Chen Ze was a bit stressed, not from staying up all night or indulging too much, but because when he actually received ingredients from the Otherworld, he was somewhat clueless about how to deal with them.
"This is bear meat from the Moonlight Giant Bear. I am not very clear on what ingredients humans can eat, so I had my subordinates collect some for me."
"This is a wing from the Storm Hawk, and this is Strong Liquor Grass."
Chen Ze felt that this was the longest speech Stan had made since entering the restaurant, as most of the time, Stan spoke in very brief sentences.
Twenty servings of Buffet, no more, no less, Stan ate quickly and left after dropping off these ingredients, leaving Chen Ze with a conflicted expression.
Chen Ze cautiously picked up a chunk of meat that looked unmistakably like a bear's paw; this must be from the Moonlight Giant Bear.
Chen Ze then turned his attention to the other two ingredients, a pair of huge wings, each wing as long as two tables. He estimated they were probably over two meters in length.
As for the Strong Liquor Grass, it seemed quite ordinary, similar to wild grass outdoors. Of course, it might also be that Chen Ze couldn't tell the difference, as he wasn't a biologist.
Apart from the scent of alcohol that was so strong it seemed to have reached its peak, just smelling it made Chen Ze feel as though he was about to get drunk.
"Hiss... This might be even scarier than a cocktail made with Vodka and whiskey," Chen Ze thought the unimpressive-looking grass was essentially mobile ethyl alcohol, and of a particularly high proof at that.
"Bear's paw, huh... I've never cooked that before. If I try, I'll probably ruin it." Chen Ze had some self-awareness of his cooking skills.
Making a simple braised pork was one thing, but dealing with a high-end ingredient like bear's paw was a challenge beyond his current skill level.
Chen Ze's gaze fell on the wings, partly because they were quite large and came in a pair, so even if he failed in preparing them, there was still a chance for redemption.
The other reason was Raphael. Chen Ze had previously seriously contemplated how to cook Raphael's wings.
Roasted chicken wings, braised duck wings, and such culinary creations ensured that not a single chicken or duck could leave the great nation intact.
Chen Ze put the bear's paw in a basin and stowed it in the freezer. He then bottled up the Strong Liquor Grass. He definitely didn't want to be stumbling drunk before even starting to cook.
Chen Ze picked up the kitchen knife. He planned to cut off some meat and try roasting it to see how it tasted.
Chen Ze carefully sliced the wing with the kitchen knife. Considering the ingredient was from the Otherworld and he had never heard of anything like the Storm Hawk, Chen Ze thought it was better to proceed with caution.
Then, at that moment, Chen Ze finally understood why it was named Storm Hawk.
"I... I bloody..." Chen Ze gripped the doorknob tightly, feeling as though he was about to be blown away.
Just making a small incision, the wound erupted with an incredibly powerful hurricane, almost blowing Chen Ze's 120-pound body parallel to the ground.
Yet, miraculously, nothing else in the kitchen was affected at all, as if that hurricane didn't exist.
Before Chen Ze's face could fully freeze from the gale, the wild force finally dissipated and he plopped onto the ground with a smack.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch..." Chen Ze rubbed his stomach, suspecting he had nearly met his maker.
Chen Ze glanced at the wings again and now had a much deeper appreciation for the ingredients from the Otherworld.
Chen Ze took a deep breath, stood up again before the wings, and picked up the kitchen knife, unshaken like an old dog in a storm, continuing his preparation work.
Possibly because all its power had been released, the hurricane did not appear again. After more than an hour, Chen Ze finally managed to completely debone one of the wings and sorted the meat and bones.
"With such huge wings, it's not like I can roast them and sell them, right? How to explain that to customers is another problem altogether." Chen Ze stroked his chin, recalling how he had previously discussed with Star ways to tackle difficult situations.
Star came up with a suggestion, and Chen Ze had a sudden realization.
"Alas, brother, although I know that your brain capacity is about the size of a walnut, couldn't you just set up a small stall outside the door to sell your dishes?"
A certain area in front of the restaurant was indeed allowed for setting up stalls to sell food, but it must not disturb the residents or cause pollution.
Chen Ze had tested before that these guests from the Otherworld would only appear inside the restaurant, never outside, so he could set up his stall with peace of mind.
Chen Ze looked at the pile of bones stacked on the side, not intending to throw them away, as they might be useful for making soup or something.
"Then, let me try how it tastes." Chen Ze cut a small slice of meat and placed it on the grill.
He brushed on some oil, watching the meat slowly change color, and Chen Ze suddenly felt a sense of achievement.
"But why can't I smell anything?" Chen Ze sniffed, and besides the smell of coal, there was no other aroma in the air, not even the fragrance of the meat.
"Hmm... sprinkle some cumin, and some chili powder..." Chen Ze felt a bit dejected.
Chen Ze took out a pair of chopsticks and picked up the slice of meat, putting it in his mouth.
"What is this?" Chen Ze was stunned.
The taste was unique, the meat tender, and it carried a certain punch, as if he had just bitten into a storm itself.
The flavor of cumin, the spiciness of the chili powder, and the meat of the Storm Hawk blended perfectly in Chen Ze's mouth, staging a grand symphony.
"This taste is just too good!" Chen Ze looked at the pile of meat, feeling like he was looking at a mountain of gold.
Chen Ze had tasted many barbecues, but none could compare with the meat of the Storm Hawk.
Chen Ze cut several more slices of meat to grill, his interest in the Storm Hawk's meat now particularly piqued.
Chen Ze didn't know how much he had eaten, but by the time he realized, he was already full, and the pile of meat beside him hadn't changed much.
"After all, those wings are so big... no matter how much I eat, it's just a drop in the bucket," Chen Ze rubbed his belly, contentedly belching.
Chen Ze took out his phone and saw it was already six o'clock in the evening.
"I should go do some real business first." Chen Ze stretched lazily. Since he decided to set up a stall at night, he needed to do some preparatory work first.
"The grill and coal are enough, and there's also a smoke extractor, otherwise it wouldn't be worth it to get complaints. I'll go to the supermarket and buy some meat," Chen Ze scratched his head.
Going full set with the business, although he didn't know if it would draw attention, selling that much meat without restocking could become a problem if someone observant took notice in the future.
After buying several dozen pounds of meat from the supermarket and returning, Chen Ze put all the pork into the freezer, so next time he could continue making braised pork.
"Well then, off to set up the stall." Chen Ze flexed his fingers, pushed out the prepared skewers and grill, and locked the door behind him; he didn't want any guests from the Otherworld during this time.
Looking at the bustling night view of Sun Moon City, Chen Ze smiled in satisfaction; all of this represented money.
Chen Ze set up the barbecue stall, turned on the smoke extractor, and hung a sign behind him.
"Chen's Storm Roast, 10 yuan per skewer."