"I think that werewolf was just messing with us, hoping to use that excuse to keep eating and drinking for free here."
Ma Lu said to Old Wang during the afternoon stall setup.
However, this time Old Wang had a different opinion.
"He's right, creating dishes that move the hearts of customers is indeed a cosmic chef's responsibility," he said. "Actually, I wanted to tell you last time, dishes are not necessarily better just because they have more stars."
"Hmm? But higher star dishes are indeed tastier than low-star dishes," Ma Lu said, stroking his chin.
"The deliciousness index is just a reference, it's an evaluation metric with some universal applicability, but everyone's food preferences are actually different."
"I can understand that, like some people like spicy food, others like sweet, some places have a lighter taste, and some prefer heavy oil and salt, right?"
"Exactly." Old Wang nodded.
Experience tales at m v|l e'-novelhall.net
"But that werewolf didn't tell us beforehand what flavor he liked, I still feel like he just wanted to mooch off us," Ma Lu said.
Ma Lu handed over a packed Earth Dragon Meat in flatbread to a young associate professor waiting in front of the stall, who had the same Mediterranean hairstyle as Old Wang.
This dish had one less ★ than the Flameheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew, primarily because the latter had more steps in its preparation and took longer to cook, plus it required the second stomach of a Lava Giant Lizard—a part of which they had little left it was not suitable for street vending.
So, in the end, Ma Lu designated the Earth Dragon Meat in flatbread as today's special.
Old Wang had already fished out another piece of marinated meat from the pot, spread the tender and fragrant Earth Dragon Meat thin, added a spoonful of broth and then took out a golden, crispy flatbread from the oven, filled it, and continued.
"No, even if we knew his taste, we would only be catering to it even more. But what he said was very clear, he doesn't just want satisfaction, but to be moved."
"What's the difference between the two?" Ma Lu asked as he wrapped up the flatbread in wax paper and handed it to the next customer.
"Satisfaction can be achieved as long as the food is tasty enough, but moving someone requires more than just taste—it needs a touch of sincerity."
"Sincerity?" Ma Lu furrowed his brow, "What does that mean?"
"Simply put, it's about creating dishes specifically tailored to the customer's race, life experiences, or their special emotions at particular moments," Old Wang explained.
The shop Ma Lu was going to see this time was not far from Aerospace University, only 1.4 kilometers away according to Gaode Maps, located on a side road between three residential areas, a typical community shop.
He had stumbled upon the rental information online two days prior, less than 24 hours after it was posted.
Ma Lu had contacted the person who posted the information in advance to get a better understanding of the situation.
The place was previously occupied by a hot pot restaurant that, reportedly, did quite well, but due to some family issues, the owner didn't renew the lease when it expired.
The total construction area was 90 square meters, larger than what Ma Lu had anticipated.
But that's how it goes with searching for rentable space, it's rare to find one that fully meets the requirements. If it feels roughly suitable, it's worth taking a look; after all, it doesn't cost anything, so Ma Lu set up a time for a viewing anyway.
Heading there now would put him right on time.
Ma Lu mounted his trike, with Old Wang in tow, arriving at the location marked on the map in less than seven minutes.
They found the hot pot restaurant called Wang Ji Copper Pot Shabu Meat nestled between a massage clinic and a tobacco and liquor store.
The lights were on inside the restaurant, and a white Mercedes GLC was parked out front.
Ma Lu pulled up in front of the GLC on his trike, and just as he got off, a middle-aged woman with permed hair and carrying an LV bag came out from the restaurant, yelling at him and Old Wang.
"Hey hey hey, you can't park here!"
Ma Lu pointed at the white Mercedes, "But isn't this car parked here already?"
"This is our shop, so of course we can park our car here."
"I'm here to see the shop as well."
At this, the middle-aged woman looked Ma Lu and Old Wang up and down with a skeptical gaze.
"You must be Ms. Chen, right? I've spoken with you on the phone before," Ma Lu said, unfazed.
"Oh, you're that young fella Ma from the day before yesterday," the middle-aged woman suddenly realized, but she didn't invite Ma Lu and Old Wang in straight away, instead, she added,
"Let me make it clear first. The rent for this shop used to be 17 thousand a month, and there's no point talking if it's less than that. I have no trouble renting this place out, and later on, Boss Zhang is also coming to take a look."