185: share

New dishes were served, and the aroma lingering in the air grew even richer.

Just as the surrounding restaurant guests were groaning under the increasingly tempting smell, Lu Chuan was heard saying with a smile:

"If you don't mind, would you like to try some?"

Hearing this, Ding Xinyang, who was in the midst of comprehending the true meaning of happiness through comparison, was stunned.

And those people were also stunned, all thinking they had misheard.

After all, putting themselves in his shoes, if they really had such skill, even if they were momentarily itching to show it off, they would never use their precious limited dining time for cooking, let alone cooking for others to enjoy.

After all, people are selfish, and the richer they are, the more they care about the difference between effort and reward.

Seeing the people looking at each other in confusion, Lu Chuan could only repeat himself.

This time, everyone confirmed they hadn't misheard and their faces showed expressions of both surprise and delight.

"Is it really okay?"

"Then thank you so much."

"I'll just try one piece, I promise not to take more!"

"Young handsome man, your cooking is really good, I smelled it from afar!"

After a round of compliments, everyone immediately swarmed forward to take the dishes from the platters.

They all knew that there were too many wolves and not enough meat; if they were slow, they would only watch others eat.

Ding Xinyang was almost pushed out of the circle by the people crowding behind him, and seeing that some people were already preparing to reach for the dishes on his plate, he couldn't help but shout anxiously:

"What are you doing! Calm down! Everyone calm down!"

But at this moment, no one paid him any attention.

They had long been annoyed with Ding Xinyang; he wouldn't eat a piece of meat directly, but instead would bring it to his nose and sniff it five or six times, clearly showing off because he saw them drooling, right?

Just then, He Jingrui, who had been engrossed in eating and drinking, suddenly looked up and at everyone.

Without any obvious gesture, just by looking, an indescribable aura fell upon everyone.

In an instant, the originally noisy crowd quieted down like chickens and ducks whose necks had been squeezed.

"Everyone line up properly, each person can only try a little."

He Jingrui uttered each word clearly, and after speaking, he didn't care what they thought or how they looked, and buried his head back into his food.

And that aura also disappeared instantly.

The illusion of their hearts being squeezed and then suddenly released made everyone realize something, and they all secretly glanced at He Jingrui in surprise, their minds filled with doubt and awe, no longer daring to act presumptuously, but instead consciously lined up according to their standing order.

Ding Xinyang gave He Jingrui a grateful look, then took the initiative to start serving the food.

Although he didn't know what Lu Chuan was thinking, whether it was a deeper meaning or simply sharing good food, since Lu Chuan had this idea, he would do what he could to help.

"Come on, come on, which dish do you want to eat? All of them? No, you can only pick one!"

"Oh, what a cute child, come on, come on, uncle will give you a big piece~"

"No cutting in line for those in the back, if you cut in again, you won't get any!"

With Ding Xinyang's shouts, the queue, which had been somewhat orderly but not entirely, suddenly became well-organized.

Watching this scene, Lu Chuan's lips curved upwards, revealing a smile.

When he was browsing restaurants with a map earlier, he saw so many good ingredients here and noticed that most of the diners were middle-class or above families, which sparked an idea.

Currently, the Midnight Diner was being coveted by strong enemies; when there was no business, he had to be constantly vigilant to prevent sudden attacks from the other party.

But he knew this couldn't go on; He Jingrui's energy was limited after all, and he couldn't maintain constant vigilance.

Especially in the later days, He Jingrui's energy depletion would be even more severe, and if he lost vigilance at some point and the other party happened to appear at that time, things would be serious.

So, a change had to be made: either improve business or simply give up the mission.

Lu Chuan was reluctant to give up the mission.

Therefore, the only option was to find a way to improve business.

As for how to improve business, it was simple: promote his own cooking skills.

Looking at the people lining up for the dishes, eating with rapt attention, Lu Chuan nodded in satisfaction.

It seemed the effect was good; it was time to start the next step.

He kicked He Jingrui under the table, and when He Jingrui looked up in confusion, he deliberately said loudly:

"Don't just focus on eating, hurry up and finish distributing these foods. The three-hour dining time is almost over; we still have to rush back to open the shop later."

"Oh."

