Chapter 132: "Won’t Give? Then I’ll Rob!
After seeing Li Zexing off, Shen Lu watched from the window for a while. Once the fans at the entrance had mostly dispersed, she went into the spare bedroom.
"You and Li Zexing aren’t on good terms?"
’Otherwise, why would he have sent me so many messages telling me to make him leave?’
Fu Cheng watched her, his face expressionless. It wasn’t that he was displeased with Shen Lu; it was just that he could only manage simple expressions right now. ’He couldn’t exactly crack a smile at a time like this, could he?’
Fu Cheng shared his Light Brain’s screen.
Fu Cheng: It’s okay. He’s my friend’s younger brother.
Shen Lu let out a soft "oh." "So he came to see you to...?"
Fu Cheng: Just to check on me.
Fu Cheng understood Li Zexing’s real reason for coming perfectly well, but he didn’t want to tell Shen Lu.
No matter what, he wouldn’t leave Shen Lu easily, just as she hadn’t abandoned him during his most difficult time.
"Alright, I’m going back downstairs to get busy. Lunch will still be a bit late."
Usually, Shen Lu and her staff would eat after most of the lunch rush was over. Most restaurant workers either ate at this time or ate beforehand.
Shen Lu tucked Fu Cheng in, then carried the teapot and cup downstairs.
Cai Su naturally took the things from her hands. After asking about them, she washed the teacup. Shen Lu went to check on the braised pork, turned down the heat, and started stir-frying the shredded potatoes.
She took the soaked, shredded potatoes from the System Warehouse, drained them, then heated oil in the wok.
Without needing to be told, Cai Su automatically stood to the side, silently observing to learn the key points of stir-frying shredded potatoes.
"If you want the shredded potatoes to be crispy, you have to soak them in water for a long time after slicing to wash away the starch. The stir-frying time shouldn’t be too long, either. Take them out of the wok as soon as they’re cooked."
Stir-fried shredded potatoes wasn’t a complicated dish, so Shen Lu finished it quickly. In less than half an hour, she had stir-fried an entire large basin of them.
Next was the Kung Pao chicken. She heated the wok, poured in a suitable amount of cooking oil, and added the chicken. She quickly broke it apart, and as soon as the meat turned white, she removed it and set it aside.
Leaving a little oil in the wok, she tossed in Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies. She stir-fried them over medium-low heat until fragrant, then added diced carrots and the other side vegetables. Once those were cooked through, she returned the chicken to the wok. She stir-fried everything on high heat for thirty seconds, poured in the sauce, and once it all took on a glossy sheen, she added chili oil. Finally, she tossed in the peanuts, and the dish was ready.
This was more complex to cook than the shredded potatoes. As soon as she finished, Shen Lu immediately started stir-frying some baby bok choy while also reducing the sauce for the braised pork. She managed to get all the dishes out before 11:30.
[DING~ New mission issued: Sell 150 Braised Pork Sets and 50 Kung Pao Chicken Sets. Achieve a total revenue of 40,000 Star Coins and maintain a customer satisfaction rating of three stars or higher. Time limit: eight hours.]
The daily mission was issued. Shen Lu looked it over while washing her hands. ’In other words, at least 200 customers need to dine here today.’
’It probably won’t be a problem. The past two days, we’ve had a little over 200 customers. Today should be no exception.’
Shen Lu hastily edited a video of the Kung Pao chicken and posted it.
The people from the Gold Street Management Department came for another meal. In a single rush, over twenty sets went out, and Shen Lu once again received an expense form.
"Xiao Shen, this Kung Pao chicken tastes great. Keep up the good work and add a few more new dishes. Oh, and start offering à la carte stir-fries as soon as possible." The department head patted his stomach, putting on official airs and bossing her around as if he were her direct superior.
Shen Lu couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. She just smiled, played along, and saw the management department staff out.
Just as she was about to head back inside, she ran into the members of the Gale Mercenary Corps.
