121: Young people standing at the forefront of the times

Gong Ruibin had made up his mind, he just shook his head.

Li Zhenni had also been at Red Daily Newspaper for a while, so she naturally understood Gong Ruibin's character and immediately stopped trying to persuade him.

"Since the Editor-in-chief wants me to go back, then I'll go back."

Hearing Li Zhenni say this, Gong Ruibin smiled contentedly.

He turned his head, ready to continue walking forward.

Suddenly, Li Zhenni called out to him again.

"Editor-in-chief, I'd like to treat you to a bowl of noodles! And there's something I want to tell you after you've finished eating."

Gong Ruibin showed surprise on his face, but then smiled and nodded.

He looked at the young boss who was still kneading and rolling dough, then looked at the constantly moving queue, and led Xiao Bowen to stand aside and wait.

Half an hour later, Li Zhenni carefully carried a bowl of noodles over.

"Editor-in-chief, please try it."

Xiao Bowen looked at the bowl of noodles covered in chili peppers, and his brows immediately furrowed.

"Zhenni, you probably don't know, the Editor-in-chief isn't in very good health, and the doctor told him not to eat spicy food, so these noodles..."

However, Li Zhenni acted as if she couldn't hear, still stubbornly insisting that Gong Ruibin try it.

Gong Ruibin waved his hand, stopping Xiao Bowen's words, then took the bowl with both hands and examined it.

This was a bowl of super spicy fatty intestine noodles, with bullet chilies, facing heaven chilies, lantern chilies, and Sichuan peppercorns sprinkled all over the surface.

Such a striking image immediately stirred up Gong Ruibin's distant memories.

He remembered once, when he was young, traveling to Sichuan and Chongqing for a business trip, and eating several bowls of these fatty intestine noodles on the street, but each time he would sweat profusely from the spice.

When sweat mixed with mist dripped into his eyes, they would sting and tear up.

If he was too hasty and rubbed his eyes with his hands at that moment, even greater pain would sweep over him... Recalling the past, Gong Ruibin couldn't help but show a hint of nostalgia.

"It's been a long time since I've had anything spicy..."

After a moment of emotion, he no longer hesitated, picking up a chopstick full of noodles coated in chopped chilies and Sichuan peppercorns and putting them into his mouth.

The moment it entered his mouth, he was prepared for his tongue to go numb and his throat to burn.

However, the result was beyond his expectation.

Although his mouth was full of chilies, he didn't feel any burning spice at all.

Instead, it was like after chewing a slice of ginger, a warm current of air surged into his throat, then traveled downwards, passing through the esophagus, and entering his stomach.

The next moment, his entire digestive system warmed up, making Gong Ruibin, who suffered from severe stomach problems, unable to help but let out a comfortable groan.

This wonderful experience made Gong Ruibin feel as if he had stepped into a new world.

It made him unconsciously shift all his attention to the pure joy of enjoying delicious food.

A full mouthful of noodles entered his mouth, and the chewy texture burst forth instantly.

The monotonous act of chewing became lively and interesting.

Gong Ruibin nodded, then picked up a piece of fatty intestine with slightly curled edges and took a bite.

The outer layer of the fatty intestine was stir-fried over high heat, forming a crispy, thin crust, while the inside retained a soft, fatty aroma.

The moment he bit into it, the braising liquid mixed with red oil burst out, and the dual textures of soft stickiness and springiness, along with the fresh and savory taste, splattered between his lips and teeth.

After a clear chewing sound, Gong Ruibin, who was already sweating profusely, set his sights on the tempting amber glow of the red soup.

He already knew that this bowl of fatty intestine noodles looked very spicy, but in fact, it wasn't spicy at all, so he drank it in large gulps.

Upon first taste, the subtle aromas of star anise, cinnamon, and doubanjiang made their debut, showcasing the unique layers of the secret spices.

Afterward, the unique fiery aroma of Sichuan peppercorns also began to emerge, exploding in his mouth.

The richness of the fat intertwined with the sharpness of the chili, and the numbing sensation of the Sichuan peppercorns spread along his tongue.

His tongue felt as if it had been gently pricked by thousands of tiny needles, numbing yet inexplicably refreshing.

And when he chewed the pickled vegetable bits and soybean sprouts, the slightly sour taste added a refreshing buffer to the fiery sensation... When Gong Ruibin came back to his senses, he found that he had eaten the entire large bowl of soup noodles, leaving nothing behind.

Even the thick layer of chili segments had been carefully chewed and swallowed.

Looking at the bowl, cleaner than his face, and then at Xiao Bowen's stunned expression, Gong Ruibin rarely felt a hint of embarrassment.

"Cough, cough."

He avoided Xiao Bowen's gaze, coughed lightly to ease the awkwardness, then looked at Li Zhenni and asked:

"Are you trying to tell me, through this bowl of noodles, that one shouldn't judge things by their surface?"

Li Zhenni quickly smiled and shook her head.

"No, not at all, I just purely wanted you to try the young boss's craftsmanship! And then to tell you that there are already young people like the young boss, standing at the forefront of the times. How is it, Editor-in-chief, these fatty intestine noodles are really delicious, aren't they?"

Gong Ruibin was stunned, then couldn't help but smile.

"You're right, it's really delicious, and the person who made this bowl of noodles is also very thoughtful, allowing people who can't eat spicy food to also enjoy the delicacies of Sichuan and Chongqing."

Li Zhenni was very satisfied to hear this, smiling so much that her dimples appeared.

"The young boss's cooking skills and character go without saying, all us Regular Customers are his loyal supporters!"

Seeing the two chatting happily, Xiao Bowen, who had been left aside, couldn't help but interject:

"In terms of cooking skills, looking at the number of people queuing, they naturally won't be bad. But as for character, it shouldn't have a strong correlation with skills, right? Is there something special about that?"

Gong Ruibin heard this and also looked at Li Zhenni curiously.

Li Zhenni chuckled and simply brought out the same explanation she had given to Li Xingwei before, telling it to the two of them.

Gong Ruibin and Xiao Bowen looked at each other, both exclaiming in admiration.

"In this restless world, there is actually such a person!"

"So young, yet possessing such extraordinary enlightenment that transcends the mundane! Truly rare!"

Hearing the two praise Lu Chuan endlessly, Li Zhenni's heart immediately bubbled with joy.

It was like the ecstatic feeling of a passionate fan hearing others praise their idol.

At this moment, a thought suddenly popped into Xiao Bowen's mind, and he immediately looked at Gong Ruibin.

"Editor-in-chief, what do you think if our Red Daily Newspaper dedicated a special feature interview to this young boss?"

Gong Ruibin was also somewhat moved after hearing this.

But after thinking for a moment, he still shook his head.

"I can probably guess the deeper meaning behind this young boss's random street vending."

When Li Zhenni heard this, she quickly looked over.

Among the Regular Customers, besides chatting, looking for the young boss's stall, and voting on the featured dishes, there was another activity that everyone enjoyed tirelessly.

That was guessing whether the young boss's choice to randomly set up his stall had other intentions besides sharing his delicious food with more people.

Now, hearing Gong Ruibin say this, it naturally caught her attention.

Noticing Li Zhenni's gaze, Gong Ruibin smiled and continued:

"The young boss is not a person who pursues fame and fortune; more than making money, he wants to share the delicious food he personally makes with more people."

"Actually, this step could be completely achieved by opening a restaurant."

"So why does he still set up his stall randomly?"