The Small Shop Encounters Troublemakers

Another one directly betrayed the organization: "Master, this taste..." CHen Zisheng's face was more colorful than his "ninja hand roll" dish from yesterday.

He came to pick a fight, but the moment the fragrance hit, even he couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

This wasn't just the dish from a small shop; it smelled ten times better than what he'd smelled in the izakaya in the island country!

And most painfully, the dish was served by Li Xiaofu.

The poor student who once had to rely on his charity for an internship opportunity was now serving a dish so fragrant that it left him speechless.

"Master Chen," Xiao Li put down the dish, his tone as calm as if he were delivering a verdict, "Your dish, please enjoy."

At this moment, Chen Zisheng felt like he was choking on his own words.

"Let's go!" Chen Zisheng abruptly stood up, as if the stool beneath him had suddenly caught fire.

The "island country chef" wished he could be a ninja, to disappear into thin air with a teleportation technique.

But his four followers were slow to get up, as if they were being played in slow motion.

Their eyes were still glued to the dishes on the table, their expressions like children who had been robbed of their candy.

He turned his head abruptly, just in time to see one of them stealthily reaching out, his chopsticks almost touching the plate of twice-cooked pork.

With a sly look, he resembled a primary school student sneaking a snack.

"Why?" Chen Zisheng sneered, startling Old Wang almost out of his skin, "Can't bear to part with it?"

Old Wang awkwardly withdrew his hand, but his eyes were still fixed on the dish.

The other three had the same expression, as if nailed in place by the aroma.

"Listen up," Chen Zisheng gritted his teeth, "Whoever dares to pick up their chopsticks today, the meal is on them!"

The four of them froze on the spot.

The aroma continued to invade their nostrils, making them salivate uncontrollably.

Finally, the one who had just reached for the chopsticks reluctantly made his way to the door, looking as aggrieved as could be.

The other three followed, moving slower than snails, fearing to miss the last chance to savor the fragrance.

"Master..." One of them mustered the courage to speak, his voice more timid than the radish flowers he had carved yesterday,

"How about we take it to go? Don't waste it..."

"Silence!" Chen Zisheng roared, nearly shaking off his feigned island accent,

"Do you think the dishes from this shabby shop deserve for us to take away?"

"Pffft—" Someone couldn't hold back and laughed out loud.

The laughter was like a fuse, setting off a round of suppressed chuckles.

Chen Zisheng felt his face burning hotter than his "Mt. Fuji tofu" dish from yesterday.

"We're leaving!" He stormed out, as if he had a rocket booster on his rear.

The four followers could only reluctantly follow, looking back more frequently than a spinning fan.

Watching the backs of these men, the diners in the shop laughed even harder.

Uncle Wang laughed and shook his head: "This is no island country chef; he's clearly a drama queen!"

"That's right," Aunt Zhang joined in the teasing, "Yesterday playing the artist, today playing the big shot, just not playing a real chef!"

Only Xiao Li stood in place, watching the retreating figures, feeling a mix of emotions.

Chapter 14: Staying Fit No Matter How Busy

In the following days, life on the old street resumed its steady rhythm, much like an old sewing machine that had been oiled and set back to work.

The only difference was that now, the neighbors' conversations over tea and meals all revolved around the "enlightened" small shop.

Chen Zisheng could never have imagined that he would become the center of attention.

"Did you guys hear about the birthday feast at Old Lady Li's place...?" The clothing store owner put down her work and lowered her voice mysteriously.

"What happened?" Old Wang, the fruit seller, quickly leaned in.

"It's that chef who claimed to have returned from the island country," the owner said, shaking her head as she spoke.

"The dishes he served looked pretty, but no one really touched them."

"Tell me about it," Xiao Zhang from the barbershop chimed in, "A kid took one bite and was crying from the spiciness. Someone else tried that 'Sakura Shrimp' and vomited right there."

"In the end, it was the noodles from the shop across the street that saved the day," Old Wang continued, "When that bowl of birthday noodles was served, the old lady teared up. She said it tasted just like her late husband's cooking."

The neighbors took turns narrating the events of that day vividly: "I heard that chef left in a huff."

"Right, even the four helpers he brought were drooling over the food from theshop."

"The funniest part was when he threatened to make whoever dared to eat the food from across the street pay for it."

These words spread like willow branches in the wind, reaching every corner.

Chen Zisheng, who called himself a "Michelin chef," became the liveliest joke among the neighbors after their meals.

Meanwhile, the small shop shone like a warm light on the old street, quietly illuminating the hearts and stomachs of every visitor with its simple yet delicious offerings.

Aunt Liu hid at home like a forgotten pickle jar, not daring to go out.

Every time she heard the neighbors chattering about the craftsmanship of the small shop and comparing it to her cousin, she bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

What made her even angrier was that her own husband had "defected"—

He kept running across the street to "buy longevity noodles for the old lady."

Speaking of Old Lady Li, the nonagenarian had found a new joy.

She sent her son to buy noodles from the对面 shop every other day, with a vigor that surpassed even the effects of the most potent tonics.

The neighbors all said that she wasn't just eating noodles; she was prolonging her life.

The reputation of the small shop soared like a rocket.

