txolops Chapter 41, the last copy
Chapter 41, the last copy
7:20 PM.
The streetlights in the Yintai Building plaza are already on.
It had only been two hours since they set up their stall at 5:20 p.m.
But the speed at which food was served at the stall today was completely different from the previous days.
"Boss, pack five portions for me!"
Our entire planning team is upstairs working through the night, relying on this meal to keep us going!
"Alright! Five portions, that'll be four hundred and ninety-five in total!"
Wang Hai's voice was already a little hoarse from shouting, but his hands moved so fast that they were almost blurry.
He quickly pulled out five transparent packaging boxes and lined them up in a row.
Lin Chen stood silently in front of the stove, his left hand firmly gripping the pot handle, his right hand holding an iron spatula.
He heated the pan and added cold oil. With deft movements, he grabbed a few eggs from a paper tray and cracked them one by one on the edge of the pan.
The egg mixture is poured into the oil and quickly expands and bubbles. Then, a sufficient amount of dry, aged rice is poured into the pot.
The shovel flew as flames licked the bottom of the pot.
Lin Chen's wok-flipping rhythm did not slow down due to the continuous high-intensity stir-frying; on the contrary, it entered a highly efficient state.
In less than three minutes, five steaming portions of fried rice with minced meat were served in succession.
"Here are your five portions!"
Wang Hai fastened the lid and put it into a large plastic bag.
"Uncle, here are five spoons for you!"
Tangtang stood on the side of the table, tiptoed, and carefully counted out five disposable spoons before handing them over.
"Thank you, little sister!"
The young man, carrying a heavy bag, turned and ran towards the building with satisfaction.
"Next! How many servings would you like?"
Wang Hai wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued shouting.
"I want two!"
The impact of lifting the purchase restrictions today far exceeded Wang Hai's expectations.
Almost everyone who gets to the front of the line buys at least two portions, and three to five portions are the norm.
When Wang Hai turned around to get his rice scoop, he glanced at the huge stainless steel insulated bucket behind him.
The first bucket had been empty an hour ago.
Now, there's hardly any rice left at the bottom of this second bucket.
"Brother Chen."
While they were serving the food, Wang Hai leaned close to Lin Chen and whispered, "This speed is terrifying. The 150 servings are almost gone."
Lin Chen didn't stop shoveling, but simply replied, "We'll pack up when we've reached the bottom."
at the same time.
The door to Conference Room No. 3 on the top floor of Yintai Building was pushed open.
Su Qingxue rubbed her slightly tense temples and walked out of the conference room.
Today's cross-departmental business coordination meeting did not go smoothly and lasted for more than two hours before it ended.
She looked up at the clock on the wall in the corridor; it was 7:25.
A familiar emptiness came from her stomach, reminding her right on time that it was time to eat.
Su Qingxue quickened her pace, stepped into the elevator, and pressed the button to go directly to the lobby on the first floor.
She didn't go down to queue until almost six o'clock yesterday. She remembered that it took nearly three hours to sell a hundred servings of fried rice.
Although it's a bit late today, based on yesterday's progress, it should still be possible to buy it at this time.
The elevator doors opened on the first floor.
Su Qingxue walked out of the building and headed straight for the flower bed at the edge of the square.
From afar, she saw Lin Chen's tricycle and the queue in front of the stall.
However, the team today was much shorter than she had expected, with only seven or eight people remaining.
Without thinking much, Su Qingxue walked over and quietly stood at the back of the line.
Ahead of her in line was a boy with a buzz cut.
Soon, three or four white-collar workers who had just finished get off work rushed over from behind Su Qingxue and joined the line.
The procession moved very quickly.
"Give me three servings!"
"Okay, three servings!"
A few minutes later, the people in front of me left carrying several takeout bags.
Soon, it was the turn of the boy with the buzz cut who was in front of Su Qingxue.
"Boss, give me two servings."
