Culinary Expert

Chapter 40: The First Prop

The moment of collecting payment is the most thrilling part. Seeing the cold, hard RMB got Bai Xiaobai all fired up. After quickly giving the man in the suit his change, Bai Xiaobai didn’t forget to promote his shop: “Come back anytime—we’ll be introducing new menu items soon.” “Mr. Bai, with your excellent cooking skills, I’ll definitely be back. I just wonder if there’ll be a line at your shop by the time I do,” the man in the suit teased with a smile. He was on a company-assigned business trip across provincial borders and wouldn’t be back for at least three to five days. “I’ll take that as a good omen,” Bai Xiaobai replied with a smile to the man in the suit’s teasing remark. Since the man in the suit had to catch a flight, he didn’t stay long. Right after Bai Xiaobai saw the man in the suit off Wei Hai let out a satisfied belch and pulled out his money to pay. “Mr. Bai, here’s your change.” Bai Xiaobai quickly gave him his change. Wei Hai took the change and teased, “Boss Bai, let me know the first thing when you launch a new product—I want to be the first to try it.” “Sure, come back anytime,” Bai Xiaobai said politely as he saw him off. Wei Hai let out another loud burp, then grabbed his backpack and headed off full of energy to the tutoring center for his part-time job as a physics tutor. The three remaining customers in the shop—the young man with short hair, the middle-aged man, and the elderly gentleman—were wolfing down their Supreme Beef Noodles. “Mr. Bai—no, Chef Bai—do you have a secret recipe for these beef noodles? They’re so delicious. Once I’ve had a bowl of your beef noodles, what am I going to do if I can’t get them anymore?” The young man with short hair teased playfully as he continued to wolf down his meal. Chef Bai… Hearing someone call him that for the first time, Bai Xiaobai was both pleased and a little speechless. It reminded him of the real “Chef Bai”—Bai Changji—who was practically a semi-legend in Huaxia’s culinary world. Faced with such a goofball of a short-haired young man who asked way too many questions, Bai Xiaobai simply replied with eight words: “There is a secret recipe, but it’s confidential.” Upon hearing “it’s a secret,” the short-haired young man didn’t press the issue and continued to tuck into his Supreme Beef Noodles. The middle-aged man at the same table had already finished his meal. “Boss, could you give me a little more beef broth?” The middle-aged man had a huge appetite; after finishing a bowl of Supreme Beef Noodles, he said he wasn’t full at all and wanted to score an extra bowl of free beef broth on the side. At most restaurants that serve beef noodle soup, broth refills are usually free. But clearly, Xiaobai Restaurant was no longer just an ordinary restaurant. “Sorry, we don’t offer free broth refills here,” Bai Xiaobai said bluntly. After being flatly refused, the middle-aged man pursed his lips and said helplessly, “Mr. Bai, are you deliberately trying to make us big, hearty guys starve ourselves down to skinny frames?” “Exactly,” the short-haired young man chimed in, his mouth full of noodles. “Mr. Bai, your cooking is great, but some of these rules—how should I put it? —are a bit too rigid and lack flexibility. If you keep this up, you won’t be able to retain your regular customers.” The short-haired young man spoke very frankly, without mincing words. Of course, Bai Xiaobai understood how the short-haired young man felt; many customers had repeatedly commented that the restaurant’s rules were a bit odd. But understanding is one thing—the rules cannot be changed. Without rules, there can be no order. This, too, was a test on the path to becoming a master chef. Besides, if there were no rules, what would set this place apart from those ordinary Restaurants out there? It’s just like a young person without ideals or aspirations—they’re no different from a piece of salted fish. Bai Xiaobai thought to himself. At another table, an elderly gentleman slurped his beef broth, then pursed his lips and said, “Young chef, this Supreme Beef Noodles is truly delicious. The broth, the noodles, and the beef are all exceptional. After eating this bowl of Supreme Beef Noodles, I have truly no regrets in life.” The elderly gentleman’s praise was extremely high. Bai Xiaobai noticed that his bowl, too, had been cleaned out completely, with not a single morsel left. After finishing the Supreme Beef Noodles, the elderly gentleman was still savoring the lingering flavor in his mouth. As people age, their sense of taste naturally begins to fade. It’s like how the elderly gentleman always felt the dishes his daughter-in-law cooked were under-salted. So he often found his food bland. But when eating the Supreme Beef