Chapter 377: Chapter 377: Acquainted in Obscurity

At 11:30, the shop doors opened right on time, and the customers who had been waiting outside swarmed in.

Because he had surgery tomorrow, Fu Cheng didn’t have to go to his rehabilitation training today. This was to avoid any accidents that might further delay the procedure.

Wu Jun helped maintain order. Even with the crowd, things remained relatively orderly.

The first customer in the booth section today was Ding Xue. She was accompanied by a man in his thirties with rugged features. His unsmiling expression made him look very serious.

Seeing the new menu, Ding Xue raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Aren’t you making the previous dishes anymore?"

"They might make a comeback in the future, but not this week."

Ding Xue caught the key phrase. "This week?"

"Yep, the menu here will probably change about once a week."

Shen Lu didn’t want to make any firm promises.

’What if the system issued the same task two weeks in a row?’

Ding Xue asked the man, "Brother He, see if there’s anything you’d like to eat."

He Zhe glanced at the menu, his thick brows furrowing.

’The food at this place is way too expensive. Ding Xue has never been one for extravagance, so why would she invite him to eat here?’

"I’m not a picky eater. It’s all the same to me."

’What he really wanted to say was that there was no need to waste money here; eating at any other place would be just fine.’

Ding Xue gave a faint smile and ordered six dishes.

Only after Shen Lu left did she say to He Zhe, "The food here is different. You’ll understand once you try it."

He Zhe was unconvinced. ’It’s not like the ingredients are anything special, just pork and the usual stuff. How amazing could it possibly taste?’

More than the food, He Zhe wanted to talk to Ding Xue about matters concerning their corps.

"Leader, the corps has been getting fewer jobs recently. Everyone is just idling at the HQ all day. That’s not good."

He Zhe was the vice-leader of the Rose Mercenary Corps. Unlike the vice-leaders of other corps, he acted more like the actual leader, managing all of its affairs, big and small.

Ding Xue was the younger sister of the previous leader, who had lost his life before he could marry and have children. Ding Xue only took the leader’s position because of her special healing superpower and He Zhe’s strong support.

However, Ding Xue’s administrative skills were not strong, and she relied heavily on He Zhe.

"The weather hasn’t been great, so there are fewer missions. The ones available are either highly dangerous or pay very little. I haven’t seen any suitable ones." Ding Xue sounded helpless. In the Imperial City, the Rose Mercenary Corps was only moderately well-known. More often than not, other large Mercenary Corps would take on Advanced missions and call them in to get a piece of the pie.

After all, Ding Xue’s healing superpower could drastically reduce unnecessary casualties. If she hadn’t insisted on staying with the Rose Mercenary Corps, she would have been poached long ago.

"That’s true. I’ll see if I can figure something out."

Ding Xue smiled gently. "Thankfully, I have you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know how to keep the Rose Mercenary Corps afloat."

"Your brother and I were brothers in arms, willing to die for each other. I helped him build the Rose Mercenary Corps from the ground up. Doing this is my duty," He Zhe said, his tone formal.

A flicker of disappointment crossed Ding Xue’s eyes. ’That wasn’t what she wanted to hear.’

After a short while, the Garlic Spare Ribs, Stir-fried Eggs with Preserved Greens, and Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes were served. The other three dishes would take a little longer.

Ding Xue urged He Zhe to try the food.

He Zhe sighed silently. ’Ding Xue is still so childish,’ he thought. ’It’s just a few dishes. Does she have to be so eager to eat?’

But out of respect for her, he obliged and took a bite of the Garlic Spare Ribs that Ding Xue had placed in his bowl.

The dish used small, mahjong-tile-sized riblets. The deep-fried meat clung tightly to the bone, its surface coated in glistening golden bits of garlic. The distinct, rich aroma of fried garlic oil wafted straight into his nostrils.

Judging by the aroma and appearance alone, the Garlic Spare Ribs were indeed impressive. ’But at 1,888 a plate,’ He Zhe thought, ’even dragon meat would probably cost about the same.’

He put a rib in his mouth. With a slight tug of his teeth, the meat fell off the bone. A rich garlic flavor instantly filled his mouth. The meat was tender yet firm, its springy texture addictive to chew. With every bite, he could taste the pure flavor of the meat mixed with the fragrant garlic—it was exceptionally satisfying.

Before He Zhe could even be surprised by the dish’s deliciousness, he felt his chaotic Spiritual Sea being gently soothed, as if by a pair of soft hands.

Ding Xue spooned some of the other dishes onto his rice. "Brother He, try the other dishes too. This Stir-fried Eggs with Preserved Greens is great with rice."

Without another word, He Zhe lowered his head and started wolfing down his rice, also grabbing a bite of the Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes.

’It was true. Both the rice and the dishes had the effect of calming his Spiritual Sea.’

’No wonder they dared to charge 1,888 for a plate of Garlic Spare Ribs. Based on this effect alone, it was definitely worth the price.’

Now, He Zhe finally understood why the usually frugal Ding Xue had broken character to bring him to eat such an expensive meal.

The last three dishes were brought out by Shen Lu herself. She wanted to ask the customers if they needed any adjustments to the flavors.

"Everything is delicious," Ding Xue said.

She wasn’t just being polite; the food was genuinely delicious.

Not only was it delicious, but its effect on calming the Spiritual Sea was also excellent.

He Zhe, however, was thinking further ahead. He directly asked Shen Lu if she was interested in joining the Rose Mercenary Corps.

"Boss Shen, since you’re selling at this price, you must know about the food’s effects. Now that you’re selling it openly, I believe it won’t be long before every Superpower User in the Imperial City knows. This is a very dangerous situation."

Shen Lu smiled. "And joining your Mercenary Corps can guarantee my safety?"

’As if she didn’t know. At best, the Rose Mercenary Corps was at the bottom rung of the first-rate corps. If she really wanted to find a Mercenary Corps for protection, why wouldn’t she just go to Xue Can?’

’She was confident that if she just asked, Xue Can would welcome her with open arms.’

"So, for safety’s sake, after joining our Mercenary Corps, Boss Shen should stop selling these dishes to the public," He Zhe said in all seriousness. Shen Lu didn’t refute him, just chuckled lightly and nodded.

"I’ll think about it."

’Of course, she was just placating him. She had no intention of considering it.’

He Zhe knew Shen Lu wouldn’t agree, but he said it anyway.

’What if she changed her mind one day?’

While they were speaking, another customer walked in.

Shen Lu turned her head and saw it was Zeng Xiaodao, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.

He seemed to have shot up in height again. There was a gauze patch on his right cheek, and his demeanor was much more composed, unlike the wild and unrestrained person she had first met.

"Boss Shen, congratulations."

"Zeng Xiaodao? Long time no see."

Their relationship was neither good nor bad; Shen Lu wasn’t sure how to define it. If she were to peek with the Good and Evil Judgment Device, the heart above Zeng Xiaodao’s head would still be red.

Shen Lu thought, ’It wouldn’t be bad to just be ordinary friends.’

They had met when they were both starting out, and now it seemed they were both doing quite well for themselves.

Shen Lu made Zeng Xiaodao a cup of tea, but unfortunately, she was too busy to sit down for a proper chat.

Zeng Xiaodao ordered two dishes, making him the least extravagant customer since Shen Lu had opened the booth section.

The ingredients for his order had just hit the wok when another order came in.

Because this week’s task quota had increased, Shen Lu had also correspondingly increased the number of customers she served daily.

She needed to serve 80 Superpower Users in a week, which averaged out to 11 Superpower Users per day.

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