Gourmet: Midnight Vending

[Seeking Love · Part Two]

[Some people are born with an obsessive pursuit of food, dedicating their lives to creating delicious dishes that further satisfy the human palate.]

[Some people turn food into a business, expanding scale and reducing costs to ensure ever-increasing profits.]

[When these two philosophies collide, conflicts are inevitable. Please step in to resolve the conflict, whether it results in one side's victory, or a mutual reconciliation.]

[Task Reward: Juice Dispenser!]

The dining car slowly drove along the desolate highway, and Chen Mo's heart was pounding as he looked at the task reward in his mind.

A juice dispenser!

Having experienced the previous replicable kitchenware, Chen Mo was roughly aware of what this was, and if his guess was correct, this thing could offer unlimited drinks!

For someone who loves sweet drinks, this is an irresistible temptation.

Chen Mo continued to look at the side quest, which was a bit different from the previous task involving Boss Fang and his daughter. When the second Seeking Love series task appeared, the system also provided a little hint, and two small cards engraved appeared in the task guide.

[Clue Character: Lu Yingqiu]

The small card was bare with nothing on it, and when Chen Mo tried to touch it with his thoughts, he received feedback from the system.

[Familiarity with the Clue Character reaches 60 to unlock Memory · One.]

[Familiarity with the Clue Character reaches 80 to unlock Memory · Two.]

[Current familiarity with the Clue Character: 5]

Chen Mo really wanted to call Mu Mu to come over and speak for him: What a mess...

Continuing to drive, he switched to some relatively soft music, and Chen Mo carefully thought about the series of tasks that had appeared recently.

In fact, these tasks didn't seem to appear at a fixed time; they seemed to follow Chen Mo around, appearing automatically whenever something happened or when he met certain people.

Of course, Chen Mo could choose not to complete them. This was stated clearly when the task guide was first activated.

It didn't matter if he didn't complete them, as other tasks would still appear next time.

However, this task was quite tricky!

This little girl hadn't said more than three sentences since they met, which was really frustrating!

Chen Mo remembered Shasha mentioning that Lu Yingqiu had extreme social anxiety when interacting with strangers, but once she became familiar, she would talk more.

Chen Mo occasionally glanced at the "clue character" lying on the bed at the back, pondering how to complete this task as they were about to arrive in Xuchang, where everyone would part ways.

Tap tap tap!

Yino, sitting in the front row, kept tapping on her phone, seemingly chatting.

Yino: The little brother keeps sneaking peeks at Yingqiu's little feet. I think he's quite taken with her!

Su Shasha: Wow! That's great. Let's marry Yingqiu to the little brother so we can eat hot pot with him every day! His sesame sauce is the best dipping sauce I've ever had!

Yino: @Lu Yingqiu, it's completely normal for a guy to have some quirky preferences. Your cute little feet are so pretty; just put them out there confidently for him to see!

Lu Yingqiu unconsciously retracted her feet and tucked them under her.

Noticing her movement, Chen Mo thought she might be cold and adjusted the air conditioning to slightly warmer.

This gesture instantly caught the attention of the three girls.

Yino: Look! Look! How considerate this little brother is!

Su Shasha: I suggest confessing right away, okay? Isn't this exactly the life you've been wanting, @Lu Yingqiu?

Blushing, Lu Yingqiu quietly put away her phone, ignoring the group chat. Her roommates' conversation had gone beyond her understanding.

What can't be reached by bicycle can be reached by car in just forty minutes.

After taking a turn off the highway and passing the first traffic light, they officially entered the Xuchang area.

This is a city filled with legendary stories, where the mansion of the enviable Prime Minister Cao is located.

It's a pity that if it weren't for Pang Donglai becoming popular online, this city would have quite a low presence.

By the time they reached the downtown area, it was already late, and Chen Mo still hadn't found an opportunity to get closer to Lu Yingqiu.

"Little brother, what's your plan next?" Su Shasha asked, tilting her head in a manner filled with the charm of a schoolgirl.

"I'll stay one night as well. They say the quality of Pang Donglai's products is good, so I'll stock up on some supplies tomorrow."

That's quite true.

Though it might be a bit expensive, compared to the hassle of "carefully selecting and then haggling," Chen Mo's preference leaned more towards a shopping style where you could make purchases with your eyes closed, even if it meant paying a little more.

Mainly because we're not short on money now!

"Hmm…" Yino seemed to understand something and nodded, "Very nice, very nice. Fate will bring us together! If we meet again tomorrow, us three will treat you to a meal, don't refuse!"

"Sure thing." Chen Mo waved goodbye to the three young ladies and looked at the map to find a convenient place to park and rest for the night.

As for the side quests, given the existence of the "familiarity" setting, Chen Mo felt that these things shouldn't be forced, just let everything go with the flow.

This city isn't very bustling.

