The Gourmet Customizer

This little short-legs will eat anything. She's not picky at all!

Mm, easy to take care of!

The first dish is ready. Time to officially begin today's birthday banquet!

Lu Yongliang glanced outside. "Alright, they're here. I should go out and wish Master Cui a happy birthday."

"We won't go. We didn't prepare any gifts," Jiang Wusheng said.

"Fine. You guys carry on."

In the dining hall, Cui Yufen looked left and right, sizing up this bizarre place. Liu Fu followed behind her. "We really shouldn't have come here! I regretted it the moment I took a look yesterday. Who runs a place like this!"

Wang Peixing, however, found it rather novel. "This doesn't look like a restaurant at all! Is this some new style that's become popular?"

"Is that our dish on the table? What is this stuff? A dessert?" The second apprentice stared at the small, reddish-yellow pastries on the plate. The little sprig of cilantro on top felt incredibly perfunctory.

"Let's sit first," Cui Yufen commanded. Some twenty-odd people quickly took their seats at two large round tables.

"Aiya, Eldest Sister Cui! I had to ask all over the place to find out you were celebrating your birthday in Jingzhou this year. It's just a small gift, but I hope you'll accept it! You won't blame me for crashing your meal, will you?"

Liu Fu took the gift, and Lu Yongliang pointed to another one. "This is from Xiaoshang! He asked me to bring it to you."

Cui Yufen shot him a sideways glance and said irritably, "Yongliang, stop with the crocodile tears. Let me ask you, are you involved in what's happening today?"

Lu Yongliang's smile vanished. "What are you talking about? I don't understand! What's happening?"

Cui Yufen sneered. "Fine. It had better have nothing to do with you."

But inwardly, she was cursing him. 'Judging by Lu Yongliang's reaction, he's most likely involved. That old fox is up to no good!'

After Lu Yongliang sat down, Cui Yufen jutted her chin toward the kitchen. "You know this Boss Xiaosu?"

"We met once before. This is only my second time here."

'As if I'd believe you!'

'Don't think I didn't see the photo of you two at the entrance!'

Seeing she wouldn't get a straight answer out of Lu Yongliang, Cui Yufen pointed to the plate of pastries on the table. "What's this?"

Lu Yongliang suppressed a grin. "Why don't you try it and find out?"

Cui Yufen gave Liu Fu a look.

Her senior apprentice picked up a piece with his utensils and put it in his mouth.

CRUNCH!

"Damn! It's fried watermelon!"

PFFT!

The apprentices at the table couldn't hold back their laughter, which came out in chuckles and snorts of varying volumes.

"Old Qi, isn't fried watermelon your specialty? Hurry up and try it, tell us what's going on."

"Seriously... this Boss Su has some nerve, serving fried watermelon as the first course? I can't even imagine what he'll serve next!"

"This is outrageous, absolutely outrageous! To think he'd try to fool us with something like this. Does he really think that forty thousand yuan is easy money?"

Cui Yufen didn't stop her apprentices' clamor. She reached out, picked up a piece of watermelon, and ate it slowly, more interested in critiquing it.

The taste... there wasn't much to it. It was, in a word, sweet.

The sprinkled sugar was sweet. As she chewed, the juice flowed out, turning the crispy outer shell into a sweet, watermelon-flavored crust.

There was nothing terribly wrong with it, but you couldn't call it delicious either.

'Looks like this is the extent of Boss Xiaosu's skill.'

'I can eat today's meal without any worries!'

The apprentices' jeers were not stopped by their master, which was equivalent to Cui Yufen issuing a new order.

Today's meal could be subjected to "Martial Eating"!

Old Qi, at the same table, took a bite and spoke directly. "Modern fried watermelon has been improved. It uses 'zero-degree' watermelon, the starch coating on the outside is applied very thinly, and it's flash-fried so it doesn't lose the watermelon's inherent coolness. Eaten in the summer, it's not only cool and refreshing but also has a unique flavor."

"But this dish... heheh. All I can say is, the boss here knows nothing about this dish. He just threw it together recklessly, probably after glancing at a recipe and copying it all wrong."

TSK!

Seeing this display, Lu Yongliang understood.

'They're planning to give Boss Su a hard time!'

'They're already starting this with the very first dish. If this continues, they'll probably have the server call the chef out after the second dish, won't they?'

To critique his dishes to his face, one by one—that's "Martial Eating"!

"Civil Eating," on the other hand, is when you wait until the meal is over to have a friendly chat with the chef and point out the shortcomings of the dishes.

'I wonder if Boss Su can get through this today...'

Lu Yongliang started to worry for Su Chen.

In a situation like this, even if your cooking is perfect, you can't stop someone who's determined to find fault.

In the kitchen, He Shuting repeated everything she had just heard, word for word.

"They're going too far! This fried watermelon might taste a little weird and burn your mouth, but it's not as terrible as they're making it out to be!"

The little short-legs said indignantly, clenching her fists. She looked adorably fierce.

"Why don't you go get justice for the boss, then?" Xiaobai teased.

Zhang Li: X﹏X

"Boss Su, they're here for trouble! I don't know this Master Cui Yufen personally, but I've heard stories about her. She has a bad temper and can't stand anyone criticizing Lu Cuisine. A few years ago, when she first learned to use the internet, she even got into arguments with netizens. Everyone in our circle was watching."

Seeing Su Chen remain silent, Jiang Wusheng continued, "But Cui Yufen is a reasonable person. If she's in the wrong, she'll apologize online afterward. But if someone else is in the wrong..." Jiang Wusheng gave a helpless laugh. "Then she'll really latch onto them and never let go."

Su Chen nodded.

The first dish was just a test. After hearing the intel He Shuting brought back, Su Chen had a good grasp of the situation.

'In that case.'

Su Chen silently turned and walked back to the stove.

'Then let me give you Lu Cuisine chefs a little culinary shock!'

The first SS Level dish!

A dish that had never been seen by the world, a dish that no one had ever dared to attempt, and even, a dish that no one had ever imagined!

Clear, Creamy, Dual Dish!