Chapter 357: Chapter 357: Only a Fool Would Eat at This Kind of Rip-off Joint

Jiang Gong certainly wasn’t going to defy Shen Lu, so he followed her suggestion and sat down.

Gao Manting gave a cold snort, but after some placating from the handsome young man in glasses, she also sat down.

The other two couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief and took their seats as well.

Mint water was brought out, and a glass was placed in front of each of them.

"This is our little shop’s specialty mint water. Please, have a drink while you look over the menu."

Jiang Gong was the most supportive. He took a large gulp and declared it delicious.

Gao Manting scoffed. "You’re so easy to please, Cousin. You’ll eat anything and say it’s good."

Jiang Gong just ignored her, acting as if she hadn’t said a thing. He called to his two friends, "Hu Bin, Sun Chuanqing, order whatever you want. It’s my treat today."

Hu Bin and Sun Chuanqing glanced at the menu. There weren’t many dishes, only a dozen or so in total, but the prices were staggeringly high. The most expensive item was the grilled fish at 2888 Star Coins, a price that would be considered top-tier even in the Upper City District.

"Wow, Cousin, you’re really something else. Bringing us all the way to a rip-off joint." Gao Manting snorted in contempt. "A little shop in the Lower City District that dares to charge prices like these? They must think their customers are pigs waiting to be slaughtered."

Jiang Gong ignored her completely. He ordered the dishes he wanted, then glanced at his two friends, who looked like they wanted to say something but were holding back.

He understood and added two more dishes to the order.

"Just wait until the food gets here," he said. "One bite and you’ll understand what it means to get more than your money’s worth."

He had reacted almost exactly the same way as his two friends yesterday.

Yesterday, when he and Xue Can had offered to eat at Shen Lu’s shop, it was originally just to give her some business and to thank her for letting Sang Yue move in.

But when he saw the menu, his first thought was that Shen Lu might be taking advantage of his gratitude to rip him off.

However, once he tasted the food, that thought vanished without a trace.

He knew there was no use explaining further to Hu Bin and Sun Chuanqing. They would understand as soon as they tasted Boss Shen’s cooking.

As for Gao Manting, she would never understand. She wasn’t a Superpower User, so she couldn’t possibly appreciate its profound effects.

Gao Manting chuckled dryly, clearly waiting to see Jiang Gong make a fool of himself.

The first dishes to arrive were the smoked fish, spicy fire-roasted fish, and tomato egg drop soup. Jiang Gong ladled himself a bowl of soup and began sipping it with relish.

Sun Chuanqing wasn’t very interested in the soup, but the fragrant aroma of the spicy fire-roasted fish piqued his interest. Since Jiang Gong was paying, he felt no burden and dug in without hesitation.

The moment a piece of the small fish entered his mouth, Sun Chuanqing’s eyes lit up. He looked at Jiang Gong in disbelief.

’So this is its amazing effect?!’

Hu Bin didn’t start eating right away. He first ladled half a bowl of soup for Gao Manting, then placed a piece of the smoked fish onto her saucer.

"This smoked fish smells like it has a sweet flavor. You should like it."

Gao Manting sniffed. "How could it be? This is from a rip-off joint in the Lower City District. It’s just made to scam people out of their money. How good could it possibly taste?"

She had made up her mind not to take a single bite, afraid that eating such inferior, disgusting stuff would upset her stomach.

Hu Bin didn’t press the issue. He lowered his head and cautiously took a sip of the soup.

The tomato egg drop soup looked incredibly fresh, but when he took a sip, Hu Bin was shocked to find it was almost excessively savory.

The tomatoes had been simmered until their juices infused the broth, which had a distinct, fresh tomato flavor. Ribbons of egg, soft and tender, floated within, while a sprinkle of green onion enhanced both the appearance and the complexity of the entire dish.

It was a perfect bowl of tomato egg drop soup.

Moreover, after drinking it, Hu Bin clearly felt his Spiritual Sea become much more comfortable.

