"Extra! Extra! New shop opening, free processing of fish ingredients! Limited to three days!"
A signboard stood on the street, behind which was an old shop that had only undergone rough renovations. At this moment, a young man and a young woman were standing at the door chatting.
"Brother Dylan, will this kind of advertising really work? Otherwise, let's invite reporters to interview us. Anyway, we can earn this money back in the future."
"No need. Our target customer group is the people on this street. If we invite reporters to interview us, then the customers will come from all over.
We're opening a restaurant here not only to hone our cooking skills but also for another purpose: to bring down the [Noyu] restaurant across the street. Are you confident in doing that?"
Raising his finger and pointing at the exquisitely decorated [Noyu] not far away, Dylan looked very excited. He was finally going to get his revenge!
Although Alice Nakiri would be the one to take action, she was a disciple he had personally trained. It didn't matter who made the move.
"Ah? I'm fighting a special grade? Really?"
Alice Nakiri covered her mouth as she spoke, making a surprised expression, but the playfulness in her eyes betrayed her true thoughts.
"Where did you learn such a bad joke? That guy is left for you to deal with. With your current strength, using molecular gastronomy, your chances of winning aren't low."
Raising his hand and lightly tapping Alice Nakiri's head as a reprimand, Dylan couldn't help but smile as he looked at her face. This girl was really carefree. Even though her opponent was a special-grade chef, she still looked so relaxed.
Very good, she had the spirit to advance bravely!
"Is that so? Then let me avenge Master with my own hands. I will win this match!"
"I look forward to your victory."
Dylan's burning gaze fixed on Alice Nakiri, making her feel somewhat uneasy. Finally, her face slightly flushed, and she turned her head away.
"Hehe~ I'm going back to the kitchen first~"
Playfully sticking out her tongue, Alice Nakiri touched the spot where she had been tapped, shrugged, and skipped towards the kitchen.
"This girl..."
Watching her receding figure, Dylan shook his head. He didn't follow her in but stood on the street, enjoying the cool breeze, as if waiting for something.
Soon after, the figure of the fishmonger boy, Mir, appeared at the corner of the street.
"Brother Bai, is this the place? I didn't get the wrong address, did I?"
"This is it. You sell fish in front of this shop today, and I guarantee your business will be good.
Then the commercial commission will be 30% of the profit, as we said yesterday. Besides that, you must ensure that the fish is fresh and not dead fish from the previous day."
Dylan said with a serious expression.
Even between close friends, accounts should be clear. Although it could be done for free, giving a small favor might breed resentment if a larger one is expected and not given. Clarifying things in advance was good for both of them.
"Don't worry, I know the rules. The fish were all brought in from the wharf this morning. They are definitely freshly caught from the sea. I brought three times the usual amount.
If I can really sell all of them today, I'm willing to give you 50%, let alone 30%!"
The fishmonger Mir said with a hint of excitement. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The chef in front of him was someone even his brother-in-law praised.
Following him, he could eat five meals a day!
"We don't need that much. 30% is enough. Sustained cooperation is the essence of partnership."
As he spoke, an unpleasant memory flashed in Dylan's mind, which made him couldn't help but smile wryly. Then he raised his hand and patted the fishmonger Mir's shoulder as encouragement before turning and entering the restaurant.
"Go for it, Mir! This time, you must prove it to my sister!"
Watching Dylan's receding figure, the fishmonger Mir raised his hand, clenched his fist, and waved it towards the sky to cheer himself up. Then he lifted the waterproof cloth of his stall and placed the loudspeaker on the table next to the stall: "Freshly caught fish, leaping deliciousness! Only needs..."
·
·
"Brother Dylan, you're here."
Adjusting the oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar to her most comfortable positions while preparing some ingredients, Alice Nakiri heard the movement at the door and looked up. Seeing that it was Dylan, she greeted him.
"Yeah, how's the preparation going?"
"Ready to welcome customers anytime!"
Alice Nakiri said, rolling up her sleeves to reveal her fair arms, and made a gesture of strength, looking ready to go.
Dylan nodded in response, told her to mind her own business, and then, as if thinking of something, took out his phone and dialed Jonah's number.
"Mr. Dylan?"
"That's right, it's me. Go to the Nakiri-affiliated restaurants and transfer six waiters and two dishwashers to the new restaurant. The address is..."
Hanging up the phone, Dylan breathed a sigh of relief. No wonder he felt something was wrong just now; it turned out the restaurant was short-handed.
This young lady was really too carefree. Clearly, this part was her responsibility, but she hadn't noticed it at all, with almost zero life experience.
The scene from the original work, where Alice Nakiri was eliminated by Soma Yukihira in the first round of the first-year Autumn Elections, flashed in his mind.
At that time, the old man said that her cooking lacked the popular touch of everyday life. Looking at it now, it was indeed the case.
Everyday life...
This kind of thing couldn't just be talked about; it had to be experienced firsthand. Right now was a good opportunity to help Alice Nakiri make up for her weaknesses.
No matter which world it was, the taste preferences of the common people and the upper class were very different.
Common people tended to choose affordable ingredients with strong flavors and local characteristics, and cooking methods that met daily needs.
The upper class preferred high-end, rare ingredients and exquisite cooking techniques, pursuing the original taste of the ingredients and the elegant experience of dining culture.
The two were completely different existences and generally wouldn't match. But they had one thing in common: they both liked delicious food!
Delicious food had the power to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary; it could conquer everything! It could ignore taste differences and whether one liked it or not.
The moment you saw it, the only thought left in your mind would be to eat it!
"Excuse me, can we get fish dishes processed for free here?"
Just as Dylan's thoughts were drifting, a slightly uneasy female voice came from outside the kitchen. Dylan and Alice Nakiri went out to take a look and found a simply dressed girl in the shop.
"Excuse me, can we get fish dishes processed for free here?"
Her washed-white clothes had two patches. Seeing the two of them come out, she was a bit restrained but still stood firmly in place, looking directly at them.
At the same time, she repeated what she had just said.
"Of course, it's the new shop opening, and processing is free for the first three days. What would you like to eat? Just bring the ingredients and tell her."
Dylan pointed to Alice Nakiri next to him. The girl immediately stepped forward and handed over the fish she was holding with her big, blinking eyes.
"Today is my grandma's birthday. She has always wanted to eat fish, so I wanted a pan-fried sea bass. But my cooking skills aren't very good, and I'm afraid of ruining this fish, so I'd like to ask for your help."
As she spoke, the girl looked at the two of them somewhat embarrassed, rubbing the corner of her clothes as she spoke, looking very afraid that they would refuse.
"Grandma's birthday? Okay, what time exactly will you be coming over? This dish can be completed within 20 minutes."
Looking at the not-so-large sea bass in front of her, contrasting it with the girl's simple clothes, Alice Nakiri felt a slight touch in her heart, but her face remained calm.
"My home is just across the street. I can bring my grandma over now. 20 minutes is enough time. It's almost lunchtime anyway!"
Hearing Alice Nakiri's agreement, the girl immediately showed an excited expression, with a hint of surprise in her eyes. She hadn't expected it to be so easy.
"Then we'll start preparing now. You go bring the old woman over, so you can eat as soon as you arrive."
"Okay! Thank you very much!"
Hearing Alice Nakiri's words, the simply dressed girl bowed deeply to her to express her gratitude.
The worry in her heart was completely relieved.
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