txolops Chapter 7 991 servings of fried rice
Chapter 7 991 servings of fried rice
"I can't take it anymore, I can't take it."
My male colleague Liu Wei clutched his stomach, which was growling violently, and swallowed hard.
He ate a few vegetable salad leaves at noon today to finish his project proposal, and they've already been completely digested.
Now, smelling this soul-stirring aroma and watching the fat man in the distance eating with his mouth full of oil, Liu Wei felt his stomach acid churning.
"I'll go buy one."
Liu Wei gritted his teeth, finally made up his mind, and started walking towards Lin Chen's stall.
"Liu Wei, are you crazy?!"
His female colleague Li Na grabbed his arm, her face full of disbelief: "That's a roadside stall!"
The filthy tricycle didn't even have a hygiene permit.
We are senior managers of Yintai Building, and we are going to see President Li in a while. How can you wear this custom-made suit worth tens of thousands of yuan to eat at a roadside stall?
If other departments see this, where will I put my face?!
Liu Wei was pulled back, looking hesitant.
Just then, Tangtang, who was sitting on a small stool in the distance, used a small spoon to scrape the last grain of rice from the bottom of the lunchbox.
The little girl licked her lips, still wanting more, then looked up at Lin Chen and asked in her childish voice, "Daddy, the food was so delicious! Can I have a little more candy?"
"no."
Lin Chen took a tissue and gently wiped the grease from her daughter's mouth. "Eating too much at night can cause indigestion and stomach pain."
"Sweetie, Daddy will make you another one tomorrow."
"Oh well."
Tangtang nodded understandingly, clutching the empty lunchbox tightly, her little nostrils still trying to inhale the aroma in the air.
This scene became the final straw that broke Liu Wei's composure.
"I can't worry about that anymore. My stomach is more important than my face."
Liu Wei pulled his hand away from Li Na's. "If you're not going to eat, wait here for me. I'll just buy one to try and then leave, just one bite!"
"Liu Wei, you..."
Li Na tried to speak up to stop her, but just as she opened her mouth, a rich aroma of eggs entered her mouth.
The rebuke that was on the tip of her tongue got stuck in her throat.
Li Na subconsciously swallowed, glanced at Liu Wei's retreating figure, and then at the dark, charred iron pot.
She didn't speak again; instead, she crossed her arms over her chest, and her eyes revealed a hint of expectation that she herself was unwilling to admit.
If he buys it back... he can just take a small bite himself, it probably won't be a big deal, right?
On the other side, Liu Wei had already strode to the edge of the white line.
Zhang, the security captain standing inside the white line, was enduring his ravenous hunger when he suddenly saw Liu Wei walking over and froze.
"Manager Liu...?"
The security captain stared in surprise, then quickly stepped forward. "What are you doing here?"
"Buy some food to tide me over."
Liu Wei's eyes were fixed on the half-eaten fried rice in Wang Hai's hand, and he didn't stop walking.
"No, Manager Liu, please don't act rashly!"
The security captain was getting anxious. These were white-collar workers from a high-end office building. If they were really eating at a roadside stall, wouldn't his earlier threats be a slap in the face?
He quickly stretched out his rubber baton to block it, and earnestly advised, "This is just an unlicensed, dirty stall!"
They use inferior rice, which is completely unhygienic!
How could someone of your status eat such lowly food?
The French restaurant is just ahead...
"Get out of the way."
Liu Wei impatiently interrupted the security captain.
He was so hungry his eyes were practically green. He pushed aside the security captain's rubber baton, strode across the white line, and walked to Lin Chen's tricycle.
"Boss."
Liu Wei looked at Lin Chen, who was wiping the stainless steel countertop with a clean cloth, took a deep breath, and tried his best to maintain the demeanor of a white-collar worker. "Make me a plate of the fried rice you just made."
Hurry up and cook it, I'm in a rush.
How much?"
Wang Hai, who was frantically shoveling rice into his mouth, paused.
He looked up at Liu Wei, then swallowed the food in his mouth and couldn't help but laugh.
