Chapter 402: The Special Effect of Jixi Yipin Pot Dish
"Hic!"
Mo Ran let out a satisfied burp, lazily leaning back in his seat. He rubbed his slightly bloated stomach, feeling the gentle warmth spreading through his entire body, and couldn't help but smile.
Every time Han Shi released a new dish, the staff could be the first to taste it—even the rare 3 Star ones. Mo Ran had heard that long ago, but actually eating one personally cooked by the boss was still a first for him.
That only made him all the more grateful for his decision to stay at Han Shi as a waiter.
This was probably the best decision he'd ever made in his life.
The work was relaxed and comfortable, the pay was good enough to cover all his expenses, and on top of that, he got to eat such incredible meals every day.
Even though he had only been here for a few days, Mo Ran had already completely fallen in love with working at Han Shi.
"Boss, why isn't this new dish—Jixi Yipin Pot—on the menu?" Fu Ya asked curiously as she rubbed her stomach. She opened the menu, trying to find the price of this 3 Star dish, only to be surprised when she couldn't find it anywhere.
"Tell me," Qi Han replied instead of answering directly, "do you think our customers have finished trying all the dishes we've released recently?"
Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads.
Of course not—it had only been five days.
Not to mention that some guests still hadn't even managed to get a seat yet. Even for those who did, it would be impossible to try every single variety of dish in just a few days—especially the hotpot dishes.
"That's why there's no need to rush out new dishes," Qi Han said with a smile. "We'll give the customers some time to adjust and explore what's already available. I plan to release the next set in about a month."
After perfecting Jixi Yipin Pot, Qi Han still had four more 3 Star recipes—Jiangnan Hundred-Flower Chicken, Yanjing Roast Duck, Furong Chicken Slices, and Charcoal Baked Sea Snail—along with two two-star ones: Fried Pork in Scoop and Mapo Tofu.
At his current rate of study, he would fully master them all within a month, so he decided to release them together by then.
Besides, by that time, the side quest of maintaining breakfast and late-night operations for a full month would also be complete, which would not only grant him a boost in spirit power but also reward him with 3 brand-new 3 Star recipes—perfectly chaining the progress.
So many recipes waiting to be learned… truly exhausting for a mortal man.
"A month later, huh…"
The staff nodded thoughtfully. Then, Ying Shuang suddenly spoke up, "Boss, what's the special effect of this Jixi Yipin Pot, anyway?"
Ah, right!
Everyone's eyes lit up, turning toward Qi Han with curiosity.
They had already finished eating the dish, yet none of them felt any obvious change. As a Purple Card Dish—one that even caused a food phenomenon—what kind of special effect could Jixi Yipin Pot possibly have?
"Oh, that," Qi Han chuckled. "The special effect of Jixi Yipin Pot is that it slightly enhances the purity of one's spirit power. Since it's a dish meant to be shared by multiple people, the effect isn't very pronounced. You'll feel it activate later tonight when you meditate and cultivate."
Although the dish cost two thousand gold coins like Dinghu Shangsu, its nature was quite different. Normally, one serving of Jixi Yipin Pot was shared among four to eight people, so the special effect was naturally divided up as well.
Split among the diners, the price per person came down to just three or four hundred gold coins—making it actually one of the cheapest 3 Star dishes.
Hearing that the special effect would only manifest during their nighttime cultivation, everyone stopped worrying about it for now.
After all, the dinner rush was about to begin, and training would have to wait until after closing time anyway.
"Alright, let's open for the evening," Qi Han said.
"Got it!"
Everyone nodded and moved to their stations, preparing for another night of service.
. . .
Outside Han Shi, among the crowd waiting in line, Darn and Yun Qing once again stood side by side.
It wasn't as if the two of them had arranged to meet there on purpose—Darn had merely joined the queue first, and Yun Qing had happened to line up right behind him. The situation was pure coincidence.
Although Yun Qing wasn't exactly thrilled to stand next to Darn, he also wasn't about to give up his spot just to move further back in line.
Getting a place at Han Shi was hard enough as it was; he wasn't willing to waste even a single extra second waiting.
So after some internal struggle, he reluctantly accepted his fate and stood behind Darn, figuratively holding his nose.
Darn, of course, noticed the young man standing behind him. But being older and more mature than Yun Qing, he merely gave a polite nod, and when the boy didn't seem inclined to make conversation, Darn turned his head away again.
If the two of them had simply continued like that—quietly waiting for Han Shi to open—there wouldn't have been any problem. But the delicate silence between them was soon broken by a third party.
"Darn!"
A middle-aged man a few spots behind them stood on his toes and waved energetically. "Over here!"
"Hm?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Darn raised an eyebrow and turned around quickly. "Paide?"
Hadn't this guy gone home after the food festival ended?
When had he come back to Shrek City—and why hadn't Darn heard about it?
As if reading his mind, Paide laughed heartily. "Old friend! I heard back in Heaven Dou City that Han Shi started serving breakfast and late-night menus, so I came straight over. Got in just last night."
"I see."
Darn's face relaxed into a look of understanding.
Before he could say anything more, Paide continued, "I already tried the hotpot at noon today, and I plan to have it again tonight. What about you, Darn?"
"Then maybe we can share a pot," Darn said, brightening up. "I've been eating hotpot nonstop lately—there are so many combinations of flavors, it never gets boring. Let's share one tonight."
"Sounds great!" Paide laughed again, then suddenly changed the topic. "Oh, right—Darn, when I had breakfast at Han Shi this morning, I discovered an absolute masterpiece of a dish. I'm sure you'll love it."
"Oh?" Darn's curiosity was piqued. He was already familiar with Han Shi's breakfast menu, though he hadn't tried everything yet. "Let's hear it. If it's something I haven't had, I'll try it tomorrow morning."
"It's called tofu pudding!" Paide said with a dreamy look, eyes gleaming. "That silky texture, that rich, sweet fragrance—it's as beautiful and heart-stirring as a first love. Truly—"
Darn had been smiling as his friend began his poetic praise, recognizing the name tofu pudding—but as soon as he heard the word sweet, his expression froze, turning visibly conflicted.
"Wait—hold on a second!" he interrupted sharply, unable to listen any further.
"What's wrong?" Paide asked, confused, scratching his head.
"You just said… sweet?" Darn stared at his friend in disbelief, as though betrayed by someone he trusted. Still clinging to a sliver of hope, he pressed, "You… eat your tofu pudding sweet?"
"Of course it's sweet," Paide replied matter-of-factly, his tone implying it was the only reasonable choice. "Tofu pudding is supposed to be sweet and fragrant. Don't tell me you eat it savory?"
Before Darn could even retort, Yun Qing—who had been quietly listening to their entire exchange—couldn't hold back any longer.
"I completely agree with this gentleman!" he declared firmly. "Savory tofu pudding is heresy!"
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