Chapter 481 - 315: An Unexpected Partnership

Chapter 481: Chapter 315: An Unexpected Partnership

’Oh, come on, those jerks. Just because I accidentally snagged a little extra last round, they have to get their revenge immediately?’

She licked the lingering shacha sauce from her lips, staring with a hint of envy at the thick mountain of beef on Mr. Beef’s father’s fork, slathered in sauce.

At that moment, the man could see nothing else. It was as if the only things in the world were the beef before him and the thick sauce that dripped endlessly from it.

With that one bite, the unique pleasure that comes only from devouring a massive mouthful of meat immediately washed over him.

Unlike a thick-cut steak, the stacked layers of thinly sliced beef had absorbed an immense amount of broth and sauce. The tough, fibrous tearing was gone, yet it magically retained the satisfying sensation of eating meat.

With every chew, he could feel juices bursting forth. The beef’s own aroma wasn’t masked by the rich shacha sauce; instead, the fragrance of garlic and scallions, paired with the savory sweetness of the shacha, perfectly accentuated the meat’s inherent flavor.

If the last two slices of meat had been a 3 on his personal deliciousness scale, this bite had just blown past a 10!

Not far away, Mr. Beef, who was grinding meat at his stall, stared dumbfounded at the smiling, chewing man. He could hardly believe that this was his own stern father, who was usually so quick to curse him out.

’It’s just beef, isn’t it? How on earth was it cooked to make Dad actually smile while eating?’

Once the thought surfaced, he felt he couldn’t stay put for another second. He immediately hit the pause button on the machine, pulled off his gloves, and, without even taking off his apron, jogged over to the entrance of Lin Chen’s stall.

As he got closer, he finally saw the two rows of plates on the counter, neatly arranged with ultra-thin slices of different cuts of beef, and the pot of clear beef bone broth that was bubbling away.

Looking around, he saw that each person was holding a small bowl filled with the same reddish-brown sauce, which appeared to contain some scallions and garlic.

"Dad, is it really that good? Let me have a bite."

"Like hell you will!"

The man’s brow furrowed as he opened his eyes, annoyed, to look at the son who had interrupted his blissful meal.

"It’s the middle of the workday! Is your work finished? You just run out here like this? Do you even care about the shop? What if the meat gets stolen?"

"?"

Mr. Beef stared at his father, dumbfounded. "There are other employees in the shop, you know! Come on, Dad, do you really have to be like this? It’s just some beef. You won’t even let me have a taste?"

"Fine, have a taste. I never said you couldn’t eat. You’re a grown man, what’s the rush over a single bite?"

The father seemed to realize he was making a scene. His eyes darted around, and spotting two scraps of beef left in the skimmer, he quickly speared them with his fork and held them out.

"Here, taste."

"????"

Mr. Beef was completely baffled. He pointed at the bowl his father was holding. "Aren’t I supposed to eat it with that?"

’Fine, give me a tiny piece of meat, but you won’t even let me dip it in the sauce?’

’I never realized Dad was so possessive of his food!’

But the skimmer was empty now, leaving him no other option. He took the fork and, under his father’s furious glare, gave the meat a quick dip in the sauce before popping it into his mouth.

"..."

He chewed twice. His expression shifted from skeptical to puzzled, then to one of dawning comprehension. After he swallowed, his eyes shone with a light that craved more.

"Had your taste? Good. Now get back to work. Are the sausages stuffed?"

Just as his father reached to take the fork back, Mr. Beef yanked his hand away.

"Not so fast!"

"These two little scraps aren’t even the size of my fingernail! I couldn’t taste the beef at all. Besides, you’ve got so many different cuts here, and each one has a unique flavor. I need to taste the difference in texture and flavor when a steak is sliced this thin. This could be a new direction for product development for us!"

"New products? Ha!"

His father snorted dismissively. "We’re butchers, not a fast-food joint. When have you ever seen a butcher shop roll out ’new products’?"

"Hey now!"

Lin Chen couldn’t listen anymore. He handed Mr. Beef a bowl with the sauce already mixed in it.

"Sir, I don’t think that’s quite right," Lin Chen said. "It’s true you have a steady customer base and don’t have to worry about income. But look, even you two are interested in a new way to prepare beef. What about your customers? You’ve got some right here, don’t you?"

The two other customers beside them nodded in agreement, especially the middle-aged woman.

"That’s right. I never imagined thinly sliced steak could be this delicious. If I learn how to make this, I can switch things up for my kids’ meals. A lunchbox with this would absolutely make them the most popular kid in class."

"But I could never slice it as thin as Lin does. It would be amazing if we could buy it pre-sliced."

"See?" Lin Chen gestured with his chin, then showed Mr. Beef how to prepare half a bowl of the dipping sauce.

Seeing everyone take his side, Mr. Beef puffed out his chest and stood up a little straighter.

"While all the other butcher shops are selling the same old things, we’ll be offering something different. Plus, with Lin’s videos, we’re sure to attract more customers in the future. I’m the one managing the stall, so I definitely need to be part of this process."

