America's Greatest Villain: I Defeat Magic with Magic

Chen Yuan spent the entire day in his office perfecting his charity plan, but he still hadn't received a reply from Vivian's email.

What exactly does "not enough" mean?

Chen Yuan rubbed his temples, sighing inwardly at how much these student politicians from prestigious universities loved being riddle tellers.

He sighed and simply got up and went to the lobby.

After all, Sunday dinner time is quite busy. When Hu Dan and Yang Qiu are too busy, he, as the boss, still has to step in personally to help coordinate the meal preparation.

That's how it is in small restaurants; the owner has to do many things personally.

The tables in the good shops are basically full, and if this continues, today's revenue will be quite good.

Chen Yuan had already asked Sister Liu from the finance department to calculate the accounts. After deducting fixed expenses such as rent, utilities, and employee salaries, the net profit for this month should be around twenty to thirty thousand US dollars.

If he can also steadily launder 200,000 dollars of illicit funds every day, his exorbitant tuition fee of 45,000 US dollars for the next semester will finally be secured.

Suddenly, out of the corner of Chen Yuan's eye, he saw a black Mercedes parked on the vacant lot by the roadside through the shop's floor-to-ceiling window.

Despite its understated appearance, the spotless new Mercedes still stood out on the dilapidated streets of the South District, a neighborhood frequented by low-income residents, immediately attracting the attention of the diners queuing outside.

After a while, the back door of the car was opened, and a young woman stepped out gracefully.

Chen Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, somewhat surprised.

The woman was wearing a neatly tailored light-colored knit sweater, with a thin short jacket over it, and clean dark trousers that accentuated the long lines of her legs.

This understated and reserved outfit is actually not much different from that of most fashionable white female college students.

But when she stood in the crowd, the aura she naturally exuded made the noisy diners around her instinctively make way for her.

She seemed to sense Chen Yuan's gaze, turned her head, and smiled slightly through the glass.

The person who arrived was Vivian Sinclair, the vice president of the USC Student Council.

Just as Chen Yuan arrived at the store entrance, Vivian pushed the door open and walked in.

Sensing Chen Yuan's scrutinizing gaze, Vivian maintained her charming smile and joked:

"What, are you not welcoming me? As the head of the USC social practice pilot project, I have to make sure your store doesn't have any violations."

As she spoke, she looked around before nodding in satisfaction and saying:

"Business seems to be good, but I'd like to try the food at your restaurant to see if it's really as delicious as the online reviews say."

Since the other party had come as a guest, Chen Yuan naturally had no reason to refuse them, and simply asked as usual:

Are you alone?

Vivian rolled her eyes at Chen Yuan and said irritably:

"Otherwise what? Don't you have any more private rooms? I came here specifically to talk to you about that charity project."

Although Rongding Pavilion is not a large establishment, it certainly has some well-soundproofed private rooms. And because they are not used very often, they are quite clean.

After Vivian sat down, she casually picked up the menu and said with great interest:

"I've always wondered what the difference is between the Kung Pao Chicken and Mapo Tofu made by my family's Michelin-starred chef and those made in a real Chinese restaurant."

"You want to eat the original Kung Pao Chicken and Mapo Tofu?" Chen Yuan raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Of course, if it's just sweet and sour pork, what's the difference between eating it at home and eating it at home?"

Vivian's eyes lit up with anticipation as she continued ordering.

"And the grilled squid. I saw that girl from the neighborhood video journal say that you personally improved the grilled squid at your restaurant, so..."

At this point, Vivian put down the menu, rested her chin on her hand, looked at Chen Yuan, and spoke in a soft voice with a hint of provocation:

"I also want to try Mr. Chen's cooking myself."

Faced with this young lady's order, Chen Yuan was not flattered at all; instead, his expression darkened.

"There's no need to queue for dine-in grilled squid, so the price is 50% higher than at the outside food stalls. And if the manager cooks it himself..."

Seeing Chen Yuan's "I need to pay more" expression, Weiwei was speechless again:

Do you think I would mind these things?

Chen Yuan nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world:

"After all, when it comes to the final bill amount, transparent pricing is the most basic principle."

Although Vivian's sudden visit and her request for him to cook for her personally were not a big deal for Chen Yuan.

It is only natural for the catering industry to meet the reasonable requests of its customers.

Moreover, if a single meal could satisfy Vivian and thus secure her endorsement of the "Southern District Homeless Hot Food Care Program," then this deal would be incredibly worthwhile.

Therefore, Chen Yuan did not delay. Under his personal urging, Lao Cao and Zhou Xingye completed a delicious and authentic Sichuan-style Kung Pao Chicken and Mapo Tofu in less than 10 minutes.

Adding to the dish was the grilled squid that Chen Yuan had made himself. When the three dishes were placed on the table, Vivian's eyes lit up instantly.

Leaving aside the grilled squid, let's just talk about the other two Sichuan dishes. Whether it's the red oil floating on the surface or the strong aroma of Sichuan peppercorns in the air, they are completely different from the modified version made by Vivian's chef.

Chen Yuan poured a glass of ice water and handed it over, kindly explaining:

"Since these three dishes are all prepared in the authentic Sichuan style, I suggest you try them a little bit first. There's a reason why local American chefs usually make significant modifications to the flavors..."

However, before she could finish speaking, Vivian skillfully picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a large piece of grilled squid coated with secret spices, and gently put it into her mouth.

next second.

Chen Yuan saw her fair, jade-like cheeks and neck rapidly turning bright red.

"This is too much..."

Vivian abruptly covered her mouth, swallowing the chewy squid strips with difficulty, then gulped down a large mouthful of ice water before blushing and questioning her.

"Why is it so spicy? I just saw those female students queuing up at the door, and they seemed to be enjoying their food."

Chen Yuan, with an expression of complete nonchalance, explained slowly and deliberately:

"The grilled squid at the snack window is a less spicy version, and it tastes different from the version served in the restaurant."

"Moreover, you insisted that I make this dish myself. As a chef with professional ethics, I naturally did my best to perfectly recreate the most authentic spicy and numbing flavor of the East."

"But……"

Vivian stared at the grilled squid in front of her, a look of panic appearing on her face for the first time.

"Then the remaining two dishes will also be..."

Chen Yuan nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world:

"The soul of authentic Sichuan cuisine is its numbing spiciness. Since most Americans' stomachs simply cannot handle this kind of stimulating flavor, local Chinese chefs usually adapt it to the style of General Tso's Chicken, which is mainly sweet and sour with a slight spiciness."

As he spoke, he sighed with feigned regret and reached out to pick up the plate:

"You haven't touched the remaining two dishes, I can help you cancel them, consider it a staff meal."

"No! Put it down!"

Vivian pressed down on the edge of the plate.

Although tears were still welling up in her eyes from the spiciness, and even her exquisite makeup was slightly red, her indomitable spirit was completely unleashed.

She stared intently at the three authentic Sichuan dishes in front of her, which seemed to be mocking her, and said through gritted teeth:

"I ordered this myself, and even if it's too spicy, I'm going to finish it!"