Professor Xie, isn't this a case of forcing customers to buy products that don't match the

Shang Song: [Link] Brothers! Come and choose your dishes! You can choose multiple! Each person must choose at least two of their favorite dishes! There's no upper limit! But no waste! Deadline is 8 PM tonight! No more waiting after that! [Cool][Cool]

Boss: Holy crap!!!

Boss: Am I hallucinating from slacking off?! Have I time-traveled?! Have I ascended the throne?!

Boss: Is this the imperial kitchen's ordering system?! And there's no limit to how much food can be ordered?!

Third child: I have just one question, could I have a small bite of everything, so that I, a child from a poor family, can try it all?!

Second child: I want to eat Western food! The kind with fancy plating but no filling! The kind that my father would scold, "Can this stuff fill you up?"

Second Brother: Shang Xiaosong! If you're a true brother, bring me some Western food! Otherwise, I'll expose your dark history in front of your Professor Xie!

Second child: Oh, Yan Yan said he wants to eat bamboo shoots, anything else is fine too.

Second son: Look! My Yan Yan is so easy to raise! All he wants is a bamboo shoot! My wife is as cute as a panda! [Hehehehe.jpg]

Shang Song: ...vomit.

Boss: ...Ugh.

Third brother: ...Ugh.

Second brother: ? ? ? You guys are just jealous! Utterly jealous! Jealous that I have such a cute and sensible wife! [Proud cat.jpg]

Eldest brother: Hey! Xu Lao Er, that's enough! Just order food! Stop showing off your lovey-dovey stuff! Believe me or not, I'll tell your embarrassing stories in front of your Yan Yan in a couple of days!

Third Brother: Let's get down to business! Brother Song! Isn't this a bit too much? Those dishes look...like one bite could cost me a month's salary! Are you really going to eat that much? Professor Xie, you don't have any objections? [Shaking.jpg]

Eldest brother: +1, @Song Laosi, we're just a few brothers having dinner, any dishes will do, no need to be so formal [cat scared.jpg]

Shang Song: Relax, relax! There are only a few dishes! How could we possibly bankrupt such a wealthy family!

Boss: ? Are you trying to rip off Professor Xie like he's a big spender? Is that appropriate?

Second Brother: What's inappropriate about it! It's perfect! Shang Xiaosong is a gigolo we brothers can share! Eat! We have to eat!

Second brother: @Song I want to eat that M9+ butter-baked Wagyu beef!

Shang Song: See that! @Big Brother @Third Brother, take note! Xu Lao Er's awareness is amazing! [Thumbs up]

Shang Song: We're doing this to boost consumption, stimulate domestic demand, and help a certain wealthy Mr. Xie digest his untapped wealth! This is charity, understand?! [Kitten nodding frantically.jpg]

Boss: Fine, then I won't hold back! I want to taste the flavor of money! [Give up.jpg]

Boss: Bring me all the expensive seafood!

Third brother: Then I won't be polite either. From today onwards, I'll drink porridge every day, just waiting for the Lantern Festival! [Cat peacefully.jpg]

Third brother: I'll pack up the leftovers and take them home! I promise not a single bite will be wasted! [Cat grinning.jpg]

Eldest brother: Third brother really knows how to live. I'm going to starve myself, and I'll bring a few plastic bags with me. [cat smoking.jpg]

After his brothers ordered their food, Shang Song communicated with Chef Liu and wrote it down. Then, carrying a pot of freshly squeezed blended fruit juice from Sister Liu, he happily took the elevator back to the 88th floor.

Xie Jing remained seated in his original spot, the book in his hand appearing to have been turned many times.

Hearing the elevator ding, Xie Jing looked up, put down her book, and stared at the juice in Shang Song's arms. "You're back?"

"You're back!" Shang Song first walked to the island counter, poured the juice from his pocket into a glass, then eagerly picked it up and held it to Xie Jing's lips, "Sister Su squeezed it fresh, you should try it!"

Xie Jing took a sip from Shang Song's hand, his gaze falling on Shang Song's bright eyes. "You've been gone so long? Have you decided on the menu?"

"Yeah! It wasn't easy!" Shang Song kicked off his slippers, sat cross-legged on the sofa next to Xie Jing, and started chattering away while holding his juice:

"You wouldn't believe it, the chefs almost had a huge meeting when they heard we were going to come up with a menu! It scared me to death! Luckily, I was quick-witted and had them each bring out their signature dishes, then send them to the group chat so the bosses could order!"

