Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs

Today is a lucky day for Ms. Bai Ziqing.

Today is also a lucky day for Jason Megan.

Both of them believed that their long-planned scheme and their single-minded prayers had finally received a divine response today.

"It's Thursday! Little girl! Do you know what that means?" Jason pulled his young waitress into the kitchen, his face beaming with excitement.

Waiter: "Yes! Yes! I know!"

Jason was overjoyed, unable to contain himself. "Then tell me, what does this mean? My heart is pounding in my chest!"

The waiter pulled out his phone. "KFC! Crazy Thursday!"

Jason nodded repeatedly.

"YES! YES! YES!"

Their expressions became distorted under the bright red light of the phone.

The waiter rubbed his hands, mimicking Jason's sly expression. "Customer traffic will decrease! Most customers will go to KFC!"

Jason hunched over, looking like the giant monster Krampus wearing a tall hat at Christmas, revealing his white teeth and grinning like a crooked-mouthed god of war.

"Hehehehe. Jiang Xueming will be eating at my shop, with his waiter."

They had waited for this day for far too long.

--It's been almost two months.

What does nearly two months mean?

It was forty-seven days, setting aside the unbearable time spent in quarantine.

Jason has already made over four thousand pancakes, fried 1,800 steaks, and grilled over eight hundred whole chicken wings.

To this day, he believes it was all worth it.

The waiter mimicked Jason's sinister grin, as if he could hear the victim's cries of despair.

Hehehehe!

Jason suddenly stopped laughing, his expression instantly returning to normal. "What are you laughing at?"

The waiter stopped laughing, "I... I'll just learn."

Jason: "It's stupid, you know?"

Waiter: "Then why are you smiling like that, sir? Isn't it... kind of silly? I think so too."

Jason: "I've seen a lot of movies, and bad guys always smile like this before they do something bad!"

Waiter: "Oh, shouldn't there be a few little rascals around the big bad guy to liven things up? I should be fine with that, right?"

Jason frowned, put his arm around the waiter's shoulder, and said, "No! There's a big problem."

The waiter tensed up. "What's the problem?"

In the cramped kitchen, the two squatted under the counter, turning the range hood on the highest setting to avoid being overheard.

Jason Megan said with absolute certainty.

"Your laughter just now was extremely grating; it lacked that soul-piercing cunning and ruthlessness."

Waiter: "What does that matter?"

Jason nodded. "It's related, very related. You're not a good actor. I practiced with movies for a very long time before I grasped a little bit of the essence. You must not try to learn randomly in the future—you'll easily give yourself away."

Waiter: "Understood, employer."

Jason first gave a standard sneer.

"You need to laugh like that [hehehehe!~], come and learn how."

Waiter: "Hee"

"No, no, absolutely no, no, no, no! That's not right! That's not right!" Jason was furious. He felt incredibly clumsy as a waiter; how could he not even know this basic skill?

He began to miss his old friend again, if it were that waitress. If it were her—she could definitely imitate her perfectly, and Jiang Xueming would not have noticed the slightest flaw.

The waiter could no longer smile; he just kept nodding, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I can't do it well, I really can't do it well, please give me some time, okay?"

"No time left! It's over!" Jason roared, veins bulging on his neck. "Me alone? How am I supposed to handle both of them? It's going to be tough!"

"I'm sorry," the waiter said, covering his eyes, forgetting that he had just finished pounding pepper, and immediately bursting into tears from the pain. "I'm useless. Employer, I'm useless."

"No, no, no, no! No, no, no!" Jason quickly grabbed a clean cotton swab and gently wiped away the tears, carefully tidying the little waiter's red and swollen eyes. "Don't cry. Don't cry, don't cry! I won't say it anymore, I won't say it anymore!"

The waiter didn't feel any better after hearing this, and felt increasingly powerless and incompetent.

Mr. Jason slapped flour all over his face and made a clown face with ketchup.

"Yo-hoo! Look who's here! It's your Uncle Joooooooooker! What story do you want to hear today, little ones?"

"Waaah!" The little waiter hugged Jason's belly, wiping his tears onto his apron. "Thank you, thank you!"

Megan finally managed to tidy up her face and became serious and earnest.

"How should we kill them? And if we can't kill them? How should we subdue them? My little waiter, do you have any brilliant ideas?"

The waiter wiped away his tears, his nose still red, his eyes filled with determination. "Employer, I can't go out. All the waiters' photos are posted in the station's internal group chat. The waiters have all met each other at least once. If that woman next to Jiang Xueming, that 9527, sees me, she'll probably recognize me."

