C16 Business Was Booming

Zhang Zhuo nodded enthusiastically, "Exactly! It's incredibly spicy, but it's a thrilling kind of heat – it burns the mouth but not the heart. The spicier it gets, the more I crave it!"

Both of them were red in the face from the spice, yet they were visibly energized and buzzing with excitement. They even went ahead and ordered eight servings in one fell swoop!

This left everyone else momentarily wavering.

Hadn't they initially ordered the Late Spicy Chicken Braised Rice because they were in the mood for something spicy? When they heard it wasn't tasty, they switched to Pumpkin Fried Rice.

But that switch proved one thing: they could handle their spice!

Seeing Liu Lang and Zhang Zhuo heap such high praise on the dish, the rest of the group quickly reconsidered.

"Forget the change, I'm sticking with the Late Spicy Chicken Braised Rice!"

"Same here, switch mine back too!"

"And me, change those four Pumpkin Fried Rice orders to chicken braised rice!"

Chung Yuanyuan didn't waste a moment and called out to the back, "Dad! Cancel nine Pumpkin Fried Rice orders and switch them to chicken braised rice!"

Outside the Reunion Restaurant, the foot traffic was constant.

Most passersby were familiar with the place and didn't give it a second glance.

Yet, there were a few who took notice of the bustling scene inside.

"What's going on? Wasn't this place shut down? How come it's open again?"

"And why are there so many customers? Is the food here actually any good?"

"It's newly reopened, everything's 90% off... maybe we should..."

Some pondered at the sight of the sign, contemplating the possibility.

But before one could even voice the thought, his friend was already shooting it down.

"No way! I'm not eating here! Don't drag me into this – I'm not stepping foot inside!"

"Alright, forget it. Let's head to West Street for a bite."

Scenes like this weren't rare; after a brief moment of hesitation, about ninety percent chose to walk away.

But exceptions are never in short supply in this world.

"Maybe we should..."

"Maybe we should give it a shot?"

"If it's really a 90% discount, that's a steal! Let's just try it – we've got nothing to lose!"

"Come on! Let's check it out!"

Following that, a small group of eight or nine people trickled into the restaurant.

Upon seeing the menu, three patrons promptly turned on their heels and left, but five remained.

Cheng Yuan's heart swelled with joy as he counted the eleven orders on the table.

What a turnaround from just one order at lunch to eleven by evening!

He was certain that the numbers would keep doubling in the days to come.

His faith in his system was unshakeable.

Eleven orders in total, with eight requests for pumpkin fried rice and, twenty minutes later, the Late Spicy Chicken Braised Rice.

The young couple, having finished their meal, were just beginning to feel the heat. The young man exclaimed, "This is amazing! Babe, it's so spicy and satisfying! It's way more exciting than the pumpkin fried rice. Superb! You've got to try it!"

"But I'm already full..."

"Then let's get it to go! If you get hungry later, I can heat it up for a midnight snack! It's incredibly tasty. You'll regret it if you don't try it!"

And with that, they packed up another serving of pumpkin fried rice and the Late Spicy Chicken Braised Rice.

Chef Cheng, after a bustling half hour, had managed to complete all the orders.

Without any help, his cooking pace suffered.

Thankfully, both the fried rice and braised chicken were straightforward dishes that required no chopping; otherwise, he'd have been swamped for a full hour on his own!

If business kept booming, he'd need to consider hiring a prep cook and another chef.

While he could manage the cooking solo, he was somewhat uneasy about leaving Chung Yuanyuan to handle the front of the house alone.

Just as Chung Yuan stepped out of the kitchen, he was greeted by calls from the dining area.

"Kid, have your dad whip up three more servings of pumpkin fried rice for us!"

"Hey, we'll take two more of the pumpkin fried rice too. The Late Spicy Chicken Braised Rice is decent, but it just doesn't have that aromatic kick of the pumpkin fried rice!"

"Absolutely! The pumpkin fried rice is truly scrumptious! Boss, I'll take two more servings to go. And if you could go easy on the scallions, that would be even better!"

"What's fried rice without green onions? They're the essence!"

"Mind your own business!"

...

Chung Yuan had barely caught his breath before he was back in action—eight orders of fried rice and three of the Late Spicy Chicken Braised Rice!

Just then, the restaurant's door swung open, and three young men walked in.

After taking their orders, a joyful Chung Yuan returned to the kitchen and got straight to work.

"Boss!"

In the midst of cooking, the kitchen curtain was flung aside. Chung Yuan turned to see a middle-aged man with a beet-red face, probably in his forties.

The man took a quick survey of the kitchen, noting its cleanliness, and couldn't hide his satisfaction.

Chung Yuan set the pan aside and asked, "Hey, Big Brother, what's up?"

"Boss, well done!" The middle-aged man gave Chung Yuan a thumbs-up, exclaiming, "The flavor is spot on! Fantastic!"

"If you're happy, Big Brother, that's what counts! Was everything to your liking?"

"Very much so! It was excellent."

Chung Yuan replied with a grin, "Great to hear! Hope to see you here often!"

"Absolutely! I'll be a regular!"

The man smiled and said, "Little brother, your cooking is impressive! That Late Spicy Chicken Braised Rice packs a punch! I'd say it's unrivaled in Jinling City!"

Chung Yuan responded with a modest smile, "You're too generous, Big Brother. It's not that extraordinary!"

The man continued, "You see, I was out walking the dog with my wife and kids today and decided to grab a bite. It was a delightful meal! I run a small business, so I'm always out networking."

Chung Yuan chimed in, "I wish you booming business, Big Brother Zhu, and hope you'll bring your clients by whenever you can!"

The man nodded, "Exactly my thoughts! But I noticed you don't seem to have private rooms. I can't very well discuss business in the main dining area, can I?"

Chung Yuan quickly replied, "Actually, we do! There are three private rooms on this floor and another three upstairs. They're not available at the moment since my kid is staying there. We've just opened, so I hope you understand. But if you ever need a private room, it's yours anytime!"

"Absolutely, I'll take it!"

The elder gentleman promptly confirmed, adding, "Apart from the private room, there are a couple more things I'd like to discuss with you."

"Please, go ahead, big brother!"

"First off, you've got too few dishes on the menu!"

"Don't worry about that, big brother. We're currently expanding our selection, and it won't be long before we're back to full capacity. Whatever you're craving, we'll have it ready for you!"

He nodded in approval, smacking his lips before continuing, "Secondly, is it possible to get a receipt? And what about a membership card? Are there any special offers for topping up?"

The idea of issuing receipts hadn't crossed Chung Yuan's mind, but he had indeed thought about membership cards.

"Right now, I'm afraid we can't issue receipts. As for the membership card, that will take a little time, but rest assured, we'll definitely have top-up promotions in the future! How about you add me on WeChat, big brother? That way, I can notify you the moment we have any deals!"

The big brother was visibly pleased and quite agreeable. He had genuinely taken a liking to the flavors at Chung Yuan's Restaurant. The Late Spicy Chicken Braised Rice was nothing short of a miraculous asset for his business dealings!