Gourmet Expert

As Zhang Xu was persistently pleading with Li Ye, a figure came running from a distance, almost out of breath. While running, the figure shouted, "Zhang Xu, what's wrong?! What happened?!"

As the figure approached, it turned out to be a chubby man, presumably the Lin Dong whom Zhang Xu had mentioned on the phone earlier.

Lin Dong resembled Zhang Xu in appearance, with bloodshot eyes and an unmistakable aura of exhaustion.

"Lin Dong, this barbecue... this barbecue is insanely delicious! You have to try it!" Zhang Xu enthusiastically recommended as he saw Lin Dong rushing over.

Lin Dong frowned. He thought Zhang Xu had called him down for something urgent, but it turned out to be for him to taste the roadside barbecue?

"Zhang Xu, are you out of your mind from overwork? You know perfectly well that I'm a seasoned gourmet. Yet you still ask me to taste this roadside barbecue? Don't you know how discerning my palate is?"

Lin Dong was indeed confident. In the realm of gourmet food, he was considered the second to none in the entire company, with nobody daring to claim the top spot. Just his hefty appearance alone was enough to confirm everything.

Essentially, all the gourmet food Zhang Xu had ever tasted was introduced by Lin Dong.

Moreover, Lin Dong was a prominent moderator on a local gourmet forum, renowned for his extensive knowledge and experience in culinary delights, having indulged in various delicacies year-round, refining his taste buds to a discerning level.

Lin Dong wouldn't deign to step into even those elegantly appointed small restaurants, let alone these low-class roadside stalls.

After all, in Jiangnan City, there were only a few renowned gourmets like Lin Dong.

"Try it first, then you can speak," Zhang Xu urged.

Lin Dong sneered, casually scanning Li Ye's barbecue stall, especially noticing the price tag displayed. His expression froze momentarily, and he asked, "Eighty-eight yuan for a skewer of barbecue? Are your ingredients raised on pure milk, little lambs just six months old?"

Li Ye smirked, a hint of mockery in his expression.

How could earthly lambs be compared to the antelope demon beasts of the Xuan Dao Continent?

"Well, since it's strongly recommended by Zhang Xu, I'll reluctantly give it a try. He has followed me to enjoy so many delicacies. If he says your barbecue is delicious, then it should be somewhat decent," chubby Lin Dong said.

Like Zhang Xu, he had been fighting for seven days and nights, with not a drop of oil left in his stomach, feeling intensely hungry.

The aroma of the barbecue did indeed smell good, and since it was strongly recommended by Zhang Xu, it should be decent. He considered it as satisfying his craving for meat in a moment of hunger.

"Boss, give me twenty skewers," Lin Dong boldly took out a thick stack of cash from his pocket and handed eighteen bills to Li Ye.

Li Ye shook his head. Before he could speak, Zhang Xu hurriedly interjected, "The rule of this barbecue stall is that each person can only buy ten skewers of barbecue per day, and they must be consumed on-site without taking away."

Lin Dong's expression froze. What kind of rule was this? How did this boss run his business?

Ignoring Lin Dong's visibly uncomfortable expression, Li Ye retrieved ten skewers of pre-threaded meat from the barbecue cart and began grilling them.

"Wow, the texture of this meat is distinct, with excellent layering. The technique of deboning and slicing is quite exquisite, not a single texture of the meat is disrupted. Boss, is this fresh lamb meat just slaughtered?" Lin Dong praised, his anticipation growing gradually.

It seemed that Lin Dong knew more than the previous Zhang Xu, able to discern the subtleties of deboning and slicing. He appeared to be a true gourmet, someone who genuinely enjoyed various delicacies.

However, Li Ye didn't bother with his comments. Instead, he frowned impatiently and waved his hand, "Keep your distance, I won't be responsible if you get burned by the charcoal."

As a seasoned gourmet food expert, Lin Dong naturally knew more than Zhang Xu.

But which skilled chef wasn't a bit arrogant and temperamental? Lin Dong didn't take it to heart.

If he found the food not to his liking after eating, he could just make a few sarcastic remarks to save face.

This was something Lin Dong enjoyed the most—seeing the embarrassed expression of proud and arrogant chefs when he pointed out flaws in their food, forcing them to reluctantly acknowledge it.

Lin Dong had already prepared all the words to mock Li Ye in his mind.

As time passed, the aroma of the barbecue slowly spread, drifting into people's nostrils, making them feel as if they were basking in a gentle spring breeze.

Chubby Lin Dong's expression became increasingly astonished, but amidst his tired eyes, a glimmer of vitality began to emerge.

Judging solely from the aroma emanating from the barbecue, it wasn't unreasonable for this roadside stall to sell its barbecue at the extravagant price of eighty-eight yuan.

The flavor even rivaled that of dishes from five-star restaurants.

After a moment, Li Ye had already grilled the ten skewers of meat and handed them to Lin Dong.

Accepting them, Lin Dong endured the restless squirming of the worms in his stomach and carefully examined the barbecue. He couldn't help but admire, "The color of these skewers is vivid, the lean meat is tender but not dry, and the fat is rich but not greasy. It's indeed a very decent barbecue material. At eighty-eight yuan per skewer, just judging from its appearance, it's worth the price."

"Irritating! Just eat!" Li Ye frowned, impatiently urging him.