His father opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but since this concerned the business, he could only let out a disgruntled grunt.

"So much yapping."

Lin Chen saw in the old man a personality very similar to his own father’s generation. Far from being annoyed, he found it rather endearing and familiar.

Just then, the brisket fat was about done cooking. He tapped the counter, drawing everyone’s attention.

"So, what’s the verdict? Is there any difference in taste between the room-temperature and the frozen slices?"

As he spoke, he swirled a skimmer through the pot, scooping up all the wrinkled, thin slices of brisket fat.

"No real difference," said Mr. Beef’s father, the foremost expert on the subject, shaking his head. "It was frozen for too short a time and wasn’t frozen solid, so it won’t affect the meat’s texture. I’ve tested this before. You’d have to freeze it for at least a day or two to notice even a slight change."

"It’s so slight that someone without a very sharp palate would barely taste it. So yes, freezing it first does make slicing easier. The only problem is that the presentation isn’t as nice, so it might not be suitable for a restaurant."

He pointed to the two rows of plates on the counter. Clearly, he meant that only meat sliced at room temperature could be arranged so beautifully, as frozen meat tends to curl up and then lose its shape as it thaws.

"That depends on the kind of restaurant," Lin Chen countered. "Barbecue places in Great Xia serve sliced frozen meat all the time. It goes directly onto a hot grill, so the nice plating only matters for the minute or two someone might take a photo. After that, nobody cares."

At this, Lin Chen’s eyes lit up. "That’s it! A barbecue restaurant! You could absolutely open a fresh beef barbecue joint!"

"Your butcher shop has been open for so many years, and you have such a loyal customer base. The local dining scene is probably pretty limited, too. If you were to open a new style of barbecue restaurant, with your customers’ loyalty, it would be a massive hit in no time!"

"Us?"

Mr. Beef and his father both waved their hands dismissively. "No, no, that’s impossible. We only know how to raise and butcher cattle. The only cooking we know is grilling a steak. We don’t have the skills to open a restaurant, and besides, we know nothing about how to run one."

"That’s true..."

"So why don’t you just partner up?"

Erica tilted her head, looking at them quizzically. "You provide the fresh supply of meat, and Lin develops the menu. Then you just have to teach the staff how to cook the meat. It’s not American barbecue; you don’t even need a chef."

Of course, she understood that the "barbecue" Lin Chen was talking about wasn’t what the father and son were picturing. It was the popular Asian-style DIY barbecue, where the customers cook the food themselves.

"No chef?"

"Right, no chef," Lin Chen nodded. He used his chopsticks to divide the brisket fat evenly among everyone’s bowls to prevent another fight from breaking out. Then, he slid the plate of frozen slices into the pot and poured two plates of sirloin cap into the skimmer to cook.

"It’s just like hot pot. You only provide the raw ingredients and let the customers cook everything themselves. This allows them to cater to their own tastes and preferences, and it helps them bond with each other."

"In Great Xia, these kinds of DIY barbecue and hot pot places are incredibly popular with couples. Whether the guy is cooking for the girl or the girl for the guy, it’s a perfect opportunity to grow closer. And the lively, steamy atmosphere creates a wonderful feeling of happiness and warmth."

The four of them nodded, only half-understanding, as they stared at the pot of broth bubbling and steaming on the counter.

They hadn’t noticed it before, but now that Lin Chen had pointed it out, they realized the atmosphere was indeed incredibly warm. They were all gathered around like good friends, waiting to eat.

And as the one providing the food, Lin Chen was undoubtedly the center of it all.

’Just as he said... if his role was filled by someone in a couple, or say, by the guy in a budding romance... if a man were to personally cook for a woman like this, wouldn’t their relationship reach a breakthrough on the spot?’

"I think it’s a great idea," the female customer said, raising her hand in support. "If you really open a place, I’ll definitely bring my family."

"I’d come too!" the young man who didn’t eat pork exclaimed, raising his fork.

Seeing that even their customers were expressing keen interest, the father-son butcher duo exchanged a look. Each could see that the other was tempted by the idea.

"A partnership is definitely possible," Lin Chen said. "But as you know, I have to film my videos here, and I also have matters to attend to in my own territory. So I won’t have much time to manage the restaurant."

Lin Chen lifted the skimmer, piled high with tender, pink beef, and once again divided the portion evenly among everyone’s bowls.

"But don’t worry. The barbecue restaurant model in Great Xia is well-established. Besides the grilled meat, they also offer appetizers, staples like rice or noodles, drinks, and desserts. These can all be rolled out gradually as new menu items. To start, you should only offer the barbecue. After all, foot traffic in this town is limited, and you don’t want to raise customer expectations too high too soon. That’s the way to ensure the restaurant has long-term success and appeal."

"You can hire a manager to handle the daily operations. If you have any problems with the menu, you can come to me. Of course, I’ll also drop by from time to time to check on things. I’ll even teach you how to audit the restaurant and set up quality standards."

"If business is good, you can open more branches later on, and by then, you’ll be able to handle it all yourselves."