Universe Infinite Canteen

Chapter 290 Conflict

Ma Lu hung up the call from the hardware store owner and dialed the number he was given. Despite trying twice, no one answered.

He didn't attempt a third time but instead composed a brief text message introducing himself and explaining his purpose before returning to his room to catch up on sleep.

He slept until 4 p.m. before getting up to check his phone, which had two missed calls—one from a courier and the other marked as spam.

Lao Hei hadn't called back, but Ma Lu wasn't in a hurry. He joined Old Wang at the restaurant first to prepare for tonight's dinner.

Most of Ma Lu's recent outing had been spent on solving mysteries and searching for Singer's Solanum Berry, and he hadn't collected any ingredients above 4 stars.

However, this wasn't a big issue—the Desktop Farm had plenty in stock, especially in terms of meat. Old Wang had just slaughtered an Earth Dragon, and from the hot spring barbecue, only half a leg was consumed, with the rest still frozen in the fridge.

Speaking of which, Universe Infinite Canteen's signature dishes had been vegetarian for several weeks now, so it was about time to satisfy everyone's meat cravings.

Moreover, last week Old Wang's chef level was upgraded again to level 5, and he could now reliably add stars to his dishes.

Any dish he cooked would have half a star higher Deliciousness Index than what the recipe indicated.

In this way, even ordinary ingredients could be elevated beyond their inherent deliciousness under his expertise.

Ma Lu wrote down this week's menu on the small blackboard and then glanced at the line outside that had turned several corners and still seemed endless.

Although Universe Infinite Canteen had been doing well since day one, it was not until Angie posted those pictures on her social media that things escalated to this extent.

Just a few hours after her posts, the restaurant was so overrun with customers that it nearly resulted in a stampede. Even if the Red Little Devil was stirring up trouble outside, at most it encouraged people to rush in.

At the same time, it was Angie's popularity as a top girl group idol that drew so many people here, and Ma Lu had to admit that she indeed had some real talent.

But the problem was that he didn't lack customers; Universe Infinite Canteen's dishes were always limited in supply. The number of dishes sold before Angie's post was the same as now.

It simply meant that the dishes sold out a bit faster and they could close before it got dark. However, with so many people gathered, the likelihood of accidents increased, and another stampede incident like the previous one wasn't impossible.

"Mmm-hmm, I get what's going on now." Ma Lu patted the shoulder of the man in the black down jacket, "This is all a misunderstanding, brother, why did you have to get physical?"

"They hit us first!"

"You were the one who started cursing, and you even threatened to kill us if we meddled more!" another college student said, "Go on, I want to see how you're going to kill us."

"Giving you face, huh," muttered the man in the black down jacket, as he began to roll up his sleeves, "Come on then, do we fight one-on-one or is it a brawl?"

"Hey, hey, hey, how are you starting up again?" said Ma Lu, "Didn't I just say, it's a misunderstanding, and it's also my fault for not anticipating so many people queuing. How about this, I'll give you two desserts."

As Ma Lu spoke, he deliberately lowered his voice, "Both are special editions, not on the menu, and if really for sale, one would be at least 199."

"Special edition?" The man in the black down jacket's eyes lit up.

"Guaranteed to be delicious," Ma Lu reassured, then looked towards the college students, "What do you say?"

The college students looked at each other and nodded, "Alright, we'll go with what the boss says."

"Okay then, no more fighting, or no dessert," Ma Lu cautioned them again, then went back into the restaurant.

About five minutes later, he came out of the kitchen carrying two servings of pudding.

Both puddings looked enticing, with plump egg-yellow bodies that were clear and shiny; they trembled with Ma Lu's every step as he walked, nestled in their plates.

After coming out of the oven, Old Wang had sprinkled sugar on top and used a red-hot metal spoon to sear a crisp caramel crust.

Then he added a bit of sea salt butter and garnished them with biscuit crumbs and mint leaves.

They were mouthwatering at first glance.

"Please enjoy."

Ma Lu handed the two servings of pudding to the man in the black down jacket and one of the college students.