IHOEAYSTTTIW Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Vicious Business Warfare? No! This is a Golden Snack!

Chapter 29: Vicious Business Warfare? No! This is a Golden Snack!

Lin Yan was raring to go in the kitchen, but his enthusiasm fizzled out as he waited for people who never came.

Seeing that lunchtime was almost over, Lin Yan casually made two small dishes and put them in a lunchbox to visit Master Yun, Master Gu, and Master Cheng, who had worked hard for half a day but achieved nothing.

The well-decorated shop was empty. Lin Yan placed the lunchbox on the table and muttered to himself, “Why is there no one here?”

“Maybe it was a mistake to decorate the shop like this?” Cheng Que spoke without realizing someone was in the shop. He turned pale when he saw Lin Yan and the words were already out.

He greeted him apologetically and laid out the food on the table.

Lin Yan took a couple of bites and lost his appetite. He made up an excuse and retreated to the kitchen.

He had talked big, spent the money, and thought the shop would be bustling, but it was deserted. People didn’t even give him a chance to prove himself. Lin Yan felt somewhat dejected. For the first time, he felt that things from his era were not suitable for the Great Zhou. Perhaps following convention would be a better choice.

“Big Brother isn’t full, is he?” Yun Qi placed a delicately arranged meal in front of Lin Yan and served him some rice. “I snatched these from Old Gu.”

Ever since he realized that Yun Qi’s feelings for him had changed, Lin Yan had been trying to avoid him. But right now, he didn’t have the energy to care about that. He needed someone who understood him, and that person could only be Yun Qi.

“Is it because…” Lin Yan didn’t finish his sentence, listlessly picking at the vegetables in front of him, like a scolded puppy who had lost interest in his favorite toy.

“It’s okay, Big Brother. Accepting new things always takes time.” Yun Qi skillfully peeled a shrimp and placed it in Lin Yan’s bowl, gently and patiently persuading him. “Big Brother could do a tasting event like you did before.”

“That’s right.” Lin Yan’s eyes lit up. He felt he had been spoiled by Master Zhang, always thinking that as long as he brought out the food, someone would buy it all. He had forgotten how he initially opened up the market. Lin Yan shoveled the rice into his mouth haphazardly, muttering and beckoning Yun Qi, “Eat a little more, then come and help me later.”

“No need, I’ve already eaten.” The corners of Yun Qi’s mouth turned up slightly, a hint of joy in his eyes.

There wasn’t a single customer in the shop, yet Lin Yan kept telling him to go to the kitchen to help, wasn’t it just because he was worried that his identity was sensitive and he would be kidnapped?

Care and love were only one word apart, and love had only one more word than care. Lin Yan cared about him, so, rounding it up, Lin Yan loved him.

Yun Qi nodded secretly, feeling his logic was self-consistent. So, Yun Qi decisively refused: “Old Gu is a bit unreliable on his own, I’ll go help him.”

“You…”

“Don’t worry, I put on makeup today, no one will recognize me.” Yun Qi brought his face closer to Lin Yan. Apart from the scar that couldn’t be removed, everything else had been carefully painted. It couldn’t be said that he looked completely different from his original appearance, but at least they were unrelated.

Lin Yan cared about him so much, how could he hide behind and reap the rewards? Especially since Gu Zhan’s bandit-style customer acquisition had yielded nothing all morning. If he continued to “help” in the kitchen, when would the River Sister flavor open?

Lunchtime had passed, and the number of people at First-Class Restaurant not only didn’t decrease but increased. The owner of First-Class Restaurant was known for his stinginess in the Capital City, but their dishes were famous far and wide. Business was usually good, and with today’s promotional activities, it was naturally bustling with noise.

“Is there anything that can draw them over…” Lin Yan looked at the stream of people entering First-Class Restaurant, his eyes filled with envy. He touched his chin and began to think about what kind of food would be most enticing…

It had to be novel, infectious, preferably low-cost, and able to waft its fragrance for miles…

Wait!

Waft its fragrance for miles?

Lin Yan glanced at the wooden box in the corner and suddenly slapped the window frame: “This is good!”

Gu Zhan positioned the small cart at the entrance and turned to ask Lin Yan, who was carrying two buckets of oil, “Is it okay to put it here?”

“Yes, yes.” Lin Yan put down the oil and helped Yun Qi pile the flat wooden boxes beside the cart.

Lin Yan was good-looking and attracted attention wherever he went, let alone on this street where First-Class Restaurant and River Sister were located, the most prosperous street in the Capital City.

As soon as Lin Yan came out, people were peeking from the shadows, and diners in First-Class Restaurant also quietly shifted their attention in this direction.

“If you can’t sell the dishes, you start selling flesh?” Manager Luo of First-Class Restaurant scoffed, dismissing River Sister’s price-cutting business tactic.

“Don’t worry, Manager Luo.” Lin Yan skillfully heated the wok, and when he estimated it was almost ready, he poured the prepared oil in all at once. “When it’s done, I’ll definitely send you a portion first.”

Lin Yan’s generous move stirred up a commotion in the crowd, and many people began to gather at the entrance of River Sister.

“Is he going to fry meatballs? Putting aside everything else, their oil is really good.”

“Who uses wooden boxes to hold meatballs?”

“Look at what you’re saying, no one else has their decoration, either.”

Lin Yan opened the lid and used chopsticks to pick up the fermented stinky tofu, placing it in the bubbling oil. The hot oil in the pot was immediately awakened, roaring “Crack”, and the tofu rolled around in the pot. The “fragrance” quickly spread out.

“Ew–what’s that smell?”

The stinky tofu unleashed an AOE attack, and the crowd that had just gathered instantly dispersed. People who had originally planned to have a good meal at First-Class Restaurant turned around and left, and even some diners sitting in the restaurant got up to leave.

Manager Luo personally took the field but couldn’t stop them. He could only watch helplessly as fewer and fewer people were in the restaurant, spitting fiercely in Lin Yan’s direction: “What a vicious scheme.”

Lin Yan couldn’t care about that. The bamboo chopsticks in his hand moved and stirred, ensuring that each piece of tofu was evenly heated.

The tofu, which had been quietly sitting at the bottom of the pot, quickly puffed up with bubbles and slowly floated to the surface. The tofu was fried until slightly curled up, presenting a crispy golden brown color.

Lin Yan gracefully arranged the stinky tofu on a paper plate, sprinkling it with chopped green onions, minced garlic, and bright red chili sauce. Black, gold, green, white, and red intertwined, making it look appetizing.

People who had retreated to a safe distance edged closer a little, but before they could approach the stall, the unique “fragrance” domineeringly drilled into their nostrils, rushing straight to the top of their heads.

People who had just mustered the courage to try it retreated at the speed of light, frowning and looking in the direction of River Sister, waiting for the first person to try the strange specialty dish.

The first person to try it soon appeared: Manager Luo of First-Class Restaurant.

Manager Luo had never taken the bunch of oddballs across the street seriously. When Lin Yan took out that pile of things, he scoffed even more. But now, he had to pay attention.

It wasn’t that he had noticed the potential of what Lin Yan was making, it was just that the pungent smell had driven away all the customers from his restaurant.

Manager Luo walked to Lin Yan’s stall with a dark face. The pungent smell made it almost impossible for him to open his eyes. He tried to maintain his cold expression, but it only looked more comical.

Lin Yan barely suppressed the corners of his rising mouth and handed the bowl in his hand to Manager Luo: “Freshly fried stinky tofu, would you like to try some, Manager?”

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