Shen Lu looked at the string of fierce, menacing men behind Xue Can and asked with a puzzled expression, "You’re here to...?"
"To eat," Xue Can uttered two words.
"Please, come in, come in."
’To be blunt,’ she thought, ’they didn’t look like they were here to eat. They looked more like they were here to start trouble.’
People who had seen blood had a different aura from ordinary folk. To avoid disturbing the other customers, Shen Lu had them sit in the booth area.
"Mr. Xue, why don’t you go take a look and see which sets you’d like to order?"
Xue Can: "Alright."
Little Bei, who was next to him, immediately stood up too. "I’ll go, I’ll go! Boss doesn’t know everyone’s tastes, but I do."
Xue Can shot him a look but ultimately said nothing.
"Okay." It was only one extra person, so Shen Lu agreed.
The braised pork set was targeted at meat lovers. For those who didn’t like anything too greasy, they could choose the Kung Pao chicken, which had a lighter texture. It was fragrant, spicy, and went perfectly with rice.
Little Bei wiped away some nonexistent drool from the corner of his mouth and sighed with genuine emotion, "Boss Shen, your food is so cheap."
A set meal with meat for only 120 Star Coins was an unbeatable value. He’d never seen anything like it anywhere else.
"Times are tough for everyone," Shen Lu said casually. "Mr. Xue, you know the purchase limits here. The old rules still apply."
"Of course, of course."
Little Bei quickly placed an order for one full set per person. Wang Daguo had to make several trips back and forth to bring all their food.
"Enjoy your meal. Just give me a shout if you need anything."
Shen Lu returned to the front counter and continued to serve other customers.
Little Bei eagerly took a bite of a braised chicken leg and cried out in amazement, "It’s real! It’s real!"
Veins popped on Xue Can’s forehead. "Shut your mouth!"
Little Bei swallowed the chicken and lowered his voice. "Boss, Boss Shen’s food can really soothe the Spiritual Sea!"
Another man, this one with a single eye, said, "I can’t believe what the boss said was true."
If Xue Can hadn’t given them each a glass of mint water yesterday, and if they hadn’t come today to eat Shen Lu’s other dishes, they truly wouldn’t have believed him based on his word alone.
Xue Can crossed his arms. "When have I ever lied to you?"
If he hadn’t felt that the fact that Shen Lu’s food could soothe the Spiritual Sea was impossible to hide, he really wouldn’t have wanted to tell the rest of the corps.
Unfortunately, he had no control over Shen Lu, which meant that sooner or later, others would find out.
’Instead of letting others enjoy the benefits, it’s better to let my own corps members get first dibs.’
Little Bei finished a chicken leg in two bites, then swallowed a braised egg in one go. With his mouth still bulging, he managed to say, "True, the boss never lies. His lips are just sealed tighter than a clam’s."
"Even food can’t shut you up," Xue Can said, shooting Little Bei a cold glare.
The others weren’t as noisy as Little Bei; they all just buried their heads in their food.
The food wasn’t just delicious; it was also good for their Spiritual Seas. They had never encountered such a wonderful thing before.
Xue Can’s table manners weren’t what you’d call refined, but he was still a bit more elegant than his corps members, who were wolfing down their food.
Men were fast eaters to begin with, especially mercenaries like them who were used to finishing a meal in just a few bites. In less than five minutes, every plate was clean—they had even licked up every last drop of sauce.
"Boss, I don’t feel full. Can I get another serving?"
One person spoke up, and several others chimed in.
Little Bei, picking his teeth, shot them down on Xue Can’s behalf.
"Forget it. Boss Shen has purchase limits here. You can only eat this much at a time. No more."
A sinister-looking man slammed his fist on the table, not too hard, not too soft. "She won’t give us more? Then we’ll take it!"
Xue Can sneered. "Take it? What, you want to have a go at Ye Fan and Lin Zhou?"
The man froze. He’d almost forgotten that some of their own corps members were in charge of security here.