Chapter 357: A Brand New Han Shi
Han Shi, the little restaurant in Shrek City, hadn't changed much since the day it opened.
That is, if you didn't count minor updates like changes to the price board or other interior decorations.
So now that Qi Han had become an Intermediate Chef, earning the right to expand and renovate, he decided to give the place a full makeover.
Originally, the two-story building had just over 100 square meters of space. With Ru Yi's help, it was expanded to a massive 500+ square meters. Not only that, but it also went from two stories to three.
With such a dramatic change to the interior, the exterior couldn't possibly stay the same. The new Han Shi now looked significantly larger from the outside. The overall length and width of the building had more than doubled, and it clearly had an extra floor.
Qi Han was a bit worried that such a drastic transformation overnight might attract too much attention.
Fortunately, Ru Yi quickly reassured him. Anticipating this issue, she had placed the restaurant in a special state right after Qi Han left twenty days ago. During that time, only his disciple and staff could perceive the restaurant—everyone else was blocked from seeing it, as if the entire building had been cloaked.
So, to everyone except the staff and Ye Lingqing, it appeared as though Han Shi had been renovated over the course of twenty days—not overnight.
Renovating the entire restaurant in twenty days was still a bit unbelievable, but it was far easier to accept than expanding it in just one night.
"Master, is this really our restaurant?" Ye Lingqing stepped inside, still wide-eyed in disbelief. "How did it suddenly get so big?"
"Of course it's ours," Qi Han replied with a small smile. "I'm going to take Zhui Yun to see its new stable. Feel free to look around."
With that, Qi Han led the eager and excited Zhui Yun toward the backyard.
Zhui Yun had been looking forward to its new home for a long time.
The original Han Shi didn't even have a backyard, but now it did—and most of that space had been transformed into a custom-built stable for Zhui Yun.
Though it couldn't compare to the freedom of a vast prairie, the spacious stable, lined with incredibly soft hay, was a massive upgrade for Zhui Yun. It was like moving from a tiny house into a luxurious mansion.
As soon as it saw its new home, Zhui Yun couldn't contain its excitement—it dashed in, prancing and whinnying joyfully.
Watching Zhui Yun so happy, Qi Han couldn't help but smile as he stood inside the stable.
"Meow~"
What's there to be so smug about? I sleep with the pooper-scooper every night!
Pururu let out a dissatisfied purr and rubbed twice against Qi Han's chest.
Hmph! I'm not jealous or anything!
…
Once Qi Han had left, Ye Lingqing's eyes lit up as he began counting the dining tables.
"…Twenty-nine… thirty!"
He remembered that the restaurant used to have only eight four-person tables. Now, although the tables were still the same size, there were thirty of them—more than triple the original number.
What about… the kitchen?
Ye Lingqing quickly walked through the partition and into the kitchen. One glance was enough to make him gasp in amazement.
Since he had been learning from Qi Han in the kitchen this whole time, Ye Lingqing was more familiar with it than even the dining area.
In an instant, he noticed all the differences.
Thanks to Ru Yi's extremely efficient use of space, the new kitchen was not only much larger but also far more functional. As Qi Han's menu grew, so did the need for more advanced kitchen tools and high-tech gadgets. The old kitchen had become quite cramped.
But now, the kitchen felt spacious again. Ye Lingqing quickly noticed that the dough-prepping counter was much wider, the number of steamers had significantly increased, and there was also a completely new piece of equipment he didn't recognize.
He stepped closer and saw a strange rack-like kitchen tool, with multiple horizontal bars—something he had never seen before.
What kind of kitchen tool is this?
In the Douluo Continent, there was no such thing as a grill. All skewers were made with unusually large chunks of meat, roasted either by holding them directly over a flame or using a roasting oven. So when Ye Lingqing saw this oddly shaped grill, suspicion rose in his heart.
Tap, tap
Having settled Zhui Yun, Qi Han returned to the restaurant and stepped into the kitchen. "So, getting familiar with the first floor?"
"Master, this is…"
Ye Lingqing pointed at the grill, and Qi Han smiled. "This is a piece of kitchen equipment called a barbecue grill. It's specifically used for grilling various kinds of skewered food."
"Barbecue?"
"It's similar to roasting meat skewers, but with a few differences."
"Ohhh." Hearing that, Ye Lingqing suddenly understood. He glanced at the strange tool with some surprise.
'Skewers made with this strange equipment…'
'I wonder what they taste like…'
'Wait!'
Ye Lingqing turned his head sharply toward Qi Han. "Master, is this barbecue the new dish you mentioned?"
After all, Qi Han had said before leaving that he was going to work on new dishes. Now, with this completely new barbecue setup, it had to be the new dish he'd prepared.
"Yes… and no." Qi Han responded with a mysterious smile. "I'll explain once the other four staff members are here. You'll find out then."
With the full renovation, Qi Han planned to launch a slew of new dishes all at once. Even the hot pot from Star Luo City would now be available. On top of that, breakfast and late-night snacks had also been added to the menu. With so many changes, he needed to explain everything all at once.
"Come on, let's go check out the second-floor dining area." Qi Han said with a smile. During the expansion, he had opted for the same bamboo forest decor on the second floor as Star Luo City's Han Shi. It looked nearly identical—just bigger.
"Okay, Master." At that, Ye Lingqing suddenly remembered—he'd noticed outside that Han Shi had gone from two stories to three. "Master, does that mean we'll be living on the third floor now?"
"Yes, from now on, the second floor will be exclusively for hot pot dining."
"We have hot pot here now too?" Ye Lingqing was even more amazed.
During the food festival, he had spent some time with the trio from Star Luo City. He'd heard plenty about their magical hot pot experience. Just hearing about it had made him certain it must taste amazing, though unfortunately, Shrek City's Han Shi hadn't offered it.
He had even promised Ke Ke that when he visited Star Luo, she'd treat him to hot pot!
Now it seemed he might get to eat hot pot without even leaving for Star Luo. That made Ye Lingqing even more excited.
"Yup. Let's go upstairs."
Qi Han led Ye Lingqing up to the second floor. Watching his disciple's face shift into a stunned expression as he took in the sights, Qi Han smiled knowingly.
'Heh, I've been waiting for you to be shocked!'
"Master, this this this…" Ye Lingqing was at a loss for words as he gazed at the incredible décor—it felt just like stepping into a real bamboo forest.
"This is the effect of a special decorative technique. It's not a real bamboo forest. If you don't believe me, try touching that wall." Qi Han pointed to the nearest one.
"Hmm…" Ye Lingqing hesitantly reached out and touched it—only then did he realize the truth. "That's amazing! Master, your spirit master friend is incredible!"
"Huh?" Qi Han froze for a second before remembering the excuse he'd made up for his disciple. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Yeah… they are not bad."
Ye Lingqing turned to look at the tables among the bamboo. "Master, there are forty hot pot tables here?"
"That's right. With this setup, it should be enough for now," Qi Han nodded.
If it turned out not to be enough, he'd just have to find another chance to expand later.
He had spent over a million gold coins on this expansion—just thinking about it made his heart ache.
"I'll guide you on kneading dough again. The others should be arriving soon," Qi Han said with a smile.
"There'll be lots of good news to announce when the time comes."
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