Cooking Dinner

Cisco said, "So, should I expect a hundred-thousand-dollar meal then?"

Lin Li savored the coconut-flavored ice cream, the subtle coconut aroma melting in his mouth, an exquisite taste.

He swallowed, his breath still carrying the coconut scent, and affirmed, "Yes, expect it. Not just tonight, I've pre-ordered fresh ingredients for half the year, delivered daily by Walmart. Every evening, you can choose to savor Eastern delicacies with me."

Cisco didn't take it seriously. He wasn't particularly picky about food, finding the Big Belly Burger type satisfying enough to eat for three weeks straight without getting tired of it. Lin Li greatly admired him for this. He himself had felt he couldn't eat more than four or five after feeling completely stuffed, not just full, but genuinely unable to eat any more. What was that stuff? Dry, the bread and meat didn't match, and with salad dressing and lettuce, the texture was completely off. Because of this, he'd developed an aversion to foreign food. He felt compelled to step in. "You primitive people, my Great Chinese cuisine will make you eat until you burst with deliciousness."

Cisco drove into the STAR Labs garage. Lin Li, holding Barry in a princess carry, with a large bag hanging from his hand, sat in the elevator with Cisco. Cisco, munching on a lollipop and holding a magazine, headed for the control room lobby. Lin Li, meanwhile, carried Barry to surgery, where Caitlin was already waiting.

He laid Barry flat on the hospital bed.

"Is Barry's condition stable?"

Caitlin asked, hooking Barry up to a glucose drip to replenish his energy and setting up monitoring equipment to examine him.

Lin Li said, "No, he just overexerted himself. He needs to replenish his energy, and once his body repairs the damaged cells, he'll be fine."

Caitlin nodded, diligently monitoring Barry.

Lin Li continued, "Caitlin, are you free tonight?"

Caitlin paused, looking at Lin Li warily, and asked, "What do you want?"

"I want to treat you to dinner, to thank..."

"NO, I'm busy. Lin Li, I'm not going on a date with you. You're a good person, you can give up on that idea."

Caitlin firmly refused. She was still grieving her deceased husband and had no interest in accepting anyone else.

Receiving a "good person" card out of nowhere, Lin Li said with a wry smile, "Caitlin, listen, I'm loyal to the one I love. One day, I'll go back to see her and complete the unfinished proposal."

"Also, I'm not trying to pursue you."

"I happened to buy some ingredients today and wanted to invite you, Cisco, and Dr. Wells for a meal to thank you for your help. I'm not trying to pursue you."

"I'll emphasize again, I'm not trying to pursue you."

Lin Li gestured with the bag in his hand, implying the girl was overthinking things.

Caitlin's cheeks flushed slightly. With her fair skin, the blush was clearly visible.

"Damn it, Lin Li, can't you just say everything at once? Now get out of here and don't disturb me while I treat Barry."

Caitlin angrily kicked Lin Li out of the surgical room. She was utterly embarrassed, completely humiliated. To think he'd even emphasized it so seriously! If she could have beaten him, Caitlin would have slapped him hard, several times.

Is this a yes or a no? Do I accept or refuse?

With Lin Li's emotional intelligence, he couldn't gauge Caitlin's mood. He figured he might get hit if he went back in, so he left surgery and went to the control room lobby, where Wells happened to be.

"Dr. Wells, are you free tonight? I'm planning to make a dinner to thank you all. You absolutely must come!"

Having learned from Caitlin, Lin Li blurted it all out sincerely and earnestly.

Cisco took a bite of his lollipop and chimed in, "Doctor, you should go. This is a hundred-thousand-dollar, expensive meal. I'm looking forward to it."

Dr. Wells appeared flattered and said, "Alright... alright, I can come home after dinner."

"OK, I need to start preparing dinner. Cisco, Walmart will be delivering more items soon. Call me when they arrive. Also, remember to call Caitlin around 6 PM."

Lin Li reminded Cisco before returning to his own living quarters in the residential area.

