Although he had just eaten a freshly baked small bread, Ma Lu couldn't resist the newly out-of-the-oven Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream burger.
Still, he suppressed the impulse in his heart and took out his phone to snap a few pictures before he picked up the burger and took a big bite.
The double patties meant double the pleasure, and it wasn't for no reason that the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream was always popular in the Giant Curtain's bars and restaurants.
Its texture was very unique, with a natural fruitwood smoky flavor, yet it wasn't as dry and tough as truly smoked meat, still retaining the fresh and juicy characteristics of raw meat.
Furthermore, Old Wang's handling of the fat-to-lean ratio in making the patties was excellent, approximately 3 to 7, and it also included some sinew to make the patty more chewy.
As for the sauce, he appeared to be using the same secret tomato sauce as for the Fried Jackal Meat Cake, but with a difference.
"Egg, you added egg as well? And it's boiled and crushed egg, to replace mayonnaise, huh? I've always felt that mayonnaise's sweetness combined with cheese is a bit too greasy. This is much better now, and with the bits of egg in it, the texture is also richer."
After finishing the burger in his hand, Ma Lu couldn't help feeling deeply satisfied.
He glanced at the two half-finished products he had left on the desk while practicing.
Since they were already topped with sauce, it wouldn't be good to pack them away now, and although Ma Lu was full, to just throw them away seemed wasteful.
So he took out his phone and sent a message to Little Brother Yang, asking if he wanted to come over for a burger.
Little Brother Yang's reply came quickly.
——I'll be right there.
Ever since he had tried the Fried Jackal Meat Cake, Little Brother Yang, despite his vocal doubts about Ma Lu's snack business, was in truth quite a faithful customer.
While he didn't visit every day, he hadn't missed a single dish since the start of The Universe's Number One Snack Stall, and he had tried almost all of them more than twice, rightfully earning the title of a hardcore fan.
Of course, Little Brother Yang could never admit that Ma Lu and Old Wang's business was picking up, as it would make him, the senior, look incompetent.
Moreover, since they were using his tricycle, it would feel like rubbing salt in his wounds.
Initially, he would say things like —— if you can't sell them all, I can help reduce your losses when you get back.
But after waiting two days without getting to eat anything, Little Brother Yang realized that swooping in for leftovers was no longer an option with the current popularity of The Universe's Number One Snack Stall.
He decisively changed his strategy, taking advantage of the geographical convenience, he would get there before they set up their stall, creating a new excuse ostensibly to do quality checks.
Ma Lu didn't burst his bubble; business that came to your door was not to be turned down, especially since Little Brother Yang always paid, and it didn't matter much what he liked to say.
"Hmph, let me tell you upfront, I won't pay if it's not delicious."
Ma Lu didn't say anything in response, he just walked into the kitchen and brought out the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream burger Old Wang had just made.
Little Brother Yang swallowed, reaching out his hand...
Three minutes later, he had finished the entire burger but was still too preoccupied to speak, sucking the sauce off his fingers.
Ma Lu silently pushed the sheet of A4 paper with the payment code printed on it toward him.
Although Little Brother Yang paid by scanning the code, he wouldn't admit defeat, "The taste is alright, it's just that I don't really like onions."
"There's one more."
"......"
"Pack it up for me, I'll take it back for my mom to try."
Little Brother Yang scanned the payment code once more and, holding the packaged burger, was ready to leave when something suddenly occurred to him. He looked around and said,
"By the way, did you guys get a dog recently? Lately I keep hearing something running around overhead."
"Ah... A friend, he had to go back home because of some issues and left his dog with us for a while."
"Is that so, then take good care of my model and don't let the dog ruin it," Little Brother Yang instructed.
"Of course, don't worry about it."
"Where's the dog?"
"Some college students nearby took it out for a walk."
"Are college students really so free these days?" muttered Little Brother Yang, saying a few more words before finally heading downstairs to go home.
Meanwhile, Ma Lu began sending out orders for the burger to two fan groups.
As expected, there was an immediate outcry about the price, and quite a few people complained that it was expensive. Fortunately, there were enough people in the group, and there were plenty who weren't short on cash and were eager to try something new, so they started a chain order. In a short while, they had gathered more than 30 orders.
However, the mood of hesitancy was also quite strong—not because of any doubts about the burgers' flavor, but because the price was indeed steep.
Even with KFC and the Golden Arches as a point of comparison, most college students wouldn't splurge on an Angus Beef Burger at those places.
Ma Lu didn't bother explaining. Instead, he just posted the photos he had taken one by one into the group.