The answer is none other than Lantern Shadow Beef.

The problem now is that we need to boost sales in a short amount of time. There's a fair amount of foot traffic on market days in Hanyang Town, with locals from nearby villages as well as people coming from other city districts to join the fun.

And Lantern Shadow Beef, it's hard to even call it a dish!

Calling it a snack seems more appropriate, which matches well with a food truck, and also suits the current Lu Fang.

Chen Mo said in a serious tone, "I think we can make Lantern Shadow Beef, we can sell it for a high price."

This isn't bragging. Real dried beef from Inner Mongolia can go for a few hundred Yuan per kilogram. The craft of Lantern Shadow Beef technically qualifies it as dried beef, but with additional techniques and seasonings.

Lu the Second slapped his thigh with excitement, "Great idea! This can work! We serve it at our restaurant too, but we sell it by the plate, about 2 ounces per serving, and it can go for over 80 Yuan!"

Chen Mo glanced at him speechlessly, thinking if you dare sell a kilo of beef for four hundred, someone will definitely come and ruin your sign tomorrow.

"But the problem is, I don't know how to make Lantern Shadow Beef," Boss Lu admitted awkwardly, "My father taught it before, but later he said this dish is too time-consuming and will gradually disappear. The current Lantern Shadow Beef isn't authentic, so our family stopped making it. I didn't take learning it seriously back then."

Feeling hopeful, Lu the Second became more animated and said while pressing the table enthusiastically, "Simple! We make it at the restaurant every day; just slice the beef thin, marinate it, dry it, and then bake it in the oven, done."

Chen Mo: ???

Uncle, are you serious?

This beef, you sell 2 ounces for 80? Luckily, there are more tourists eating in Yu City than locals; otherwise, you'd really have your shop trashed.

But then, Chen Mo also lost confidence in Lu Yongmin's chances in the old-brand competition for Lu Fang in Yu City, as their craftsmanship clearly didn't make the grade.

"No way, I do know how to make Lantern Shadow Beef, and it's absolutely not like your method, Uncle. Let me handle this, okay?" Chen Mo took charge and said righteously without mercy, "I'll make the Lantern Shadow Beef, and the money earned will be mine. But during this time, consider me a part of Lu Fang. If I can't manage alone, I'll still need everyone's help."

Neither Boss Lu nor Lu the Second expected Chen Mo to say such a thing at this time, as it felt so close-knit earlier, but now he suddenly brought up money, which surprised Boss Lu a bit.

On the other hand, Lu the Second quickly understood, "Xiaochen is right, it's always best to lay things out beforehand, lest money becomes a source of unhappiness later. I find nothing wrong with this. If Xiaochen can really maintain a week's worth of sales, I'll think of a way for the competition."

Over the years, Lu the Second had built some network in the restaurant industry, and as long as the conditions were met, he had the confidence to handle the rest.

"Right, is there enough space?" Lu the Second pointed at the wall inside, "The shop next door that hasn't opened belongs to our Lu Fang too. How about I open that door and we make use of that room as well?"

"Oh?" Chen Mo seemed surprised; he'd been wondering why there was a closed shop between the two when chatting over peanuts with Uncle Tie before. Turns out it also belonged to the Lu Family.

"Sure, open that room, let me park my food truck at the entrance, and we'll prepare the beef in advance. I'll do the last step on the food truck."

"Got it! I have plenty of hands here, Xiaochen, you take full charge!"

Lu Yingqiu looked at Chen Mo.

Brother Xiaochen is just a few years older than me, and yet I'm still a kid at home.

Brother Xiaochen, though, can talk and laugh with the grown-ups and discuss serious matters, and clearly, he's in a leading position in this task.

Brother Xiaochen right now, is kinda handsome!

"Yes, I need beef tenderloin, and it must be a whole piece, the same cut foreigners use for Beef Wellington."

After saying this, Chen Mo got up and walked out of Lu Fang, with the others following curiously behind, only to see him step onto the food truck and sit quietly there.

"What's he doing?" Lu the Second asked curiously.

Lu Yingqiu thought for a moment, "Brother Xiaochen likes to think on his truck. He really likes it, maybe it gives him inspiration."

Boss Lu also looked curiously at Chen Mo on the food truck, feeling that this kid was always different from the others.

Though he couldn't quite put his finger on what was different, he definitely felt something unique.

In fact, the reason the two brothers fully followed Chen Mo's suggestions was because Chen Mo's return with just a common twice-cooked pork thoroughly outmatched them.

Such skills, the ideas he proposed indeed held weight.

Unbeknownst to them, after getting on the truck, Chen Mo quietly took a small piece of beef out from the cabinet, leftover from making Mapo Tofu earlier.

Then he inconspicuously slid it into the food truck's delivery port, while silently thinking: "I want the recipe for Lantern Shadow Beef, and it better be the most delicious, most authentic, most irresistible one!"

[...]

[Please think carefully.]

"No need, for the sake of my convertible juice machine, I'm going all out, get me the ultimate one!"

[I have analyzed and got you the most badass Lantern Shadow Beef recipe.]

[Old-fashioned Lantern Shadow Beef recipe!]

[Ingredients: beef tenderloin, whole piece!]

[Seasonings: premium chili powder, premium Sichuan peppercorn powder, five-spice powder...]

It was the first time for Chen Mo to see such a recipe, with the term 'premium' preceding many spices, not knowing what qualifies a spice as premium.

Then came the detailed preparation process.

Chen Mo jumped out of the food truck and, under everyone's gaze, began to assign tasks.

"Brother Lu, can you manage whole beef tenderloins?"

Earlier, Chen Mo had seen Boss Lu making Fuqi Feipian at Lu Fang, and he'd tasted it.

"No problem, I always buy beef from a fixed slaughterhouse, and their beef is guaranteed to be tasty!"

Chen Mo, of course, had no worries about this.

Boss Lu was always meticulous in selecting his ingredients, and anything he approved of must be top-notch.

"Also, I need the best chili powder and Sichuan pepper powder from Hanyang, do you have it?"

"The ones at home are the best from Hanyang!" Boss Lu responded confidently, "They're all personally cultivated by me, with limited production, but enough for your needs during this period."

That's truly impressive!

No wonder Lu Yongjun didn't want Lu Yongmin to expand Lu Fang's scale.

After all, their Hanyang Peanut Chicken is home-raised, their chili and Sichuan pepper are painstakingly grown, and their beef is the best; where could they find these things if they expanded?

The main ingredient of Lantern Shadow Beef is the beef; the rest doesn't matter much.

Chen Mo then turned to look at Lu the Second, "You have plenty of hands here, we might need your help."

"You just lay out the plan."

In his mind, Chen Mo went through the Lantern Shadow Beef preparation method once, then quickly returned to the truck to jot down a list on paper and handed it to Lu the Second.

"Alright then, let's begin!"

There was still a whole day before the business opened tomorrow.

Even so, Chen Mo still felt that time was a bit tight.

But!

Chen Mo believed that he was just born to challenge the impossible!

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