NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 153: Shame Is Temporary
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Only thirteen buckets of Garlic Butter and Herb Popcorn remained after they were served
"Garlic Butter and Herb Popcorn! Freshly made and piping hot!" Lily announced loudly. "Only 75 Gold Coins for a taste of culinary Heaven!"
"I would like three buckets. One for my wife, my son, and I" The man from earlier said after a while. 75 Gold Coins was a steep price for a serving size that small, but he did not lack money.
"Give me one bucket!"
Soon, despite their earlier protests about the outrageous prices, many began ordering. They were all Mages and most of them did not lack Gold Coins.
However, compared to the initial hype, the people who ordered numbered less than two hundred.
"Okay." Lily nodded. This time, she had been ready with her Mana Sense; therefore, even though many of them spoke over each other, she was able to pinpoint who ordered. She then swiftly began serving the popcorn and retrieving the payments.
By the time Lily had sold the thirteenth Garlic Butter and Herb Popcorn, twenty more buckets lined the counter.
As time ticked by, the aroma of the Garlic Butter and Herb Popcorn increased exponentially. The aroma that dominated the senses of all the Mages in a hundred-foot radius had now encapsulated more than a thousand feet.
The popcorn was so good that Lucian did not even need to use force to prevent someone from giving food to another. Furthermore, it seemed no one dared to cause trouble either. Of course, he was not delusional enough to think he was responsible for that. He guessed they were afraid of offending the Wang Family.
[Congratulations Host. Although your method of using shrinkflation could be called shameless, revolting, disgusting… well, I'm sure you get the point I am trying to make. Nevertheless, you have successfully cooked and served 100 Garlic Butter and Herb Popcorns.]
[Commencing Quest reward…]
[Please wait.]
At that moment, Peng Ting, who had refused to bow down and order the Garlic Butter and Herb Popcorn, was no longer able to endure. For the past thirty minutes his stomach had been whining in protest and the exclamations from the people who ordered the popcorn only worsened his condition.
"Brat, give me a bucket of Garlic Butter and Herb Popcorn. This Lord wants to see what the hype is all about." Even now he acted imperious as if it was Lucian's honor for him to try his dish.
"I was about to close my food cart and return to the line." Lucian simply said. "But if you can convince nineteen other people to buy my popcorn I wouldn't mind making one more batch."
"You … Just you wait brat. You better pray I don't find you on any other day." Peng Ting gnashed his teeth. If he had not been afraid of offending the Wang Family he would have beaten the brat black and blue.
After a moment, using Mana, Peng Ting asked "Who wants to taste this brat's popcorn?"
However, the Mages in a five-hundred-foot radius, who had yet to taste Lucian's popcorn, remained silent.
Anyone outside of the five-hundred feet radius did not hear his voice because he was merely a Bone Tempering Realm Mage. His Mana-enhanced voice could only reach as far as his Mana Sense could reach.
After a few more moments of silence, Peng Ting spoke through gritted teeth, "This Lord feels like being generous today. I'll pay for the first nineteen who order."
He felt like puking a mouthful of blood as soon as the words left his mouth.
In an instant, the silent Mages erupted in excitement.
"I want one!"
"Give me one!"
"Me too!"
"Haha, I thought I wouldn't be lucky to try the divinely aromatic popcorn today. Lord Peng Ting, from this day onward, I'll call you daddy."
'Tch. Who wants to be your father?' Peng Ting snorted in disdain and turned to Lucian, "Now then, brat, are you going to cook for this Lord? Or are you going to say I can't pay for others?"
Lucian shook his head. "Of course not! How can I deny a rich customer like yourself!? I'm more than delighted to have an esteemed customer like yourself!"
Lucian quickly got to work. Now that he had practiced making the Garlic Butter and Herb Popcorn, he was able to reduce the ten-minute time by forty seconds. Forty seconds might seem nothing, but in a professional kitchen, every second counted.
Efficiency was crucial, especially during peak hours when customers were eagerly waiting for their food. A few seconds determined whether a customer stayed, enjoyed their meal, paid, and left or the food would go to waste. Of course, the food would be given to the staff to eat, but compared to paying customers, the staff were different.
With expert-level precision, Lucian melted the Golden Garlic Butter, added the Fire Blossom Oil, and tossed in the Golden Dew Kernels. Each step was done smoothly, and soon a familiar, enticing aroma started spreading.
In no time, twenty more buckets were filled with golden, steaming popcorn.
[Lily, serve the customers.] Lucian said to Lily beside him.
[Okay. Lily will be right back.]
After grabbing a bucket in each hand, her figure disappeared and reappeared beside the butler.
"Your Garlic Butter and Herb Popcorn." She handed him the bucket and said, "That will be 1,500 Gold Coins."
*Ssss*
Even though the people waiting in line had expected such an outrageous number, when they actually heard it, they could not help but suck in a breath of cold air through their teeth.
One thousand five hundred Gold Coins was a life-changing sum for most of the weak Mages in the queue. Yet, a butler from the Yu Family generously offered to pay that sum.
"Here." Peng Ting waved his hand with an indifferent expression and countless Gold Coins appeared in the air. However, internally he was far from indifferent, it would take him three months of menial work to earn that money back.