Is the closed beta test of King of Loque over? The official release is here!

Tie Dan squatted on the ground, listlessly poking at the remaining half-piled of charcoal in the grill. Er Mao leaned against the counter, his eyelids drooping, it was hard to tell if he was resting or had completely given up.

Niu Kuang stood in the center of the stall, arms crossed, discussing the price reduction with Tie Dan.

"One point for two skewers of meat, do you think anyone'll come?"

"Boss, one point equals two strings of coins, aren't we going to lose a fortune?"

"If you don't lower the price, tell me who's going to buy it!"

Just as they were arguing, a figure appeared in front of the stall.

Niu Kuang looked up, his pupils contracting.

Mo Fan.

Niu Kuang's expression instantly became complicated—there was displeasure, wariness, and a hint of inexplicable frustration.

"What are you doing here?" His voice turned cold, tinged with obvious wariness. "Coming to see a joke?"

"Of course not." Mo Fan stopped in front of the stall, his tone no different from usual. "I'm here to sell things."

Niu Kuang was stunned for a moment.

"Selling things? What are you selling?"

Mo Fan took out two bottles from his pocket and waved them in front of Niu Kuang.

A bottle of ochre-red powder, a bottle of dark red sauce.

Niu Kuang's eyes widened instantly.

Tie Dan bounced up from the ground, and Er Mao's droopy eyelids also lifted by two millimeters, which was rare for him.

"What do you mean?" Niu Kuang stared at the two bottles, his voice low, as if afraid others would hear.

Mo Fan placed the bottle on the table and said directly.

"I'll sell you seasonings and sauces. The price is simple—one-tenth of the final barbecue score from this competition will be given to us as compensation."

Niu Kuang did not answer immediately.

His bull-like eyes darted back and forth between Mo Fan and the two bottles several times.

%.

Niu Kuang wasn't stupid. He quickly calculated in his mind—he still had more than half of his remaining ingredients unsold. If he had this seasoning, given how popular it was with the Wood Clan, clearing it all out wouldn't be a problem.

Even if we give away 10%, the remaining 90% would be a million times better than not being able to sell them at all.

but--

"What do you mean by this? Charity?" Niu Kuang's voice was muffled, his rugged face filled with reluctance. When had Niu Kuang ever needed anyone's pity?

Mo Fan glanced at him.

"It's not charity, it's a transaction."

His tone was completely flat, as if he were stating a fact.

"You know that the more points you accumulate, the better it is for everyone. I earn mine, you earn yours, and nobody loses out."

Niu Kuang fell silent.

Er Mao, standing beside him, spoke up, his voice still in that half-dead tone.

"Boss, buy it."

Niu Kuang turned to look at him.

Er Mao, with drooping eyelids and a blank expression, added, "Nine out of ten is better than zero."

Simple and crude logic.

Niu Kuang gritted his teeth. He clenched his fist, then relaxed it.

He raised his head and looked directly into Mo Fan's eyes.

"make a deal."

The two words were squeezed out from between his teeth, as if he had used all his strength.

Mo Fan nodded and pushed a bottle of spices and half a bottle of honey sauce onto the counter.

"The method is very simple. When the meat is roasted to medium-rare, sprinkle with the powder. Don't put too much at once, just a thin layer is enough. The same applies to the sauce, but of course, it mainly depends on the customer's preference."

Niu Kuang took the bottle, gripping the smaller bottle with his large hand, his expression strange.

Mo Fan had already turned around and was walking towards the Stone Clan's stall.

Behind him, Niu Kuang's voice came.

It was somber, yet it carried a hint of resigned acceptance.

"Mo Fan, I, Niu Kuang, will remember you!"

Mo Fan paused for a moment and turned his head.

Niu Kuang didn't look at him, but lowered his head and uncorked the bottle of spices. The spicy and sweet aroma immediately burst out.

"Next time—I'll win it back."

Mo Fan didn't answer and continued walking forward.

......

Stone family stall.

Song Chen stood behind the desk, hands behind his back, his face gloomy.

When he saw Mo Fan appear before him, a surge of emotions welled up in his eyes for a moment—surprise, confusion, and a hint of instinctive resistance.

Then, he saw the bottle in Mo Fan's hand.

Song Chen wasn't arrogant; he understood Mo Fan's intentions in an instant.

But he didn't say anything, he just waited quietly for Mo Fan to speak.

Mo Fan didn't waste any words and stated the conditions exactly as they were.

%.

Song Chen remained silent for a long time.

Lin Sen stood to the side, his gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses sweeping back and forth between Mo Fan and the two bottles. After a moment, he leaned close to Song Chen's ear and whispered something.

Song Chen's lips moved, and finally—

"can."

His voice was deep and his expression was cold.

But he took the bottle.

Mo Fan turned and left.

Behind him, Song Chen's gaze remained fixed on his back, lingering for a long time.

Chapter 230 Enjoying a Drink

As night fell, the torches in the market burned even brighter.

The orange-red firelight illuminated every excited face, making the entire market as bright as day.

Thanks to Mo Fan sharing his barbecue seasoning and sauce with Niu Kuang and Song Chen, the lively atmosphere at the Pandonog market reached a new climax that day.

After buying all the barbecue from the Mu tribe's stall, the locals were still not satisfied, so they emptied their wallets and flocked to two other stalls.

"Come on over! We have our secret seasoning here too!"

Niu Kuang's booming voice echoed through the market. He stood in front of his stall, holding a skewer of grilled meat covered in honey sauce, and that familiar, complex aroma once again filled the air.

Tie Dan was fanning himself frantically, his shiny forehead covered in sweat, but his smile was brighter than ever before.

"Boss! We have guests again!"

"okay!"

At the stone clan's stall, Song Chen stood behind the counter, his expression still indifferent, but his movements were much more nimble than before.

Lin Sen was in charge of grilling, while the other team members skewered the food, seasoned it, and served it. Each of them did their job, and the speed of serving the food increased noticeably.

"One set meal!"

"OK, wait!"

The locals moved back and forth between the three stalls, each holding a skewer of grilled meat and beaming with satisfaction.

"This flavor! It's absolutely amazing!"

"Yes, yes, yes! I can never get tired of eating it!"

"I'd like another one!"

Before we knew it, it was already evening, and the sky was getting dark.

But the market was still bustling with activity.

Murong Jiao stood in front of her own empty stall, hands on her hips, looking at the still bustling scenes on the other two sides, her almond-shaped eyes gleaming with pride.

"Hmph, we're definitely going to win this time!" She turned her head and gestured with her chin at Mo Fan. "Mo Fan, that was a brilliant move of yours!"

Mo Fan squatted on the ground, picking up the scattered bamboo skewers and empty bottles.

“Winning is one thing, but getting more points is the most important thing.” He stood up, dusted off his knees, and glanced at the other two stalls. “The more they sell, the more commission we get.”

Fang Xu gave a thumbs up from the side: "Brother Mo Fan, that's brilliant!"

Murong Sha didn't speak, but slightly curled the corners of her lips, her blue eyes showing a hint of approval.

It was at this moment that...

A steady sound of footsteps echoed from the market entrance.

Everyone turned their heads in unison.

The three clan leaders walked over side by side.