Culinary Expert

Chapter 50: Discovering a System Bug

In the blink of an eye, the “Black Strike” group chat was flooded with those five words. Li Lili was completely unaware of what was happening in the “Black Strike” group chat. She looked down at her Supreme Meal, too astonished for words. No wonder Lisa had been pestering her to come eat here. This meal was indeed delicious. Whether it was the tea-eggs, the beef noodle soup, or even the chili sauce, everything was top-notch—truly impeccable. Although Li Lili didn’t have Zhu Yufei’s “golden palate,” she had tasted countless delicacies and was well-traveled. Take the Supreme Tea-Egg she was eating, for example. Li Lili has visited almost every major city in the country and has sampled regional specialties of tea-eggs everywhere—from five-spice tea-eggs to Tieguanyin tea-eggs, star anise tea-eggs, and even Coca-Cola tea-eggs. Those tea-eggs were certainly made with carefully selected ingredients and unique preparation methods, but they immediately paled in comparison to Xiaobai Restaurant’s Supreme Tea-Eggs. In terms of aroma alone, the “Supreme Tea-Egg” leaves ordinary tea-eggs in the dust by a mile. Every bite is filled with a heartwarming tea fragrance, as if you were drifting through a boundless sea of tea, breathing in the freshest negative oxygen ions. The texture is even better than when she first tried it. The egg white and yolk aren’t mixed together; their flavors remain completely distinct. The egg white is savory and refreshing, while the yolk is sandy, smooth, and soft. Together, they create a refreshing combination that’s never cloying. With every bite, her breath smells as fragrant as orchids—there’s no trace of the typical eggy odor. As Li Lili ate, she couldn’t get enough—before she knew it, the Supreme Tea Egg in her hand was already gone. Not to mention the Supreme Beef Noodles. Each strand of noodle was distinct and full of flavor; the broth was clear yet rich, fragrant without being greasy; the beef was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with sauce bursting out with every bite—making it impossible to stop eating. Even the rapeseed greens were Before she knew it, only a few bites remained of the “Supreme Beef Noodles” in her large bowl. Li Lili had always had a bad eating habit: she never finished any meal completely. For example, she’d leave one or two mouthfuls of rice, save a bite of a hamburger or pizza, and even leave some fruit flesh behind—she never cleaned her plate. It’s not that she’s wasteful; rather, having grown up in a life of privilege, Li Lili has unconsciously developed this bad habit over the years—one she can’t seem to break even if she tries. But it wasn’t until today that she realized her bad eating habit wasn’t unchangeable—she just hadn’t encountered truly delicious food yet. Take now, for example: the Supreme Set Menu was like a cure, instantly curing her long-standing bad habit. Li Lili couldn’t bear to leave even a few bites behind; she wished the restaurant would offer free refills on noodles and meat. After finishing every last strand of the Supreme Beef Noodles, Li Lili picked up her soup spoon and took one spoonful after another of the remaining broth. Tilting the large bowl slightly, Li Lili tried to scoop out every last drop of broth with her spoon. Since the bottom of the bowl was slightly convex, no matter how many times she scooped, she couldn’t get it completely clean. Lisa, sitting across from her, didn’t use a soup spoon; instead, like a guy, she picked up the bowl and downed the noodle broth in one gulp. Li Lili hesitated for a moment, but finally followed Lisa’s example, lifting the bowl and drinking the remaining noodle broth until not a single drop remained. Setting down the bowl, Li Lili—feeling thoroughly satisfied—glanced around at the other diners. At the table next to her, two girls her age were also enjoying their meal to the fullest. “Yufei, there’s still a slice of beef left in your bowl—give it to me,” Xiao En said, her mouth watering slightly as she looked at the grilled beef slice in Zhu Yufei’s large bowl. “You can dream on. It’s your own fault for eating so fast. I’m saving this slice of beef for last,” Zhu Yufei naturally refused. “Come on, Yufei, just give it to me.” Seeing that Zhu Yufei wouldn’t budge, Xiao En immediately pulled out her trump card: “Yufei, last time you didn’t have enough money to buy clothes, and I covered about