"Go do that and tell them the fried chicken will be ready in five more minutes," Temor instructed.
"Alright!" Ned replied before leaving the kitchen, while the other waiters came in to grab some plates.
Temor also explained to them that he needed more time to cook the additional fried chicken. He never would have expected that after his boss left for the Advancement Examination, the number of patrons would suddenly increase—even more than before, when there was no Skyline branch yet.
And the examination isn't even over yet!
Although many people are at the venue, even more of them decided to stay in the city and sightsee. Some came from other cities and provinces.
They had expected an increase in diners, but Temor hadn't anticipated this much! This is the first time he's had to cook so many dishes since becoming a chef!
However, this is good for the restaurant. The boss will definitely be happy. He could also see that people were enjoying their food. Heck, he could even hear exclamations from the patrons about how good the food was. As the chef responsible for all this, he couldn't help but feel proud.
On the first day, most customers ordered the upgraded version of meat cooked with Coconut Oil. Then, on the second day, he cooked mostly scrambled eggs. But when they discovered the Fried Chicken, Temor's hands were constantly busy.
This forced him to expand his Energy to use the Qi in the surroundings, and there were times when he was on the verge of vomiting and passing out. But he held on, for the sake of the restaurant and his loyalty to his boss.
He cooked meat from Winged Cows, Thunder Goats, and other monstrous creatures using Coconut Oil, along with the Fried Chicken.
The smell wafted out from the kitchen, causing some patrons to gulp unknowingly.
The door opened as one of the customers waiting in line finally entered the restaurant. He looked around, and upon seeing the satisfied faces of the diners, a surprised expression appeared on his face.
"What's happening?" Alek, the assistant of Manager Fu, muttered. He stared at the food on the tables. The meat was glistening with a bright red color, and he could see how tender it was. At the same time, the aroma made him gulp.
He looked around more and saw a golden yellow dish on a plate, along with some bread and milk. They all glistened with a substance he couldn't identify, but it made the visuals even more appetizing.
Then his eyes landed on a golden-brown food item held by a customer. The moment the customer bit into it, a crunching sound reached Alek's ears, making him gulp unknowingly.
"This… I'm hungry," Alek said, touching his stomach before finding an empty table.
"We are not overthinking this," Manager Fu said through gritted teeth. Looking at the people lining up in front of Filly Restaurant, he felt like he didn't deserve his position as the Skyline Savory manager for letting such a situation happen.
The line in front of the restaurant across the street was almost as long as theirs!
"Alek," Manager Fu turned to stare at his assistant. "Go investigate now. I want you to find out what's going on inside. Also, order a meal and eat. Let's see if they're doing something we're unaware of."
"Don't worry! I'll give you a full report!" Alek said, bowing his head before walking out of the room. Already anticipating something , he had a set of clothes prepared. When he emerged from Skyline, he was dressed in a simple shirt, pants, and shoes, resembling a lowly commoner—a disguise that made Alek want to discard the outfit immediately.
But for the sake of his mission, he swallowed his disgust and joined the back of the line at Filly Restaurant.
After some time, he finally got the chance to enter the restaurant, and the first thing he noticed was the number of diners. He looked around and saw what they were eating. Some were enjoying meat that glistened with some substance. The patrons were clearly savoring their meals.
He also spotted a golden-yellow food he couldn't identify, as well as a crunchy, golden-brown dish with white inside—perhaps chicken, but likely from a monster.
Alek gulped unknowingly. What the hell? He couldn't believe it. The aroma inside was so tantalizing that he just wanted to order immediately and eat.
But first, he needed to find an empty seat. As soon as he sat down, a waiter came over and handed him a menu.
Alek didn't say much and just started browsing the pamphlet.
"Winged Cow cooked with Oil?" Alek muttered. "Oil? What's that?" He noticed several dishes with the same word in their descriptions. There was even a dish called Chicken Cooked in Oil. It was just a simple chicken, not even a monster, and they dared to sell it? A frown appeared on his face.
Who would buy something so basic?
"Chicken cooked in oil, please!" someone shouted, making Alek turn towards the sound. He saw a patron a few tables away, with an empty plate in front of him. It seemed the customer wasn't done eating yet, as he ordered another meal.
"Coming right up!" the waiter answered enthusiastically. Although weariness showed on their faces, genuine smiles were still painted on their lips.
Seriously? Someone really ordered such a dish?! Alek couldn't believe it. With monster meat on the menu, why would anyone order an ordinary creature?
There were dishes on the menu that he couldn't recognize, like Scrambled Egg and Fried Chicken. He looked around once more and found that most people were eating that golden-brown food with meat inside. He then read the description of the dish on the menu and discovered they were eating the so-called Fried Chicken.
With great curiosity—and possibly because of the enticing aroma—he ordered the same dish as them.
"One order of Fried Chicken," the assistant said to a passing waiter.
"Alright, please wait a moment, sir," the waiter replied before heading to the kitchen but returned the next second, empty-handed.
"I'm sorry, but would it be alright if you wait five more minutes?" the waiter asked apologetically.