NOVEL NEXT Chapter 140
Chapter 140 This Is Impossible—How Can a Street Food Stall Make That Much Money?
When Shen Muyan, over the phone, calmly and decisively raised the salary offer to 1.3 million, Chen Jingrong gave up.
“Alright, President Shen, you win.”
If Chen Jingrong hired Lu Qin at 1.3 million per year, even if Lu Qin’s culinary skills were undisputed, the other employees would feel unfairly treated. After all, such an astronomical salary was more than ten times that of a regular employee—it would definitely crush morale.
Fang Ya let out a victorious “Yay!”, clearly enjoying the moment. Chen Jingrong shot her a look and frowned.
“This isn’t some bidding war. Since President Shen has offered 1.3 million, that means Mr. Lu is now the head chef of the Ourei Hotel.”
Lu Qin sighed in exasperation.
Why were they all ignoring the fact that he—the actual person involved—had a say in this?
At that moment, Lu Qin spoke up in a calm tone, “Alright, enough. Thank you all for your appreciation, but I have no intention of becoming a restaurant’s head chef.”
Silence.
Chen Jingrong and the others looked stunned—completely dumbfounded.
“Mr. Lu, we’ve already gone up to 1.3 million—there’s no reason for you to refuse. The Ourei Hotel’s restaurant is no worse than Rongxuanji.”
Deng Jianping also chimed in.
“Boss Lu, don’t turn your back on money. That annual salary is among the highest in even first-tier cities like Shanghai or Beijing!”
Sun Zhi and Fan Qingfang both nodded in agreement. To be honest, some of the restaurants they operated didn’t even generate 1.3 million in profit per year!
Zhu Li, meanwhile, felt deeply envious. As the restaurant manager of Rongxuanji, she had the highest salary below the vice president—even higher than the head chef.
Yet now, the salary being offered to Lu Qin was four times hers. How could he not accept such an incredible opportunity?
On the other end of the phone, Shen Muyan remained silent. She had bid against Chen Jingrong not because she actually wanted Lu Qin as her head chef, but simply because she couldn’t allow another restaurant to take him.
Why let talent go to an outsider?
But deep down, she already knew—Lu Qin was never going to accept a head chef position anywhere. Because his food stall made way more money. It wasn’t something anyone else could replicate.
At this moment, Fang Ya stepped forward, cleared her throat, and exuded an air of self-importance—as if she were about to drop a truth bomb.
“Even at 1.3 million, Boss Lu still won’t take the job. Do you know why?”
She paused for dramatic effect, then continued,
“Because his street food stall makes more than 1.3 million per month.”
“Think about it, dear bosses—do you really think he would work for you?”
Chen Jingrong: “!”
Zhu Li: “!!!”
“That’s impossible! There’s no way a street food stall can make that kind of money!”
At first, nobody believed it. It sounded utterly absurd. But then, Deng Jianping, Sun Zhi, and Fan Qingfang—who had all visited Lu Qin’s stall—began calculating.
A plate of stir-fried rice noodles was a dozen or so yuan, A box of ice jelly cake was 25 yuan, A serving of crystal shrimp dumplings was 28 yuan…
Multiply that by the number of customers.
And the more they calculated…
The more shocked they became.
Holy sh*t.
Lu Qin was easily making tens of thousands per day!
Even though Lu Qin’s food wasn’t expensive, it was so delicious that customers couldn’t stop buying. People weren’t just buying one or two items—most were spending over 100 yuan per visit.
And unlike restaurants, where customers sit for an hour or more, his food stall had a constant flow of new customers, money pouring in non-stop. Even at peak hours, a packed restaurant like Rongxuanji would never serve as many customers as Lu Qin’s stall.
Deng Jianping, Sun Zhi, and Fan Qingfang exchanged looks, their expressions shifting dramatically.
My God.
As veteran restaurant owners, they had never realized that a food stall could generate this kind of revenue. If this was possible, why even run a restaurant? Why not just start a food stall instead?
But then, they quickly dismissed the thought. This was a once-in-a-generation anomaly. Only Lu Qin could pull it off—his culinary skills were simply beyond anyone else’s reach.
Deng Jianping pulled Chen Jingrong aside and whispered something to him. A few minutes later, Chen Jingrong’s expression changed multiple times. Finally, they all sighed in defeat.
“…We were mistaken. Apologies for the disturbance.”
Then, they left the private room, visibly disappointed. Before leaving, Chen Jingrong handed Lu Qin his personal business card, only after repeatedly insisting that he accept it.
Fang Ya picked up the card and inspected it closely.
“Gold trim, huh?”
“Boss Lu, you’ve really got some serious clout.”
She was teasing, but it was also a fair assessment. If so many major players in the restaurant industry were desperate to hire him, it just proved how valuable he was. Even she herself had invited him here today for his expertise.
______
The first dish was ‘Premium Beef Cubes’.
Fang Ya took out her phone and started recording.
“Chef Lu, please taste it.”
She ceremoniously handed him chopsticks with both hands. Lu Qin took a bite.
Fang Ya took a bite as well.
Her impression? The beef was tender and delicious. But she waited for Lu Qin’s professional critique.
Lu Qin observed the dish for a moment, then commented.
“The beef has been stir-fried over high heat, creating a strong wok aroma. The cut of beef is excellent—lean with no connective tissue, making it tender and smooth. The seasoning includes high-proof liquor and black pepper. Overall, it tastes good. The chef’s skill is decent, and their heat control is on point. The only flaw is that the scallions were sliced too thin and over-fried—but it’s a minor issue. I’d say this dish deserves a positive review.”
Fang Ya nodded seriously.
Her eyes lit up with admiration. Now that was a professional critique!
______
Over the next three or four dishes, Lu Qin evaluated each one in detail. After completing the food review, Lu Qin prepared to leave. Fang Ya, however, insisted on treating him to dinner.
“What are we eating?”
“Your food.”
“I’ll buy stir-fried rice noodles, twice-cooked pork, imperial chicken wings, chicken tofu soup… from your food stall.”
Lu Qin: “…”
_____
That evening, after returning home, Lu Qin took a sip of water, then headed into the kitchen to prepare for his night market stall. He checked his customer group chat—since he hadn’t set up shop that afternoon, people were complaining.
After estimating the time, he posted an update.
[Tonight, the stall opens at 6 PM at the night market. New item: Mapo Tofu.]
Immediately, the group chat exploded with excitement.
Lu Qin put his phone away and focused on ingredient prep. For Mapo Tofu, the best choice was gypsum tofu—but brine tofu had the best flavor. However, brine tofu was tricky to cook—too much heat, and it would become tough and dry.
Only high-level chefs could control it properly. But Lu Qin had max-level Mapo Tofu skills. He wasn’t just any chef.
Ads by PubRev
Pricing? 40 yuan per portion.
Lu Qin carefully prepped the tofu, beef, and garlic sprouts, neatly portioning them into disposable containers for easy cooking at the stall.