"Hey, isn't this the senior manager who just complained that we were dirty and that we were carcinogens?"
"What's wrong? You're skipping the French restaurant and instead coming to this slum's dirty stall to spend your money?"
Wang Hai didn't hold back in mocking him.
Liu Wei's face flushed red instantly, and he was rendered speechless by Wang Hai's retort.
He coughed awkwardly twice, forcing himself to ignore Wang Hai, and instead turned to stare at Lin Chen.
Lin Chen folded the rag and placed it aside before turning around and looking calmly at Liu Wei.
"Ninety-nine."
Lin Chen's voice was soft, and his tone was extremely calm, as if he were stating a perfectly ordinary fact.
The air seemed to fall silent for a second after those words were spoken.
"Cough cough cough—" Wang Hai, who was holding a lunchbox and about to take the last bite, was so startled by these three words that he coughed violently and almost spat out the rice in his mouth onto the ground.
Wang Hai stared wide-eyed at Lin Chen as if he were an alien.
Ninety-nine yuan?! Others might not know the cost, but Wang Hai followed the entire procurement process!
The rice was stale rice that cost two yuan per jin (500g), and the free-range eggs were one yuan each.
The total cost of this fried rice is definitely no more than four yuan!
Brother Chen isn't doing business; he's practically robbing people with a rusty kitchen knife!
Wang Hai swallowed hard, his mind racing, but he kept quiet on the surface, afraid of ruining Lin Chen's business.
The security captain, standing inside the white line, also gasped.
"Ninety-nine? Are you out of your mind?!"
The security captain pointed at Lin Chen and shouted, "Manager Liu, listen to this!"
He dares to sell a plate of fried rice with broken eggs for ninety-nine!
They're just trying to rip you off!
Let's get out of here quickly, don't pay any attention to this madman!
Liu Wei frowned, a hint of annoyance flashing in his eyes.
Although he earns tens of thousands a month, it doesn't mean he's willing to be a fool and get ripped off by a roadside stall.
"Boss, are you sure you're not mistaken?"
Liu Wei's face darkened, and he pointed at the iron pot, "There's no sea cucumber, no abalone, not even a piece of shredded meat in here, just the most basic eggs and scallions."
You're selling it to me for ninety-nine?"
Lin Chen stood still, his expression unchanged.
"Prices are clearly marked, and there is no deception of the young or old."
Lin Chen looked at Liu Wei, his tone cold, leaving no room for negotiation.
"If you think it's too expensive, you can go and eat a vegetable salad that costs 188 yuan."
"Buy it or not, it's up to you."
After saying that, Lin Chen turned around, completely adopting an attitude of "take it or leave it."
Liu Wei was speechless at Lin Chen's indifferent attitude.
He gritted his teeth, turned around, and was about to leave.
But as soon as he turned around, the irresistible aroma of scallion and egg, mixed with the churning hunger in his stomach, once again held him back.
Moreover, Liu Wei caught a glimpse of something twenty meters away out of the corner of his eye.
My female colleague, Li Na, was looking this way with longing eyes.
If I go back empty-handed, I'll lose all the face I made by making that boast.
Losing face in front of his colleagues was more painful for him than being ripped off for ninety-nine yuan.
"Oh shit……"
Liu Wei cursed inwardly.
Under the dual pressure of hunger and saving face, he finally gave in.
"Alright! Ninety-nine it is!"
Liu Wei turned around and strode to the tricycle.
He took out his phone and scanned the QR code for payment on the plastic tube hanging on the tricycle.
"drop--"
"WeChat payment received, 99 yuan."
A cold, mechanical female voice rang out from the makeshift speaker above the tricycle, announcing the official completion of Lin Chen's first business deal.
Lin Chen remained calm and composed when he heard the notification sound indicating that the account had been credited.
He turned around and went to the stove.
Turn the stove back on.
"Click!"
A fierce, dark blue flame erupted from the burner core, completely engulfing the bottom of the pot.
Lin Chen picked up the gleaming iron spatula with his right hand.
A visual and gustatory feast worth 99 yuan has officially begun.