He spoke animatedly about how shocked his brothers were when they saw the audition menu, and how they devised a fasting strategy, even bringing plastic bags. The more he talked, the more he laughed, almost spilling his juice.

Xie Jing listened quietly, slowly scrolling through the menu that had just been synced from the kitchen on the tablet.

This is a menu that has no appetizers, but only brings together more than 20 main dishes from all over the world, including steaks, lamb chops, and various Western dishes prepared in different ways... It can be described as a chaotic and dazzling display of variety.

Xie Jing imagined that if the dishes were served according to the traditional banquet, after the first few main courses, the guests would inevitably be too busy to deal with the dishes that followed, and in the end, no matter how exquisite the dishes were, they would only be able to look at them with longing.

Shang Song looked at Xie Jing's expressionless profile. Although he had been accusing Xie Jing of overcharging him in the group chat, he was still a little apprehensive when he actually showed him the menu, worried that it might be too exaggerated.

"Did we order a bit too much? And it seems like a mess, with all sorts of things. That glutton Xu Lao Er even ordered several different ways to cook the steak..."

He scratched his head, a little embarrassed: "How about I talk to Chef Liu and ask him to simplify a few steps?"

Xie Jing looked up and saw Shang Song's anxious expression. He reached out and rubbed Shang Song's cheek to comfort him: "It's not much."

Shang Song's eyes lit up, and his slight unease vanished instantly.

"If the guests are happy, that's good." His voice was unhurried but contained a clear smile. "However, these dishes have very different styles and flavors. If we follow the traditional banquet, I'm afraid that after the first few main courses, we won't be able to taste the flavors of the later dishes."

Shang Song was stunned.

He was so focused on getting his brothers to order their fill that he didn't really think about the order and combination of dishes.

After Xie Jing said that, he was even more confused when he thought about the scene of a bunch of seafood, eight steaks ordered by Xu Lao Er, and a bunch of Western dishes that were not even eaten.

Something does seem... off?

"What should we do then?" he asked subconsciously, his body unconsciously leaning into Xie Jing's arms.

Xie Jing watched his unconscious dependence on her, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "Since the styles are diverse, how about we forgo seating and make it a buffet?"

"Self-service?"

"Hmm." Xie Jing nodded. "The east side of the banquet hall on the 85th floor connects to a semi-open terrace. There's enough space to set up a buffet table and arrange the dishes they choose in sections. It can be divided into a seafood section, a Chinese and Western hot dish section, a soup and dessert section, a dessert and fruit section, and separate sections for alcoholic beverages."

"This way, your friends can eat what they want, take whatever they like, without being restricted by the order in which the dishes are served. The culinary team can also present each dish at its best without worrying about the flavor being affected by the serving time."

Shang Song nodded repeatedly as he listened, but a practical problem still came to mind: "But if we do it this way, won't the kitchen have to prepare even more ingredients? If it's served dish by dish, they only need to prepare the portion size for each dish in order, but now that all the dishes are laid out at the same time, in order to ensure everyone has enough to eat, they'll have to prepare quite a lot of each one, right? Including the two of us, there are only 6 people. If we can't finish it, won't it be a waste?"

He wanted to treat Xie Jing to a big meal, but the thought of wasting so many expensive ingredients made him feel guilty.

Xie Jing looked at his furrowed brows, her gaze softening, and reassured him, "Don't worry, the kitchen team will take care of the precise measurements and preparations. They will calculate the appropriate amount to prepare based on the number of people and the characteristics of the dishes."

He paused, then raised his hand and patted Shang Song on the back. "Besides, after the banquet, the leftover ingredients can be used by the staff on duty. You know, there are quite a few people here on duty 24 hours a day—security, logistics, and technical teams—they also need to eat."

"The dishes your friends ordered are things they might not eat often, so it's not a waste; it's another form of employee benefit."

As he said this, he glanced at the corner of the eye at the dazzling menu on the tablet, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes. "Moreover, I bet the chefs in the kitchen are currently arguing about who should serve the food first."

Shang Song was dumbfounded: "Huh?"

Xie Jing did not answer immediately. Instead, he raised his hand, picked up another tablet from the coffee table on the side, quickly operated it a few times, and brought up the monitoring screen of the conference room on the 82nd floor.

Shang Song curiously leaned closer, his eyes widening instantly.

Inside the meeting room, about twenty craftsmen sat around a long table, the atmosphere quite...

warm?

fierce?

Do not!

Blast!