The auspicious restaurant was not large; on ordinary days, even during peak dining hours, it could only accommodate a dozen tables. Thus, a single chef, like Fat Wang, was more than capable of handling it.
But tonight, the dining hall was filled with at least twenty tables, packing the already cramped space to its limits. The orders piled up to over a hundred dishes.
In other words, even with Fat Wang still around, he couldn't manage. And to make matters worse, the one now locked in the kitchen was the inexperienced novice who didn't even know how to turn on the gas...
"We'd better call an ambulance!" Ye Rong sighed helplessly, surveying the sea of nearly a hundred mouths. A sudden sense of panic overtook her as she realized how overwhelming this scene had become.
Although most of the guests were here merely to support the place, not necessarily to savor gourmet dishes, they had already been sitting there for quite some time. If this continued, with so many people on the brink of eruption, the entire restaurant might just be torn apart.
In fact, Ye Rong had a ridiculous thought—"Why not just head across the street and order hundreds of dishes? After all, their prices are so cheap..."
The moment this thought crossed her mind, Ye Rong wrinkled her little nose, as if sensing something odd.
A few seconds later, the rich aroma wafting through the crack in the kitchen door caught her attention. Unable to resist, she suddenly turned to ask, "Strange, do you all smell that? Could it be that Mo Mo steamed herself?"
At the same time, many guests exchanged puzzled glances and, abandoning all decorum, sniffed in unison, looking like they had all caught a severe cold.
No wonder they were so surprised—the fragrance was truly strange. It didn't seem like it came from the dish itself, nor was it some artificial seasoning...
Whatever it was, however, as soon as everyone caught a whiff, they suddenly felt a hunger pang, even though many had only just finished their dinner.
"What is that dish?" Rubbing their growling stomachs, the guests exchanged glances and then turned their heads in unison toward the kitchen.
Just then, the wooden door of the kitchen swung open, and Chen Mo peeked his head out, casually snapping his fingers. "Xiao Lin, come help serve the dishes... And as for the curious lady, no entry!"
Ignoring the extremely curious Ye Rong, Xiao Lin and a few waiters rushed inside, and then a low exclamation of surprise was heard, followed by complete silence.
This eerie stillness lasted for a few minutes, until Xiao Lin emerged from the kitchen, holding a dish with a dazed expression, as if in a trance.
The guests, with their innate curiosity, rose in unison to peer. But when they saw the dish, they gasped in surprise.
"Stir-fried cabbage?" Seeing the unremarkable dish of stir-fried cabbage, they all looked utterly incredulous. Surely, even if you sprinkled high-end cologne on it, it couldn't smell this good!
Under the collective gaze of dozens of eyes, the stir-fried cabbage was placed on the table. The middle-aged man hesitated, picking up his chopsticks, as if doubting the dish's authenticity, but he finally took a cautious bite.
"Well... How is it?" Ye Rong asked nervously, gripping her calculator so tightly that her fingertips turned pale.
"This..." With a look of confusion, the middle-aged man chewed thoughtfully, furrowing his brow, before chewing again with more force.
"Well?!" The impatient onlookers couldn't help but ask. But he still hesitated, seemingly searching for the right words.
"What?" Ye Rong glared at him, ready to pounce if he dared utter a negative word.
"Value! It's incredibly valuable!" Suddenly, the middle-aged man slapped the table enthusiastically and shouted, "Not just ten yuan a plate—this would be worth thirty yuan a plate!"
Saying that, he grabbed another piece of cabbage, devouring it with such relish that it almost seemed like he was eating shark fin rather than cabbage.
"Really?" Seeing his expression, the others around him immediately grabbed their chopsticks, and within moments, the dish was completely gone.
Still licking their lips, the group exchanged glances and, without missing a beat, said in unison, "How about another plate?"
"Wait, give us one more too!" After a few seconds of shared glances, the entire dining hall raised their hands, eagerly like participants in a brainwashing seminar.
Without a doubt, if cabbage had a soul, it would be in tears of gratitude.
However, as more and more dishes were brought to the table, the guests, who had previously been utterly enchanted by the cabbage, suddenly began spreading their attention to other dishes.
Within moments, a dozen round tables were filled with various delicacies, arriving with such speed that it seemed like they had been prepared in advance.
