"What on earth are they doing?" officers from the City Enforcement Centre looked on with curiosity.
"Beats me. Chief Liu surely has no regard for how he looks when he's eating. Look at him, it's almost like he hasn't eaten for days."
"To be honest, I think I'm getting hungry from looking. How can one even resist this fragrance?"
"How about we head over to take a look?"
"Yeah, sure."
With that, the group of officers headed in the direction of where the fragrance was coming from.
…
"What a special treat."
"I feel like I'm about to fly. This taste, it is amazing! I really can't find the words to describe how it tastes like."
"If the scallion pancakes were really as good as how Chief Liu said, that will be absolutely mind-blowing."
The city enforcement officers who had fortunately bought a piece of the delicious scallion pancake all had huge smiles on their faces. It was almost like they had managed to savor the absolute essence of what this earth had to offer.
After just one bite, their entire mouth was coated with the richness of the delicious scallion pancake.
Even if someone offered ten thousand dollars, they still wouldn't give up a slice of the scallion pancake.
Eating this scallion pancake was really something else, there was a feeling of satisfaction deep down in their hearts. Their worries seem to have disappeared and even the air that they inhaled felt much fresher.
After Liu Xiaotian tried the pancake, he closed his eyes as he tried to indulge in the wonderful taste. After which, he opened his eyes and the only words that came out were:
"This scallion pancake… it is literally the essence of this earth, the best of the best."
Upon hearing this, Lin Fan felt extremely proud of his work. He humbly replied, "I hope I did not disappoint you."
"Disappoint me? This is way past any form of my expectation."
"After trying this, I'm afraid there's nothing left in this world that can beat its taste."
…
"Chief Liu, what are you guys up to?"
Standing beside Chief Liu, the newly gathered colleagues finally inhaled the splendid fragrance coming from the freshly made, piping hot pancakes. It was then that they realized that they had inevitably been hooked to this aroma and that they were not leaving without getting a slice.
"There are still some left, do you guys want to try it too?" Lin Fan asked as he continued shaping the scallion pancakes skillfully.
"Scallion pancakes are not really my cup of tea."
"I'll gladly have your share if you are not going to take it!"
"Hmmm… Since you guys seem to be enjoying it so much, I guess I'll give it a try."
Following which, the rest of them all started to take a piece of the scallion pancake. Those who had never tried scallion pancakes had no idea why the taste was such a big deal.
However,
upon their first bite, all doubts had vanished and it was then that they realized that was the start of an insatiable appetite for Lin Fan's scallion pancakes.
"This taste…"
"It truly did not disappoint. This is… amazing!"
As it was their first time experiencing such great tasting cake, they were all dumbfounded. No one could let out a single word and all there was were people focusing on enjoying what was left of their pancake.
The taste, the texture and the feeling they experienced from eating the pancake were absolutely out of this world.
…
Liu Xiaotian who had just managed to recover from the shock of how good the cake tasted, nodded his head in satisfaction. It was then that he realized that he would never be able to live another day without having that cake.
"Lin Fan, round up the tab!" Chief Liu said.
"It's fine! These scallion pancakes are free for you today!"
There was no way they could accept Lin Fan's offer. Not when the pancakes tasted so good. Accepting them for free would only make them seem like a bunch of thugs. Thus, Chief Liu was adamant about paying.
Since they had taken them, it was only logical for them to pay for the scallion pancakes.
As such, he was firm that he would still issue the fine and pay for the scallion pancakes. In addition, abusing his power as an inspector to receive favor was sure to get him in trouble.
"I cannot accept your kindness, although we are city enforcement officers, we are definitely not the kind that abuses our authority. Please, how much do I owe you for the delicious scallion pancakes? I'm thankful for your kindness to my crew and me, but I'm afraid I will still have to write you a ticket for $500 since this is not your first offense," Chief Liu said.
"Chief Liu, you have mistaken! Listening to what you said this morning, I feel like I'm still young and this business can't go on forever, that is why I'm planning to go look for a job. So… the stall will eventually have to go too."
Lin Fan's expression seemed to have suggested that Chief Liu's advice had some form of effect on him as if like he had been enlightened.
With that, his future seemed to be even better.
"That won't do," Liu Xiaotian said without any hesitation.
