Chapter 435: Two Giant Orders

As expected!

Competing was always a shortcut to success. Delicious had achieved in a single championship what others might struggle for years to accomplish.

Of course, that championship wasn’t so easy to win!

“I’m not planning on taking any orders from foreigners for the time being. And I don’t care about any of those food magazines or weeklies.”

Su Chen had obviously made up his mind. “A person’s palate is closely tied to their homeland. If I can’t guarantee my customers will love the food, then I’d rather not make it.”

Especially those ridiculous Western newspapers and magazines that love to blow things out of proportion.

Delicious wasn’t at that level yet.

“You have your reasons, so we won’t press the issue.” Lu Yongliang rubbed his stomach. “I didn’t have breakfast this morning.”

Su Chen chuckled sheepishly. “I suspect that might be your real reason for being here, isn’t it? As it happens, I have some leftover rice from yesterday. I’ll go make you two some fried rice.”

Fried rice?

Shang Mingke glanced at Elder Lu. “Fried rice is fine, but could I have a tea egg with it? Boss Su, I certainly won’t be eating for free.”

He was clearly hinting at something!

“Sure,” Su Chen agreed without hesitation.

Besides, tea eggs weren’t much trouble to make, and making just a few was even simpler.

After Su Chen left the office, Shang Mingke let out a sigh of relief. “Elder Lu, I haven’t even explained the situation, and Boss Su is already saying things like that. Do you think he’ll still agree?”

Lu Yongliang stroked his chin, clearly unable to get a read on the situation.

“Boss Su does things entirely based on his own whims. Since we’re already here, we have to bring it up with him. If he says no, just raise your budget. At the very least, we need to show Boss Su our sincerity.”

President Shang nodded. “The budget isn’t an issue. Right now, a lot of connoisseurs in the Capital City are watching Boss Su. As long as he’s taking orders, business won’t be a problem for him.”

“Hmph!” Old Lu grumbled, glaring in the direction Su Chen had gone. “That kid has no sense of propriety! We came all this way to hand him business on a silver platter, and he’s just going to treat us to egg fried rice? Just you watch, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind!”

With that, the old man clasped his hands behind his back, swaggered out of the office, and sat down in the dining hall to await being fed by Su the Fifth Brother.

“This Delicious place is doing better and better! To think, it’s been less than three months since I had that little cook-off with Su the Fifth Brother in this very kitchen.”

Shang Mingke chuckled. “Boss Su truly is one of a kind. Back then, I just thought his company was on the verge of bankruptcy. If it weren’t for pressure from my superiors, I might not have come at all. It’s a good thing I did, or I would have missed the chance to get to know Boss Su!”

The two of them chatted idly.

Liu Ahbao had thought about coming over to say a few words, but with Shang Mingke there, he was too intimidated by the man and hid on the second floor instead.

「A short while later.」

Su Chen emerged carrying a large basin of egg fried rice and another of tea eggs. “Here you go. Utensils are over there, grab them yourselves.”

Even though it was just an incredibly simple egg fried rice, Lu Yongliang and Shang Mingke were still thrilled, hurrying to grab small bowls and spoons.

Especially Lu Yongliang. Don’t let the old man’s age fool you; he was as sharp as a tack.

He had tasted how delicious those tea eggs were, but Shang Mingke had no idea.

While Shang Mingke was scooping rice, the old man swiftly snatched five tea eggs and plopped them into his own bowl.

Only a single tea egg remained in the small basin.

“Elder Lu, you…” Shang Mingke was stunned.

Eating five tea eggs this early in the morning? Could a man his age handle that?

Lu Yongliang gave a sly grin. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately, but I’ve had a real craving for tea eggs. You go ahead and have the fried rice first. I’ll eat in a bit.”

Shang Mingke was skeptical.

He scooped a little rice into his mouth with his spoon, while at the same time reaching for the last tea egg.

However, before his hand could even touch the tea egg, it suddenly froze.

‘What is this!’

Shang Mingke felt a jolt of shock.

‘This is egg fried rice?’

He stared at the rice in his bowl in disbelief. He immediately pulled his outstretched hand back and quickly shoveled another spoonful into his mouth.

‘What the hell, is this really egg fried rice?’

When it came to egg fried rice, few people had eaten more of it than Shang Mingke. The cafeteria at the City Construction Group served the stuff every single morning.

It was an employee cafeteria, after all. And while the food was decent, it was still cooked in bulk. Shang Mingke’s typical breakfast was half a bowl of fried rice, a cup of soy milk or regular milk, and a single egg. That was it.

So when it came to egg fried rice, he considered himself something of an authority.

Normally, the first bite was overwhelmingly greasy, followed by a strong, fishy egg smell, and finally, the overpowering taste of fried scallions.

But in the egg fried rice Su Chen had served, none of those sensations were present in the slightest!

Instead, there was the fragrant aroma of egg, with not a trace of that fishiness. And with every chew, the unique, clean fragrance of the rice itself would explode in his mouth!

It was like running through a field of rice paddies!

SMACK, SMACK…

Even a man as mature and composed as Shang Mingke lost his decorum in that moment, unable to stop himself from shoveling it down by the mouthful.

Watching Shang Mingke shovel down the fried rice, Lu Yongliang found the sight rather amusing.

‘Looks like Xiaoshang doesn’t get to eat anything good in the Capital City.’

‘A simple bowl of egg fried rice has him this worked up? If he eats the tea eggs, is he going to swallow his own tongue?’

By the time Lu Yongliang finished his last tea egg, Shang Mingke had polished off nearly the entire basin of fried rice.