Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 53 The Overlord Turtle Chicken is Submissive, 18.8 Yuan Heavy Blow! Wait, how much is your soup?

"Boss, this stewed meat smells really good! What's with the 'Overlord Turtle Chicken'? Are you kidding me, 13.8 yuan for a full meal?"

Listening to the young people's questions, Xia Ming, wearing a mask as required by the program, answered them with a smile while starting to cook.

"Fast food is all about large portions and filling you up; you can eat your fill whenever you want."

A slightly shorter young man standing nearby smiled.

"Is that right? Then boss, give me one first."

Xia Ming checked the time after that.

"Not ready yet, it's only 11:40. Sales will start promptly at 12:00."

Upon hearing this, the young man standing at the back turned and left. It must be because the company's lunch break was too short, and he couldn't afford to linger at Xia Ming's place.

Xia Ming wasn't annoyed at all. Instead, he poured in the oil and started stir-frying the vegetables.

Upon seeing that it was freshly cooked, the other three young men's eyes lit up.

They were from the same company, but in different departments. They were both new employees, low-paid, overworked, and had to work overtime.

Anyone who has lived in Changsha knows that the 996 work schedule is written in job postings. Alternating weeks of 6-day and 7-day workweeks are considered a blessing, and weekends off are definitely a privilege. Given the generally poor working environment, having a job is already a good thing, so there's not much to be picky about.

The rented house was cheap, but food was a real problem.

At first, being unfamiliar with the area, they ate at the nearest restaurant near the financial center. A small noodle set meal cost 27.8 yuan, and a stir-fry dish was almost 35 yuan.

Three people split the bill and ate two dishes, which cost about 24 yuan per person, but they were still not full. They were so hungry that they went to the company's snack bar in the afternoon.

Just when they were feeling really down, they discovered that several food delivery platforms had started offering large coupons, making a meal of spicy hot pot only 8 yuan and a KFC meal just over 20 yuan.

They were particularly grateful for the "food delivery war" which finally allowed them to stop eating expensive meals.

Although the quality is sometimes inconsistent, and there are often instances of "poisoning like a celestial being," the high cost-performance ratio makes it irresistible. Even if problems arise, they will look for the cause within themselves.

"It's just that my stomach is too weak. Look at Lao Fang, he's fine after eating it!"

"No way, I spent the whole night cleaning the manure pile yesterday!"

"Let's not order from this place then, let's go somewhere else!"

The joyful life of the "wool party" quickly captivated them; even Xue Wang dared to drink two cups a day, and Kudi Coffee was a regular on their table!
Just when they thought their happy life would continue, the "food delivery war" came to an abrupt end. Although coupons were still available, and some had quite large amounts, compared to before, it was just a return to the ideal level in their minds.

When prices start to recover, the problem becomes the inconsistent quality of the food. After rounds of elimination, they realize that there seems to be nothing left to order.

Fortunately, Old Fang was quick-witted and, after some searching, found the treasure land of "Shangbixiang Street".

Although it's a bit far from the company, it's cheap. The walk in between is good exercise. Besides, Lao Geng has noticed that many people in the company go down to pack their food in advance, so they follow suit and don't miss their lunch break.

Today, the three of them went downstairs for dinner again. While discussing whether to eat "pig-killing noodles" or "sugar-coated glutinous rice cakes", they smelled the aroma of Xia Ming's pot of "overlord turtle and chicken".

While Xia Ming was stir-frying vegetables, Lao Geng glanced at the pot next to him a few times and felt that something was wrong.

"Boss, is there really a turtle in your 'Overlord Turtle Chicken'? I think I saw a leg!"

Old Fang and Old Zhang, who were standing nearby, were also stunned when they heard this.

There really are turtles? You must be kidding!
What's the price of a turtle? What's the price of fast food? Can these two things really be related?
Even frozen turtles would probably result in a loss, right?
Just as the two were about to go over and take a look, Xia Ming poured the cabbage into a large basin and then began to distribute it using plastic bowls, nodding as he did so.

"Yeah, how can you eat King Turtle Chicken without turtle?"

Hearing Xia Ming's words, the three of them were stunned for a moment, and then Old Zhang suddenly realized.

"Boss, this dish must have been ordered separately, right?"

"We don't offer individual servings. It's 13.8 for one meat dish and one vegetable dish, or 18.8 for two meat dishes and one vegetable dish. The rice comes in small and large boxes, so you can help yourself."