On the national highway from the city to the county, there are plenty of places to rest. Chen Mo parked the car in a relatively safe spot, diagonally opposite a resort called Huaxi. At this time, there weren't many people coming and going.

After parking the car, getting some water to wash up by the roadside, Chen Mo tidied up the bedsheet Mu Mu had sat on and happily lay on the small bed in the car.

"Oh man, I've really been slacking these past few days!"

Level 3 Dining Car requires 80,000 experience points to upgrade. A significant amount was earned at Huimin Hospital, but after that, they've been mostly on the road. Although money was made on the highway, it wasn't during business hours so it didn't count towards the experience points.

"I'll take a nap first. Business hours refresh tonight. It'd be perfect if it gives me a daytime slot."

Chen Mo turned over, held Xiao Juzi in his arms, and quickly fell asleep.

...

Upon waking up early in the morning, the first thing was to check the business hours.

Looking at the updated panel time in his mind, Chen Mo sighed while lying on the bed, "Why does the time get more and more underworld each time?"

[Business Hours: 10:00 AM ~ 1:00 PM]

It's not that this time is bad, but from a restaurateur's perspective, this time slot actually poses a big problem.

The eating habits of ordinary people domestically are quite regular. Normal office workers or students have usually eaten by 8 AM. By 10 AM, most are engaged in study or work.

Then lunch starts at noon, around 12 PM.

If I have to say, Chen Mo thinks the business hours that can be fully utilized are only from 11:30 AM to 1 PM.

"So it's best to make some ready-to-eat items. Stir-fry won't work; no one wants to eat a serving of Mapo tofu at 10 in the morning."

Since Yu Province's food is limited, and the goal of this trip is Sichuan, Chen Mo didn't hold back, recalling the Sichuan delicacies he knows that can be suitable for ready-to-eat.

While pondering, a particularly funny voice came from outside the car.

"Bobo Chicken, Bobo Chicken, one Yuan per skewer of Bobo Chicken!"

The voice was obviously recorded and looped through a speaker. Chen Mo sat up in bed and looked out the window to see a small tricycle parked on the roadside near Huaxi Resort, with stalls selling swimwear and water guns next to it.

As the speaker blared, people coming out of the resort naturally walked over to start sampling.

"Bobo Chicken? This could work!"

Chen Mo had tried this thing before.

Back then Jiang Fei took his family to Sichuan for a project survey. When they returned, he insisted he'd learned some secret recipe, inviting colleagues to his house to enjoy the food.

It turned out... Old Jiang had brought back many Bobo Chicken packaged seasonings from Sichuan, and all he had to do was skewer favorite ingredients, cook them, and soak them in the seasoned broth.

To be fair, despite its simplicity, it tasted pretty good.

But at this moment, Chen Mo wasn't thinking about Bobo Chicken.

Others have already set up a stall there. Doing the same thing would obviously be stealing business, something Chen Mo didn't want to do. Plus, skewering isn't suitable for Chen Mo's solo stall setup.

"Then I can make Bang Bang Chicken!"

Yes, hearing Bobo Chicken, Chen Mo thought of Bang Bang Chicken, also something Jiang Fei brought back from Sichuan. It involves vacuum-packed shredded chicken and pre-packaged flavorful dishes to dip.

Though it's not freshly made, it left a deep impression on Chen Mo, all thanks to Sichuan Cuisine's dominant seasoning!

"I feel like Bang Bang Chicken could be perfect for a stall, as long as I prepare it in advance, it's all good."

So he took action, going across the street to buy a skewer of chicken breast and coaxing half a bowl of sauce from the small shop owner.

After paying a Yuan, he was rewarded with a big eye-roll.

Returning to the dining car, he threw the sauce-soaked chicken breast into the input slot, poured in the sauce, and said, "I need a Bang Bang Chicken recipe, not a Bobo Chicken one!"

In the Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia regions, the pronunciation of "Bang" is similar to "Bobo," which concerned Chen Mo because his dining car's hometown is in Jin Province, fearing it'd be misunderstood.

[Recipe analyzed: Super Bang Bang Chicken with a Unique Spicy Kick!]

[Sichuan Cuisine involves three main tasters, and this recipe suits your current situation with a pouring flavor sauce.]

Chen Mo briefly glanced at the necessary ingredients. Needless to say, chicken is a must; Bang Bang Chicken is completely different from Bobo Chicken.

The latter encompasses a variety of ingredients, whereas the former focuses solely on chicken.

After reviewing the pouring flavor sauce mix, Chen Mo couldn't help but feel a bit emotional.

"Indeed, cooking Sichuan Cuisine always means I need more seasonings!"

The normal types of seasonings just can't meet the demands of Sichuan Cuisine.

Chen Mo entered the driver's seat to check the time, 8 in the morning.

"Let's move out! Dining Car!"