"Oh, so I'm going to have to fight alone again?" Jason looked dejected. "You're right, warriors are always alone. But I'm not afraid."

"Boss! Please order!" 9527 held up the menu.

Jiang Xueming remained silent, only glancing at the clock in the shop. It was almost eight o'clock, which made him feel extremely anxious.

Jason immediately put on a business-like expression, grinning as he rushed out, "Coming!"

As soon as he stepped outside, he saw the small table in front of him.

Jiang Xueming's expression was gloomy, as if he were a serial killer, holding a glass of water and drinking it by himself—the way he held the water was like he was appreciating a fine wine. Occasionally, he would glance over, and there was a hidden, unspeakable anger in his eyes, as if he was about to go into the kitchen to grab a knife and cut off someone's head at any moment.

The Inspiration Pressure felt like knives, trying to slice Jason apart.

If the last time we made eye contact at the airport was just a fleeting glimpse during a quick visit, then...

Now that their eyes met— Jason could even sense a chilling killing intent in the other's impatient gaze, as if he were constantly urging, pressuring, and urging him on.

Jason's extraordinary Inspiration made his legs go weak, and then he saw the woman across the table.

That must be Jiang Xueming's waiter.

--Her hand gripped the menu like a chicken by the neck; though she was smiling, the predatory look in her eyes was unmistakable.

Jason could sense it--

Even if I do something wrong at the dinner table and ruin this woman's mood, I won't have a good outcome.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. As an apology, I'll go prepare some appetizers for you. Please take a look at the menu; I'll be right back. They're free, consider it a complimentary dish."

Jason's voice trembled violently, and he immediately retreated into the kitchen.

The waiter peeked furtively out the door frame and bumped into Mr. Jason, who was running back looking utterly dejected.

She casually remarked, "Sir, you are very brave!"

"Girl, you're really shameless," Jason gritted his teeth, beginning to hate his own keen Inspiration —it was like an allergic reaction, like a disease, that made him want to run away and hide whenever he encountered a mentally strong passenger.

Waiter: "What should we do? What should we do?"

Jason said nervously, "I've thought of countless ways to commit this crime in my head: with a knife, a gun, fire, a hammer, an accidental car crash! But now, it seems we can only use poison."

"Well said, sir!" The waiter clapped his hands and whispered to Jason, "Did you prepare poison?"

Jason remained silent, frozen in place.

The waiter then asked, "Have you prepared poison?"

Jason remained silent.

Waiter: "You're ready, right?"

Jason finally answered, "Yes, I've prepared poison, but I don't know which kind is most suitable."

"Are there any arsenic compounds? They could definitely poison you!" The waiter's facial muscles began to twitch, and he became fierce.

Jason shook his head. "Our food is so delicious, if that stuff was added, everyone would know it was poisoned."

"And cyanide?" the waiter asked again.

Jason still shook his head. "Even Detective Conan said it has a bitter almond flavor that's hard to get rid of. If we use spices like chili, ginger, scallions, and garlic, they'll definitely get suspicious. No appetizer would taste this strong."

The waiter scratched his head. "How about making a sweet and sour pork ribs appetizer? Cover it with tomato sauce, caramelized sugar, and fragrant pork fat!"

"Great idea!" Jason smiled. "You're a genius! Who doesn't like something sweet and sour?"

"How much should I add?" The waiter hurriedly began fiddling with the large and small bags deep inside the display case; the poison and ingredients were kept separate and hidden very well.

"Just enough to knock them unconscious. One hundred milligrams is the lethal dose. I've already measured out the amount with measuring tools. Get me a small bottle," Jason instructed.

The waiter tossed down a labeled bottle of solvent. "Very well! My wise and mighty employer!"

8 o'clock sharp --

Jiang Xueming's expression grew increasingly grim.

It seems I won't be able to fulfill my promise to Brother Qi.

Although there weren't many customers, the owner seemed very busy—he even prepared appetizers, though it's unclear whether they suited Xiao Qi's taste.

He noticed that Xiao Qi also looked angry; it seemed this date had been a terrible experience.

"Bai Qingqing, I'm sorry. How about we go to another place?"

"No! This is it!" 9527 pouted and frowned, as if she was getting angry. "I'm going to finish this meal, and then write an 800-word negative review for him across all platforms, in both Chinese and English. Even if this guy gives me a red envelope for the meal, I won't take back the negative review."

