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 46: Show Your Power!
The Supreme Set Meal (Part 3) Zhu Yufei, disregarding her ladylike image, picked up the large bowl and slurped up the last bit of noodle broth. When she finally set the bowl down, not a single drop of broth remained. “Boss, the check, please.” Zhu Yufei parted her red lips slightly, her voice melodious and pleasing to the ear. Bai Xiaobai had just finished tidying up the kitchen and stepped out, taking the five red “Mao Zedong” bills from Zhu Yufei’s hand with great excitement. “Sure, beautiful. That’s exactly five hundred,” Bai Xiaobai said with a slight smile, revealing a row of neat, white teeth. “Boss, do you offer any kind of VIP card here—you know, something where you get a discount after a certain number of visits?” As a foodie, Zhu Yufei had already decided this was her go-to spot, but if she kept spending like this every day, her wallet would be in trouble. It would be great if there were a VIP card or something like that. “Sorry, we don’t have that kind of card right now. If we ever introduce a service like that in the future, I’ll let you know.” As always, Bai Xiaobai spoke with his usual straightforwardness. “Oh, I see,” Zhu Yufei pursed her lips slightly and said nothing more. This handsome young owner was, as always, a man of principle. The thought flashed through Zhu Yufei’s mind, and she then walked away elegantly in her brown high-heeled sandals, heading off to work. After Zhu Yufei left, Bai Xiaobai gathered the dishes she’d used and carefully washed them in the kitchen. After washing the dishes, Bai Xiaobai gave the shop’s natural wood dining table another careful once-over before returning to the kitchen to check the progress of his incredibly ambitious quest. The system’s quest progress bar read 3/200. Still 197 Supreme Meals to go. It’s going to be a long road to reach the goal. But persistence pays off. Although the Supreme Set Meal she ate herself didn’t count toward the “Awesome” sales total, after a busy morning, Bai Xiaobai wasn’t about to shortchange her own stomach. After a busy spell in the kitchen, Bai Xiaobai brought out a Supreme Set Meal for her own lunch. Just like her cooking skills, the Supreme Set Meal was becoming more and more perfect. Especially the Supreme Beef Noodles. Take the noodles, for example: to Bai Xiaobai’s naked eye, there was no longer any discernible difference in the thickness of each strand—they were nearly perfectly uniform. The same goes for the thickness of each slice of beef; if you had a vernier caliper to measure them, you’d find they were astonishingly uniform. Slurp, slurp… And the taste goes without saying. Whether it’s the Supreme Beef Noodles, the Supreme Tea-Egg, or the Supreme Chili Sauce, the flavors of all three are flawless. Moreover, Bai Xiaobai made a startling discovery: if even one of these three delicacies is missing, the overall deliciousness is diminished to some extent. The delicate aroma of the Supreme Tea-Egg strongly stimulates the olfactory senses, making one’s mouth water. The Supreme Beef Noodles, on the other hand, awaken one’s appetite; after each bite of noodles, broth, and beef goes down, the stomach feels warm and incredibly comfortable. Finally, the Supreme Chili Sauce lingers on the taste buds, leaving a lasting impression that ensures the meal’s flavor continues to be savored long after the meal is finished. True to its name as the Supreme Set Meal, the combination of these three delicacies… …creates an absolutely exquisite flavor—every bite brings a sense of immense satisfaction. Bai Xiaobai let out a contented burp; fully fed and refreshed, he felt completely revitalized. Needless to say, every time he made a purchase, the system immediately deducted the amount from his linked bank card. But Bai Xiaobai had long since gotten used to it. 2:00 p. m. Outside Chaotianmen Street, the scorching sun hung high in the sky, and the ground felt as stifling as a steamer. There was hardly a soul in sight, and cicadas chirped incessantly from the trees. Bai Xiaobai decided to wait until the weather cooled down in the evening before opening for business. After yawning and stretching, Bai Xiaobai pulled down the roller shutter and contentedly went upstairs to his bedroom for an afternoon nap. The air conditioner in the bedroom was set to a constant 25 degrees. Bai Xiaobai covered himself with a thin air-conditioned blanket, still sleeping in his usual carefree, unconventional posture. Before