Opening a Restaurant in Honkai

As Zhao Bai woke, the sky was just beginning to lighten, with the moon and sun hanging in the sky simultaneously.

Although he had only slept for five hours, Zhao Bai mixed mint juice and salted lemon to make a drink, which he downed. He immediately felt refreshed, without a trace of fatigue.

The Chiyou Cannon spat out transparent ice cubes. Zhao Bai casually took two and placed them on his forehead, taking a deep breath. He peeked over, and saw Theresa lying on her bed, fast asleep with her door slightly ajar.

Her clean and tidy nun uniform hung by her bed, without a single wrinkle. Any time a subordinate passed by, Theresa would put on the uniform at sonic speed, transforming from a shut-in into a solemn nun adhering to etiquette, no process required.

It was like a turtle retracting its head; it was a kind of stress response, entirely instinctive.

Not daring to wake the sleeping Theresa, Zhao Bai moved stealthily, quietly closing the door.

Zhao Bai muttered to himself, "Even though I knew it for a long time, I still can't quite believe that such a frail body can be the Director of St. Freya Academy."

Moreover, her age was completely different from her body.

He couldn't say the last half of the sentence aloud. Theresa possessed the insight of a Honkai Beast; if he said something bad about her from half a mile away, she would surely know, and retaliation would follow. She might drag him into playing games with her non-stop.

Lack of sleep severely impacted a chef's taste buds. If it weren't to save people, he wouldn't stay up late.

The motorcycle roamed the campus. Zhao Bai deliberately chose a secluded path, leaping over fountains and flower beds. Facing the rising sun, he landed on the cafeteria's curved dome.

This was Zhao Bai's kingdom.

The cafeteria was huge, and his shop was in an inconspicuous corner. Originally, in St. Freya's kitchens, there were retired battlefield chefs from Russia everywhere, cooking with arctic richness, adding butter and oil to the pot as if they were free.

The only ones who seemed to enjoy that taste were Russian mercenaries. When Zhao Bai's slightly lighter-tasting Asian restaurant opened, the cafeteria's business was immediately hit hard.

"Zhao's Restaurant."

Zhao Bai's shop name was very simple, followed by a line of engraved, jet-black small characters, which were quite arrogant: "There's nothing you can't imagine that I, Old Zhao, can't do."

The restaurant was constructed from a lot of solid wood, and the air carried a faint scent of pine, permeated by the aroma of cooking, which was very pleasant. Several wooden tables were arranged neatly, with an elegant layout.

But the kitchen was a large iron alloy door, completely out of place with the restaurant's elegance, as if it held some unspeakable secret.

Recently, a strange rumor had been circulating at St. Freya Academy, saying there were three unknowable places in the academy: the Director Theresa's office, the history teacher Walter Yang's dormitory, and Mr. Zhao's back kitchen.

These rumors, which came from who knows where, had nothing to do with Zhao Bai. He just didn't want anyone to see the process of him cooking.

Zhao Bai was merely considering the customers' feelings.

After all, not everyone could accept that their fried chicken was made with a high-energy laser beam.

Zhao Bai tidied the signboard, put on his apron, and donned his chef's hat, getting ready. He finally entered his work mode.

The first customer arrived.

Ding-a-ling, the pleasant sound of a wind chime. The person who pushed open the door was a familiar figure: the gray-haired girl with glasses tied in a ponytail, Squad Leader Fu Hua, who had a good relationship with Zhao Bai.

Zhao Bai's restaurant was the only place Fu Hua hadn't worked part-time. The reason was simple: the secrets of the back kitchen couldn't be revealed, and Zhao Bai didn't want to pay an extra person's wages.

Fu Hua was ready to go, seemingly just off work from a casino, but her eyes showed no fatigue. Fu Hua extended her finger and specifically requested a refreshing breakfast.

"Have a cup of mint tea," Zhao Bai said, holding the menu. "Oversaturated fats and carbohydrates cause drowsiness. It's best to have some fruit salad too."

"Then please bring some fruit salad."