Culinary Expert

Chapter 33: Is This a Rip-Off?

As Bai Xiaobai marveled at the price of the Supreme Chili Sauce text appeared in his mind: “System Rule: Supreme Chili Sauce may only be sold with Supreme Beef Noodles; it may not be sold separately, nor may it be taken out. Each bowl of Supreme Beef Noodles is limited to one serving of Supreme Chili Sauce.” Bai Xiaobai glanced at the system rule and muttered to himself. The rules were still very systematic. Fortunately, the Supreme Chili Sauce was sold as an accompaniment to the Supreme Beef Noodles. There was no strict requirement that it had to be included; for example, if a customer felt the Supreme Chili Sauce was too expensive and beyond their budget, they could choose not to add it. Bai Xiaobai checked the time—it was already past 4:00 p. m. It was almost time to open for business. The countdown for the side quest in his mind showed about 21 hours remaining. That should be enough time. All he needed was for three regular customers to come in and order three bowls of Supreme Beef Noodles. Bai Xiaobai was determined to complete this side quest no matter what. Although he didn’t know what the 1,000-yuan gift card was for, it was his first item, so he had to get his hands on it. Clatter. Bai Xiaobai pulled open the shop’s roll-up door in one go and opened for business. The sky had been clear and sunny at noon, but now it was unexpectedly overcast with dark clouds, and a fierce wind was howling. Sand and stones were flying everywhere along Chaotianmen Street, and dust was swirling thickly. A streak of purple lightning suddenly flashed across the sky. Xiao Hei, who had been sitting in the shade of a tree enjoying the cool breeze, was so startled that he hurried into the shop. Before long, it began to pour. The rain was so heavy that visibility was completely zero. I’d figured that by dinnertime, regular customers would surely show up, but as they say, man proposes, God disposes. This massive storm completely threw Bai Xiaobai’s plans into disarray. There isn’t a single pedestrian on Chaotianmen Street right now, let alone any regular customers. The deadline for the side quest is tomorrow at noon. If not a single bowl of Supreme Beef Noodles is sold today, and there’s only the morning of tomorrow left, the pressure will be immense. The torrential rain caused many restaurants on Chaotianmen Street to close one after another. All the restaurant owners in the area, including Wang Tuzi, knew that on a day with such a downpour, there would be virtually no business to speak of. But Bai Xiaobai is an exception. To complete the side quest and pursue his dream of becoming a master chef, no matter how hard it rains outside, he’s determined to keep the shop open. That way, at least he won’t miss any regular customers who might stop by. As the sky gradually darkened, the rain showed no sign of letting up; on the contrary, it was getting heavier. It looked like this rain wouldn’t stop tonight. Crack… The shop was a bit dim, so Bai Xiaobai turned on the lights and immediately picked up his phone to play a round of Match-3. He had just finished a round. A crisp, electronic voice rang out in his mind. [Supreme Chili Sauce transformation complete. Product ready. ] Bai Xiaobai ran into the kitchen and opened the glass jar containing the “Supreme Chili Sauce,” which had been transformed into a mildly spicy version. The moment she opened the jar, a pungent, spicy aroma hit her face. The spicy scent naturally stimulates the salivary glands, and the Supreme Chili Sauce—with its garlicky notes and faint, delicate peanut fragrance—was simply irresistible. But this aroma didn’t seem much different from ordinary chili sauce, and he had no idea how it would taste. If it tasted just like ordinary chili sauce, then paying 66 RMB for it would clearly be a rip-off. Bai Xiaobai muttered to himself under his breath. But eating chili sauce on its own felt a bit strange. Since the Supreme Chili Sauce is a special condiment for Supreme Beef Noodles, the two must be eaten together to truly bring out their full flavor. The more Bai Xiaobai thought about it, the hungrier he got—and it was about time for dinner anyway. No time like the present. Bai Xiaobai began preparing the Supreme Beef Noodles. Bai Xiaobai was bustling about in the kitchen with great enthusiasm. At that very moment. “Sir, why did you stop?” The taxi driver said irritably, “Young man, it’s not that I don’t want to drive. Look—it’s pouring out there, and Chaotianmen Street is flooded. Driving through this water could easily cause the engine to stall.” Chaotianmen Street is an old street in Jianghai City. Its drainage system is dilapidated; even a light rain can cause flooding, let alone a downpour like this. The rain outside was really coming down hard. Although they were only a little over a hundred meters from their destination, Wei Hai couldn’t be bothered to get out of the car. He pulled out a hundred-yuan bill and tossed it to the driver. As soon as the driver saw the money, his attitude softened immediately. “Young man, Xiaobai Restaurant is right at the end of the street. I’ll drive you there right now.” After collecting the money, the driver, risking stalling the engine, inched the car inch by inch all the way to the entrance of Xiaobai Restaurant. Xiaobai Restaurant was open—it was worth the 100 yuan. Wei Hai got out of the car, opened his umbrella, and dashed into Xiaobai Restaurant in one go. Bai Xiaobai emerged from the kitchen holding a bowl of Supreme Beef Noodles, just as Wei Hai walked in. A regular customer had arrived. Bai Xiaobai immediately stepped forward and greeted him warmly, “Welcome.” “Mr. Bai, what kind of noodles are you cooking? They smell so good,” Wei Hai asked eagerly. His sense of smell was exceptionally keen; the moment he walked in, he’d caught a whiff of the rich aroma of noodles. Bai Xiaobai explained, “This is our new ‘Supreme Beef Noodle Soup,’ just launched today.” “Supreme Beef Noodle Soup?” Wei Hai muttered to himself just as he spotted Customer Notice No. 2 in the glass-walled kitchen.