My Restaurant's Guests are All Abnormal

Chapter 42: Forty-two Chapters: Rebirth

"Gentlemen, please don’t talk nonsense about this issue. The dishes our restaurant serves do not have the effect you’re alluding to," Chen Ze hastily denied, otherwise, there would be no need to keep the restaurant open.

In the whole wide world, he had never heard of a restaurant’s cuisine that could make people dream, especially not with such effects.

Chen Ze was determined to not let such a label be attached to him. That kind of label could cause trouble.

If he did not refuse this time and vaguely accepted it, should someone ill come to eat and coincidentally recover, then Chen Ze would have to consider closing up shop for good.

And just the idea of making people dream about their loved ones was enough for Chen Ze to be invited for an investigation by the relevant departments, to check if any illegal ingredients were used.

The thought of being inspected while Gu Aotian walked through the door... Chen Ze felt he would be imprisoned for life the very next moment.

And if the vampire loli walked through the door... Our country has a complete set of criminal laws.

"Alright, alright, let’s not talk about that," Professor Wang, who understood the situation, saw the expression on Chen Ze’s face and realized there were some inconvenient truths.

"Then, Manager, when do you think you can make the drunken pork ribs again?" Professor Wang’s smile was very kind. freewebnoveℓ.com

"That... I really can’t guarantee..." Chen Ze had no idea when Comrade Gu Aotian would come by again.

"Eh, Manager, that’s not right of you," Professor Wang patted Chen Ze on the shoulder with such force that it hurt a little.

"You see, if we go online and talk about what happens here, what do you think..." Professor Wang didn’t finish, but his intentions were clear.

Chen Ze helplessly covered his face, wishing he had never served the drunken pork ribs. He would rather have eaten them himself than sell them.

Thinking of the money he had earned last time, Chen Ze suddenly felt it wasn’t so appealing anymore.

"I’m sorry, everyone, I really can’t do this; after all, I’m just a simple chef, not recognized as a famous one, so even if you all say so, I can’t possibly deliver a dish with that kind of effect," Chen Ze said helplessly, having resorted to both threats and persuasions.

"You young man..." One of the elders was so angry that he hopped from foot to foot.

Professor Wang sighed, pulling his friend Lao Li back, "Lao Li, let’s not press this issue. We were presumptuous to think such a cuisine was possible at this time."

"Sigh... I know that all too well... but whenever I think of my old comrades-in-arms... it just..." Lao Li shook his head, his voice tinged with melancholy.

Chen Ze watched silently; he truly wanted to help these elders, but the cost was too great, the risks too high, so he could only respond with silence.

Watching the elders leave with sighs, Chen Ze breathed a sigh of relief and decided that in the future, it was best to taste-test every dish himself and only put it out for sale after confirming there were no issues.

"This has been a lesson..." Chen Ze hailed a taxi, needing to go buy ingredients.

It didn’t take long for Chen Ze to return to his restaurant with several jars of doubanjiang. Pushing the door open, he saw Betty resting her chin in her hands, staring at the hourglass, which was already half-emptied.

"Ma... Manager!" Betty finally reacted and hurriedly stood up.

"Don’t panic; you still have a while before you can go back. Are you excited?" Chen Ze said with a smile as he closed the door and took the doubanjiang, ready to head into the kitchen.

"Excited and a bit nervous..." Thinking back on her previous living conditions, Betty shuddered.

"It’s okay, things will get better." Chen Ze wasn’t very good at comforting others and after struggling to find the right words, that’s all he could come up with.

"Mm..." Betty seemed to have something on her mind.

But Chen Ze didn’t pay much attention to it; sometimes, you just need to be still for a while, to be better.

Looking at the doubanjiang, Chen Ze tied his headband and returned to the kitchen with high spirits.

[You have made a terrible Mapo Tofu]

"I damn... What kind of garbage doubanjiang is this? It will never be allowed in my kitchen again!" Chen Ze threw a jar of doubanjiang into the trash can.

[You have made a passable Mapo Tofu]

"It seems it’s not this jar either."

[You have made an average Mapo Tofu]

"I’ve found it!" Chen Ze nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the doubanjiang in front of him.

"But I still need to find time to learn more about cooking..." Chen Ze was still somewhat dissatisfied, feeling that his current culinary skills were very limited.

However, that was normal, as Chen Ze didn’t think that as a chef who had entered the field halfway, he could compare with those professional chefs. The lack of systematic learning and training was insufficient to become a chef.

Chen Ze plated the Mapo Tofu, took a sniff, and the air was filled with a spicy and savory aroma that made one’s appetite surge.

He scooped out a bowl of rice and brought both the rice and the Mapo Tofu out; this was the staff meal he had prepared for Betty.

"Betty, have some, we are going back soon," Chen Ze glanced at the hourglass, almost out of sand.

"Okay... okay..." Betty ate the steaming Mapo Tofu with her mind elsewhere.

Seeing Betty almost bringing the spoon to her nose, Chen Ze annoyedly slapped her hand.

"Go back and come back for more later," Chen Ze waved his hand and headed back into the kitchen. He planned to find a culinary school to attend for a while after Betty had left.

Betty hadn’t heard Chen Ze’s words at all. She was fixated on the hourglass in front of her, watching the sand trickle down grain by grain.

The freedom she had always longed for, dreamed about, and fantasized about, at this moment, seemed so close.

Betty felt anxious and nervous at the prospect; she worried that the Dragon might forget about her once it returned, leaving her uncertain of what to do next.

If forgotten, and if Betty returned, she might be confined in another place and tortured by that twisted human old man.

Betty touched the scar on her calf and a flicker of panic crossed her eyes.

But time kept slipping away, regardless, and soon the sand in the hourglass had run out.

Betty turned around, wanting to ask Chen Ze if she could come back, to inquire whether Riesel would keep his promise.

Looking at Chen Ze, who was busily chopping vegetables in the kitchen, Betty abandoned the thought.

She took a deep breath, so deep that it hurt her chest and she couldn’t breathe any more. Then she slowly stepped forward and pushed open the door that led her out of hell.

In front of her was the familiar basement, the filthy bed, the gloomy environment, the bugs scurrying around, and the black, hard bread she had eaten before.

Betty quickly turned back, but the door had already closed automatically behind her, leaving only the cold wall.

"Betty? Why are you so slow?" Overjoyed, Betty turned back around, and there was Riesel, nibbling on a gold brick.

"Did the manager release a new dish?" That was Riesel’s second sentence.