「Back at the dining hall of Building Two.」
As soon as Lin Xu entered, Dundun leaped from his arms and into Shu Yun’s, burying its head deep in the crook of her arm, looking utterly aggrieved. No matter how Lin Xu spoke to it, the little guy just ignored him.
"What did you do to it?" Shu Yun asked.
"I was just tossing it a bit in the air, and it suddenly got scared..." Lin Xu explained sheepishly.
Lin Xu and Dundun are truly a comically mismatched father and son, Shu Yun thought. Why on earth would you toss a child around when everything’s fine?
"You go get busy in the kitchen; I’ll comfort it," Shu Yun said.
"Sure, thanks a lot, Manager Shu."
Lin Xu headed to the back kitchen, washed his hands thoroughly, and then continued to cook according to the order slips.
「Seven o’clock in the evening.」
After confirming there were no new customer orders, Lin Xu officially clocked out.
While he was changing his clothes, Xie Baomin came over with a smile and asked, "Junior Brother, how did your first day of work feel?"
"It feels... like I’m on vacation," Lin Xu replied.
He had never imagined that a restaurant kitchen could be so relaxed. He had only prepared about a dozen dishes all day. If not for being busy making Crab Buns, he reckoned he’d have been idle enough to go chat with the crab sellers in the seafood area.
Xie Baomin took a sip of tea and said with a smile, "Your arrival has really boosted business at Building Two. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a day as good as today." Follow current novels on novᴇlfire.net
Was business really that good today?
"Today’s restaurant revenue exceeded three hundred thousand..."
Lin Xu was dumbfounded. My apologies, I was too hasty!
He’d never imagined that today’s seemingly dead business could generate such high revenue, almost matching Lin Ji’s Food’s entire weekly turnover.
Consider the terrifying customer volume at Lin Ji’s Food. Consider the massive workload in Lin Ji’s kitchen. And then look at this place... Indeed, raising prices is the driving force behind economic growth!
"What’s the usual daily revenue here?" he asked Xie Baomin.
At first, I thought Dundun hadn’t made an impact. Now it seems the little guy not only made a difference but even overperformed.
"Usually, it’s seventy or eighty thousand, sometimes over a hundred thousand, and occasionally we hit two hundred thousand. We only reach three hundred thousand on holidays... This is all thanks to you, Junior Brother!"
But it wasn’t really me, Lin Xu thought. It was thanks to that little cutie out there, still sulking. I never imagined that Senior Brother only let Dundun come to Fishing Platform because everyone was calling it a lucky cat and he thought it was a good gimmick. Who knew it would be such a windfall? If I had known, I would’ve negotiated a salary for Dundun. After all, for a cat, being held by beautiful women is hard work too.
After bidding farewell to his Senior Brother, Lin Xu took his car keys and went outside.
He opened all four car doors to air out the heat, then started the engine, turned on the AC, and cooled down the interior.
He returned to the front desk. Dundun was still in Shu Yun’s arms. Seeing Lin Xu approach, it immediately turned its little head away, still looking miffed.
"Thanks so much for your trouble, Manager Shu. Please give Dundun to me; we’re heading out now."
Before Shu Yun could speak, Dundun, still in her arms, let out a protesting meow.
Lin Xu laughed and took it into his arms. "A new toy arrived today. Want to play with it?"
Too devious, using toys to tempt this kitty! Which little cat could resist such a temptation?
It immediately stopped struggling and even affectionately rubbed its head against Lin Xu’s shoulder.
Shu Yun giggled. "Your Dundun is just too cute. Don’t forget to bring it tomorrow, Boss Lin."
"Don’t worry, Manager Shu, I definitely will."
Once in the car, the little fellow promptly scampered to the rear windshield and lay down, intently watching the passing scenery.
Lin Xu started the car and slowly drove out of Fishing Platform, heading straight for Yingchun Street.
Normally, this would be the busiest time at the shop. Yet today, I get to clock off and go home. The feeling of being an employee is truly exhilarating!
When crossing the North Fourth Ring, Lin Xu saw a long queue outside the pan-fried bun shop near the entrance to Yingchun Street. He even spotted a certain mushroom-headed student who was notorious for skipping classes.
TCH... Skipping class just to buy pan-fried buns near the school gate. That foodie nature is truly inherited from Mr. Lishan.
Arriving at Yingchun Street, Lin Xu could see from a distance that the location of Lin Ji’s Food was now surrounded by a green barrier. This way, the ongoing renovations inside wouldn’t disturb pedestrians outside, and it would also effectively prevent unauthorized people from entering the construction site, thus avoiding accidents like electric shocks.
Lin Xu parked the car in a roadside spot and went to the courier station to collect his parcels for the day. Inside were the self-entertaining toys Shen Jiayue had bought for Dundun, as well as new cat litter and a new scratching post.
After stowing them in the car’s trunk, he was about to drive to his residential complex. Just then, Old Yu, who had stepped out of the nearby supermarket for some air, spotted him and called out urgently, "Boss Lin, the Winter Melons have arrived! When are you going to make winter melon candy?"
"Then let’s do it now," Lin Xu agreed.
When Lin Xu arrived at the supermarket, he happened to see several staff members stocking an aquarium with newly arrived crayfish. These crayfish were quite large. After being dropped into the tanks, they became lively, occasionally waving their big claws and fighting with each other, as if vying to be the boss of Causeway Bay.
TCH, these crayfish are really good.
In the vegetable section, the white-skinned Winter Melon needed for making winter melon candy was ready, along with a bag of about ten pounds of White Sugar and a bag of food-grade quicklime.