I've been possessed by a culinary genius, and I've turned Shaxian snacks into a rip-off!

Fragrant Mixed Noodles: Regular version NT$128/serving, Deluxe version NT$588/serving.

Crystal steamed dumplings: 128 yuan/basket for the standard version, 588 yuan/basket for the deluxe version.

...........

Bodhi Jade Studio: Standard version 288 yuan/serving, Deluxe version 1288 yuan/serving.

Yu Shen's father, Yu Dong, took off his glasses, wiped the lenses with the hem of his shirt, put them back on, and looked at them one more time.

You read that right.

The most expensive one is priced at a whopping 1288 yuan! And this price is for a seemingly ordinary Shaxian snack shop.

Yu Dong turned to look at Yu Shen.

"son."

"Um?"

"Tell Dad the truth, are you out there borrowing money from loan sharks?"

"If you owe me, don't worry, Dad will pay it back for you. But you can't do this, dragging the whole family into this mess and letting them rip you off. Your aunt and uncle drove all this way, and you pull this stunt? Don't your mother and I have any face left?"

Yu Shen: "Dad, what are you saying? I don't owe any money to loan sharks!"

"Then why did you bring us to this shady place? Look at this menu, that vegetarian dish costs 1288 yuan!"

"Look at this environment again, this table, these chairs... and these stools are even made of plastic. I'm over fifty years old, and this is the first time I've ever sat on a plastic stool and eaten such an expensive meal. Isn't this just a complete rip-off?"

Yu Shen didn't know how to explain it for a moment. Judging from the environment alone, the price really did look like the kind of shady shops that specialize in ripping off customers, as seen in the news.

But if you were to forcefully praise Li Heizi's cooking skills as incredibly amazing, it seems you wouldn't be able to convince them.

This is like describing how delicious durian is to someone who has never eaten it. You can rave about it, but they'll just think you're describing a stinky mess.

He could only say, "Dad, since you're all here, you'll know once you try it."

Finally, after much persuasion, everyone reluctantly sat down, huddled together uncomfortably.

The other tables reacted similarly, all thinking the owner was obsessed with money and dared to set such an expensive price.

Just as everyone was making a fuss, the curtain in the kitchen was lifted.

Li Zhibai and Su Su came out carrying trays, on which were placed plates of snow-white Bodhi Jade Cuisine.

"Distinguished guests, thank you for waiting!"

"Enjoy our signature limited-edition dish, Bodhi Jade Vegetarian Cuisine!"

Bodhi Jade Studio originally had a threshold; according to the rules set by Li Zhibai, one had to bring in two new friends to unlock the right to order.

However, he felt that since it was currently promotional time, he temporarily cancelled the rule, just like those online shopping platforms' big promotions, where there should always be some special benefits.

Discounts are out of the question, so we can only remove the ordering restrictions and let them order as much as they want!

As plates of fried rice were served, the first-time guests immediately fell silent.

The rice was pure white, without any side dishes, not even a single scallion, and it was served to them like that.

Even if you're running a shady business, you can't be this shady, right? At least give us some pickled vegetables.

A moment later, everyone was in an uproar.

"Isn't this just white rice?"

"A plate of white rice for 1288?"

"I thought it would be some kind of delicacy, but it's just this?"

"Son, I think you've really been made a fool of."

"......."

It's no wonder they reacted so strongly, because you can't find this kind of fried rice in restaurants, you've never even seen it before, so of course they'd be skeptical.

Yu Shen took a spoon and handed it to his father: "Dad, don't say anything yet. Just take a bite, one bite at a time. You can talk after you've eaten."

Although Yu Dong didn't understand why his son insisted on inviting the family to eat white rice at such a small shop, he still took the spoon, scooped up a small mouthful of rice, and put it in his mouth.

The next second, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"This...this is actually fried rice with egg!"

Yu Shen: "How is it? Isn't it amazing and delicious?"

Yu Dong nodded vigorously: "Delicious! So delicious! Son, why didn't you bring me here to eat this sooner? If I had known the fried rice here was this good, I would have had your uncle fly over from our hometown!"

Others reacted in similar ways, or even more dramatically.

Holy crap!!!

"What is this thing?! It tastes so good!"

"The white rice actually tasted incredibly rich in egg flavor, along with the aroma of meat and bamboo... How did the boss manage to do that? It's amazing!"

"I was just cursing this place as a rip-off, but now I think it's brilliantly ripped off! Absolutely brilliant! This skill deserves this price!"

"Incredible skill, absolutely incredible skill!"

"This is absolutely the best fried rice I've ever had in my life!"

"I originally thought my nephew was stingy for bringing us here to eat, but I was wrong. Nephew, next time you have something good to do, please let me know!"

"......."

Soon, the voices that had been complaining about the poor environment in the store turned into exclamations of amazement.

Now no one complained about the crowd or the discomfort of the plastic stools anymore; all they could see was the fried rice in front of them.

"Boss! Another order of this 'Jade Pavilion'!"

"I want one too! No, two portions!"

"Three servings! We have three servings! Hurry up and bring them out!"

"Give me another bowl of soup, to soothe my throat."

"........."

Su Su carried the tray back and forth in the kitchen, sweating profusely from exhaustion.

"Master, there are orders piling up everywhere outside!"

"Roger that! Full power immediately!"

