Chapter 224 The Night of Setting Up a Stall

Chapter 224 The Night of Setting Up a Stall

Two hours flew by amidst the clattering of pots and pans.

A member of the directing team, holding a statistical report, walked to the front of the stage and cleared his throat: "Lunch competition revenue statistics complete—"

Everyone held their breath.

The group consisting of Su Yingxue, Shen Yu, and Lin Qiao, due to the incident that caused trouble midway through the trip, coupled with the limited flow of people in the industrial park, ultimately had their business quota set at 3,500 yuan.

Shen Yu and Lin Qiao's faces turned pale instantly.

Immediately afterwards, the production team loudly announced: "Zhu Lili, Chef Wang, Chen Mo and Chen Chen's team, revenue—6,000 yuan and 200 yuan!"

Wow!

The live stream chat instantly erupted in excitement.

[The difference is huge! Those one-yuan drinks are so tempting!]

Chef Wang's braised duck leg rice is absolutely amazing; I'm tempted to buy some myself!

[It's such a pity about Su Yingxue's business. If those hooligans hadn't caused trouble, they might have sold even more!]

Zhu Lili raised her chin triumphantly, took the microphone, glanced at Su Yingxue's figure on the screen, and said with a hint of smugness in her tone: "I've said it before, the competition depends on strength and strategy. Some people, even with help, still can't win."

Chen Mo and Chen Chen exchanged a smile, and Chen Chen even made a victory sign at the camera.

The wind in the industrial park carried dust, brushing against Su Yingxue's cheeks. She looked at the numbers on the panel, sighed softly, but turned to Shen Yu and Lin Qiao with a smile: "It's okay, there's still the dinner competition, we still have a chance."

The setting sun bathed the industrial park's walls in a warm golden glow, and the flow of people leaving get off work surged in like a tide.

The workers, who had just changed out of their work clothes, rubbed their hands together and breathed out white vapors, but their noses were already drawn to the rich aroma in the air—the freshness of numbing spiciness, the mellowness of bone broth, mixed with the smoky fragrance of fried food, which wafted into their nostrils, making them subconsciously quicken their pace.

In front of Su Yingxue's stall, a large, gleaming iron pot was bubbling away, with milky white bone broth at the bottom and bright red chili oil floating on the surface. As the soup churned, the spicy aroma hit you right in the head.

With a flick of her wrist, she grabbed a handful of thin, smooth rice noodles and dipped them into the boiling soup. In just a few quick dips, they became soft yet chewy. She then scooped them into a rough porcelain bowl with a floral pattern, added a large spoonful of piping hot broth, sprinkled on some bright green cilantro and golden, crunchy peanut crumbs, and finally drizzled a spoonful of her secret meat sauce on top.

Instantly, the aromas of meat, spiciness, and bone mingled together, and just looking at the tempting sight of the rice noodles coated in red oil made one's mouth water.

On the other side, the oil pan that Lin Qiao was guarding was sizzling, and the golden spring rolls were rolling around in the oil, their outer skin fried until it was as thin as a cicada's wing, with an enticing caramel color.

The spring rolls, drained of excess oil, make a crisp "crack" sound when gently squeezed. Take a bite and you'll find chopped chives and tender pork filling inside, savory and flavorful. They're so hot you can't stop eating them.

The spring rolls, neatly stacked in the bamboo basket, were spotted by the workers queuing up before they had even cooled down.

Xia Paopao, with her neat high ponytail, spoke in a clear, bright voice like a copper bell hanging from a branch: "Spicy rice noodles and fried spring rolls combo, all you can eat for twenty yuan! Buy three spring rolls and get one free, or your money back if you don't like it!"

She deftly handed out numbers to the workers in line, her smile as sweet as a freshly baked candied fruit.

Shen Yu stood guard over the payment QR code, her calculator clicking away furiously. Every now and then, she would look up and shout, "Number three, spicy rice noodles with two fried spring rolls, please!"

Just then, Su Yingxue's phone rang; it was Mr. Hou.

"Xiao Su, I saw you filming a variety show and setting up a stall on Douyin!"

Old Hou's voice was as loud as a gong, "What a coincidence, both of my factories are nearby. I just sent a notice in the employee group that everyone who patronizes your place will receive a ten-yuan subsidy from the factory! Your rice noodles look delicious, don't embarrass me!"

After hanging up the phone, Su Yingxue's eyes shone as brightly as if they were filled with starlight.

Before long, voices rose and fell from the queue: "Boss, I'm from Houfa Machinery Factory, your rice noodles are delicious!!" "I'm from Houfa Electronics Factory, two double sets, extra spicy, please!"

The flow of thousands of workers instantly packed the stalls.

Su Yingxue and Lin Qiao were so busy they barely had time to breathe, yet they coordinated perfectly – Su Yingxue cooked the rice noodles and prepared the soup base with fluid, effortless movements.

Lin Qiao fries spring rolls and prepares the dipping sauce with precision and efficiency. Xia Paopao and Shen Yu have a clear division of labor, one attracting customers and the other keeping accounts. The four of them, amidst the rising steam, exude an indescribable tacit understanding.

However, at the corner of Yuying Road, the scene in front of Zhu Lili's stall is quite different.

Zhu Lili made a fortune selling one-yuan plum juice at noon, and she was so proud of herself that she was practically strutting around like a whim.

Chef Wang frowned and advised her, "It's cold at night, so make something hot. You can continue selling plum juice, but you need to change the staple food, otherwise it won't be authentic."

But Zhu Lili wouldn't listen to a word. She straightened her hair in front of the mirror and said in a spoiled and smug tone, "We made more than two thousand more than them at noon. We can win even if we do it casually. I'm going to make fruit sushi, with eel and silver shrimp, and arrange it beautifully to match my aura as a female star."

She paused, then glanced at Chen Mo and Chen Chen. "Let's change the drinks to lemon sparkling water, with a touch of alcohol. It'll be crystal clear and look good in photos. Plum juice is too ordinary and doesn't suit the evening's ambiance."

Chen Mo hesitated for a moment: "But won't it be too cold to make sparkling water at night? And we don't have enough manpower..."

"You can make something hot out of something cold!"

Zhu Lili waved her hand impatiently, "One yuan a cup to continue attracting customers, urban beauties love this."

If we're short-staffed, we'll focus on making drinks, and price the sushi a bit higher, at twenty-one servings. Naturally, fewer people will buy it, but they'll be more discerning.

Seeing her like this, Chef Wang could only sigh helplessly and let her do whatever she wanted.

At first, Zhu Lili's stall was indeed bustling for a while.

Fans held up light boards and shouted "Sister Li is the most beautiful," and the colorful support items completely blocked the already narrow intersection.

But the scene changes instantly when the school bell rings at 5:30.

Parents arrived on electric bikes and in private cars to pick up their children, but were blocked at the intersection and unable to move.

An elderly man riding a tricycle with snacks he bought for his grandson in the back was squeezed by fans, making it difficult to move. He frantically pounded on the handlebars, shouting, "Make way! Make way! I'm picking up my child!"

"Why are you pushing? Can't you see we're queuing up to buy Sister Li's sushi?" A fan rolled his eyes and held up his light stick even higher.

"Sushi?"

The old man's temper flared up instantly. "Eating cold food in the dead of winter? Are you young people out of your minds? And blocking the road! You're delaying your children's way home, can you take responsibility for that?"

The argument grew louder and louder, and several hot-tempered parents started shoving each other at the fans.

The sounds of car horns, parents' angry shouts, and fans' screams mingled together, creating complete chaos.