txolops Chapter 15: The Queuing Frenzy Begins
Chapter 15: The Queuing Frenzy Begins
"Squeak—"
Wang Hai applied the brakes and brought the tricycle to a steady stop at the edge of the Yintai Building Plaza.
Wang Hai nimbly got off the car and carried the folding table down.
Lin Chen got out of the passenger seat, turned around, picked up Tangtang, and gently placed her on the small stool next to him.
The sensor doors in the lobby on the first floor of the building slid open to both sides.
"There it is! The owner has set up his stall!"
Zhao Qiang's eyes lit up, and he quickened his pace to walk over.
Following behind him were Li Na in high heels and Liu Wei, who was loosening his tie.
Although the three walked quickly, the urgency in their eyes was impossible to hide.
"Boss! Give me two servings! I'm bursting!"
Zhao Qiang walked up to the stall, raised his phone, and scanned the QR code for payment.
"I'll have one too, I'll eat it here."
Li Na followed suit and scanned the code.
"Make me a portion too."
Liu Wei paid without hesitation.
At this moment, many white-collar workers who had been waiting behind the glass door with the intention of watching the spectacle unfold began to purse their lips and whisper among themselves as they watched this scene.
"They really went and bought it? Are those people in the planning department possessed?"
"The group said it was 99 yuan a serving, but I think that's a joke."
If it tastes bad later, let's see how they get out of this mess.
"Exactly, they really think we're all idiots."
Ignoring the faint mocking glances from the building behind them, Liu Wei and his two companions kept their eyes fixed on Lin Chen.
"Hold on."
Lin Chen tied his faded apron, his tone calm.
"Click!"
Lin Chen pressed the gas stove knob with his left hand, and a fierce blue flame instantly rose up.
He picked up the iron pot handle with his right hand, his movements swift and decisive.
Without any unnecessary words, Lin Chen heated the oil in the wok and added the ingredients.
In just over two minutes, accompanied by the crisp sound of the wok and spatula clashing together, three portions of golden-brown fried rice were served directly from the wok and packed into boxes.
Just the moment it came out of the pot.
A pure, unadulterated aroma of scallions and eggs wafted from the pot, carried by the evening breeze, directly towards the lobby of the building a dozen meters away.
The onlookers in the hall, who had been whispering and mocking each other, suddenly fell silent.
"Gurgle..."
Someone swallowed very clearly, though no one knew who it was.
It has no pungent MSG flavor, just the pure aroma of eggs and rice.
This pure aroma of food goes straight into your nostrils.
The white-collar workers in the lobby looked at each other, their previously strong psychological defenses beginning to crack.
Just then, a woman dressed in a fitted business suit and carrying a folder walked out of the building.
She is Secretary Chen, the chief secretary in the top-floor president's office.
Secretary Chen had just stepped out of the building, intending to buy an Americano at the coffee shop next door, when her high heels stopped.
She usually pays close attention to her figure and rarely touches carbohydrates, but at this moment, the dry and fragrant aroma of rice in the air made her stomach twitch uncontrollably, and a feeling of hunger surged up instantly.
"It smells so good..."
Secretary Chen frowned slightly and looked in the direction of the fragrance.
Beside the stall, Liu Wei, Li Na, and Zhao Qiang stood next to the tricycle, holding plastic lunch boxes, and started eating with large mouthfuls of food, completely disregarding their image.
Secretary Chen was slightly taken aback when he saw Li Na's face clearly.
She and Li Na usually work together and have a good relationship. She knows that Li Na talks about losing weight all the time, but today she was seen eating fried rice on the roadside.
Secretary Chen walked over.
"Li Na?"
Secretary Chen walked up to the stall and looked at her with some surprise, "Why is your planning department eating at a roadside stall?"
Upon hearing the sound, Li Na paused and turned her head.
"Secretary Chen?!"
Li Na quickly swallowed the rice in her mouth, wiped her mouth with a tissue, and asked, "Are you off work?"
"Not yet, I have some errands to run downstairs."
Secretary Chen glanced at the fried rice in Li Na's hand, and couldn't help but swallow. "Is this fried rice really that delicious?"
