Chapter 317 - 299: This Restaurant Is Even More Remarkable Than Imagined

Chapter 317: Chapter 299: This Restaurant Is Even More Remarkable Than Imagined

"I bet there are a ton of experts at *The King of Fighters ’97*. It won’t be easy to place in the top ranks."

"No worries. I’m confident in my skills."

"I probably don’t stand a chance of placing in *KOF ’97*, but if it’s *Double Dragon*, I think I could win it all."

"Don’t be so sure. There are plenty of *Double Dragon* masters, too."

"..."

The customers were buzzing with excitement, many of them dreaming of placing high, or even taking the championship.

Even those who had never played fighting games like *The King of Fighters* were listening with rapt attention.

This included a lot of women.

Not only had they never played fighting games, but most had hardly played any arcade games at all.

But that didn’t dampen their enthusiasm.

And when the competition started, they would definitely go and watch.

It wasn’t because they were suddenly interested in arcade games, but because the lively atmosphere would be a huge draw for them.

They were eager to be there and experience it firsthand.

They were also excited to see the results.

’Who’s going to place? And what kind of prizes will they get?’

So they would definitely be a part of it all when the time came.

They were just as excited!

Li You overheard the discussions from the kitchen and was quite pleased.

He hadn’t brought in the arcade machines and organized a tournament to boost business.

The restaurant’s business was already fantastic. It didn’t need to get any better.

He did it to improve the atmosphere, to give everyone more to enjoy while they ate.

He loved seeing his customers have more fun.

...

The restaurant was still bustling at one in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, in Taoshan Village, Lin Guodong and his guests had finished their meal and were getting ready to head to Li You Restaurant.

There were six guests in total. Duan Canghong and another guest had motorcycles, and along with Lin Guodong’s, the three bikes were enough to carry the other four people.

They set off.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the parking lot for Li You Restaurant.

Everyone dismounted, and they quickly spotted the restaurant.

Duan Canghong said, "So that’s where it is. It’s pretty close to the main road, which is good. People won’t have to walk far after they park."

Another guest remarked, "Look at all these motorcycles, electric scooters, and cars parked here. It just goes to show how good their business really is."

Lin Guodong said, "Of course the business is good! You guys still didn’t believe me?"

"No, no, it’s not that. I was just making an observation. I believe the business is definitely good."

Lin Guodong smiled. "Let’s go. We’ll go get a good look."

Duan Canghong and the others all nodded.

The group walked toward the restaurant.

"By the way, cousin," Duan Canghong said, "you mentioned before that the owner gave us that steamed mandarin fish for free. Do you know him well?"

Lin Guodong nodded. "Very well. The owner’s a great guy. He’s just a young fellow, but we really hit it off."

"A young fellow?" Duan Canghong asked, surprised. "How young?"

Lin Guodong said, "Twenty-four, twenty-five maybe."

"He’s that young?"

Duan Canghong and the others were shocked. ’That’s way too young, isn’t it?’

’How can someone so young have such incredible culinary skills?’

’It’s unbelievable!’

Lin Guodong said, "It really is unbelievable, but it’s the truth. That’s what you call talent."

"That’s some next-level talent," Duan Canghong remarked with a sigh.

Lin Guodong smiled. "That’s why even head chefs from five-star hotels are completely won over by him."

"Head chefs from five-star hotels have been here?"

Duan Canghong and the others were once again surprised.

"They have," Lin Guodong said. "From more than one, in fact. And they were all completely won over by the owner."

"Awesome!"

Duan Canghong didn’t know what else to say. That single word said it all.

By now, the group had reached the front of the restaurant. They could already feel the lively atmosphere inside.

"It’s so lively!" Duan Canghong said. "It’s already one-thirty, but it’s still this packed."

Lin Guodong said, "This is normal. Business here is just that good. It doesn’t start to quiet down until two-thirty, maybe even three in the afternoon."

Duan Canghong and the others were amazed all over again. It seemed that if a restaurant’s food was good enough, the location was completely irrelevant. You could open it anywhere you wanted.

Lin Guodong smiled. "That’s right. But besides the owner, Li You, I doubt many people could pull this off."

Duan Canghong and the others all nodded. "Definitely."

Then, they all noticed the "Today’s Specials" sign at the entrance.

’Braised Chicken, Salt-cured Pork Belly, Steamed... huh? Why isn’t Steamed Mandarin Fish listed?’

Lin Guodong said, "The Steamed Mandarin Fish isn’t officially on the menu yet. The one we had for lunch was a free sample from the owner, Li You. By the way, if you have any feedback or suggestions, you can tell him later. He told me to be sure to pass along any advice or opinions so he can make improvements."

Duan Canghong and the others all felt like rolling their eyes. ’With a flavor that incredible, how could we possibly have any feedback or suggestions?’

’Lin Guodong is just bullshitting.’

"Still, cousin," Duan Canghong said, "for the owner, Li You, to invite you to a tasting... you two must be really close!"

Lin Guodong chuckled. "Of course."

Duan Canghong and the others felt an inexplicable twinge of envy. Then they looked back at the "Today’s Specials" sign.

Besides the Braised Chicken and Salt-cured Pork Belly, there were quite a few other dishes.

’But what kind of dish is Cabbage in Boiled Water? Why is it so expensive? And the Longjing Shrimp is pricey too.’

At that moment, Duan Canghong said, "I’ve heard of Longjing Shrimp. It’s made with Longjing Tea and large, live river shrimp. The ingredients themselves are expensive, so 88 yuan a plate is normal. But why is the Cabbage in Boiled Water so much more expensive? That, I don’t know."

Lin Guodong said, "That’s because it’s an incredibly complex dish. Let me tell you about it..."

Lin Guodong was already quite knowledgeable about Cabbage in Boiled Water, and he proceeded to give them a detailed explanation of the dish.

However, even after his explanation, Duan Canghong and the others couldn’t quite grasp it. They just thought the dish sounded pretty amazing.

’But just how good could that broth be?’

They couldn’t imagine it.

Lin Guodong said, "You really can’t imagine it unless you taste it for yourself."

Duan Canghong asked, "Have you tried it, cousin?"

Lin Guodong said, "Once. The flavor... even now, the memory of it is endlessly delightful. I don’t think there’s any broth in the world that could taste better."

Hearing this, Duan Canghong and the others became intensely curious about the taste of Cabbage in Boiled Water.

Duan Canghong asked, "Cousin, besides the Braised Chicken, Salt-cured Pork Belly, and Cabbage in Boiled Water, are all the other dishes just as delicious?"

Lin Guodong said, "Of course! Every single dish here is just like the Salt-cured Pork Belly, Braised Chicken, and Steamed Mandarin Fish—incredibly, incredibly delicious. Oh, right, and the wine. The wine here is publicly acknowledged as the best in the world, a supreme vintage that should only exist in the heavens. I’m not the one who said that. It was Master Guyi."

"Master Guyi? As in Guyi, the contemporary Painting Saint?" Duan Canghong was stunned.

"That’s right!" Lin Guodong nodded.

"Master Guyi has been here, too?" Duan Canghong was incredulous.

Lin Guodong said, "Not only has he visited, but he painted a piece right here on the spot and gifted it to the owner, Li You. The painting is hanging in the restaurant right now. Master Guyi was completely captivated by the food and wine here."

The more Duan Canghong heard, the more incredible it all sounded. He said, "Cousin, this place is even more amazing than I imagined! How could you be so casual when describing such an extraordinary restaurant?"

Lin Guodong smiled. "We’re all used to it.

...