As the crew-cut man spoke, he tapped the payment code on his phone.
"Okay, two servings!"
Wang Hai responded, turned around, picked up a rice spoon, and leaned over to scrape the rice into the thermos.
The iron spoon rubbed against the bottom of the stainless steel bucket, producing a crisp sound.
Wang Hai scraped the last bit of stale rice from the bottom of the bucket, scooped it out, and divided it into two lunch boxes.
The crew-cut guy paid and left satisfied with the two servings of fried rice.
The line moved forward one step, and Su Qingxue stood in front of the folding table.
"One serving."
Su Qingxue spoke in a calm tone.
Hearing the voice, Lin Chen looked up at her, his gaze remaining calm.
Wang Hai turned around, took a rice scoop and scraped the nearly empty insulated container, gathering the last bit of rice clinging to the sides and putting it into the last transparent takeout box.
"Brother Chen."
Wang Hai held the box and checked the contents. "There really isn't a single drop left."
This amount is just enough to cook the last batch.
Lin Chen nodded, turned on the stove with his left hand, and heated the pan with oil.
Then, Wang Hai raised his head, looked over Su Qingxue's shoulder, and looked at the three or four white-collar workers standing behind Su Qingxue. He cleared his throat.
"Excuse me, everyone!"
Wang Hai shouted, "The rice is completely used up."
Once this lady's last serving was ready, all 150 servings of fried rice for the day were sold out!
Upon hearing this, the people behind Su Qingxue in line immediately became anxious.
"What?! Sold out?"
"Boss, it's not even 7:30 yet!"
Didn't they sell until 8 or 9 pm yesterday?
"Yeah, I just went downstairs to queue, and they're all gone?"
Wang Hai helplessly shrugged and explained, "Yesterday, the limit was one per person."
Today we lifted the purchase limit. Many people bought five or six portions, and all 150 portions were sold out in just two hours.
Please come early tomorrow, everyone!
Upon hearing Wang Hai's explanation, the white-collar workers sighed heavily, their faces filled with disappointment.
Meanwhile, the last plate of fried rice in Lin Chen's hand was ready.
"One serving, ninety-nine."
Lin Chen pushed the lunchbox to the side of the table.
"it is good."
Su Qingxue opened WeChat on her phone and scanned the QR code on the table.
"Beep—WeChat payment received, 99 yuan."
"Pretty auntie, here's your spoon!"
Tangtang tiptoed and handed over the last disposable spoon, her big eyes curving into crescents. "Auntie's so lucky today, she got the last one!"
"Thank you, Tangtang."
Su Qingxue took the lunchbox and spoon, and then gently patted Tangtang's little head.
She turned around, carrying the takeout bag.
The white-collar workers behind me who hadn't been able to buy food were sighing and dispersing helplessly.
"Sigh, it looks like we can't have the meeting this late tomorrow, or we won't even have a hot meal."
"Yeah, now that there are no purchase limits, these people are bringing their own lunches! I'll have to be down there at 5:30 sharp tomorrow to line up!"
"Let's go, let's go eat at the convenience store..."
Listening to the complaints of the white-collar workers behind her, Su Qingxue walked into the building while glancing down at the last box of fried rice in her hand.
She originally thought that this mobile stall located on the edge of the square would be her "secret canteen" where she could grab a bite anytime after get off work.
But now it seems she seriously underestimated the popularity of the stall.
Today, she was lucky; she just happened to be in the last position.
What about tomorrow?
What about the day after tomorrow?
With the lifting of purchase restrictions, a total of 150 servings of fried rice were snapped up by the people in this building in just two hours.
If she encounters a meeting postponement or gets off work a little later in the future, she may not be able to buy it.
The competition is fierce. Su Qingxue stepped into the president's private elevator, watching the floor numbers rise steadily.
It seems she needs to find a more reliable way to keep this "canteen" that she finally found and that she can eat at.