Yanfei was still unaware that three days ago, Lucas had officially become the owner of Wanmin Restaurant. Chef Mao, deeply grateful to him both professionally and personally, naturally treated him with utmost respect and enthusiasm.
Lucas briefly explained the rules of the first round of the Tianshu selection to Chef Mao.
Yanfei looked skeptical, tapping her foot impatiently. Renting out Wanmin Restaurant? That would require a level of influence akin to Ningguang's.
"Oh, that's all?" Chef Mao laughed heartily. "Sure, use it however you like!"
"What?!" Yanfei froze in disbelief. "You… you're just agreeing like that?"
"Why not?" Chef Mao said matter-of-factly. "If needed, I can even lend you my daughter, Xiangling. She's quite the capable one, you know."
Lucas couldn't help but smile knowingly—he was well aware of Xiangling's capabilities.
"Well, Yanfei?" Lucas grinned. "This doesn't break any rules, does it?"
"It doesn't break any rules, but…" Yanfei pulled out a notebook and began jotting down calculations. "I've reviewed Wanmin's financial records during a past case. After deducting costs, wages, and potential rent, you wouldn't make much profit in a day."
"Ah…" Chef Mao coughed awkwardly. "Business hasn't been great recently, and the dishes here are priced modestly."
"That's exactly why," Lucas said with a confident smile. "Make a sign saying that today, the first dish for every customer is free."
"Free?!" Yanfei was taken aback. "Are you out of your mind? What if people eat one dish and leave? Forget making a profit—you'll lose so much you won't even have your underwear left!"
Chef Mao hesitated momentarily but eventually nodded. "I trust that Lucas has his reasons. I'll get started on the sign right away."
"Do whatever you want." Yanfei crossed her arms with a frustrated sigh. "Why am I even wasting my time on this nonsense?"
"By the way," Lucas added with a smirk, "why don't you be the first customer?"
"Why not?" Yanfei scoffed. "I'll eat one dish and nothing more. Don't expect to make a single Mora off me."
As Chef Mao prepared the sign, Lucas entered the kitchen.
"Lucas!" Xiangling was already inside, her eyes lighting up as she saw him. "My dad told me everything! Don't worry, I'll help however I can!"
"Then I'll graciously accept your help," Lucas said, not one to refuse assistance. "Today might be busier than usual, though."
"No problem!" Xiangling exclaimed with determination. "It's worth it if I get to learn your cooking skills!"
"But…" Lucas seemed to realize something. "How do you even know I'm good at cooking?"
As far as he could recall, he had never shown off his cooking abilities to Xiangling in real life. Could she possibly retain memories from the simulator?
Recalling the "special dishes" he had made for her in the simulator, Lucas blushed furiously, berating himself internally: What a beast!
"That's because…" Xiangling's eyes darted mischievously. "Haven't you heard? Great chefs recognize each other instinctively. From your aura and movements, I can tell you're extraordinary!"
What is this, some kind of stand user logic? Lucas thought but decided not to dwell on it. Xiangling's cooking talent was undeniable, as proven even in the simulator. Perhaps this intuition was part of her unique gift.
---
"Your Mapo Tofu," Lucas said, placing a dish in front of Yanfei with a smile. "Enjoy. It's free, after all."
"Watch me eat one bite and leave," Yanfei said dismissively, scooping a portion onto her spoon. "Don't underestimate me; I have very high standards when it comes to food. Hmm… HMM?!"
The silky tofu, paired with an unexpectedly crispy texture, created an explosion of flavor in her mouth.
Yanfei, a connoisseur of tofu dishes, had tasted countless variations of Mapo Tofu in her life, but none came close to this.
"It's the minced meat," Lucas explained casually. "The crisp yet springy texture comes from my special preparation technique."
"How is it so delicious…" Yanfei muttered, unable to resist finishing the entire dish before looking up with flushed cheeks. "More… three more plates."
"But didn't you say…" Lucas teased with a mischievous grin, "you'd only eat one?"
"Shut up!" Yanfei snapped, glaring at him. "Don't you want to make money?"
"Of course I do." Lucas raised three fingers. "Three thousand Mora per plate."
"You've tripled the price?!" Yanfei frowned. "That's price gouging—you know that's illegal, right?"
"Liyue Pavilion charges even more than that for a similar dish," Lucas replied calmly. "And which do you think tastes better?"
"I…" Yanfei found herself at a rare loss for words, nodding reluctantly. "Fine, three thousand it is. No, make it five plates!"
"Coming right up! Five orders of special Mapo Tofu!"
