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 45: Show Your Power!
The Supreme Set Meal (Part 2) Bai Xiaobai had a strong impression of Zhu Yufei. She’d mentioned that morning that she’d come by at lunchtime to try the Supreme Beef Noodles, and Bai Xiaobai had assumed she was just saying it off the cuff—but to his surprise, she actually showed up. “Boss, have you launched the Supreme Set Menu?” Zhu Yufei noticed the newly posted customer notice on the glass kitchen wall. “Yes, it just came out. Would you like to order one?” Bai Xiaobai asked, putting down what he was working on. Zhu Yufei took note. The Ultimate Set Menu includes a bowl of Ultimate Beef Noodles, a small dish of 5ml Ultimate Chili Sauce, and one Ultimate Tea-Egg, priced at 500 yuan per set. This is 15 yuan cheaper than ordering the three items à la carte. It seemed ordering the set meal was the better deal. “Boss, I’ll have the Ultimate Set Meal—and I’d like the Ultimate Chili Sauce to be mildly spicy.” Zhu Yufei didn’t hesitate; after glancing over the customer notice, she went straight to placing her order. Because of her outstanding performance during her probationary period, the company had announced yesterday that she would become a full-time employee starting tomorrow. This set meal was her way of rewarding herself for her hard work during that time. “Sure, please have a seat. Just a moment.” After greeting Zhu Yufei, Bai Xiaobai was just about to head back to the kitchen. “Hey, boss, can I get another set meal?” Lisa set down her large bowl and gently licked the sauce from the hard-boiled egg that was still clinging to her index finger. Lisa naturally had a big appetite, but to maintain her slim figure, she hadn’t eaten her fill in over a month. Now, for the sake of this delicious meal, she was willing to put dieting aside for the moment—she even wanted another bowl. “I’m sorry, but each person is limited to one Supreme Set Meal per day.” Bai Xiaobai immediately dashed Lisa’s hopes. “Oh, no…” After being turned down, Lisa dragged out the last syllable, her azure eyes filled with reluctance and confusion. “Boss, why are you turning down free money?” After all, Lisa was a foreigner. Even though her Huaxia language was decent, like most foreigners, her fourth tone was her weak point. That last sentence. What Bai Xiaobai actually heard was “Why won’t you make some money by touching up my makeup?” So I’m actually wearing makeup… Bai Xiaobai felt a vein throbbing at the back of his head. But given the state of his own “tiger balm”-scented gutter, he had no right to cast stones. Bai Xiaobai composed herself and said sternly, “I’m sorry. That’s the rule. If you want the Supreme Set Menu, you’ll have to come back tomorrow.” Even for a foreign friend, Bai Xiaobai wouldn’t cut her any special favors; she refused as she always did. Seeing the owner’s firm stance, Lisa didn’t feel it was appropriate to press the issue. Anyway, she’d be staying in Jianghai City for several days on business, so she’d have another chance to come back and eat here. Lisa picked up her rolling suitcase and left Xiaobai Restaurant. As soon as she stepped outside, she took out the generic cell phone she’d bought in Huaxia, opened the Skype app, and sent an instant message to someone. ‘Lily, I ate a wonderful set meal—it’s amazing.’ Shortly after Lisa sent the instant message, she received a phone call. “Lisa, I just got off the plane and am still in the Imperial Capital. I saw your Skype message a moment ago—did you eat that set meal out? Didn’t the Haochuang Hotel at Tian Teng arrange a meal for you?” the voice on the other end of the line asked with a tone of confusion. “They did arrange it, but I just prefer eating out. I’m sick of all that Chinese food at the hotel. By the way, Lily, I have to tell you—that beef noodle set meal at that place was delicious, though a bit pricey.” “Beef noodle set meal? A little pricey? How much?” the voice on the other end asked curiously. “500 yuan a serving. I just finished eating it.” “500 yuan… a serving? …” On the other end of the line, Li Lili’s voice suddenly rose several octaves. She was truly stunned. Logically speaking, in recent years, the Black Strike Organization has cracked down on countless unscrupulous restaurants in Jianghai City to protect the rights of consumers. But most of these unscrupulous