For a moment, the kitchen was filled with the sounds of clanging and banging, as well as the roaring of the fire, and of course, Li Zhibai's intermittent laughter.

"We're rich! Goose, goose, goose..."

Su Su had just carried an empty tray into the kitchen when she saw her master's shoulders shaking and he was making a goose-like honking sound.

"Master, are you laughing? This laugh is a bit..." she wanted to say, it's really abstract.

Li Zhibai froze. Damn! He was too excited and couldn't hold back.

"Oh no, you misheard me, I was reciting poetry."

"Goose, goose, goose, with its curved neck singing to the sky! White feathers float on green water, red webbed feet stir clear waves..."

"Let me tell you, these are the secrets. When you're making fried rice, recite some poems to cultivate your mind and spirit, and the food will taste even better."

Su Su: "..."

Why doesn't she believe it?

.........

outside the store.

Grandpa Huo Wang slowly appeared at the door, carrying that old-fashioned radio.

He arrived a little earlier today than yesterday, thinking he would eat two plates of fried rice with eggs, just like yesterday, and then go home to sleep.

When he arrived, he realized he was late; the store was packed.

When he saw the same young men from yesterday inside, he immediately understood that these guests had been brought in to help out.

To win that event, these young people really went all out, even calling in all their distant relatives.

Similarly, their persistence further aroused the old man's interest in the customized dish.

Li Zhibai was carrying a tray out of the kitchen when he saw Huo Wang standing at the door.

After putting down the food, he immediately came out to greet us.

"Sir! You've arrived! Please, please come in!"

Huo Wang didn't go in, but pointed to the chairs outside and said, "I'll wait a bit, there's no rush."

Li Zhibai glanced back at the shop and smiled awkwardly, "It's really crowded today, I'm so sorry, please sit outside and rest for a while, I'll get you a glass of water."

"Go ahead and do your work, don't worry about me."

"Okay!"

Li Zhibai agreed verbally, but felt somewhat uneasy inside.

Why is the old man still alone today? You know, tomorrow is the last day. At this rate, even if he wanted to cheat the old man, he wouldn't have an excuse. The old man only ordered four dishes in total, and if we include tomorrow, there will be at most six dishes. He can't just bite the bullet and say that he won the championship with six dishes, can he?

That kind of underhanded operation is a bit too blatant.

Grandpa, please do me a favor! Let me take advantage of you this once!

You're supposed to be a Golden Legend brand, this spending habit is bad and needs to be changed!

Li Zhibai didn't have time to figure out how to trick the old man into rolling it up, because he was too busy today and had to continue frying rice.

More than an hour later.

Yu Shen and his group of people came out of the store one after another, most of them so weak that they had to lean against the wall to walk.

"Hiccup~~~~"

"I can't take it anymore. I ate four servings of fried rice today, and I really can't eat anymore."

"You only had four servings? The fat guy ate eight!"

"Is that fat guy even human? He's a complete glutton!"

"Today, even the fat guy isn't much of a threat."

"I thought Fatty could eat a lot, but I never imagined there were other people out there!"

Everyone instinctively looked at Lu Qianshan, or more accurately, at the twin girls next to him whose combined weight probably didn't even equal that of Pang Yi alone.

Thinking back to those horrifying mukbang videos, Yu Shen and the others felt a chill run down their spines and goosebumps rise on their arms.

Who would have thought that Lu Qianshan was so cunning, actually bringing over two big eaters who ate nearly fifty plates of fried rice?

Fifty plates of rice!

Can you believe that two girls actually finished the whole thing?

Keep in mind that Yu Shen's family only ate about thirty plates in total.

"Damn it, Lao Lu, you're simply a genius!"

"We're all calling for normal people, and you're fucking cheating!"

"Exactly! You actually hired two competitive eaters, that's cheating!"

"......."

Lu Qianshan shrugged: "The rules don't say you can't invite big eaters, and besides, I have the fewest people."

"Damn it!"

Just as a group of people were arguing about this at the store entrance, they happened to see the old man from yesterday. He was still sitting in his chair, leisurely listening to the radio, and he didn't bring anyone with him.

The old man is no longer a threat to them.

"Sir, you have no idea how much fried rice we ate today."

"The person with the most has accumulated almost sixty copies; they're practically throwing up from rolling them all!"

"You were absolutely right not to choose to join us!"

Huo Wang chuckled and said, "It's all about participation. How can an old man like me compare to you young people?"

"Then please enjoy your meal. We'll be leaving now. Tomorrow is the last day, and we'll have to fight one more round." Yu Shen waved his hand and said goodbye to the old man.

Other people also greeted the old man as they passed by.

Goodbye, sir!

"Keep it up, grandpa! Try to eat an extra plate tomorrow!"

"......."

Huo Wangyi responded with a smile.

After they had walked away, he turned to look at the sign at the entrance of Shaxian Restaurant. One line of text seemed to have been overlooked by the young people: "[This restaurant can only accommodate 50 people per day]".

"Tomorrow is the last day, it's a pity you won't be able to eat there tomorrow."

............

P.S.: Please give me five stars! I was writing until 12:30 in the morning to add more chapters and almost couldn't keep going. I welcome everyone's suggestions for this book, as I'm afraid the later chapters will become padded. I really spend a lot of time thinking about the plot every day, hehe... By the way, please give me five stars.