Chapter 101 - 94: An Explosive Weekend

Chapter 101: Chapter 94: An Explosive Weekend

The moment Cindy left Heqi Chinese Restaurant, she rushed back to the television station to give the chief editor the information she and Karen had gathered.

With Ning He’s cooperation, they had not only obtained firsthand, behind-the-scenes details, but had also shot some incredibly tempting food photography. Combined with the genuine reviews from diners, the story only needed a bit of organizing before it was ready for broadcast.

"Today’s your day off. Why are you still thinking about work?" the program’s chief editor, Liang Hui, asked with a smile.

Cindy replied, "Well, I had to eat anyway. Mark mentioned that the chef who made the malatang at the Ice Sculpture Festival had opened a vegetarian buffet. We’ve never covered a topic like this, so I went to check it out. Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be anything special at first. But after seeing and tasting it for myself, I realized just how narrow-minded I’d been. Vegetarian food can be this stunning. I’m sure this segment will get a great response."

Liang Hui mused for a moment. "Our food program has become very repetitive these past couple of years. The major restaurants are lacking in innovation, and it’s rare to find a street vendor with truly outstanding food. Good stories are definitely getting harder to find. This vegetarian restaurant is a great topic. I’ll take a close look."

Liang Hui was genuinely intrigued by the idea. As soon as she finished her other tasks, she immediately looked over the materials Cindy had submitted.

After flipping through Karen’s close-up shots of the dishes and reviewing the interview transcripts, the veteran chief editor’s eyes filled with deep amazement and curiosity.

She called in the editorial team.

"Put a rush on this story. Let’s try to get it on the air during prime time tomorrow night. All the materials are here, so we should be able to make it."

After assigning the tasks, Liang Hui glanced at the time.

It was almost the end of the workday.

Just then, her phone rang.

"Sister Hui, do you have any recommendations for a good restaurant? I’m so sick of the same old salads and gratins. Little Bu is throwing a fit at home, too—she won’t eat anything!"

Lin Lisha’s expression was troubled as she looked at her daughter, who was sitting on the floor, pouting and sulking. She pleaded with Liang Hui for help.

On the rare day she had off, she had wanted to take her daughter out for a nice meal. But when they got to the restaurant and looked at the same old menu, she lost her appetite. Her daughter, Little Bu, was the same, refusing everything she was offered.

In the end, the mother and daughter had each just had a packet of meal-replacement powder for lunch!

"Even a little foodie like Little Bu has times when she won’t eat?" Liang Hui teased.

"You have no idea," Lisa vented. "Ever since we got back from Mr. Leitel’s banquet, she’s suddenly become a picky eater. I’ve taken her to several Level 3 Restaurants, but she’s not interested in any of them. I don’t know what to do anymore."

Liang Hui looked at the photos on her computer screen—they were colorful and appetizing. She smiled and said to the person on the other end of the call, "A vegetarian buffet opened today. Interested in giving it a try?"

"A vegetarian buffet? What’s that? A salad bar?"

"You’ll see when you get there. I’ll send you the address. Bring Princess Little Bu along. If you want to go after today, you’ll probably have to wait in line."

After hanging up, Lisa received a message from Liang Hui.

’Heqi Chinese Restaurant? Why does that sound so familiar?’

Lisa stared at the name, thinking for a moment. Suddenly, she shot up from her chair.

’Isn’t that the restaurant that catered Mr. Leitel’s banquet?’

Lisa, who had been hesitant just a moment ago, now felt as if she’d found her savior. She grabbed her daughter and left immediately.

The lunch buffet ran until two in the afternoon, but it was clear they had another tough battle ahead of them that evening.

The photos Mia had posted online attracted a lot of people. Mr. Rochester had personally called to reserve six spots. Mrs. Leitel was also planning to bring a few good friends. On top of that, there were members from the group chat who hadn’t been able to make it for lunch. A quick tally came to several dozen people!

Ah Huai called a few vendors and had them deliver whatever produce they hadn’t sold that day to replenish their stock. However, because the available ingredients were different, Ning He had to adjust a few dishes, so the dinner menu wasn’t exactly the same as the one for lunch.

After a short break, everyone was bustling with activity again. Thankfully, with the extra help, Ning He only had to focus on the stir-fried dishes, while the stews and noodle dishes could be left to Ah Huai and Connie.

Youzhen and two classmates stepped up their training on making griddle cakes, while Vance continued to manage the malatang station.

At four-thirty, as their preparations were nearly complete, a heavy rain suddenly began to fall outside.

"Oh no. With the rain this heavy, are the customers even going to show up?"

Ning He wasn’t sure, either.

’The weather service hadn’t issued any warnings, so it couldn’t be that severe, but it was still bound to discourage people from going out. Besides, the restaurant was a bit of a walk from the bus stop, which would be very inconvenient in such a heavy downpour.’