A Song of Ice and Fire

Two days later,

Noodles received another call. "Is everything ready?"

"It's ready."

"Give me the address. I'm coming over now."

An hour later, the two met in a somewhat rundown two-story building in Brooklyn. Jiang Hao looked around and asked, "Was this place a Chinese restaurant before?"

"Yes," Noodles replied.

After locking the iron door, the two went into the back kitchen. Jiang Hao inspected the prepared items, nodded in satisfaction, and said to Noodles, "I'm going to teach you the Ice and Fire Techniques. They'll be enough for you to dominate all of New York and even expand your business across the United States."

"Next, I'll teach you the 'Fire' technique. Watch carefully!"

Hearing that, Noodles became incomparably serious.

Jiang Hao carefully took a bag of white powder from one pocket and poured it into a stainless-steel container.

He added several animal eggs, poured in water, and began stirring earnestly. Although Noodles had no idea why Jiang Hao was doing this, he watched every movement with extreme focus and memorized them carefully.

He realized that Jiang Hao's movements were incredibly practiced. He was clearly an expert at this.

Slap, slap, slap!

A lump of soft white stuff was finally formed. Jiang Hao placed it in the stainless-steel container, glanced at Noodles, and said solemnly, "This is called 'proofing.' It takes about ten minutes."

Noodles nodded quickly.

About ten minutes later, Jiang Hao moved again. He carried the lump of soft white material to a machine Noodles had prepared, then viciously shoved it inside. The machine roared, its motor spinning wildly. Before long, strips of wide, bubbly material sprayed out from below.

Swish, swish, swish, swish!

Jiang Hao suddenly drew a gleaming kitchen knife from beside him and repeatedly slashed at the wide strips. Amid flashes of steel and snowy