He Jingrui reluctantly put the food back on his plate, wiped his hands on a damp cloth, then stood up to go help Ding Xinyang.

At this moment, a young man dressed in hip-hop style in the queue suddenly asked Lu Chuan with an expectant look.

"Hey, young handsome man, I heard you say you had to rush back to open a shop just now. Is it a restaurant?"

Hearing this question, the others seemed to realize something and immediately looked at Lu Chuan, their faces full of anticipation.

Lu Chuan raised his head, his gaze meeting theirs for a little over a second, before he nodded with a smile.

"Yes, I own a restaurant."

The hip-hop man immediately grinned and asked excitedly again:

"Then where is your shop located? I must bring my friends to have a big meal!"

When the hip-hop man asked this, the breathing of the people around him visibly slowed, clearly indicating that they also really wanted to know the answer.

Lu Chuan smiled without speaking and looked at Ding Xinyang.

Due to system restrictions, he couldn't actively disclose the shop's location, so he could only let Ding Xinyang say it.

Seeing Lu Chuan look at him, Ding Xinyang immediately understood, and looking at everyone, he loudly stated the shop's location and emphasized the business hours.

"Lu... *cough cough*, the young boss can cook many dishes. If you really go there, just tell the young boss what you want to eat, and as long as the shop has the ingredients, he can make it for you!"

Hearing this, everyone present nodded excitedly, and the hip-hop man even pulled out his phone and started making plans with his friends on the spot.

Lu Chuan watched this scene, a slight smile on his lips, and lowered his head to continue cooking new dishes.

Another half an hour passed, and the three of Lu Chuan's dining time came to an end.

This unique cooking show finally concluded. Seeing Lu Chuan, who hadn't eaten a bite and had been cooking the entire time, everyone felt too embarrassed to ask him to stay. After expressing that they would definitely patronize his shop, they left one after another.

Lu Chuan shook his somewhat stiff arms and called He Jingrui and Ding Xinyang, preparing to leave.

Just then, a middle-aged man in a suit, wiping sweat, hurried over.

"Excuse me, young man, please stop."

Lu Chuan stopped in confusion, then watched the man approach him, saying with a smile:

"It's like this, I'm the owner of this buffet restaurant, and I wanted to ask if you'd be interested in working for us. I'll give you this much every month!"

Lu Chuan looked at the three fingers the middle-aged man held up, momentarily surprised.

Given the restaurant's decor and the typical salaries of workers in Modu, the middle-aged man couldn't possibly be offering only three thousand, so it must be thirty thousand, right?

He had long heard that salaries in Modu were high, but he hadn't expected them to be this high.

Seeing Lu Chuan's unusual expression, the middle-aged man thought Lu Chuan was tempted, so he immediately struck while the iron was hot, enticing him:

"And after you pass your three-month probationary period, we'll also calculate commission based on the restaurant's performance. I guarantee this treatment is the highest among all our competitors."

With conditions offered to this extent, the middle-aged man felt he was being very sincere, and just as he thought Lu Chuan would nod in agreement the next moment.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have any plans to work for anyone right now. I apologize."

Lu Chuan rejected him directly, then turned and walked away.

"Wait, wait, are you not satisfied with the treatment?"

The middle-aged man quickly caught up, following closely behind Lu Chuan and asking.

Lu Chuan stopped somewhat helplessly and said:

"Your treatment is indeed very good, but I don't like being constrained. Besides, I run my own business; it's impossible for me to come work for you, is it?"

Moreover, the money he earned in just one mission cycle was far more than what he would earn working here for a month.

But there was no need to tell the middle-aged man that.

Seeing Lu Chuan's firm attitude, the middle-aged man could only watch him leave helplessly.

Just then, the manager beside him suddenly said:

"Boss, why don't we increase the benefits a bit more? If he joins us, the restaurant's business will definitely improve significantly."

Hearing this, the middle-aged man's expression showed some wavering, but in the end, he shook his head.

"It's no use. The moment I made eye contact with him, I realized he's not the kind of person who would be subservient to others. But then again, to possess such excellent culinary skills at this age, it's natural for him to have a certain pride."

The manager was stunned, and couldn't help but look at the young figure walking away, a hint of envy in his eyes.