Universe Infinite Canteen-Chapter 602 - Wolong Phoenix

Although Ma Lu said the restaurant didn't need any more staff, Sun Mei proved extremely helpful on her first day at work.

Ma Lu had won the God of Cooking Competition, which further enhanced the reputation of Universe Infinite Canteen, bringing in a new wave of popularity.

When the restaurant reopened, the customer flow was double the usual, with small tables even set up across the street in front of the Love Home Grocery Store, making the store owner Wang Feng incredibly happy.

Even though everyone ordered by scanning a QR code, and Ma Youyou and He Xiaoqian were only responsible for serving dishes and cleaning up, they were still overwhelmed.

Although it was Sun Mei's first day working at Universe Infinite Canteen, she came from a family of chefs and had helped out in her family's restaurant since she was young, working both in the front and back of the house.

She adapted quickly to being a waitress, and by less than one in the afternoon, the three of them had sold out all the dishes for the day.

He Xiaoqian hung up the "Closed" sign and locked the restaurant's main door.

Sun Mei placed the last dirty dish on the cart and, watching Ma Youyou wheel it into the kitchen, turned to Ma Lu and said, "What does the restaurant need now? Should we go to the market to buy supplies, or should we call the supplier for delivery?"

"No buying, no supplying," Ma Lu said. "That's it for today; let's call it a day after dinner."

"Ah, finishing now? But isn't there still four hours until dinner? We should have plenty of time to restock and continue business," Sun Mei said.

"Old Wang is already very exhausted; let's not add to his workload," Ma Lu said.

"Then you do it; I saw you resting and playing on your phone all morning."

"No, I won't!" Ma Lu said. "I've already said, after returning I won't step into the kitchen again."

"Why?" Sun Mei frowned. "You seemed to enjoy it during the competition, you shouldn't hate cooking."

"There's no specific reason, I just won't," Ma Lu retorted impatiently. "I'm the boss; what kind of image would it be if the boss were cooking? If you're so keen on me cooking, why don't you cook?"

"Of course I could cook," Sun Mei replied with delight. "Boss Ma, does this mean you're planning to let me work in the kitchen?"

Ma Lu almost slapped himself.

However, Sun Mei's words reminded him that, with her culinary skills, having her as a mere waitress really wasted her talents.

An astute capitalist should know how to maximize the value extracted from their employees.

Sun Mei, being a head chef from the century-old Songxiang Inn, might not match Old Wang in skills but she certainly had talent.

What to do? Should he set up a separate kitchen for her to cook in?

That way, Universe Infinite Canteen would have two kitchens, which could speed up cooking and allow them to sell more dishes and make more money daily.

This was the ideal scenario, but there were numerous practical problems.

Although Sun Mei was skilled, it was uncertain whether, even with training, she could replace Old Wang or at least come close to his level.

In addition, the ingredients Ma Lu used were transported from other places and weren't exactly aboveboard.

It would be fine for her to remain a waitress, but letting Sun Mei into the kitchen could risk exposing their secrets.

Never mind, just observe for a while and decide later.

Ma Youyou brought out the employees' meals made by Old Wang, and He Xiaoqian set the table.

The four of them sat down to eat. Sun Mei picked up her chopsticks, thought of something, and put them down again, "Aren't we missing a meal? Where's Chef Wang's?"

"He's not eating," Ma Youyou said.

"Why? He's also been working hard all day. Honestly, it's incredible how he managed to cook so many meals alone; his cooking speed is rather frightening," Sun Mei remarked.

"It's just a small feat for Old Wang; let's eat."

Ma Lu clapped his hands, and He Xiaoqian first picked up a piece of roast meat and placed it in the new employee's bowl, then served another piece to Ma Lu.

Sun Mei thanked He Xiaoqian and picked up her chopsticks again, only to find the other three looking at her.

She paused, puzzled, "Did I miss some pre-meal ritual?"

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"No, please go ahead and eat, you've also had a long day," said Ma Lu, "It's been tough."

Sun Mei, still puzzled, said, "Then I'll eat." With that, she put the piece of meat into her mouth.

As soon as the first bite was taken, she realized something was off, and her pupils dilated sharply.

This taste was simply... amazing!!!

Sun Mei was shocked. Was this really the standard for an employee meal? Even the signature dishes that cost thousands at Songxiang Inn weren't this delicious.

She had come to work at the Universe Infinite Canteen for Ma Lu.

Having seen Ma Lu's skills at the God of Cooking Competition before, she had wanted to observe and learn from him up close.

She didn't know much about Old Wang, the actual chef of the restaurant. Earlier, when Ma Lu told her she could ask Old Wang if she had any questions, she hadn't taken it seriously.

She was only convinced by Ma Lu and her pride was still intact, maintaining a condescending attitude towards other chefs.

But this meal made her realize the gap between them, a gap even larger than the one she felt with Ma Lu before.

Sun Mei carefully said, "Chef Wang really isn't eating? Should I serve him a portion and bring it inside?"

"No need, he has something else to eat. This is all for us."

Ma Lu said, quite satisfied with the effect.

Although it was an employee meal, the Gastrodia Elata stewed Wolf Camel with a Deliciousness Index of ★★★★★ was specially made by Old Wang at his request.

It was intended to take Sun Mei down a notch.

After competing with Sun Mei, Ma Lu had gotten a sense of her temper.

He knew that without showing some real skills, this person would probably not be convinced.

Sure enough, after eating the Gastrodia Elata stewed Wolf Camel, Sun Mei became much more subdued and stopped pestering Ma Lu, instead indirectly probing for information about Old Wang from Ma Youyou and He Xiaoqian.

But the more she inquired, the more astonished she was.

According to what He Xiaoqian and Ma Youyou said, Old Wang's culinary skills were much more formidable than Ma Lu's, and customers who had eaten at the restaurant had nothing but praise.

Some were even moved to sing.

Sun Mei felt this might be an exaggeration, but nonetheless, it seemed certain that Old Wang was an exceptional cook.

Sun Mei felt this trip was worth it.

Who would have thought that a small restaurant could house both a Wolong and a Phoenix?

After the meal, Ma Lu shared some coconut candy, coffee, and dried fruits he brought back from Sanya with He Xiaoqian and Ma Youyou.

He then sent the rest to Zhen Ye on the second floor. After finishing, Ma Lu asked Sun Mei, "You don't have a place to stay?"

Sun Mei nodded, "Yes, I'm planning to rent a place."

Ma Lu thought for a moment, "My place..."

"That's fine," Sun Mei quickly said, not wanting to miss the chance to observe two top chefs up close.

"Forget about the new house," Ma Lu said. "But I have an old house with about half a year left on the lease. You can stay there for now. Youyou, please send her the address."

"Okay, Boss."