It was like having a bucket of ice-cold water poured over his head on a scorching summer day, a refreshing feeling that permeated him from the inside out.

After a brief moment of astonishment, Hu Bin tried the other two dishes. Their flavors were equally stunning, and their effects were just as incredible.

In that moment, he finally understood why Jiang Gong had said the restaurant offered more than your money’s worth.

Indeed, that description was spot-on.

Not only was the food delicious, but it also had these unexpected effects. Forget 2888 Star Coins a dish—people would be willing to pay even if you added another 8 to the end of that price.

For a moment, the three men fell silent, bowing their heads and digging into their food with fervor.

Gao Manting crossed her arms, looking on with utter contempt at the pathetic sight of the three men wolfing down their food.

’These mercenaries just have no standards. They can make a feast out of anything.’

With the three men eating at full tilt, the first three dishes were quickly finished. Fortunately, the fish with pickled mustard greens, hot toffee sweet potatoes, braised beef brisket, and stir-fried baby napa cabbage arrived just in time.

This time, without any prompting from Jiang Gong, Sun Chuanqing and Hu Bin ate with a ferocious appetite.

Seeing this, Gao Manting started to get restless.

’Is it really that good?’

Her nose twitched. It really did smell incredibly fragrant.

Especially the hot toffee sweet potatoes—they were golden and glistening, and when a piece was lifted, it pulled a long, fine thread of sugar. After a quick dip in cold water, the outer shell instantly became crisp.

She was sitting right next to Hu Bin and could clearly hear the CRUNCH of the sugar shell being broken by his teeth.

’I kind of... want to try it.’

’No, no, no, I can’t eat it!’

’Only an idiot would eat at a rip-off joint like this.’

’My cousin is a huge idiot, but I’m not.’

Gao Manting was having an intense internal struggle when Sang Yue came over carrying two pizzas.

This was the only dish Hu Bin had specifically ordered. Although it wasn’t on the menu, Shen Lu had agreed to make it. However, she had also made it clear to Hu Bin that pizza was from the fast-food section; the quality wasn’t high and the price was low, so while he could order it, he shouldn’t have high expectations.

"Brother Jiang, you’re here to eat again?" Sang Yue was quite happy to see Jiang Gong. He was the first person she had met after arriving in the Otherworld, and because of a sort of fledgling imprinting, her feelings for him were special.

"Sang Yue, have you eaten yet? Why don’t you sit and have a bite with us?" Jiang Gong put down his chopsticks and quickly pulled over a chair.

"Oh, no, I can’t," Sang Yue said, setting down the pizzas. "I’m on the clock. It’s against the rules for me to sit and eat with customers. You all enjoy, I’ve got to get back to work."

"Alright."

Jiang Gong grinned happily, his eyes following Sang Yue’s retreating figure.

He looked like a complete lovestruck fool.

Gao Manting let out a loud huff. "A woman with a mysterious past. Who knows what kind of schemes she’s plotting!"

The smile vanished from Jiang Gong’s face. He said sternly, "Gao Manting, your nonsense has its limits."

"You know there’s a limit? Then what about how you’re treating Sister Xiao He? She’s your childhood sweetheart, and you two are supposed to get engaged at the end of the year! Is it appropriate for you to be chasing after another woman’s skirt like this?!"

"This is between me and Xia He. It’s not your place to interfere."

"Sister Xiao He is my good friend! I won’t let you hurt her!"

"Gao Manting, if you keep spewing this nonsense, don’t blame me for what happens next!"

Jiang Gong slammed his hand on the table, making the bowls and plates jump. Soup and water splashed everywhere.

Now the other two, who had just been trying to ignore everything and eat, had no choice but to get up and intervene.

Hu Bin went to calm down Gao Manting, while Sun Chuanqing tried to reason with Jiang Gong.

"Brother Jiang, don’t stoop to her level. She’s just being childish and doesn’t mean any real harm. You’ll only lose face if you get angry with her!"

"Man Ting, your favorite, a fruit pizza. Quick, try some before it gets cold."

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