restaurants either use notoriously dirty recycled cooking oil or substandard “stinky salt,” or at worst, simply overcharge consumers by marking up prices three or four times. The “Supreme Tea-Egg” at Xiaobai Restaurant last time was a rip-off, but it was only 50 yuan, and the taste was undeniably decent. Who would have thought a beef noodle set meal would now cost 500 yuan per serving? That price is absolutely outrageous—it’s practically on par with “Qingd” jumbo shrimp. Even Li Lili, as the deputy head of the Black Strike Organization, has never come across an establishment that rips people off this outrageously. Hehe… If you don’t court disaster, disaster won’t find you! After being away on a business trip for several days, Li Lili had just gotten off the plane and was exhausted. But upon hearing this news from Lisa, she was instantly rejuvenated. “Lisa, I’m heading back to Tian Teng Group headquarters tomorrow. Jot down the address of that Restaurant first. Since the food is that good, I’ll go with you tomorrow to try it out.” Although Li Lili said this, she actually had an ulterior motive. Her real goal was to check out the restaurant Lisa mentioned tomorrow and see for herself. If it didn’t live up to the hype and was truly ripping off the general public, a “Black Strike Operation” would be inevitable. “Sure, Lily, see you tomorrow.” After Lisa hung up, she randomly approached a passerby and asked for the address of that street. Seeing that a foreigner needed help, the passerby was kind-hearted and immediately told her the Huaxia name of the street: Chaotianmen Street. But Lisa simply couldn’t remember the street’s specific name. Seeing this, the passerby simply wrote down the Huaxia name of the street on a piece of paper and handed it to Lisa. “Thank you, thank you so much!” Lisa repeatedly thanked the passerby. Clutching the slip of paper with the street address, she carefully tucked it into her pocket, silently noted the location of Xiaobai Restaurant on the street, and then, pulling her rolling suitcase, hailed a taxi to head to the hotel where she was staying. Bai Xiaobai was in the kitchen, carefully washing the large bowls and white porcelain bowls that Wei Hai and Lisa had used. Zhu Yufei was outside the restaurant, eating the Supreme Set Meal. A bite of noodles, a sip of soup, a bite of beef, a bite of tea-eggs. She simply couldn’t stop. The beef noodle soup’s noodles were springy and smooth, with just the right amount of elasticity. The beef bone broth was rich, natural, and delicious—without any heavy greasiness or a strong MSG aftertaste. Even though no spices were added and the broth was crystal clear, why did it smell so fragrant? And the beef slices, though they looked very thin, actually burst with juices the moment she bit into them. How on earth is this done? Even the chili sauce, which looks like the ordinary kind you’d buy at a supermarket, tastes worlds apart. I don’t know if Supreme Chili Sauce is made from a specific variety of chili peppers, uses a special production process, or has a unique secret recipe—but in any case, its flavor is simply incredible. It’s spicy with a hint of sweetness, savory and delicious with a subtle fruity aroma that keeps lingering on the palate. Such a complex flavor, yet so delicious. Even if you just mix Supreme Chili Sauce directly with rice, without any other side dishes, it’s more than enough. With every bite of the set meal, a bubble of curiosity would pop up in Zhu Yufei’s mind. She’s tasted countless delicacies, and with her naturally keen palate, she’s exceptionally perceptive—she can usually guess the ingredients and seasonings used in dishes at ordinary restaurants with 80 to 90 percent accuracy. With the Supreme Tea-Egg, she could even tell it was made with top-quality free-range eggs and premium Qimen black tea. But right now, she simply couldn’t tell what specific ingredients were used in the Supreme Beef Noodles or the Supreme Chili Sauce. Zhu Yufei cast a suspicious glance toward the glass-walled kitchen. Unfortunately, with the glass blocking her view, she couldn’t see a thing inside the glass kitchen. Bai Xiaobai had just finished washing the dishes in the kitchen. Watching Zhu Yufei—who would lower her head to eat the “Supreme Set Meal” one moment and then look up at the glass kitchen the next—made him want to laugh.
