Li Li was merely the pot calling the kettle black.
She had wolfed down her egg fried rice every bit as fast as Du Huan.
The same scene played out in the other ten guest rooms at the Fortunate Inn.
Every single guest who had tasted the egg fried rice had fallen under its irresistible spell.
Li Li and Du Huan hit it off immediately on this idea and headed downstairs to find Lin Xiaomeng at the front desk.
"Xiaomeng! Do you have any egg fried rice left? Huanhuan and I would each like another serving."
"Yes, yes! This new egg fried rice of yours is so delicious. One serving wasn't enough."
Li Li and Du Huan stopped at the front desk and looked eagerly at Lin Xiaomeng, like little sparrows waiting to be fed.
"Yes, we do!"
Lin Xiaomeng had only just returned to the front desk after handing out the egg fried rice, and customers were already coming to her. Delight spread across her face.
This was a good sign. The egg fried rice venture was off to a strong start, bringing her another small step closer to President Lin.
"But..."
Lin Xiaomeng looked at Li Li and Du Huan and explained:
"Li Li, Huanhuan, our egg fried rice costs a little more than ordinary egg fried rice."
"It deserves to cost more. That's completely understandable. After all, I've never had egg fried rice this delicious before!"
"How much more, exactly?"
Li Li and Du Huan were both fairly comfortable financially, each earning over 30,000 yuan a month, and they were happy to spend money on good food.
Under their curious gazes, Lin Xiaomeng set a small acrylic blackboard she had just written on atop the front desk.
A line written in colored fluorescent marker read: Soul-Stirring Egg Fried Rice available here.
Below it was the price: 29.9 yuan per serving.
After seeing the price, Li Li and Du Huan said in unison, "We'll take two servings!"
A price of 29.9 yuan was nothing to either of them.
Li Li had even thought it might cost 99 yuan a serving. That would have been a little pricey, but still affordable.
Higher prices inside tourist attractions were practically a universally accepted fact.
Some attractions charged five or eight yuan for a cup of hot water, or eight to ten yuan for an ear of corn.
Even a bowl of rice noodles or regular noodles at some little eatery inside an attraction would cost ten or twenty yuan.
Only 29.9 yuan for egg fried rice this delicious? That was an absolute bargain!
[Ding! 60 yuan received via VChat!]
In the kitchen, Lin Zhe had been debating whether to use a Cleansing Talisman on the place when a payment suddenly came in. Then his phone rang.
"Hey, Xiaomeng."
"Two servings? Sure, just a moment..."
"Another two? Okay, okay, I'll start boxing them up."
"One more? How many altogether? Five, right? Got it."
Keeping the call connected, Lin Zhe picked up a spatula and began scooping the egg fried rice he had prepared earlier from a huge stainless steel tray into takeout containers.
The stainless steel tray holding the cooked egg fried rice was eighty centimeters long, fifty centimeters wide, and five centimeters deep. It looked like a tabletop and could hold a massive amount.
Over the course of one phone call, Lin Xiaomeng had sold five servings of egg fried rice, and Lin Zhe had received 150 yuan.
Getting paid for every serving he sold felt so much better than working his fingers to the bone for a month and then relying on his boss's mood to get his wages!
After packing five containers of egg fried rice, Lin Zhe took them to the front desk, where four guests were already waiting.
"Sorry for the wait, everyone. Your egg fried rice is here."
Lin Zhe smiled and greeted them as he came in.
"You're finally here, boss! This egg fried rice is so good."
"Yes! It really deserves to be called the best egg fried rice in the world!"
"Thanks for your hard work, boss. One for me, please."
None of the waiting customers complained that Lin Zhe had been slow. They greeted him with smiles and collected their orders.
"Haha, I knew there'd be plenty of people ordering at the front desk. See? I called it!"
"Well, obviously! Who could possibly be satisfied with just one serving of egg fried rice that good?"
Just as Lin Zhe finished handing out the egg fried rice, a couple who looked to be in their fifties came downstairs.
"You're here too, young boss. You still have egg fried rice, right? We'll take two servings as well."
"Of course. Please wait a moment, and I'll get your food from the kitchen."
"Don't go yet, boss! Me too, me too! Bring me three servings, please!"
Lin Zhe had barely turned and taken a few steps when someone called out behind him.
A fair-skinned, chubby young man in vaguely hip-hop clothing and a backward baseball cap came thundering down the stairs.
Lin Zhe remembered him; he had checked the guy in himself.
He remembered that the guy had come alone. Ordering three servings of egg fried rice for himself-now that was an appetite.
"Sure thing, handsome. Give me a moment to get your food from the kitchen. You can pay at the front desk."
Lin Zhe pointed at the small acrylic blackboard on the front desk. The price written on it was clearly visible; everything was openly priced.
"Sure, sure."
The chubby young man showed no particular surprise at the price of the egg fried rice. He promptly took out his phone and scanned the code to pay.
The husband from the older couple also took out his phone and paid first, then went to sit quietly on the sofa in the nearby lounge area.
In just a short while, another five servings of egg fried rice had sold, bringing in another 150 yuan.
That evening's egg fried rice debut was a victory. Its popularity far exceeded both Lin Zhe's and Lin Xiaomeng's expectations. Their trial run had been a success!
From now on, they could officially add egg fried rice to the Fortunate Inn's offerings.
Back when his mother, Han Li, ran the Good Fortune Canteen, she had obtained a hygiene permit and completed all the necessary paperwork.
The Good Fortune Canteen could simply open for business. It was entirely legal and compliant, with nothing to fear from reports or inspections.
They stayed busy from around six in the evening until eight. Of the eighteen guests checked in at the Fortunate Inn, sixteen had made repeat purchases.
Altogether, they had sold twenty-one servings of egg fried rice, bringing in 627 yuan.
That revenue was nothing compared with the other hotels and restaurants in the scenic area.
But for the Fortunate Inn, it was a good start.
They had made over 600 yuan from today's trial run alone. Sales would surely keep growing. Lin Zhe had confidence in the egg fried rice.
Ring, ring! Ring, ring!
Just as Lin Zhe was about to clean up the kitchen and close for the night, the phone in his pocket rang.
He took it out and saw a call from "Good Son."
"Hey, fatty, look at the time. I've already closed up here. Don't bother coming today. Come early tomorrow."
Lin Zhe swiped to answer and gave Dan Teng a little scolding.
That afternoon, Lin Zhe had called Dan Teng to invite him over for a meal.
Whenever he found something good to eat or drink, or something fun to do, Lin Zhe always shared it with his "Good Son."
"What are you talking about? Didn't I tell you there was a ritual at the Taoist Temple? I called you as soon as I finished! I'm on my way over!"
Dan Teng's breathless voice came through the phone. From the sound of it, he was hurrying along.
"Slow down, you idiot. It's dark and the road's slippery. Watch your step. If you fall and die, don't blame it on me insisting you come over for dinner."
"Get lost! Can't you wish me something good for once? If I fall and die, are you going to take care of our Old Li in her old age?"
Dan Teng never missed a chance to push Lin Zhe toward his Old Li. If there was no opportunity, he would create one. He was determined to force the match.
"..."
Lin Zhe couldn't be bothered to keep talking to Dan Teng and simply hung up.
Just how badly did this bastard want to become my son?
Before you continue