The Gourmet Customizer

"Fish is here!"

TAP TAP TAP!

Zhang Li brought the cleaned fish to Su Chen. Drawing on his experience cooking Hubei Cuisine for Lu Yongliang, Su Chen quickly deboned the grass carp, removing the side spines and leaving only the meat from both sides. He then sliced it into thin fillets.

If you like fish, it’s also great for dipping in the hot pot.

Jingzhou People aren’t fussy about their hot pot. The main rule is to just throw in whatever you like to eat!

"Done!" Su Chen clapped his hands and walked smugly out of the kitchen, meeting everyone’s disappointed gazes.

"I thought the boss was going to cook something amazing himself... but it’s just mutton hot pot!"

"It’s not that mutton hot pot is bad, but what did the boss even do? Chop up some shrimp paste?"

"Sigh! In the end, we put our faith in the wrong person!"

Amid the chorus of complaints, Su Chen told Ah Bao he could start slicing the meat.

Although he didn’t have a special meat slicer, Ah Bao made do with a kitchen knife. He placed a white cloth over the strip of meat. The flash-frozen mutton was quite hard, and with a single downward slice of the knife...

...a thin slice of meat curled up perfectly!

The slices from different parts of the cut looked and felt quite different.

Before long, the large round table was laden with meat and vegetables, with just enough room for the ten of them to sit down.

In truth, everyone had been looking forward to this day for a long time, but they were usually too busy to even think about it.

Delicious had been brought back from the brink of bankruptcy, and every single person had put in a tremendous amount of effort. So today wasn’t just a celebration banquet; it was also a very important day.

However, this was something Su Chen and Liu Shengnan had arranged privately. The others didn’t know yet, and they were just waiting for the right opportunity to tell everyone.

Amid everyone’s boisterous cheers, Su Chen was the first to stand up.

"Everyone has worked hard this past month. Not only did we successfully pay next year’s rent, but we also established a new department!"

"The Delicious Student Meal Service will officially welcome its students in seven days."

CLAP CLAP CLAP!

Su Chen raised a hand, signaling for everyone to hold their applause. "Shuyu’s contributions to the new department were indispensable. Today, besides the mutton hot pot, I’ve also prepared a special gift for our great hero."

The boss waved his hand, and the quick-witted Bai Xiaobo scurried into the kitchen.

Sitting at the table, Ling Shuyu’s heart began to pound. ’I’d imagined this moment, but now that it’s actually happening, why am I so nervous?’

’He could have just given it to me in private...’

’Isn’t this going to be awkward in front of so many people?’

When a blushing Ling Shuyu looked up at Bai Xiaobo, she saw that he was carrying a plate of...

Eggs?

’No way. Boss, the special gift is just... eggs?’

"Damn it! It’s the tea eggs I’ve always wanted to try!" Brother Fang Chang stood up, posturing as if he were about to grab one.

Jiang Yuan yanked him back down. "That’s a reward for an employee. What are you making a fuss for?"

Zhang Li, He Shuting, and Liu Shengnan all breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the plate of eggs.

’Tea eggs are delicious, but if it’s just a matter of not getting to eat them tonight, it’s not that big of a deal.’

’Good thing it’s nothing too rare. If it were, we’d be dying of envy, wouldn’t we?’

’Mmm... You can do well, but you can’t outshine your sisters!’

Ling Shuyu accepted the plate of eggs, feeling a complex mix of emotions she couldn’t quite name, though disappointment was part of it.

’Maybe I just got my hopes up too high.’

Su Chen smiled. "Have one and see."

Ling Shuyu nodded silently. CRACK!

She cracked one of the eggs. The others watched, and seeing that it didn’t look any different from a normal egg, they all relaxed.

However, as Ling Shuyu peeled away the shell, someone quickly noticed a problem.

"This tea egg... it doesn’t smell like anything."

"Is it not a tea egg? Just a boiled egg?"

"Boss, just tell us what it is already!"

Bai Xiaobo, who knew the truth, was about to burst from holding it in. But Su Chen had given him prior instructions, and he wouldn’t dare reveal a single word, even if it killed him.

Su Chen maintained his infuriatingly calm expression. "Just try it."

Ling Shuyu also sensed something was different. She brought the peeled egg to her lips and gently bit off half.

Ooh!

Oh my god!

This cool sensation... it’s not an egg at all!

But why...

She looked down. What she held in her hand was clearly an egg white surrounding a yolk. There was no mistaking it!

Ling Shuyu even checked the other eggs again. They all looked perfectly intact. ’Does the boss know some kind of magic?’

’How did he get this stuff inside the eggshell?’

She took another bite.

The "egg white" had a springy, "Q" texture with a rich, milky flavor that was only slightly sweet, while the "yolk" had a soft, glutinous mouthfeel.

She could taste a hint of vegetable aroma.

"Boss, what is this?" Ling Shuyu asked, her cheeks puffed out, unable to contain her curiosity any longer.

Su Chen chuckled. "It’s a dessert from Yue Province called Fresh Milk Jelly Xue Dan. You empty out the real egg white and yolk, then remake it using vegetable juice and condensed milk."

"Huh?" He Shuting stared at the boss in shock. "Something like this actually exists? Let me try one!"

Her hand had just reached out when it grasped at empty air.

"These are mine, sorry..."

Ling Shuyu hugged the plate to her chest, her proud expression creating a barrier against everyone else’s eager anticipation.

Seeing that everyone was very interested in this new dessert, Su Chen smiled with satisfaction.

This thing was really just to satisfy their curiosity; it was decent as a little snack.

In the Gourmet Practice Room, it only received a B Level rating.

It was like some of the milk teas you find on the street—you could take them or leave them. But the first time you try one, you’ll definitely think it’s delicious!