Chapter 401: Cut the Nonsense

With payment in hand, Shen Lu didn’t waste any time.

She told President Pan to have his people come over and learn how to drive the armored vehicle from Wang Daguo.

Shen Lu went back to meticulously preparing her ingredients.

Bai Wanwan had been bombarding her with messages since noon yesterday. In every single one, she marveled at how delicious Shen Lu’s food was.

Bai Wanwan: You must have secretly taken a cooking class, right? Why was the food exceptionally good this time?

Bai Wanwan: Shen Lu, why aren’t you answering my messages? Are you dead?

Bai Wanwan: Shen Lu, answer me!

Shen Lu had no choice but to reply that she was there.

Bai Wanwan immediately called her, and Shen Lu answered.

"Why has your food gotten so good? I’m not saying it was bad before, but this time it was just ridiculously delicious!" Bai Wanwan said indignantly. "After this, how am I supposed to eat anyone else’s cooking? This is your fault, and you have to take responsibility for it."

"How is this my fault? Maybe I should just cancel your order for today?"

"Don’t you dare! Shen Lu, you’ve gotten so mean! How could you cancel my order?! Tell me, did you upgrade the quality of your ingredients?"

"Couldn’t it just be that my cooking skills have improved?"

"Who are you kidding? It’s only been a few days, and your cooking skills suddenly reached the level of a Kitchen King?"

"I don’t know about anyone else, but my cooking skills have definitely improved."

"How did I never notice how stubborn you are?"

"Bai Wanwan, do you still want your chicken feet or not?"

"...Fine, you win." If Bai Wanwan hadn’t eaten yesterday’s meal, she might have argued a bit more. But having tasted it, she caved immediately. "I didn’t mean anything by it. Your cooking really has improved by leaps and bounds."

"I’m entering the Kitchen King Competition in a few days. You’re welcome to come cheer me on."

"Huh? You’re actually entering that competition?" Bai Wanwan couldn’t help but worry. ’Without those magical ingredients, can Shen Lu’s cooking really win over the judges’ discerning palates?’

"Who in the restaurant business wouldn’t enter the Kitchen King Competition? I remember they take bets online. Remember to bet on me—bet a lot, I guarantee you’ll win."

’If it weren’t for the fact that Bai Wanwan was a genuinely good friend, Shen Lu would never have revealed this inside information.’

’Although she couldn’t remember who won first place in the Kitchen King Competition in the original story, it didn’t matter. No one could possibly beat her.’

’She was determined to take first place.’

In fact, it wasn’t just Bai Wanwan. Li Long had also sent a message after eating yesterday.

Normally, Li Long never sent any messages aside from placing orders and offering polite pleasantries.

But yesterday, he had uncharacteristically sent a few words of praise.

Judging by the tone, however, it seemed more likely his wife had made him send it.

’After all, Li Long didn’t seem like the type of person to use cutesy-sounding words and tones.’

Things like "Your food is so yummy," and "The chicken feet are so sour and spicy, super appetizing..."

’If Li Long was really like that, then she had completely misjudged him.’

Shen Lu suddenly smacked her forehead. She had almost forgotten something. She quickly uploaded the video she had edited a while ago.

It was a video introducing the new renovations after the shop’s upgrade.

After posting it, Shen Lu got back to work.

She not only had to prep for today’s lunch service, but she also had to make the one hundred pounds of chicken feet she had promised Bai Wanwan.

After a period of intense and hurried preparation, Little Deer Cuisine opened for business on the dot at 11:30.

The long-waiting customers swarmed into the shop, letting out gasps of amazement as they took in the newly renovated interior.

"It’s actually real! The whole first floor has been turned into a place for quick meals. It’s so big and spacious!"

"This is great. We won’t have to be all crammed together like before."

"Naive. No matter how big Boss Shen’s restaurant gets, it’ll always be packed."

"True that."

"Sour and Spicy Chicken Gizzards, here I come! I’ve been dying for a bite of this for days!"

"Weren’t you the one who swore a life-long oath to defend the Kung Pao Chicken last time?"

"Huh? Did I say that? I don’t remember."

...

Although Shen Lu hadn’t managed to hire any new staff, the two service robots she had recently acquired came in handy.

Mimi was stationed on the second floor as the exclusive server for the Dragon Hall, while Wangcai was placed on the first floor to ease the pressure on Cai Su and the others.

Wang Daguo was busy teaching people how to drive the vehicle today, so his duties were temporarily covered by Huo Qian and Wu Jun.

Huo Qian went to the front counter to stamp cards, while Wu Jun maintained order. Both of them were perfectly fine with handling these miscellaneous tasks.

They had already heard from Xue Can that Shen Lu would be re-signing their contracts in a few days, and they knew their work arrangements would be adjusted.

Huo Qian and Wu Jun had no objections to this.

They were veterans in the mercenary corps and had seen plenty of bosses, big and small, but a good boss like Shen Lu was a rare find.

’If they weren’t afraid that staying at Little Deer Cuisine for too long would make them too comfortable and dull their combat instincts, they would have been tempted to just go work for Shen Lu permanently.’

’It was just a fleeting thought, though.’

’The Gale Mercenary Corps had trained them; to just up and leave would be far too heartless.’

Besides the people having a quick meal on the first floor, quite a few went up to the Dragon Hall on the second floor, most of them mercenaries who had eaten here before.

Xue Can arrived with Mo Bei and a few others. Wu Jun quickly showed them the way, telling them as they got on the elevator that someone would greet them on the second floor.

Mo Bei looked around in amazement. "This is a transparent sightseeing elevator! Boss Shen really goes all out. She says she’s expanding, and just like that, it’s done. But weren’t there massive storms these past few days? Where did she find a construction crew to work in that?"

Xue Can: "Cut the crap."

"Aren’t you curious, Boss?"

Xue Can shot him a cold glance. Mo Bei made a zipping motion across his lips, indicating he would shut up.

At the second-floor elevator entrance, the cute, cat-themed service robot, Mimi, was already waiting.

"Welcome, esteemed guests. This way, please."

"Boss, look out!" Mo Bei darted forward, shielding Xue Can behind him. "It’s a mutant beast!"

Xue Can impatiently pushed him aside. "What are you, crazy?"

"Isn’t that a mutant beast? A cat head on a human body—what kind of monster is that?!"

"It’s a robot!"

Xue Can was well-informed about most things concerning Little Deer Cuisine, including the fact that Shen Lu had recently acquired two robots and, with a twisted sense of humor, had designed them with animal heads on humanoid bodies.

Mimi had a cat’s head, and Wangcai had a dog’s head.

"Huh? Are robots like this already on the market?" Mo Bei asked in surprise.

Xue Can stepped out of the elevator, and the others quickly followed.

Mimi led the group to Private Room Five. It was a medium-sized room that could accommodate about fifteen people, which was just right for them.

Inside the room was a huge round table. A sofa and coffee table set were placed against one wall, a giant-screen TV was mounted on another, and two potted plants sat in the corners. It wasn’t opulent, but it was certainly stylish.

As they took their seats, a screen of light appeared in front of each person, displaying an electronic menu.

"Whoa, this is a serious upgrade," Mo Bei couldn’t help but exclaim. "The prices went up, too."

Xue Can couldn’t be bothered with his talkative subordinate and simply ordered everything he wanted to eat. The others, operating on the principle that the boss was treating, also ordered with abandon.

Mimi had to step in and remind them to order only what they needed. Any order that excessively surpassed a normal amount would be rejected by the boss.