Chapter 80 - 79: Zhang Wanwan

Chapter 80: Chapter 79: Zhang Wanwan

Because of this, Chen Momo tuned into this channel every day to listen to the latest policies and directives.

She heard that the management headquarters had decided to select one outstanding base to invest in and build a large-scale production center, ensuring the food supply for the residents. The production center would operate on a contracting system, with a contract term of ten years. Similar to farming, it would be divided into different zones—breeding zones, planting zones, and so on. Contractors could carry out production activities within their designated areas.

Securing the contracting rights meant obtaining the authority to supply resources to all top ten bases. Currently, Chen Momo’s sauerkraut fish stall only served a single base. But if she could successfully win the contracting rights for the production base, she wouldn’t just be catering to one base anymore. She would directly serve ten bases, expanding her customer pool tenfold!

This was a golden opportunity to strike it rich!

The person-in-charge from the management center would soon be inspecting each base to understand their respective situations. Every base was scrambling to perform well, hoping theirs would receive the investment for the production center. The headquarters’ person-in-charge was scheduled to arrive at the Han City Base in half a month.

With only half a month left, Chen Momo had to carefully figure out how to secure those contracting rights!

Chen Momo thought, "Someone like Gu Rongjin, who appears cold on the outside but is incredibly ambitious on the inside, definitely won’t miss the chance to get this production center investment."

Weighed down by her thoughts, Chen Momo arrived at the cafeteria to prepare for opening.

"Sister Momo, the stall diagonally opposite ours has been rented out," Xu Xiaoka whispered in her ear.

Chen Momo looked up and saw that the stall diagonally across from them had indeed been renovated. The style was much more premium than the previous small-bowl dishes stall. It looked exquisite and cozy, boasting a distinct Japanese aesthetic. The sign hanging above the window, which read "Wanwan Japanese Ramen," confirmed her suspicions.

The stall owner was a woman who looked to be in her thirties or forties. She wore delicate makeup, and her eyes carried an arrogant look, as if she looked down on everyone.

Xu Xiaoka whispered to Chen Momo, "Sister Momo, I just asked around. This female boss is the owner of the famous domestic chain, Wanwan Japanese Cuisine. After the blizzard, all her storefronts were swallowed by the snow. Now she has to start from scratch again, but she’s no simple character."

Chen Momo had actually eaten at the Wanwan Japanese Cuisine chain once before. According to her memory, this Japanese restaurant had opened two hundred chain stores nationwide. Before the blizzard struck, it was reportedly preparing to go public. However, the apocalyptic blizzard had mercilessly crushed the IPO dreams of the Wanwan Japanese Cuisine chain. The female boss of the restaurant, Zhang Wanwan, had no choice but to start over from scratch.

Even though she had to start from the beginning, Zhang Wanwan had absolute confidence in herself! She believed that even in the apocalypse, her net worth would soon return to its pre-apocalyptic levels. After all, her massive empire before the end of the world had been built bit by bit, relying entirely on her own exquisite culinary skills!

Moreover, "Wanwan Japanese Ramen" naturally brought its own massive traffic. As soon as the stall opened, many diners recognized it.

"Wanwan Japanese Ramen? Isn’t that the boss of the Wanwan Japanese Cuisine chain?"

"Aren’t we just too lucky? We actually get to eat ramen handmade by the lady boss of Wanwan Japanese Cuisine!"

"Oh my god, am I dreaming? I definitely have to buy a bowl to try!"

Although the Wanwan Japanese Ramen stall hadn’t put out any advertisements, nor did its owner shout vigorously to attract customers like the others, it quickly drew a long line of people based solely on the reputation it had accumulated before the apocalypse. Many were chattering excitedly, unable to wait to taste the ramen.

"Sister Momo, the boss of that Japanese ramen stall is really formidable. Will she steal all our business?" Xu Xiaoka asked worriedly.

Chen Momo glanced at the diners lining up for her sauerkraut fish; the crowd was at least half its usual size.

"It has already been stolen," Chen Momo said with a smile.

"Then what should we do?" Xu Xiaoka asked anxiously.

"Xiao Ka, go line up at the ramen stall and buy a portion to bring back," Chen Momo instructed. "Pay close attention to how fast they serve the food, as well as their prices and all the items they’re selling."

This Wanwan Japanese Ramen was a formidable opponent; she had to get a clear grasp of their situation.

Upon receiving his orders, Xu Xiaoka turned very serious, instantly feeling a heavy weight of responsibility on his shoulders.

"Understood, Sister Momo! I will definitely figure out the situation at that stall carefully!" Xu Xiaoka promised earnestly.

He quickly untied his apron and went to stand at the back of the crowd, lining up for the Japanese ramen stall. After waiting in line for a long time, it was finally Xu Xiaoka’s turn.

Just as he stepped up to the window, Xu Xiaoka caught a whiff of an alluring, rich aroma. Even though he hadn’t tasted the ramen yet, just smelling that rich fragrance was enough to fill him with anticipation.

He watched as Zhang Wanwan made the ramen with incredibly swift and neat movements. Boiling the noodles and adding the toppings—everything was done in one smooth, uninterrupted flow. The ramen was boiled in a golden broth. It featured a vibrant yellow soup, round noodles, and large slices of perfectly fried, well-marbled pork belly layered on top. Since she didn’t have the Chashu pork traditionally used for Japanese ramen, she used pork belly slices as a substitute.

"How much?" Xu Xiaoka asked, staring at the fresh, appetizing golden broth ramen as he swallowed hard.

"Five hundred base credits," Zhang Wanwan said expressionlessly. Then, looking up at the customer behind him, she called out, "Next."

Xu Xiaoka tapped his card against the reader, deducting five hundred base credits. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache at the cost. Carrying the bowl of ramen, Xu Xiaoka slipped back into Chen Momo’s kitchen while no one was looking.

"Sister Momo, Zhang Wanwan’s Japanese ramen sells for five hundred base credits a bowl, the exact same price as our sauerkraut fish. Look at this rich broth and the toppings—they’re extremely exquisite. I just don’t know how it tastes yet." After he finished speaking, he swallowed another mouthful of saliva with a loud GULP.

Chen Momo asked, "Does Zhang Wanwan’s stall only sell this one type of ramen?"

"She also sells Japanese mochi," Xu Xiaoka replied. "They’re one hundred base credits each. Some diners buy them, but people are mostly buying the ramen."

Chen Momo nodded.

Looking at the bowl of Japanese ramen in front of her, it was exquisite in color, aroma, and taste. With just one glance, it was obvious that it came from the hands of an exceptionally skilled chef. Just looking at its presentation was enough to completely whet anyone’s appetite.

Chen Momo took out another pair of chopsticks and said to Xu Xiaoka, "Let’s taste this ramen."

So, Chen Momo and Xu Xiaoka each picked up a chopstick-full of noodles along with a piece of the pork belly topping. They put the food into their mouths and tasted it carefully.

The round noodles were chewy, providing a perfectly bouncy and elastic texture in the mouth. The fried pork belly was beautifully marbled with fat and lean meat. The outside had a crispy layer, and biting into it revealed an explosion of fresh, savory flavor. Paired with the bouncy noodles, the lingering taste was absolutely phenomenal.

This stall was certainly not simple; both the noodles and the pork belly hid profound culinary techniques.