The restaurant was located in a Mexican Descendant community in Los Angeles, and it was quite remote, exceptionally hard to find. Even with Jarvis as a living navigation system, after disembarking from the Flying Shuttle, they still walked for over 20 minutes before finding the place.
As is widely known in America, most communities of color have security issues. The Mexican Descendant community is notoriously insular; if you don't speak Spanish or the local dialect, you basically can't fit in. Even the police would rather avoid this area.
However, with the explosion of short videos, there were always those daredevils who, in pursuit of a single bite of delicious food, risked their safety to explore these eateries.
As foot traffic increased, the local economy naturally started booming. Mexicans are particularly adept at running street stalls; 80% of roadside stands in California are operated by Mexicans, so gradually, a food street began to take shape here.
The police and city officials, unable to confront the local ethnic groups, simply joined in, conducting symbolic patrols, greeting tourists, and burnishing their reputation. This area gradually evolved into a famous food district in southern Los Angeles.
The most bustling spot had to be this small shop that initially went viral. Originally so remote that hardly anyone visited, with a menu only in Spanish, aside from fellow Mexicans, Americans couldn't even order takeout. Plus, the food was relatively expensive, not matching the local residents' spending power, and the restaurant was on the verge of closing down.
But ever since an American young man proficient in Spanish posted a review video, the place became incredibly popular and expanded several times, hiring quite a few employees.
The young man originally made videos exploring communities—yes, America's Tiktok had a dedicated theme called community adventure, specifically targeting those dangerous communities, exploring their human and cultural environments.
These areas were genuinely perilous; using the word 'adventure' wasn't an exaggeration at all. Encountering gun battles or robberies was common, so many people loved to watch these videos.
The young man, after walking around and suddenly feeling hungry, happened to come upon this small shop. The Mexican dishes there amazed him. Not only were they authentic and delicious, but they also suited his American palate.
Many might think authentic and locally palatable are mutually exclusive for foreign cuisines, but in fact, with California's long history of immigration, Mexican culture has grown alongside several generations of Californians. Their local tastes are naturally compatible with Mexican cuisine; thus, they can coexist.
What's more admirable is that after the shop went viral, they deliberately offered extra money to buy their neighbor's house so the neighbors could move to a better community. This was because during their previous brink of closure, it was the neighbors who had kept the business afloat.
Moreover, the staff he hired was either single mothers from the local community or kids who, due to challenging family circumstances, couldn't attend school and had to work early. This move made his shop even more popular.
After several turns, Shiller finally found the shop but realized they had chosen an unlucky day to visit. It was the weekend, and the queue was like a conga line; it seemed impossible to get a meal before evening.
But Shiller quickly saw a sign at the entrance stating that paying extra to skip the line was permitted, with the proceeds going to fund education for children in the community.
So, there wasn't much to discuss. Shiller chose to pay extra, which wasn't much—200 US dollars to enter directly. It might be a lot for nearby residents, but it was chump change for Shiller.
Clearly, other rich visitors from out of town had chosen this option too. Once inside, Shiller could see an area full of people dressed in designer clothes, presumably all who had paid extra to get in.
Thinking since he had already spent the money, he might as well make it count, Shiller handed the cash to Helen and let her pass it on. With an appearance that appealed to both young and old, Helen got them seated at the best spot by the window just by acting cute.
This time, Shiller learned his lesson and led everyone to their seats very low-key to avoid drawing attention and causing any disputes. Wanda wore a mask, posing as Helen's mother, and sat down with Jarvis.
Fortunately, everything was calm, and perhaps it was because the restaurant's food was genuinely good. Everyone else was too busy eating to pay them any mind.
As soon as their dishes arrived, Shiller knew from the aroma they wouldn't disappoint. Indeed, all the food here differed from other fusion restaurants in Los Angeles, offering a flavor profile unobtainable in traditional Caucasian cuisine—fresh and spicy.
All ingredients were exceptionally fresh, especially the fish. As the restaurant was far from Los Angeles harbor, getting fresh fish wasn't easy. Shiller loved fish, and he could tell that the fish served here must not have been out of the water for more than two hours before cooking, a miracle in such a metropolitan city.
Furthermore, the Mexican sauces were wonderfully flavored. While both were spicy, they distinguished themselves from the kind of spice common in China and didn't have the overload of sugar found in many Mexican restaurants, which tends to produce a sweet and spicy taste, favoring instead a local fresh and spicy flavor.
The tacos here were authentically stuffed with offal, free of any off-putting aftertaste, enhancing the texture, and the cheese was used just right.
Comparing it to Gonzalez's tacos, Gonzalez's flavors were richer, while this place showcased the ingredients' natural flavors better—both were delicious.