This kind of dinner invitation, which feels like a terrorist attack, is truly terrifying.

Xue Ming stood up. "How about I go help out in the kitchen?"

He was pulled down to sit by Seventh Brother.

Xiao Qi said slowly and deliberately, "No, you're a guest today, not a waiter. What kind of behavior is it to go out to eat and then wander into someone's kitchen? It's embarrassing for me."

Judging from Xiao Qi's tone of "you're my wife," Jiang Xueming was truly at a loss.

"Okay. Alright. Then let's wait a little longer."

"Employer! Employer! My dear sir!" The waiter grew increasingly frightened, biting his nails. "They seem very angry! Should I go and appease them?"

Jason was busy at the kitchen counter, blanching the pork ribs for initial processing while also caramelizing the sugar, so he couldn't concentrate at all.

"That woman recognized you, didn't she?"

"Let's try our luck! There's no other way! They're leaving!" The waitress closed her eyes, smeared flour on her face, and barely managed to create a clown makeup with ketchup. She took off her apron, revealing a floral dress underneath.

"Then I'll leave it to you, my partner!" Jason's eyes burned with a fire, not just the fire of the kitchen counter, but also the fire of trust. "Fortune favors the brave! Go!"

"Hmm!" The waiter pursed his lips, took out two boxes of dessert pudding from the freezer, found the birthday candles reserved for special guests during the festival, and rushed out as if dealing with a raging flood.

Jiang Xueming and Xiao Qi had already marked the dishes on the menu with pencils, waiting for the waiter to come and take away this "cursed letter" full of resentment.

Xiao Qi specifically instructed, "I pressed the car key and let A Xing out so he could join us and try this popular restaurant's signature dish—of course, I'm not some malicious troublemaker; after eating there, I'll definitely give it a bad review for the service. You guys do the same, you have to come with me."

"Excuse me!" The waiter respectfully placed two boxes of pudding in front of the couple, then lit candles, adding a touch of romance to the simple roadside stall's tables and chairs, "We've kept you waiting!"

Jiang Xueming whispered to Seventh Brother, "Look at her, she's the cashier I was talking about. Does she look familiar? Could she be the hunter?"

"I've been a good person for years! Can you please stop asking me these kinds of questions? I..." Seventh Sister suddenly froze, her expression changing. When she saw the waiter, he did look familiar, and she immediately called out to the flustered waiter, "Come here."

The waiter had no choice but to obey, afraid of giving himself away.

At the same time, she felt a huge shock inside—this is bad, this is bad, this is bad! Employer, I'm going to be exposed, I'm going to be recognized!

Seventh Brother stared intently at the little waiter's face for a long time, then reached out and playfully pinched the little waiter's chubby cheeks.

"I haven't actually seen her before, I don't really remember her. But she looks familiar, you know? This little girl is pretty! So fresh and lovely! Pretty girls are all the same! Hehe, ugly girls are all unique!"

The waiter was almost crying with joy, and one could almost hear the roar of excitement in his heart—"Employer, you were right! Lady Luck favors the brave!"

She took the marked menu from the table and was about to leave.

Jiang Xueming immediately called out, "Wait a minute."

"Is there anything else? Would you like to order more food, Mr. Jiang?" The waiter asked nervously, and as soon as he uttered the name his employer had longed for a thousand times over, he immediately felt a chill run down his spine.

"How did she know your surname is Jiang?" Xiao Qi leaned against Xue Ming's shoulder, her lips close to Xue Ming's ear. "Explain it to me."

Jiang Xueming: "I called ahead to reserve a table, and she asked me my surname, right?"

The waiter immediately gesticulated excitedly. "Yes! Yes! I remember your voice, and you said you were a man and a woman, two guests? Right? I'll definitely remember! Look! We've specially prepared candles and desserts for you! May lovers be united in marriage!"

"Hehe." Xiao Qi became cheerful and immediately stopped being angry. "You have a sweet tongue. That's good! I'll give you a tip later!"

The waiter nodded vigorously and walked back.

"Wait a minute," Jiang Xueming called out again, "I have a question for you."

The waiter's expression tightened. "What is it? What is it?"

"Have I been discovered? This guy... this man gives me a really dangerous feeling; his eyes are like gun barrels. Mr. Megan was right! Jiang Xueming is a formidable opponent worth challenging. If we can defeat him, the employer will definitely be able to overcome his inner shadow!"

