Chapter 171 - 161: Remark ’666’, Win the Jackpot

Chapter 171: Chapter 161: Remark ’666’, Win the Jackpot

Lin Mengjuan returned to the office, meal in hand. Her colleagues who had gone out for lunch hadn’t come back yet, leaving her all alone. Seizing the opportunity, she shamelessly took photos of her boxed meal from every conceivable angle. Then, she sent them to the "Hai City Takeout Ordering" group chat.

’Look what I’ve got here. Any guesses which restaurant this is from? (smirk)’

A series of three or four pictures immediately drew out all the lurkers. One of the group members, who chatted with Lin Mengjuan frequently and knew the general area of her office, noticed something was off.

’I remember your office is over by the Ivy League University, right? Did Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant open a branch over there? Or did you travel all that way just to eat at one of their locations?’

’You can tell just by looking at the desk that she’s not in a restaurant. That’s an office, isn’t it!’

’Whoa, did Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant finally open a new branch? When are they going to open one near me? Seeing you all flaunt what you’re having for lunch every day is making me so jealous.’

’...’

Only after her fellow group members had guessed every possibility did Lin Mengjuan, with great satisfaction, reveal the answer.

’It’s a little different from opening a new branch. Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant has set up stalls to sell boxed meals at the entrances of three construction sites in Hai City! The prices are exactly the same as in the restaurant! For all of you who are outside the delivery zone, you should check it out. Maybe they’ve set up a stall right outside your office! (smirk)’

After sending the message, Lin Mengjuan also posted a link to today’s update from the Hai City Food Studio. The group went silent for a full two minutes before any new messages appeared.

’AHHH! One of the stalls is near my office! I’m going, guys!’ After that message, the person’s avatar turned gray, indicating they had gone offline to rush over to the construction site.

’There’s one near me too! But I’ve already had lunch. Such a pity!’

’You could always buy one to take home for dinner~’

’Damn, still nothing near me. This is so depressing. Why can’t I even get lucky with one of the stalls...’

’...’

The phone on her desk buzzed nonstop, but Lin Mengjuan was already lost in a sea of culinary delight, unable to pull herself away.

The moment she opened the container with the spicy braised chicken leg, an aromatic, spicy fragrance exploded forth, so potent it was almost dizzying. As she took a bite, the savory juices from the chicken leg were the first to greet her tongue, awakening every single taste bud. Her teeth first met the crispy, slightly chewy skin, followed by the succulent, fall-off-the-bone tender meat. It was marinated through and through, so flavorful that fine threads of the braising liquid still oozed from the meat, fusing with it perfectly.

As she chewed, the spiciness on her tongue intensified, and her lips began to tingle with heat. But Lin Mengjuan couldn’t stop, tearing off one bite after another. In no time at all, the hefty chicken leg was reduced to a bone without a shred of meat left on it. She didn’t even spare the bone. With a loud CRACK, she bit it in two. Gently sucking on the broken end, the soft, rich marrow, saturated with the savory broth, launched another assault on her taste buds...

She spat out the bone fragments, picked up her chopsticks, and shoveled two huge mouthfuls of rice into her mouth. Lin Mengjuan was so satisfied she could only squint her eyes in bliss. ’Eating spicy food in an air-conditioned room during the summer is the best! It really whets your appetite!’

’It’s a small regret, though. If only I had some ice-cold watermelon or a drink to go with this, it would be absolutely perfect...’

During the time Lin Mengjuan had been gone, the Xu’s Fast Food stall had sold another ten-plus boxed meals. Zhang Dezhen did a quick count and saw only five were left in the insulated container. ’Looks like I’ll be sold out before one o’clock. I can pack up and head back to the restaurant then.’

Just then, a group of six people appeared near the construction site entrance, looking rushed. They stood there, glancing all around. The eyes of one of them happened to meet Zhang Dezhen’s. The man’s face lit up, and he excitedly nudged his companions, all of them quickening their pace toward the Xu’s Fast Food stall.

Before the six of them had even come to a full stop, they all held out a ten-yuan bill to Zhang Dezhen and said in unison, "Boss, one boxed meal, please."

’Hmm... there are only five boxed meals left in the cooler, but there are six customers. They all seem to know each other, though. I’ll just let them figure this out themselves.’

"Sorry, I’ve only got five boxed meals left. Why don’t you all discuss how you want to divide them up?" Zhang Dezhen asked, lifting the lid of the insulated container with an apologetic smile.

The six men stared at each other. They verbally offered to let someone else have one, but their eyes never left the boxed meals in the cooler for a second.

"Sirs, I’m selling boxed meals over here too! If you buy one from me, you’ll have enough for all six of you," the man from the neighboring Golden Dragon Fast Food Restaurant stall suddenly called out. He showed them his own meal. "Look, my boxed meals come with two dishes and a soup, a healthy, nutritious mix of meat and vegetables. The portions are huge, and the daily soup is made with real ingredients. The price is a steal, just like Xu’s Fast Food—only eight yuan."

At the man’s enthusiastic pitch, the six men’s resolve began to waver. Suddenly, one of them shot his right hand into the cooler and grabbed a boxed meal. "First come, first served! Whoever’s too slow can buy from the other guy."

The other five reacted just as quickly, lunging for the remaining meals at the same instant. But because of their positions, one man on the outside just barely missed. His fingers brushed against a plastic bag, but it was snatched away before he could get a grip. He could only console himself, ’The food at the other stall doesn’t look bad. That braised pork looks pretty delicious, too...’