Universe Infinite Canteen-Chapter 615: Wallet

Ma Lu returned from Hou De the next day, and the Universe Infinite Canteen was still booming.

He decided to add an extra 100 dishes, but that only sustained business for half an hour, and by two in the afternoon, every dish was sold out.

He Xiaoqian hung the "Closed" sign at the restaurant's entrance, and the busy staff gathered around a table, ready to have their staff meal.

Just then, a pigeon landed in front of the restaurant.

Ma Lu paused upon seeing the pigeon, set down his chopsticks, and said to the three ladies, "I'll be right out, you guys go ahead and eat."

Shortly afterward, Sun Mei saw Ma Lu push the door open and walk out, speaking to himself in front of the pigeon, then shaking and nodding his head.

He pulled out his phone, typed something, and brought his wristwatch close to it.

The pigeon pecked at the wristwatch twice, spread its wings, and flew away.

Ma Lu also walked back inside, seeming to be in a good mood.

Sun Mei looked shocked. "How long has he been like this... haven't you advised him to see someone?"

"Hmm."

Ma Lu returned to his seat and said to Ma Youyou, "I need to go to the psychiatric hospital with Old Wang tonight. Could you cover for me? I've arranged to meet at seven to clear the spider's lair in Nightmare Town."

"Sure," nodded Ma Youyou. "Also, Boss, don't forget the interview with Meiping Website this afternoon. Team Leader Yu said she was supposed to come yesterday, but you put her off."

"Ah, there's an interview? Okay, I'll ask her to come now," Ma Lu replied after checking the time on his phone.

About 40 minutes later, a taxi stopped outside the restaurant.

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Yu Yitong and David got out.

Yu Yitong was wearing a yellow trench coat and a dark blue midi skirt, with a scarf around her neck, looking like Tang Wei in "Late Autumn" at first glance.

She knocked on the glass three times before pushing the door to come in, "Boss Ma, we meet again."

"Team Leader Yu, long time no see," Ma Lu put down his half-finished TikTok video.

"I don't think I've formally congratulated you on winning the God of Cooking Competition, Asian Region."

"Ah, it's just a nominal title; I haven't taken it to heart," Ma Lu waved his hand.

He continued being modest, but following Yu Yitong's gaze, he saw the trophy deliberately placed in the most conspicuous spot on the counter, ensuring every customer could see it at first glance, and Ma Lu specifically instructed He Xiaoqian to clean it twice a day.

Thankfully, Yu Yitong did not dwell on this topic and found a table, instructing David to set up the camera.

Yu Yitong congratulated Ma Lu once again on his victory, then got straight to the point.

"Boss Ma, as I understand, you're not professionally trained as a chef and no one in your family works in the restaurant business. What made you decide to run a restaurant?"

"Oh, it's like this. Actually, I've always dreamed of opening a restaurant since I was little, but naturally, my parents wanted me to lead a stable life with a regular nine-to-five job, so I followed the conventional path and went to college.

"And what changed your mind?" Yu Yitong continued.

"Emotions, due to personal emotional reasons, I was struck a hard blow, which made me realize... I can't continue living aimlessly. I decided to muster the courage to chase my childhood dreams!"

Ma Lu continued to ramble on. Old Wang's identity was unique, so Ma Lu consciously downplayed his role during the interview to prevent idle netizens from digging into Old Wang's background.

Yu Yitong's body wavered a bit, but she still managed to control her expressions in front of the camera, albeit with a slightly trembling voice.

"So, Boss Ma, it was emotional issues that lead you on this path."

"That's right, as everyone knows, I'm a person who values emotions deeply," Ma Lu nodded.

"Let's... talk about the God of Cooking Competition again. You started from a small stall, earned your first bucket of gold, and then established the Universe Infinite Canteen two months later. It's quite inspiring."

"However, throughout the process, you've always presented yourself as Boss Ma, not a chef. What made you decide to personally participate in the God of Cooking Competition this time?"

"Because there was prize money, and President Sun was very enthusiastic. He kept inviting me and hoped that I could discipline his rebellious granddaughter."

"Rebellious granddaughter... are you referring to Chef Sun Mei, who won second place in this God of Cooking Competition? I noticed that you had frequent interactions with Chef Sun Mei during the three days of the competition."

"Also, after the competition, someone posted a video on TikTok, revealing that Chef Sun Mei is now working for you. Is that true?"

"Yes." Since it was impossible to hide, Ma Lu admitted it straightforwardly.

"Are you and... Chef Sun Mei in a romantic relationship?"

"Not at all. Chef Sun Mei is my friend. She wanted to cultivate her skills here for a while, and of course, I welcomed her."

"As for cultivation... why not in the kitchen but as a waitress?"

"That's not right. Service is very important," Ma Lu said seriously, "Especially for chefs, understanding the customers' needs is crucial, so it makes perfect sense to start cultivating from here."

"But I often see online that some diners complain that you and your restaurant are too set in your ways, rarely considering the customers' feelings."

"That is a higher level of existence, focusing on oneself. Only a very few incredibly talented chefs can reach that realm."

"I see. Speaking of talented chefs, what are your thoughts on the upcoming World Competition?"

"I hope to encounter a few opponents who can put up a bit of resistance, so I can at least feel the tension of the finals for a bit."

"......"

The interview lasted for about an hour, and afterward, Yu Yitong handed over a tote bag.

Inside were a shirt and a wallet.

The shirt was the one Ma Lu had lent to Yu Yitong to cover a bloodstain, and it had since been completely cleaned.

Ma Lu then picked up the wallet.

"This is a gift, to thank you for agreeing to our filming during the competition and for the exclusive interview afterward," Yu Yitong explained.

Ma Lu examined the COACH classic trifold wallet, looking bemused, "Did you sneak a peek at my phone?"

"Absolutely not," Yu Yitong said.

"I meant when we were in school. How else would you know about this wallet?"

Yu Yitong looked stunned for a moment, then said, "When you went to take a shower earlier, a notification popped up on your screen saying that this wallet you were following was restocked."

"And from that, you figured I liked this wallet? Ah... you're still as imaginative as ever."

"You don't like it?"

"It's not that I don't like it, I just don't feel much about it. I followed it back then because I saw you working too hard and thought about getting some knock-offs to sell at school. Actually, I followed about twenty wallets at that time; this was just one of them."

"Is that so? Then give it back to me," Yu Yitong reached out to take back the wallet.

But Ma Lu pulled his hand back, "Since it's been given, don't take it back. You can probably expense it through company finances, right?"

"That's true."

"This isn't a knock-off, is it?"

"I just bought it from the counter the day before yesterday."

"Alright, do you have anything else?"

"No, I'm going back to work."

"Take care, no need to show you out."