"Why not?" Lin Fan was taken aback. "Is he still going to give me a ticket even if I'm not going to set up my stall anymore?"
*cough, cough*
Liu Xiaotian coughed lightly, "No, listen to me, young man. Setting up a stall also has a pretty great future. Look how many successful people depended on setting up stalls to earn their pot of gold. You have talent and skill in making these pancakes and I am very optimistic about this business. As long as you follow the proper procedures and obtain a permit, you're free to set-up your shop anywhere you like."
"Chief Liu, this is not right. What does this have to do with having proper procedures? This is just a roadside occupation at best."
Liu Xiaotian knew he had to tolerate the young brat. He had to allow him to continue this business. If Lin Fan had really stopped selling, he would not be able to die in peace as he still wanted to eat these pancakes in future.
"You shouldn't put in in that way… Of course, there is a difference! Enough said, let my subordinates help you to take care of this. All you need to do is just tag along," Chief Liu said.
Lin Fan shook his head, "No, the procedure is long and tedious and I still have to spend money. I don't have the time for this. Leave this to me, I'll pack the stall up and look for a job elsewhere.
Upon hearing this, his colleagues started to panic.
They had the exact same thoughts as Chief Liu. If they had not tried the pancake, it wouldn't have mattered. However, the taste was now engraved deeply in their minds, there was no way they were going to let it close down now.
They were all so conflicted, if Lin Fan really stopped selling, that would really spell trouble for their taste buds.
"Chief Liu, let us stop for a moment to think about it. It's not that easy for a young chap like him to set up a business like this. Could we do the people a favor and help him settle this?"
"I agree. Since the permit would take a few days to process, we can make him a temporary permit so that he can continue selling the pancakes for the time being.
"Oh! I'm familiar with temporary permits! I'll go make one for you right now," A young chap said before heading straight to the bureau.
"Hey! The procedures are handled by us, let's step on it and make it quick!"
"In that case, I'll call for a meeting later. Pass the word around, the store will be legally in business from now on," Liu Xiaotian hurriedly added in.
It was obvious that those who tried the scallion pancakes had all been captivated by its amazing taste.
"Here you go! Your temporary permit is ready!"
It barely felt like a minute before the young chap had returned with the documents in his hands.
He said to Lin Fan as he handed the documents to him, "You better continue selling pancakes at this stall!"
Liu Xiaotian took out $300 and passed it to Lin Fan.
"You should focus on working hard and we'll take care of the rest. Once the documents are ready we'll deliver it to you personally."
Lin Fan could not believe what had just happened.
"Chief Liu… How about the fine?"
"What are you talking about? Forget about the fine! Your stall is clean, sells good food and has good service. It is totally unlike those small roadside stalls."
"Chief Liu, I'm sure this is breaking the rules," Lin Fan said with a deep sense of happiness knowing he would not have to pay the fine.
Not only did they pay for the food, they also made him a permit. What a lucky day for Lin Fan.
"Rules are made by humans. Although we are the city enforcement officers, we definitely do not want to discourage the youth from setting up exceptional businesses like yours!"
"Work hard and expand this business! It surely has the potential of blowing up and expanding overseas."
After such a long talk, Liu Xiaotian was so glad his efforts paid off and that he had managed to convince Lin Fan to continue selling scallion pancakes.
Lin Fan was absolutely ecstatic. In everyone's eyes, he was an exceptional person.
"Quick, help the young chap load his stall up on the truck," Liu Xiaotian commanded.
"Yes, chief!"
As Lin Fan was getting ready to load the truck, Liu Xiaotian gave him a good pat on the back and asked, "What time do you open every day?"
"Hmm… Around 7 to 8 am in the morning! Till around 4 pm in the afternoon."
"Near Red Star Primary School?"
"Yes, you'll find me there!"
After getting his answers, Liu Xiaotian waved Lin Fan goodbye. It was time for Lin Fan to go.
Lin Fan got up the truck and took a long look at the sky.
He realized how f*cking awesome he was.
"Work hard young chap! Remember to continue selling your pancakes!"
"Don't worry! I'm going to make this global!"
"You can do it, bro! I got my eyes on you."
For Lin Fan, it was never about making this business global. As soon as he could, he would get out of this business.
Completing the task of making the business reputable was very much attainable for Lin Fan at this point in time.