The sign outside quickly attracted a crowd of curious customers. After all, the first dish was free, so even if it didn't taste good, they could simply leave without paying.
But just like Yanfei, the customers found themselves enchanted after one bite, unable to stop.
This phenomenon wasn't purely due to Lucas' exceptional cooking skills. Every dish was subtly enhanced—they were, in essence, "black cuisine" of the highest order.
There's no such thing as a free lunch.
The so-called first free dish is just bait, a way to ignite diners' greed. Once they're hooked, even if the prices of subsequent dishes soar three or five times, they'll still pay without hesitation.
Of course, this isn't some sort of scam. Lucas' so-called "black cuisine" is genuinely worth every Mora.
"Hey, three servings of Longjing shrimp!"
Yanfei pushed aside the kitchen curtain, looking displeased. "Why am I the one running orders again?"
"Because Xiangling wants to help me cook, and Master Mao is busy taking care of his wife," Lucas replied, handing her the dishes with a smile. "Besides, you're not doing this for free. Didn't I promise you a good meal later?"
Yanfei crossed her arms, unconvinced. "I recalculated. Considering the workload, one meal is too little. By my calculations, it should be 4.68 meals. Rounded up, that's five."
Before she could continue her negotiation, Lucas gave her a playful push. "Alright, alright. As many meals as you want. Just get the food to the customers!"
Meanwhile, Xiangling, who had been helping out in the kitchen, stole a glance at Lucas. She couldn't help but observe him intently.
Originally, she had thought the dream she had about him was just that—a dream.
But now, seeing him cooking with such focus and enthusiasm, she was reminded of the version of him in her dream: a seasoned but arrogant chef who had bullied her.
Could it really be him?
Still, he didn't seem to act like he recognized her. Maybe… there was some kind of "trigger" required to awaken his memories.
But how could she do it?
From what she saw earlier, he clearly had a sense of taste. His cooking skills now, however, were far inferior to what they were in her dream. Using taste alone to jog his memory seemed unlikely.
"Drip… drip..."
A bead of sweat fell from Xiangling's forehead to the floor. Only then did she notice how hot it had gotten in the kitchen. With multiple stoves going and Lucas busy cooking several dishes at once, the space had become a sauna.
Her clothes were soaked through, clinging to her skin, almost translucent. Though her figure was still developing, there was a certain charm in her youthful form. Not that Lucas noticed—he was too absorbed in his cooking.
"Brother Lucas..." Xiangling said, taking a sip of water. "Don't you feel hot?"
Only then did Lucas glance up, noticing her sweat-drenched state. "Hot? I don't feel anything."
Then it hit him. Among the talents he had gained before, wasn't there a "[Heat-Resistant Physique]" that made him immune to high temperatures? That would explain why he wasn't affected.
"If it's too hot, you can help Yanfei run the orders," he said with concern. "I can handle the cooking by myself."
"No way! I'm a chef too. You can't handle all this alone!" Xiangling hesitated before adding shyly, "Can I… take off some of my clothes? It might help."
"Sure, go ahead," Lucas replied without much thought. "Whatever works for you."
Xiangling blinked, feeling a strange pang of disappointment at his nonchalance.
Could it be… he only saw her as a kid? Someone unremarkable, even if she stripped down?
It made sense. In her dream, she was much more mature, a seasoned chef in her prime. Compared to that version of herself, the current Xiangling was just a sprout, barely more noticeable than Hu Tao's iron pot.
With a quiet sigh, she reassured herself. The key to waking Lucas wasn't appearance—it was taste.
"Xiangling, could you slice some sashimi?" Lucas asked, turning to grab an ingredient. But when he turned back, his face flushed. "Wait… why did you take everything off?"
Xiangling stood there, bare save for a few lingering traces of steam and smoke. Her youthful figure, though still in its budding stage, carried an innocent allure that was hard to ignore. Lucas swallowed hard, feeling his mouth go dry.
"I-It's hot!" Xiangling stammered, her face redder than a chili pepper. "And you're not supposed to look!"
Though she said that, Lucas couldn't help but sneak a glance. Beneath the steam, her fair skin seemed to glow, her delicate frame a promise of beauty yet to come.
"You... you're staring again!" Xiangling protested, hands flailing as she tried to cover herself. "And don't worry, I won't let anything… fall into the food."
Lucas quickly turned back to his work, his face burning. "Just… hurry up and slice the sashimi. It needs to be fresh. Let me know when it's ready for tasting."
As he focused on the dishes, one thought crept into his mind: If something did fall into the food… would it be wrong to lick the plate clean?
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