After the divorce, he took care of his child and sold fried rice; his ex-wife was filled with regret

The buns were heavy, and the dough felt incredibly elastic through the tips of the chopsticks.

He brought the bun to his mouth and, following his usual habit of eating pan-fried buns, carefully bit a small opening on the side above the bun.

"Slurp—"

A burst of amber-colored, piping hot, rich meat juice instantly flooded my mouth.

The broth remained hot, its flavorful sweetness and richness undiminished. The scalding broth made Old Zhang's tongue tremble, and his cheeks immediately puffed up.

The hot soup slid down his throat and into his stomach, instantly dispelling the chill he had carried on his way out that morning.

"Phew...it's so hot!"

Old Zhang exhaled a breath of hot air, then opened his mouth wide and took a bite of the bottom of the bun.

"Snap—!!"

A crisp, clear snapping sound echoed distinctly in the quiet office.

Upon hearing the crisp sound, the colleagues who were watching all swallowed hard, their eyes widening in astonishment.

This sounds nothing like the stuffy, overcooked takeout food.

The pan-fried buns have a crispy and firm crust. Biting into one is like chewing on a freshly baked, crispy, and crunchy piece that crumbles between your teeth.

The meatballs inside are firm and bouncy, while the dough, having absorbed the meat juices, is soft and has a sweet aftertaste.

"How is this possible..."

Old Zhang chewed on a piping hot, juicy pan-fried bun, his face filled with disbelief and shock.

After sitting for almost half an hour, the bottom hasn't softened at all!

Old Zhang chewed several large mouthfuls and swallowed them, the rich aroma of meat melting in his mouth.

He impatiently put down his chopsticks, picked up the dark green insulated paper cup next to him, and unscrewed the lid.

As soon as the lid was opened, steam rose up. A thin layer of slightly yellow oil even formed on the surface of the soy milk.

Old Zhang picked up the cup, blew on it, and drank it down in one gulp. It was piping hot and mellow, with a mouthful of the natural sweetness of grain.

Looking at Lao Zhang's greasy mouth and sweaty body, Xiao Wang, who was sitting next to him, looked at his own cold bun that had fallen on the table and was as hard as a rock, and was so anxious that he jumped up and down.

"Brother Zhang, where did you buy these steamed buns around here?"

Old Zhang swallowed the broth in his mouth, took a tissue to wipe his mouth, and shook his head with a smile.

"Nearby? You're overthinking it. This is something I brought all the way from Phoenix Golden Street."

"Phoenix Golden Street?!" Xiao Wang suddenly raised his voice.

Old Li, holding a cup of hot water, came over, his face full of disbelief: "Old Zhang, are you still half asleep? Phoenix Golden Street is almost 20 kilometers away from our High-tech Zone! Did you pack some breakfast from there and bring it over?"

"Given today's traffic conditions, it would have taken you at least half an hour to drive here. A pan-fried bun, steamed in a box for over half an hour, is bound to have a crispy bottom!"

Old Zhang leaned back in his chair and shrugged: "The facts are right in front of you. What good would it do me to lie to you? They just opened their takeout window this morning, and I heard they use specially made constant-temperature vacuum boxes."

Xiao Wang was so anxious he was scratching his head and staring intently at the three remaining pan-fried buns in the box, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down: "Brother Zhang, can you let me have a bite of the bottom? Just one bite!"

"Go away, go away." Old Zhang quickly moved the lunchbox further into his arms. "I don't even have enough for myself, why would I share with you?"

Old Li looked at the dark green box, couldn't help but reach out and touch the outer wall again, and sighed:

"The owner of this shop is really willing to invest. These vacuum-insulated lunch boxes are definitely not cheap to produce. Three hundred yuan a serving is a bit pricey, but the quality is impeccable."

Just then, the door to the supervisor's office on the inside of the office was suddenly pushed open.

Manager Liu, the head of the planning department, came out with a dark face.

"What's all this noise about so early in the morning? Aren't we supposed to be preparing for the morning meeting?"

Manager Liu walked out of the office with a stern face, just about to start scolding someone, when he suddenly stopped in the middle of the corridor.

A rich and pure aroma of roasted black sesame seeds, scallion oil, and the mellow meaty fragrance of fully cooked black mountain pork wafts towards you.

The aroma is clean and rich, without any of the pungent smell of inferior gutter oil or artificial flavorings.

Manager Liu subconsciously sniffed, and his stomach unexpectedly growled.

He followed the aroma and saw five or six employees surrounding Lao Zhang's workstation, all craning their necks and staring intently at the dark green lunchbox on the table, which was steaming.

Old Zhang was still chewing on the half-eaten pan-fried bun, making a crisp "crunch" sound between his teeth.

Seeing Manager Liu approach with a dark expression, Xiao Wang and Lao Li, who were watching, were startled and quickly shrank back, taking two steps away to retreat to their respective aisle sides.

"Manager Liu... Manager Liu." Old Zhang quickly swallowed the meat in his mouth and took a tissue to wipe the grease off his mouth.

"Sorry, everyone, I was a little too loud while eating breakfast."

Manager Liu took two steps closer, his gaze falling on the dark green hard packaging box on the large table.

The reprimand he had prepared suddenly got stuck in his throat when he saw the pan-fried buns in the lunchbox.

Manager Liu himself is a true local gourmet, and he often goes to the big restaurants in Jiangcheng on weekends to find good food.

The golden-brown sheen of the bottom of these pan-fried buns, along with the soft, naturally fermented texture of the dough, makes it clear at a glance that they are definitely not ordinary street vendor goods.

"Where did you buy these steamed buns?" Manager Liu's tone shifted, becoming less stern and more curious.

"Phoenix Golden Street, Lin's Shop," Old Zhang answered honestly, "The takeout window just opened today."

"Lin's Shop?"

Manager Liu was taken aback. Of course, he had heard of this store.

Recently, several executives in the industrial park have been discussing this restaurant, saying that the food is incredibly delicious, but it has strict rules: you have to queue and there's no takeout option.

"Don't they not allow takeout?" Manager Liu asked, pointing to the dark green lunchbox on the table.

Old Zhang pointed to the lid and explained, "This is the takeout window that was just opened this morning."

"Phoenix Golden Street is quite far away. These pan-fried buns have been sitting for half an hour, and the bottoms are still crispy?" Manager Liu's eyes flickered.

The worst thing about pan-fried buns is that the bottom shell gets soggy from the moisture.

Even if a chef from a five-star hotel makes it fresh, if you put it in a regular takeout box and leave it for twenty minutes, the bottom will soften into a wet, soggy mess.

Upon hearing this, in front of Manager Liu, Lao Zhang picked up his chopsticks, took the third pan-fried bun, flipped it over, and used the tip of his chopsticks to poke hard at the hard, golden-brown bottom.

"Click, click."

The sound was crisp and clear, without any softness or sluggishness.

Then, Old Zhang picked up the bun and took a bite of the bottom.

"Snap—!"

A crisp, pleasant cracking sound rang out clearly in the hall, accompanied by a rich aroma of meat.

Seeing this, Manager Liu's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

He glanced at the clock on the wall; there were still three minutes until the morning meeting.

Half a minute later, he took his car keys, pushed open the door, and came out. As he put on his coat, he said to the employees in the office area outside, "Today's morning meeting is canceled."

After saying that, Manager Liu strode towards the elevator.

The entire office area fell silent for two seconds.