Everyone sweated through the meal, and even Shiller was heavily hit by the spice. After finishing with a refreshing cactus juice, he leaned back in his chair with a long sigh of relief and casually pulled out a hundred-dollar bill for a tip.
It was the best meal he had had in a long time.
Before dining, he had filmed a video with a narration. After eating, he meticulously shared his impressions, edited the footage, added some music, and posted it online.
Wanda watched him muttering away, laughing uncontrollably. Yet upon recalling Shiller's words from before, she suddenly looked distressed.
Even if she wanted to create an account, she had no idea how to start it. A Mutant-themed account couldn't just post various food reviews, could it?
After Shiller's first video was posted, his follower count skyrocketed terrifyingly fast, spurred by Ultron sharing his video and highlighting Shiller's identity.
Fans were excited to learn that this mysterious psychiatrist finally had his own account, but the video comments made Shiller feel like his fans were a bit too chatty.
The top-ranked comment read, "Our beloved Doctor has finally left primitive society."
Shiller replied with a few angry red faces underneath.
He didn't have an account before, but it's not like he didn't surf the internet. Why make it seem like he was a caveman?
Of course, it didn't take long for fans to start asking him if the recipes he collected were any good, but that's a long story. Shiller promised to review them later.
After reviewing two coffee shops, both not so great and typical social media favorites, he finished just in time for the group to meet up.
Before boarding the plane, in the airport's VIP lounge, Wanda came to find Shiller while he was distributing corn chips he'd packed from the Mexican restaurant to everyone. When he saw Wanda approach, the two of them stepped aside.
Wanda said, somewhat conflicted, "I think I should start an account, too. I can't always have Jarvis do it for me. What do you think I should post, Doctor?"
"Making videos?" Shiller thought about it and said, "Since you're frequently active on Earth, it's not necessary to constantly bring up the Andromeda Galaxy. Otherwise, it would seem forced. Why not let Polaris, who often works in the Andromeda Galaxy, create an account to share the scenery? As for you, why not film your daily life?"
"Daily life? Will that achieve the promotional effect?"
"At the very least, it could let people know that Mutant life isn't much different from anyone else's, and maybe inform some that you aren't a horror killer."
Wanda appeared to take this to heart but was still considering what exactly to film. The scope of everyday life is broad, and capturing the audience's attention is quite challenging.
Wanda did occasionally enjoy videos on daily life. She admired the well-organized existences of the vloggers and wondered if she could create similar content, but could it really catch on?
Eddie, who seemed to overhear their conversation – more precisely, Venom did – leaned in and whispered to Wanda, "There are too many people filming their daily lives. You won't catch up with the trendsetters if you start now."
Wanda immediately turned to him and asked, "Do you have a better idea?"
"You could do a couple's blog," Venom proposed. "You and Jarvis are both attractive, a Mutant and a Robot couple with two lovely kids. Followers would definitely be curious about your love story."
Just then, Shiller received a message from Ultron asking if he was with Wanda. Ultron suggested that he film a video with Wanda and Jarvis, which was guaranteed to go viral.
Because the topic of Robots having children had become a new trend, many were curious how Wanda and Jarvis managed to have kids.
This intrigue sparked tales of their origins, with fans crafting a series of legendary romantic fantasies, eagerly waiting for the real story to be confirmed.
Shiller thought it over and also believed it was a great idea. Jarvis and Wanda indeed made a handsome pair, both with great images and being an actual couple with kids. Moreover, being slightly lovestruck as Wanda was, they always aimed for romantic anniversaries. Wasn't this the making of ideal couple vloggers?
But Wanda still lacked confidence, "Could this really work? When Jarvis and I started dating, many people were skeptical. Would anyone really like to watch this?"
"Of course," Venom confidently stated. "After browsing for a few days, I've realized people love watching others fall in love. Heck, even if there's no actual romance, they enjoy fantasizing about it, like with Eddie and me..."
At that moment, Eddie timely intervened, cutting off Venom. "I should never have let you see my phone! What the hell are you watching all the time? I'm warning you, don't even think about stealing someone's horse! Not even a motorcycle!"
"Then buy me chocolate!"
"I've already bought you so much chocolate!"
"But they said you'd buy me more!" Venom argued. "They also said you'd build me a chocolate castle!"
"Oh God, that's their fantasy, not reality! Where would I get the money to build you a chocolate castle?!"
"I don't care! I like their fantasy. I want a chocolate castle taller than the Stark Building so I can laugh at the other Symbionts..."
Eddie walked away, grumbling.
Lost in thought, Wanda considered the idea might genuinely work. Shiller just patted her shoulder and said, "If you really make it big, build Venom that chocolate castle."
"Don't worry, if it really works out, I'll mold him a chocolate planet!"