208: Sizzling Beef

As the team moved forward, the aroma emanating from the Midnight Diner became increasingly distinct.

The Truck Driver frequently pulled out his phone to check the time.

The light from his phone clearly illuminated the anxious expression on his face.

But smelling the delightful fragrance of the food, his stomach, which wasn't hungry before, started to rumble.

This made him blush, and he couldn't help but cover his stomach.

The next moment, as if a chain reaction, a series of stomach rumblings echoed through the team.

"This..."

The Truck Driver felt a wave of surprise, then shook his head and chuckled.

His previously anxious mood also became much calmer.

Who cares if tomorrow is the end of the world? Smelling such delicious food, he'd fill his stomach first!

At that moment, the Truck Driver stopped thinking about other things and focused on lining up.

The indigo cloth curtain hanging over the front door lifted and fell, and the line slowly moved forward outside the door.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but it was finally his turn to enter the shop.

The moment the curtain lifted, a scorching wave of heat, carrying the charred aroma of oil and complex spices, burst out and gave him a warm embrace.

The old-fashioned ceiling fan above whirred, stirring the dim yellow light and casting swaying shadows in the smoky air.

The clamor of human voices, the crisp clinking of bowls and plates, the sizzling cheerful sounds of food in clay pots... all the sounds and smells merged into a massive, dizzying torrent, assaulting the Truck Driver's senses.

This scene of blazing stoves and bustling crowds suddenly knocked open a long-sealed door deep in his memory.

Yes, the restaurants he used to go to with his parents when he was a child were also filled with such noisy and lively human warmth.

So vibrant and flavorful, with the passionate momentum of living a down-to-earth life.

Now his parents were gone, and the Truck Driver had been a father for more than ten years; sometimes on a whim, he would take his children out to eat.

But now, for hygiene and aesthetics, and with regular inspections and regulations from the streets and health bureaus, modern restaurants no longer bore the traces of the old days.

He couldn't quite say whether this change was good or bad.

It was just that he could no longer taste the familiar flavors that lingered in his memory.

Sometimes, thinking about it, he would feel a pang of regret.

So, once a person grows up, he unconsciously loses many things... The Truck Driver and the grocery store owner sat down at an empty table, lost in thought and sighing.

Then, a young man with a very exaggerated physique walked over, and under his puzzled gaze, placed paper and a pen on the table before turning to clean other tables.

"What is this?"

The Truck Driver looked at the blank paper and asked the grocery store owner in surprise.

The grocery store owner skillfully picked up the paper and pen, quickly wrote down the dishes he wanted to eat, and then handed them to the Truck Driver.

"Business is too good, and the helpers are overwhelmed, so this is the only way. Please bear with it; we're not here to enjoy service anyway."

The Truck Driver quickly shook his head.

"I'm not talking about that."

Then he waved the blank paper in his hand and asked curiously:

"Is there no menu? How do I order without a menu?"

The grocery store owner realized, slapped his forehead, and chuckled:

"Oh, my memory! I forgot to tell you!"

Then, under the Truck Driver's increasingly surprised gaze, the grocery store owner explained the restaurant's ordering rules.

"It can be done like this?!"

The Truck Driver muttered in disbelief.

Then a look of excited smile appeared on his face.

If the young boss really could make any dish, and make them all outstanding, then there was one dish he truly wanted to try.

After quickly writing down the dish name, He Jingrui, seeing that they had finished writing, walked over quickly to collect the paper and pen, and sent them to the back kitchen along with the order slips from other tables.

Because they were racing against time, Lu Chuan didn't even close the kitchen door tonight, just to save the time it took to deliver dishes and serve food.

So tonight, few of the diners were chatting; instead, their attention was focused on Lu Chuan, who was busy in the kitchen.

The Truck Driver also looked over curiously, wanting to see what the young genius chef, whom the grocery store owner praised to the skies, actually looked like.

Then, he witnessed an unforgettable scene.

Inside the bright kitchen, rows of stoves blazed with blue flames.

A young man in a chef's uniform, with a straight posture, extended his distinctively jointed hands and took the order slip from the burly young man.