He suddenly made a decision: after Lin Dong, the second gourmet expert, had finished eating, he planned to close the stall and come back out later in the evening. He understood the principle of hunger marketing.

Moreover, having sold twenty skewers of barbecue, he had already earned more than 1,700 soft sister coins, which was quite a considerable amount for the current Li Ye...

After all, the salary he had saved up from working in the night market for three months amounted to just this figure.

With his first bit of money, the first person he thought of was his younger sister, Li Xiaoguo.

Now that he could earn money, and in the future, he would earn even more unimaginable amounts, there was no reason to let his sister, Li Xiaoguo, drop out of school to work.

Lin Dong's expression stiffened for a moment. It was rare to encounter a seller like this boss, who acted like a big shot.

He sneered inwardly, casually picked up a skewer, shoved it into his mouth, chewed hard a few times, and then... nothing.

His mind went blank, as if enveloped by a strange taste, leaving him feeling as if he were in the midst of a vast starry sky.

The lingering fragrance of the barbecue in his mouth persisted, akin to basking in a gentle spring breeze, evoking a feeling as if he had found the sensation of his first love.

He felt as if he were running towards the setting sun, waving a red scarf in his hand, shouting loudly, and releasing his madness.

"I long for the silhouette running under the setting sun, because that's my unrestrained youth."

"Lin Dong, Lin Dong! What's wrong with you? Are you out of your mind?!"

Lin Dong slowly came back to reality from his reverie, hearing Zhang Xu's anxious words. He felt his eyes moisten, tears uncontrollably streaming down his cheeks as he looked at the remaining skewers of barbecue in his hand, as if seeing his first love.

How could there be such delicious barbecue in this world?!

How could it be possible?!

"Lin Dong, why are you crying? Haha, I knew you'd definitely fall in love with the barbecue from this stall," Zhang Xu said recklessly.

At this moment, Lin Dong had completely lost the desire to argue with Zhang Xu.

With a face full of shame, he looked at the expressionless Li Ye and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, sincerely saying, "I apologize sincerely for my disrespectful attitude towards you just now. Your barbecue is incredibly delicious, and I can't find the words to perfectly describe its taste. Your ability to create such delicacies deserves the heartfelt respect of those of us who truly love food."

Li Ye shrugged, indifferent, and nodded expressionlessly. But inwardly, he was screaming madly, damn it! This chubby guy's acting skills are even better than that Zhang Xu's! Are you really taking this seriously?! Damn, tears are even flowing! Do you think the barbecue I make is your first love?!!! Is this guy falling for me?!

"Hey! I'm a straight guy, you know?!"

At this moment, Li Ye's heart was both pained and joyful.

"You hurry up and eat. Once you're done, I'll close up shop," Li Ye said in a deep voice, urging Lin Dong to finish eating quickly so he could deal with his sister Li Xiaoguo's matters and also take a good look at the storage bag.

"Why the rush?" Lin Dong asked anxiously. How could he possibly devour such delicious food in such a barbaric manner? Food was like a beautiful woman! It needed to be savored slowly, enjoying every flavor!

Lin Dong's heart was also "blue, thin, and fragrant mushroom", but he had to obey Li Ye's words. After all, Li Ye's barbecue had captured his heart in an instant.

But as a seasoned foodie, a gourmet expert, his attitude towards food was something ordinary people couldn't understand.

"Boss, will you still be here tonight?" Lin Dong asked.

He knew the rules of Li Ye's barbecue stall, but he was willing to wait until midnight to buy another ten skewers.

"Depends on my mood," Li Ye replied.

"Boss, you have to come tonight. I'll bring many customers here to support you! Such delicious barbecue should be known to more people, shared by more people," Lin Dong said with an extremely serious expression, almost like he was worshiping.

Li Ye shrugged indifferently, but inside, he was overjoyed. He hadn't expected to encounter such a devout believer of food on his first day of opening. It seemed like his barbecue business was destined to be a success!

He deliberately put on a stern face and said, "I've just opened, so there's a discount only for now. Tonight, the price will go back to one hundred and eighty-eight yuan per skewer."

To be honest, not only is the barbecue made from Fire Antelope delicious, but it also has various magical effects. Selling it for eighty-eight yuan is indeed a loss. It's better to directly increase the price to one hundred and eighty-eight yuan.

"Delicious food is priceless!" Lin Dong said solemnly, like a young bride bidding farewell to her husband going on a long journey, "I'll wait for you here tonight."

Li Ye felt a chill in his heart. Could this guy really be gay?

Finally, after waiting for Lin Dong to finish eating ten skewers of barbecue, Li Ye didn't hesitate anymore. He quickly packed up the barbecue stall and slowly made his way back to his residence.

On the square, with bustling crowds, most of the street vendors selling breakfast looked at Li Ye with a hint of curiosity and jealousy in their eyes.

Is selling barbecue really that profitable?

In such a short time? Selling twenty skewers of barbecue could earn over a thousand yuan in profit?

They looked at each other and saw the same intentions in each other's eyes, revealing greed and extreme desire for money.

"Change professions! Change professions! Let's start selling barbecue immediately!"

"These young people are eating meat, and we can at least get a sip of soup if we follow them, right?"

"Damn it! He's coming back tonight. Let's switch to selling barbecue tonight!"