Chapter 355: Custom Private Kitchen

Chapter 355: Chapter 355: Custom Private Kitchen

"Boss Hart, what is this place for?"

"Yeah, why is there a fridge? I wonder if there are any ingredients inside."

"This looks like a kitchen. Is it for cooking?"

"Cooking? Where are you going to find anything to cook now! Seriously!"

Lily Hart walked past the group with a blank expression, not answering a single question. Seeing this, the crowd didn’t seem to mind.

They started discussing amongst themselves, all pressed against the glass room, staring intently inside with complex emotions in their eyes.

Lily Hart kept her expression neutral until she sat down on the sofa in the RV, at which point she finally relaxed.

"Dealing with people really is the most exhausting thing," Lily Hart muttered to herself, slumping onto the sofa and grabbing a throw pillow to hug.

Still, she was quite curious what the first thing that man would do with his new kitchen would be.

She put down the pillow, pulled a chair over to Diana Sharp, and helped her sort the scratch-offs.

The kitchen wasn’t far away, and she had a good angle, but there were too many people crowded around it, completely blocking the view.

She could only see the upper half.

All she could see was the man’s messy-haired head, apparently busy with something.

’Shouldn’t he wear a hat if he’s cooking? Is this even sanitary?’

She stood up but could still only see him from the shoulders up, unable to make out what he was doing with his hands.

’Oh, right! I can check the monitor.’

The RV was now equipped with cameras in every corner. She found the one pointed at the kitchen. As luck would have it, since it was a glass room, the view inside was completely unobstructed.

’Oh, he’s rummaging through the fridge.’

He took the ingredients out of the fridge one by one to inspect them, his eyes growing brighter and the smile on his face wider with each one.

The fridge was stocked with all sorts of ingredients: beef, pork, lamb, large shrimp, and a full assortment of vegetables, all verdant, dewy, and very fresh.

The man deliberated for a moment, then took out some beef and chicken wings to thaw. He also started cooking three cups of rice for himself.

He wouldn’t let a single grain of rice go to waste. If one fell, it had to be picked up, even if it had been on the floor for more than three seconds.

Once the rice was cooking, the man began to chop vegetables. He was a little rusty at first; after all, it had been a long time since he’d done this.

After chopping a Thai chili and some beef, his feel for it gradually returned. He couldn’t help but smile, pressing his lips together. ’This feels amazing!’

’After ten years... To think I can touch beef again, to think I can even make a little stir-fried beef... I’m so content, so satisfied.’

After he finished making the braised chicken wings, stir-fried beef, and stir-fried greens, the rice was also done steaming. The moment he lifted the lid of the rice cooker, a fragrant wave of steam billowed out.

The man took a deep breath, grabbed an enormous bowl from the cabinet, and filled it to the brim with rice.

There was an island in the center of the kitchen, normally used for chopping and prepping food, but he was now using it as his dining table.

He arranged the four bowls in a square, giving the meal a nice sense of ceremony.

The man sat down, looking from dish to dish, almost reluctant to start eating. But the aroma eventually won, and he began to wolf down his food.

The people outside the glass room just watched—watched him devour everything, watched him shovel huge mouthfuls of rice. It truly made them drool.

They stopped buying scratch-offs and just stared inside. The crowd stood there, audibly gulping. Lily Hart was watching, too.

’I can’t believe he hasn’t been a chef for so many years. His cooking skills are practically etched into his DNA. Everything looks and smells perfect.’

An idea for how to market this kitchen suddenly struck her.

’He could be a private chef, offering custom orders. A limited number of dishes each day, with prices set accordingly, cooking based on customer requests.’

’That way, he won’t get exhausted. He can handle it, taking orders based on his capacity.’

’After all, the ingredients and seasonings all cost points.’

Afterward, Lily Hart, along with the general populace, watched what was essentially a mukbang. He ate with such gusto that, you had to admit, it really whetted your appetite.

Thankfully, Lily Hart had just eaten lunch, so she didn’t feel hungry. The rest of the crowd, however, was in misery. They were swallowing their saliva, fidgeting with their hands, and pacing back and forth. The craving was palpable. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

The man finally finished eating and stretched contentedly. It was only when he stood up that he noticed. ’Whoa, there are so many people out here...’

He had been so focused on eating and eating that he hadn’t noticed at all.

He suddenly understood. For people who had been starving for so long, being able to watch but not eat was a form of torture!

Seeing every one of them looking famished, the hunger practically spilling from their eyes, he suddenly empathized.

He made a decision. He was going to cook, and he was going to sell it to them!

’But...’ The man looked around the kitchen. ’There’s only one rice cooker. If there are too many people, this might not work, huh?’

’I can’t possibly handle it all myself.’

’What do I do, what do I do?’

Suddenly, inspiration struck. ’Boss Hart must have a solution!’

He immediately pushed open the glass door and sprinted toward the RV, taking two steps at a time. After running a full circle around it, however, he couldn’t find the door.

’Wow, Boss Hart’s stuff really is high-tech. It doesn’t even have a door.’

Suddenly, with a flash, Lily Hart appeared before him. In another flash, the scenery changed, and he found himself inside the RV.

"Huh? Boss Hart, how did you suddenly appear? I was just looking outside, and I didn’t see you at all," the man said in pleasant surprise, not waiting for Lily Hart to reply.

He continued, "Oh, right, Boss Hart, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you."

Seeing that he had finally finished, Lily Hart nodded. "I’m listening. Go ahead."

The man glanced around and found the RV’s interior too clean, too tidy. ’There’s nowhere for me to sit. I’d better just stand while I talk.’

"I want to cook and sell food to them. Is that okay?" the man asked, his tone pleading.

"Of course. It’s your reward; you get to decide what to do with it. But I do have a few suggestions, if you care to hear them," Lily Hart said casually with a shrug.

The man nodded, assuming a posture of someone ready to listen intently.

"You could be a private chef, offering a limited number of custom orders each day. For example, if one person wants braised fish and another wants steamed pork with rice flour, you can fulfill their requests. How many orders you take each day would be up to you."

’Boss Hart is thinking along the same lines as me, but her idea is much more complete and filled with details!’ the man thought, his eyes lighting up.

He nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes! I had a similar idea, but it wasn’t as well-thought-out as yours! So, Boss Hart, how do you think I should price things?"

"If it’s too high, I’m afraid they won’t be able to afford it. If it’s too low, I’m afraid I won’t cover my costs. What should I do, Boss Hart~? And how many orders should I limit it to per day?"

Lily Hart sighed. ’Here we go again.’

"When you were a chef, how many dishes could you cook in a day?" Lily Hart asked.

The man got excited talking about this, his face beaming. "Oh, a ton! On a busy day, I could crank out a hundred dishes or so. My arms would be practically smoking!"

"Then let’s say thirty-three dishes. The whole point is that it’s limited, a premium service. If they think it’s too expensive, they can go buy fast food from the factory."

"Ooh~ a premium service~" The man mulled over the words, starting to understand.

"Or you could offer set meals," Lily Hart continued. "Four dishes and a soup for, say, 888 points, or 666 points. Whatever you like."

The man’s eyes lit up again, but he still only half-understood. He would have to think it over some more.

"Thank you, Boss Hart!" The man wasn’t stupid, just chatty. With a little guidance, he could get it. He hurried back.