Chapter 35: New Oriental's Surprise in the Toilet
Among the students from the four provinces of Shanhe, the anticipation for Shanhe University's cafeteria was particularly high. When a student was admitted to Shanhe University, it meant they would spend four years there. The cafeteria was a crucial aspect of their lives, and given the remote location of the university in a valley, it was the only option for meals. Unlike universities in bustling cities, where students could easily explore various off-campus dining options, Shanhe University's students had no such luxury.
"I'm already preparing to apply to Shanhe University. For no other reason, just to enjoy the cafeteria food for four years. I'm going to feast!"
"To be honest, some university cafeterias serve food that's barely edible, and even rats wouldn't touch it. I hope Shanhe University's cafeteria is different!"
"Does Shanhe University offer a culinary arts major? I want to attend just to learn cooking!"
"New Oriental, are you seeing this?"
The sudden popularity of the construction site's big pot rice attracted food enthusiasts. Many people visited Shanhe University's official website and discovered something exciting—Shanhe University had established a culinary arts major. This revelation sparked excitement among aspiring chefs.
...
At the junction of the four provinces, on the construction site:
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully cooking the big pot meal on the construction site, receiving praise from over 99% of the workers, and completing the [People Take Food as the Sky] task."
"Ding! Reward: 2000 challenge points."
Hearing the notification in his mind, Qin Mu couldn't help but smile. His challenge points had now increased to 4520. To accomplish this task, he exchanged his Grandmaster Cooking and worked as the chef for three consecutive days, finally achieving a 99% favorable rating.
But that wasn't all. The aroma of the food had attracted nearby residents. Every day before noon, hundreds of people lined up at the construction site. To accommodate them, Qin Mu cooked extra food and sold it in the form of lunch boxes. However, even with this arrangement, the number of people in line continued to grow.
"Boss Qin, we sold 412 lunch boxes today, a hundred more than yesterday," reported Liu Datou with a wry smile. "I'm worried there will be even more people coming to buy lunch tomorrow."
Liu Datou sighed helplessly, recognizing that it was the incredible deliciousness of Qin Mu's food that drew the crowds.
The provincial road outside the construction site, which had been smooth, was now experiencing traffic jams due to people coming to buy lunch boxes.
"This can't go on," Qin Mu remarked with concern. "We should put up a notice outside the construction site. Starting tomorrow, the big pot rice at the construction site will only be sold to the workers."
After all, this was a construction site, not a fast-food establishment. Qin Mu was worried that the provincial highway would be blocked by people buying lunch boxes, impeding the construction progress of Shanhe University.
...
The next day, at noon, inside the temporary kitchen:
Qin Mu stood with his hands behind his back, instructing the twelve previously eliminated cooks.
Having accomplished his mission, Qin Mu no longer needed to cook personally every day. He could now oversee the kitchen and train the twelve cooks who had been eliminated earlier. They had some foundation, and with Qin Mu's guidance, their skills were improving. Although their dishes weren't as exquisite as his, they were still good.
However, during lunchtime, Qin Mu noticed another group of people arriving at the construction site. They were all dressed in black and numbered around two dozen.
"Sorry, but we no longer sell lunch boxes at this construction site," Liu Datou quickly explained.
"We're not here to buy lunch!" one of them replied.
"Yeah, we've come to apply for jobs as workers. Is the construction site still hiring?"
"We heard that lunch boxes are only provided for workers. Now that we're part of the team, can we get free lunch boxes?"
These individuals all spoke one after another, explaining their intentions.
Liu Datou was stunned by their eagerness for the lunch boxes. He never imagined that people would go to such lengths just to have a meal.
However, this unexpected situation inadvertently solved the problem of manpower shortage at the construction site.
"Everyone, please calm down. If you'd like to join the construction site, please register your ID card information here," Liu Datou said with a grin as he made the necessary arrangements.
In the end, a total of 37 new workers were recruited.
"Now the construction progress should be back on track," Qin Mu remarked with relief.
With funding from the four provinces of Shanhe, Qin Mu had accumulated one billion in funds in his bank account. Money was no longer a concern. However, the construction timeline for Shanhe University was crucial. The system had given him one month to complete the task, and nine days had already passed. He now had 21 days remaining to ensure the university's timely completion.