"Boss, three large bowls of Tomato Egg Noodles!"
Before long, three customers pushed the door open and came in. Lin Xu called out a greeting. He was just about to start rolling out the dough when suddenly, a system notification echoed in his mind:
"Returning customers +3, still 97 short of the 100 returning customers needed for the side mission 'Full House'. Please keep up the good work and complete the task soon."
Returning customers? Lin Xu glanced at the three who had just entered. He did have some recollection of them. They seemed like the ones who were fussing over Chili Oil last night.
"Boss, do you have Chili Oil today? Bro, I'm still waiting for that Tomato Egg Noodles with Chili Oil combo to send me to heaven!"
The man leading them looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. He was chubby and sported a very fashionable instant noodle hairstyle. But the most eye-catching thing was the Kung Fu Panda T-shirt outfit he was wearing: a loose T-shirt paired with baggy harem pants. Combined with his slightly overweight figure, he was practically Panda himself.
At that moment, Kung Fu Panda didn't sit and wait. Instead, he paced with a swagger to the outside of the kitchen and greeted Lin Xu. Lin Xu pointed at the condiment bowl on the table and said, "I've already prepared it for you."
Really?
Kung Fu Panda walked to a dining table. He lifted the lid of the condiment bowl, and his eyes instantly widened. "Damn, this Chili Oil..."
The Chili Oil in the bowl was bright red, topped with a layer of White Sesame. An enticing, spicy aroma continuously emanated from it, making him involuntarily swallow his saliva.
"I guess I'll need another bowl later. You better not run out of noodles halfway through like last night! I've even put in an advance order this time."
After Panda had finished a large bowl last night, he had just been about to order a smaller one when, unexpectedly, they had sold out. That feeling of being stuck between hunger and satisfaction was truly uncomfortable. He had to go to another shop, but after trying several places, the noodles were all mediocre. None compared to what Lin Xu made.
This morning, he was so distracted he couldn't focus on work, his mind occupied with thoughts of noodles. So, the moment it struck eleven, he rushed over just as the doors were opening.
"Don't worry," Lin Xu said. "I've got plenty of noodles today. I prepared one hundred and fifty bowls worth, definitely enough."
After saying that, Lin Xu started rolling out the dough.
But Panda was not reassured. "That's no sure thing, man. Your noodles are so good, and now that you've brought out the Chili Oil, I bet even three hundred bowls wouldn't be enough to sell."
He took out his phone and scanned the QR code at the cashier to pay 159 yuan. To avoid a repeat of last night's ordeal, he paid in advance for all three of their meals. Each person was getting one large and one small bowl of noodles, which would definitely be satisfying.
After paying, Panda didn't hang around to chat. Instead, he went back to his seat to wait earnestly for Lin Xu to bring over the noodles. While waiting, he would occasionally lift the lid of the condiment bowl, covetously staring at the Chili Oil inside. The more he looked, the more he craved. Yet, the more he craved, the more he wanted to look.
For those who love spicy food, facing a bowl of perfectly fried Chili Oil without being able to taste it right away was truly torturous.
Finally, when Lin Xu came over with the three bowls of noodles on a tray, Panda felt like he was about to burst into tears. Only a few minutes had passed, but he was as anxious as if he were Little Dragon Girl, having waited heartbroken at the bottom of the Passionless Valley for sixteen years.
Now, Yang Guo... oh no, the noodles had arrived! And Panda's heart blossomed with joy.
He took the bowl, lifted the lid of the condiment bowl, and then ladled three hefty spoonfuls of Chili Oil into his bowl.
Damn it! That'll teach you to make me crave!
After scooping, he felt that just having the oil wasn't satisfying enough, so he deliberately reached the spoon deeper to scoop out two large spoonfuls of the chili solids into his bowl.
Looking at the fiery red brilliance in his bowl, Panda finally felt fully satisfied and put down the spoon. He started mixing the noodles.
As the heat from the noodles and toppings warmed the Chili Oil, its rich, spicy aroma began to waft through the shop.
"Wow, this spicy aroma is so tempting! I've got to add some myself. How about you, want some?" one of Panda's companions asked the other.
"Just a little bit. Eating with Panda, we're bound to turn into Chili Oil fiends sooner or later!"
After Panda's two companions smelled the spicy aroma of the chili, they couldn't help but start adding Chili Oil to their bowls.
"That's still better than turning into alcohol barrels!" Panda responded with a laugh. Then, with his chopsticks, he picked up some of the well-mixed noodles and eagerly brought them to his mouth, his face instantly showing a satisfied and surprised expression.
Upon tasting the noodles, the first sensation was not the spice, but the rich fragrance of the oil. Next, the aroma gradually began to fill his mouth. Then, the spiciness hit the tip of his tongue. His entire mouth was stimulated by this spicy and fragrant flavor.
After gently chewing, the smooth richness of the oil, the fragrant crispiness of the chili, and the crunchy nuttiness of the White Sesame all intertwined. They instantly whetted his appetite, and the feeling of hunger was magnified instantaneously.
"Oh my God! This Chili Oil is simply divine!" Panda exclaimed. He then scooped another spoonful of chili solids into his bowl, stirred it a couple of times, and began to eat voraciously.
The appetizing spicy Chili Oil, coupled with the chewy and smooth handmade noodles and the tempting Tomato Egg topping, created a sublime sensation, as if a fated meeting between golden autumn winds and jade-like morning dew had surpassed all the countless joys of the mortal world.
It felt like he wasn't just eating noodles, but savoring all kinds of happiness and beauty in life: the first time scoring a hundred, coming first in a race, passing a love note to a girl, getting admitted to a top university... All these sweet memories surged to his mind.
Panda couldn't even bring himself to finish the noodles in his bowl, afraid this wonderful feeling would disappear.
After another mouthful of noodles, he yelled to Lin Xu, "Boss, keep rolling and keep cooking those noodles!"
The noodles in his bowl would inevitably decrease. Never mind, just add more. After all, he had paid before starting to eat. By asking the boss to bring over the next bowl of noodles in advance, he could seamlessly continue to enjoy this deliciousness, right?
Panda ate his noodles, his mind bustling with thoughts. His thoughts had never been as animated as they were today.
Meanwhile, Lin Xu responded affirmatively. He was just about to continue cooking noodles when the door was pushed open and more customers came in.
"Damn! I thought we were the first ones here, but there are already customers… Boss, four large bowls of Tomato Egg Noodles."
The moment the customer finished speaking, a "returning customer +4" notification sounded in Lin Xu's mind. Clearly, these were also customers who had eaten here the previous night.
Seeing the new customers come in, Panda, who was thoroughly enjoying his meal, enthusiastically said to them, "The boss made Chili Oil today, and it's amazing! You guys have to try it mixed with your noodles later. It's so good it'll drive you crazy!"
Now that he was enjoying himself, he started enthusiastically recommending this way of eating to the other customers.
"He really made Chili Oil? Well, in that case, we definitely have to try it."
Seeing his ecstatic expression while eating, the other customers were also eager to try. After all, who could resist tantalizing Chili Oil?
Before long, Lin Xu brought over the cooked noodles. The customers added some chili and mixed it in. The noodles, coated in Red Oil, emitted a rich and spicy aroma that was indeed very tempting.
They took a bite, and their eyes lit up. "Damn, it really is delicious… Boss, another small bowl each! This Chili Oil makes the noodles disappear so fast!"