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墨書 Inktalez
Shi Tian and Kong Yunfei entered a Dai Cuisine restaurant, while Hu Shuyi rushed back to the hotel fully armed. Seizing the opportunity while Shi Tian and Kong Yunfei were drinking, she quietly slipped into the restaurant and chose a table not far from them, eager to eavesdrop on their conversation.
But wait, who was that additional person at their table? What was going on?
"Boss Cai, do you know why I love coming to eat at your place?" Shi Tian asked, staring at the restaurant owner, Cai Mingli, after downing a glass of wine.
Kong Yunfei had just finished his business, and with Cai Mingli conveniently at hand, Shi Tian felt it would be a loss not to take advantage of the situation.
"Enjoying your own food? With today’s meal, you’ve only eaten here twice in four or five days. Is that really enjoying your own cooking?"
"Why else? Because my dishes are delicious!" Shi Tian replied. Given the presence of Kong Yunfei, Cai Mingli couldn’t very well expose Shi Tian’s exaggeration.
Hearing this, Shi Tian couldn’t help but admire Cai Mingli’s thick skin. The food was decent but hardly exceptional; in Shi Tian’s eyes, it wasn’t much better than takeout.
"Come on! I just told you we’re foodies. You dare say your dishes are good in front of us?"
After teasing Cai Mingli, before he could react, Shi Tian continued, "The reason I like eating here is that you use fresh ingredients and real materials—no cutting corners!"
Upon hearing Shi Tian criticize his cooking, Cai Mingli was ready to explode. "You ungrateful brat! I took in those stinky fish you brought me and prepared a whole table of dishes for you, even threw in two cases of beer. And now you’ve forgotten my kindness?"
However, when he heard Shi Tian mention "real materials," half of his anger dissipated. This kid could appreciate that his dishes were made with fresh ingredients.
Using fresh ingredients significantly raised costs. The same piece of meat tastes different when kept in cold storage versus being frozen and thawed; both texture and flavor suffer greatly.
In Xishuangbanna's hot weather, the Cold Fresh Cabinet in the restaurant opened countless times a day. A single purchase of meat usually lasted only one day; anything beyond that would spoil. Therefore, every morning required a trip for fresh supplies. If business was slow and not all ingredients were used up, they ended up in the staff meals the next day.
This applied to vegetables as well; over time, costs would inevitably rise.
Yet there were benefits to this approach—it retained some loyal customers. But since the restaurant was located in a tourist area and primarily catered to visitors, relying solely on those loyal customers made it difficult to cover expenses!
"You know how to appreciate good food," Cai Mingli said proudly. "There’s no place around here with fresher ingredients than mine!" He raised his glass to toast Shi Tian.
After finishing his drink, Shi Tian smirked and added, "My father is in the catering business; I understand a bit about this industry. Don’t be fooled by your selection of fresh ingredients—your business model is flawed. This restaurant can only cover costs; it won’t make big profits!"
As soon as Shi Tian said this, Kong Yunfei crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair; he was ready for some entertainment.
Shi Tian wasn’t naive; it was clear he wasn’t just making small talk—he had something up his sleeve!
If Shi Tian had been trying to persuade Cai Mingli to go fishing and buy some rods, Kong Yunfei could understand that. But clearly, Shi Tian wasn’t there for fishing gear; otherwise, he wouldn’t have steered the conversation toward food!
Once Shi Tian finished speaking, Cai Mingli’s eyes widened in shock! Tears nearly spilled from his eyes.
The restaurant had been open for three years, and the owner initially hoped to build a customer base through word of mouth. However, despite his efforts, business remained sluggish, far worse than the newly opened places nearby that managed to attract attention with social media influencers. They would promote their establishments for three months, change their signs, and then bring in new influencers to keep the cycle going.
Cai Mingli personally poured a glass of wine for Shi Tian and raised his own glass to toast Shi Tian, saying, "This restaurant has been running for three years. I’ve insisted on using the freshest ingredients in hopes of building a good reputation and gaining some fame. But after three years, I’ve lost money every year, and I’m starting to wonder if I can keep this up! I still can’t figure out what went wrong!"
After finishing the toast, Shi Tian placed his glass on the table and smiled slightly. "Before we talk about problems, let me cook a couple of dishes in your kitchen. We can’t let Feige go hungry, can we?"
Once Cai Mingli brought out the dishes, Kong Yunfei only picked up his chopsticks at first but soon focused on drinking instead, showing no desire to eat.
Cai Mingli didn’t stop Shi Tian from cooking. He led Shi Tian into the kitchen while keeping a close watch. If cooking was as easy as just watching once, everyone would be a master chef by now!
As soon as they entered the kitchen, Hu Shuyi rushed over. "What’s going on? Why are you cooking yourself? Can’t you just settle for a couple of bites?"
Hu Shuyi’s comment left Kong Yunfei speechless. What did she mean by just eating a couple of bites? Did she really think Shi Tian was cooking for him? If that were true, why hadn’t he done it sooner? Why wait until the dishes were served?
That guy must have some ulterior motive again. Let’s just watch! Those two dishes are definitely not for me! I’ll sneak a peek in the kitchen!
Shi Tian wasn’t as simple as he appeared; he had tricked Kong Yunfei into buying a fishing rod and then completely sidestepped his expectations!
Later, when Cai Mingli brought the dishes to the table, Shi Tian sat down and watched as the two began to eat.
Kong Yunfei was mentally prepared; he knew that Shi Tian had learned from a prestigious lineage. Having tasted fine food before, he was amazed by Shi Tian's culinary skills but managed to maintain his composure.
Cai Mingli, however, found it hard to hold back. After all his efforts, standing before Shi Tian’s dishes made him feel like a joke! The same ingredients and seasonings produced dishes of entirely different caliber!
If he were in Shi Tian's place, he would have described the previous table of dishes as merely "cooked."
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