"Ice cubes, anthracite..."
All those items had already been purchased, and he was left with just three hundred thousand.
After all, things like anthracite and ice cubes could be bought with a prepayment, but large machines were another story.
Ice machines, fireplaces, and large diesel generators were things he hadn't found in his previous supplies.
Thus, money was needed to purchase them.
With the remaining three hundred thousand, he planned to enjoy the local flavors of the commercial city.
The place Su Chen was in was also located in the West District, but the ice factory was almost at the edge of the bustling city, while he was situated in the central part of West City.
This back-and-forth trip took two hours.
After returning, Su Chen went straight into a well-known local restaurant, Yalin Music Restaurant.
Although this place wasn't as famous as a Michelin-star restaurant, its status in the commercial city was comparable.
Here, the average spend per person reached four digits!
Of course, this restaurant was legitimate, with no indecent services that might be found elsewhere.
The requirements for ingredients and chefs were nearly taken to the extreme, even to the point of being harsh.
It's said that someone once offered a ten-million annual salary to poach the head chef from Yalin, but she flatly refused the offer.
The reason she gave was quite simple:
She felt comfortable working at Yalin Music Restaurant.
Here, she didn't have to cater to anyone's palate; she could cook whatever she wanted.
In addition to dining, patrons could also order drinks, read books, or enjoy tea at this music restaurant.
That's why Su Chen arrived so early.
In his previous life, he was so busy with work that he didn't have time to visit high-end music restaurants, let alone relax in a café with a book.
Now, in the few days leading up to the apocalypse, he decided to fully unwind.
"Hello, welcome. How many of you?"
"Just one. Please find me a seat by the window."
Guided by the server, Su Chen took a seat by the window, and the server brought a glass of water: "Would you like to order drinks or a meal?"
Su Chen replied, "First, let's have some drinks."
The server presented a menu filled with wines all brewed in-house at Yalin Music Restaurant, which made them significantly pricier.
"I'll have a glass of Baijiani."
"Certainly, please wait a moment."
Su Chen found a book on the shelf, "Strange Chronicles," along with a "Classic of Mountains and Seas."
According to his memories from his previous life, at the beginning of the catastrophe, a strange power caused many creatures to mutate.
But rather than calling it mutation, Su Chen preferred to call it "reversion"!
He also had some understanding of the strange beasts described in the "Classic of Mountains and Seas." At one time, he had seen a snake with four wings during a flood, which produced a unique sound like stones striking each other.
As he turned the pages of the "Classic of Mountains and Seas," he eventually stopped at one particular page.
The "Ming Snake" was described to look like a snake with four wings, its sound resembling the chime of a stone. Seeing it would indicate a severe drought.
Excited, Su Chen thought, "Just as I thought! That's a reverted monster!"
The Ming Snake was indeed a creature documented in the "Classic of Mountains and Seas!"
A drought-inducing snake appearing in a flood?
It seemed not all entries in the "Classic of Mountains and Seas" were accurate.
Perhaps because the Ming Snake was adept at manipulating water, it was mistaken for the cause of the drought!
He became so engrossed in the books that he suddenly remembered he was hungry.
"Excuse me!"
"Sir, would you like to order now?"
Su Chen nodded, "Yes."
The server presented the menu, and Su Chen noticed it was filled with high-end restaurant dishes.
Pan-seared foie gras, salted frog legs, golden duck tongues...
Finally, Su Chen's gaze landed on the last page, which had a question mark.
"What does this mean?"
The price next to the question mark was the highest—seventeen thousand yuan.
"This is a dish specially prepared by our head chef, and what it is will depend on her creative input."
Realizing this, Su Chen said, "Oh, that sounds interesting. I'll have that."
The server looked surprised. "Alright, I'll arrange that now."
Initially thinking this young man was simply affluent, the server now realized he was truly wealthy!
Su Chen continued reading, and soon a stunning woman approached with a dish, placing it directly on his table.
Looking up, he gazed at her.
She wore chef's attire but had a tall, slender figure that exuded elegance, even in a chef's uniform.
In an instant, Su Chen was rendered speechless—not because of her beauty, but because...
He recognized her!
The hell's chef demon, Duan Ya!
Her culinary skills, even in the apocalypse, had the power to elevate the most decay-ridden ingredients into something extraordinary!
Moreover, her ingredients didn't come from humans but from those mutated beasts!
No matter what kind of mutated beast it was, when it came under Duan Ya's hand, it would undoubtedly become top-tier cuisine!
However, whether or not one could survive after eating it remained uncertain!
After all, the source of mutation in those creatures was suitable for animals but didn't translate the same way for humans.
Moreover, Duan Ya had awoken abilities in her past life, though Su Chen was unclear about the specifics since he was merely trying to survive. He had heard of her but had never interacted deeply with her.
He remembered that she had once followed a formidable physical-type awakened one who held considerable sway in the commercial city.
However, he understood why she was referred to as the hell's chef demon—her dishes were like delicious poison.
No one could resist such temptation, but eating it meant death!
As he watched Duan Ya serve him personally, Su Chen couldn't help but feel a shiver.
It was as if Duan Ya was sending him off personally.
Damn it, he hoped this woman wouldn't come looking for him in the future!
Duan Ya, meanwhile, looked at the man before her with an expression of surprise.
What was this?
Here she was, a stunning beauty serving food in person, yet this guy wore such a peculiar expression?
He had just been awestruck, and now he seemed somewhat guarded.
Was he afraid she'd poison the dish?
"Hello, sir. I'm the head chef of Yalin Music Restaurant. This dish was specially crafted for you based on your aura. Please enjoy."
Pulling his gaze from Duan Ya, Su Chen looked at the dish before him.
It appeared to be a pan-seared steak.
One side was sautéed, while the other was encased in a pastry.
"This dish is called 'Dual Lives.' One side is slowly pan-seared in palm oil, while the other side is fried in flaky pastry. It offers two distinctly different flavors that blend and linger in the mouth."
Su Chen was curious. "Oh, why is it called 'Dual Lives'?"
Duan Ya replied candidly, "Because your aura and attire seem to reflect two different lives; you must have gone through experiences surpassing ordinary people's."
Su Chen was surprised to discover her keen perception.
Indeed, anyone returning from the apocalypse would carry a different aura.
Under Duan Ya's guidance, Su Chen started cutting into the steak and savoring the 'Dual Lives' she had prepared for him.
Meanwhile, Jiang Xiaoqian and Li Na walked over with furrowed brows.
Then Li Na spotted Su Chen sitting by the window, engaged in conversation with Duan Ya!
"Xiaoqian, your husband is definitely a wealthy second generation! That's Duan Ya, the head chef of Yalin Restaurant! I heard her dishes cost thousands! Your husband must be ordering her food!"
Jiang Xiaoqian was also taken aback!
Although she had come to terms with the reality that Su Chen was rich, seeing him dining elegantly with Duan Ya guiding him brought an unexpected pang of feelings in her heart!
It further confirmed that Su Chen was indeed wealthy!
She vowed to herself: she must become a wealthy lady!
Absolutely!