have followed in others’ footsteps, started a business, and made his mark to fulfill his ambitions. But in pursuit of a steady, unassuming life, he ultimately backed down and gave up that rare business opportunity. Because of that one moment of hesitation, he regrettably missed his chance to strike it rich. Those from his village who boldly ventured into business in the early 1990s are now all big bosses—adorned in gold and silver, living the high life, and surrounded by countless beautiful women. He, on the other hand, is still just a factory worker. He hadn’t even been working there for very long when he was laid off in a recent mass layoff at the factory; his boss simply told him to leave, and he had to go—without receiving a single penny in severance pay. With no diploma and no marketable skills, Guo Zhaohui has been unable to find work since becoming unemployed and has had to rely on driving a motorcycle taxi just to make ends meet. Guo Zhaohui resents his own lack of ambition and hates his indecisive, timid nature even more. If you want to do something, you should go for it boldly. Just like a couple of days ago, right after the layoffs, when he resolutely decided to make money driving a motorcycle taxi. Life is but a fleeting few decades—how many chances do we get to take a leap? If not now, then when! Since he’d come across the delicious meal he’d been craving today, Guo Zhaohui decided to be a little reckless one more time and do what he truly wanted to do. It’s just a bowl of beef noodle soup for 399, after all! Money lost can be earned back—just like a job—but missing out on a delicious meal would be a lifelong regret. Besides, if you don’t spend money, you really have no motivation to earn it… Guo Zhaohui felt much better after thinking this through. Bai Xiaobai’s movements were as smooth as flowing water, and he paid meticulous attention to every detail in preparing the Supreme Beef Noodles. Soon, a steaming hot, fragrant bowl of Supreme Beef Noodles was ready. Bai Xiaobai carried it on a tray and set it in front of Guo Zhaohui. “Enjoy your meal.” “Boss, can I have some garlic?” Guo Zhaohui was used to eating noodles with garlic. “Sorry, we don’t have any garlic here.” “Boss, do you have any chili sauce? ” Guo Zhaohui was used to eating spicy food. “Sorry, we don’t have chili sauce here.” Guo Zhaohui “……” Bai Xiaobai was a bit at a loss for words herself. Ever since the system had appeared, all the ingredients, seasonings, and condiments in the shop had gradually been confiscated by it. The system euphemistically called it “surrendering,” but in reality, it was simply confiscation—because there wasn’t a single subsidy to speak of. Upon hearing there was no garlic or chili sauce, Guo Zhaohui furrowed his brow slightly. He couldn’t eat noodles without garlic and chili sauce—it always felt like something was missing. Still, the beef noodles smelled so good; surely they’d taste great. Guo Zhaohui thought for a moment, then, out of habit, took a sip of the broth. “Slurp… slurp” Guo Zhaohui lifted the bowl and took a big sip. That flavor. The broth looked very clear, as if no ingredients had been added at all, but why did it taste so rich and mellow? It carried the aroma of beef bone broth, as well as the fragrance of flour. Guo Zhaohui took another big sip. The broth slid down his throat and through his esophagus, yet a rich aroma surged back up his esophagus, finally bursting out through his nostrils. Refreshing and invigorating—it felt amazing… This broth was simmered to perfection. Guo Zhaohui picked up another pair of chopsticks full of noodles and slurped them up. Just one bite. Every single noodle had the perfect amount of bite—springy, chewy, and smooth—making it impossible for him to stop. It was so delicious. “Puff, puff,” Guo Zhaohui blew on his noodles as he ate them in big mouthfuls. Guo Zhaohui was from Northwest China and had a particular fondness for noodle dishes. Of course, having grown up eating noodles, he was also exceptionally picky about them. The noodles in this beef noodle soup were simply beyond reproach—a true “masterpiece.” They were the chewiest and most delicious noodles he’d ever tasted in his entire life. Finally, he took one last bite of the grilled beef. Guo Zhaohui’s eyes lit up. How on earth was this beef prepared? How could it taste so good? Grilled to perfection—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, savory and delicious—with every bite, a hint of the well-marinated beef sauce oozed out from the meat. This beef sauce was truly exceptional—savory, slightly spicy, and carrying a hint of the beef’s natural sweetness—leaving an endless aftertaste. Guo Zhaohui began wolfing down the meal—alternating between a bite of beef, a sip of soup, and a mouthful of noodles. Just as Guo Zhaohui was thoroughly enjoying his meal, a cool, electronic voice rang out in Bai Xiaobai’s mind. [Ding… Host, you’ve received a panda package from the system. Would you like to claim it? ] Two option buttons appeared in Bai Xiaobai’s mind: one to claim, and one to discard. A panda package? What on earth is this? Stuffing a giant panda—China’s national treasure—into a package? That’s taking things way too far. It definitely isn’t that. Bai Xiaobai was completely baffled; based on the text alone, he had no idea what kind of package this was, let alone whether to accept it or not.