"Delicious! Absolutely delicious!"
Li Na nodded seriously and recommended without hesitation, "Secretary Chen, you'll know once you try it."
There's not an ounce of excess oil; it's all the natural flavor of the ingredients.
Hearing Li Na's praise, and smelling the fragrance that kept wafting into his nostrils, Secretary Chen was indeed tempted.
She was busy organizing documents for Mr. Su on the top floor at noon today and didn't eat anything, so she's really feeling quite hungry now.
"Okay, I'll give it a try."
Secretary Chen turned his head and looked at Lin Chen, who was standing calmly in front of the stove. "Boss, could you please cook one for me and pack it up?"
How much?"
"Ninety-nine."
Lin Chen answered calmly while cleaning the iron pot.
"How many?!"
Secretary Chen's brows furrowed instantly, his face filled with disbelief.
"Ninety-nine yuan? A serving of fried rice?"
Secretary Chen looked at the dilapidated tricycle and found it outrageous. "Boss, how dare you sell fried rice for this price?"
Faced with Secretary Chen's questioning, Lin Chen didn't even raise his head, simply saying, "The price is clearly stated."
Sitting on a small stool next to her, Tangtang rested her chin on her hands, blinked her big eyes at Secretary Chen, and said in a childish voice, "Pretty Auntie, my daddy's cooking is the best."
Auntie, take this home and eat it; you'll definitely think it's great value for money!
Looking at the sensible and adorable Tangtang, Secretary Chen's tense expression softened slightly.
"Gurgle—" Just then, Secretary Chen's stomach let out a muffled protest sound.
The pure aroma of scallions and eggs was constantly stimulating her sense of smell and stomach.
She glanced at Li Na and Liu Wei, who were enjoying their meal, and took a deep breath.
"Never mind, I'll buy one and try it out."
Secretary Chen sighed inwardly.
My stomach was really growling with hunger, and the aroma was indeed tempting.
"Okay, give me a takeout."
Secretary Chen gave in and took out his phone to scan the QR code to pay.
Without wasting words, Lin Chen fired again.
Two minutes later, a steaming plate of fried rice with golden bits was packed into a takeout box and handed to Secretary Chen.
"Li Na, I'm going up first."
Secretary Chen nodded to Li Na, picked up the takeout box, and turned to walk quickly toward the building.
Meanwhile, in the lobby of the building a dozen meters away...
The onlookers, peering through the glass door, could not hear what was being said at the stall, but their eyes saw it all clearly.
"Holy crap! Did you guys see that?! Isn't that Secretary Chen from the CEO's office?"
"It's her! She stood there hesitating for a long time, looking quite shocked, but in the end, she actually took out her phone to scan the QR code!"
Didn't the group say it was 99 per share?
Secretary Chen, who is usually so image-conscious, actually spent 100 yuan on a takeout meal from a roadside stall?!
The atmosphere in the hall changed instantly.
If the people in the planning department are just hired hands, then surely the chief secretary in the president's office can't be hired hands too, right?!
"Gurgle..."
The aroma of scallions and eggs wafted into the hall in waves.
Adding to the fact that Liu Wei and others were genuinely satisfied with their meal, and now even Secretary Chen, who is usually very image-conscious, was paying the bill and packing the leftovers up.
The pride, doubts, and hesitations in the hearts of these white-collar workers in the hall were completely shattered at this moment.
"I absolutely have to eat this today!"
"At worst, it's just a hundred yuan!"
One of the male employees shouted, unable to bear the torment in his stomach any longer, and quickly walked out of the glass door.
"Wait for me! I want to buy one too!"
"Hurry up, those in front!"
Let me scan the code first, so they don't sell out again!
"Boss! Two servings, please!"
In an instant, the dozens of white-collar workers who had been watching and mocking in the lobby of the building could no longer hold back and rushed out of the automatic doors toward Lin Chen's tricycle.
In the blink of an eye, a long queue formed in front of the stall, and people even made anxious urging noises as they tried to get a spot.
The queuing frenzy has officially begun!