fifty yuan for you. If you give me this slice of beef, we’ll call that debt even.” Xiao En was Zhu Yufei’s college roommate—they’d even shared a bunk bed—and they were so close they’d take turns wearing the same bra. For most things, Zhu Yufei wouldn’t have refused so harshly, but when it came to delicious food, as a total foodie, she absolutely wouldn’t budge. “Money is money—how can you compare the two? I’m definitely not giving you this grilled beef.” After saying this, Zhu Yufei gave Xiao En a mischievous wink with a sly grin. Xiao En could only watch longingly as Zhu Yufei picked up a slice of grilled beef and popped it into her mouth. That pouting, resentful expression was practically a reenactment of that close-up scene from the 1987 version of *Journey to the West*, where Zhu Bajie gazes longingly at Monkey King and Sha Wujing eating the ginseng fruit. Aside from the pair of girls her age sitting nearby. Customers in the shop had all sorts of ways of eating—some peeled the Supreme Tea Egg halfway, some peeled it completely, and some even dipped it in chili sauce. The ways of eating were as varied as could be, but no matter how these customers ate, there was one common expression on their faces. They all wore an expression of contentment and happiness. Actually, it’s no wonder. The exquisite flavor of the Supreme Set not only satisfies one’s appetite but also brings a sense of happiness—a wonderful feeling that no amount of money can buy. Li Lili glanced at all the customers in the restaurant and found herself lost in thought for a moment. Operation “Black Strike” was originally aimed at shady establishments that operated illegally—using gutter oil and “stinky salt”—so naturally, it wouldn’t target a Restaurant that brought people such happiness. Just as she had expected when she walked in. A raid on this Restaurant. Was bound to fail. “Lily, what are you thinking about? You’re so deep in thought.” Lisa waved her hand slightly in front of Li Lili’s face. “Nothing, I’m just feeling a bit overwhelmed by the summer heat.” Li Lili turned back and smiled slightly. She picked up the bottled water next to her, took a sip, and then called out softly, “Boss, time to pay.” After serving the customers, Bai Xiaobai went into the kitchen to restock the “Supreme” tea eggs, and of course, while cooking, he kept a close eye on what was happening outside. As soon as he heard the words “time to pay,” Bai Xiaobai immediately put down what he was doing and stepped out of the kitchen. “Boss, here’s the bill for the two of us.” Li Lili willingly paid for Lisa, pulling out ten crisp 100-yuan bills and handing them to Bai Xiaobai. “That’s exact. Have a nice day.” Bai Xiaobai took the money and saw the two customers off. Over at the other table, after finishing her Supreme Set Meal, Xiao En—while waiting for Zhu Yufei—decided to tease Bai Xiaobai on purpose. “Boss, I just noticed that foreigner got more meat than I did. You can’t be biased toward foreigners and shortchange your own people,” Xiao En said, pouting. Bai Xiaobai knew she meant that the foreign customer’s bowl had more beef than hers, but by omitting a few key words, the meaning had taken a completely different turn. “ ‘What do you mean, “that foreigner’s meat”? “Your meat”? That’s kind of creepy. But that foreigner does have more meat than you.’ ” Bai Xiaobai didn’t answer the question directly; instead, he went with the flow and fired back a witty, tongue-in-cheek reply. The meaning of this remark was crystal clear: the foreigner was heavier than Xiao En. Of course, Bai Xiaobai was just telling the truth. Although Lisa was slender, compared to the emaciated Xiao En, she certainly had more meat on her bones. It wasn’t until Xiao En heard Bai Xiaobai’s slightly humorous reply that she realized her earlier phrasing had been off. However, she was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure of what to say. After all, Bai Xiaobai’s comment flattered her—every girl wants to be slim, after all. “Seriously, Boss, it’d be even better if you could add a little more noodles and soup,” Zhu Yufei suggested earnestly after finishing her last sip of noodle broth. “These few slices of beef aren’t nearly enough. Boss, with your amazing cooking skills, even if you charged extra for more noodles, soup, and meat, I’m sure people would be happy to pay.” Zhu Yufei’s suggestion suddenly made Bai Xiaobai discover a major glitch in the system.