The intoxicating fragrance of the food mingled in the air, growing even more pungent, and even those suffering from a severe cold felt the aroma penetrate their very souls.
Particularly, when a few dishes of braised fish were served, the already mouth-watering scent intensified, floating delicately into their senses.
A synchronized sound of gulping could be heard as everyone unconsciously swallowed in unison.
"Value! Incredibly valuable!" By this point, any comment about the food's quality seemed redundant.
Many guests kept stuffing their faces, complimenting the food as they raised their hands to order more.
Seven or eight waiters dashed around like clockwork, yet still couldn't keep up.
Ye Rong, watching from behind the counter, was utterly stunned. Unable to resist, she crouched down and sneaked into the kitchen. "Mo Mo, when did you learn to cook like this? How come I didn't know...?"
Before she could finish her question, Ye Rong froze in place as she saw what lay before her.
On the long table in front of her, nearly a hundred plates of dishes were neatly arranged, their enticing fragrance spreading through the air and creating a visually pleasing scene.
And beside this feast-like setting, Chen Mo lounged casually, his legs crossed, lazily exhaling smoke rings.
What was even more astonishing was that his chef's apron was completely clean, and his demeanor appeared so relaxed that he looked nothing like someone who had just prepared over a hundred dishes.
"How... How did you do this?" Ye Rong stood rooted to the spot, her mind in a daze. Finally, she shook her head vigorously, trying to snap herself out of her shock.
Looking at the steaming hot dishes clearly just prepared, she couldn't help but bite her finger and murmur, "Could it be that my recent good fortune made you evolve into a divine-level chef?"
"Divine-level chef, maybe not. But I do have one divine-level cooking tool, dropped from a big boss when I defeated it!" Chen Mo leaned back, stroking his chin, mentally deciding that it was about time to wrap things up before the cooking pot drew too much attention.
Ye Rong, however, still appeared somewhat incredulous, and after standing there for a long moment, she suspiciously asked, "I say, Mo Mo, you wouldn't really be from that Chinese cooking master lineage, would you?"
"You mean...?" Chen Mo smiled mischievously, a strange expression on his face, looking every bit the hidden master from legends.
The three little ones, Guo Guo, Ben Ben, and Nuo Nuo, hid behind the kitchen counter, spitting in unison, secretly wondering how their master could be this shameless.
But Ye Rong was clearly convinced. Although she had no particular fondness for Japanese cartoons, there seemed to be no other explanation for the scene before her if not for that reason.
"Actually, that was a little stolen, a bit from our sect's story. I'm planning to ask Japan for some royalties soon!" As if reading her mind, Chen Mo raised his eyebrows, adopting a concerned expression.
The little monsters, overhearing, fell to the ground in fits of laughter, thinking their master was indeed a master of deception.
Ye Rong, already half-convinced, started calculating how much the royalties would be. After a brief moment of disbelief, she suddenly seemed to remember something and quickly grabbed Chen Mo, rushing out of the kitchen.
"Brother, your cooking is top-notch!" Before Ye Rong could introduce him, dozens of guests had already gathered around Chen Mo, giving him thumbs up and showering him with praise, implying that the boss lady was lucky to have such a capable husband who could cook.
Ye Rong, blushing at their compliments, didn't even try to argue this time. Instead, with a playful twinkle in her eyes, she proudly remarked, "Of course! My Mo Mo is the 32nd generation disciple of the Chinese cooking master lineage. Everyone, feel free to come back and show your support!"
Chen Mo rolled his eyes helplessly, thinking to himself that Ye Rong, as expected, was a notorious trickster on Fu Fang Street. Clearly, this last sentence was her real goal.
But before she could say anything else, the guests enthusiastically nodded in agreement. The middle-aged man from earlier clapped Chen Mo on the shoulder, laughing loudly:
"Brother, I've been in business for years and have eaten all over South City, but I've never had a meal this satisfying! Honestly, if it weren't for this being a family-run place, I'd offer you a job on the spot!"
As soon as those words left his mouth, several restaurant owners in the crowd agreed, and their gazes toward Chen Mo became significantly warmer.
Ye Rong froze for a moment, instinctively clutching onto Chen Mo, as though afraid he might vanish at any second