Even the delivery guys who usually flitted about the streets like birds began bringing internet celebrities to check in.

These food hosts, under the banner of "conscientious shops," caused the whole street to boil with excitement—

Old Li, who sold tofu at the street corner, said he had never seen so many people photographing tofu in his life.

Gradually, the fame of the shop spread like water droplets in a hot pan, splashing everywhere.

Even the old ladies from the neighboring streets were inquiring about coming to try it, supposedly to verify what kind of craftsmanship could so thoroughly humiliate an island country chef.

As for Chen Zisheng, he had been as silent as a muted horn, hiding in the hotel opposite and acting like an invisible man.

Don't think he really went back to the island country—

This "artist" had intended to return to his homeland with his fancy "innovative cuisine," only to have his first attempt blow up in his face, leaving nothing but ashes.

He attributed all his frustration to the small shop across the street.

Every day, standing by the window of the Fu Man Lou, watching the hustle and bustle of the shop, his heart felt as if it had been chopped to pieces with his own signature "Samurai Steak" knife.

In the meantime, Liu Yang was in high spirits.

These days, with his master-level skills, his reward points were soaring, just 20 points away from the divine level.

With a bit of good luck, he might soon unlock new skills.

This morning, two young men fresh out of school stood at the shop's entrance, looking around as if they had discovered a new continent.

They had stumbled upon a recommendation video on Douyin from a delivery guy with a hundred thousand followers.

The delivery guy had vowed that this was the most "delicious and conscientious" shop he had ever encountered, but the shop was so popular that the boss didn't take orders for delivery!

"Look, they're hiring!"

One of the young men in glasses pointed to the job advertisement at the door, as excited as if he had found a treasure map.

"Should we give it a shot?"

"But..." The other hesitated,

"We just graduated, and we don't have much experience... and this is such a popular internet shop..."

However, the aroma wafting from the shop dispelled their doubts.

The two exchanged glances, as if reaching a silent agreement—

Who cares about experience, they couldn't come up with good ideas on empty stomachs anyway.

It was past 3 in the afternoon when Xiao Li was about to clean up for the evening market,

He suddenly noticed that the two young men who had ordered noodles were still there.

They had been sitting there since noon, like two waiting stones, staring at the direction of the kitchen.

To call them waiting stones might not be accurate enough, because their gazes were more affectionate than those of a widow who had been waiting for three years.

They had already devoured their bowls of noodles, not even leaving a drop of soup, almost as if they were going to lick a hole in the bottom of the bowl.

But after finishing, they were rooted to the spot, not budging.

Xiao Li had been wiping tables all afternoon, from one end to the other and back again.

He couldn't find anything else to do, so he mustered up the courage to approach: "Um... are you two waiting for dinner or someone?"

The young man in glasses suddenly stood up, almost overturning his stool: "We're here to apply for the job!"

This shout almost startled Xiao Li.

The other young man quickly pulled him down: "Keep it down!"

It turned out these two were here because of the job advertisement outside. They had been so captivated by the aroma of the noodles that they forgot their original purpose. Now, with Xiao Li's question, they remembered they were here to look for work, not to be waiting stones.

"Ah?" Xiao Li was taken aback, "You..."

"We just graduated!" The glasses brother was about to stand up again when his companion held him back,

"We... we're here to learn the craft!"

Looking at these two livelies, Xiao Li couldn't help but laugh. He remembered when he first came to apply, he was just as green. However, he glanced at the job advertisement hanging on the wall and it seemed that it didn't say "thick-skinned required."

"Boss! We have applicants!"

Xiao Li rushed into the kitchen, only to be almost petrified by what he saw.

Liu Yang was jogging on a second-hand treadmill that looked older than his grandfather, a scene as surreal as it could be.

——A chef who had just worked all day, shouldn't he be collapsed on a chair like a rag?

"Oh, have them wait."

Liu Yang said while running, like an old man exercising in the park, not at all like someone who had been on his feet all day.

Xiao Li didn't know yet, ever since he was promoted to the master level, Liu Yang had become like a character in a video game, not only had his cooking speed increased, but even his physical recovery was like a rocket.

Xiao Li stood at the kitchen door, for a moment unable to distinguish whether he was dreaming or hallucinating.

Liu Yang was jogging on that dilapidated treadmill, humming a tune as he ran.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that a chef who had been standing all day could still have such energy.

"Boss..." Xiao Li rubbed his eyes, "Aren't you tired?"

"Tired," Liu Yang said, increasing the speed by one notch, "So I need to exercise."

Xiao Li looked at the scene in front of him, feeling quite unwell.

He had just finished his work in the front, his legs were about to break, and he wished he could find a place to lie down.

But Liu Yang, after a full day of work, was still full of energy, and now he was actually running?

What surprised him the most was Liu Yang's condition – he didn't seem tired at all, but rather radiant, as if he had just woken up.

You know, today had started at seven in the morning, and he had been standing until three in the afternoon, without even having time to take a few sips of water.

Xiao Li looked at the creaking treadmill and thought it must have been picked up from the scrap yard.

This was too much of a test of courage.

Xiao Li looked at his boss skeptically, thinking he must have been possessed by a system or something.

Otherwise, how could he have such terrifying energy?