Mai Ge had initially wanted to say something to uphold his dignity as the restaurant owner, but suddenly realized he didn't need to say anything. The expressions on everyone's faces said it all; their fear, even dread, of the fireball in Amy's palm was greater than he'd imagined.
And Amy's sudden protective gesture and the words she'd spoken warmed his heart; she was truly a considerate daughter.
"Ha Beng, if you still consider me a friend, please sit down and don't cause trouble in Boss Mai's restaurant." Mo Bai said to Ha Beng somewhat seriously. If this reckless fellow caused him to miss out on Yang Zhou Fried Rice in the future, it would be a huge loss.
"Gurgle gurgle..." Ha Ga, standing beside Ha Beng, tugged at his clothes and spoke a string of words in Orcish language, seemingly trying to persuade him to stop causing trouble.
Ha Beng looked at Mai Ge, then at the fireball in Amy's hand, his expression slightly embarrassed. The fireball in Amy's hand did indeed make him somewhat wary.
Of course, he was even more wary of Mai Ge behind Amy. If this half-elf girl could unleash such a powerful fireball spell, Mai Ge's strength must be even more terrifying, right?
However, being so frightened by a little girl that he shrank back into his seat would make him a laughingstock among the other tribes if word got out. So now he was in an extremely awkward situation, unsure whether to stand or sit.
Mai Ge, seeing Ha Beng's emotions so readily apparent, almost chuckled inwardly. He hadn't expected to be mistaken for a master.
On second thought, he realized it wasn't so bad. Being able to intimidate a customer like this hot-tempered orc would effectively maintain order in the restaurant. His expression calmed, and he patted Amy's head, smiling slightly. "Little Amy, the customer meant no harm. Put the fire away."
"Okay." Amy obediently clenched her little fist, extinguishing the fireball in her hand, though she still glared at Ha Beng with some hostility.
Ha Beng breathed a sigh of relief, glancing at Mai Ge. He found him unfathomable, and thankfully, this human had some sense. Could he really attack a customer while running a restaurant? With his status, many in this Chaos City would give him face. He was about to unleash some harsh words to regain his composure.
Before Ha Beng could speak, Mai Ge looked at him and said, "This guest, loud noise is strictly prohibited in this restaurant so as not to affect other guests' dining. At the same time, all provocative and fighting behaviors are strictly prohibited. Otherwise, you will be blacklisted by the restaurant and will never be served."
"What?" Ha Beng's eyes widened instantly. This was the first time he'd ever heard someone tell him not to be loud in a restaurant. Was this deliberately making things difficult for him? His temper flared, and he was about to explode in anger.
"Daddy said: Loud noises are strictly prohibited in the restaurant! Shouting like this is wrong. If you don't listen, I'll burn you!" Amy said seriously, stretching out her little hand as if preparing to unleash a fireball.
Ha Beng instinctively wanted to move away, but his pride as an orc warrior held him back. A surge of anger rose within him, but he couldn't bring himself to lash out at a little girl, especially given her terrifying fireball spell. Though he was furious, he had no choice but to suppress it.
"Gurgle…" Ha Ga pulled Ha Beng's arm and uttered a string of orcish words, then helped him back to his seat. Turning back to Mai Ge, he smiled apologetically and said in broken Common language, "Sorry… my… younger brother… has a… bad… temper…"
"It's alright. There's a menu on the table. Please look at it before ordering. Let me know when you've chosen." Mai Ge smiled and nodded. This orc seemed rather honest, and he wasn't actually that angry. What orc wouldn't have a temper? But in his restaurant, he naturally had to follow his rules.
After saying that, Mai Ge nodded to Mo Bai and Kang Di, then turned and went into the kitchen to start making fried rice for Kang Di.
"You'll see how formidable Daddy is in a moment." Amy glared at Ha Beng, feeling a bit bored, and went back to look at the egg behind the counter.
"Boss Mo, what exactly does this restaurant sell that dares to make so many demands on its customers?" Ha Beng said, somewhat annoyed, though his voice unconsciously lowered.
"See for yourself." Seeing that Mai Ge wasn't angry, Mo Bai's mood improved considerably, and he smiled as he pushed the menu in front of Ha Beng.
These two were his regular customers. As the sons of one of the few orc tribe chiefs guarding a gold mine, many of their tribe's orc warriors had their weapons forged here—a thousand gold coins per weapon, a considerable sum.
Moreover, because they frequently came to Chaos City to purchase various goods, they had become old acquaintances, often going out to eat together. These two had a taste for food no less than his, and their appetites were much larger.
"Stop making me curious, let me see." Ha Beng grabbed the menu, opened it, and thought he'd misread it. He flipped back to the cover, looked at it for a while, then flipped it back again, pointing to the small print in the upper left corner. He looked at Mo Bai with a bewildered expression and said, "Boss Mo, are you kidding me? There's only one dish on this menu? Does this restaurant only sell one dish? What the hell is Yang Zhou Fried Rice? It costs 600 copper coins a serving!"
"Of course it's good stuff." Mo Bai said with a smile, looking at the two of them. "Don't blame me for not warning you, this is the best thing I've ever eaten in my life."
First ignored by a clueless knight, then frightened by a little girl, and then warned by a human chef not to speak loudly, Ha Beng was already in a bad mood.
Now, seeing the menu, Ha Beng was even more convinced that Mo Bai had deliberately brought him and his brother to this restaurant to rip them off. After all these years of having so many weapons forged by him, he never expected Mo Bai to be this kind of person.
It seemed that after all the weapons were handed over, they should find a more honest blacksmith. 600 copper coins at the Freyr Tavern would be enough for the three of them to eat a large plate of roast beef and a large jug of alcohol. He immediately shook his head and said, "This looks like there's no meat at all. I don't want to eat it."
"Boss .... Mai, it's delicious, I... want one." Ha Ga, sitting beside, spoke to Mai Ge in broken Common language.
"Okay, please wait a moment." Mai Ge replied, turning around.
Although Ha Beng's voice was much softer than before, Mai Ge still heard it and a slight smile appeared on his lips. Mo Bai had said the same thing: now that they were seated, there was nothing that a plate of Yang Zhou Fried Rice couldn't solve.
If there was, then two plates would do.