His current residence wasn't the very small single room from before. That was just a place for researchers to sleep temporarily when they couldn't leave or go home. Now that Lin Li lived at STAR Labs permanently, that place was too small.

The house he lived in now was about 90 square meters, with three bedrooms and one living room. The overall style was metallic, simple and minimalist, with no decorations, making it appear a bit cold.

Back in his residence, Lin Li arranged all the ice cream and desserts from the large bag into the refrigerator. Then, he took out the beef, chicken, pork, and the prepared crucian carp from the bottom of the bag.

Speaking of fish, foreigners generally didn't like eating fish, or rather, they disliked eating things with bones. Lin Li found the reason quite strange: it was because they didn't like spitting out bones.

Yet, Lin Li had actually bought crucian carp at Walmart. As far as he knew, crucian carp had quite a few small bones.

Additionally, when foreigners eat chicken, pork, or beef, they prefer large chunks of meat, not meat with bones that need to be spit out. He had originally planned to make sweet and sour pork ribs, but realizing the dietary differences here, he changed his mind to sweet and sour pork tenderloin, which had meat without bones and less flour.

As for the crucian carp, that was even easier. Fry it in oil until the bones are crispy, then season with a special chili soy sauce. It would be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. When eating, dipping it slightly in the sauce would unleash an explosion of fishy fragrance and deliciousness, making it irresistible. This reminded Lin Li of all the times he and she had searched for delicious food everywhere, from big streets to small alleys. This fried fish was discovered by her in a small alley. Later, to appease his girlfriend, Lin Li ate it almost every day for months, befriending the owner bit by bit and successfully sneaking into the kitchen to learn the recipe.

Thinking of this, Lin Li's mood instantly turned somber. He chuckled bitterly and continued processing the ingredients. Almost every item he handled reminded him of her.

The chicken he bought was black chicken, which Lin Li also loved to eat, being excellent for making soup. It had nourishing yin, tonifying kidney, enriching blood, supplementing essence, benefiting liver, clearing heat, and tonifying deficiency effects, capable of regulating the body's immune function and anti-aging. Especially after her period, Lin Li would cook it, making her complexion rosy and radiant.

Before long, about half an hour later, Cisco notified Lin Li that Walmart's delivery had arrived. Barry had also woken up, and Lin Li invited him too.

"Barry, are you free to stay for dinner tonight? It's also to celebrate your victory over the formidable enemy."

"No, Lin Li, I have to rush back to let Joe know I'm safe. Tonight, I might have a talk with Joe."

Lin Li understood what was going on. He just wondered how Joe would treat Barry as The Flash after this incident.

Therefore, he said with a blessing, "Then I can only wish you good luck. Communicate well; there's no problem that can't be solved."

"Okay, thank you, Lin Li."

After speaking with Barry, Lin Li went to move his large quantity of desserts and ice creams, as well as various seasonings. Strangely, in a foreign land, another world, Lin Li had actually found Lao Gan Ma, which moved him greatly.

Lin Li was from Guangdong and ate a wide variety of foods; there was nothing he dared not eat from all over the country. However, spicy food was something he avoided. But it so happened that his sister was from Sichuan and especially loved Lao Gan Ma. Consequently, half the seasonings at home were various chili sauces. Several times during meals, Lin Li's sister would secretly tear off a piece of meat, put the chili sauce in the middle, and then close the meat up. With a look of deep affection, she would give the meat to Lin Li to eat. Facing his loving girlfriend, Lin Li would eat it in one bite, tears and snot streaming down his face in 'grateful tears.' His sister would then bang on the table, laughing heartily as she watched Lin Li's 'grateful tears.' Lin Li would always call her a wicked 'Lao Gan Ma,' and the two would playfully bicker, filling the dining table with laughter.

Every meal was a joyous occasion, filled with excitement and laughter.

Lin Li looked at the Lao Gan Ma, his eyes welling up slightly as he recalled all the funny past events.