"The menu isn't wrong. It's just that the restaurant has just opened, so the menu is limited. We'll gradually introduce new dishes later." Mai Ge said calmly with a smile and a shake of his head.
"I'm not talking about the food, but the price! This Yang Zhou Fried Rice costs 600 copper coins a serving? Did you use dragon meat to make it?" Mo Bai shook his head, pointing to a line of small print on the menu, somewhat annoyed.
He'd initially thought the restaurant's decor was nice, and the owner seemed agreeable, but it turned out he was trying to rip him off. The print was so small; if he hadn't read it carefully and ordered, he'd have wasted 600 copper coins.
600 copper coins! At the Freyr Tavern, that could buy a huge plate of roast meat and two jugs of strong liquor, enough to fill a wine flask on the way back. Mo Bai's initial goodwill towards Mai Ge vanished completely. Humans were indeed masters of disguise and cunning.
"I'm sorry, this isn't made with dragon meat, but the price is correct. I believe this Yang Zhou Fried Rice is worth the price, even far more. Customers are free to choose whether to order." Mai Ge said calmly, without elaborating further.
Mai Ge had anticipated that some customers would question the price, but he had absolute confidence in his Yang Zhou Fried Rice. 600 copper coins not worth it? If it wasn't for completing his task of making a thousand servings of Yang Zhou Fried Rice, he would have priced it at 6000 copper coins. This was Yang Zhou Fried Rice made with rice irrigated by the Fountain of Life, combined with various rare ingredients, and cooked with culinary skills that could only be admired in this world.
Mo Bai stared at Mai Ge, suppressing his anger. Humans were indeed cunning; they could utter such words without batting an eye. While the restaurant's ambiance was indeed quite nice, his primary concern when eating was taste; the restaurant's appearance was secondary.
What exactly was this Yang Zhou Fried Rice? He couldn't glean anything from the name. What was Yang Zhou? Could rice really be fried? In all his decades in Chaos City, he had eaten at countless restaurants and had never heard of this dish.
Mo Bai stared at Mai Ge for a while, but Mai Ge remained calm, showing no sign of guilt or impatience, as if waiting for him to make a decision.
Having run an arms shop for decades, he had seen all sorts of people. Few could maintain this composure in his presence; they were all people of some skill. He couldn't help but feel a little doubtful. Could this Yang Zhou Fried Rice really be something special? Was it truly worth 600 copper coins? Hesitating for a moment, he asked, "You said the price is correct, but can you guarantee the Yang Zhou Fried Rice will be delicious?"
"Whether it's delicious or not is largely a matter of personal taste, and I'm sorry, I can't guarantee that." Mai Ge shook his head. Even the most delicious food can be unpalatable to some. Seeing Mo Bai's annoyed expression, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It seemed this first customer was likely to be a disappointment.
"You!" Mo Bai was even more annoyed. Other restaurant owners would praise their food to the skies, but this guy just said he couldn't guarantee anything. He couldn't even guarantee it would be delicious; it seemed he was probably lying. If he found it unpalatable later, he could just say it was a matter of personal taste, right? This human was too cunning. He decided not to eat there.
"Daddy, Little Amy is hungry." Little Amy, who had been watching their conversation, pouted and looked up at Mai Ge, giving Mo Bai a slightly disapproving look. This Dwarf Grandpa was so slow ordering! He was still hesitating over such delicious rainbow fried rice, and if originally, Father had already prepared one.
Mo Bai, who was about to get up and leave, was too embarrassed to stand up after receiving a disdainful look from Amy. The little girl's expression clearly showed she was annoyed that he was taking up her mealtime.
"Okay, I'll go make Yang Zhou Fried Rice for Little Amy." Mai Ge smiled and patted the little girl's head, then looked at Mo Bai and said, "Please take your time deciding, and call me when you've decided." He then turned and went into the kitchen to prepare the fried rice.
"Rainbow fried rice is really delicious! Little Amy loves it! Dwarf Grandpa, are you sure you don't want one?" Amy sat back down on the high stool behind the counter, resting her chin on her hands, looking at Mo Bai with innocent eyes.
"So...so cute!" Mo Bai felt his heart, hardened by a thousand trials, soften for a moment, almost blurting out, "Of course, I want one!"
However, remembering his earlier skepticism and annoyance, he felt it would be embarrassing to order something just because a little girl suggested it. He forcibly restrained himself, crossing his arms and saying coolly, "I'll think about it some more and decide later."'
"Okay, you'll love the taste later anyway." Amy shrugged, as if she had already seen through everything, ignoring Mo Bai and turning to look expectantly towards the kitchen.
"I'll never love Yang Zhou Fried Rice." Mo Bai huffed arrogantly. He felt looked down upon again, twice in a row by a little girl, but what could he do looking at her adorable face? He could only forgive her.
"I want to see if that Yang Zhou Fried Rice is really that delicious, or if this little girl has been corrupted by that human." Mo Bai thought to himself, no longer in a hurry to leave, and patiently waited.
Having practiced tens of thousands of times in the Chef God Trial Grounds and had already made it twice in reality, Mai Ge prepared a plate of Yang Zhou Fried Rice in less than ten minutes.
When Mai Ge brought out a plate of fried rice, he glanced at Mo Bai, who was still sitting there, with some surprise. He had assumed that this somewhat irritable customer had already left.
"It smells so good! Daddy, you're amazing!" Amy jumped down from the high stool, her eyes glued to the fried rice in Mai Ge's hands, clapping her little hands happily.
"This is Yang Zhou Fried Rice? It doesn't look anything special, does it? It looks pretty good, but there's no meat in it at all. It'll definitely be unsatisfying." Mo Bai, who had been looking forward to it, looked at the fried rice and immediately felt a little disappointed.
"Go wash your hands first, then come eat." Mai Ge said with a smile, placing the fried rice on the table opposite Mo Bai.
"Okay." Amy ran into the kitchen, washed her hands on a small stool, and then ran back to the dining table, climbed onto a chair, and first smelled the plate. Her bright blue eyes immediately became even brighter.
Just then, the aroma of fried rice wafted to Mo Bai's table. He couldn't resist taking a deep breath, his eyes widening in disbelief as he stared at the fried rice in front of Amy. "This aroma! How can it be so tempting?"
"Little Amy is starting to eat oh." Little Amy said, holding a spoon. She then scooped up a spoonful of fried rice and put it in her mouth, chewing happily. Her little face was full of joyful expression as she ate, one bite after another, swaying slightly as she ate, unable to stop.
"Gulp..." Mo Bai heard himself swallow, and immediately looked up at Mai Ge standing beside. "Boss! Give me a serving of Yang Zhou Fried Rice!"