"Does the 'Overlord Turtle Chicken' count as two meat dishes?"

"What are you thinking? It definitely counts as a meat dish!"

Hearing Xia Ming's resolute answer, the three of them were stunned.

Is there really such a good thing? Well, don't even mention waiting 20 minutes. Even if I skip my lunch break today, I'm going to have to taste it!

Just as the three reached an agreement, several middle-aged tourists also came over. The aroma of the Overlord Turtle Chicken and the name of the stall were really tempting to them. They originally thought it was a local specialty snack, but they didn't expect to find out that it was fast food.

There was a woman in the crowd who was probably a little afraid of turtles. After confirming that there really were turtles, she became hesitant to eat them.

But the middle-aged man in the crowd objected, "Turtle! Turtle is delicious, nutritious, and cheap. I have to try it!"

So, before Xia Ming's stall even opened, several people had already gathered at the entrance, making him quite conspicuous in the West Gate at that moment.

Some tourists had just gotten off the bus when they saw a crowd gathered at the entrance. Since they were already there, they went over to join the fun. White-collar workers who had come downstairs to pack their food also lined up when they saw the 18.8 yuan deal for two meat dishes and one vegetable dish, as well as turtle, stir-fried pork with chili peppers, freshly stir-fried blood duck, and braised fish chunks.

At this price, we have to strike hard!
And so, by the time Xiao Hua's team passed by the West Gate, a long queue had already formed in front of Xia Ming's stall.

The viewers in the live stream were also stunned.

[What a talent! Selling fast food at a food street; the prices are cheap, the business will definitely be booming!]

[We probably won't recoup these costs!]

[Look at the plastic bowls. The turtle bowl is the smallest, and the vegetable bowl is the largest. Only stir-fried pork with chili peppers and braised fish can fill a boy up with one meat dish and one vegetable dish. Two meat dishes and one vegetable dish are a bit better, but turtle dishes definitely won't fill him up.]

There's definitely a chance to make money, even with turtles, but the profit margin is very low. At this price, I feel the gross profit is less than 30%.

[What's the use of a seemingly good business? How can you make money with such low profit margins? Look at Sister Hua's business; her profit margins are over 60%!]

A 60% profit margin on grilled skewers is very reasonable; most are over 85%.

I still think the "Summer Rain and Starry Night" bubble tea is more profitable; the profit margin is explosive.

As the clock struck twelve, Xia Ming's bowl of fast food was being consumed rapidly.

Because he only set up three tables, he used a lot of disposable bowls and chopsticks in order to increase table turnover.

Environmental protection? Forget about it. It's absolutely impossible to use something that's useful.

After queuing for several people, someone suddenly took three meat dishes and one vegetable dish, which cost 23.8 yuan according to the price.

Xia Ming narrowed his eyes slightly, then opened the other large bucket.

"Don't worry, we give you soup with the purchase of three meat dishes and one vegetable dish."

Upon hearing Xia Ming's words, the young man who had already packed his things paused for a moment, then nodded and stood aside.

The moment Xia Ming opened the large bucket of "pig's blood and tofu soup", an extremely tempting aroma burst out from the bucket.

The crowd, initially drawn by the aroma of "Overlord Turtle Chicken," immediately turned their attention to the other side, with the young man next to them widening his eyes in disbelief.

"What kind of soup is this?"

"This is my secret recipe, Magical Pig Blood and Tofu Soup. It's very nourishing. Here, this is for you."

Looking at the two pieces of pig's blood and two pieces of tofu floating in the bowl, the young man was momentarily distracted, and then his throat moved unconsciously.

He was so enticed by the aroma that, considering he still had a long way to go back, he casually opened the lid and took a sip, hoping to soothe his stomach with the soup.

Unexpectedly, his eyes widened instantly after taking a sip of the soup. He then gulped down the soup and looked at Xia Ming with slightly rapid breathing.

"Boss, could I have another bowl of this soup?"

Xia Ming raised an eyebrow upon seeing this.

"You only get a free soup if you have three meat dishes and one vegetable dish. If you finish that, you'll have to buy it separately."

The young man nodded and immediately took out his phone.

"Boss, how much is it? Give me another one."

Xia Ming smiled and took out a sign.

"Small business, honest and fair to all, special magical pig blood tofu soup, 8 yuan for a small bowl, 10 yuan for a large bowl."

"???"

(End of this chapter)