Bai Xiaobai is a twenty-two-year-old restaurant owner struggling to keep the small eatery left behind by his parents alive. Everything changes when a mysterious Gourmet System appears in his mind, promising to train him into a master chef. Starting with an outrageously expensive tea egg, he must complete strict missions, master increasingly difficult recipes, and learn to work with extraordinary ingredients. As word of his food spreads, his once-empty restaurant attracts devoted customers, culinary rivals, competitions, and unexpected opportunities. What begins as a desperate attempt to save a failing business gradually becomes Bai Xiaobai’s journey toward understanding food, craftsmanship, responsibility, and what it truly means to become a great chef.
Chapter 34: yuan per bowl of Supreme Beef Noodle Soup?
Wei Hai was slightly taken aback by the price. He wasn’t short on money, but he didn’t want to be taken advantage of either. That price was enough to buy over a dozen bowls of regular beef noodles. “Mr. Bai, why are these beef noodles so expensive?” Wei Hai asked. Faced with Wei Hai’s confusion, Bai Xiaobai replied simply, “You get what you pay for. You’ll understand once you try it.” The reason for this air of mystery was twofold: first, the system’s origin had to remain confidential, so Bai Xiaobai couldn’t explain too much. Second, if he were to explain the origin of every ingredient in as much detail as the system did, it would be far too tedious—and some things were particularly difficult to explain. Wei Hai was naturally a straightforward guy who didn’t like beating around the bush, and when it came to food he loved, he was absolutely not going to pass it up. Looking at the visually appealing bowl of beef noodle soup in front of him, Wei Hai made up his mind decisively and said, “All right, Boss Bai, I trust you. But I’m really hungry right now—could I have this bowl of beef noodle soup first?” After saying this, Wei Hai pointed to the Supreme Beef Noodles that Bai Xiaobai had just placed on the table. “No problem. Please enjoy your meal.” Since Wei Hai didn’t mind, Bai Xiaobai certainly didn’t either. After all, it had just been served and hadn’t been touched yet. “Mr. Bai, give me a tea egg to go with my beef noodles,” Wei Hai continued after sitting down. “Sorry, we’re out of the Supreme tea eggs. Right now, we only have the Supreme Beef Noodles in stock.” Bai Xiaobai was very patient with his regular customers. “Out of tea eggs?” Wei Hai asked, not giving up. “Mr. Bai, I’m a regular customer—could you just make me one more?” Violating system rules meant losing experience points at the slightest provocation—something Bai Xiaobai, who was desperate to level up, absolutely couldn’t afford. “I’m sorry, but we have a sales limit on the Supreme Tea Eggs—only ten per day—and today’s supply is already sold out.” Although Wei Hai was reluctant to accept Bai Xiaobai’s refusal, he didn’t press the issue. “Mr. Bai, do you have any chili sauce?” Looking at the clear noodle broth, Wei Hai asked. “Yes, but there’s an extra charge. A 5-milliliter serving of ‘Supreme’ chili sauce is 66 yuan,” Bai Xiaobai replied matter-of-factly. A 5-milliliter serving of ‘Supreme’ chili sauce costs 66 yuan? Hearing Bai Xiaobai’s last remark a phrase of four characters suddenly popped into Wei Hai’s mind “Ripping off customers?”