Thinking of this, the young waiter was no longer afraid.

Jiang Xueming gave the chestnut-haired waiter repeated instructions, being very meticulous.

"Is this how you always take orders? Remember to double-check the items on the menu. Don't be so nervous when talking to customers; they don't like you being overly anxious. They prefer a relaxed and natural demeanor—especially the first point. If you check the wrong item and the customer doesn't acknowledge it, you'll be in a difficult situation. Don't be so reckless next time. I used to work in the food service industry, and I hope this helps."

"Oh, okay." The waiter nodded blankly and recited the names of the dishes.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xueming ordered another dish, because A Xing would also be coming, and he wanted the little girl to remember it too.

The young waiter immediately put his newfound skills to use, his acting improving by leaps and bounds. "No problem! I've worked here for a long time and know the portion size for a three-person meal. We'll serve you a sweet and sour pork ribs appetizer! It's delicious, just a bit sweet and filling, so you don't need to order anything else—please don't mind! Wishing you both a sweet and loving relationship!"

Seventh Brother chuckled, "Hey, you're quite the smooth talker."

Even after the lovely clown girl left, Jiang Xueming still wore a solemn expression.

Seventh Brother asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Are you still unhappy?"

Jiang Xueming frankly admitted, "Running a restaurant in Hong Kong is really tough. I feel sorry for the employees at this restaurant; I used to be in the same boat."

Seventh Brother waved his hand and said, "Then I'll give you a bigger tip later!"

"It's no use. People have given me tips before, mostly women. These aunties are kind-hearted," Jiang Xueming explained. "If it's seen on the security camera, the boss will come and ask for it in person. If I lie and try to deny it, I'll be fired."

"Oh, is that so? Damn it." Xiao Qi gritted her teeth, then a clever idea struck her. "I used to steal things, I know exactly how to sneak past security cameras and return the items!"

"Is it possible? Please, I hope I can help in any way I can. Even just buying that waitress an extra set of uniform would be helpful." Jiang Xueming pulled out two train tickets from his pocket, which he had just withdrawn from the bank. The tickets indicated that the destination was Mimir Hot Spring Market. It seemed that the BOSS had already made arrangements.

Jiang Xueming's eyes were filled with tenderness. "I hope she can receive help from the station, just like I have."

The lid was lifted, and a wonderful aroma filled the air.

The flesh and bones bounced and sizzled.

The bright red sauce, with a hint of tomato and bay leaf, makes this Thai-style sweet and sour pork ribs irresistible to Chinese guests. They won't tolerate any criticism, just like a child seeing Ultraman on their way home from school—they have no reason to refuse this appetizer.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!" Jason urged. "To ensure there's no unpleasant smell of poison, I used a very small dose. Judging by their height and build, it should be just enough to knock them out, right? It's sure to work, isn't it? This is my best effort. Once they take the first bite, I guarantee they won't be able to stop. By the time they finish, they'll be completely passed out!"

"Okay, okay, okay. I'll send it over right away!" The waiter took the tray, taking deep breaths to calm himself down, trying to become a professional actor.

She gripped the scalding hot plate tightly, holding the dish as if it were a sacred object in a sacrificial ceremony, afraid of dropping it and spilling it. Every step she took was steady and natural.

When returning to the dining table--

She placed the dishes on the table.

The waiter smiled and waved, "Please enjoy your meal!"

Xue Ming said sincerely, "Thank you."

Without making a sound, Seventh Brother slipped the train ticket into the girl's skirt pocket.

Then, the girl remained motionless, as if waiting for something—as if hoping that the two of them would put the sweet and sour pork ribs into their mouths.

That feeling was wonderful.

Jiang Xueming could see the fervent emotion in those expectant and hopeful eyes.

He had seen it before at the Dead Puppet Agency; it was the chefs' enthusiasm after preparing the dishes, hoping that the guests would devour them completely.

But Jiang Xueming pointed to the soup base on the plate, which was bubbling and oozing with oil.

"It's too hot, I'm sorry. You don't have to stand here. You can go and urge the chef to make a few more dishes, okay? Or you can go and rest for a while; there aren't many customers right now."

The waiter quietly took a few steps back, nodded stiffly, but couldn't help craning his neck to look in this direction. "Hmm."

Xiao Qi was about to pick up her chopsticks.

At that very moment--

--Ah A Xing sprinted to the dining table in a hundred-meter dash, without even saying hello.