long, Bai Xiaobai was snoring away. The sun was setting in the west; the afterglow was fading, and the summer heat was gradually subsiding, with a gentle breeze bringing a rare touch of coolness. Although it wasn’t the standard time to get off work, the streets of Chaotianmen Street were gradually filling with people. The CNOOC gas station next to Chaotianmen Street After filling up his motorcycle at his own expense, Guo Zhaohui took out a towel, turned on the spare water faucet next to the gas station, and wiped the sweat from his face and neck. The steamed buns and pickles he’d eaten for lunch were long since digested. Just thinking about the Supreme Beef Noodles he’d had yesterday at Xiaobai Restaurant made Guo Zhaohui’s salivary glands start working overtime again. He was just a motorcycle taxi driver—he clearly didn’t have much money, so why did he have such a voracious appetite? Truly, the fate of a poor man with the appetite of a rich man. Guo Zhaohui let out a sigh. “Sir, please fill up with 200 yuan worth of No. 90 gasoline,” a young man driving a car said as he handed 200 yuan to the gas station attendant. “Honey, doesn’t our car run on No. 93 gasoline?” the woman in the car asked, looking puzzled. “I have no choice, honey. We’re back from our trip, and we’re broke right now. Let’s just fill up with 90-octane gas—we can just imagine in our heads that it’s 93-octane,” the man said with a straight face. The woman burst out laughing and cooed, “Honey, that actually works… You’re so clever…” After overhearing this lighthearted exchange between the couple, Guo Zhaohui suddenly had a new idea. Since he couldn’t afford the real “Supreme Beef Noodles,” daydreaming about them wouldn’t be so bad. No sooner said than done. Guo Zhaohui rode his motorcycle to a nearby Lanzhou noodle shop, picked up a takeout order of beef noodles—which cost 10 yuan—and then drove to Xiaobai Restaurant. When Bai Xiaobai woke up, he was drenched in sweat. He glanced at the time—it was already past 5:30 p. m. He’d slept a bit too long; Bai Xiaobai had been dreaming of cultivating to become an immortal. In his dream, he’d grown step by step from a good-for-nothing young master into a character defying the heavens, eventually reaching a monstrously powerful level. Wielding all sorts of supreme magical treasures, he beat down everyone who’d ever bullied him, leaving them questioning their very existence and in agonizing pain. Sure enough, he’d read too many cultivation novels—he’d been brainwashed by them… Upon waking, Bai Xiaobai realized the cultivation world was all an illusion. Flying through the skies, teleporting, breathing fire, and summoning lightning—it was all a lie. This was the real world, where the strong prey on the weak. To make a living, he needed to constantly work hard to earn money and survive. Feeling a sense of emptiness, Bai Xiaobai asked, “System, are you there?” The same cold, electronic voice rang in his mind as always. [Host, what are your instructions? ] “I’m fine. I just wanted to make sure you were there.” System: [……] Naturally, the System had no idea why Bai Xiaobai had asked this mysterious question. In fact, since Bai Xiaobai was barely scraping by running the small shop his father had left him, he didn’t have much social experience or a wide social circle. He had a few friends, but most of them lived in other cities; there were very few people he could truly confide in on a daily basis. When things quieted down—especially after waking up—he often felt a bit lonely and desolate. Although the System was aloof, having spent every waking moment with it, it had become a companion who was both a mentor and a friend. Confirming that the System was still in his mind, Bai Xiaobai let out a sigh of relief. Dragging his two flip-flops, Bai Xiaobai got out of bed, opened the small fridge in his bedroom, took out the watermelon that had been thoroughly chilled, tore off the plastic wrap, and took a big bite. His mouth was filled with the icy-sweet juice of the watermelon. After waking up, eating some icy-sweet watermelon completely revived him. After devouring half a block of icy watermelon in just three or four bites, Bai Xiaobai was bursting with energy. He ran downstairs, opened the door to start business and make some money, and continued working on his “Awesome” mission. Clatter… As soon as he opened the roll-up gate, Bai Xiaobai saw the face of a mature, good-natured middle-aged man. Guo Zhaohui was standing outside the door, holding a takeout bag.
