After booting up his old desktop in his bedroom,
Aiden started searching the internet for new recipes to learn. He thought for a while and
decided to look for pastry recipes.
Not only could pastries last for several days, but a large number could also be made
without stealing the spotlight from the supreme chicken noodle soup. Aiden's face
glowed with the reflected light of computer screen as he scanned the search results.
Aiden read up on pastry making well into the night.
As the hours passed, Aiden gradually perfected a brand new dish using his impressive
culinary skills and newfound knowledge. And just like that, the weekend was saved.
Midnight's snack corner was usually open from 6.30 a.m. to 10.30 p.m. Usually, the
restaurant didn't have many customers early in the morning.
Aiden himself was rarely in the mood for a bowl of chicken noodle soup right before
school, but that was the past. This was the present. Saturday, 6.30 a.m. Although they
had prepared for the upcoming strike, Morris and Clara were still shocked when they saw
the mob waiting to enter the restaurant.
The line, which stretched hundreds of feet from the entrance of the shop, took up more
than half of the street. It was clear that not all the customers here this morning lived in
the neighborhood. After several days of percolation, news of Midnight's snack corner and
its miraculous supreme chicken noodle soup had spread throughout neighboring towns,
attracting customers from across the county.
Just by glancing at the line, you could see that there were at least a hundred customers
present, all clamoring for their own bowl of soup. Passersby saw the crowd and
wondered what all the fuss was about. Many of them also ended up joining the line,
curious to try this incredible soup everyone seemed to be raving about.
Naturally, Boss Romano and his lackeys were right at the front of the line. As soon as the
door opened, Boss Romano excitedly patted the shiny bald patch on his rather large
head and exclaimed, Look at that! It's finally open! I've been starving to death out here!
As the crowd poured in, the small snack bar quickly filled to capacity. Luckily, they were
prepared.
Not only had they set up tables and chairs near the entrance, but they had also
borrowed additional seats from neighboring stores to be sure that they'd have enough.
But even with all these preparations, there were still customers with nowhere to sit. They
were forced to hold their bowls in their hands and eat while standing.
The familiar sound of customers slurping up noodles filled the store. The customers all
smiled with satisfaction. They had nothing but praise for the noodles.
This is delicious! I've never had such amazing chicken noodle soup in my life! Such a
simple combination of ingredients, but so fragrant and satisfying! It's fantastic! Damn it!
I could still go for another bowl! If I knew it would be this good, I would have ordered two
bowls! Now I have to wait in line all over again! Crap! We're going to be late for work!
We'll have to start waiting in line at four tomorrow morning! It's worth it for more of this
wonderful soup! The satisfied looks on the customers' faces, not to mention the
seductive aroma that wafted out of the restaurant, had the people who were still waiting
drooling in anticipation. Inside the pastry shop across the street, Rudy stared menacingly
at the sea of people in front of the snack bar, his eyes flashing malevolently. He looked
at the young man wearing a peaked cap beside him.
You know what to do, right? He asked. Of course, I'm a professional. I'll just tell them I
found a fly in my soup, the old routine.
But Rudy, bro, you know you shouldn't worry about crap like this, right? Rudy glowered
but didn't respond. Shaking his head, the young man lowered the brim of his cap and
joined the end of the long line. The next moment, two slender figures could be seen
walking slowly down the street towards Midnight's Snack Corner.
The two beautiful girls who
waltzed down the street could have been celebrities. The girl on the left had a cute,
almost childlike appearance that was accentuated by her light yellow dress, which
seemed to add a hint of warmth to her temperament.
The girl on the right, on the other hand, was pretty but seemed stern. She wore a white
t-shirt and straight-legged jeans, which gave her a somewhat ethereal presence. As the
two beautiful young girls continued to walk toward the restaurant, customers began
taking notice of the spectacle they created.
Some acted like gentlemen and stood up to offer their seats to the girls. Morris and
Clara, both busy with customers, were already sweating profusely. When they noticed
the two young ladies, they pushed through the crowd to greet them.
Ahem, ladies, Morris shouted above the noise, if you want to eat at our restaurant,
please begin by lining up at the back of the line. That's only fair to the other customers,
you know? Smiling and shaking their heads, the girls responded, we came here to help.
Morris and Clara were stunned.
Help? Clara asked uncertainly. The next moment, Aiden stuck his head out of the
kitchen. This was the first time he had seen the two beauties without their school
uniforms.
His eyes lit up as he greeted them. Viola, Mia, you've come! Dad, Mom, they're my
classmates. They've come to help.
When Viola and Mia found out that Aiden's family was organizing these events at their
store on weekends, they offered to help out. Aiden saw no reason to refuse, but he'd
forgotten to tell his parents they would be coming today. But, but... Morris and Clara
looked the two girls over, noticing how neatly they were dressed.
They were embarrassed to hand them the only two aprons they had, which were dirty
and covered in oil and smoke. But without hesitating, Viola and Mia tied them around
their waist and rushed to the kitchen to start working. This little devil, do you think he's
dating both of them at once? Maybe.
Have you ever heard of someone dating two girls at once? Morris and Clara looked at
each other, dumbfounded. With Viola and Mia there to help, the work went quickly.
What's more, the sight of the two beautiful girls bustling around the store managed to
attract a large number of male customers who could see into the restaurant through
large windows at the front of the building.
Time passed, but the line never seemed to get any shorter. To Aiden and the others
working inside the shop, the parade of customers began to feel endless. Eventually,
there were so many orders that they ran out of ingredients.
There simply wasn't any food left. Standing at the entrance of the restaurant, Morris
shouted to the customers waiting in line, We are sold out! There is no more chicken
noodle soup left! Anyone who wants to try our famous supreme chicken noodle soup will
need to come back earlier tomorrow! What? Are you kidding me? How? How can this be?
The people in line began complaining loudly, but the only thing Morris could do was
apologize. A sneering young man in a peaked cap spat resentfully, We've been waiting
here for hours and you think you could come out and tell us all to go away just like that?
Despite his confident front, inwardly the young man was afraid he wouldn't be able to
complete the mission for Rudy, but his words seemed to have resonated with the crowd,
who waved their arms angrily and hooted in agreement.
If something didn't happen, and soon, a riot could very well break out. At that moment, a
large man, still bearing his naked arms in the autumn cold, emerged from the alleyway
beside the shop. He strolled into the crowd and came to a stop in front of the young man
wearing the peaked cap.
Why didn't you come earlier then, you bastard? he demanded. Maybe you didn't know
this, so listen good. This is Boss Romano's turf.
You don't come here and treat people with disrespect. We're the ones who decide who's
getting the respect around here. Now, you better move the hell on and get the hell out of here before you regret the day you ever heard of this place.
Frightened by the older man's sighs, the pale-faced young man left the scene without
another word. Soon after, the others dispersed as well. They were not eager to make the
large man any angrier than he already seemed to be.
Soon after, Aiden came out to investigate the commotion he'd heard from inside. The
large man approached Aiden and met him with a very different kind of greeting. Boss
Romano apologizes for this, and are very much regrets for previous behavior in front of
your parents, he said respectfully.
He was afraid someone would come here and bother you after your business took off, so
he had me hang out and keep an eye on things. I recognize the kid who was complaining
just now. Just some little wannabe loser who gets his bread stealing from candy stores
and running scams on little old ladies.
Don't worry about that guy, bro. Aiden watched at the departing figure of the young man
and fell into a deep thought.