Like a ruthless killer, he swept away the cold pudding and piping hot ribs on the table, killing them all.

"Huff huff huff! Huff huff huff huff." A Xing's breath steamed as he took a bite of a rib and then a spoonful of pudding, his nimble tongue able to balance the hot and cold sensations.

"Hah—" The waiter gasped, watching helplessly as pieces of crisp, tender meat were poured into the tall man's mouth. "No, no, no! No way! You can't!"

Jiang Xueming raised his hand to stop them, saying, "It's alright, this is our friend. He's probably just starving."

"No... it's me." The waiter tried to explain, but it was too late.

Bu Liuxing first licked the pudding's plastic container clean, then the plate, leaving nothing behind. He casually found a chair and sat down. "Ming Ge, sorry! I'm so hungry, you know? Dating two sisters at the same time is really tiring. We have to play cards too, it's driving me crazy! I have to think about how to make them both happy, without favoring one over the other. My brain's energy consumption suddenly skyrockets, and I'm craving sweets! You've said that high-quality glucose is the best nutrient for the brain, right?"

Jiang Xueming glanced at Xiao Qi.

Xiao Qi wasn't angry at all; she just found it amusing and loved listening to gossip.

Finally, Xue Ming spoke up, "Yes, you like this dish, so please give it a good review. But don't eat it like this in the future. Eating it so quickly, going from hot to cold, can easily cause hives and breakouts of red sores all over your body."

Before he could finish speaking...

Bu Liuxing collapsed to the ground, unconscious, foaming at the mouth and with his eyes rolled back.

Xiao Qi tensed up. "What's going on?!"

Jiang Xueming kept slapping A Xing's face. Seeing the sores slowly creeping up A Xing's neck, he suddenly ripped open the pink shirt. Many bright red spots and ulcers had already grown on A Xing's chest!

Xiao Qi: "Is this an allergic reaction?"

Jiang Xueming: "I wonder if it's the Vita Imprint?"

Xiao Qi: "It can't be that severe, can it? It's a chronic condition."

Jiang Xueming: "A Xing's Madness Index is already very high. His attacks will be quick and intense, right?"

Xiao Qi: "I've never heard of this kind of case before?"

Jiang Xueming: "I saw the Madness Butterfly when I was doing VIP screening before. Could it have been infected with A Xing?"

Xiao Qi: "I don't know, it's possible!"

Jiang Xueming pressed down on A Xing's chest with one hand, feeling his heart beating extremely fast. He then cleared the white foam from A Xing's mouth and nose, confirming that he was unable to breathe and was about to suffocate and go into shock. If he was not treated soon, his life would be in danger.

The young waiter understood perfectly – those weren't the red welts from Vita Imprint, but rather a skin irritation reaction following cyanide poisoning.

Xue Ming covered A Xing's neck with one hand and suddenly injected a Universal Elixir shot of the panacea.

A Xing's eyes gradually regained their sparkle and became lively again.

"Wow!" Meteor jumped up, "It's so delicious I could faint!"

Once all the dishes were served, Xiao Qi used her two sticks to test each dish for poison, but couldn't find anything wrong. The plate of sweet and sour pork ribs was licked clean by Liu Xing.

Xue Ming and realized that the spices in the appetizers were indeed too strong. Perhaps A Xing couldn't handle this kind of Thailand, and the combination of hot and cold stimuli caused such a strong allergic reaction.

The three of them left to pick up their car along the riverside road.

The waiter returned to Jason's side, looking dejected.

"Employer, it seems we've failed again."

Jason Megan didn't give up; he remained patient and never stopped scheming. He took the ticket from the waitress's skirt and read out the next destination.

"It's a station near Reykjavik's Huge Mountain Station in Iceland. Let's go there and wait for them!"

The waiter perked up. "Okay!"

The two closed their stall and packed up, chatting idly.

"Mr. Jason, thank goodness you were quick-witted and knew how to be patient, and didn't poison the later dishes. If that terrifying waitress had detected it with a stick, it would have been terrible!"

"It's not that I'm clever."

"Huh? Why is that?"

"I saw that young man eating my food, he was so happy, I was so focused on continuing to cook that I forgot about poisoning him."

"Employer, are you serious?"

"It's true, I couldn't resist the feeling of them writing a 6,800-word review while eating."

"Really? I want to see too! The other customers are all merciless review machines, but if there are such dedicated diners, and three of them come at once, I can't refuse either!"