Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe-Chapter 106 - 102: Overseas Assignment Benefits, Seaside Hotel 2

Not far from the restaurant is a seaside resort hotel, said to be part of the other investor's assets. They offer free rooms for chefs and waiters who come over to assist.

After packing his luggage and loading it onto the food truck, he was ready to set off early for Dieppe.

It's still early, two hours until dark, so there's no rush driving slowly.

During this week, he had learned in advance that the model of the food truck he currently had was a small one and couldn't go on the highway. If it was a medium or large food truck with enough power and range, it could go on the highway.

Holding three Food Truck Upgrade Cards in his hand, sitting in the driver's seat, his mind drifted slightly.

[Ding, the stability of the food truck's structure has been enhanced, with the maximum speed it can withstand increased from 60 mph to 70 mph.]

[Ding, the hardness of the food truck's body has increased, capable of withstanding a 100 mph impact without severe deformation.]

[Ding, the food truck's windows have evolved into tempered glass.]

Just from the looks of it, the food truck didn't show any changes, and sitting inside, he didn't notice anything different.

Setting up the navigation, turning on the music player, off we go!

Lucas was worried about his safety on the road; the food truck standing out too much when traveling alone, so they agreed to meet at the edge of the city, keeping each other company.

When Lin Chen got there, he found out that Lucas hadn't arrived yet.

After waiting around ten minutes, he finally saw that old pickup leisurely appearing at the end of the road.

"Seriously, driving this slowly, are you taking a stroll?"

"Hey!"

Lucas rolled down the window and beckoned him over, full of excitement: "Guess what I just did?"

"What, fed the cat?"

Every day during this week, the first thing this guy did was feed the cat; he got used to it. He even went with him twice to watch.

Seeing Lucas staring at the passenger seat with excitement, Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat.

No way...

Leaned in for a closer look.

Sure enough.

"It's amazing, let me tell you! I was planning on saying goodbye, so I brought extra canned cat food. After eating, the little guy followed me for a long way, which never happened before!"

"I tried picking it up, and hey, it didn't even struggle, it must like me and wants to travel with me~"

Lin Chen nodded, "After a week of careful observation, it deemed you qualified to be its servant. Congrats, your status has dropped another level; from now on, you can be called Xiao Luzi."

"Tsk, you're just jealous~"

Lucas gazed at the passenger seat with eyes full of affection, as if he were in love.

But that's good. Once they're there, he'd definitely be busy with work, having a cat would keep him company and not feel lonely.

"Meow~"

The little black cat gazed curiously at Lin Chen through the car window, even standing up to paw at the glass.

"Did you name it yet?"

"I originally thought of naming it Xiao Hei, but that felt too ordinary, so I added a last name: Lu Xiaohei!"

"...You're saying you're Lu?"

"Never mind that! Are we going or not, it's getting dark."

"Okay, just don't pet the cat while driving, if you end up in a ditch, I can't save you."

By the time they reached their destination, it was already past eleven at night.

Because of the slow driving, what could have been over in two hours got dragged out over three by Lucas.

That's just how it is when you're traveling with a kid.

"Good evening, gentlemen. Do you have a reservation?"

The receptionist was browsing her phone, but hearing the door open, she quickly stood to greet them.

"My last name is Lin; I've been assigned to work at the restaurant here, someone should have informed you, right?"

"Ah! So you're Chef Lin, traveling such a long way, it must have been hard!"

The receptionist's eyes sparkled, her face beaming with joy.

"We received notice a week ago. The owner mentioned that a chef from Great Xia, comparable to Michelin standards from Amiens, would be coming over to manage the kitchen here. Your cooking is said to be amazing, can't wait to try it!"

"Hmm?"

Lin Chen was taken aback.

Wasn't it supposed to be reservation-only? Why does that sound a bit off?

After casually asking, he realized that the restaurant also needed to provide buffet breakfasts and lunches for hotel staff and guests here.

The list of guests needing meals would be compiled the night before, and along with staff, the numbers shouldn't be too overwhelming.

Although it's summer, it wasn't peak tourist season yet, so there aren't that many visitors.

The number of tourists every week would gradually increase; this period served as a time for them to adapt.

"This here is my friend; he's on vacation. I was wondering if there's any discount for an insider booking like mine?"

"Yes, Chef. Your position qualifies for a half-price discount, and you get a month of free accommodation each year, of course excluding your own room, which is free during your stay here for work."

"Hey! You're quite impressive, aren't you? Half-price and a month's free hotel room? I told you, you're certainly at a head chef level!"

"Ahem... I just got promoted."

A Western cuisine head chef is a high-end career abroad, respected wherever they go. After all, foreigners tend to be laid-back and dislike intense competition, and cooking is a taxing job not many can persist in.

After arranging the room, Lin Chen was about to leave but suddenly remembered something.

"Oh right, can we bring pets to the hotel?"

"Um."

The receptionist's expression shifted slightly: "What kind of pet exactly? If it's a snake, lizard, raccoon..."

"????"

Aren't you misunderstanding something about what 'pet' means?

"No, no, just a little kitten, only two months old."

"Phew... Wonderful, normal pets are allowed; we offer special pet rooms. Would you like to switch one of the rooms?"

"Yes, please, if it's not too much trouble."

'Pet room' was a term he was hearing for the first time, more expensive than regular rooms, but with the half-price discount, it was quite economical.

Besides, what's there to worry about when he has a month of free stay ahead, he won't be the one paying in the future.

Out of curiosity, he followed Lucas into his pet room to take a look.

Unlike regular rooms, pet rooms have floors made mostly of tiles and laminate, only with a small rug under the coffee table, likely to prevent pets from peeing everywhere.

Additionally, the room came with a pet bed, cat tree, cat and dog food, snacks, and toys, even pet-specific disinfectant and poop bags.

The pet room was on the third floor, connected to a spacious platform on that floor. One could step out onto the balcony for a walk or take the stairs down to the ground, quite convenient.

After vending for a day and spending more than three hours driving, Lin Chen was exhausted, taking a brief look around before heading back to his room to freshen up and sleep.

He slept until he woke naturally, awakened by the sunlight seeping through the curtain gaps.

Opening the curtain and seeing the outside scene, his pupils suddenly dilated.

"What the...?"

The sapphire-like clear ocean stretched boundlessly, layers of silver waves glistening under the morning sun.

On the golden beach, red, blue umbrellas bloomed sporadically, with quite a few tourists already walking around.

Blue sky, white clouds, vast ocean.

Such scenery healed all those dreary days spent in the back kitchen in the past few years, minute by minute.

"Holy moly, this location is even better than the photos. This hotel must have been built two or three years ago, right? The owner must be super wealthy."

Anyone interested in building a hotel on a European beach, he felt, had to be either a Middle Eastern tycoon, a Korean conglomerate, or an owner from Great Xia.

Europe's super-rich already have fixed assets, mainly chains, names one would instantly recognize.

Too lazy to dwell on it, he figured he'd eventually meet the mysterious owner. Today, he decided to explore the restaurant and around, and meet the partners from Paris.

The restaurant itself had just been newly remodeled, its name not mounted yet, intended to be done the day before a trial opening as a surprise.

Externally, nobody knew this restaurant partnered with others, just that it was under this hotel's property.

Without calling for Lucas, Lin Chen left the hotel alone, heading towards the restaurant nestled not far away among the flowers.