After a quick glance, he picked up clean small baskets one by one and selected ingredients from a refrigerated cabinet.

Then, he turned and walked quickly to the cutting board, beginning to prep.

His skilled and precise knife work, coupled with the rhythmic sound of chopping, was a pleasure to watch.

In a short time, the young man had finished prepping all the necessary ingredients.

Then, according to the dishes on the order slip, he began to prepare them one by one.

With the Truck Driver's eager anticipation, the young man finally began cooking the "Sizzling Beef."

He picked up a slice of beef, thin as paper, with deep red muscle fibers and frost-like fat marbling clearly visible under the light.

The moment the slice of meat fell onto the scorching hot griddle, there was a loud "sizzle," and a thick plume of white steam billowed up.

The edges of the meat curled wildly and changed color, rapidly congealing from bright red into an alluring caramel-brown crisp edge.

Tiny beads of oil danced and burst at the edges.

The young man's wrist was steady, his long chopsticks flew, precisely flipping each piece of meat, his speed even creating afterimages.

Under the high heat, the meat slices visibly contracted and cooked, their edges curling into a crispy crust, while the center stubbornly showed a tender pink.

Time seemed to freeze, and then seemed to accelerate amidst the sizzling of the fat.

The young man flicked his wrist, and a dark, thick sauce poured from the long-handled spoon, instantly drenching every piece of dancing meat.

"Sizzle--!"

An even more intense plume of white steam, carrying an explosive rich aroma, erupted.

The aggressive and dominant aroma even crossed the boundary between the kitchen and the front hall, permeating the front hall side, accurately captured by the nose of every diner.

The charred aroma of hot oil, like a powerful drumbeat, took the lead.

Then the rich umami of the sauce, with the deep, fermented essence of douchi, along with the sweetness of rock sugar, rushed straight to the brain.

The numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns, the pungent aroma of star anise, and the warmth of cinnamon intertwined within the rich fragrance, in wisps, captivating the soul.

This burst of aroma transformed into a hook, fiercely tugging at the Truck Driver's stomach, making his Adam's apple bob up and down, saliva surge in his mouth, and his intestines begin to creeping, causing his stomach to rumble like thunder again.

"Yes, in my memory, it was this smell! No, no, it's even more fragrant!"

"Amazing, truly amazing!"

The Truck Driver couldn't help but pound the table, excitedly telling the grocery store owner repeatedly.

The cooking of the Sizzling Beef did not take much time.

With a "thud," a scorching white porcelain plate landed steadily in front of the Truck Driver.

The heat from the bottom of the plate seemed to burn through the air.

Dark, sauce-colored slices of meat were piled like a mountain, each one glistening with oil, with crispy, curled edges forming plump, enticing arcs.

The pristine white porcelain plate set off this rich, vibrant scene, like a landscape painting, seemingly understated yet containing an ineffable charm.

At the edges, the dark, thick sauce was slowly, reluctantly, winding its way downwards.

The rising steam pushed the complex aroma, perfectly blended with seasonings and meat, unreservedly to his nose.

The mellow and dominant flavor of the sauce enveloped the inherent sweetness of the beef, with the charred aroma imparted by high-heat grilling serving as a perfect finishing touch.

And the deepest, most captivating essence was precisely the rich, intense aroma of meat fat, which had been thoroughly activated and melted from the beef's abundant marbling, leaving one utterly enchanted.

This aroma was hot, rich, and layered, drilling into his nasal cavity without question, reaching his lungs, every cell screaming with desire.

The Truck Driver held his breath, his calloused fingers picked up chopsticks, and he grasped the topmost slice.

The tips of the chopsticks could clearly feel the subtly crisp resistance of the charred crust at the edge of the meat slice.

As he put it into his mouth, there was a soft "crunch," and his teeth easily broke through that thin crisp layer.

Immediately, they cut into the tender interior without obstruction, and the hot, juicy, rich sensation exploded in his mouth.

The meat juices were hot and delicious, carrying the pure sweetness of beef, mixed with the deep, savory-sweet undertones of the sauce and the exquisite symphony of complex spices, instantly captivating his taste buds.