The aroma alone is enough to make one stop in their tracks. Such a dish must possess a unique trait; merely the smell is enough to whet one's appetite, compelling the person to pause and take a bite to make the trip worthwhile.

Does such a dish exist?

It certainly does, and Chen Mo has just the recipe.

But this kind of dish often has a downside: it's labor-intensive, time-consuming, and requires great effort.

So Chen Mo asked, "I can make it, but it takes time, don't you think?"

Liu Yang was overjoyed; this was exactly the effect he wanted!

Seeing that the thief was about to finish another bowl of noodles, he reckoned that once they gathered with their accomplices, they would spring into action, and by then, he and Wang Zhifeng might not be able to catch them all.

After all, based on the intel, this group had at least seven or eight members.

Hence, Liu Yang must first find a way to keep them here, then request reinforcements, and finally, catch them all in one go!

But detaining them was the biggest problem. For some reason, Liu Yang felt Boss Xiao Chen had the capability to handle it.

Because back at the highway exit, many drivers were in a hurry, but the moment they smelled Boss Xiao Chen's Yellow River Carp, they suddenly were in no rush anymore.

"Sure, waiting is no problem at all! Just tell me what ingredients you lack, and I'll figure out a way to get them!"

Chen Mo glanced at the four people by the stone table.

What a characteristic of Yu Province natives, they eat unhurriedly; the four were just about finishing their noodles, and were drinking the soup now.

"Yu Hui's family sells mutton, you could ask him to get me some lamb ribs. Also, I'll need these things."

Chen Mo took out a napkin and wrote down the other ingredients he needed.

"Some of these might be hard to find in the village, but give it a try. If you really can't find them, then never mind."

"I can definitely get them!"

Liu Yang dragged Wang Zhifeng along, giving a thumbs up in the direction of the food truck, "My buddy said he's going to make us something special. Come on, drive with me to get groceries."

Wang Zhifeng was waiting to eat lamb soup noodles, and when Liu Yang wanted to take him along, he wasn't happy about it, "What dish could possibly be better than noodle soup? I won't go, and besides, after another bowl of noodles, we'll have to start working; there's no time for..."

Liu Yang squinted slightly.

With just this small gesture, Wang Zhifeng changed his tune, "Alright, I'll listen to you this time."

Liu Yang took Wang Zhifeng and went to find Yu Hui again. Hearing Boss Xiao Chen wanted to buy mutton, Yu Hui readily agreed.

"You guys eat first, I'll go home and cut some lamb ribs."

The Feng Family's Three Brothers nodded and ordered three bowls of lamb soup noodles from Chen Mo.

Leaving the Cultural Square, Liu Yang's expression changed instantly, "I've located those thieves."

"What happened?" Wang Zhifeng, upon seeing Liu Yang's subtle expression change, knew something was off.

Beside them, Yu Hui looked baffled, "Thieves?"

Liu Yang nodded, "I won't explain too much now, quickly help Boss Xiao Chen buy the ingredients. Old Yu, you go home and fetch the lamb ribs, Zhifeng, you get the other ingredients, and I'll request reinforcements."

Liu Yang swiftly laid out the tasks.

By rights, Wang Zhifeng should request reinforcements, but Wang Zhifeng had yet to understand the situation, and Liu Yang didn't want to waste time.

This reinforcements request was crucial.

At this time and in this situation, if Dakang Stronghold suddenly had a bunch of outsiders appear, the thieves would definitely be on high alert, and they would fail in the end.

It'd be best to strike directly after the thieves gather and begin their operation!

The three of them immediately began to coordinate and take action.

Yu Hui returned home, cut down the freshly slaughtered lamb ribs from the morning, wrapped them in plastic, and slung them over his shoulder, ready to head back to the Cultural Square.

"Thieves?" As he reached the door, a sense of unease crept in. He placed the lamb on the chopping board at the entrance and turned back into the house.

He opened the cabinet to find his wallet.

"Damn it!" Yu Hui exclaimed at the sight of his empty wallet, "Did someone really dare to steal from me?"

Yu Hui's eyes burned with rage. An old fisherman easy to bully? He quickly turned to re-enter the courtyard, picked up the lamb, and from the small sheep-slaughter courtyard, he retrieved a dagger, wrapped the blade with a cloth, and tucked it into his pocket.

He carried the ribs on his shoulder, with the dagger tucked into his pocket.

Yu Hui had spent the previous afternoon killing fish, and his heart was as cold as that blade, but with his age and ample social experience, knowing Liu Yang had a plan in action, he worked to conceal his anger and returned to the Cultural Square.

"Boss Xiao Chen, the lamb ribs are here."

At the yellow table, Shao Hailong was slurping on his second bowl of noodles.

Seeing Chen Mo buy such a large amount of lamb ribs, he felt curious and asked, "What's happening, are we making soup again?"

Chen Mo shook his head, "My buddy insisted on having a great meal, and since we're in Yu Province, we should make some Yu Cuisine, right?"

But Chen Mo didn't have good intentions in mind.

Yu Cuisine, like Jin Cuisine, has its quirks, sharing a common trait: there's nothing much to cook.

"After thinking it over, the Scallion-Smothered Lamb in Yu Cuisine is quite satisfying, so that's what I'll make."

Scallion-Smothered Lamb?

Shao Hailong looked down at the three pieces of lamb in his bowl.

For his first bowl of noodles, he had devoured the lamb instantly without a second thought, its flavor almost overturning his perception of lamb.

So for this second bowl, he was nearly finished with the noodles but hadn't touched the three pieces of lamb, saving them for when he drained the soup, planning to savor them all in one go!

Wouldn't that be delightful?

Hearing the boss wanted to directly make lamb, Shao Hailong felt a bit itchy inside, "Boss, how long will this Scallion-Smothered Lamb take to make?"

If it took too long, Shao Hailong couldn't wait.

After all, once their partners arrived, after everyone had a bite to eat, they could start their operation.

Right now, there weren't many people in the village, and Shao Hailong anticipated they could raid a few places, expecting the entire operation to conclude in roughly two hours.

"At least..." Chen Mo was unsure.

Under normal preparation, it would take at least four to five hours, but since this dish needed to be particularly impressive, using the black pot could cut the time in half...

"About two hours, I guess."

Shao Haidong nodded.

That time was acceptable; he could always buy some meat after their operation, or pack it to eat on the road.

He didn't say much more, and continued eating his noodle soup.

It was truly delicious!

The lamb ribs were acquired, and soon Liu Yang and Wang Zhifeng returned, each carrying large plastic bags.

"Bought according to your list."

Chen Mo rummaged through the bags, "Wow, you got everything!"

Wang Zhifeng laughed, "You really underestimated the countryside nowadays; with developed transportation, unless it's something extremely niche, you can find almost everything."

Then it's settled.

Chen Mo directed Liu Yang, "Come give me a hand."

The large iron pot used for boiling noodles was cleared, and Liu Yang helped lift the huge black pot, both pouring the lamb soup and lamb bones into the big iron pot together.

He ignited the fire to bring it to a boil!

Meanwhile, Chen Mo divided the giant lamb ribs into halves, four pieces in all, placed them in a basin for a simple wash.

He took out the purchased ingredients for cutting.

He casually sliced a piece of lamb meat, added other parts from the ingredients, and dropped them all into the cooking port.

"For Scallion-Smothered Lamb, I want the Yu Province version, don't mess it up."

[...]

[Analysis completed, optimal result: Scallion-Smothered Lamb]

Chen Mo grinned.

He's about to master a grand dish!

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