Chapter 232: New Main and Side Quests
"Fu Ya"
After a rigorous combat training session, Fu Ya returned to the dorm to wash off the grime. Just as she stepped out of the bathroom, a pair of mischievous hands quietly crept up from behind.
"Ahhhh!!"
"Wait, wait, it's me!"
Seeing Ying Shuang standing in front of her as innocent as a quail, Fu Ya rolled her eyes and lowered her raised hand. She grabbed a towel to cover her fair skin and tapped Ying Shuang on the forehead with a finger.
"Ouch!"
The chill of Fu Ya's ice-elemental spirit power made Ying Shuang shiver involuntarily.
"Go take a shower. The shop opens at noon today, so let's head over early."
Hearing this, Ying Shuang's eyes lit up. "Okay, wait for me—I'm super quick in the shower!"
With that, the red-haired girl dashed into the bathroom.
So impatient.
Fu Ya shook her head with a gentle smile, hung up the towel, and let her graceful figure be exposed to the air.
She opened the wardrobe, carefully pulling out a bag that had gathered a thin layer of dust, as if protesting how long it had been since she last thought of it.
Gently brushing off the dust, Fu Ya took out a neatly folded maid outfit from the bag.
Her smile grew even brighter as she slipped into the precisely tailored outfit, which fit her perfectly. She glanced in the mirror.
In the reflection, the long-haired maid smiled softly to herself.
"Finally, we're reopening!"
…
[Main Quest 7: Following the Scent]
[As Small Shop reopens in Star Luo City, its reputation has begun to spread beyond just one city. Please host 100,000 diners from other cities across Douluo Continent at the Shrek City Branch—not from Shrek City or Star Luo City.
Quest Description: True cuisine leaves an unforgettable impression, enticing people to travel across mountains and rivers just for a taste.
Quest Rewards: Random 3 Star Dish Recipes x 2, 3 Star Star Optional Recipe Fragment x 4, Spirit Power Level +2.
Progress: 0/100,000]
[Side Quest 5: Stories of the Palate]
[Engage with diners and gather three food-related stories.
Quest Description: True cuisine shouldn't satisfy only the stomach; it should also carry a touch of humanity and spirit.
Quest Rewards: Random 3 Star Dish Recipe x 1, 2 Star Optional Recipe Fragment x 16, Spirit Power Level +2.
Progress: 0/3]
Propping his head up as he sat in the Shrek City Branch, Qi Han sighed once again as he looked at the two new quests displayed on his interface.
He had already sighed many times since yesterday afternoon.
He'd left Star Luo City early in the morning, and by the time he arrived at Shrek City, it was already afternoon.
Qi Han had forgotten that the completion of Side Quest 3 meant a new main quest was waiting to be unlocked.
Only upon arriving in Shrek City, with a reminder from Ru Yi, did he finally notice his two new quests.
These quests were not at all what he had expected.
Main Quest 7 hadn't continued on the theme of fame, as he had anticipated, but instead required Qi Han to host a total of 100,000 diners from cities other than Star Luo City or Shrek City.
Star Luo and Shrek were Qi Han's strongholds, so attracting 100,000 diners from these two cities wouldn't have been difficult.
But with the additional restriction against these two cities, the difficulty naturally increased.
Moreover, the quest required that the diners be served in the Shrek City Branch.
In other words, Qi Han couldn't open branches elsewhere to complete the quest.
He would have to stay here, in the hope that throngs of… er, esteemed diners would journey to his door from far and wide.
But the main quests were never easy, and Qi Han had prepared himself for a long battle when he accepted the new quest.
Although he still had no clear idea how to accomplish this task, he soon let himself relax.
After all, where there's a will, there's a way.
But Side Quest 5, now that was truly perplexing.
Compared to the daunting 100,000 goal of the main quest, gathering three stories didn't seem like much at all.
But what did it mean to "gather food-related stories"? Was he supposed to walk up to diners and say: Hello, please share your story?
"Ru Yi, I really don't have a social genius gene," Qi Han scratched his head, feeling helpless. "Can't we change this quest?"
"No, and also, you've asked over ten times now. Just give up," Ru Yi's voice was as merciless as an emotionless assassin.
"Fine," Qi Han sighed again, scooping up his chubby companion for a few cuddles. Only then did he feel at peace.
"Hey, they're here pretty early," Qi Han said, a hint of surprise flickering on his face as he glanced outside.
After returning to the shop yesterday afternoon, he had quickly run into Fu Ya, who came by to check in.
He informed her about today's reopening at noon and casually asked if she could let Ying Shuang and Ji Yunruo know as well.
It was easy enough to notify Ying Shuang, given that she and Fu Ya shared a dorm room. As for Ji Yunruo, Ying Shuang took the task of notifying her.
Over the time Fu Ya and Qi Han had been away from Shrek City, Ying Shuang and Ji Yunruo had grown closer, frequently meeting up to hang out together.
"Hello, boss!"
Seeing Qi Han again after so long, Ying Shuang and Ji Yunruo couldn't hide their excitement. Though Fu Ya hadn't been away as long, she too wore a warm smile, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Watching the Qin sisters steadily improve at the Star Luo branch had reignited a spark of competitive spirit in her.
After all, I am the senior here!
Upon entering, the three girls immediately turned their attention to the price wall.
They quickly noticed some surprising changes.
First, the fried rice price board at the top had been updated. Originally divided into two price boards, the fried rice listing had now been unified:
Fried Rice - Small/Large Portion — 5/10 Gold Coins per Serving
Apart from this, most other price boards had stayed the same—except for the end of the list, where six new boards had appeared right after the one for candied hawthorn skewers.
The new dishes were Crab Stuffed Oranges, Ginkgo Biloba Dish, Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth, Blazing Cup, Triple No-Stick, and Qing Dynasty Blessed Pork Meat.
The boards for Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth and Qing Dynasty Blessed Pork Meat stood out, glowing in a distinguished purple, like the Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb special.
Seeing so many new dishes, Ji Yunruo and Ying Shuang's eyes sparkled with delight.
Fu Ya hadn't shared any spoilers with Ying Shuang about the new dishes introduced at Star Luo City Branch Small Shop, mainly because she hadn't been sure if Qi Han would bring them all to the Shrek City Branch. So, when Ying Shuang pressed her for details, Fu Ya would only respond with a mysterious smile, keeping quiet.
But as Fu Ya looked up at the price wall, her thoughts differed completely from those of the other two.
Where's the hotpot? Could it be... is the boss not planning to offer hotpot at the Shrek City Branch?
That's such a pity—it's such a delicious and entertaining dish.
Her brows furrowed slightly as she noticed another issue.
There was no more room left on the wall for new price boards.
What would happen with future new dishes?
As Qi Han looked at the price wall himself, a deep sense of accomplishment swelled within him.
Finally, he'd filled the wall.
Small Shop's menu now boasted exactly twenty dishes, though the large and small portions of fried rice meant there were technically twenty-one price boards.
According to the system, exceeding twenty price boards would unlock the menu book feature, allowing him to select twenty dishes to display on the wall, which could be changed only once per week.
However, having exactly twenty-one boards was a little awkward.
So, after some thought, Qi Han had merged the two fried rice boards, holding off on unlocking the menu book for now.
He still had many recipes yet to learn.
Once he mastered more dishes, he could unveil them all at once, activate the menu book feature, and make a natural transition. Maybe it would even surprise the diners!
Or… possibly even startle them.
What's the phrase for this?
Slow growth, to wow everyone!
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