Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
In a dormitory, two people died under strange circumstances, and one went missing. Guo Xiaofei might have some sort of agreement with the Public Safety Experts, who haven’t revealed much about the case. Indeed, some matters are better left obscured as long as they are documented in performance reports; it's preferable for the public to remain unaware of the truth. Wei Ning had clearly become an isolated and ominous presence at school; the girls who once had crushes on him now kept their distance. Wei Ning was content with the solitude, as it allowed him to practice his energy cultivation without interruption.
The tragedy involving Sun Bing and the others weighed heavily on Wei Ning's heart. He felt uneasy, believing that his absence from the dormitory had somehow contributed to the disaster. As for where he had been, that story began half a month ago.
Guo Xiaofei and the others ignored Wei Ning's warnings and forcibly broke into the Mortuary. The atmosphere in the dormitory grew increasingly oppressive as everyone busied themselves with their own affairs. Feeling bored, Wei Ning decided to visit an old friend—Zhang Ye.
Zhang Ye had been feeling quite down lately.
As an old friend, Wei Ning felt it was necessary to check in on him.
Zhang Ye was a tough guy; he had fought against zombies and dug up ancestral tombs without ever frowning. Yet now, Wei Ning noticed that Zhang Ye wore a troubled expression.
It dawned on Wei Ning that it was mealtime, but there wasn't a single customer in Zhang Ye's restaurant.
People need food; even tough guys must eat. The age-old tale of how a lack of money can thwart even the mightiest heroes rang true.
"Damn it! I just can't accept this! Why does their business thrive while mine is dead? What the hell!" Zhang Ye immediately began to vent his frustrations upon seeing Wei Ning.
Wei Ning often ate at Zhang Ye's place; despite Zhang Ye’s burly appearance, his cooking skills were impressive. In the past, when Wei Ning visited during school hours, he often found himself pressed into service as a temporary waiter due to the crowd. It was strange that things had changed so drastically now.
Zhang Ye explained the situation: a new restaurant had opened right across from his place. For some unknown reason, it had attracted a flood of customers since its opening, stealing all of Zhang Ye's business.
"Maybe their food is good and cheap, so everyone goes there," Wei Ning suggested.
However, Zhang Ye shook his head. "We've already priced our meals as low as possible. Students like you have no purchasing power, so if we lower prices any further, there would be no profit left to make. I checked their prices; they’re pretty much the same as ours—nothing cheaper at all. It’s really bizarre."
Wei Ning said, "Maybe their skills are quite good. Have you tried the food they sell at their place?"
Zhang Ye pouted, "Don't you know the principle of not entering a rival's territory? How could I possibly go there? Besides, if he were really a great chef, he would have gone to a big hotel by now. Why would he open such a small shop to compete with me?"
Wei Ning smiled and said, "Everyone has their own ambitions. I'll go take a look and bring back some takeout for you to try. You'll see for yourself and be convinced."
Zhang Ye had actually thought of this long ago, but due to face-saving reasons and the lack of suitable people, he never had the opportunity. Now that Wei Ning was here, he naturally entrusted this task to her.
Before long, Wei Ning returned with takeout. Of course, she had taken a long detour to avoid being seen; it wouldn't look good if anyone noticed.
Zhang Ye took a bite and immediately spat it out, exclaiming loudly, "This is terrible!"
Wei Ning hurriedly asked why, and Zhang Ye explained, "Cooking is all about using the same meat and the same seasonings. Unless it's something extravagant like the Manchu Han Imperial Feast with shark fin and abalone, the taste won't be exceptional. A box meal like this costs only ten yuan; there's no way they could use any particularly expensive ingredients. So no matter which chef it is, the flavor won't be much better."
In commercial streets like this one, there are usually organizations similar to B Society overseeing things. Most businesses can only source their supplies from them, meaning that the rice, meat, and vegetables are all the same. Even seasonings like MSG and salt are controlled by them. Zhang Ye was no exception; neither was the shop across from him. However, the dishes from this restaurant were exceptionally delicious, far better than what Zhang Ye could produce. Therefore, he was convinced that something was amiss.
"They must be adding something illegal like Poppy Husk in there."
In Hunan, people generally prefer strong flavors; they eat as spicy as they can handle. Some unscrupulous vendors resort to malicious competition by adding substances like Poppy Husk or chemical agents to enhance flavor. With weak regulation, these banned ingredients have become an open secret in restaurants. However, some conscientious businesses still adhere to professional ethics and refuse these harmful additives.
Zhang Ye took another bite and frowned. "Something's not right. Even if they added Poppy Husk, it shouldn't taste this good. There’s definitely something suspicious."
Wei Ning added, "When I visited their place, I also sensed something was off. The atmosphere inside was too heavy with malice; it clearly wasn't what you'd expect in an ordinary household."
Zhang Ye nodded and said, "This is it. This place definitely has something shady going on; otherwise, how could their dishes taste so much better than mine? I'm the best chef on this street." He spoke with indignation.
Zhang Ye was determined to figure out what the other party was up to, so he spent several days sitting outside, observing their supply channels. However, the store's supply sources were identical to his own, seemingly nothing special.
But soon, Zhang Ye noticed a subtle detail.
Although this family also bought meat, it was disproportionate to what they sold. In other words, this store had a lot of meat with unknown origins.
Zhang Ye confirmed this information but felt uneasy. Where did this family's meat come from? Could they be using cheap meat from dead or sick pigs?
To get to the bottom of it, he called Wei Ning and decided to check out their store at night; perhaps they could find some clues.
Businesses around the school typically started operating around four or five in the afternoon and wound down by ten at night. However, the shopkeepers wouldn't rest at that hour because they needed to prepare ingredients for the next day—this was one of their busiest times outside of meal hours. Therefore, there would be little vigilance at this time, making it the perfect opportunity for Zhang Ye to pick the lock and sneak in.
By now, it was late at night. Since there was no night market in this area, the once bustling street had gradually quieted down. A few people strolled along the street as Zhang Ye and Wei Ning tried not to be noticed. They took a long detour before finally arriving behind the store.
Comment 0 Comment Count