Noodles, he didn’t find the flavor lacking in the slightest. On the contrary, the saltiness of the Supreme Beef Noodles was just right—impeccable; one bit more would have been too salty, and one bit less wouldn’t have been flavorful enough. The incredibly delicious broth, combined with the chewy and smooth texture of the noodles, the juicy beef slices, and the emerald-green Chinese cabbage—every single element was exquisite and flawless. The old man had lived most of his life, and this was the first time he’d ever tasted beef noodle soup this delicious. He’d originally worried that, being old and having a small appetite, he wouldn’t be able to finish such a large bowl—but to his surprise, he’d polished it off completely, without leaving a single drop of broth. He’d rediscovered that feeling from his youth when he could eat until he was full without ever feeling satisfied. The old man’s whole face glowed with radiance; his entire body felt light and unburdened, and he felt full of vitality and energy. “Young chef, the bill, please,” the elderly gentleman said in a strong, resonant voice. “Chef Bai, the bill, please,” the playful young man with short hair said as he finished his meal. “Owner Bai, the bill,” the middle-aged man at the same table said as he pulled out his wallet. All three customers paid at the same time. Looking at the dozen or so large bills in his hand, Bai Xiaobai felt as if he were dreaming. No wonder he was so excited. In the two years since Bai Xiaobai opened his shop, this was the first time he’d collected over a thousand yuan in a single go. Business hadn’t been great before, so nothing like this had ever happened. After Bai Xiaobai saw this group of customers off and returned to the kitchen to wash the large bowls the money—which hadn’t even had time to warm his pockets—was, of course, immediately collected by the lightning-fast KB system. However, the system would immediately transfer Bai Xiaobai’s well-deserved share to his linked bank card. Bai Xiaobai finished washing a bowl. A cold, electronic voice—which had been silent for a long time—rang out in his mind. [Congratulations, Host. You have completed a side quest. You have obtained all rewards from the Panda Package: 10 yuan, 1 point of Little Bear experience, a recharge cookie, and a 1,000-yuan gift card. ] This was the moment Bai Xiaobai had been waiting for. After the system’s electronic voice finished speaking. The panda package in his mind opened completely. A flash of golden light appeared. Almost instantly. A bag of Little Bear cookies wrapped in plastic and a pure white card appeared out of thin air in Bai Xiaobai’s hand. The card wasn’t made of paper, nor was it made of plastic. It was a thin card, smooth to the touch, with a jade-like texture. It was unclear what material the card was made of. In the center of the white card’s front, the words “1,000 Yuan” were written vertically in Chinese running script, with the characters “千元” rendered in bold type. The calligraphy was grand and exuded the style of a master. The first item was finally in hand. “System, can you explain the purpose of the ‘1,000 Yuan Card’ prop now?” What Bai Xiaobai was most concerned about was what this prop was actually for. System text appears Prop: 1,000 Yuan Card Purpose: After the Host spends an amount of 1,000 yuan or less (including 1,000 yuan), using this card grants a 10% discount. Special Note: The 1,000-Yuan Card has no expiration date, but it can only be used once and is limited to the Host. Bai Xiaobai had originally thought the 1,000-Yuan Card was a bank card with 1,000 yuan on it, but it turned out he’d been overthinking it. The System’s text explanation was already very clear: the 1,000-Yuan Card is simply a card that grants a 10% discount. Although it was a far cry from Bai Xiaobai’s guess, it was, after all, his first item. I’d better use it wisely. “By the way, System, since the 1,000-Yuan Card has no expiration date—meaning it can be used anytime—can I use it right now?” Bai Xiaobai hadn’t had breakfast yet. He decided to treat himself to a luxurious breakfast. He’d have a bowl of Supreme Beef Noodles with a serving of Supreme Chili Sauce, plus a Supreme Tea-Egg. After all, the total for these three items—399 + 66 + 50 = 515—didn’t exceed 1,000 yuan, so he could use the 1,000-Yuan Card to get a 10% discount right away. That’s what Bai Xiaobai thought, feeling quite pleased with himself. But the KB System didn’t seem to want to pour cold water on his enthusiasm—it just had to mess with him a little. System message Host’s current level is “Big White.” Your level is too low to use items. You must reach the “Little Tong” level to unlock item usage. The 1,000-yuan card cannot be used for now. Please work hard to level up!